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Friday, May 11, 2012

Antonen: Papelbon embraces new surroundings

“Philadelphia has a cool feel to it, man,’’ Papelbon says. “It’s a vibe that the city produces. It makes you feel like you are in Paris. I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve seen it in a lot of movies. I think [Philadelphia] is going to be a great place to live.”

First commenter who disagrees with Papelbon’s assessment gets beaten with a baguette.

In his first home appearance, Papelbon gave up a home run to Miami’s Austin Kearns. The ball cleared the leftfield fence and landed in a flower bed. Manuel laughed. “That’s how we welcome our new pitchers to the team,’’ Manuel told Papelbon.
Manuel doesn’t have to worry about his closer’s mindset. “He’s a character, a real character,’’ Manuel says.
Indeed, Papelbon even has an alter ego, the super-competitive Cinco Ocho (Spanish for “58,” his jersey number). “He’s fearless, ruthless, feared and evil, like a tornado going through a trailer park,’’ Papelbon says.

Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: May 11, 2012 at 03:50 PM | 55 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: philadelphia, red sox, relievers

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1. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: May 11, 2012 at 04:28 PM (#4129525)

First commenter who disagrees with Papelbon’s assessment gets beaten with a ~~baguette~~.

cheesesteak

FF

2. God Posted: May 11, 2012 at 04:36 PM (#4129533)

First commenter who disagrees with Papelbon’s assessment gets beaten with a ~~baguette~~.

D-cell battery.

3. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: May 11, 2012 at 04:42 PM (#4129539)

“Philadelphia has a cool feel to it, man,’’ Papelbon says. “It’s a vibe that the city produces. It makes you feel like you are in Paris. I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve seen it in a lot of movies. I think [Philadelphia] is going to be a great place to live.”

Wow. That is, that is just, no words. You can't fake that kind of dumb.

4. Dale Sams Posted: May 11, 2012 at 04:53 PM (#4129548)

I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve seen it in a lot of movies.

I have a hard time believing even this.

Was it "The Young Lions" Paps? "Is Paris Burning"? ...I don't think "Phineas and Ferb: Summer belongs to You" should count.

5. Charlie O Posted: May 11, 2012 at 04:54 PM (#4129549)

The comparison to Paris seems silly but I understand what Papelbon means about it having a cool vibe. I visited Philadelphia (from Oakland) in 2009 and I absolutely loved the place.

6. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: May 11, 2012 at 04:56 PM (#4129551)

It's absolutely true.

7. Dread Pirate Dave Roberts Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:00 PM (#4129555)

First commenter who disagrees with Papelbon’s assessment gets beaten with a baguette.

By whom? A cheese-eating surrender monkey?

8. Swedish Chef Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:00 PM (#4129556)

“Philadelphia has a cool feel to it, man,’’ Papelbon says. “It’s a vibe that the city produces. It makes you feel like you are in Paris. I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve seen it in a lot of movies. I think [Philadelphia] is going to be a great place to live.”

The big question is: what movies featuring Paris have Papelbon seen? A guy like him* wouldn't seem to be into highbrow or romantic stuff one typically associates with Paris. Wikipedia has a list of movies set in Paris (of course). Turns out Paris has been destroyed in six movies since 2000, one more than the whole 20th century. If this trend continues, Paris will soon be destroyed in just about every movie.

*) He named his son Gunner!

9. Nasty Nate Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:01 PM (#4129557)

It makes you feel like you are in Paris. I’ve never been to Paris, but I’ve seen it in a lot of movies.

Like Papelbon, I've never been to Paris. Does it have miles of sprawling slums like Philly?

10. God Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:01 PM (#4129558)

Wasn't there some shitty Kate Hudson movie that took place in Paris? I bet that's the one Papelbon saw. I certainly doubt it was Midnight in Paris or An American in Paris or Breathless or Rififi.

He also might have watched The Dreamers just for Eva Green. I know I did.

11. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:01 PM (#4129559)

Does it have miles of sprawling slums like Philly?

Yes.

12. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:05 PM (#4129562)

The only reason Philadelphia isn't the dump of the east coast* is because Baltimore exists.

*It has gotten much better over the last 10 years and of course much much much better over the last 40 years.

13. cardsfanboy

Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:06 PM (#4129563)

Ok, does it have arthouses dedicated to Jerry Lewis like Paris? The Rocky statue is close I would guess for similar absurdity.

14. Nasty Nate Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:11 PM (#4129566)

Does it have miles of sprawling slums like Philly?

Yes.

Wrong.

It has kilometers of sprawling slums.

15. God Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:14 PM (#4129568)

Baltimore is much better than Philadelphia if only because of "The Wire."

16. T.J. Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:21 PM (#4129573)

Of course it's a "great place to live." It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

17. Fred Lynn Nolan Ryan Sweeney Agonistes Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:22 PM (#4129574)

*) He named his son Gunner!

And?
Phrase your answer very carefully there, Jefe.

18. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:22 PM (#4129575)

Philly is a very cool city.

It's cheap, it's got beautiful, walkable neighborhoods in the center of the city, good museums, well-preserved history, doesn't feel like any other big city in the country, and its native food culture is centered on sandwiches. I went to a fancy cocktail bar near Rittenhouse in Philadelphia, and the drinks were really excellent and affordable. What I loved is that it's in the style of those annoying faux-speakeasies where the door is below street-level and unmarked, but there's a big sign at street level saying "Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company - Cocktail Bar". Philly doesn't do too-cool-for-school fancy, they put a damn sign outside.

19. Charlie O Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:23 PM (#4129578)

While on the subject of The Wire, I recently sat down with my dad who was watching a movie on TV. The guy who played Clay Davis was in it. His character (kind of nerdy) was introducing himself to some folks in a bar and one of the things he said was, "I'm a big fan of the HBO series The Wire." I have no idea what the movie was but that scene was pretty funny.

20. God Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:25 PM (#4129581)

It was Cedar Rapids with Ed Helms. And that scene was awesome.

21. God Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:27 PM (#4129583)

The nanny was created with Clay Davis in mind, I think, since \"####\" doesn't pass muster but "sheeeeeeiiiiiiiit" does.

22. T.J. Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:28 PM (#4129584)

Cedar Rapids. It's a really good movie, much better than I thought it would be. Anne Heche is great in it, and it's my favorite performance by John C. Reilly, who I usually don't like. Ed Helms is solid, too.

23. Lassus Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:30 PM (#4129586)

Mets to Papelbon: EMBRACE THIS, STUPID

24. Tom Nawrocki Posted: May 11, 2012 at 05:41 PM (#4129597)

The big question is: what movies featuring Paris have Papelbon seen?

My money is on "The Hottie and the Nottie."

I haven't spent that much time in any of the three cities, but I would have pegged Boston to be more like Paris than Philadelphia is.

25. Into the Void Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:01 PM (#4129613)

I think I remember reading about Papelbon being a huge Eric Rohmer fan. He was probably referring to the Six Moral Tales series.

26. Joe Bivens, Minor Genius Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:12 PM (#4129619)

It's got a lot o' culture.

27. Dock Ellis on Acid

Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:13 PM (#4129620)

The big question is: what movies featuring Paris have Papelbon seen?

One Night in Paris.

28. Swedish Chef Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:15 PM (#4129621)

And?
Phrase your answer very carefully there, Jefe.

For all the qualities the name Gunner has it is rather lacking in the subtleness department. If it was a movie set in Paris it would be very much more like "GI Joe: Rise of Cobra" than "Les Amants du Pont-Neuf".

29. God Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:18 PM (#4129623)

Gunner is a good name only if your other kids are named Roland and Thompson.

30. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:21 PM (#4129626)

I bet he has seen the Bourne Identity (I don't recall whether the other two movies also take place in Paris).

31. Perry Posted: May 11, 2012 at 06:42 PM (#4129641)

Bet you can't get a Royale with cheese in Philly.

32. Srul Itza Posted: May 11, 2012 at 07:06 PM (#4129656)

Gunner is a good name only if your other kids are named Roland and Thompson.

And a girl named Hedy-less?

33. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines Posted: May 11, 2012 at 07:27 PM (#4129671)

Papelbon is highly likely to have seen From Paris With Love.

"Taken" was set in Paris too. And one of those "Rush Hour" movies.

But I believe his absolutely favorite movie is the Doris Day-Richard Harris Cinemascope cosmetics-industry caper "Caprice". Ray Walston in drag, the role he was born to play. And those kicky mod skirt ensembles by Ray Aghayan!

34. YR Misses Reggie Bars Posted: May 11, 2012 at 07:34 PM (#4129677)

Obviously the answer is Ratitoullie.

35. McCoy Wilfong for Money Posted: May 11, 2012 at 07:47 PM (#4129695)

Philly is cheap? Compared to what? New York. . . San Fran?

36. Gonfalon Bubble Posted: May 11, 2012 at 07:53 PM (#4129700)

My money's on "Team America: World Police."

37. puck Posted: May 11, 2012 at 07:59 PM (#4129712)

It's absolutely true.

I thought for sure you were linking to this.

38. RB in NYC (Now Semi-Retired from BBTF) Posted: May 11, 2012 at 08:05 PM (#4129726)

The big question is: what movies featuring Paris have Papelbon seen?

One Night in Paris.

Oh man, this is awesome. Well done.

39. The Yankee Clapper Posted: May 11, 2012 at 08:49 PM (#4129785)

When he signs with the Indians, Papelbon will say Cleveland reminds him of Rome.

40. TerpNats Posted: May 11, 2012 at 08:49 PM (#4129787)

It's unfortunate that Papelbon never got the chance to speak to Ernst Lubitsch:

I've been to Paris France and I've been to Paris Paramount. Paris Paramount is better.

41. TerpNats Posted: May 11, 2012 at 08:52 PM (#4129791)

Wasn't there some shitty Kate Hudson movie that took place in Paris?

You're probably thinking of "Le Divorce" with Hudson and Naomi Watts, which was actually pretty decent...especially since Leslie Caron had a supporting part.

42. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: May 11, 2012 at 09:26 PM (#4129830)

This is John Rocker's favorite Paris film

43. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: May 11, 2012 at 10:40 PM (#4129916)

Personally, I hope he's seen Paris, Je t'aime.

Papelbon is probably thinking about Philly's City Hall, which is one of the country's best examples of French Second Empire design.

44. Steve Parris, Je t'aime Posted: May 11, 2012 at 10:47 PM (#4129922)

I haven't spent that much time in any of the three cities, but I would have pegged Boston to be more like Paris than Philadelphia is.

Definitely by layout. Boston and Paris seem chaotic in design, while William Penn carefully laid out central Philly on a grid.

45. boteman Posted: May 11, 2012 at 11:06 PM (#4129951)

I don't know of a city other than Philly where you can park in the middle of the main drag with impunity. WTF is that all about???

46. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) Posted: May 11, 2012 at 11:46 PM (#4129999)

Definitely by layout. Boston and Paris seem chaotic in design, while William Penn carefully laid out central Philly on a grid.

I think it has to do with designing streets to converge on circles rather than in rectangular grids (I prefer the latter)

47. Hecubot Posted: May 12, 2012 at 02:43 AM (#4130100)

Are you shitting me? Paris was razed and redesigned from the ground up by Baron Hausmann. It's one of the most famous examples of civic design eradicating the medieval structure of the city and creating the Modern City.

I've spent time in Paris and Philly and here's what they have in common: they're not particularly hilly.

48. Chip Posted: May 12, 2012 at 03:08 AM (#4130103)

Papelbon, being a renowned authority on the history of city planning, was no doubt referring to the fact that the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia's great civic avenue which broke through William Penn's grid when it was built following World War I, was explicitly modeled on the Champs-Élysées.

49. Edmundo got dem ol' Kozma blues again mama

Posted: May 12, 2012 at 03:19 AM (#4130104)

I've spent time in Paris and Philly and here's what they have in common: they're not particularly hilly.

I guess you never got to Manayunk or Chestnut Hill. :) But a lot of Philly is flat.

50. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: May 12, 2012 at 08:21 AM (#4130127)

Philly is cheap? Compared to what? New York. . . San Fran?

Compared to Boston, New York, and DC. Of the big cities of the Amtrak corridor, it's the most affordable place to live or visit by a good margin.

51. BDC

Posted: May 12, 2012 at 09:01 AM (#4130129)

Center-city Philadelphia reminds me most of Dublin (both were 18th-century jewels of the Empire), and of Savannah (laid out with squares checkered across a grid). Nowhere else really reminds me of Paris, though there is the occasional street in another city that is Paris-like: six-story apartment buildings hemming narrow streets. There are streets with that feel in London and Budapest, or even the occasional few buildings in New York (some of the streets near Broadway between Union Square and Madison Square Park are "Paris-like." Paris is unusual in that there's been a deliberate attempt to keep the old center city free of high-rise commercial development – unlike New York or London. And unlike Philadelphia; when the unofficial prohibition on building higher than William Penn's hat (on City Hall) was lifted awhile back, Philly quickly acquired a powerful skyline, cool enough in its way but somewhat generic. In fact Center City now looks a bit like La Défense, the off-center modernist district that gives Paris its own generic alternative skyline.

So that's probably what Papelbon was thinking of. And I imagine he's seen Nick Nolte in Jefferson in Paris, which would make the Philadelphia connection all the stronger.

52. Jesse Barfield's Right Arm Posted: May 12, 2012 at 09:07 AM (#4130130)

Many years ago, Philadelphia Magazine asked on its cover: "Is Philadelphia Paris?" Can't find it on the web, but it happened.

In terms of the wide boulevards, the site lines, the historical importance, and the distinct neighborhoods, there are some pretty good comparisons - Philly might be closer to Paris than any other US city. Not that that really means it's close, but it's not as absurd as those familiar with Philadelphia through sports might imagine.

Obviously, New York is closer if you are looking for nightlife, high population density, and culture (although Philly ain't bad at that either). Big problem is that when I think of Paris I think of the cinemas and the great subway system - The Ritz aside, Philly's got neither.

53. Jolly Old St. Nick Done Jumped The Ship

Posted: May 12, 2012 at 09:14 AM (#4130133)

I think I remember reading about Papelbon being a huge Eric Rohmer fan. He was probably referring to the Six Moral Tales series.

Nah, it was Full Moon in Paris that hooked him. Papelbon was intrigued by the symbolic choice between Remi and Octave that Louise had to make, and was able to identify with her on the deepest level. It's probably his French ancestry that explains it.

54. Swedish Chef Posted: May 12, 2012 at 09:17 AM (#4130134)

but it's not as absurd as those familiar with Philadelphia through sports might imagine.

The crowd at PSG and French national team games is easily provoked and loves to boo, though.

55. JE (Jason Epstein)

Posted: May 12, 2012 at 10:21 AM (#4130147)

Papelbon is still hoping to meet some of Philadelphia's society people, notably Randall and Mortimer Duke.

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Antonen: Papelbon embraces new surroundings

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