I was greeted early yesterday afternoon by a text from my oldest childhood friend in Philadelphia - "Harry Kalas has colapsed and been rushed to the Hospital". Immediately I felt like I had taken a blow to the stomach. It is amazing to me how the death of someone you never met could be so impactful, but growing up listening and watching Harry I think all of Philadelphia feels like we knew him.
As a kid growing up my first love was baseball. We played it non stop, whether it was for the Huntingdon Valley All-Star travel team, wiffle ball in Rubin's back yard or in the winter down in the basement it is all we did. We did Strat-O-matic before Fantasy Sports even existed. We had Cub Scout trips to the Vet to see the Phils' and I don't think we missed many games on TV. Along with all of my great memories of the Phils' is not just the visuals, like the '80 World Series or Michael Jack Schmidt's (even as I type it I hear Kalas' slow dlrawl) 500th home run in April of 1987, there is the soundtrack of Kalas' voice that still plays in my head. For us, he had two signature 'catch phrases': "It's outta here" on home runs and "He struck him out" for strike outs. As an 11 year old that last phrase still brings tears to my eyes as I watched Tug McGraw strike out Willie Wilson to give the Phillies their first World Title since 1950. I sat that night at the foot of my parents bed and cried with joy. Seven years later I felt the same way as Schmidtty launched #500, back when hitting 500 home runs meant something.
I think there is something poetic in the way Harry left us yesterday. First, he did it where I can only imagine him forever, in the broadcast booth before a Phils' game. I know he will also be associated with NFL Films and some commercial work but for those of us from the Greater Delaware Valley he will always be the Voice of Philadelphia. It was the same way with Dave Zincoff, who is far less famous nationally but not if you were a Philly Sports fan in the 70's & 80's. All you need to do is pull up an introduction of "The Dr. Juuuuuulius Erving" to get those goose bumps.
There other piece of poetic justice is that Harry got to see the Phils' do it again by winning the World Series last year. Harry was always 'one of the guys', just listen to interviews with John Kruk or Mike Schmidt. He was the consumate throw back to sports journalists of the past right here today. The players loved him and he was always welcome around. I can only imagine the stories Harry has taken to his grave that today's journalists would have plastered on the Front Page just to see their own BYLINE!
When I got home from work yesterday I found the broadcast of the Phils' game on cable. I sat and watched with the volume on MUTE, the entire broadcast. I am sure there were amazing tributes to Harry by our hometown broadcasters as well as call ins from so many others. For me though, I embraced the silence that will now always be there when the Phils' play.
Your voice, talent and love for our team and city will be missed Harry!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Home is where you belong
I have had the opportunity to once again spend a good amount of time on the road for work. It has brought back a lot of memories from years past when I was a true road warrior.
What I remember from those days still hold true today. When you are 'home' and love where you live it really shows; no matter what the rest of the country believes is true about your home town.
No where has this rang truer for me than Milwaukee, WI where I was two weeks ago.
My perception of Milwaukee before the trip? beer swilling, foul mouthed, overweight people with funny accents. I had no expectation for 'city life' or any type of 'culture' - pop or otherwise. Basically, in my mind I saw Laverne, Shirley, Lenny and Squiggy. Sure Happy Days took place there, but no other show represented Milwaukee more than Laverne & Shirley (at least in my mind). Then of course are the generalizations of beer, cheese and bratwursts that the media fixates on. Lastly on my mind was the scene in Wayne's World where Alice Cooper gives the history of Milly-wau-kay (as the Indians pronounced it). but I digress.
Of course there are some general truths in these sweeping generalization, hence the name, but what I found were great people that were bursting with civic pride. From the tour of the Company's Office to my round about drive to downtown for dinner I could 'feel' why so many of its citizens were passionate about Milwaukee. What I did not see in the stereotypes were all the positives; the city resides on the same beautiful lake as Chicago. In fact, she is only 2 hours from Chicago. For an 'urban' city she still has small town appeal and a great and easy airport. The people were just as friendly as any city I have visited down South as well. Sure, it has winter, but so does 75% of the country.
I also love the 'tag lines' city's develop! Mailwaukee's is 'A great city on a great lake' - what a great play on words! Growing up in Philly I was always proud to be from the 'City of Brotherly love' and even during the Garbage Strike as a kid I got a kick out of "Filthy-delphia'. I remember moving to Ft. Lauderdale and hearing - 'Venice of the West' and man it's true, we had a TON of canals! Dallas in my mind will ALWAYS be 'Big D' and Atlanta will always be 'The city too busy to hate', no matter what the Convention Bureau tells us :-)
What I also realized is that you can take the name, the location and all the other great things I found and substitute any hometown...including YOURS!
When you embrace a place and find a way to contribute meaningfully it will always have a place in your heart and you in theirs. I learned that in Atlanta and will carry it forward in my heart to destinations yet to be reached.
ILU VM
What I remember from those days still hold true today. When you are 'home' and love where you live it really shows; no matter what the rest of the country believes is true about your home town.
No where has this rang truer for me than Milwaukee, WI where I was two weeks ago.
My perception of Milwaukee before the trip? beer swilling, foul mouthed, overweight people with funny accents. I had no expectation for 'city life' or any type of 'culture' - pop or otherwise. Basically, in my mind I saw Laverne, Shirley, Lenny and Squiggy. Sure Happy Days took place there, but no other show represented Milwaukee more than Laverne & Shirley (at least in my mind). Then of course are the generalizations of beer, cheese and bratwursts that the media fixates on. Lastly on my mind was the scene in Wayne's World where Alice Cooper gives the history of Milly-wau-kay (as the Indians pronounced it). but I digress.
Of course there are some general truths in these sweeping generalization, hence the name, but what I found were great people that were bursting with civic pride. From the tour of the Company's Office to my round about drive to downtown for dinner I could 'feel' why so many of its citizens were passionate about Milwaukee. What I did not see in the stereotypes were all the positives; the city resides on the same beautiful lake as Chicago. In fact, she is only 2 hours from Chicago. For an 'urban' city she still has small town appeal and a great and easy airport. The people were just as friendly as any city I have visited down South as well. Sure, it has winter, but so does 75% of the country.
I also love the 'tag lines' city's develop! Mailwaukee's is 'A great city on a great lake' - what a great play on words! Growing up in Philly I was always proud to be from the 'City of Brotherly love' and even during the Garbage Strike as a kid I got a kick out of "Filthy-delphia'. I remember moving to Ft. Lauderdale and hearing - 'Venice of the West' and man it's true, we had a TON of canals! Dallas in my mind will ALWAYS be 'Big D' and Atlanta will always be 'The city too busy to hate', no matter what the Convention Bureau tells us :-)
What I also realized is that you can take the name, the location and all the other great things I found and substitute any hometown...including YOURS!
When you embrace a place and find a way to contribute meaningfully it will always have a place in your heart and you in theirs. I learned that in Atlanta and will carry it forward in my heart to destinations yet to be reached.
ILU VM
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Sex Talk
I don't remember getting 'the talk', honestly, I am racking my brain and it's just not up there. I do remember coming home from the first date where I was allowed to drive and the conversation with Art that ensued (and I won't share that with the public - LOL) and I remember the first time I was allowed to have a girl stay over in my room (still shocks me that happened) but I don't remember being between the ages of 8 and 13 and getting the 'talk'. Sure there was the OFFICIAL Health Class in school and the UNOFFICIAL Health Class in the bathrooms, playgrounds and friends rooms of my youth but not the BIG ONE.
Over the weekend my 8 and 1/2 year old daughter got the 'Big One' but I look back and realize that it is merely a progression on Big One's, but it was a BIG ONE nonetheless. For better or worse (and I am reserving judgement at this point) I missed it. I certainly got the 'blow by blow' details (read into that as you like - ROFLMAO) and it seems like Cydney 'got it' and handled it very maturely but there were at least TWO 'gotchas' for me coming out of it.
You may be wondering...is 8 too early here Gil? I was wondering the same thing. However, she was beginning to ask --- things like "What do you eat to become pregnant?" and they see an awful lot more on TV then we did. Most importantly, you have NO IDEA what other kids are putting into your kids' head. I know that at least two or three of her friends have concepts of boyfriends and kissing so we thought it was best to 'cut it off at the pass'. Additionally I felt much better after sitting down with friends over the weekend who just had the same conversation with their eight year old as well, albeit they are in the fast paced world of South Florida and we are here in the 'sticks' in Atlanta :-)
Fortunately the conversation was not off the cuff and Ilene armed herself with a book and research. From what I understand 'we' stayed with the basics and got through it quite admirably. Cydney understands (at least she tells us so) that this was a PRIVATE conversation and that she is to not share it with friends or her YOUNGER SISTER. In fact, I think she took it so privately that she isn't sharing it with me yet!
So, for the funny stuff, as you know if I am not going to get weepy then I will get funny:
In one illustration it shows a man and a woman together in bed, in an embrace. Very PG in detail, lots of good blanket coverage. Cydney takes in the picture and asks her mother, "Does the man always have to be on top?". Funny, I don't think I heard what the answer was...
Second, Ilene reinforced the concept of this is a mature thing and you will be waiting a LONG time but we want you to understand...so she tells Cydney that "You should wait until you are married before having sex" to which Cydney replied, "Mommy, you said SHOULD, so that means I CAN, but you wouldn't be happy right?".
OH F*CKING MY AM I IN TROUBLE!
Someone please pass a big bottle of Jack and a loaded weapon - LOL
On a side note, Cydney was also fascinated with the menstrual cycle and thinks it's "COOL".
I still don't know if she was ready, or more importantly if we were ready but I am pretty sure she will remember these talks long into the future, as opposed to her 'Old Man'
ILU VM
Over the weekend my 8 and 1/2 year old daughter got the 'Big One' but I look back and realize that it is merely a progression on Big One's, but it was a BIG ONE nonetheless. For better or worse (and I am reserving judgement at this point) I missed it. I certainly got the 'blow by blow' details (read into that as you like - ROFLMAO) and it seems like Cydney 'got it' and handled it very maturely but there were at least TWO 'gotchas' for me coming out of it.
You may be wondering...is 8 too early here Gil? I was wondering the same thing. However, she was beginning to ask --- things like "What do you eat to become pregnant?" and they see an awful lot more on TV then we did. Most importantly, you have NO IDEA what other kids are putting into your kids' head. I know that at least two or three of her friends have concepts of boyfriends and kissing so we thought it was best to 'cut it off at the pass'. Additionally I felt much better after sitting down with friends over the weekend who just had the same conversation with their eight year old as well, albeit they are in the fast paced world of South Florida and we are here in the 'sticks' in Atlanta :-)
Fortunately the conversation was not off the cuff and Ilene armed herself with a book and research. From what I understand 'we' stayed with the basics and got through it quite admirably. Cydney understands (at least she tells us so) that this was a PRIVATE conversation and that she is to not share it with friends or her YOUNGER SISTER. In fact, I think she took it so privately that she isn't sharing it with me yet!
So, for the funny stuff, as you know if I am not going to get weepy then I will get funny:
In one illustration it shows a man and a woman together in bed, in an embrace. Very PG in detail, lots of good blanket coverage. Cydney takes in the picture and asks her mother, "Does the man always have to be on top?". Funny, I don't think I heard what the answer was...
Second, Ilene reinforced the concept of this is a mature thing and you will be waiting a LONG time but we want you to understand...so she tells Cydney that "You should wait until you are married before having sex" to which Cydney replied, "Mommy, you said SHOULD, so that means I CAN, but you wouldn't be happy right?".
OH F*CKING MY AM I IN TROUBLE!
Someone please pass a big bottle of Jack and a loaded weapon - LOL
On a side note, Cydney was also fascinated with the menstrual cycle and thinks it's "COOL".
I still don't know if she was ready, or more importantly if we were ready but I am pretty sure she will remember these talks long into the future, as opposed to her 'Old Man'
ILU VM
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