A Sunday to Forget by John Russo

Here is my account of how I spent the Sunday of May 18:

I woke up at 7 o clock AM on the couch of my dad's friend's condo in Florida. My back is aching from the poor sleeping surface. Groggily, I shower and finish packing my suitcase. The flight my brother and I were taking was leaving at 9:30.

After being dropped off at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, wearing my Chase Utley jersey, I check in with out any problems other than the hassle with having my lap top checked at security.


After a quick flight, we get back to Atlantic City and drive in time to make it to the first pitch of the Phillies/Blue Jays game. It was drizzling a little bit the whole drive up but nothing seemed threatening. I was wrong.

We sat in section 307. After Kendrick's 1-2-3 inning and Ryan Howard's 2-run blast, the skies opened and down came the showers. As my brother and I got a Schmidter sandwich, we decided whether or not we wanted to stay or go across the street to the Wachovia Center. I check my phone for the weather and it seemed clear to just leave.

We get to the Center in time for face off and watch the Flyers' dismal first period filled with turnovers, soft goals, poor PK, and poor defense. I buy a Richards t-shirt and change into that to dress appropriately for the game. I sit in the main arena with about 500-600 other people watching as the Flyers fall apart in the 2nd period. Me and my brother get up and leave.

We go outside and hear cheering from CBP. We decide to walk back over to watch the rest of the Phillies game. After re-entering and finding seats behind the third base dugout, the second pitch thrown was a 3-run home run by Lyle Overbay to tie the game up for the Jays. We then watch as Rudy Seanez give up 3 more runs. The Phils bring it with in 6-4 but the clouds decided to hold the sun from popping out. It poured again as the game went into its second delay.

We walk to Tony Lukes and pick up cheese steaks and take them back to our new location behind the Phils dugout, 19 rows from the action to enjoy our subs there. We watch the ninth inning play out like this:

Chase Utley pops out and Howard does no better. With 2 outs, up comes Pat "The Bat" Burrell and he drives a bomb into the upper level in left field to bring the Phils within one. Unfortunately after Chris Coste's follow-up double, Eric Bruntlett fails to bring him in as he struck out on high cheese.

My day sucked and so did the Phanatic's. Christ, it was his birthday and his Phightins couldn't win one for him. Oh well. At least he had more fun than I did.

Happy Birthday Phillie Phanatic