G. Rex Goes Phila-Bloggia!

[Gunnersaurus]

As a service to you, the participants on the DC United Big Soccer board, I, your friend, G. Rex, will attempt to BLOG my way through the MLS Superdraft and the City of Brotherly Love.

I'm going up today, Thursday, and will see a Flyers game tonight. Then Friday it's the MLS Superdraft (which really messes up spell checkers), followed by a minor league hockey game at the Spectrum - the Phantoms face the Hershey Bears. Saturday I'll be off to the Dark Horse pub to watch Arsenal play at 7:30 AM, followed by the very first face-to-face meeting of the Arsenal America fan club's executive comittee.

I've been in contact with someone at DC United about getting wireless access in the draft room, but nobody seems to know what the deal is. At worst, I can spend $20 and get access throughout the day, but according to the Convention Center web site, I'll have to go to a kiosk, which will more than likely be outside the draft room, which means I'd only be updating from time to time (and might miss something BIG!).

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Thursday, 10:30 - I've got my ticket from the machine - what a great system. Order your tickets online, and you just swipe the same credit card you used for that in the machine at the station, press a button, and you've got the tickets. Now all I need to do is find someplace that sells gum and mints - even a 1:36 train ride can be long for a smoker.

11:01 - We're off! I have my candy, and a Philadelphia Inquirer to check out the local happenings.

12:00 - The Acela is nice, but considering the few number of minutes it shaves off the time to Philly, it's probably not worth it. I think the Metroliners have more comfy seats, and they're almost as smooth a ride. Then again, I think I'm the only one on this train that's not dressed in a suit.

[Gunnersaurus]

Acela rolled into 30th Street right on time! I wanted to take the subway to the hotel, so I followed the signs to Septa. Unfortunately, it was Septa rail, not Septa subway. So rather than lug my crud to the subway, I bailed and grabbed a taxi.

1:00 - I checked into my hotel 2 hours after leaving Union Station. Nice.

Got my room - it looks out toward the Franklin Bridge. Why did Washington row across the Delaware when there's this big, honkin' suspension bridge right there?

As you can tell, I also got internet access at the hotel - a little pricey at $10 a day, but what the heck. I'll have another English soccer team to hate the next time I see them (Villa?) - whoever T-Mobile sponsors.

[Gunnersaurus]

2:45 - I got my e-mail connected. Still no word on wireless at the convention center.

In a few minutes I'll set out looking for food and fun. Just in case, I'll bring my Flyers / Bruins ticket with me - in case I don't get back to the hotel before it's time to go to the arena.

I haven't seen an NHL game in a while. Unless you count the Caps. It will be good to see an original-six team play against an original-expansion team. (Trivia: name the "original-six" NHL expansion teams.)

More news from Philadelphia as it becomes available.

(And, NO, I'm not going to stop the MetroFans from coming over the Franklin Bridge!)

Your Friend,
G. Rex

[Knave]

In a few minutes I'll set out looking for food and fun.
South Street Souvlaki on - uh - South Street. Mmm ...

(Or it used to be mmm when I lived there.)

[ButlerBob]

Your sending him to South St and no mention of cheese steaks? I prefer Pat's but across the street is Gino's which is also good.

[BuffloSoldier]

Jim's for steaks.

And shot him a pm to go to Monk's on 16th St.

[JoeSoccerFan]

Got my room - it looks out toward the Franklin Bridge. Why did Washington row across the Delaware when there's this big, honkin' suspension bridge right there?


one word, Camden!

[Knave]

Your sending him to South St and no mention of cheese steaks? I prefer Pat's but across the street is Gino's which is also good.
Man cannot live on cheesesteaks alone. But I could live for quite a while on souvlaki sandwiches - longer if I could mix it up with some gyros.

[Dave Brother]

Great to see G Rex back on the boards. See ya tomorrow big guy. :)

[Godalfree]

I'll have another English soccer team to hate the next time I see them (Villa?) - whoever T-Mobile sponsors.

West Brom.

[Claymore]

Your sending him to South St and no mention of cheese steaks? I prefer Pat's but across the street is Gino's which is also good.

If you go to Pat's, make damn sure you know what you want before you get to the window. They'll tear you apart otherwise, especially if they're busy.

Gino's is more friendly...slightly.:D

[Gunnersaurus]

Back from the Flyers game. What a time. But first:

Went on a walk-around and stumbled (kinda) into the Independence Visitors Center. From there I went to the Liberty Bell. There's an adventure. You go through thorough airport measures (no belt, all contents of pockets out, etc.) before you get to go across the lawn and into the other building to see the Bell.

While at the Bell, I ran into three guys from Kansas City. Two of them I recognized, but not by name. I'll go to the MLS / KC web site and get a positive ID.

Then, since I was already in the arrivals / departures area, I went to Indepence Hall. It had been a while since I was last there (think: Johnson Administration). It was cool in many ways - the guide, Larry, was great. Plus the Kansas City guys were on the same tour. Plus, when you exit, there's the steps from the movie "1776" where the founding fathers sing and dance their way to Independence!

I ate at a little chinese carry-out. At first I went into this place that looks like a diner, but also has a martini bar. Go figure. Their kitchen didn't open up until later, though. Ho-Jo booths with an attitude. The Chinese was OK, though. Lotsa places on Market Street where you can't really tell by looking if they're a $20 meal place, or a $200 meal place. Especially when you're in a hurry, to...

The Flyers game! First I went down to the subway and found out you need to pay attention to which side of the street you enter on. Not like DC, where you go underground and then pick your direction. Also: there's no signage above ground indicating direction (that I saw).

Got on the train. By this time I had lost the Kansas City guys. The line map on the train seemed to indicate I could switch at 13th St station, when in fact I had to wait until the next one. Fortunately, I had plenty of time to catch the next train and switch to the Broad Street line.

Then I thought, Bob's your uncle, just follow the Flyers fans to the arena. Wrong! Hardly anyone on the train was going to the game. Either they all must drive, or they have much better transit timing than I do.

The Wachovia Center (a Comcast Venue) is right where the old Wachovia Spectrum (a Comcast Venue) is. And, apart from the outside, it is identical in almost every way to the MCI Center (not, as far as I know, a Comcast Venue). The food, the escalators, the signs, everything. The major difference is it's more oval inside the arena, instead of boxy. And they have rentable binoculars underneath each seat!

Oh, another difference: section 212, where I was, contains the nosebleeds. Yep. Top row.

I'll check on the KC identities momentarily. Man, am I tired.

Your friend,
G. Rex

[Gunnersaurus]

Great to see G Rex back on the boards. See ya tomorrow big guy. :)

Yeah, Brother! See you in the morning. Hope you can make the Adidas unveiling.

-G. Rex

[Gunnersaurus]

I couldn't find the KC guys on their web site. Maybe they were just schmoes in KC Wizzies regalia on tour in Philly. Who knows. They didn't come up to me, and I had on a DCU sweatshirt.

We'll see if they're on the business side, or the spectator side, of the goings-on tomorrow. It wasn't Gansler.

-G. Rex

[Bootsy Collins]

Your sending him to South St and no mention of cheese steaks? I prefer Pat's but across the street is Gino's which is also good.
Pat's and Gino's are not on South Street. Jim's is on South Street. Pat's and Gino's are a half-mile away on Passayunk.

[Gunnersaurus]

Okay, let's get a few things straight. I will NOT have a cheesesteak when I am here. If I did, I'd have to go and have them all - Gino's, Steve's, My-Cousin-Vinny's, everybody's. Then, people would hound me for years as to which one I liked best. It's a no-win situation.

As I'm getting ready for bed, I'm looking at the Philadelphia City Paper. It has a crossword, unlike ours. And right there, #44 across, is the clue: DC United, Columbus Crew, et al. What an omen!

Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting installments of the official G. Rex Phila-Bloggia!

Your friend,
G. Rex

[JoeSoccerFan]

Pat's and Gino's are not on South Street. Jim's is on South Street. Pat's and Gino's are a half-mile away on Passayunk.

Easiest way to find is 9th and Passayunk.

[CHICO13]

Okay, let's get a few things straight. I will NOT have a cheesesteak when I am here. If I did, I'd have to go and have them all - Gino's, Steve's, My-Cousin-Vinny's, everybody's. Then, people would hound me for years as to which one I liked best. It's a no-win situation.

Sure it is, you get to eat some damn fine chessesteaks. And when people ask, you just lick your fingers, rub your belly and smile. :D

[BBBulldog]

being up early sucks :mad:

[Gunnersaurus]

Sure it is, you get to eat some damn fine chessesteaks. And when people ask, you just lick your fingers, rub your belly and smile. :D

Okay. Maybe I've had one, and maybe I haven't. If I did, it was at a place named after a dude. It sure wasn't Susie's Cheesesteaks. And it was on some street or other. And man, it sure was good, though not better than the ones smelled like down the street, though they sure smelled good.

One thing is for sure: I didn't inhale.