Starting a new website is tough, especially after years of running another one with a markedly different focus. The reasons for starting “The Sound of Philly” are many, and I am sure they will become apparent over time, but I don’t think it’s necessary to list them out. What’s important to note is we love Philadelphia sports and we love music, and we wanted a forum where we could talk about both, not necessarily in equal amounts.
There are a lot of great sites out there that discuss Philly sports inside and out, and go into every detail of every game, so we definitely do not need another one. We’re not going to cover every breaking story, but we’re going to look at our favorite teams (and some of our favorite bands) as fans, seeing how we got there and why we love sports.
I came into sports in the mid ’80s, attending elementary school in Reading, PA. My dad was always a big football fan, but he hated Philadelphia teams. He was a SF Giants fan, but way of my grandfather’s formative years in North Jersey, and a 49ers fan because of Joe Montana. I didn’t pay much attention to baseball until I was 6 or 7, when my best friend introduced me to the greatness of Mike Schmidt.
James would imitate his swing in gym class, and he’d attempt to field like him, but really, who the hell could ever play 3B like him? No one. Once I finally saw the man play for myself (on TV), I was hooked, starting a lifelong love affair with baseball that has had its share of ups and downs, often much more of the latter, but despite all of that, it’s been an enjoyable ride. When Michael Jack retired I was disappointed, although I soon found other players to idolize, like Von Hayes, Mitch Williams, and Cal Ripken, Jr. To this day I still wonder why more ballplayers don’t cry when leaving the game.
