First of all, the Santa Claus incident happened in 1968. We can let it go. Besides, it had more to do with the quality of Santa (A last minute stand-in who appeared to be drunk and egged the fans on) than anything else. The Santa, Frank Olivo, thought it was a joke. The fans thought it was a joke. The only person who didn't see it that way was Howard Cosell, and a fleeting moment of levity became the foundation of a tumultuous and sometimes brutal reputation, thanks to ABC.


But you know what people don't talk about? It was the last game of a miserable season, where the Eagles went 2-12, it was 22 degrees with 30 mph winds and 15 hours of snow the day before. The game was meaningless, miserable, and to be honest, nobody would have cared if they'd ended it at halftime. And still, 54,000 fans showed up. That's this city.


Philadelphia loves winners. But we don't hate losers, not really. Richie Ashburn's name is spoken with reverence usually reserved for martyred saints. We'd have voted Brian Dawkins in with a landslide if he'd run for mayor. We take Allen Iverson back like an abused ex-girlfriend who thinks she can change him. No, we don't hate you if you don't win (example: Rocky was way better than Rocky II). We hate you if you don't care. We want you to live and die and celebrate and suffer with your team as much as we do, and if you don't, we let you know how we feel about it.


That's why some players hate playing here. We expect you to fulfill your potential. Do so, and you're a shining golden god. Just ask Chase Utley, Julius Erving, or Bobby Clarke (playing version, not the GM). You don't, and you can expect the same treatment given to Scott Rolen or Eric Lindros.


And when it comes to our treatment of opposing fans, I'd assert that it's largely overblown. Sure, there have been unfortunate incidents, and if you come to an Eagle's game in the other team's gear, you're either very, very stupid, or very, very big. But go to Lambeau Field in a Bears jersey or Fenway Park in a Yankees hat and see if anything different happens. And of course we hate New Yorkers, who seem to think that numerical advantage confers some sort enlightened status that the rest of the country should be in reverent awe of.


If Piotr Nowak lives up to his reputation, his team should have no problem endearing themselves to the Philadelphia faithful. Fans aren't stupid. We know the troubles most expansion teams have. And Philadelphia soccer fans have waited so long just to have a team, they're not going to lose patience with the whole club over a couple of routine growing pains. Nowak has already shown himself to be decisive with players who aren't good enough. After a performance bordering on the pathetic in his first game, defender David Myrie was tossed like last week's leftover tuna casserole. After being sent off in the same game, midfielder Toni Stahl was sent to Harrisburg, to play with the USL-2 City Islanders. Nowak's laying down the law, and his approach, given time, should win plenty of admirers amongst Philly fans.


Philadelphia is a passionate sports town, but there are plenty of cities who care deeply about their teams. However, you take an anecdote like the infamous Santa story, add in a national media based in the market where most of our main rivals come from, and top it off with a healthy dose of Philly fans liking the bad boy reputation, and you've got the makings of plenty of good stories, truth be damned.

I was one of the forty or so brave and loyal souls (read: obsessive nutters) who made the almost 500 mile trek from Philadelphia to Greensboro, North Carolina for the Philadelphia Union's first game in front of fans, against the UNC Tar Heels, who made last year's NCAA final four. Here are some of my impressions, observations, and predictions about the trip and the Union:

• People below the Mason/Dixon Line can't handle their snow, but the firearm maintenance tips and romantic comedy reviews on the local news more than made up for it.
  
• Carolina Dynamo must have the nicest stadium in PDL.
  
• The Union started slow, but after ten minutes, it was pretty apparent which team was getting paid and had been in intensive training camp for two weeks, and which team had been studying for mid-terms on a diet of pizza and Natty Light.
  
• Piotr Nowak is laying down the law, and imprinting his ethos on the team. Rumors reached us of hard practices and strict curfews, and the Union players were not given real Union jerseys, shirt numbers, or their names on their backs, instead playing in blank practice gear. The goalkeepers wore orange mesh tops over their training tops. It seems like every player is having to earn his place.
• Sebastian Le Toux is one man who shouldn't have to worry about his spot. Already known for his work-rate, his first half hat-trick will have done no harm to his bid for a starting spot. (See his penalty goal here)
  
• Speaking of starting spots, neither Brad Knighton nor Chris Seitz did anything to make Piotr Nowak's job easier. Not that either keeper was really troubled, but both were tidy and composed when called upon. Hope Brian Perk likes his clipboard.
• I will be very surprised if Danny Califf isn't wearing an armband in Seattle. He lined up as captain, and was impressive throughout, reading play and shutting down attacks before they got going.
  
• Toni Stahl was the most impressive of the Draft picks, playing in defense and being about as penetrable as the Korean DMZ. Easily the most MLS-ready rookie.
  
• Amobi Okugo showed plenty of energy and willingness to go after the ball, but he needs to work on his decision making and first touch. Too many times, he gave away the ball in situations which better (professional) teams might have turned into scoring chances. But his attitude and work-rate must be praised.
  
• Danny Mwanga's left foot could have had cobwebs, it was used so sparingly. Despite his lethargy, he nearly redeemed himself with a shot from outside the box which only just went over the bar. He's got plenty of talent, and if Nowak can get more out of him, he could have a real impact from the bench this season and in as a starter the future.
  
• Jack McInerny is a player. Full of energy, constantly on the attack and willing to run with the ball, the Union's youngest player bagged the most spectacular goal of the match, catching the keeper off his line from midfield. But even without the goal, Jackie Mac was impressive, and with time and experience, he could become a force to be reckoned with. (McInerny almost scores on a breakaway here)
  
• The last time I saw Fred live, he was playing in the Open Cup with the DC reserves, getting schooled by a USL-2 defender. That was not the case Saturday. He played with confidence, and generally asserted himself well, picking up an assist on one of Le Toux's goals.
• We should see plenty of Shea Salinas next season. Defenders will see plenty of his heels.
  
• There were plenty of trialists on the Union bench, and considering that their names weren't announced or printed on their shirts, it was difficult to tell who was who, but I can confirm that former Drexel player Dan Zajac and recent Temple grad J.T. Noone, both from Pennsylvania, were there.
• Piotr Nowak is known for grit, determination, and hard work, and all those qualities were present, but there was plenty of possession football and individual flair on display. The purists can breathe easy now.

And finally...

Chant of the night: UNC's a safety school/You couldn't get into Duke.

By most accounts, the Philadelphia Union cleaned up with their first ever MLS SuperDraft. In the first round alone, the expansion side managed to pick up three highly-regarded players in Danny Mwanga (1st overall), Amobi Okugo (6th overall) and Jack McInerney (seventh overall).


Between them, the Philadelphia first rounders have an average age less than eighteen years old. In a draft that saw only four teenagers selected, the Union tapped three of them for their inaugural squad. Coincidence? Or carefully crafted draft strategy?


Despite the "win now" attitude that will pervade thanks both to the Soudners' first year success and the rabid fans that will inhabit Chester Stadium, Piotr Nowak is giving every indication that he's looking towards the future. Although I expect that Mwanga and Okugo could both see solid minutes in 2010, neither will be relied on to lead the team, and McInerney might best be termed a "project", a player with the talent to turn into something special but needs seasoning and coaching to get there.


Philly's first round picks have, respectively, two years of college soccer (Mwanga-Oregon State), one year of college soccer (Okugo-UCLA), and zero years of college soccer (U-17er McInerney). Does that make them inherently more "mold-able" having not been overly exposed to the traditionally physical and direct college game? Does Nowak want players as "unspoiled" as possible?

The MLS SuperDraft is a bit of a crap shoot. Many of the players selected have brief or middling pro careers of no real consequence, no matter where they were chosen in the draft order. Top picks, as with any sport, often flame out or fail to live up to expectations. Because the draft is a mandatory part of putting together a club in Major League Soccer thanks to the lack of an established professional development system, the Union and Nowak made a conscience choice to go after promising players as young as they could get them; short of developing Mwanga, Okugo, and McInerney themselves, the next best thing for the Union is to get them now, while there's still a shot of directing their growth in a positive professional direction.


There's no realistic or allowable way for MLS clubs to "stockpile" talent the way big clubs around the world do. While clubs from England, Spain, Italy, etc. can bring in fresh-faced kids with natural ability and turn them into senior players, top-flight American sides must take what they can get out of the draft. In a way, Nowak and the Union have managed to "stockpile" a group of young, talented players in a uniquely MLS way; the kids in question might not be fourteen, blank slates on which to impress the values of the club and the way they like to play, but they are young by the standards of the league and the soccer culture.


I'm willing to bet that Nowak was unconvinced any player in this year's draft could significantly contribute immediately to his squad, and that bringing in a highly-touted 22 year-old with little beyond a nice college résumé would ultimately be an inefficient use of his early picks. Besides, those players take up roster spots and salary cap space in restriction-laden MLS, meaning that Generation Adidas contracts (which all three first rounds picks have) are preferable. GA player salaries don't hit the cap, and the players are part of the club's Developmental Roster rather than its Senior one. That gives Nowak just that much more flexibility while having control over a phase of his youngsters development that might otherwise happen, or be stagnated, in college.

It's possible that Mwanga, Okugo, and McInerney were just the best players available in the Union staff's minds, and that their young ages are simply a coincidence. But Piotr Nowak, while doing the difficult work of building a new club from scratch, doesn't strike me as the type of coach who would simply happen upon three of the youngest players available with his first round picks.


Danny Mwanga, 18 years old, two seasons of college soccer. Amobi Okugo, 18 years old, one season of college soccer. Jack McInerney, 17 years old, zero seasons of college soccer.


Three raw players, each with big potential and zero to few "wasted years" in college soccer, ready to become pros under the tutelage of Piotr Nowak and the Philadelphia Union staff. Add it all up, and it appears that Philly had a clear draft strategy and executed it to perfection.


Now for the hard part; turning their young starlets into big time soccer players.