Friday, July 22, 2005
It's A Matter Of Loyalty...
It happens all the time. Hell, it happened to me...
A person grows up in an area with a very strong sports identity (i.e. Philadelphia, Boston, New York City, etc...) then moves to an area with a less passionate sports fan base (i.e. Atlanta, North Carolina, anywhere in Florida).
Then the test begins: Where do your true loyalties lie?
For me, my loyalties have never and will never change. Anyone with at least one eye and 10% of a functioning brain can see I'm still a die-hard Philly sports fan. Beyond that, I still love the area, the people, the whole deal.
Here comes the curveball: My brother moved to Florida (not the good part) back in the mid-90's and has since tried to disassociate himself with anything and everything Philly. He's apparently trying to convince people he's a bonafide southern redneck. I'm not kidding...
Put simply, my brother and I couldn't be more different if I was a black Puerto Rican Jew.
But, my brother still loves and defends the Philly sports teams.
He even went so far as to call in to sports radio station in Tampa the other day and call out the host (A jerkoff who calls himself "The Big Dog") for saying he had switched his own loyalties from his native Philly teams to the teams his kids liked, the local Tampa Bay insta-franchises.
Being the good brother I am, I tried to call Mr. Dog yesterday and reinforce my brother's position. I didn't get on the air, which seemed kind of odd since Mr. Dog's webpage bio claims "If you call, be prepared to go to war." I was ready, bitch!
The moral of the story is this: You don't switch sports loyalties. EVER. FOR ANY REASON!!!
Don't get me wrong, I had a great time in 2002 when the Carolina Hurricanes made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but I would've given anything to see those same Hurricanes lose every game that season if it meant the Flyers could've taken their place in the Finals.
|
