Honorary Phan?

Check out these segments from today's Sports Guy chat on ESPN.com:

Josh (Ann Arbor, MI): I'm excited for Philly home games, too...though I have this impending feeling of doom that this year is no different from the last several. We are simply not good enough to come up with those two extra necessary wins. Do you really think the Phils can do it?

Bill Simmons: Don't count out a potential Saints-like conspiracy here. It's in the best interests of MLB to have Ryan Howard playing as long as possible in October - he's the first slugger since the 80's where we can definitively say, "All right, there's no way this guy is on steroids." I mean, he has 2 brothers who are both the same size, I think one's even bigger than him. They need Ryan Howard next month. He's a godsend for them.

Doug (Baltimore, MD): As someone who grew up in Philly, let me tell you: The Phillies are not making the playoffs. After 23 years of this stuff, you get used to it and it becomes expected at this point. Give you hope, then tear your heart out. Same old story.

Bill Simmons: Poor Philly... I find myself subconsciously rooting for all their teams now, it's unquestionably the most tortured sports city in America. Not even Red Sox fAns at their absolutel apex were this convinced at all times that the worst possible thing would happen. I will never forget being in the stadium for the Eagles-Pats SB when the Pats went ahead in the 3rd and the Philly fans just completely checked out of the game, they were so bitter and angry that they couldn't even function.

Ben, Philadelphia: As a betting man I'd figure you'd be loving the Phills as a weeklong fade. Haven't dissapointed yet and Washington is a +170 tonight!

Bill Simmons: Look, I'm not saying I wasn't 100% convinced it was going to happen. I even saw a friend of mine on Monday night who's a big Dodgers fan, I was convincing him that LA would be fine because Philly would choke like they always do, he didn't believe me, then they blew a 4-2 lead in the late innings. I just am holding out hope that, one of these times, Philly comes through.

Bert (Philadelphia): There's a chance for an unprecedented "levels of losing: extreme nuclear holocaust edition" in Philly next Monday. IF the Phils play a one-game playoff, it'll be here on Monday. That night, the Eagles play the TAFKA Farve at the Linc.

Bill Simmons: Wow! Now that's one of the all-time great sports days... I hope that happenes. By the way, don't forget the Ewing Theory implications of the Abreu trade... Don't discount this for a second.

Tim (Pinckney, MI): Let's bring it back to baseball. Now that Boston is out, which teams would you most enjoy seeing in the World Series?

Bill Simmons: Good question. My top-3 ideal matchups:

1. Phillies-Yankees. Good against evil.
2. Mets-Tigers. Just think the crowds would be really fun on both sides.
3. Phillies-Tigers. Although it would be tough to pick which fan base needed the win more... probably Philly, but it's close. At least Detroit had the Pistons.

Jim (NJ): Over/Under: The amount of pill bottles thrown on field by Philly fans at the 10/8 Cowboys game: 30,000.

Bill Simmons: 30,000???? Come on, that's low... each fan will be good for four bottles, 60,000 people, I'm saying the over/under is 200,000.

It seems like the Sports Guy is really on our side, huh? I think we can make space on the bandwagon. Too bad the Phils didn't fulfill his optimistic approach. I guess this can be his introduction into the disappointment of being a Philly Sports Phan.