Does the Man Upstairs Hate Philly?

No. I'm not buying it.

I'm not buying this notion that there's some "paranormal" thing screwing with the city of Philadelphia. This is just a baseball game and some bad weather.

Sure, Monday's events were really annoying and not how we'd like to see the 25 year drought end. Monday night was bad for every single party involved from the fans at the game and the fans at home to the Phillies and even Bud Selig.

However, the one party it may not have been bad for is those stinking Tampa Bay Rays.

So tonight, the Phillies can go out there and silence all of this talk of a higher being frowning upon us.

Unless, of course, they lose this series. Then I'll buy anything.

photoshop work by reader John Z.

Comments

[slowski]

the baseballgods dont hate the phils or like the rays... if anything they hate bud selig and whats he done to baseball.

[AZTerror]

At times like this, I like to refer to my friend Tom:

I felt so good, like anything was possible
I hit cruise control and rubbed my eyes
The last three days the rain was unstoppabl e
It was always cold, no sun shine

Yeah runnin down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin on a mystery, goin wherever it leads
Im runnin down a dream

WE'RE GETTING OUR DREAM TONIGHT!!!
WHY CAN'T US???!!!!

[Dave]

Meh. Our batters were clearly struggling under the immense pressure we (the fans) all put on them Monday night, and that lead to them pressing and trying too hard. Tonight should be more relaxed.

[Loqiel]

Please end this Series so I can get some sleep. Thanks.

[mike c]

it rained in jacksonville and it rained on monday

[Mayfly]

My roommate hates Philly?

[Andy]

@Dave I'm sorry but that's a ridiculous notion. The pressure from the fans was by no means any greater on Monday than it has ever been in the past. This is is a great, mentally tough team with a handful of great players, but they've shown on numerous occasions that they're capable of tightening up with no real help from us fans.

[CMart]

Send me pics from tonights game, if you are there! Please! phils_oct08@yahoo.com

[JohnnyZ]

AZTerror - not a good choice of songs. Tom Petty is from Tampa. When they play it during the game, it is after the Rays score.

I can't wait to be there tonight. I don't care how cold it is. We are going to win.

[NAILS]

I kept saying during the game that it felt like the fog bowl all over again.. I hope it does not end the same way.

[MPR529]

i went to the EAGLES/bucs wild card game and it was "below freezing" - it's never that cold if you're all jacked up, you kids will have a blast. enjoy it for all of us who can't make it...or have to make a presentation at roughly the same time the game would end.

ugh. thank xmas for tivo.

[TL]

I think it would suck being a TB player and having to sit around for 2 more days and wait/think/stress/tense up. The phils have been sleeping in their own beds and chillin. Tonight will be a blow out for Phils - See you in Mayfair!!

[bigmyc04@yahoo.com]

AZterror, I'm gonna have to fire another one at you from the very same rocker from Florida that you quoted...this sums up my state of mind quite succintly;

O'er the waiting
'tis the hardest part.....

Phillies '08

[doubleh]

Tom Petty is from Gainesville, FL. It's a few hours from Tampa. But the whole FL mojo works against Philly, I guess.

[DLo34]

Walking into Citizen's Bank Park Monday night was one of the more emotional moments of my 25 years on this earth. I was overcome with enthusiasm, passion, and Phaith.

As the innings went by, we jumped out to a lead, but then the winds began howling and the rain poured down. The enthusiasm in the crowd turned to anger, dismay, and hypothermia.

It was not how any of us expected to spend that fateful Monday evening in South Philadelphia. Nobody saw that coming and we all walked out of CBP as we did from the Vet on that frigid January afternoon after Ronde had stolen our hopes and dreams. I felt the feelings creep back about being up three games to one against Stevens and Devils. I harkened back to wandering aimlessly through the streets of Jacksonville after our door slammed shut. All of those thoughts poured from these dark clouds hovering over the entire Delaware Valley.

Those 5 and 1/2 innings of baseball symbolized everything that we have gone through as Philadelphia fans over the past 25 years. We walked in with all of the stars aligned. We took a lead only to be stripped of it by a man who hasn't laced up a pair of cleats in thirty to fourty years. We left, disappointed, dismayed, and confused as to what just happened.

But that is over now. "The man upstairs" realizes our pain. He knows what we have been through, and I have spent the past 40+ hours recollecting these times of heartache and pain. I believe that is what "the man upstairs" wanted. For when we do win tonight, all of those thoughts and bad memories, which have reached their apex over the last 45 hours, will be forgotten and washed away in the waves of white towels. The deafening silence of the Vet on January 19, 2003 will be overwhelmed by a raucous roar of a chorus of 45,000 of your brothers and sisters. The visions of a Carter and Williams will forever be blurred by the spectacle of fireworks illuminating the Philadelphia skyline. And those tears of defeat will turn to tears of joy as tonight ladies and gentlemen, tonight we make this the best night of our lives.

Three innings.

Believe.

[TB sucks]

@ DLo

beautifully put... pure poetry

[K in South Jersey]

ya gotta believe

[Phil E.]

Have you made your travel plans to Florida yet?

[Loqiel]

This is it. This is as close as we've been in any sport for a long time, even closer than the Eagles were in last Super Bowl. There's no time for in-betweens. No "happy to get here and win the NL Pennant". Flags fly forever. Make this a red one.