By Brandon “Scoop B†Robinson
Having watched the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Bears compete on the gridiron a few weeks ago, I really started to think about how competitive these two teams (and cities in general) are. Let me first mentioning how my Dad is from Chicago. Having lived in his house, you would think that I had grown up in the Chi as well. My childhood was filled with stories of people like Jerry Sloan, who was the first ever Chicago Bull drafted by the franchise back when they were an expansion team. I grew up hearing stories of the old Soldier Field, and the days of Sweetness. I also grew up listening to tale of the bleak history of Chicago sports and how the city of Chicago dealt with that losing a lot! (Oh yeah, and I can’t forget Homerun Inn Pizza and Pizzeria Uno! But I digress).
There were some good times in Chicago sports too: the Bulls’ repeat 3-peat and the White Sox World Series Win in 2005. One thing that I learned growing up was that no matter what the odds were, no matter how much they may not have put the best possible product out on their field, there is one thing that Chicago sports was good at: how to create something from nothing, or even to simply just work hard. The Bears’ stellar defense and Michael Jordan’s drive to win and determination represented that. These are human traits that Philadelphians can relate to.
Two people Philadelphia sports figures immediately come to mind: Rocky Balboa and Allen Iverson. No two people were such tremendous underdogs, and as the rapper Young Jeezy would say, “They put on for their city.†The Italian Stallion from South Philly appealed to people not because of his talent, but because of his ability to resonate with normal everyday people by achieving the American Dream. Iverson, although he obviously appealed to a certain demographic, carried his team on his back many times. He darn near dragged them into the 2001 NBA Finals.
Philadelphia has not had a Championship (unless you count the Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League Championship this year) since 1983. However, it is my firm belief that the Philadelphia Phillies may break that curse this year. I strongly believe the Phillies will be in the World Series. They exemplify that hard working attitude, last year and this year. They struggled in their division to the league leading Mets, but they just continued to chop away. By the way, I mentioned Homerun Inn Pizza and Pizzeria Uno in Chicago; so it’s obligatory that I mention Lorenzo’s Pizza and Ishkabibble Eatery, both located on South Street in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia and Chicago are both are cities that seem to be at their best when they carry a chip on their shoulder, doing just what they are supposed to do, and possessing the will to win. Sometimes the best talent in the world cannot defeat a team that is not ready to get beat. I surely hope the Phillies exemplify this going into the World Series and I really hope the Cubs can get out of their slump sometime this century too. The underdog is truly the one we should all cheer for. Think I’m lying? Just ask the Celtics, and the Giants.
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