I'm a die hard Philly fan: Eagles, Phillies, Sixers and Flyers. I got the idea for this blog after a rough week in June when the Phillies got hammered by the Mets, Yankees and Red Sox in succession. After each series, friends called, shot emails, some sent brooms. I realized Philly fans have it rough, I've got it rougher. I'm all alone up here, I suffer from a far, but it also provides a unique perspective -- and thus the Connecticut Philadelphian was born...
Chuck Morgan, the protagonist in My Year As A Clown, loves Philly sports too. How much? On the way to pick up his wife at the airport he says:
I’m a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan. They play tonight, and I’ll be in front of the TV by game time even though I haven’t seen my wife in three months. Trust me, she’ll be zonked out from the nine-hour flight, still on European time.
On the way back from the airport his wife informs him that she’s leaving after 20 years of marriage for another guy. That evening:
The Philadelphia Eagles are being trounced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season-opening Monday Night Football game, a much anticipated rematch after last year's shocking NFC Championship upset by these same Buccaneers. Tonight also marks the debut of the Eagles’ new stadium and so far the Birds are laying a stinker on national television.
I’ve followed Philadelphia teams faithfully for over thirty years even though I left town after graduating from high school. The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, but recently they've come close. I couldn't wait for tonight's game, but that was before Claudia's declaration of divorce only a few hours ago. Still, I've got half an eye on the telecast. Why do I care about football at a time like this? Maybe I'm in shock.
My Year As A Clown chronicles the 2003 season, the year before T.O. joined the team. There’s still plenty of drama. That was the year Rush Limbaugh slammed Donovan McNabb and the Eagles got off to the worst start in their history. They had been considered super bowl contenders.
Loyalty is a theme in the book and Chuck and his soon to be British ex-wife have different views on the subject:
She disliked sports and never understood why I stuck with the Eagles. “I don’t know anything about your American football," she’d say, "but I know they will lose."
She was right, but I stayed faithful.
"Why don't you support another team?" she said when we lived in San Francisco while Joe Montana was tearing the league apart.
"It's not that easy."
"Just get over them and move on."
The Eagles turn their season around, Chuck's life improves too, but when he starts to think their fate and his are linked, anyone that knows anything about Philadelphia sports knows trouble is around the corner.
I'm putting the finishing touches on My Year As A Clown now.
