In Philadelphia, Sunday was the sweetest of days

PHILADELPHIA — Four hours before kickoff, the parking lot already is filled. A man wearing a Shane Victorino Phillies jersey is grilling chicken next to a woman wearing a Brian Westbrook Eagles T-shirt. She is taking out potato salad from their "Go Phillies" cooler.

Mobile homes are flying flags for both the Phillies and Eagles, and when the occasional New York fan bravely walks past, wearing a Yankees jacket or a vintage Michael Strahan Giants shirt, he or she is greeted with a string of pejoratives that would make Chris Rock cringe.

This sweetest of Sundays is the highlight of the craziest four-day weekend in Philadelphia's long, checkered sports history.

I remember my father, who lived his whole life back here, calling me after the parade that followed the Phillies' win in the World Series of 1980. "I never thought this would happen in Philadelphia," he told me. I can only wonder what he would think of a weekend like this.

In an area the size of a few Manhattan blocks, the World Series between the Phillies and Yankees is playing in one stadium and, just across the street, the Eagles and Giants are fighting for first place in the NFC East.

On this weekend, this small piece of Philadelphia real estate is the epicenter of sports. And even for a community as rabid as Philadelphia's, this confluence of games is like some kind of Halley's Comet moment. There is a "this may never happen again" feel to these games.

The weekend is a true celebration of the games people play. It is a tribute to the beauty of bitter rivals and a reminder of the important role sports can play in a city's culture.

"What a great day it is in Philadelphia," Eagles coach Andy Reid said.

A guy wearing a Donovan McNabb jersey moves a few orange cones and finds a parking space for his friend, who gets out of his Land Rover wearing a white Cliff Lee shirt with red pinstripes. That's formal attire this weekend.

This unprecedented weekend in Philadelphia even included four Pearl Jam concerts. Seattle's hometown band, which Philadelphia occasionally adopts as its own, played the last four shows ever at the soon-to-be-razed Spectrum.

On Friday night, Phillies left fielder Raul Ibanez was in the audience, and when Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder told the sold-out crowd Ibanez was present, it growled, "Rauuuuul."

Imagine a weekend like this in Seattle. The Mariners playing in the World Series and the Seahawks playing, say, the San Francisco 49ers, for first place in the NFC West.

But multiply that a few hundred times, throw in the century-long hatred between the sports fans of Philadelphia and New York, and you get an idea of how intense this weekend felt.

"I'm kind of a chill guy. I don't focus on all the hoopla," said Eagles fullback Leonard Weaver, who played four seasons in Seattle. "But you can't help but notice the buzz. It's a pretty intense moment around here when the Yankees or the Giants come to town. And for both of them to be here in one weekend? Man, it's a very stimulating time."

Weaver got Sunday rolling in Philly, scoring on a 41-yard run on the third play from scrimmage. By halftime, the Eagles led the Giants 30-7, and by the beginning of the fourth quarter of the 40-17 Philadelphia win, the crowd already was chanting, "Let's go Phillies."

"To see these fans, as passionate as they are, and the love they have for sports is just great," Weaver said. "I never imagined this happening in Seattle, and to be in the middle of it now is a great blessing."

Philadelphia fathers raise their children to despise New York teams. You see, Philadelphia fans have been dealt a lifetime of heartache by the teams of New York. It's a lopsided rivalry. The Yankees have won 26 World Series championships and 40 American League pennants. This is just the seventh World Series appearance for the Phillies. They've won twice.

The Giants have seven NFL titles and three Super Bowl wins. The Eagles are 0 for 2 in Super Bowls and haven't won an NFL championship since 1960.

And at the end of this long emotional day, the Yankees added to that New York dominance.

Start spreading the news. In the late evening chill Sunday, more than 15 hours after the first tailgater's grill fired up, Alex Rodriguez, Mr. November, lined a heartbreaking, two-out double to left off Brad Lidge that was part of a three-run ninth.

The game was over that fast. The Yankees had beaten the Phillies 7-4 to take a 3-1 World Series lead, and the crowd at Citizens Bank Park park fell as silent as death. Philadelphia wouldn't have its perfect day.

Still, this day and this weekend remain a celebration of sports, all of its bitterness and all of its sweetness.

We'll leave it to the sociologists to debate the true value of sports weekends this rich and sports rivalries this fervid.

But ask a red-capped woman flipping cheeseburgers in the parking lot, or a green-shirted guy firing up a grill about this sweet taste of anticipation.

Ask them how delicious this day is.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com