Thursday, January 04, 2007

Fear And Loathing in Philadelphia


We are still 2+ days from Sunday and you know what that means before a big Eagles playoff game in this city....the fear is kicking in.

I can feel it listening to 610. I feel it talking to my friends (especially the Captain). We are starting to get a little edgy about this game. We think we can win, but we're not entirely sure.

We see the stupid bulletin board comments by Trent Cole and it unnerves us a bit. We hear that Shockey practiced today and we get a little more unsettled. Panic really sets in after read Les Bowen's Daily News article today about how the Giants are the first team to get a second shot at Version 2.0 of the 2006 Eagles and the adjustments they plan to make.

Sure, the media eggs it on, but we really can't help it. It's in our DNA. No matter how much it looks like we outclass an opponent, at some point during the week leading up to the game, our city will reach a point where a mass nervous breakdown could ensue.

I've read and watched various interviews with noted Philadelphia Sports Psychologist, Joel Fish, where he has opined that our insecurity towards our teams arises out of our inferiority complex as a city compared to N.Y.C. and D.C. I disagree. I think it arises out of our fear of being hurt again by our teams.

After 23 years without a title, we've become like love scorned chicks. We're afraid to give ourselves up totally to our teams and believe in them. We're always waiting for the next shoe to drop. That might lead us to be negative and impatient towards our teams, but I think that's natural. I doubt even Mother Theresa could stay positive through this title-less streak.

Surprisingly, I have felt pretty positive about this week's game. I had two Giant fan friends tell me today how they feel they have no shot on Sunday and even want to see the G Men lose if it hastens the firing of Tom Coughlin. This led me to email my buddy the Captain and tell him how confident I was feeling about Sunday. Judging by his response, I think my positivity freaked him out. He reminded me that I'm one half of "Doom and Gloom" with our buddy Johnny Gold and things wouldn't be right if I started getting positive about our chances. I took his statement to heart.

I have to admit that I'm back on the nervous side after listening to a little bit of NY's WFAN and reading Bowen's article on the way home tonight. So much for trying to be positive, huh?

Sunday can't get here fast enough.

5 comments:

St. Joe's Nick said...

Well done, Phan. You have encapsulated the true feelings of every Philadelphia sports fan out there.

We all feel the same thing this week - controlled optimism. We want so badly to be positive about our teams, but our previous wounds continue to hurt us.

sjn

Anonymous said...

I agree with all points raised in the post and by St. Joe's Nick. However, for myself, I am relishing in the fact that the birds are IN THE PLAYOFFS. Could they lose to the G Men? Sure, but who thought they would have this opportunity 6 weeks ago. Answer, no one with a working cranium. My manifesto this week is just to have fun and ride the wave. If it crashes, so what, its not like we haven't been through it 23 years in a row. In the words of Eskin (who I hate), if your scared of the 8 and 8 Giants (who attained that record for a reason - they suck) get a dog. Myself, I am going to have fun on Sun just being a fan possessing true, not controlled, optimism.

Anonymous said...

We beatem up for 7 of the 8 quarters played this year. They backed into the playoffs riding a 3-6 streak heading into the playoffs.

They have a Manning playing in the playoffs.

No Strahan.

Plaxico doing a poor TO impersonation

Shockey, doing a better TO

Tiki, dying to get out of football

Its all good this week, but i need you to be your miserable best and second guess every move we make. I still hear you telling me the JJ needs to go and how's he's lost touch w/ the defense. I have it 24-7 Birds.

Jon1BSP said...

There's no way Tiki has the same week he had last, and even if Shockey plays, they haven't thrown to him in weeks, and when they did, like You Know Who said below, he did a great TO impression.

I hate to say it, but I think they're going to pull this one out.

Philly Phan said...

Capt...I thought about that article today...I still think I'm right. JJ's style of defense isn't the best way to go.