For The Philly Sports Fan -- Only We Understand

Let's just say that this video provides a window into the soul of a Philly sports fan...



I swear, that video just covered about 90% of my sports memories.

Okay, so it's missing the audio of winning the 1980 World Series, the audio of the Sixers winning the NBA Title in 1983, or a single scene of my Villanova Wildcats winning the perfect game over Georgetown. But it has Randall springing up from that Carl Banks hit to throw that TD pass on Monday Night Football... the gawawful pick by Ronde Barber in the 2003 NFC Title Game... Iverson breaking Jordan's ankles... Hextall after he attacked Chris Chelios... Ricky friggin Manning Jr. taking away a pass from Pinky in the 2004 NFC Title Game... Joe Carter's $#%^*&! home run off the Wild Thing... McCarty's goal in the 1997 Stanley Cup sweep by the Wings over the Flyers...

Here's the thing. I could list a helf-dozen more moments of Philly heartbreak from the last decade alone without thinking about it for more than 10 seconds -- Smarty Jones at the Belmont... N.D. Kalu watching a sure blocked punt in the last two minutes of the 2002 NFC Title Game slip between his hands... Allan Ray getting called for traveling on a BS call in the Sweet Sixteen against UNC in 2005... the false start call against a backup guard on 4th down against the Saints in the playoffs in January... Jameer Nelson's Hawks missing a shot at the Final Four... the Flyers blowing a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2001...

Seriously, we live with this crap. So do all sports fans -- we all suffer heartbreak. But with very few exceptions, we get moments that redeem those feelings of despair and heartbreak -- and occasionally, we get to see the top of the mountain. I don't want to hear the suffering from fans in other cities, with the possible exceptions of Cleveland and Buffalo (that means you, Dallas). For Philly sports fans, our last moment at the top of the mountain was in 1985 or 1983, depending on whether you cheer for Villanova or not. That grainy shot of Dr. J holding up the NBA Championship Trophy at the 4:14 mark in that video... we need that feeling again.

Dammit, we need a title.