Some things are quintessentially Philadelphian. The Eagles reaching the NFC Championship game three years running and never breaking through is a perfect example: lots of energy, lots of hope, just a taste of insecurity, and in the end, no prize.
Maybe it’s because the city sits between the glamour of New York and the power of Washington … maybe it’s because Philly is, in its soul, still a blue collar labor town … but the vibe here is still very much the vibe of the “cutters” … the kids in Breaking Away who never went to college, instead working in the local quarry or mill, and who look at their college-attending peers with a mix of longing and disgust.
The cutters make up for their edge of insecurity, of course … by living larger than the college kids could hope to live. And so do people here. How else do you explain something like the Mummers? And in that spirit, yesterday Philadelphia enjoyed an event which I consider the most Philadelphian of Philadelphia stories: Wing Bowl XII — 24,000 Philadelpians crowding the Wachovia Center to watch the Buffalo Wing eating competition to end all Buffalo Wing eating competitions. We don't got no Super Bowl, but by God, we got this. Read about it here, and here, and here, or watch video here, and be properly amazed.
Posted by Avocare at January 31, 2004 08:53 AM | TrackBackWonderfully written. You manage to make Philly sound enticing.
Posted by: michele at January 31, 2004 09:17 AMWonderful depiction of Philly, and I particularly like the Inquirer's headline.
Posted by: kt at January 31, 2004 05:17 PMWing Bowl. Made me think of my favorite current commercial, "Wingman." A classic. The party sounds like the Tri-City Unlimited Hydroplane races of the 80's. I note you've had about 200 visits to the site in the last wo weeks. I check about once a day, which means Mom must be checking about 12 times a day. You gotta write more frequently, bud, or she's gonna go nuts. love ya.
Posted by: j at January 31, 2004 09:54 PMCan't Philadelphia come up with something that is quintensially Philadelphia? The hot dog eating competition is all New York, and the Buffalo wing eating contest should belong, well, Buffalo. What about a cheese steak eating contest or a scrapple munching challenge.
Posted by: Gene at February 14, 2004 01:24 AM