PhillyPage2.com Manifesto

Our Mission? Pure and Simple, Philly Sports served with a little fun. We have become increasingly frustrated with our local sports coverage. Many take it WAY too seriously, and forget, for fans, it's supposed to be fun. Local coverage often lacks any culpability. On Sunday they tell us what a great team and coach the Redskins/Spurrier will be. On Tuesday, after the Eagles spank them, the coverage paints the Skins as a glorified college team, barely capable of competing in the NFL. But no one was saying that on Sunday, and few report how wrong they were, but simply re-report based on the premise that the Skins stink, as if THAT was their contention all along. Just like they did with Trotter, and the Flyers 2001/2002 campaign, the Sixers 2001/2002 campaign, Ricky Williams, Reid etc, etc, etc.

The Philly reporting style has evolved into, saying whatever you want, and beating it to the ground, until it comes out wrong, then forming a new opinion, and presenting it with the same fervor, as if the original never existed. So, an idea was hatched. Based largely on the brilliant writing and attitude of ESPN page2*, we decided to give ourselves a diversion from the local coverage. PhillyPage2 is that diversion. Our attitude is; we'll watch the games, and have fun, and then have more fun when we address the events on our pages.

This is not to paint the Philly media with a broad brush. I personally still read both papers most days, listen to 610 and watch the local coverage as much as I can. And these are some of the most talented people in the country. But on the same token, not ONE day goes by, that something doesn't occur on those outlets, that makes me think, "What the hell is THIS, guy, or THAT guy, talking about? They are so out of touch it is amazing." That is NOT the angle, story, or opinion I'd have presented for this team, at this time, etc.

For example. The pervading opinion in fandom was that if Baseball had another stoppage. Fans were NOT coming back. I am a hard line baseball fan, and that was my stance as well. I event went to the Wednesday pre-deadline game, assuming it was my last, ever. Fans were mad, and rightfully so. But what was the Daily News feature article that day? A two page article going player by player, examining how the PHILLIES would be, and how the strike would help or hurt each individual player. The point that day, was NO ONE CARES how they would be if they went on strike. From the tall to the small, we as fans hoped they'd ALL end up working hard labor, and suffer for taking the privilege of earning millions to play a game for a living. No one cared that Duckworth might benefit from a "fresh start" after a work layoff, etc. The story fans cared about that day was what the FANS were going to do, not what a mediocre ballclub would have to do over the strike to maintain mediocrity.

So, we at phillypage2.com said, let's leave those serious, coverage matters to the pros. The fans that like to read articles by writers that have a superiority complex over the game and the players…(the "I-write-for-a-living-so-I-am-smarter-then-you attitude") fans will have lots of places in Philly to find them. Those that like Sports by people that are fans, and are not afraid to admit it, or have fun with it, hopefully will find phillypage2.com.

Tony Romeo
Editor

28, September, 2002

*Please check them out by the way, they did it first, and much better! We just give it a shot, on a very local level, but these guys are really getting it right….www.espnpage2.com