Philly a city of winners and optimists

IF YOU ARE a Philadelphia sports fan, you believe you are long-suffering, that the sports gods have been particularly unkind to you. In some ways that's true and in some ways it's not. Compared to some cities we are most unfortunate, but other cities would give their right arm for the level of success we've had.

I believe there are several reasons why our feeling of sports anguish is so acute.

First, because we are such passionate fans. In Seattle, if its teams suck, the fans just have a little more smoked salmon and white wine. In San Diego, Miami or Tampa, if their teams crater, they shake it off by going outside and cavorting in the sunshine. In Dallas, they just check those soaring oil-company profits that the rest of us subsidize.

The second reason our pain is so intense is because so often we have come close to the promised land. Since their last Stanley Cup victory, the Flyers have been to the Cup finals six times without garnering a championship. The Eagles of the Buddy Ryan era looked like the best team in the NFL during the regular season but were dismal failures in the playoffs, and no NFL city has had to endure losing four times in the conference championship game as we have done in the past decade.

Despite all these disappointments, hope springs eternal in the hearts of Philadelphia sports fans. And right now we are on fire! In the 50 years that I have lived here (I know I am not a real Philadelphian because I didn't grow up here), I have never seen such a sense of excitement, a sense of optimism, as that which now emanates throughout our city. We believe we are entering sports paradise.

On Friday night, I went to the Phillies game and saw our boys dismantle the improved Pittsburgh Pirates. After the game, my friends and I went to Misconduct, a sports bar with great food in Center City. It was packed, and the excitement in the crowd was palpable. You could feel it in the air.

What's the reason for this growing sense of optimism? Simple - we are blessed with teams and owners who will make bold moves to try to make us the city of champions. The fans at Misconduct were high as a kite because on Thursday and Friday, the Eagles had obtained two Pro Bowl cornerbacks in Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, a former Pro Bowl quarterback to back up Michael Vick (Vince Young) and a top-flight pass rusher in Jason Babin. But it was about more than just assembling those great players, it was the way the Birds did it - the fact that they went all-in and stunned the league by stealing Nnamdi from the Jets and Cowboys. Good God, we now have three of the best cornerbacks in the league. Everyone in the bar asked me if I could believe the Eagles did it and what we were going to do with three great cornerbacks. Beats the heck out of me. The fans all had a sense of wonder about them, but it was as if they were floating on air.

The excitement was compounded by the fact that they had just learned minutes before that the Phillies had gone all-in for the third year in a row just before the trade deadline by acquiring Hunter Pence. Ruben Amaro Jr. had done it again. Now, a few cynics will say we mortgaged our future by trading our best pitching and hitting prospects. Maybe, but hot prospects in Class A ball can mature into stars, but just as often never even make it to the majors.

But on Friday night, no one was talking about Jarred Cosart or Jonathan Singleton or, for that matter, even Kevin Kolb. All across the Delaware Valley we fans were just saying, "Wow, can you believe it?" It was a night for passion, enthusiasm and optimism - cynics and pessimists hit the road.

Is all this good feeling and optimism justified? Of course it is. First, let us enjoy the moment. What makes sports so special is that we the fans can talk for hours about it. A win or trade can bring about elation that lasts for days. A game may take only 3 hours to play but we can spend weeks talking about it or about the wisdom of trades. And, best of all, enthusiasm about sports is highly contagious. News of the Pence trade spread throughout Misconduct at warp speed.

I am convinced that these moves, added to what the Flyers did a few weeks earlier, have created a great future for Philadelphia sports. The Phillies are now and will be for the next several years among baseball's elite. We have every reason to feel they'll be one of the best five teams in baseball and contend for the crown for at least the next 3 or 4 years. The Eagles are now also among the elite teams in the NFL and should stay right there for the next several years. They are explosive on offense (pay DeSean what he's worth!) and talented on defense. They have as many great skill players as any team in the league. As for the 76ers, they are clearly not there yet but they have a solid nucleus and a great coach. I don't know Josh Harris, but I do know something about hedge-fund guys - they don't like to lose and they are not afraid to go for it.

The news is even good for Philadelphia in the increasingly popular sport of soccer, where the Union has, in an incredibly short time, become a genuine contender for the championship by building a team with a great future.

So all is right for the long-suffering Philadelphia sports fans. But not so fast - an important word of caution. Cities that become sports meccas can have a relatively short trip through paradise. For example, take Boston, which is widely considered to be the most successful city in pro sports. The Bruins just won the Stanley Cup and the Patriots, Red Sox and Celtics have been either champions or serious contenders for more than a decade. But before this hot streak started with the Patriots' Super Bowl win in February 2002, Boston went 17 years without a championship. But in the end, who cares if this roller-coaster ride we're about to experience surely will come to an end. Let's just hang on tight and enjoy the view!