My Introduction to Philly as a Sports Fan
When I first arrived in the noisy
city of Philadelphia, there were a few things I learned quickly. Philadelphians
love three things: pretzels, cheese steaks, and their sports teams. Being from
Seattle, Washington sports were never something we were know for. Mountains?
Sure. A giant tower that looks like a needle? Of course. But a baseball team
with a winning record? Not this decade. And while I have huge amounts of love
for my Mariners, Sounders, Seahawks, and Sonics (R.I.P) our fans are nowhere as
adamant. We simply don’t have the history and pride of that history in sports.
Have you ever tried to tell an Eagles fan that Donovan McNabb ‘wasn’t that
good?’ It doesn’t end well.
When I moved to Philadelphia I
barely knew who Dr. J was, never the less what the hell kind of anatomy made up
a Phanatic. The first time I came to the city was when I was about eleven years
old. I remember coming up 95 in the back of my aunt’s Sedan and looking out of
the windows to see the huge stadium I’ve come to know as ‘the Linc.’ The
outside was dawned with forest green Eagles posters, pictures of Brian Dawkins
and Donovan McNabb. Across one parking lot you could see the classic orange of
The Flyers, and the red, white and blue of the 76ers on the Wells Fargo Center.
Across the other parking lot you could see Citizen Banks Park, home of the
Philadelphia Phillies. I remember being over-whelmed by the size and stature of
the stadiums. That’s why I chose to
glorify Philadelphia’s three stadiums, the Wells Fargo Center, Citizen Banks
Park, and Lincoln Financial Field.
All of the South Philadelphia
Sports Complex, that holds the three teams, offers fantastic statue work. There
are about six sculptures portraying baseball, football, or basketball. Sculptor
Joe Brown crafted many of them from 1974 to 1976.
The Linc is arguably the most well known stadium of the three. The Linc opened on August 3rd, 2003, and is home to the Philadelphia Eagles, the American football team, as well as Temple University’s football team. The Linc cost $512 million dollars to build, and holds up to 69,144 people. The stadium separated from the traditional bowl design of most stadiums. The architects at NBBJ Sport, the stadiums designers, put two thirds of the seats on the sidelines. There are also two-three tier grandstand seating areas. There are also two open air plazas that offer the chance to see the city skyline. While all of this is impressive, my favorite part about the stadium is its dedication to the Earth. The Eagles organization has put 14 wind turbines and 11,000 solar panels around the stadium, gaining enough power to fuel 10 home games per year. The Linc’s commitment to eco-friendly energy is one of the many reasons it’s an amazing building.
The Wells Fargo Center is the home of the 76ers and the Philadelphia Flyers, as well as the Arena Football League team the Philadelphia Soul, and the National Lacrosse League team the Philadelphia Wings. The Wells Fargo Center was opened in 1996, to replace the Spectrum. The building cost $210 million to construct, and holds 21,000 people. The stadium was originally know as the Core States Center, and has had four names including its current one. The Wells Fargo Center doesn’t look like much normally, but at night is when it becomes impressive. The stadiums dramatic lighting illuminates the building, drawing attention to the name and posters of the teams.
The third and final stadium I’d like to talk about is Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies. CPB opened on April 3, 2004. The stadium was built to replace Veterans Stadium, which served as a baseball and football facility. The stadium was designed by Ewing’s Staley Cole, and cost $458 million dollars to build. The park includes an All Star Walk that pays tribute to Philly’s players elected to the Hall of Fame, as well as a Memory Lane and a Phillies Wall of Fame. The ballpark features rooftop bleachers, similar of those to Wrigley Fields, in Chicago. The field also has exposed bullpens in right field, allowing fans to get close to the pitchers.
