As I sit here in my Eagles t-shirt and Phillies cap, pondering the astonishing hatred and insensitivity that TBS has continually shown for Philadelphia and its sports fans, I have little to say other than wishing our various sporting fellows the best of luck, and just to inform them, on the off chance they decided to read a random blog before taking the field today, that I'm behind them and always will be.

Also: please hit more.

Any other time, I'd be rooting for Milwaukee. I consider the Brewers and the Phillies to be in that brotherhood of long-suffering teams, and anybody who can follow a team like that for very long deserves to see a championship some day. (The Inquirer today had an article about Milwaukee, and at one point profiled a guy who gave up on the Brewers long ago and became a Yankees fan. Can you imagine being friends with such a person?)

But it just didn't work out this year, and therefore I have to consider them an obstacle.

The Phils need to score a bit more. Too many LOBs, too much walking the tightrope with a slim lead and the likes of Fielder and Braun at the plate. But somehow it's working, and I believe that it will continue to do so. There's nobody I'd rather have on the mound today than Jamie, and I think the hitting will pick up. If Ryan wakes up and has a big game, there's no stopping us.

Should be a fun game.

My quick assessments of the other three series:

1. Come on, White Sox, get it together. Still, the Rays give hope to the Pirates and Royals of the world, wouldn't you say?
2. I hate the Red Sox. (I actually have nothing else to add here.)
3. Seriously, the Cubs look awful. What is their deal? I mean, really, literally any other team would have done better than the Cubs did in Game 2. The Nationals lost 102 games, but did they ever have four errors in one game? (Well, maybe they did. I'm just not sure how to look it up.) If you make four errors in a game, you shouldn't be in the playoffs.

But enough of that. It's game day. I want this game, for obvious reasons, and because baseball is a funny thing and if you let the Brewers hang around then one day you look up and the Phillies are on that "teams that blew a 2-0 lead in the playoffs" graphic. Keep doing what you do, guys, and you'll put it away today.

Let's go Phils!!!

Ears. Killing me.

I'm too old to not wear earplugs at shows. I realized that about two years ago, and yet I continue to give myself chronic, incurable tinnitus every time. Seriously, stop (I'm talking to myself). At any rate, I just saw Shudder to Think and they were spectacular.

I want to write about Game 2 and maybe a little something about Game 3, but it's late and I'm going to bed. Long story short: I feel good about it. Oh yeah, I probably have some thoughts on the other three series, but again, it's late.

I wish I was in Milwaukee with the boys. Or, better yet, in LA seeing Cascade Array. Speaking of which, drop whatever you're doing, catch a red eye to LA, and go to the Knitting Factory on Saturday night. You have no excuse!

Game 1: Phillies 3, Brewers 1

I'll get the negatives out of the way first: they need to hit a little more than that, and Lidge should probably think about getting it together.

But enough of that. The important thing tonight is that the Phils got their first postseason win in 15 years. (That feels like many lifetimes ago.) It was the right combination of stellar starting pitching, timely hitting, and just a little luck. Okay, a lot of luck.

They'll be just fine. I believe this with every fiber of my being. I sense a tremendous wave of... something or other. Sweeping the city as we speak. Maybe we (could it be?) actually believe for a change. I know I do. The Negadelphians can go home and wallow in their self-imposed misery. A new day has dawned!

Well, before I go all crazy, I'd like to see them win another game or two.

But I'm starting to feel it - are you?

I would've done a whole Phils/Brewers preview, but Rosh Hashanah got in the way.

Basically, I think it's going to be fine.

LET'S GO PHILS!!!

KEEP ON FIGHTIN'

It's 2:41 AM, time for some of my trademark melodrama, in the grand tradition of my Super Bowl essay and my semifamous Abreu rant. I'll keep it short.

See, the Phils have played like garbage this week and nobody in the world believes they're going to win three in a row and advance to the NLCS. And maybe they're right. The guys certainly haven't looked very good at all.

But I haven't given up on them. Why should I? I followed these guys back in 2000: the single most depressing, pointless, awful excuse for a season I ever hope to see. I followed them through the painful near-misses in '01, '03, '05, and '06. Saw every bit of it. (Well, not every bit. I've got other stuff to do sometimes, as hard as that may be to believe.) I've followed them nonstop the last 14 years, since Joe Carter hit that homerun, right up until Ryan's game-ending strikeout on Thursday. And I'm not going to stop now.

Here's why:

I love the Sixers. I go to a bunch of games a year and watch a bunch more on Comcast. Andrew and I debate the Sixers' endless crappiness all the time. The 2001 playoffs ranks as one of my favorite sports moments ever. They're my guys. I love the Sixers.

But the Phillies... the Phillies are my team.

I love the Flyers. Back in the late 90's hockey was my second favorite sport and I think maybe it still is. I still remember the 1997 Finals - especially going to visit the Cup when it was on display at 30th Street Station. It still haunts me that they couldn't advance past the 2000 and 2004 conference finals. The Flyers, they're my guys, and I love them.

But the Phillies... the Phillies are my team.

Man, do I love the Eagles. I hate missing Eagles games. I don't think I've missed a playoff game in 12+ years. I was a nervous wreck during that Super Bowl and I long for the day we'll see the Eagles in another one. You gotta love the Eagles, man, those are my guys.

But the Phillies... the Phillies are my team.

They're in the playoffs and that's pretty damn great. I'm watching every pitch tonight, and, I daresay... yeah. They're gonna do it.

GO PHILS!

Wow, dude, I really wish the Phils had won that game.

Not to mention the other one.

I hate the fact that this nonsense makes me so sad. It's a disease.

142 Durfor St.

The Phillies are 0-1 on days when I buy a house.

That's right, I got the house.

In future, I will buy houses during the offseason. Lesson learned!

2005: The Yankees beat the Angels, in Anaheim, in Game 1 of their Division Series. The Angels went on to win that series. That's just one example, I'm sure there are others.

We'll get 'em tomorrow.

From the day that I was born, I've waved the flag

Okay, Phillies, big day today! Did you all get a good night's sleep? Have a nice healthy breakfast? Ryan, tuck your shirt in. Jayson, you have some schmutz on your face... no, this side... up a bit... there, you got it.

I was going to write some long melodramatic essay like I'm known for, but... eh, I'll save it. Plenty of time for that.

I'll just say this: the Rockies are playing great and they're a tough team. The way they got into the playoffs is impressive.

But so is the way we got in.

If the Phils keep up what they've been doing... well, you know what I think.

It's been an amazing couple of weeks for me, for Phillies and non-Phillies reasons alike. I'll keep up my end of it, and I think the Phils will keep up theirs.

Okay, places everyone! This is the big one! (Wheels, for the love of god, put some pants on!)

Here we go!