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4 months ago
WholeCamels
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Aside from the whole moving from a town surrounded by corn to a large city, there has perhaps been no bigger culture shock for me when I moved from Indiana to Philadelphia than how basketball is at best an afterthought here. I must admit I’ve been guilty of it too and haven’t really paid much attention to the Sixers. Hopefully they can keep it going this year, it would be nice to see them make deep run into the playoffs.
Sid Bream was out, Jeremy Giambi was safe, Pete Rose should be in the Hall, Walter O'Malley shouldn't, and the Expos should be in Montreal.
I have the opposite experience, as I moved from Philly where College Basketball is an afterthought – to Raleigh, North Carolina where pro sports take a back seat to DUKE, UNC and nc state
The funny thing is that Philadelphia has historically been a mecca for college and high school basketball (although never really for pro basketball). There’s still a pretty hard-core college/HS fan base in town, but they’re not the ones you hear on talk radio.
Yeah, I would never say college BB was an afterthought in Philly. After all, the Palestra is the Cathedral of College BB and a definite bucket list item.
"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn
Compared to the major sports it is, IMO. And compared to other areas focus on college sports it clearly isn’t as important in Philly. Other than when St. Joe’s went on that undefeated run College sports almost never lead off sports segments in Philly. Even St. Joe’s, I bet more people recognize the coach as an Eagles analyst than a College Basketball coach.
It’s not important to the media, but everyone I know is obsessed with college BB.
"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn
Yeah, I think it just draws from a different group of people. And there’s no casual fan base for college ball. But the people who are into it are really serious about it and they aren’t small in number.
Boxing is the same way. Philadelphia has a tremendous history as a boxing town and there are guys who will go down to the Blue Horizon every weekend there’s a fight. But it doesn’t get covered in the “mainstream media” of Philadelphia sports. It’s like an underground thing.
That’s the crazy thing about it is that the basketball IS really good in this town at every level, it just doesn’t get nearly enough attention. I’ve really enjoyed the games I’ve been to at the Palestra, the Liacourous Center and at LaSalle, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that at some of those games there were smaller crowds than there would have been at my high school back home. As for talk radio coverage, for all the talk of how WIP tries to promote the Eagles and Flyers over the Phillies, College Sports is completely buried in this town. The times I have heard someone call in with a college question to a WIP host, it’s kind of like listening to what it would be like if someone asked a quantum physics question to a third grade teacher (apologies to anyone who’s a third grade teacher).
Sid Bream was out, Jeremy Giambi was safe, Pete Rose should be in the Hall, Walter O'Malley shouldn't, and the Expos should be in Montreal.
by Veni Vidi Vici on Feb 9, 2012 12:23 PM EST up reply actions
A lot was lost when they stopped playing all the games at the Palestra. There was a LOT of consternation in town when that happened. It was kind of inevitable though given the modern economics of the game.
Ever since college basketball became TV-ized and ESPN-ified 20 or 25 years ago, it’s become pretty much impossible for the Philadelphia model to compete with the model used by big state schools. You just can’t generate that kind of media hype. You can’t even rely on students packing the arena every game because the colleges are either tiny or they’re commuter schools or both. But I still think the passion for the sport is out there. Maybe some of it is dormant.
‘Twas but a flesh wound. It’s been pretty good these last few years, even though my ’Nova looks like shit this year. ;-(
"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn
Anyone watch the Duke-UNC game Wednesday night?
Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.
by TheOrangeCone on Feb 10, 2012 9:45 AM EST up reply actions
I avoid Duke like the plague.
"I wouldn’t run if there was a fire. I wouldn’t run anywhere. I hate running." - O. Munn
It was good, though?
Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.
by TheOrangeCone on Feb 10, 2012 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
*!
Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.
by TheOrangeCone on Feb 10, 2012 8:16 PM EST up reply actions
::cough:: Davidson College ::cough::
No seriously, we’re really good this year. We’re probably going to make the tournament.
Some people don't think it be what it is, but it do.
by TheOrangeCone on Feb 9, 2012 4:33 PM EST up reply actions
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