I don't remember exact'y when it was.
It was another one of those years when the Phillies were in the playoffs.
I do remember that they were playing the Dodgers -- the dreaded Dodgers. And in just a few innings, the Phillies blew it all. It was so bad -- so torturous, so awful to watch -- that I actually became sick to my stomach. And though my stomach eventually recovered, I never got over it.
Here's how long ago it was. I remember Ron Cey of the Dodgers being declared the hero of the game. Now, if you're old enough to remember Ron Cey, you've been around awhile. Cey played from 1971 to 1987.
That's how many years ago it was.
And that's when I decided I couldn't do it anymore. I just couldn't watch. I'd become too invested, too involved -- and there was too much at stake.
When the Phillies finally won the world championship in 1980 I didn't watch. I knew they won when people started setting off firecrackers in my neighborhood. And I didn't watch in 2008 when they won it all again. That time, I knew what happened when I heard motorists under my window blowing their horns.
But I didn't watch the games. And I didn;t listen to them on the radio either.
I wasn't that I didn't care. I did. And it wasn't that I didn't want to see the Phillies win. I did. I cared passionately. The whole time I wasn't watching I was hoping and cheering -- quietly.
But I couldn't go through all the angst. I can't bear all the anxiety, all the sturm and drang that goes with Philadelphia sports, no matter which of the major Philadelphia teams is in the playoffs or the championship series.
It's never, ever, ever easy. In fact, nothing ever comes easy for Philadelphia. The constant struggle is part of the city's identity.
So, I can't get too wrapped up in it. I have to look away.
I looked away again last night and chose to watch the PBS documentary Prohibition instead of the game. And of course I didn't watch the Iggles, either.
It helps that I'm not a huge sports fan. Never was.
But that doesn't mean I'm not a fan or that I don't take pride in the many wins and championships that local pro teams have racked up.
It's just that I've learned to insulate myself just a bit. For me, it's a survival technique.
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