Philly Chit Chat

Yesterday I was in NYC for Broadway Cares Flea Market www.confessionsofapaparazzi.com

Dear Loyal Customer:

Robin’s Book Store will be closing the 1837 Chestnut St. store and moving operations to the second floor of our main store at 13th & Sansom Streets.
While it saddens me to be closing after 32 years, this is not a retreat. Our purpose is to consolidate, improve and expand our services and to remain a successful independent bookstore for many years to come.
……..
Week of Sept. 17th – 80% off list price (50% off sale prices)
Doors will close for good September 28, 2007

Paul Hogan
Manager
Robin’s Book Store

ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio stopped by Borders after the Eagles embarrasing loss on Monday night. Although the conversation was interesting, I would have like to heard what he thought had he known about the HBO interview McNabb did a few weeks back where he said Black Quarterbackers get treated worse than white ones. Well I say anyone that makes $5 million+ bucks a year is doing half bad for themselves and should just suck it up and take some responsibility for playing a lousy game.

Paolantonio said in the Q&A part of the signing, that if he had to rewrite the book he would take Javon Kearse out of the book and replace him with Donovan McNabb because of his injuries and drama that surrounds him (hmm I wonder if he had read the day’s paper?)On the MSNBC message board someone wrote: Last 2 number 1 quarterbacks picked? Last 2 Heisman trophy winners? Need I say anymore?
I’ve actually seen more white quarterbacks get harassed incessantly by the media for not winning. Manning up until last year. Grossman and Carr are 2 more extreme examples. People still think Bledsoe sucks, etc etc. McNabb is a crybaby.

According to a Q&A in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 9/6/07: Matt (DC): Donovan McNabb ranks high on my underrated list. He’s the best QB in franchise history, a class act in every sense, and yet he’s constantly embroiled in controversies and criticisms. The only legitimate knocks on him are injuries (out of his control) and an inability to win “the big one” (but as we saw last year with Manning, that can change at any time). I’m worried that if Philly fans don’t start giving McNabb the appreciation and respect he deserves, we’re gonna run him out of town. And no matter how Kevin Kolb looks in the preseason, McNabb gives us the best chance to win it all, both this year, next year, and beyond.SalPal: I have no personal beef with No. 5 at all. I have nothing but positive things to say about his astounding rehab and performance this preseason and training camp. However, and this is something I have said before, I think it’s an evaluation year for McNabb. He must a) stay on the field all 16 games, and b) perform at a high level, or the Eagles are going to have to make a financial decision in 2008 about his future in Philly. And if McNabb does well enough to deserve a restructured deal — remember they already talked about one and never got far — then he’s going to want more money and will they give it to him? Those are big, big questions nobody has the answers to, not McNabb, not Lurie and Banner.
And this from the Windy City Gridiron: Firstly, [Donovan McNabb] compares what is said about him compared to Payton Manning and Carson Palmer. You cannot compare yourself to the top 2% of QB regardless of color if you are not in the top 2%. You are not Manning, Palmer or Brady, so get that out of your head. Besides didn’t Manning take a lot about not being clutch until he won the big game?
Secondly, I am going to rattle a few names off here and tell me when I hit somebody who has not been criticized more or the same as McNabb. Chad Pennington, Jeff Garcia, Jon Kitna, Drew Bledsoe, Chris Simms, Kyle Boller, David Carr, Damon Huard, J.P. Loseman and wait…there was one other guy I meant to mention…OH YEAH….Rex Grossman. Grossman only went to the Super Bowl last year and has heard it from game 6 on, even in a three game stretch toward the end of the season where he had at most 1 INT, he still took it on the chin.
I am not naive enough to say that race is never an issue in things like this, but I am not ignorant enough to blindly accept race as the reason for everything. Maybe they criticize you because like last night you were missing receivers by 15 yards.

As I was looking out the office window at the car fire in Center City today
I noticed the boys have finally started with the scafolding on William Penn. Hopefully I will be dilegent and follow along each day with a photograph of the progress
In the evening I had dinner at a friends and watch a magnificent sunset

The Comcast Building is soaring above Liberty One! From Rt 676 and the Ben Franklin Bridge (Nikon D80)

The strike by the carpet baggers, er I mean union, is finally over. My source says that the scaffolding of William Penn should begin by September 20, exactly one month after he was closed. At $5 a head, 20 people an hour, six hours of 20 elevator rides to the observation tower, it adds up to some much needed money for the Tour Office about $2400 a month (& it’s really not about the money, as much as enjoying the view from the City’s only observation tower). If the tour office had their way, they would have opened the observation tower up as soon as possible, but because the elevator is part of “City Property” guess what department couldn’t wrap their head around the idea of opening the tower until the strike was over. I know when Michael Nutter gets into office, “business as usual” will be put to a stop, and the folks that have an ax to grind will no longer be in charge, because when self interest is in charge, it’s the people of Philadelphia and her visitors that pay the price.
The City says the project should be done by November.

The original story I broke on 8/8/07: http://www.phillychitchat.com/would-we-even-recognize-philadelphia/

The story about the strike that occurred on 8/20/07:

http://www.phillychitchat.com/william-penn-is-not-getting-wax-job-yet_30/

HUGHE DILLON

Looks like he made it – for dinner. Barry Manilow, with sidekicks, arrives at the Saloon in South Philadelphia. Manilow was welcomed Friday in a room whose patrons included mayoral candidate Michael Nutter, Q102’s Diego Ramos, lawyer Jimmy Binns, auto magnate Frank Kerbeck, and nightclub owner Larry Cohen. Last night, Manilow played at the Wachovia Center.

HughE Dillon (*I took this on the red carpet at Fashion Rocks)
Tyra Banks rewarded a rabid fan with autographs last Wednesday while she was in town.