Dear Philadelphia Charge... It's up to you now to end the title drought. Must be in the water we drink, I swear.... Paul
I'm dead serious about the Charge being the last best hope for a title in Philly this year. Anyone who thinks the Sixers or Flyers are going to win a NBA or NHL title is whistling past the graveyard. Even if the Phillies do make the post-season, their season would end in October. Which leaves the Charge. And I believe in this team and the coaching staff. If anybody can end this sorry-a$$ed title drought it's them. Paul
I meant my "tough luck" comment about the Eagles. But you're right -- the Charge are Philly's best hope this year.
One thing.... At least we Charge fans stuck around till the bitter end of our end of the road... Paul
Schaudenfreude... Paul your picture is next to the definition in the dictionary. Do you really relish finding misery in others misfortune so much??
Did you ever see the Philadelphia Kixx play? They were the champions of their league. Their games are really fun. I think you forgot about them when you said Philadelphia hasn't won a title - or maybe you don't know about them. You should try to go to their games. I really enjoy them.
Charge! conveniently ignores the MISL when he moans about this title drought--it makes for more drama. Apparently, the WUSA is on the same level as MLB, NHL, NFL, and the NBA, but the MISL doesn't constitute a "major" sport, despite having been part of the soccer landscape in some form for 25 years. Let's hope the WUSA lasts that long.
now i must jump in here... first of all don't forget the phantoms. second of all penn beats up on teams from boston, new jersey, and new york with extraordinary regularity, and no one gives a damn about them. no, we don't win national championships, but by supporting the ivy league you can also fulfill that almost-cracking-the-national-media-scene-team fetish that we all have.
Is Penn any good at any of the collegiate sports? What about crew? Can Princeton be considered part of Philly?
2002 Ivy League Football Champions (and got ESPN to host College GameDay from the game too) 2002 Ivy League Men's Soccer Champions 2001-02 Ivy League and Big 5 Men's Basketball Champiopns Not so much, but getting better. Our women's team is pretty good when it comes to the Northeast, but not necessarily one of the top in the country *THWACK* that's what you get for such an insult...
At last check, the Flyers had the second best record in the league. That doesn't mean they'll win the Cup, but you'd have to like their chances a lot better than many other NHL teams. And, no, you can't forget about the Phantoms or the Kixx. Or the Wings. I'll honestly say I haven't followed them as closely in the last few seasons, but I know they've won championships too.
When you get your hopes dashed enough times, you learn your lesson. Flyers always do well in the regular season, then check that at the door when it counts the most. They've gone through 5 coaches in what, 6 or 7 years? First-round exits in 4 of the last 5 seasons? Choking after being up 3-1 on the Devlis in the 2000 conference finals, only the second or third team in the history of the sport to do such a thing? Clarke was a great player, but as a GM, he's a great player. It all hinges on what you perceive to be a major league sport. IMO, there is no sport on this planet more 'major league' than soccer. I always say, when I tell someone I'm a Charge season ticket holder and they ask, "who are the Charge?", that they're the city's 5th major pro sports team. The Charge have an opportunity here to reach out to a sports populace which is in mourning right now; a gentle reminder that they're still around, and that we're going to be right in the thick of things again when the season starts in April. And the possibility of something which hasn't happened to any of the other four since May 31, 1983 - a championship. It's time, I think to ask those in the media not named Marc Narducci to think about expanding their horizons to cover the city's 5th major pro team, like Bill Lyon, Bill Conlin, Rich Hoffman; everybody who thinks that the only thing that matters now is that it's 6 months from the start of Eagles training camp and nothing else of import is happening. Wait until after the Super Bowl to write them; let 'em know that a week from next sunday, the Charge join the '70 Montreal Canadiens and '72 Bruins as the only teams in pro sports history with three of the first 8 picks in a big-time collegiate draft. Narducci, as great as he's been in letting people know about the team in the press, can't do it by himself. If you don't project yourself to the sports fan base of this city and region as on a par with the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers and Sixers in terms of importance, then why should anyone else think that? I'd sacrifice my first-born to see the kind of enthusaism at a Charge game like there was in the opening moments of the NFC title game. But the team thinks T-shirt tosses and playing music during the game are the only things keeping their fans from ennui-ville. And that simply isn't true. More later as I've got to go to work... Paul (hope nobody took the sacrificing part literally...)
Part II I wrote: "The Charge have an opportunity here to reach out to a sports populace which is in mourning right now; a gentle reminder that they're still around..." Here's how. A (preferably) half or full-page ad in either the Inquirer or Daily News; with pics of Lorrie, Kelly, Heather and Marinette and the following: ---------------->"There *is* hope, Philadelphia."<----------------- ----------->"Home Opener: May 3. Villanova Stadium"<--------------- Below this, the Charge logo and the phone number for ticket information. A minimum of words, but it drives the point home. Paul
Personally, I find attaching ones identity to whether a team wins or fails to win a championship to be totally flawed. You can enjoy the struggle and the competing to obtain it, and the achievement of a title, should be relished. However, not winning a title means diddly. As in intimate relationships, it's the day to day experiencing of the team which matters most. Paul, I trust you do realize you continually ANNOY many people with your WIN a title to end the drought mantra. Who bleeping cares?? Other than you?? You want a title more than the bleeping players. Where's your perspective of life? Enjoy the soccer and be happy with the play.
Yes, the Flyers have not had a good track record in the play-offs. The Bucs didn't have a good track record at the Vet and, unfortunately, that didn't make a difference last Sunday. It may give a good insight as to what might happen in the next game, but you can't base everything on past results. As for promoting the Charge, I don't think dwelling on the lack of championships by the 4 major (sorry Kixx, Wings, etc.) teams is a wise way to attract fans of any type. To me, it sounds condescending to the fans of those teams and I don't believe you can afford to alienate any sports fans. I don't know the answer to attracting new fans, but my best guess would be to make the game attractive and let people enjoy watching the sport. Not the music and the giveaways, but what's going on down on the field. Unfortunately, it's not an instantaneous process and the league might not be able to afford patience, but there's no quick fix.
Yes, it's provocative. It's risky. I choose to look at it as presenting an alternative. An *affordable* alternative to the status quo. You've got people on the Charge from the first to the last who are of good character, and ability second to few. It shouldn't take something as tacky as a lingerie calendar ala the Eagles cheerleaders to make people notice what we already know; that there's somethin' special going on out at 'Nova. Once the Super Bowl is over with next week, start dropping emails to the major columnists and discuss the WUSA draft, and the fact the Charge are just a month away from their pre-season schedule (hopefully there will be one in March, and that it'll be free again). Switching gears, I got a letter from the team today; a new referral program is in place. If you refer four friends with full season ticket packages, you get an autographed team jersey. 1-3 full season ticket referrals gets you a autographed ball (I've got two of those already), and a mini-game plan will net you a leftover Lorrie Fair bobblehead doll. So who's with me in trying to get four signees?? What will be nice to know in the weeks ahead is what the promotional giveaways will be. A new bobblehead (Melissa? Coach K? )? How about a gorilla puppet (??) giveaway (hey to Marinette)? And off the field, what about Ebay-sponsored auctions for Charge goodies which go to the Charge Charities. Game-used jerseys; a chance for a scrimmage with the Charge like the media guys did last year? Or Demolition Derby night when the Freedom come to town 8/6, since Abby likes to crash full-bore into folks with reckless abandon, especially in the postseason... Add yer two microns here Paul (and June 18 is still penciled in for the WUSA All-Star Game; of course, that may change...let's have it here!)