For Christmas, I got an awesome puck from my buddy Loosetoon from Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. A very nice, thoughtful, and meaningful gift.
I have a small collection of hockey pucks, but most of them are from events or games I have gone to or worked at. So it was shocking to say the least when I saw the puck, but I immediately fell in love with it because of my love for the Winter Classic. And the "excuse" to eat junk food.
But the question I always have to ask myself is "Should I root for someone? If so, then who?" I imagine many people have a similar problem.
We have to compare the New York Rangers to the Philadelphia Flyers to see who one should pull for if they don't have a particular reason to be pulling for either city to begin with. But anyone can look at goals or save percentages, powerplay numbers and points in the standings. That is kinda boring. I thought it might be more fun to look at some things most people probably won't consider when trying to choose a team.
1. Founded
Rangers: 1926
Flyers: 1967
When did they join the NHL? The Rangers are an Original Six team whereas the Flyers joined as an expansion in 1967. You have to go with an original here.
Advantage: New York Rangers
2. Stanley Cup Championships
Rangers: 4 - 1928, 1933, 1940, 1994
Flyers: 2 - 1974, 1975
It would be easy to say the one with the most is the clear victor, but that might be too simple. The Flyers were the first expansion team to win the Cup beyond the Original Six. But who could forget perhaps the most famous Stanley Cup victory of all time with Messier and the 1994 victory? I say it comes does to whichever team won the most since they have both been competing for it. That is a 2-1 margin.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
3. Division Champsionships
Rangers: 5
Flyers: 16
Perhaps this comparision will make it a little bit more clear which team is consistantly at the top of its game consistantly. Well, one team has been around for a little over 40 years with 16 division victories (about 4 a decade) versus a team that's been around for over 85 years with just 5 division banners (less than one a decade). Clear winner here.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
4. Arena
Rangers: Madison Square Garden
Flyers: Wells Fargo Center
Basically, do you go with the World's Most Famous Arena or another arena that's named for a bank?
Advantage: New York Rangers
5. Team Colors
Flyers: Orange, Black and White
Rangers: Red, White and Blue
One of my favorite things about hockey: the look of it. The logos. The uniforms. This one is pretty tough. You've got the patriotic red, white, and blue on the one hand. It's hard to go against that. But on the other you have the strikingly different orange and black scheme. Orange is so rarely used in the NHL and the Flyers have been using it since the begining. It reminds me of my favorite holiday too, Halloween. If the red, white and blue wasn't so overused, it's probably win out. But as it stands...
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
6. Who'd Win In A Fight?
And by that, I mean which nickname personafied would win in a fight? You have a Ranger versus a Flyer. I think you have to go with the one gifted with flight here. The Ranger might, but it's hard to argue against flying warriors.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
7. Best Goalie
Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist
Flyers: Ilya Bryzgalov
The Swed versus the Russian. Remember, we aren't looking at stats to determine this, so we have look at something else. On the one hand, we have Bryzgalov who contemplates everything about the universe and how "humangeous big" it is. A real philopher. And he has an awesome tiger on his helmet. Then you have Lundqvist with a ho-hum logo. Oh, and he spits on ice girls. If there was a way to deduct points, I would.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
8. Cutest Ice Girls
Flyers
Rangers
No brainer. The Flyers have some really nice ladies on the ice while the Rangers are more traditional (ie boring) with no ice girls. While some might say this is a sign of their true hockey roots, I'd argue that ice girls are becoming more and more a part of the game. New York can get away with the lack of girls (like Montreal), and Philly could too. But just because you don't need them doesn't mean they aren't fun.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
9. Most Notable Public Statue
New York: Statue of Liberty
Philadelphia: William Penn
We all know about Lady Liberty. Gift from France. Beloved symbol of America. She is portrayed in movies, on pieces or art, everywhere. Stamps. But what about the bronze statue of William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania? Should he even be considered? He's been on top of City Hall for some time (before skyscrapers). And it's easy to see that he wasn't designed to be seen from tall buildings...
Advantage: New York Rangers
10. Famous Food
New York: Pizza
Philadelphia: Cheesesteak
So which is better? I eat a couple of slices of New York style pizza every Wednesday and love it. But nothing beats a good cheesesteak (hold the onions). Let me present it another way. Both have bread. Both have cheese. But one has tomato paste and the other has steak.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
11. City Nickname
New York: "Big Apple"
Philadelphia" "Brotherly Love"
Do we go a little sappy on this one? I think so. Sappy (like syrup) or fruit (healthy, not as good tasting). Syrup-y.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
12. Sister Cities
New York: Tokyo, Beijing, Cairo, Madrid, Budapest, Jerusalm, Rome, many more...
Philadelphia: Tel Aviv, Florence, some others I've never heard of...
No brainer. For every city Philly can call a sister, New York has the more attractive sister from that country.
Advantage: New York Rangers
13. Oddest Fictious Paranomial Experience
New York: Gozer the Gozerian - terror dogs not pictured
Philadelphia: Philadelphia Mass Turbulence of 1947 - with book stacking similar to that pictured here.
Advantage: New York Rangers
14. Oddest Real NHL Experience
Rangers: Fight in Stands at MSG in 1979
Flyers: Fog Game of 1975
This is a tough call. We have one event happening at the Rangers arena, though the Rangers really didn't instigate it nor did they participate. The Flyers actually took part in their odd game, and it was an odd game that lasted for the duration. Players actually had to skate around between whistles to try and lift the fog. While the MSG Bruin fight was bad, the length and oddity which the Flyers participated in gives them a slight edge in oddity.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
15. Best Song
Rangers: Rangers Victory Song
Flyers: God Bless America
Here's another tough one. The Victory Song is specifically for the Rangers. It was written in 1940 by J. Fred Coots, a nationally-known songwriter who authored more than 700 songs. His most famous works included "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "Love Letters in the Sand." The song is played after each New York victory giving it a long history. However, the song God Bless America holds significant meaning for the Flyers because it is played BEFORE the game as a way to help motivate the team. And it works. The recording debuted in 1969 and was done by Kate Smith. It is a tradition carried on today, but only for important games. The Flyers have a record of 89–25–4 when God Bless America is sung prior to Flyers home games.
Like I said: a tough call. A victory song specific for a team or a non-victory song used to motivate. I think I have to go with the song that motivates and is not just used to cap a victory.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
16. Famous City Street
Philadelphia: Broad Street
New York: Broadway
Some art and orange subway cars can't compare to perhaps the most famous street in America. I have to give the tip to the haven of theatre (which I am a fan).
Advantage: New York Rangers
17. NFL Team
Philadelphia: Eagles
New York: None (technically, the New York Jets and New York Giants both play in New Jersey)
Yeah, you'd think that the advantage would be to Philly since New York doesn't really have a team, but putting your NFL franchise tag on Michael Vick puts you low on my list. Yes, he paid his time. Yes, I believe in second chances. But the dogfighting was not the first thing on the list. A car under his name was busted for having pot in it. Not just a little pot, but enough that the driver was charged with distributing. Vick gave Sonya Elliot an STD, and didn't tell her even though he knew he had it because he was getting treatment for it under the name "Ron Mexico". He flicked off fans and he was caught by airport security not once, but TWICE doing something he shouldn't have. Once stealing from a TSA agent, the other for having a bottle with a secret compartment. His past use of steroids has also been mentioned as recently as 2010. So while New York is automatically disqualified for not having a team actually play in the city; Philly is also disqualified for making Michael Vick their poster child.
Advantage: None
18. MLB Team Mascot
New York: Mr. Met (Yankees do not have a mascot)
Philadelphia: Phillie Phanatic
Tough call here. Mr. Met is older than the Phanatic. Mr. Met debuted in 1962 but took a 20 year break starting in the mid 70's until being resurrected by Lois Kaufmann of Queens, New York and Nickelodeon. He's appeared in a lot commercials and is featured in signage and on team logos. He was also elected to the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2007. He's been copied many times (Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves), and is the original MLB mascot.
But the Phanatic is arguably the greatest mascot in all of sports, not just MLB. At least that's what Forbes Magazine said in 2008. He was part of the inaugural class in the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2005 (along with the San Diego Chicken and Phoenix Suns Gorilla). He revolutionized the mascot position. He's also been sued more than any other mascot. And he is one of three mascots at the National Baseball Hall of Fame (along with the Chicken and Youppi! - current mascot of the Montreal Canadiens).
One has to go with the best, not simply the first.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
19. Violent Crime Rate (per 100,000 people)
New York: 580.3
Philadelphia: 1475
Hockey Cop has to look at cop-ish things I suppose. New York City has a really bad reputation for such a violent crime rate, but the truth is that they have been going down and down on violent crime since 2005. Philadelphia: holding somewhat steady.
Advantage: New York Rangers
20. State Nickname
New York: Empire State
Pennsylvania: Quaker State
Gotta go with the state that conjures up images of Darth Vader, Stormtroopers, and Tie Fighters. Not a big fan of oatmeal or changing motor oil.
Advantage: New York Rangers
21. State Animal
New York: Beaver
Pennsylvania: White Tailed Deer
Beavers are funny. Funny looking. Funny in jokes. They are kinda Canadian. Deer are the things I try to avoid while driving at night, make me cry when "Man" enters the forest, and who's mounted head I've grown to associate with unintelligent rednecks.
Advantage: New York Rangers
22. State Insect
New York: Ladybug
Pennsylvania: Firefly
Shiny!
I'm a Browncoat (a noob-Browncoat, but a Browncoat nonetheless), so you can tell who is going to win here. Plus, I hate ladybugs. Hand to God, one of my biggest fears in life is ladybugs. I have a very uneasy, unrealistic phoebia about them. I'm not keen on spiders or snakes either or heights or onions, but to a far lesser degree than ladybugs. Seriously, I almost didn't put a picture of that scary creature, but figured I had to if I wanted to include a picture of the Firefly cast (including the very attractive Jewel Staite). But forgetting my pre-disposition, you have a bug that lights up versus one with spots.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
23. State Beverage
New York: Milk
Pennsylvania: Milk
Seriously? They both have the same drink as a state beverage? The stuff that makes my Golden Grahams soggy and is inexplicably drunk after victoriously driving 500 miles in Indy? The stuff that helps me grow up big and strong and is somehow involved in making one of life's greatest things, cheese? (The other would be bacon.)
Advantage: None
24. State Cookies & Toys
New York: None and None
Pennsylvania: Chocolate Chip and Slinky
Okay, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies and Slinkys are kinda boring in today's modern age, but at least one state has a treat to go with the state beverage. And a Slinky for stair-related fun.
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
25. Is Sean Avery On The Team Depth Chart?
Philadelphia: No
New York: Yes
Advantage: Philadelphia Flyers
So, let's total things up here.
New York Rangers: 10
Philadelphia Flyers: 13
I guess I'll be rooting for the Flyers.
PS: I have decided that I will continue doing entries like this on Hockey Cop (fun, not totally related to hockey rules) from time to time as long as they have a strong foundation in hockey. But totally off topics will go on Empire Sports Blog.
