Fox29's Mike Jerrick did some fantastic “man on the street” reporting for “Good Day Philly” today, interviewing high school kids in sombreros, beating a taxi cab driver with an oar, and then asking youths to ride the “Cooch Train.” Brilliant.
The premise of the bit was an interview with the members of the Padilla Flotilla—it rhymes if you’re actually a member of the Spanish Armada—who used to be the personal fan club of Vicente Padilla, but have renounced their hero since he’s pitching for the Dodgers tonight. Then a cab driver in a Yankee jersey drove by and started heckling them. So Jerrick, always the professional, chased the cabbie off with cardboard boat oar. He then continued the interview by asking if these youngsters, seeking a new Phillie hero to throw their allegiance behind, could “ride the Cooch Train?”
Thank heavens he didn’t direct that question toward the girl or this post would have a very different set of tags. The female anchor politely pointed out that Jerrick was actually referring to the Chooch Train, in honor of Carlos Ruiz. Believe it or not, there are actually two Chooch fan clubs fighting for Chooch supremacy. Mike Alfonso, leader of the “Chooch-Chooch Train” demands that his group be granted the true Chooch throne.
“We tailgate with authentic Panamanian beer and an inflatable sombrero beer cooler - all approved by Ivan the Cart Guy, who works outside my building and is from Panama,” Alfonso wrote.
Wait, there’s more. Philadelphia city workers have spent most of the day greasing light posts throughout the city, as if that would somehow stop a determined drunk from scaling one tonight.
So it’s come to this, Philly? Ivan The Cart Guy is the arbiter of taste? Greased poles and inflatable sombrero beer coolers? Could Yankee fans actually end up looking like the civilized ones here?
Although, I have to grudgingly admit that this is pretty cool. Now go home and get your shine box.
Padilla Flotilla [Fox29]
All aboar+d the Chooch-Chooch Train [Daily News]
Quite Possibly The Greatest Thing Ever [The Fightins]