Remember in the Charlie Brown cartoons when he goes to kick the football and Lucy pulls the football away and he falls???? That's how it feels right now to be a Philadelphia sports fan!!! I completely understand and get the Andy Reid criticism, however like Mike Vick recently said regarding their 1-4 start, the players also have to be held accountable. I haven't listened to sports radio in the Philadelphia area for almost a week now because I don't want to hear about the disappointment, so if any of this has already been mentioned, I apologize.
The one thing I don't get is how the Phillies lose how they did and not much is said regarding Charlie Manuel. Now, before I dive in to this I wanna preface by saying I love Charlie as most Phillies fans do but I think that is the problem. He is a likable guy unlike Andy Reid. He has personality, unlike Andy Reid. This is the issue I have. The Phillies were not only expected to win the NL, but most "experts" picked them to win it all..... But they didn't!!!!! So why is Charlie not getting the flack Andy is/does??? Ok he won a WS, but the expectations this year were sky high and they failed. Why is more of the blame not put on him??? After all, when the Phils traded for Hunter Pence he made an immediate impact hitting 5th, BEHIND RYAN HOWARD!!! So the playoffs come and you put him 3rd?!?!? Why??? Howard did well down the stretch knowing he had a solid power hitter behind him and Pence did well with no added pressure.
Say what you want about that being BS because they're pro athletes and should perform no matter what, but I blame Charlie. As much as it kills me, I put 90% of the playoff defeat on his shoulders. We can point the finger at anyone here but as much as I hate to say it, Andy Reid sticks up for his players. It's a tired and played out speech, but he'll never allow his players to get thrown under the bus. What has Charlie done to combat all the hatred for Ryan Howard?? How do you have that pitching staff but can't hit?? Similar to having a great Defensive line but no Linebackers?? Everyone is putting the blame on Ryan Howard but nothing gets said about Charlie!! I see a great amount of similarities in the situations regarding Andy Reid and Charlie Manuel.
I heard someone say it best when they said," they have the keys to a Porsche but are driving it like a station wagon"!!!! That sums it up for both teams, all the talent and expectations, but just can't get the job done!! I only hope that Charlie takes some heat too because with an all star lineup and great pitching, the tools were there to build a championship, he decided to build a birdhouse instead!!!!
As Philadelphia sports fans, most of us have been accustomed to this disappointment and unfortunately, most of us around my age almost expect disappointment yearly!! I vowed that after the '09 World Series that I would never get my hopes up that high again because that crushed feeling was unbearable. Not that this was not tough, but again I almost expected it. I am a die hard Phillies, eagles, flyers, and even Sixers fan and that has never been called into question. However, I will say this. Fans like me never waver and will never give up being a Philadelphia sports fan. Disappointed, upset, shocked, you name it, I feel it, but there is one thing that remains..... I'm still going to root for my teams and get into heated discussions with Yankees and Cowboys fans to defend my team's honor, but if there is any advice to any other die hard fans that are taking these events too personally it's this..... If you expect the worst, you can never be disappointed!!! I'm not saying to not cheer as loud or don’t go to games, all I'm saying is to put things into perspective. Only 1 team wins every year, and it's not always the best team!!!!!
This is Kyle Montgomery reminding you that the next time you feel like Charlie Brown attempting that kick, you’re not the only one......oh, and this has been my two cents!!!!
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