phinally!

Life's tough being a Philadelphia sports fan. Let's take the Eagles: they've never won a Super Bowl (as my friend Brian, a Steelers fan, never ceases to remind me). Or the Flyers: they haven't won a Stanley cup since the Broadstreet Bullies days circa 1974. Not being a Sixer (or basketball in general) fan, I can't really comment on their past performance or potential, but do I know it's been at least 25 years since a title of any kind came to the city of brotherly love.

But the Phillies did it! They gave a much needed shot in the arm to a diehard, but desperate, sports town.

Now, I don't claim to be much of a baseball fan. In fact, I find it rather boring unless I'm at the park with a beer in one hand and a dog in the other. But as a child, the Phillies were the team I grew up with. I remember clearly my grandpa sitting on the front porch every summer night listening to games on a little transistor radio. I wasn't much interested in the score---just how soon the ice cream truck was coming---but the crackly sound of the announcer's voice is what sticks with me. That, and the Phillies Phanatic, whom every kid loved:

Watching the games this past week, I was glad to see the Phanatic hasn't changed a bit. (It also occurred to me that he was probably the model for the Capitol City Goofball on The Simpsons.)

If there's one thing about Philly sports fans, it's that they're never surprised when their team loses. In fact, we're only surprised when they win. Maybe that all changed this week. It's possible my Dad even knew something the rest of us didn't way back in May when he gave Sadie this cheerleader uniform:


Hooray, Phillies!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Notice something else about this picture? Sadie can now reach the kitchen countertops. And stove knobs. Time to put away the knives!)