Welcome to the first ever “Harry Kalas, You Are the Man!” This will be a new weekly segment to come out every Sunday or Monday recapping the Philadelphian that made the biggest noise during the previous week’s events. It’s not always going to be the player who puts up the most on the stat sheet either. It could be the guy who does nothing all week, but gives us that one moment that we will remember forever. This happens to be such a case.
I could’ve gone with Simon Gagne who has 3 goals in 3 postseason games as well as the game winning goal tonight at home against the Penguins, or I could’ve even gone with Raul Ibanez who is absolutely tearing it up for the Phils. Unfortunately this week has not been kind to Philadelphia sports, but today the 76ers, Phillies, and Flyers all get some huge wins.
That being said, honorable mention goes to Claude Giroux for his Gordie Howe hat-trick against the Penguins tonight which includes this little moment that won’t soon be forgotten:
While his goal, assist, and fight were huge he didn’t have the best week. In the game 2 overtime he hit a Penguin stick that shattered (they seem to do that a lot lately) and got called for the automatic slash. The resulting 5-3 gave the Pens the win in OT during a game that if it wasn’t for some reffing the Flyers wouldn’t have even been in that situation, but would be up 2-1 in the series. I hold no grudges with Giroux for that incident. It was a total fluke.
Shane Victorino though, this week wasn’t your best week either, but you did it the only way you could. When the city of Philadelphia needed you the most you were right there to bring us into a new era of Philadelphia baseball; an era sadly without legend Harry Kalas. The ball you hit was nearly as beautiful as the point to the booth. You gave us hope in one of our darkest hours.
That’s not all you did though. The Phils were on a 4 game losing skid after Tuesday’s win for Harry, and thanks to Ibanez the slump was broken. You didn’t hit the run yourself, but you were definitely there to officially welcome him to the city of brotherly love:
Shane Victorino, you are the man!
