It's root, root, root for the home teams

From bar stools to living room recliners, Phillies red washed away Eagles green yesterday for a most unusual Sunday blessing: a professional baseball-football October afternoon.

Except the Linc, where the Eagles dropped one to the Washington Redskins, many Philly sports fans left their green Brian Westbrook jerseys in the hamper and opted for crisp Ryan Howard tees as the Phillies won a fourth and deciding playoff game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Clothing choice was one thing. More difficult was negotiating the remote control, particularly as both games started and ended at almost the same time.

"It was quite the discussion," said Ben Fileccia, co-manager of Aspen, a bar and restaurant in the city's Fairmount section.

On one hand, "we wanted to hear [Eagles announcer] Merrill Reese, that's what Sundays are all about," Fileccia said. On the other, a Phillies win would send them to the National League Championship Series for the first time in 15 years.

At Aspen, the Eagles went on the big-screen TV and the Phillies went on the side TVs. "In the fourth quarter, once Andy Reid screwed up and we knew we didn't have a shot, then the Eagles went on the side TVs," he said.

At other bars, the Phillies snagged the prime spot. And at Urban Saloon in Fairmount, the big screen showed the Phillies, three other TVs showed the Eagles, and the sound stayed on for both games.

Some fans, such as Beau and Jennifer Sauder, avoided that audio confusion by staying home to wear down the "last channel" button on the remote control.

Afterward, they went to London Grill in Fairmount for a bittersweet celebration over a few Hoegaardens.

"I can't enjoy the Phillies win as much because the Eagles didn't win, too," Beau Sauder, 35, said.

Others dismissed the Eagles loss and focused on the Phillies.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 20. It's pretty unbelievable," said Jason Sherman, 29, who wore his Phillies gear at Urban Saloon. "Phillies baseball is hypnotic."

Pat Breen, 43, who was drinking at Bishop's Collar, another Fairmount bar, agreed.

"Living in this city, you think that it's not going to happen, and when it does, it's beyond excitement," he said. "You could feel the excitement in this town building."

Phillies bobbleheads behind the bar nodded in agreement.

But would a Phillies victory in the - dare we say it? - World Series turn this city permanently from an Eagles town to a Phillies town?

"It's going to be an Eagles town forever," Breen said.