A Change in Color

For as long as I can remember, Philadelphia has been a football town. Yeah, we cared about the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers, but this place lived and died with the Eagles. The vicissitudes of the football season would directly influence the happiness level of an entire city, changing each week with a win or, heaven forbid, a loss. It sounds trite, but this city truly did bleed green.... emphasis on the word did. With the Phillies on the brink of playing for their second World Series in my lifetime, it seems that a sea change is on the horizon in the city of brotherly love.
After their ridiculous win yesterday, the Phillies are up on the Dodgers 3 games to 1. Despite a history of epic meltdowns, I'm confident we'll beat LA and reach the World Series (knock on wood). Once we make it there, the Phils have an excellent chance of beating either the Red Sox or the Rays. If that happens.... this city will explode. I mean FUCKING EXPLODE. There's god odds there will be rioting... which, honestly, I'm kind of fine with. It's been 25 god-damned, long as fuck, cursed to hell years since Philly's won anything, and all the spent up emotion and frustration will release itself like a typhoon. Now, whether the Phils ultimately win the World Series or not, the change of tide could already be in affect - instead of McNabb jerseys, we'll be seeing Utley, instead of Westbrook, we'll have Howard, instead of Dawkins, we'll see Hamels. The Eagles players that have defined the team over the last ten years are starting to get old. Dawkins is 35 and is no longer the force he once was; Akers can't seem to make a field goal over 40 yards and I'd be surprised if this wasn't his final year in an Eagles uniform; and McNabb's seemingly ever-threatened role as Eagles quarterback could finally come to an end after this season if the team can't find a way to win the Super Bowl. Many of the Phillies players are hitting the primes of their careers, and with an absolute stud of a pitcher in Hamels and a killer closer in Lidge, the Phils could be a team to contend with for the forseeable future (I only see short distances).
Philly fans can only take so much heartbreak and fuck-ups, and since andy Reid came to town, no team has brought us more of both than the birds. Sure the Eagles got to 4 NFC title games.... but they then proceeded to lose three of them (two of which, I'll still argue, where the Eagles were the better team). Then they get to the Super Bowl, keep it close, give us hope.... only to run the shittiest two-minute drill in the history of the Super Bowl. Compound that with Reid's refusal to run despite having one of the best offensive lines and running backs in the game, and the constant lack of a big game wide receiver (Terrell Owens notwithstanding), and I think it's safe to say that we've just about given up on the Eagles winning anything with the team as it's currently constituted. I love the Eagles....but you can only hurt me so much until I have to say 'enough already.' It seems that the Age of the Phillies is ready to rise. The Phils are primed and ready to reach the world series, and this current squad has brought us only joy rather than heartbreak. Game five's tomorrow, and you can be sure I'll be wearing my Phillies cap and my Utley jersey. Bleed red Philly, bleed red.