Budget cuts are never something you want to hear, especially during times of need as many people find themselves in now. Unfortunately, Mayor Michael Nutter made the decision to cut various programs in Philadelphia's budget due to a major deficit. Some of those programs include libraries, swimming pools, and hockey rinks, all of which are places that help keep kids off the streets and actively engaged in hands-on activities.
Fortunately, however, Christmas has come early, as the Philadelphia Flyers' owner Ed Snider has announced that his Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation will pick up the tab to keep three Philly hockey rinks open for the public to enjoy. This is a classy move that will help many kids and families, and save the city $150,000 annually. It's also very fitting since the people that helped Snider make his fortune will now benefit from his generosity. Well played Ed!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
NBA Basketball: Yawn
I don't know. Maybe it's me. But I just can't seem to find much room for NBA basketball in my life.
I ventured to the Sixers game tonight with 3 friends. Free tickets, great seats, Sixers had a blow out win over Oklahoma City (who??). But the most memorable part turned out to be listening to my friend get excited over Matt Cord's echo effects on the PA system. This enthrallment led to endless imitations of said echo by using a plastic drinking cup and saying stupid words and sentences and ending them all with a fake echo. Oh yeah, that and seeing the Camden High School band win the evening's battle of the bands contest. In other words, the game was quite boring.
Unfortunately the NBA just doesn't have that spark like it once did, at least in my eyes. Maybe I got spoiled watching Jordan, Magic, Barkley, Bird, and players from that era who seemed to have a lot of personality, skills and heart. Or maybe it's just that it's the same old highlights over and over... dunks, blocked shots, and three pointers. It's not like football where there are so many possibilities of what will happen on any given play, or like baseball where there are countless intricate strategies going on at any moment, or even soccer where the players essentially do the same basic things as basketball players do but do it using their feet instead.
Not only that but every single second at the game there's some incessant music playing, promotion being announced, ad flashing all over the place or other unnecessary distraction going on. There really wasn't much noise at the half-empty Wachovia Center other than when there was music trying to pump people up or a few pep squad wannabes banging on boards trying to make noise. Just doesn't feel genuine to me, not to mention the fact that you can't even talk to your friends because the music's so loud.
Well, what can I say, I'm not much of an NBA fan. But at least college basketball is starting...
I ventured to the Sixers game tonight with 3 friends. Free tickets, great seats, Sixers had a blow out win over Oklahoma City (who??). But the most memorable part turned out to be listening to my friend get excited over Matt Cord's echo effects on the PA system. This enthrallment led to endless imitations of said echo by using a plastic drinking cup and saying stupid words and sentences and ending them all with a fake echo. Oh yeah, that and seeing the Camden High School band win the evening's battle of the bands contest. In other words, the game was quite boring.
Unfortunately the NBA just doesn't have that spark like it once did, at least in my eyes. Maybe I got spoiled watching Jordan, Magic, Barkley, Bird, and players from that era who seemed to have a lot of personality, skills and heart. Or maybe it's just that it's the same old highlights over and over... dunks, blocked shots, and three pointers. It's not like football where there are so many possibilities of what will happen on any given play, or like baseball where there are countless intricate strategies going on at any moment, or even soccer where the players essentially do the same basic things as basketball players do but do it using their feet instead.
Not only that but every single second at the game there's some incessant music playing, promotion being announced, ad flashing all over the place or other unnecessary distraction going on. There really wasn't much noise at the half-empty Wachovia Center other than when there was music trying to pump people up or a few pep squad wannabes banging on boards trying to make noise. Just doesn't feel genuine to me, not to mention the fact that you can't even talk to your friends because the music's so loud.
Well, what can I say, I'm not much of an NBA fan. But at least college basketball is starting...
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