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These Cities Come With Existing Rivalry

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By JOE HENDERSON

jhenderson@tampatrib.com

Published: October 21, 2008

Updated: 10/21/2008 05:11 pm

ST. PETERSBURG - They're probably pretty happy up there in Philadelphia right now. They love their Phillies and the World Series is at hand. The best of times, right?

Oh no ...

That's right, Philly.

Tampa is back.

Well, technically St. Pete, but close enough for government work. Nothing good happens for Philadelphia when a team from these parts shows up, but if the Rays win the Series that might be the worst blow yet to the City of Brotherly Love.

You think Boston took it hard losing to the Rays? It would be worse in Philadelphia.

They haven't gotten over the time the Bucs closed down Veterans Stadium by beating an Eagles team that believed the Super Bowl was its destiny. The Bucs were supposed to be the love bug on the windshield of their Super Bowl Express, but it didn't exactly work out that way now, did it?

Maybe the Rays could have Ronde Barber throw out the first pitch at one of the games, just for giggles.

Then they had the audacity to do it again just eight months later. The Bucs went to Philly for the opening of its new stadium, Lincoln Financial Field, and ruined the party. The final was 17-0. Oh, and remember the 62-yard field goal Matt Bryant kicked at the gun to beat the Eagles 23-21 in 2006?

Lightning Chipped In Too

It's not just football, either. They really like hockey in Philly - Broad Street Bullies and all that. Winning the Stanley Cup is a big deal, and they might have done that if the Lightning hadn't beaten the Flyers in Game 7 of their conference final series in 2004.

If the Rays pull this off, though, it might finally be too much for the good people of Philadelphia. Although they've certainly had enough practice at it, they don't really handle defeat too well.

True story: I was covering the NFC title game between the Eagles and Carolina in Philly. It turned out like basically every other big sports event turns out in that town, so the local populace was bummed.

I stopped off in the lounge of my hotel for a postgame brew. There were a few fans from both teams there, but everyone was behaving themselves until this petite, attractive woman in a $125 Eagles designer sweatshirt sashayed up to a guy wearing a Carolina cap and knocked it off his head, tossing in a string of words you can't use in Sunday school.

He looked surprised but picked his cap up and didn't say anything. She knocked it off again.

Long story short: After returning to her seat, she waited about a minute and then raced across the room and tackled the hapless Carolina fan. He was trying to be a gentleman and protect himself at the same time. She was flailing away at him. The judges had her ahead on all scorecards.

I mention that story as a warning to any Rays fan who thinks they can make a pleasant trip to the ballpark in Philly to support their team. I'd recommend against it, but if you must go then keep your mouth shut and don't wear any Rays gear unless it comes equipped with body armor.

Complain, Complain, Complain

You can hear the catwalk jokes starting already, can't you?

By the time the first pitch is thrown, Philly folks will have griped about Tropicana Field, Raymond, the Rays' new uniforms, the Rays' old uniforms, Joe Maddon's glasses, Cuban sandwiches, basically everything about St. Petersburg, cowbells, and Matt Bryant (they need to get over that one).

Well, they do have a grand new ballpark there (which would look really good near downtown Tampa; I'm just saying...) and a lot more experience in these sorts of things than they do around here.

But if they bothered to watch the Rays this year and not just dredge up the sins of the past decade, they'd find a young, skilled, confident and dangerous team that has proven it belongs. They wiped out Chicago in the division series. The Rays stood up to Boston's best. They took a punch in Game 5 and came back with a knockout of their own.

Should be a great series.

If the Rays pull this off, some might be tempted to call it an upset. They'd be wrong. It's just what happens when teams from Tampa and Philadelphia get together with something important on the line.

Oh, OK ... St. Pete, not Tampa.

We'll know soon enough if it makes any difference.

Keyword: Throwdown, as Joe Henderson and veteran

Philadelphia Inquirer

columnist Bill Lyon debate whether Philly should, in fact, hate Tampa Bay.

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