Two sports items caught my attention this weekend and what
makes this notable is that I am not much of a sports person. I rarely read the
sports pages, I mute the sports portion of the news broadcast, and if I am zipping through radio stations, the
sound of loud, rough edged guys berating, complaining, and Monday morning quarterbacking with an equally verbose DJ is equal to the sound of nails dragging across a
chalkboard.
Watching any sporting event live, however, is pure pleasure
for me.
Ice hockey will always astound me as the players manage to
double up on skills by simultaneously skating and playing hockey. It is brutal and graceful all in one
speedy gulp. I love watching ice hockey. Sitting in any arena or ballpark brings out the sports gal in me, so it surprised me that sitting in a theater in Malvern last Saturday night ignited my reluctant inner fan.
People’s
Light and Theater Company's (PLTC) current production “The Philly Fan,” is one hour of delicious hyperbole as its lone actor, Tom McCarthy, rolls seamlessly through the frustrating foibles of our hometown teams. I hungrily took in every morsel of sports detail that McCarthy served up as he deftly invited us to join him at the corner
taproom, the ballpark, and his living room and have it out. It was a hardscrabble look at
the passion and complexity of the Philadelphia sports fan. Humor, excitement, disappointment laced the
show as we traveled back through the highs (of which there were few)
and the lows (of which there were many) in Philadelphia sports history.
Gene Mauch, Pete Rose, Dr. J, Dave Shultz, Michael Vick are among the myriad of notable athletes whose efforts are woven into the psyche of McCarthy's "average Joe." Connie
Mack stadium, the Vet, and Lincoln Financial field also receive pointed critiques. Written by local playwright, Bruce Graham, the compilation of equally sensitive and harsh musings placed us in the sports fan's heart as we silently commiserated with him.
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| Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia, PA |
McCarthy's character let his reflections meld his rough exterior with his soft interior as he recalled summer evenings 'down the shore,' hearing neighborhood radios all tuned into the play by play action of a Phillies game wafting through screened windows. He paused, captivated by the wonder of such simple sounds and marveled at the cohesive nature of listening to "the game" when the weekday events were broadcast only on the radio. His family life played a secondary but foundational role in his sports reflections too, with a precious sweetness saved for his memories of his beloved wife, Roe. I caught myself becoming a fan of the man.
Some audience members even wore their favorite sports jerseys and caps to support the aptly titled show. Truth be told, I have been a PLTC subscriber for 18 years. Live theater is my thing. So, it was an unexpected thrill to equally love the sports themed show - it is a winner in a city where winning comes hard. I am returning for a second time this week along with my dad - an unapologetic Philly fan. I can't wait.
The fate of the baseball diamond carved from corn fields in the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams" was highlighted in an update about the property set to be sold. Current owners, Don and Becky Lansing are selling it to a Chicago investment group which plans to "keep the field as it is but to also build a dozen other fields and an indoor center for youth baseball and softball tournaments."
The land has been in the Lansing family for a century. Mr. Lansing grew up in the house in which Kevin Costner's character, Ray Kinsella, lived with his family for the movie. The corn fields from which the Chicago White Sox team emerges in the film to rise above their 1919 scandel and play the game they loved continue to mystify visitors. It seems as though the purity of the film's intention has been alive and well for these 22 years since the it opened. Apparently, the movie's premise, "If you build it, they will come" has staying power. It is one captivating idea.
Visitors have traveled three miles outside the town of Dyersville, Iowa to experience the magic of this field and muse about their diverse, yet passionate sports experiences. Notables such as George Brett, Catfish Hunter, and Lou Brock have strode along the baselines taking in the mystical nature of youthful memories and opportunities lost.
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| Photo by Meawpong3405 of Free Digital Photo |
This speaks to me in every way. How we live our lives has much to do with how our lives are formed in our youth. In the movie, the simplicity of a man who addresses a yearning for something somewhat undefined drives Ray Kinsella on a search. It culminates in the character playing catch with his long dead and very young father on the famed field. Shoeless Joe Jackson and his teammates also get to rekindle their passion for the game and play together once again, before the decision that banned the players from professional baseball became their eventual reality. This goes to the heart of the movie.
Unearthing our longings and discerning what it would take to release them takes guts. The end result of this search may erupt into more questions than answers, but a sustained yearning must be answered nonetheless. Self-awareness is all we have and to bury any of it creates fields of frustration.
Who knew sports could speak so deeply to me?
For more info on "The Philly Fan" here is the PLTC link along with a link to a recent interview with playwright Bruce Graham and director Joe Canuso.
http://stagepartners.org/2011/10/the-return-of-the-philly-fan-and-more-an-interview-with-playwright-bruce-graham-and-director-joe-canuso/
I feel for some of these young men who have been pumped up by coaches, agents, and scouts supposedly 'in the know' to believe they will be a first round pick. And then they are not. It's a return to the schoolyard complete with angst; 'coaches' pick who they want on their teams one by one - and inevitably the cheese stands alone (Manti T'eo). 
