I love that it's not New York or Los Angeles or Chicago. And I love those cities too. I love cities. I love the idea of cities. I love how they were born and what keeps them alive. I love the competition to be the best city a city can be in the eyes ofthe world. I love how every city is insecure and defensive about its perceived faults. I love how cities trumpantly tout their greatness And I love how Philadelphia tells the world to go fuck itself.

Forgive me, but there's really no other way to put it. Philadelphia is the city of the big fuck you. It's more than sports. It's more than politics. It's more than common sense. We are who we are. And if you don't get it, well, welcome to Philadelphia. The city that loves you back.

Where in God's name did they come up with THAT slogan? The city that loves you back. Never use a tourist slogan that sounds like a body hitting the floor.

Philadelphia, the city that's got your back.

What I love about Philadelphia is not its moxie nor its magnificence as much as the grace in which both are revealed. Philadelphia is so real it breaks my heart. By that I mean. . .everything. When I was younger I used to worry about Philadelphia. I wondered if the assholes would win. I wondered if Philadelphia really was as bad as Philadelphians said it was. Back in the day "Philadelphia isn't as bad as Philadelphians say it is." struck the perfect chord in a city too proud to chime.

Ashamed of our shame, we became parody of what we mocked -- confident self deprication. Bust my balls. I'll bust yours back. I walked into a black bar in south Philadelphia last Friday night, and by a black bar I mean a place where everyone who is, and who is likely to walk into the place, is black. And I kicked ass. I held the pool table for more than an hour. I won't say I was magnificent or lucky, but I will say I was effective. I became a legend in that bar. The White Dude who could. Everyone wanted to beat me. Everyone wanted to see me win until he could beat me. As God as my witness, I did lose one game that night before walking out the door and going "Ya-Hoo"

Good to be me. Good to be you. Good to be Philadelphia with us in it.

Now go fuck yourself. You know why? Because I love you Back.