I was riding home on the Broad Street Line recently and realized I was one of the only people in the car who wasn't in costume. It wasn't Halloween; it was a Phillies game, and almost everyone was faithfully decked out. I guess I'm what we call a bandwagoner -- the arts max out my schedule, and I rarely pay attention to any sports season, but living in South Philly, it's impossible to ignore (when the wind is right, I can hear the stadium from my stoop). Last week I went to bed before the World Series opener was over, because I knew that if the Phillies won, the neighborhood would wake me up (it did).
Watching the second World Series game, I especially enjoyed the sartorial flourishes: the gleaming, half-visible chain necklace lying neatly buttoned into the top of a pitcher's jersey; the flash of gold-soled cleats sliding for the base on the instant replay; the fans festooned in red or orange.
It's all costuming, and we're all wearing one, whether it's for a game or a workplace or simply our gender. Sports are just another human spectacle best enjoyed communally, and if we love performances and movies, it's no wonder we love a good ballgame, too.
Oops, before you go! It's the last time we can remind you in this space to make a plan to vote this Tuesday, November 8.
Alaina Johns
BSR editor-in-chief
