Win it For...

Ok, allow me to preface this post, my first in quite some time, by saying that I'm stealing the idea for this column. Bill Simmons wrote a column prior to the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 in which he listed all of the people who would benefit from a Red Sox championship. Granted, the Phillies haven't gone nearly 100 years without a title, but the city of Brotherly Love has endured a losing streak in the triple digits when you combine all of our pro sports franchises. And, specifically for the contributors to this blog, that means no Philadelphia championships in our conscious fan-lives. Anyway, the point here is that while the idea for this column is not original, the thoughts are and I'm certain the Mr. Simmons would see this imitation as flattery and nothing more. And with that....

Win it for all of us Philadelphia sports fans under the age of 30 who have never truly experienced a championship (sorry Soul, Kixx & Wings supporters).

Win it for Charlie Manuel. Listen, I was and remain one of the biggest critics of Uncle Charlie's strategic management of a baseball game. But he has done the unthinkable. He has managed to turn the country-bumpkin attitude into an endearing quality, managed to guide this team to the playoffs in back to back seasons and managed to win over the fans of this town against all odds.

Win it for Donovan McNabb, Allen Iverson, Eric Lindros, et al. A Philadelphia championship of any kind will diminish the amount of abuse that Philadelphians lump on all of our superstars because we are so desperate for a parade.

Win it for Doug Parker. A Phillies title would go a long ways to ending the incessant E-A-G-L-E-S chants heard during mid-summer Phills games. The more he laments these incidents, the more I agree with my angry, hippy friend.

Win it for Terry Francona. And beat the Red Sox to do it. F-you, Terry. We haven't forgotten how you basically gave up on this town, how you continued to show loyalty to guys like Kevin Sefcik who must've had pictures or performed unspeakable acts on you and how you called your time here a mulligan. Listen ass, maybe your heart wasn't in it here, but ours was.

Win it for the Phillie Phanatic. Can you imagine the belly thrust he's gonna do if they won this thing?

Win it for Pat Burrell. Pat has certainly had his ups and downs with this team, but this is undoubtedly his last year in Philadelphia. In hindsight, this was a guy who never got in trouble off the field, never turned on the fans, even when they turned on him and who loves it here.

Win it for the Phillies fans in North Jersey and New York or just those who associate with others from those areas and who constantly have to listen to how the Mets (and Marlins) have one more World Series title then the Phillies, despite far fewer years of existence.

Win it for my Dad. He's always loved baseball and he's the reason I love baseball. I'd love nothing more then to celebrate with him, even without the guarantee that he would buy the beer.

Win it for Broad Street. It's been a long time since something positive rolled down that street.

Win it for the flag pole. That 1980 banner looks awfully lonely in centerfield.

Win it for ESPN. We need something to change the national media perception of Philadelphia fans as the slime of the earth. I think a title would do that.

Win it for all those sissy athletes who have thought it was too difficult to play in front of our passionate fan base, some of those who even went so far as to say the fans are one of the reasons for the championship drought. No one says that in Cleveland or Chicago and they've gone a lot longer then us without a World Series victory.

Win it for Ed Wade. Wade was always scared to make that big move and that, along with no-trade clauses, will be his legacy here. But don't forget, the Ed Wade regime brought us Hamels, Utley, Rollins, Howard, Myers, Burrell and Victorino. Pat Gillick has brought us Jamie Moyer and Brad Lidge. And Wes Helms, Geoff Jenkins, So Taguchi, Joe Blanton, Adam Eaton, etc. I'm not trying to deify Wade, but let's remember that he did do some things well. If you recall, the year that the Mets traded Scott Kazmir to the Devil Rays for Victor Zambrano, Wade declined to move Ryan Howard for Kris Benson.

Win it for William Penn. A Phillies hat looks really good on that statue.

And finally, win it for me. I need this. I need to know it can happen. This window is going to close before you know it. And if it does...if it does...I'll still be there.