The Larry Kane Report

Fantastic day. I’m in a window viewpoint from the seventh floor of the Brownstein building at Broad and Walnut. I stick my neck out. There is a sea of non stop humanity north, south, east and west, on rooftops. Before the parade, after the parade, during the motorcade, the sound roared up and down big, daunting Broad Street. It was, and will remain, the most electric day in the recent history of Phillies-land.

While reporting “live” for KYW Newsradio. I can’t forget all the great people I met along the way, the people jammed into the subway. those on the street, the others helping people out with directions. I can’t forget the Phillies floats. with all the employees on them. not just the super players who made it happen, but the entire team. I remember the ticker tape confetti streaming down from the high rise concrete canyons and the most exciting act of all – THE UNIFYING FORCE THAT BROUGHT ALL THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER FROM All CORNERS OF All THREE STATES,  AND THE GREAT CITIES.

What a joy. One of the best moments in my Philadelphia life.

A few arrests? Sure. But a majority of soulful people, hundreds of thousands, enjoying the beautiful day in the sun.

And yet, there were missed opportunities. The Police and Fire Departments were super. The City’s imagery was gorgeous, but Septa?

I was caught in the crush on the way down and the way back. The crush was the biggest ever, but Septa managers were rarely found. Cars on the subway and rail lines were jammed to the point of breathlessness. Most of all,  I regret those in wheelchairs who were denied access to the trains, because no one listened to them. I saw this. Too much of it, and it was a shame. It was also a shame to the little kids who were almost crushed on those trains. There was no disciipline. There was no one telling people to get on or get off. It was dangerous. And we were lucky no one was hurt. Sadly, thousands missed the event. Sadly.

SOME UNUSUAL MOMENTS OF THE DAY:

Semi-streaker, wearing red underpants, running south on Broad.

Woman with baby. She was wearing a red Phillies cape and pushing a carriage.

Beach ball battles in the crowds. Boos and cheers.

Super Phillies man, caped and all. Who was he?

Chase Utley. Mr. Clean, uttering the four letter no-no on LIVE TV and Radio. Yes, Chase it is the World  Bleepin Champions, but Chase, kids are watching and listening. But this is the stuff of legends and legends were made on this wonderful day. No question there will be soon be tee-shirts with the words that Chase uttered.

Yes, it was a day for memories – a Philadelphia holiday.

Halloween?  It was just an afterthought after our big day in the sun.

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Congratulations. As Phil’s chief Dave Montgomery said, “This is for the fans of Philadelphia.”

Why not. For decades, even before I got here, and that was long ago in another century, Philadelphia fans gave it everything they got – enthusiasm, money, energy, devotion. They kept coming back for more, and more and even more, until they got the moment. And last night, or tonight, if you’re still celebrating was the moment. 30 years from now, the kids of today will be telling their kids and others about the moment. They will talk about the players, and the games – especially what will be remembered as the great Monday night game that lasted 48 hours. The moment saw hundreds of thousands in the streets, fireworks and more, and the inevitable laughter and tears.

It’s easy to point the fingers in the right direction: the team, the manager, the front office and all that baseball stuff and drama that sent shivers up your spine in this electrifying 2008, the year of Utley, Ryan, Feliz, Ruiz and Jimmy. This was the year of lefty Hamels and ageless Moyers and that Lidge guy who was really perfect.

Much will be written and more will be said, but let me bring you a piece of history.

Eagles – through 48 years, since the last championship, the Eagles were almost always sold out.

The Flyers – Two Cups and lots of lean years in between. The fans never left.

Sixers — No trophy since 1983, but enduring fans who keep hoping.

Big Five — The greatest City teams in the world, with a national championship in 1985.

Phillies -    Victory in 1980, two pennants in between and the great 08 experience.

In between those moments, the fans were always there, in person, paying the way, watching on TV , listening on the radio, and sticking to it.

This may sound corny, but I believe the fans of this community help make champions by their intensity and demand for excellence.

Congratulations to the World Champions, and the very best fans in a community that prides itself as the best place to live in America.

One more item – a cheap shot to all those network broadcasters in baseball, football and all the sports who create images of the Philadelphia sports fans that are exaggerated and full of you know what.

And Tim McCarver should demand a better sidekick.

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This Bud’s for you. We are talking about Bud Selig, the baseball boss, who waited till the middle of the sixth to stop the game, allowing 45 thousand people to sit in blinding and wind swept rain, not even counting the players who could have risked limbs playing in that kind of mud.

The game started dry, but the rain was so bad, and the radar so ominous that the Commish still waited until the score was tied to suspend the game. During the 4th inning, on TV, and on the internet, anyone could see that the radar was bright green from North Jersey in a line down to Maryland.

The rain was not going to stop. The Phillies were ahead in the fifth. It should have been suspended at that point. But Bud waited.  Bud let baseball off the hook when he suspended the game  after 5 and a half. That was AFTER the Rays tied it. Bud says if even if the Phillies were still ahead he didn’t want the World Series to end that way.

Too bad Bud has his way. The Phillies and umpires would never have allowed the weather-stained farce to go on for more than a few innings. The issue is not the score, or even the broken rules of baseball. The issue is the reality that the field was unplayable, and the game should have been stopped earlier. The fans of baseball deserve better than the decision-making.

Oh, by the way: charging Jimmy Rollins with an error for that dropped fly ball that was twirling in the eye of a hurricane was another blot on this questionable team of umpires.

The Rays are lucky the series is not over, as it could have been.

The good news we are still up 3 to 1. And whenever we finish the game, we will finish the whole deal.

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I love it. I love every nerve-shattering moment. Even in the final moments, the heart was racing faster, the  body was tingling on the nerve endings, the butterflies were flying inside. Even in those final moments, there were visions of the high drama comeback that are so great in 08. So, we lost the second game. But, all around us, there are signs of the emotional drama.

Pennsylvania Turnpike -West of Willow Grove. Somehow, the operating engineers union manages to place a crane almost over the turnpike with a Phillies sign. This, is, by far, the most creative show for drivers in both directions. I love it.

Strangest TV interview. Some guy in a South Philly taproom wears a Tampa Bay hat. He says he is a Phillies fan, but he’s rooting for the Rays. Why? Because he wants the Eagles to be the first team to win a championship in this century. Only in Philadedlphia!

I am honored to speak two dinners this week benefiting the Main Line Chamber of Commerce and the Montgomery County Commission at families. As the clock strikes 8:30 p.m., men and women hide their cellphones in their laps or cradle them in their armpits as they sneak a peek at the score.

Driving home, I noticed that it feels like being in the middle of Montana. There are few people on the street, and few cars. Traffic is a breeze. I listen to the radio and try to picture the field, and the players. I can’t wait to get home to watch it. You know the feeling!

A woman is walking on 4th street near Market. It is cold and windy. Her baby, in the carriage, is wrapped in a wrap-a-around wool Phillies Hat. The blanket is red, as in Phillie’s red.

In campaign 08, McCain bashes Obama for rooting for the Phillies and praising the Rays. The World Series is now a campaign issue?

At Broad near Locust, a homeless man, wearing a brand new Phillies hat, holds out a tin cup. Sad, but very true.

Every station in town is your best station to watch and listen about the Phillies. Where were these bandwagon jumpers when the Mets were in first place?

The Septa buses are flashing electronic GO PHILLIES messages in the front end message boxes.

It is a great time, in a great city, with the best fans. And it is fascinating how a team can bring such an exciting , entertaining, and all-encompassing feeling to people in three states, who want to taste what the thrill of victory tastes like.

There are two fall classics – The World Series. And the election. First we’ll win the series. Then, we’ll decide who gets to run the country.

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Those of us in the news biz complain of slow news days, as if it’s a real grind. In this town , we are complaining no more.

FIRST, THE PHILLIES. It is so great to see the community so united, and so immersed in the success of the Phillies, which comes along with great drama and enough prime time thrills to keep you from sleeping. This is a team, not just a team of destiny, but a team that resembles some of the best in the history of baseball. But there is one aspect of the team’s success that has gone mostly unnoticed by the sports writers of the town. For years, from last place to first place, the FANS OF PHILADELPHIA have supported this team, from the forties to the next century, and on to the good years and lean years. Baseball players, more than most athletes, are affected by the crowd, by the roar, by the boos, by the standards set by the fans. In this case, the fans of this area settle for nothing less than the best. It is that standard that motivates the players to reach the higher goals. Financially, through ticket sales and broadcast revenues, the Phillies have become such a strong franchise that the debt of LOYALTY has been paid back. For that, the players and management should be swelling with pride.

There is a tenth player out in that stadium – the fans who pay the way, dedicate themselves to the best, boo on bad days, cheer on the best days, and provide the foundation for the greatest sports town in America. We have ALL-STAR fans. And that’s why we deserve the moment that weare in right now

On to the World Series of Politics: In Pundit-ville, no one noticed two amazing pieces of commentary in the debate. John McCain suggested providing tax breaks for people who join health clubs. Can you imagine how that one move could save so many million in health care? Maybe Joe The Plumber would like that break. And Barack Obama again brought up the concept of community service in return for higher education. It is amazing to me how so many great ideas get buried in the refuse of stupidly negative politics.

There’s also too much doom and gloom in the coverage of the big money crisis. No question: This is a very severe economic meltdown. But it’s also important to look at the possibilities: Lower mortgage rates, an infusion of loans to help first time homebuyers, a break on inflation (perhaps), and a mandate to make sure it never happens again. It could get worse, but the nation cries out for inspirational leadership in a time of crisis. The fact that the Treasury Secretary says he won’t stay on past the end of his term, even in a time of severe crisis, is a disgrace. Henry Paulson is the same man who rejected teh concept of buying bank shares, only to embrace it after his European counterparts starting doing it.

I would hope the next President selects a Treasury Boss who has some conviction.

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