Swept Away

That was quick.

After waiting 14 years to return to the playoffs, the Phillies won the National League East Division on the final day of the regular season last Sunday. The city, basking in the glory of a long-awaited postseason berth, was overcome with Phillies Phever.

One week later, it was all over.

The Colorado Rockies quickly ended the Phillies season Saturday night, sweeping away the Fightin’s, 3-0, in the best-of-five National League Division Series.

And so, the drought continues.

Since 1983, none of the City of Brotherly Love’s “Big Four” professional sports teams (the Phillies, the Eagles, the 76ers and the Flyers) have won a championship.

In the past 24 title-less years, each of the “Big Four” teams have reached the championship round of their respective sports – sometimes more than once.

Each time, the city gets its collective hopes up.

And each time, the city is ultimately let down.

Hard.

Nothing different this time around.

Although the Phillies’ journey to the postseason was enthralling, the team’s fate only contributed to the bipolar pattern that burdens the city’s sports fans.

To make matters worse, the Phillies were swept out of the playoffs by an organization that was only in its first year of existence when the Fightin’s made their last playoff appearance in 1993. That fateful year, the Phillies lost the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays after Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run to win the championship in game six. Only two players have hit a walk-off home run to win the World Series. And one of those times was against the Phillies.

Feeling depressed yet?

Well, don’t give up hope yet, Philly sports fans. Besides, three of the “Big Four” will be in action by next month.

The Eagles? At 1-3, they’re currently at the bottom of the NFC East.

The Sixers? Too young.

The Flyers? Too irrelevant.

Feeling depressed again?

That was quick.