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.