"What? Six months and no championship yet? I'm not so sure about this 'Philadelphia' stuff."

The year Kelly was born, the Mets won the World Series. She was a good luck charm of sorts, at least according to my Dad. Cody has been doing his job so far in following her footsteps. Every time they have won, Cody has been awake (for at least part of the game).

Here he is last week, anxious that the Brewers are up...



Oh, now it's ok. The Phillies won!



However, we're now in the NLCS and the Dodgers are already winning. We may have to wake him up, shots or no shots. And by the way, note that JVL does not share CJP's relief, even after the final score had been called. Everything it means to be a Philly fan is right there on his face. The haunted, wounded, skeptical look of someone whose four national sports teams have not won a championship in 100 consecutive seasons. Someone who is beyond prayer, and knows better than to hope. Someone who would hurl snowballs at Santa Claus in the middle of a December Eagles game. Or, at least, would understand the impulse.