Gun Jumping.

Of course I jumped the gun. I live in the only city on Earth where it could play out like this. It'll never come easy.

The wait continues.

(Shh...)

Well. I know I'm jumpin' the gun a bit, but today is the day. The Phillies can win the World Series for only the 2nd time in their 126 year history and end the Philly drought of 25 years without a championship. 

Just to put it in perspective, here's a list I've compiled off the top of my head of cities that have won at least 1 championship since the Sixers won in '83:

New York: '94 Rangers, 2 Superbowls, '86 Mets, 3 WS' for the Yankees (the '83 Islanders also won too).

Boston: '08 Celtics, 2 WS' 3 Superbowls, '84 & '86 NBA titles

DC: 1 Superbowl

Chicago: Superbowl XX, 6 NBA titles, '05 Sox WS

Baltimore: '83 WS and 1 Superbowl

Pittsburgh: 2 Stanley Cups and 1 Superbowl

San Francisco: 4 Superbowls

ANAHEIM: 1 Stanley Cup and 1 WS

KANSAS CITY: 1 WS

St. Louis: 2 WS' and 1 Superbowl

Houston: 2 NBA titles

CAROLINA: 1 Stanley Cup

Montreal: 2 Stanley Cups

Miami (Marlins/Heat): 3 titles

Edmonton: 5 Stanley Cups ('84, '85, '87, '88, '90. Beat the Flyers in '85 and '87)

LA: 6 NBA titles

Detroit: 4 Stanley Cups, 3 NBA titles

TAMPA BAY: 1 Superbowl, 1 Stanley Cup (each beat the Philly team in the semi-final round)

Toronto: 2 WS'

NEW JERSEY: 3 Stanley Cups

Minnesota: 2 WS'

Dallas: 3 Superbowls and a Stanley Cup

It's been a long time for this city. As my roommate and friend Jonny Rashid says; "It is a good day to be alive." This would be no small monkey off the city's back, it'd be a gorilla. People in Philly are just plain unhappy and mean, and this really lowers everyone's guard for a week or two. Tonight while riding home I saw a guy walking and I looked back, raised my fist and said "One more game!" He responded with something of a "Hell yeah!"

Again, I don't want to jump the gun. But come on, JOE BLANTON HIT A HOME RUN.

Today is all about the Phillies. Bring it home boys.

JR.

I just watched an interview with Jeremy Roenick during the Flyers first period intermission. He's a former Flyer and is a fan-favorite everywhere he's played. I saw him play against the Blackhawks last year (he was drafted and came up in Chicago) and the fans still love him. He now plays for the San Jose Sharks and is in Philly tonight playing against the Flyers (hence the interview).

It was great. They discussed his 5ooth goal and his goal that eliminated the Maple Leafs in 2004. Both were wild goals. He has a great personality, which I believe is a rare thing in sports. Most players seem pretty dull outside of their sport, not JR. He's great.

I'll post it if a link pops up on youtube.

World Series Bound.

Tonight the Phillies won the NLCS, beating the Dodgers 4 games to 1. Ryan Howard was quoted as saying "I can only imagine how it is in Philadelphia right now."

Well. After viewing the final outs with my good friend and avid Phillies fan John Kopp, we grabbed our bikes and went down Broad St. When we got to Temple there was a huge crowd yelling and high-fiving and blocking traffic. It was wonderful.

Center City was ridiculous with fireworks going off and more people in the streets. South Philly was absolutely wild (I saw a flaming shoe in the street). One guy was wearing a shirt that said "LA Sucks." I loved it.

Everyone was happy. For at least the next 2 weeks, we're all on the same team. In a city full of angry, bitter people; I'm going to soak this in.

I can only imagine what's going to happen if they win the whole thing. I hope I find out.

Ordinary People...

There's a band that I'm quite fond of called Propgandhi. They're an anarchist, vegan, pop-punk band from Canada (see why I'd be quite fond...?). I'd like to share a lyrical excerpt of theirs from a song called "Ordinary people do f***ed up things when f***ed things become ordinary." The title of the song is pretty great by itself. But anyway...

This is a world of professional liars: a bleating chorus of tempered truths, who like pealing church-bells echo its' virtues sung over and over and over again. Rotting at the bottom is better than living as a fool. I can't find the meaning in the great achievement. When you commit heart and soul to earning your place, opportunity kills common sense.

Hooray for the corporate world.

Palin Pt. II.

Here's a great article about Flyers chairman Ed Snider and his decision to have sarah Palin drop the puck. Thank you Adam Proteau.

Additionally, tonight at the Flyers game they showed a young naval guy (I don't know if it's a cadet or what) re-enlist during a stoppage of play. This is getting ridiculous.

On top of THAT, the Flyers dropped a 2-1 lead going into the 3rd period and blew the game 5-3. This team/organization is wearing my patience thin. I go to/watch these games to escape nonsensical things like politics, war, racism, and oppression.

No wonder Canadian fans are resentful of American hockey, we butcher their game.

Keep nationalism out of hockey. Keep politics out of the most wonderful game on Earth.

I feel like the end of this should say "Partnership for a drug-free NHL."

Hope?

Yesterday was miserable. It sucked from start to finish, with few breaks along the way. At the end of the day I thanked God it was over. What was ironic was that all the stuff I would say I hated about it won't be things that will bug me in a few days. They weren't that big of a deal.

I get pretty overwhelmed by the ways people decide and are tricked into deciding not to care about each other. It gets me down. Real down. I feel like I'm an idiot for even trying to care. It's like I'm wasting peoples "precious" time. Every single day I see more and more ways that our culture encourages us to look out for ourselves and no one past our immediate families. Get yours and screw everyone else. That's what we're told from the minute we can breath on our own. When one suggests that such lies are in fact lies, people are ready to call you "hippie" or "gay" or a variety of other misguided condescending names. I feel a dense fog of hate looming over us everyday. If you can't at least see my point, you're not paying attention.

It'll suck the love and hope right out of you. I recall praying "Jesus, I can't feel your love." But I think the fact that I can still acknowledge that things are screwed up, that I can't just "get in line" is a beautiful example of His love. There's that hope. No matter what happens, I know that life is not currently the way that God intended it. No matter how much I want to give up and believe the lies, I can't. Jesus' love is too convincing, too overwhelmingly perfect.

I remember John 15 where Jesus says "love each other" at least 5 times. In one instance He directly says "This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you... You are my friends if you do what I command" (vs 12, 14). This takes inhuman amounts of patience. No wonder people are atheists.

God is good.

Phillies.

Here's a cool article about the Phillies and their postseason woes of the last century and a quarter.

My pulse is increasing. I'm pretty nervous. The NLCS begins tonight. Go Phils.

Palin.

Oh my gosh. Worst news all day.

Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is going to drop the ceremonial first puck at the Flyers opener on Saturday night. I am so angry.

Last week during the debate with Biden she kept using the word "tolerant" to explain her stance towards multiple people groups. She said it like it's a good thing, like we should give her credit. To me, "tolerant" is a condescending term. It's obligatory. She doesn't care about the groups she mentioned (Afghanis, Iraqis, and homosexuals), but feels she has to put up with them.

I hate American politics. It pains me to go to a sporting event and have to see this stuff. In my eyes, this is a stain on the Flyers worse than the Lindros mess in the late 90s.

It's funny. Last night I told my dad that Ed Snider and I view the world VERY differently. He's a businessman through and through.

Ugh.

Books.

Oh my gosh. Books are simultaneously the best and worst thing on Earth. This morning I stumbled upon a site for called hockeybookreviews.com. There are so many books I want to read. Just about hockey. This is only one subject, just because I love it. Ugh. There will never be enough time.

NHL Conference Standing Predictions.

I probably should've done it this way the first time. Here's how I think they'll finish in the conference standings and be seeded in the playoffs. The division winners get the top 3 spots, and the top 8 make the playoffs.

West:

1. Detroit Red Wings

2. Dallas Stars

3. Minnesota Wild

4. San Jose Sharks

5. Anaheim Ducks

6. Chicago Blackhawks

7. Calgary Flames

8. Vancouver Canucks

9.  Colorado Avalanche

10. Nashville Predators

11. Edmonton Oilers

12. Columbus Blue Jackets

13. Phoenix Coyotes

14. St. Louis Blues

15. Los Angeles Kings

East:

1. Pittsburgh Penguins (They're not the best in the east, but they'll finish ahead of Montreal)

2. Montreal Canadiens

3. Washington Capitals

4. Philadelphia Flyers

5. New York Rangers

6. Ottawa Senators

7. New Jersey Devils

8. Buffalo Sabres

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

10. Boston Bruins

11. Atlanta Thrashers

12. New York Islanders

13. Carolina Hurricanes

14. Toronto Maple Leafs

15. Florida Panthers

I'm obviously very excited. We'll see how this shakes out.