Relationship Counseling: Allen Iverson Returns to Philadelphia

 
It felt good watching Allen Iverson get cheers upon cheers of a standing ovation heaped upon him last night in his return to Philadelphia, the type of "welcome home" that enough athletes don't receive in our booing obsessed fan culture. As I watched A.I. soak everything in, pounding on his heart, holding his hand to his ear to absorb every last voice, I really appreciated that sports fans can be good people, and that our heroes can need us and love us as much as we do them.  It was as warm and mushy as it gets. As the spectacle went on though, I started thinking what a Denver fan must feel like watching their superstar's lovefest in another city.  Iverson's trade to the Nuggets was a big deal. He was a superstar getting a new start in an attractive situation, alongside Carmelo Anthony and with a fan base excited to get him.  Pundits debated the availability of shots in Denver's now star-laden lineup, but no one really predicted the trade would fail.  Things looked ... [link]

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AI's Return Not All Warm & Fuzzy

Despite the thunderous ovation for the return of Allen Iverson to the City of Brotherly Love, not all fans were happy to see the All-Star guard back at the Wachovia Center. Or at least the weren't happy to see his mother. According to ESPN's Chris Sheridan, some fans took to heckling Mrs. AI, which lead to an altercation followed by a "very large, very angry man" being ejected.
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Triumphant return, until final seconds for A.I. : Nuggets : The Rocky Mountain News

PHILADELPHIA - It looked ready to be a storybook ending. The writers must have gone on strike. Allen Iverson, making his much-ballyhooed return to Philadelphia, had the ball on the left side in the waning seconds and the Nuggets down two points. ...
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Around the Association presented by T-Mobile: March 19

Go Around the Association for a recap of Wednesday's action, including the Sixers' victory over the Nuggets in Allen Iverson's return to Philadelphia.
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Brotherly Love for AI

At times the American sports culture seems dominated by too much negativity, inflated hype or invigorating greed. Whether it is the media's relentless gotcha style of journalism, ESPN's Disney based corporate agenda, or sports fans continually bled ...
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Surging 76ers Edge Nuggets, Spoil Iverson's Return

Andre Miller scored 28 points and the 76ers spoiled Allen Iverson's return to Philadelphia by beating the Denver Nuggets 115-113 Wednesday night.
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In the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, John Smallwood writes "SOMETIMES YOU can go home again, especially if you are Allen Iverson, the house you're returning to is the Wachovia Center, and the family you're reintroducing yourself to are the 20,000 76ers ...
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It felt good watching Allen Iverson get cheers upon cheers of a standing ovation heaped upon him last night in his return to Philadelphia, the type of "welcome home" that enough athletes don't receive in our booing obsessed fan culture.  ...