True story: It wasn’t until the third or fourth time that the four-ton wrecking ball collided with the brick façade that any noticeable dent was put into the Philadelphia Spectrum last week, when they finally did what generations of angry Rangers fans gladly would have for free — begun the process of tearing the old dump down.
Then, for a time, there was simply this: a hole in the wall.
And even for New Yorkers whose DNA demands they hate Philadelphia, who remember all the vile, unspeakable things the Broad Street Bullies used to get away with back in the day within those sturdy old-school walls . . . well, it’s understandable if you felt something different than you thought you might feel.
There’s a reason why Joe Raposo wrote that old song, why Frank Sinatra sang it, why it’s impossible not to get a lump in your throat when you hear “There Used to be a Ballpark” on an elevator somewhere, or in a restaurant, when you hear these haunting words above all others:
And the sky has gotten cloudy . . .
When it used to be so clear
And the summer went so quickly this year . . .
It was David Wells, back in the 2003 playoffs, who summarized what so many Yankees fans have said across the years with their tongues, even if it’s unlikely they really feel that way with their hearts, talking about Fenway Park: “When they tear this place down,” Boomer said, “I hope they let me push the button.”
It’s a lie, of course. Though it seems Fenway will be with us for many more years to come, there will come a day when it really does at last outlive its usefulness, when someone really will have to take a wrecking ball and reduce it to dust, and I really believe Yankees fans will mourn that day.
Hey, there are plenty of Red Sox fans who openly will tell you how sad they are whenever they visit The Bronx now and see a wide, empty space of sky where the old Stadium used to be. House of horrors though it may have been through the years for Red Sox fans, it was still a meaningful landmark. And it’s gone.
And losing landmarks hurts, even when they don’t belong to you.
Five decades ago, when out city made the wretched decision to close and demolish the first Pennsylvania Station, the great statesman Daniel Patrick Moynihan called it “the greatest act of civic vandalism in our city’s history.” Now, the demise of a ballpark or an arena probably shouldn’t rate on the same kind of scale as a place as grand as a wonderful train station . . . but, then, why shouldn’t it?
There are Yankees fans I know who still get choked up thinking about the old joint. Hell, there are Mets fans who still get wispy thinking of Shea Stadium. And as for the Meadowlands . . . well, seeing as how the old place was better than the new one (ah, well, another subject for another day) . . .
That’s what I thought of when I saw the wrecking ball try several times to knock down a Spectrum that didn’t go easily to the gallows. It was replaced long ago by the fancier arena across the street, was dwarfed by the football and baseball stadiums there. And still it took three or four death blows before she finally succumbed.
That sounded about right.
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WHACK BACK AT VAC
Bob Kay:
I am a huge Yankees fan and I have always loved Derek Jeter for both his attitude and his performance. But you are worth what someone is willing to pay for you! You can argue in either direction, but that is the simple truth.
Vac
: I honestly thought the Jeter/Yankees story line was going to be a ho-hum yawner, and yet it’s turning into daily drama of the highest order. And I know one group who’s becoming quite fond of that . . .
Bradley Mortensen
: Let’s not forget Mets fans in all this. We are jumping in on either side just to keep it all going. In our winter of poverty, watching the hated Jeter battle with the hated Yankees front office promises great entertainment. Since Captain Ego is 36 even the three years on the table at 15 per is a win for us. This really has been fun so far.
Vac
: There really is something quite delicious about our little baseball inter-borough disagreements, isn’t there?
Louis Bonacker:
When Yogi Berra was asked “What makes a good manager?” Yogi answered, “Good players.” Just about sums up what Terry Collins needs to be successful with the Mets, doesn’t it?
Vac
: To a tee. Though I thought he won his press conference about as convincingly as a press conference can be won.
David Swenton:
What happened to Tom Coughlin’s main area of concern at the beginning of the year? You need good field position to set up your offense and the Giants’ punting game reminds me of the 1985 NFC Championship at Soldier Field when Sean Landeta botched the frozen football. Well, this Matt Dodge is no better. I am not surprised if the fans run this Dodge out of Dodge.
Vac
: But never in recent memory has the mere act of kicking a football inspired more quick shots of Pepto-Bismol, you know?
VAC’S WHACKS
* Anyone who wants the Jets to apologize for being 9-2 right now should be forced to read the Jets’ media guide, page through the “history” section and see some of the interesting records the Jets have had after 11 games through the years.
* Bob Papa is one of the best voices in the whole business of sports broadcasting, and he did a terrific job Thursday night, but isn’t it a little disconcerting to hear him announce a Jets game? Think of John Sterling bellowing, “Thuuuuuuh Metsies win!
* If the Islanders were any more of a minor league operation, they would hold cow-milking contests between periods.
* I don’t think the Knicks are as bad as they looked during their losing streak or as good as they have looked lately, but they give an honest effort every night and the roster is stuffed now with players you genuinely can root for. And Ronny Turiaf (below) might be as much fun to watch as any Knicks player since Starks.