Tuesday, October 21, 2008

4 More Wins...Please!!!

With a Phils-Rays World Series days away, Philadelphia's craving for a sports championship has never been greater.  If you don't believe me, just look at some of the youtube videos from Broad Street after Game 5 of the NLCS.  It's been a quarter century long wait since the Sixers title in '83.  My mind goes back to close calls (and have there been many) in recent Philadelphia sports history.  Let's revisit.

2005- Super Bowl XXXIX: Eagles vs Pats 
The one and only year that McNabb and TO worked out.  Still, the season had its drama.  From TO's late-season injury that caused him to miss the playoffs 'til the Super Bowl to McNabb's "sickness" on the final drive of the big game.  Despite an early 7-0 lead, the Birds fell 3 pts shy of a championship in Jacksonville, 24-21.

2001- NBA Finals: Sixers vs Lakers
With the best record in the NBA at the All Star Game, the Sixers traded for Dikembe
 Mutumbo.  I can still clearly remember being in the stands for the final few seconds of Game 7 of the Conference Finals against the Bucks.  Starting PF Tyrone Hill stood on the table at press row and waved a rally towel around for 10-plus minutes.  The Kobe-Shaq Lakers were the
overwhelming favorites in the Finals, not having lost a single game in the postseason.  AI had a memorable Game 1, typified by his OT three-pointer against Tyronne Lue. Despite the Sixers keeping it close in Games 2 and 3, LA took the title in 5.

1997- Stanley Cup Finals: Flyers vs Red Wings
The so-called 'Legion of Doom' of Lindros, LeClair and Renberg led the Flyers to the precipice of a championship.  I attended Game 1 at the Spectrum, remembered most for a Sergei Federov goal from outside the blue line on goaltender Ron Hextall.  At least it was quick and easy, a Red Wings sweep.

1993- World Series: Phillies vs Blue Jays
Philadelphia's most beloved team in the last 25 years was known for their care-free attitude.  A wild team included Dykstra, Daulton, Schilling, Kruk and of course Mitch 'Wild Thing' Williams.  I went to Game 1 of the NLCS against the Braves, a game that saw Phillies 3B Kim Batiste commit a crucial error early in the game, before delivering the game-winning hit in extra innings.  In the fall classic, Schilling won 2 games.  Yet, Mitch Williams blew the lead in Game 4 and Game 6, where he gave up the memorable HR to... you know who.

Now its 2008 and 25 years have come and gone since a championship.  Wouldn't it be ironic
that the one major Philadelphia sports team that has been the model for futility, the first franchise to 10,000 losses, a team that failed to sign JD Drew, traded away Bobby Abreu for nothing, a team whose biggest star players for a decade were Robert Person, Kevin Sefcik, Kevin Stocker, Kevin Jordan, Jose Mesa, Ricky Bottalico, Greg Jeffries and Doug Glanville would be the one to break the curse and win a championship first?  Only in Sports.

LETS GO PHILS!!!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

it'll never happen...they call it broad street for all the ugly broads in fillie...jimmy rollins is the most overrated player in baseball and should shut his trap and concentrate on hitting his weight in the world series...ryan howard MVP???? are you freaking kidding me...this guy is so juiced up he makes barry bonds look like joe mcewing...ditto for utley and burrell...hamels doctors the ball, he just hasn't been caught yet...rays will crush hamels in the series...fillies cannot compete with the youth and exuberance of the rayyyz...and watch for lidge to choke one up mitch williams style...he's been saving it for now when it really counts...i bet cliff floyd bombs one in game 6 to win it for tampa...jamie moyer is a scab and a cheater...and you've got head cases like myers who would rather beat their spouses than throw a strike...really classy fillie, really classy...rayyyz in 4 baby...mets in 09

Rob S said...

jeez, a little bitter. looking forward to yet another september collapse next yr.

Jeremy Kreisberg said...

Uy, it's people like that who make Mets fans (and New Yorkers, for that matter) look bad. Anyone who claims that Cole Hamels "doctors" the ball and that Jamie Moyer is a "cheater" clearly loses all credibility. Us Mets fans can talk when the team we love clinches another division championship; until then, we can root for the Rays in silent embarrasment, with "silent" being the operative word.