It's Always Winning in Philadelphia

Before Desean Jackson scampered 65 yards to paydirt, sealing an improbable comeback at the new Meadowlands yesterday, this week was filled with holiday cheer in the Philadelphia area. Simply put, this city can’t lose right now.

It’s something seldom seen if you’re from Philly or similarly root for the teams in this town. Orange and Black fans are reveling in the exceptional run put forth by the resident hockey team. The Flyers are in the midst of a five-game winning streak, have the most points in the NHL, and look to be a team on their way to the top.

You know it’s a hell of a week when even the lowly Sixers are chipping in, making this city look good. Winners of seven of their last nine, the Sixers pushed the Celtics to the edge of defeat two Thursday’s ago and even gave the Lakers a scare before L.A. went on a late run on Friday night.

To end the weekend, the Eagles overcame a 21-point halftime deficit to sink the Giants in the middle of the chase for the NFC east.

For years and years, it was a sad sports town. Now, the contingent looks down from their ivory tower (except for the Sixers of course, we won’t go that far).

And before you accuse us of blasphemy for five paragraphs without hinting at our Fightins, somewhere in the middle of all this was the greatest free agent signing in Philadelphia sports history. It turned heads, made rival GM’s curse under their breath, and sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Cliff Lee became a Phillie when no one thought it was possible.

The man who left prematurely actually wanted to come back to Philadelphia. Think about that for a second. A top free agent who was spurned by the club exactly a year ago enjoyed his stay in Philadelphia so much so that he took less money to rejoin the club? You mean, the same city that hates babies and Santa Claus, hates their own families, and hates you? It happened.

This may not turn out to be quite the same as 1983 when the Sixers won it all, the Phillies made the World Series, and the Flyers went to the playoffs, but it’s shaping up to be a hell of a year.