Twix
Starter
http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/12474345p-13330212c.html
Wowed but not cowed
Philly is excited to get Webber - but he still has to prove himself.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 27, 2005
PHILADELPHIA - There was a decided Chris Webber buzz in the city that once booed Santa. The Webber candor, the megawatt smile, the athletic skills: It all belongs to Philadelphia now.
But the buzz can be spelled this way: EXPECTATIONS.
And if Webber should fail?
"Then we'll boo his (butt) right back to Sacramento," said Richard Mahew, 49, a Philadelphia 76ers season ticket holder for 24 seasons. "I'm dead serious, man. We'll give him a three-week pass first, see what he can do."
against the Kings. With Sacramento up by two and Webber's new teammate Allen Iverson at the line shooting his second free-throw attempt, Webber rushed in to grab the basketball on the missed shot. Then his putback attempt hit the front of the rim.
Kings win 101-99.
No one booed on this night. There was just a chorus of groans.
Webber's arrival via trade from the Kings has made the 76ers big news again. And the spotlight was on this surreal encounter - it's rare that traded superstars face their former teams right off the bat.
But it wasn't just the eyes of the sporting nation trained on the matchup. Philadelphia was especially excited.
Andre Cooper and three hearty pals were a picture of frozen pregame anticipation. They stood outside the Wachovia Center, hopping on cold feet, hands stuffed into their pockets, teeth chattering, trying to stave off the arctic chill that dumped snow on the city and seemingly brought in a gust of new hope in Webber.
"Tell Sac thanks for giving us the piece to win the championship," said Cooper, a 42-year-old warehouseman. "I mean, Wow!"
Indeed, fans by the hundreds braved the elements, clamoring for tickets and good seats.
This was Philadelphia's first sellout of the season. Within hours of the trade Wednesday that dramatically altered both teams' rosters - six players were traded - some 6,500 tickets were sold.
The City of Brotherly Love suddenly had a new family member to embrace. But in Philly, there is a clause in this affection deal. This is, after all, the same city that in 1968 booed Santa Claus at halftime of a football game in the same Veterans Stadium that used to house a courthouse and judge to issue sentences for fans' boorish behavior.
Sixers fans have thirsted for a championship for 22 long, hard winters now. The Eagles fell in the Super Bowl; the Phillies haven't won a World Series since 1980; and the Flyers last hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1975.
Now Philadelphia fans are hitching their hopes to the back of Webber's No. 4. And from the start Saturday, they adored his game, offering a rousing ovation and cheers when he was introduced.
Webber peered into the stands and smiled when he saw signs with his name and number. One sign even read, "Webber, please marry me!"
But some wonder how long that will last.
Corliss Williamson, who came to the Kings in the same trade, learned a thing or two about the paying customer this season. They can turn on you, he said, with the next turnover.
"These people," Williamson said, smiling, "they'll do you like that. Roughest crowd in the NBA. They expect the world from Webb."
Jim Kozimor is a radio-TV personality in Sacramento who spent two years in Philadelphia.
"They love him now, and they'll hate him if the Sixers don't get to Round 2 of the playoffs," Kozimor said. "This is a cranky town."
Webber is sensitive to criticism - he was hurt and angered when booed by Kings fans last season - making for one intriguing new marriage.
The Philadelphia media aren't an entirely jovial group either. One of the largest media markets in the country, it can become a virtual piranha tank.
Before Saturday's game, Webber met reporters there for the first time. He was in good spirits, charming, his smile and ambition lighting up the room. He thanked the Philadelphia fans in advance - the city, the organization, everyone - for the chance to co-lead the Sixers with established star Iverson.
"I hope Sacramento didn't give us a bad knee," said Cindy Wallace, a 31-year-old mother of two. "We don't need no damaged goods."
Webber in his media session didn't look back on his Sacramento era, apparently preferring to look at what lies ahead.
But his legacy is secure: The Kings with Webber went from doormat to sudden entertainment value to NBA championship contender to a team this season that has started to settle into the middle of the Western Conference pack.
But in one wild Wednesday evening, when the 76ers pulled off the biggest trade of the season, Kings players and that ever-loyal fan base got a real crash course in the business of pro sports.So Webber is old news for Sacramento and everyday news for Philadelphia.
"If C-Webb can come in and do what he's supposed to do, we're all going to heaven," said Joseph Barnes, 62, a retired teacher. "And I really want to go to heaven."
Wowed but not cowed
Philly is excited to get Webber - but he still has to prove himself.
By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PST Sunday, February 27, 2005
PHILADELPHIA - There was a decided Chris Webber buzz in the city that once booed Santa. The Webber candor, the megawatt smile, the athletic skills: It all belongs to Philadelphia now.
But the buzz can be spelled this way: EXPECTATIONS.
And if Webber should fail?
"Then we'll boo his (butt) right back to Sacramento," said Richard Mahew, 49, a Philadelphia 76ers season ticket holder for 24 seasons. "I'm dead serious, man. We'll give him a three-week pass first, see what he can do."
against the Kings. With Sacramento up by two and Webber's new teammate Allen Iverson at the line shooting his second free-throw attempt, Webber rushed in to grab the basketball on the missed shot. Then his putback attempt hit the front of the rim.
Kings win 101-99.
No one booed on this night. There was just a chorus of groans.
Webber's arrival via trade from the Kings has made the 76ers big news again. And the spotlight was on this surreal encounter - it's rare that traded superstars face their former teams right off the bat.
But it wasn't just the eyes of the sporting nation trained on the matchup. Philadelphia was especially excited.
Andre Cooper and three hearty pals were a picture of frozen pregame anticipation. They stood outside the Wachovia Center, hopping on cold feet, hands stuffed into their pockets, teeth chattering, trying to stave off the arctic chill that dumped snow on the city and seemingly brought in a gust of new hope in Webber.
"Tell Sac thanks for giving us the piece to win the championship," said Cooper, a 42-year-old warehouseman. "I mean, Wow!"
Indeed, fans by the hundreds braved the elements, clamoring for tickets and good seats.
This was Philadelphia's first sellout of the season. Within hours of the trade Wednesday that dramatically altered both teams' rosters - six players were traded - some 6,500 tickets were sold.
The City of Brotherly Love suddenly had a new family member to embrace. But in Philly, there is a clause in this affection deal. This is, after all, the same city that in 1968 booed Santa Claus at halftime of a football game in the same Veterans Stadium that used to house a courthouse and judge to issue sentences for fans' boorish behavior.
Sixers fans have thirsted for a championship for 22 long, hard winters now. The Eagles fell in the Super Bowl; the Phillies haven't won a World Series since 1980; and the Flyers last hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1975.
Now Philadelphia fans are hitching their hopes to the back of Webber's No. 4. And from the start Saturday, they adored his game, offering a rousing ovation and cheers when he was introduced.
Webber peered into the stands and smiled when he saw signs with his name and number. One sign even read, "Webber, please marry me!"
But some wonder how long that will last.
Corliss Williamson, who came to the Kings in the same trade, learned a thing or two about the paying customer this season. They can turn on you, he said, with the next turnover.
"These people," Williamson said, smiling, "they'll do you like that. Roughest crowd in the NBA. They expect the world from Webb."
Jim Kozimor is a radio-TV personality in Sacramento who spent two years in Philadelphia.
"They love him now, and they'll hate him if the Sixers don't get to Round 2 of the playoffs," Kozimor said. "This is a cranky town."
Webber is sensitive to criticism - he was hurt and angered when booed by Kings fans last season - making for one intriguing new marriage.
The Philadelphia media aren't an entirely jovial group either. One of the largest media markets in the country, it can become a virtual piranha tank.
Before Saturday's game, Webber met reporters there for the first time. He was in good spirits, charming, his smile and ambition lighting up the room. He thanked the Philadelphia fans in advance - the city, the organization, everyone - for the chance to co-lead the Sixers with established star Iverson.
"I hope Sacramento didn't give us a bad knee," said Cindy Wallace, a 31-year-old mother of two. "We don't need no damaged goods."
Webber in his media session didn't look back on his Sacramento era, apparently preferring to look at what lies ahead.
But his legacy is secure: The Kings with Webber went from doormat to sudden entertainment value to NBA championship contender to a team this season that has started to settle into the middle of the Western Conference pack.
But in one wild Wednesday evening, when the 76ers pulled off the biggest trade of the season, Kings players and that ever-loyal fan base got a real crash course in the business of pro sports.So Webber is old news for Sacramento and everyday news for Philadelphia.
"If C-Webb can come in and do what he's supposed to do, we're all going to heaven," said Joseph Barnes, 62, a retired teacher. "And I really want to go to heaven."
