New Love

I was always a 4-sport girl - hockey, football, basketball, baseball - in that order. Like my fellow Philadelphians, I don't judge the time of the year by the falling of the leaves or the snow on the ground; it's "football season" or "baseball season," etc. But a few years ago I found the latest love of my life - lacrosse . I had known about this sport for some time; it was my 8th grade teacher who really brought out my interest in it. But it wasn't until I was out of college that I actually started attending Philadelphia Wings games. From the first game, I was hooked. For those of you that have no idea what lacrosse is, it's basically a mix of basketball and hockey, except in the air (well, the indoor version anyway - the outdoor version is more like soccer). I'll spare you all the lecture on how the game works. Instead, I'll tell you what I love about this "minor" sport. 1. Affordability. In the days where hockey tickets cost $50 for nosebleeds and outrageous surcharges, my season tickets in the first row of the second level at the Wachovia Center cost me all of $81. That's $10/game and a $1 surcharge. I can't even PARK for less than that. 2. Accessibility. Forget getting Eagles' tickets, and the Phillies sold out well over half of their games this season; good luck getting tickets next season. But I can always walk up to the box office an hour before the Philadelphia Wings play and get decent seats. 3. Music. Where else do they play loud rock music WHILE THE GAME IS IN PROGRESS? 4. The Game Itself. It's a hard-hitting, physical, fast, high-scoring game that's truly worthy of a blue-collar city like Philadelphia. Fights are legal, and it's a defensive game if one or both teams score less than 10 goals. It's hard to stay in your seat with all the excitement. Plus, it's probably one of the easier sports to understand. 5. Traditions. Philadelphia is the only remaining team of the original Eagle Box League that started professional indoor lacrosse 20+ years ago. Over that time, the fans have built such strong traditions. From the "warm, Philadelphia welcome" of the other players to the traditional playing of "Welcome to the Jungle," these traditions . It may not be baseball, but I was immediately attached from the first "sucks!" 6. Players. Talk about blue-collar. These guys all need "real" jobs to pay the bills since lacrosse is still only considered a "minor" sport. Some are teachers, others work freelance jobs. Because of this, I think it makes the players friendlier and more approachable. They don't mind signing autographs 'cause on Monday, they'll go into work and get yelled at by clients, just like I do! And what other sport can you have a beer with the league MVP or the team owner after the game? 7. Fans. Passionate, loud, and fun! Those qualities embody every Philly sports fan, but it's magnified in Wings fans. Chopper sits behind the penalty boxes and lets opposing players hear it when they get sent into the sin-bin. He also leads one side in the W-I-N-G-S cheer. He is known by everyone throughout the league, including the players. And that's just one example! If you're ever able to, I definitely suggest checking out a professional indoor game.