Ho, Hum, another pennant

Our town doesn't know how to be a dynasty, but I'm pretty sure we're going to have fun learning.

Could the Phillies become the new "America's Team"? I mean, wouldn't people have just as much fun relating to the Phils as they have had in the past hanging their dreams on the Atlanta Braves or the Dallas Cowboys? We have players with mad skills, sparkling personalities, old-school work ethics, and a genuine appreciation for how much their fans adore them (Howard, Rollins, Utley, Victorino). And while I suspect there are some rather substantial egos, there do not seem to be any divas. The players seem to genuinely like each other, which goes a long way in making them likable to US.

If there was any minor flaw in last year's championship, it was that beating the Tampa Bay Rays didn't have the cachet of beating, say, the Red Sox or the Yankees. The Rays deserved to be there, of course, but beating such a young franchise wasn't as satisfying as it would have been to topple the aforementioned legends. Now it appears that the Yankees will be representing the American League, making this matchup a true marquee attraction.

I loved the somewhat subdued nature of the celebration after the clinching game; of course, they had expended a LOT of emotional energy on that magical comeback on Monday night. I wonder if anyone on the club - coaches or players - had admonished the guys to "Act like you've been there" since, well, most of them HAVE been there. But I'm betting this second championship feels particularly validating to Manuel and his merry men; it proves they were not "lightning in a bottle" or a "flash in the pan" or what other annoying cliche you choose to apply.

I could seriously get used to this.