Phillies Win

A new survey of Philadelphia sports fans provides some stunning insights into the status of Philadelphia fandom and their connection to the city's professional sports teams (and also provides some expected results as well).

Highlights of the survey

Asked to identify their favorite team, 54 percent of the respondents selected the Phillies. The Eagles placed second at 30 percent.

This is an astonishing turn of events for the Eagles. Of course, the survey was conducted on the eve of baseball opening day and a season in which the Phils are widely expected to contend for another pennant - their 3rd in straight - and World Series championship. But still, even with a 5 point bump, the Eagles are now, suddenly, second fiddle down in S. Philly. Indeed, "70 percent of the respondents said they considered Philadelphia to be a football town, 43 percentage points higher than those who considered it a baseball town."

But for me, the key stat is this one:

Citizens Bank Park, with 74 percent of the vote, also held far larger appeal than Lincoln Financial Field, the Wachovia Center and the Palestra, each with 8 percent.

God knows I love the Palestra, there simply isn't a better basketball arena in the country. But the Bank vs. Lincoln comparison rings true from my personal experience. The Phillies provide a much better game day fan experience as compared to the Eagles at the Linc. It's more lively, fan friendly, and perhaps most importantly family friendly.

Several of my friends who are also season ticket holders did the double header last year - the Giants-Eagles game and then walked across the street for the Yankees-Phillies game. To a man, they all remarked how hospitable the Phillies employees were, how friendly everyone was and what a great atmosphere the Bank was. More than that, though, was ho much better it was compared to the Linc experience, employees, and vibe just hours before (and this was after the Eagles hammered the Giants). Amazing.

The most positive thing about the survey is that it appears that baseball has been saved in Philadelphia. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but when you look at the Phils' dismal record over a nearly 20 year span - from 1984 - 2005 and aside from the anomaly of the 93 pennant, the seemingly perpetual mediocrity of the Phils (combined with the sterile game day experience of the Vet) really threatened the loss of a generation of fans. so in that respect, the survey indicates that Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, Ryan Howard, and Pat Burrell helped avert baseball disaster in Philadelphia.