The Life of a Philadelphia sports fan

It stinks. This man, Daniel Briere of the Flyers, is the most important person in my sports life right now. He will lead us to victory or let us die again, in utter misery. Over 100 sports seasons for Philadelphia have come and past, without one single championship. Sure, we made the finals in 1996 with the Flyers and lost 4-0 in the series. We scored all of 6 goals. Then, in 2001, the Sixers made the Finals. We won game 1. I was estatic, I was in the city watching the games and after we barely won in OT, the streets were the most jubilant I've ever seen. I was high-fiving people on the street I didn't know and it was like Mardi Gras. Then, we lost 4 straight and lost the series. I later found out that the Lakers had been on vacation the week before the first game and hence, that is probably why they didn't beat us in game 1, they were still recovering from their time on the beach. Then 2004, the Eagles v. the Patriots. We were down but not out and came back to get within 3. Then, McNabb pukes, symbolic of all the years of banality of Philly teams. Would our symbolic puke leave us forever? Nope. McNabb gets intercepted and we lose.

Forward to 2008. The Flyers are up 3-1 against the Capitals. The Sixers are playing the Pistons, who've we beat 2 of 4 times in the regular season. The Phillies are rich with talent; Rollins, Utley, Howard, Burrell, Jenkins, Feliz, all easily capable of 20 HRs, 80 RBI. Hamels is healthy, Myers looks good, even Eaton is throwing well. So, after 17 games, we should be 11-6, right? No, we are 8-8, soon to be 8-9. Three of our losses to those heartless babies, the Mets. Last year, they made the playoffs and played the Rockies. Awesome, I live near Denver. So, I gather some Phillies fans, we hit a Philly bar in Denver and make it to game 3 in Denver. I am so pumped up as Shane Victorino hits a dinger and ties it at 1. My hopes are high and think we are going to come back and win. No chance. The Rockies score another run in the 8th and we lose 2-1. I get heckled as I leave and call the Rockies fans "pot smoking hippies".

Next Tuesday, I am going to watch the Phils battle the Rockies at Coors. I have great seats and a free parking pass. Hopefully, we will win so I can bask for 1 day in glory. Because it may be another 9,125 days (25 years) until a Philadelphia championship. I am going to go cry in my Gatorade.