The 30 in 38 Project: Game 2: Brotherly Rivalry

Phillies 3, Diamondbacks 0

Sporting events have long served as a venue where people can set aside their differences and unite behind a common cause. Individuals find ways to communicate in the language of fandom who otherwise could never get along. I believe that we saw evidence of this in action today.

Philadelphians are passionate about many things. One of them is their signature dish, the cheesesteak. However, residents of the City of Brotherly Love have serious differences of opinion when asked whose cheesesteaks are the best. A rivalry exists between two restaurants, Geno’s and Pat’s, that face one another across one city block in downtown Philly. As good tourists, we decided to try both and judge for ourselves who had the better cheesesteak. Jeff and I stopped at Geno’s while Damon and Craig went across the street to Pat’s. After ordering, we secured a table and the other two came back to join us for the feast. No sooner had Damon and Craig arrived then there came a loud, angry pounding on the glass behind us. The cooks at Geno’s possessed such a hatred for their rivals that they would not allow Pat’s cheesesteaks to be consumed anywhere near their property. Faced with this stark reality, we decided to retreat to our car to finish the meal. For the record, we voted 3-1 in favor of Geno’s.

The one common denominator between fans of the two restaurants was their love of the Phillies. We saw multiple patrons at each location decked out in their team’s gear. The sea of red-clad fans that descended upon Citizens Bank Park tonight was unified and passionate. In a city known for harsh treatment of its sports teams, the hometown faithful came out in force to support their last place team. The Washington Nationals may have the stellar record and flashy young stars, but their fan base has nothing on the Phillies’. Maybe its because they have a beautiful ballpark with gorgeous views of Downtown Philadelphia or because their starter Roy Halladay still has the capability to throw a gem on any given night. It may also be due to the fact that this city has embraced the stadium as a place where differences are set aside and everyone can become a Philly Fanatic, even if just for a night.

Games watched: 2

Games to go: 28

Thuuz score: 28

Stadium: Excellent: clean facilities, wonderful view of the city, excellent scoreboard and replay system

Fan Atmosphere: A-. Only fell short of an A because some fans left before the top of the 9^th, but those who remained rocked the stadium as Papelbon closed out the game.

Food and Drink: B+. The cheesesteaks held us over during the game, but the game food looked to be high quality and the beer selection was excellent.

Tim Kurkjian Award for Thing We’ve Never Seen Before: Fireworks from our seats that were completely unrelated to the game: Explosions lit up the sky above the Benjamin Franklin Bridge during the 8^th inning for an unknown reason.

Quote of the Day: "Don’t yuck someone else’s yum” words to live by from Craig Thompson

Total Miles Traveled: 625

Miles to Next Game: 0, we drove 108 miles to New York City after the Phillies game (Mariners @ Yankees, August 5, 1:05pm)

Click "Read more" for photos from the day