Thursday, December 29, 2011

Year End 2011, Bring on 2012

2011 was a season of high expectations  that ended that were not realized in three of the four major Philadelphia pro-sports (the Sixers may have actually exceed expectation in making the playoffs and extending the despised Heat to 5 games). The Phillies certainly built a team that appeared more than capable of winning the World Series, they just ran into the improbable, and very entertaining run of the St. Louis Cardinals (you have no idea how much it galls me to say that, for me, the Cardinals are the Dallas Cowboys of baseball), a run that highlighted why I believe baseball is the best of all sports, and why I believe that sports has so much to teach, that you never quit, no matter the odds, you play until it is over. In Baseball, you can never run out of time, you play until you win or lose. Are the Phillies still poised for success in 2012? Yes, but the window is rapidly closing for this talented but aging team.  The Flyers also lost to the eventual champions, but their shortcomings were exposed and they essentially blew up the team and started over with talented, and so far at least, hungry youth. Will it pan out?  We’ll see, but indications are they’ll be in the mix.  The Dream team, built like a fantasy football team, disappointed early before making a late run to respectability that was too little, too late. What about next year? Do we give Andy Reid and his plans one more chance?  I say yes, this team has holes, certainly, but a lot of talent. The window is still too far open to blow it up and start again. If they falter again next year, that may be the time for major change. Any way you look at it, 2012 has the chance to be very special, either for fulfilling promise or spectacularly dashing our hopes once again.

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