CONGRATULATIONS Philadelphia Union for making the Playoffs

In just their 2nd year in the league, the Philadelphia Union are going to the playoffs. I believe it has everything to do with playing an entire season at Chester's PPL Park since last year the stadium was still under construction for the first few home games. 


In this Saturday's Philadelphia Daily News Sports WEEK (a great new format and must read for any local sports fan) there were a few comments from their writer Stephanie Farr in an article entitled 'Soccer? Really?' that I found interesting and amusing. 

It’s fans like these that make the schlep to a Union game at PPL Park in Chester worth the effort, even if you’re a fairweather fan like me who doesn’t know the finer points of the game. To be honest, I don’t know the blunter points of the game — apparently a tie can be a satisfying outcome in soccer — and I still had a fun time watching the Union play the LA Galaxy . . . to a 1-1 tie.

The 18,500-seat stadium is breathtaking — both in its shiny newness and in its complete separation from the distressed city where it’s situated. Having covered dozens of murders on Chester’s streets, I didn’t feel like I was in that city at all while at the game. I felt like I was in a bio-dome, waiting for Pauly Shore to show up.

PPL Park often sells out, but at press time there were still cheapish seats ($ 40-plus) on StubHub for today’s 4 p.m. 

Trying to park at PPL and, more importantly, trying to get out, can be extreme exercises in patience and bladder control. I finally ditched the proper way and followed some other bandits out a back exit. Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz said the team is working to cut down exit times to no more than half an hour after the final whistle.