In 1894, a 37-foot-high statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn was placed atop Philadelphia City Hall. At 548 feet high, this made the Hall the tallest building in the world until 1908. While many American cities embraced the concept of the skyscraper, a "gentlemen's agreement" forbade any structure in Philadelphia from rising above the hat on the Penn statue. The idea was that Penn could look out over his city, in any direction, without his view being blocked. (The statue, of course, is in a fixed position, facing northeast.)
With that agreement in place, the World Series was won by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929 and 1930, and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980; the NFL Championship was won by the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1926, and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1948, 1949 and 1960; the NBA Championship was won by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947 and 1956, and the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967 and 1983; and the Stanley Cup was won by the Philadelphia Flyers in 1974 and 1975.
On May 27, 1987, One Liberty Place broke the gentleman's agreement, rising to 945 feet. For the first time, something in the city could "block Billy Penn's view." And, apparently, he didn't like this, because:
* May 31, 1987: Just 4 days after One Liberty Place opened, the Flyers lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals to the Edmonton Oilers.
* December 31, 1988: The Eagles were in an NFC Divisional Playoff against the Chicago Bears, when a fog rolled off Lake Michigan and enveloped Soldier Field. Eagle fans still blame the fog for their 20-12 loss, ignoring the fact that the Bears already led 17-6.
* October 1993: The Phillies lost the World Series. This included blowing a 14-9 lead in the 8th inning of Game 4, on October 20, at home, before Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays hit a Series-winning home run in Game 6, on October 23.
* June 11, 1995: The Flyers were tied 2-2 with the New Jersey Devils in the NHL Eastern Conference Finals, but lost Game 5 in the last minute of regulation, and then lost Game 6.
* June 7, 1997: The Flyers were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals.
* May 26, 2000: The Flyers led the Devils 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals, and lost 3 straight, including losing Eric Lindros to a concussion.
* June 15, 2001: The 76ers won the NBA Eastern Conference title, but lost the Finals to the Lakers. This remains their only Finals appearance since 1983.
* January 27, 2002: The Eagles lost the NFC Championship Game to the St. Louis Rams.
* January 19, 2003: In their last game at Veterans Stadium, before moving into Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles lost the NFC Championship Game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since entering the NFL in 1976, the Bucs had never won a Playoff game on the road, and had never won when the temperature was less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit. With this game, they had done both.
If that could happen, and it could happen to the Eagles, then, it was reasoned, larger forces could be at work. This is when the idea of a "curse" began to be discussed. People looked to the last title won by a Philly team, and it was the 1983 76ers, so it had to be something after that.
Between that title and the rise of Liberty Place, the Flyers had lost the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals, but that was while Liberty Place was still under construction, so it's not counted. Nor was the death, early the next season, of Flyer goaltender Pelle Lindbergh, from drunk driving. There was the 76ers' 1986 Draft Day debacle, but that was also before Liberty Place was topped off. So a Curse of Howard Katz, or a Curse of Pelle Lindbergh, was possible. The city's media decided, instead, on Penn, for "blocking his view." (The fact that the two Liberty Place skyscrapers are behind his back, and weren't in his line of sight, seems not to have occurred to them.)
* January 18, 2004: The Eagles made it 3 straight NFC Championship Game losses, 2 straight at home, losing to the Carolina Panthers.
* June 5, 2004: It appeared that the curse even extended to horse racing. Smarty Jones, a horse bred and trained in suburban Chester County, Pennsylvania, won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, but fell short of the Triple Crown when he lost the Belmont Stakes by blowing a late lead.
* February 6, 2005: Finally winning an NFC Championship Game on their 4th straight try, the Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons. But, despite threatening late, they could not beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.
Someone must have decided that enough was enough. On June 18, 2007, ironworkers helped raise the final beam in the construction of the 974-foot Comcast Center. In addition to the Philadelphia tradition of finishing a building with an American flag and a small evergreen tree, they attached a statue of William Penn. Now, atop the new tallest building in town, his view was, again, unblocked.
Did it work? Not yet: Three months later, the Phillies came from 7 games back in the National League Eastern Division with 17 games to go, surged past the New York Mets, and won the Division title. But lost the NL Division Series to the Colorado Rockies -- the 1st postseason series win for the Rockies, who began play in 1993, the year of the Phillies' most recent Pennant.
But it all came together in 2008. The Phillies beat the Mets out for the Division again, beat the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS, and then beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series for their 1st Pennant in 15 years. It was on to the World Series, with a first: A father and son broadcasting for the opposing teams, Harry Kalas for the Phils, and Todd Kalas for the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Phillies won Game 1 in St. Petersburg, 3-2, before losing Game 2, 4-2. Coming home to Citizens Bank Park, they won Game 3, 5-4; and Game 4, 10-2. Game 5 began on Monday, October 27, but it rained throughout. The Phillies led 2-1 after 5 innings. Under normal conditions, games are considered to be official games after 5 innings, or 4 1/2 if the home team is leading at that point. However, both Rays and Phillies management knew before the first pitch that Commissioner Bud Selig, who was responsible for the scheduling of post-season games, would not allow a team to clinch the Series by winning a rain-shortened game.
The umpires let the game continue, and the Rays tied the game in the top of the 6th. When that half-inning ended, as Phils 2nd baseman Chase Utley remembered, "The infield was basically underwater." The umpires suspended the game. Rain continued to fall in Philadelphia on Tuesday, October 28, further postponing the game to Wednesday, October 29.
Game 5 was resumed in the bottom of the 6th, with the Philadelphia Phillies batting, and needing 1 run plus 9 outs to win the World Series. Geoff Jenkins doubled, was bunted to 3rd by Jimmy Rollins, and was driven in by a Jayson Werth single.
Rocco Baldelli tied the game with a home run in the 7th. Later in the inning, Utley took a grounder, faked a throw to 1stn base, then threw Jason Bartlett out at home for the 3rd out in a play later described as having saved the Series for the Phillies.
In the bottom of the 7th, Pat Burrell led off with a double. Eric Bruntlett, pinch-running for Burrell, scored on a single by Pedro Feliz to put the Phillies up by a run again, 4–3.
In the bottom of the 7th, Pat Burrell led off with a double. Eric Bruntlett, pinch-running for Burrell, scored on a single by Pedro Feliz to put the Phillies up by a run again, 4–3.
In the 2004 NLCS, pitching for the Houston Astros, Brad Lidge had given up a tremendous home run to Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals, to lose a game. It was said that he was never the same after that. That wasn't true: The Astros won the Pennant the next year. In 2008, Lidge was the Phillies' closer, and, going into Game 5, was 47-for-47 in save opportunities over the season. For fans still traumatized by the 1993 World Series, he was no Mitch Williams.
In the top of the 9th, Lidge gave up a single and a stolen base, but faced Eric Hinske with the chance to give the city its 1st World Series win since 1980, and its 1st World Championship in any sport since the 1983 76ers. Harry Kalas, the Hall of Fame voice of the Phils, had the call:
One strike away, nothing-and-two to Hinske. Fans on their feet. Brad Lidge stretches. The oh-two pitch: Swing and a miss! Struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball!
Brad Lidge does it again, and stays perfect for the 2008 season, 48-for-48 in save opportunities! And let the city celebrate! Don't let the 48-hour wait diminish the euphoria of this moment and celebration! Twenty-five years in this city that a team has enjoyed a World Championship, and the fans are ready to celebrate. What a night! Phils winning, 4–3, Brad Lidge gets the job done once again!
Harry would die early the next season. He deserved that title.
One strike away, nothing-and-two to Hinske. Fans on their feet. Brad Lidge stretches. The oh-two pitch: Swing and a miss! Struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball!
Brad Lidge does it again, and stays perfect for the 2008 season, 48-for-48 in save opportunities! And let the city celebrate! Don't let the 48-hour wait diminish the euphoria of this moment and celebration! Twenty-five years in this city that a team has enjoyed a World Championship, and the fans are ready to celebrate. What a night! Phils winning, 4–3, Brad Lidge gets the job done once again!
Harry would die early the next season. He deserved that title.
Three months later, the Eagles reached the NFC Championship Game, with a shot at Super Bowl XLIII, but lost to the Arizona Cardinals, a team that hadn't reached an NFL Championship Game, under any name, since 1948. That was embarrassing.
The Phils won the Pennant again in 2009, but lost the World Series to the New York Yankees. They won the NL East again in 2010 and 2011, then fell apart for a few years. The Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2010, but lost to the Chicago Blackhawks. It was beginning to look like the Phillies had broken a curse that had been put on them sometime after 1980, and the other teams in town were under seaprate curses. But in 2018, the Eagles broke a 57-year drought, beating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
Also in 2018, a new tallest building in the city opened: The Comcast Technology Center, at 1,121 feet, making it the tallest building in America not in either New York City or Chicago. As with its predecessor and sort-of namesake, a small statue of William Penn was put on top, just in case.
UPDATE: In 2022, the Phillies won the Pennant, but lost the World Series to the Houston Astros. Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union, who began play in 2010, after the Curse of Billy Penn was ended, reached their 1st MLS Cup Final in 2022, but lost to Los Angeles F.C. And the Eagles reached Super Bowl LVII, but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. The 76ers are still looking for their 1st Finals berth since 2001, and their 1st title since 1983; the Flyers, 2010 and 1975, respectively.
From the 2008 World Champions, the Phillies have elected the following figures to their Wall of Fame: Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Pat Burrell, manager Charlie Manuel, executives Pat Gillick and Ed Wade, team owner David Montgomery, and broadcaster Harry Kalas. Roy Halladay, who was a part of the 2010 and '11 Division Champions, but not the 2008 World Champions or the '09 Pennant winners, has also been elected. Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels and Brad Lidge will, presumably, be elected in the next few years.
Rollins, Utley, Howard, Manuel, Montgomery, Kalas, Jamie Moyer, Carlos Ruiz, team owner Bill Giles, and Veterans Stadium public address announcer Dan Baker have also been elected to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
The Rays also now have a team Hall of Fame. From their founding era, as the "Tampa Bay Devil Rays," they have inducted 1st baseman Fred McGriff and 3rd baseman Wade Boggs. From their 2008 Pennant, they have inducted left fielder Carl Crawford, 3rd baseman Evan Longoria, coach Don Zimmer and broadcaster Dave Wills -- but not, as yet, manager Lou Piniella.
McGriff, Boggs and Piniella are Tampa natives; while Zimmer, a Cincinnati native, made Tampa his off-season home due to the Cincinnati Reds using it as their longtime Spring Training home.
The Florida Sports Hall of Fame has inducted McGriff, Boggs, Piniella, and Jim Morris, the pitcher who was the subject of the film The Rookie.
*
October 29, 2008 was a Wednesday. Football was in midweek. It was the opening night of the NBA season. The Oklahoma City Thunder, who for the previous 41 years had been the Seattle SuperSonics, made their debut. Kevin Durant was not yet the superstar he would become, and scored only 12 points. Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva and Michael Redd each scored 20 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Thunder, 98-87 at the Ford Center (now the Paycom Center).
There were 11 other games in the NBA that night:
* The New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat, 120-115 at Madison Square Garden.
* The New Jersey Nets beat the Washington Bullets, 95-85 at the Verizon Center (now the Capital One Arena) in Washington.
* The Toronto Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers, 95-84 at the Wachovia Center (now the Xfinity Mobile Arena) in Philadelphia. Given the Phillies' win, I doubt too many people cared much.
* The Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic, 99-85 at the Amway Arena in Orlando.
* The Houston Rockets beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 82-71 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
* The Phoenix Suns beat the San Antonio Spurs, 103-98 at the AT&T Center (now the Frost Bank Center) in San Antonio.
* The Detroit Pistons beat the Indiana Pacers, 100-94 at The Palace in the Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, Michigan.
* The Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Sacramento Kings, 98-96 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
* The Utah Jazz beat their arch-rivals, the Denver Nuggets, 98-94 at the EnergySolutions Arena (as the Delta Center was then known) in Salt Lake City.
* The New Orleans Hornets beat the Golden State Warriors, 108-103 at the Oakland Coliseum Arena (then named the Oracle Arena).
* In the "Tunnel Series," the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 117-79 at the Staples Center (now the Crypto.com Arena) in what was, officially, a home game for the Clippers.
There were 3 games played in the NHL:
* The New Jersey Devils lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, 6-5 in a shootout at the Prudential Center.
* The Dallas Stars, formerly the Minnesota North Stars, beat their replacements, the Minnesota Wild, 4-2 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
* And the Anaheim Ducks beat the Detroit Red Wings, 5-4 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. Francois Beauchemin scored the winning goal with 3:21 left in overtime.
Also on this day, a North London Derby is played at the Emirates Stadium, home of Arsenal. Their arch-rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, took an early 1-0 lead. David Bentley, a member of Arsenal's 2003-04 "Invincibles" who never quite panned out, scored against them for Tottenham. But Arsenal came back, and, on goals by Mikael Silvestre, William Gallas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie (the first 2 considerably more surprising as scorers than the second 2), led 4-2 in the 88th minute. Darren Bent, always a problem for Arsenal, scored the other goal for "Spurs," but Arsenal were in command.
And they blew it. Jermaine Jenas scored in the 89th, and, with more stoppage time given than necessary, Aaron Lennon scored in the 94th. It's a 4-4 draw.
Within 12 hours, before the last chorus of "Four-two, and you fucked it up!" could stop ringing around North London, Tottenham released a DVD of this match. That's right, they released a video of a draw. True, Arsenal celebrated a draw at White Hart Lane in 2004, but that draw gave them the 1 point they needed to clinch the League title away to their arch-rivals. What did "Spurs" get out of this draw? Not bragging rights: They still hadn't won a League game against Arsenal in 9 years. (That streak would end in 2010.)
Because they were both young black Englishmen who played on the right wing, Lennon (from Leeds in West Yorkshire) and Arsenal's Theo Walcott (from the Stanmore section of Northwest London) often got compared to each other. Tottenham fans called Walcott "a shit Aaron Lennon." No, Aaron Lennon was a shit Aaron Lennon. (That refers only to his performance. He is regarded by all as a man of fine character.)
No comments:
Post a Comment