As many of you know, I was fortunate enough to attend the 2012 Winter Classic back on January 2 at the beautiful Citizens Bank Park. I expected to see many New York Rangers in attendance due to the magnitude of the event. This was the first time the Rangers played in a Winter Classic and it was only a straight shot down the New Jersey Turnpike to Philadelphia.
I felt as if I wasn't going to feel too much of a wrath from the Philly faithful and I really didn't. While I was tailgating, I got the usual blabber from fans of the Philadelphia Flyers but nothing terribly brash. In fact, the rudest comment I received while I was in the ballpark was as I was barking at Scott Hartnell was "way to keep it classy, New York." Class? Someone from Philly is talking about class? That was hysterical.
Then outside in the parking lot, one proud Philadelphian told me he hoped I died in a car crash on the way home. Way to keep it classy, Philly.
The next day the video of Flyers fans pummeling....and I mean pummeling....a Rangers fan outside of Geno's Steaks after the game (who was a serving police officer and Iraqi veteran). It was one of the most gutless acts I've ever seen performed. At the time, I didn't know if I would ever set foot at a Philly sports event again.
A couple weeks had passed and I was offered a ticket to Saturday's Rangers/Flyers matchup. I immediately told myself, yes, I'm going. I figured Philly fans had learned to tone it down and nothing would happen to me phyiscally, and I was right, for the most part.
In the first period, trailing by one, the Flyers scored and tied the game up. I sat in my seat and didn't say a word. Until I felt a (maybe) three-year-old kid poke me in the side with a mini hockey stick. You're going to tell me a kid that young came up with that idea on his own? I did nothing. Whatever.
The Rangers scored five times and the only time I jumped up and yelled, was when Ryan Callahan (my favorite player in the league) netted his second career hat trick (both against the Flyers). I was yelled at to sit down. Again I did nothing. Whatever.
After the Rangers took a 5-2 lead in the third, the arena started to empty out. I tell you, it's a great feeling going into the home of the arch enemy and watching it empty after your team crushed theirs. As the clock ticked toward zero and I stood up and started clapping. The Philly bravado cursed down upon me and I think I felt a peanut hit me in the back. For a third time, I did nothing. Whatever.
I stepped outside Wells Fargo Center and heard a knock on the glass from the inside. I looked to my left and saw two extremely brave Flyers fans flipped me the bird. That's when I gave them the patented Derek Jeter fist pump.
Then two tremendous women who you can't wait to bring home to mom drove by in an SUV screaming "f**k you Ranger piece of s**t!" In return, a simple smile and wave.
Maybe these people are upset the Rangers have beaten them in seven straight games. Maybe these people assumed I went to a parade for the Super Bowl Champs last Tuesday when they're team was supposed to win the whole thing. Maybe these people are still bitter their beloved Phillies were beaten in six games by the New York Yankees in the 2009 World Series.
Or maybe these people know their city is inferior to mine.
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