A Bittersweet Day in Philly

Bitter and bittersweet. That's the only way to describe what today felt like for me and thousands of other Philadelphia sports fans.

While the Phillies knocked off the Milwaukee Brewers 6-2 and advanced to the National League Championship Series for the first time in 15 years, the Eagles were handed an embarrassing and frustrating 23-17 loss at the hands of the rival Washington Redskins. And how convenient is it that the outcomes of these two games occurred simultaneously, within minutes of each other?

It is becoming almost a tradition here in Philly that on Sundays, we watch the Phillies win big games and the Eagles lose to a team they should be able to beat.

Last week, the Phillies captured the N.L. East division title in the afternoon, while at night, the Eagles underachieved and lost to the Chicago Bears, 24-20. And just over a year ago, on the afternoon of September 30, 2007, the Phillies won their first division title since 1993, but the Eagles lost a humiliating 16-3 matchup to the Giants on Sunday Night Football.

We should know better by now. This is Philly. Of course we can't have two great wins on the same day. That would be just too much to expect. This is a city that hasn't delivered a championship to its fans in 25 years and counting, so we are well used to letdown and disappointment. We should have seen today coming.

While one team saved its season and advanced to the next round of the playoffs, its counterpart blew a 14-0 lead and dropped a must-win game to a divisional opponent, while seeing its record fall to 2-3 on the season.

It's a shame it couldn't just be easier for us all as fans. Should we be happy that the Phillies won or upset that the Eagles lost? There's no denying my Phillies pride, but I know I personally am feeling dejected, angry, and annoyed. The scenario was perfect—the Phillies beat the Brewers to go to the NLCS and the Eagles beat the Redskins to save their season and move into third place in the NFC East. Everything was there, especially after the Eagles jumped to a commanding 14-0 lead, and the Phillies led 5-0 after just three innings. All both teams had to do was hold on and Philly would be the happiest it had been in quite some time.

But of course, this is Philly. And we've gotten used to disappointment.