 You might think we're referring to the Philadelphia Phillies, but today we talk about a more festive subject: New Year's Eve
in Times Square.
Hardly an American alive today has not witnessed the ritual -- an evening of
television entertainment (be it hosted by Guy Lombardo or Dick Clark),
interrupted by frequent updates from somebody in the heart of New York's theatre district counting down the moments until the New Year.
But how did it all start? Back in 1907,
the city fathers of New York outlawed firecrackers,
but still wanted to go all-out to ring in 1908. Their solution? Drop a
"high-tech" wood-and-iron sphere (adorned with 100 25-watt bulbs!) from a flagpole
in Times Square. Over the years, the ball has gotten more sophisticated
(the current version boasts LED lights
and Waterford Crystal),
but the process remains the same. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people (in varying states of sobriety)
huddle together in the cold, ignore the lack
of bathroom facilities, and see in the New Year.
And the most important piece
of continuity is the smallest -- the ball is still hand-lowered by a guy
pulling on a rope. 21st Century technology, indeed!
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