World Series 2008: Game Five-The Most Important Game in Phillies History

"Win today, and we will walk together forever."

Those are the words of Fred Shero, the coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, when they won their two Stanley Cups. Shero posted those words on the blackboard in the Flyers' locker room before they won their first Cup. All of the Flyers on that team never forgot those words.

Now it's time for the Phillies to walk together.

It's been 25 years and 100 seasons since Philadelphia has experienced the most joyous feeling in sports. It's time for a win.

That's why this is the most important game in Phillies history and possibly Philadelphia history.

A win here will erase all of the bad memories. Everything from the past 25 years will be blocked out of everyone's mind if the Phillies can achieve the ultimate dream.

Some may say the 1980 World Series was the biggest moment in Phillies history, but I beg to differ.

That World Series win didn't save the city's hearts. The entire city was having the best sports year in history. If the Phillies lost, it wouldn't have been nearly as bad as it would be now.

A loss now will be the worst loss in the 25-year no-championship streak. If we lose this series, the entire city will lose hope forever.

But why Game Five and not Game Seven, you ask?

Because if the Phillies win it in Game Seven, it won't be in Philadelphia. The fans won't be there to celebrate. The magic just won't be there. The only championship that wasn't won in Philadelphia was the Flyers' 1974-1975 Stanley Cup, but they had won the year before, so it wasn't as big of a magical feeling anyway.

There's only one proper way for the Phillies to win the World Series, and that's in Philadelphia. The fans need to be apart of this celebration. It's the biggest thing in Philadelphia since...well, Ben Franklin!

I, along with all fellow Philadelphians, will take a Game Seven or Six win, because we don't want to add to the excruciating pain of our history, but we would love it so much more if we won in Philadelphia.

So, as I sit here and watch Seinfeld in anticipation of the Phillies' pregame, I can already feel that pre-game buzz. I smell victory.

It's time to play. It's time to have fun. It's time to win.

It's time to walk together forever.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?