Philadelphia Phillies win and Tampa celebrates
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That the Philadelphia Phillies took a 3-1 lead over Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, leaving them one victory shy of the World Series, was reason for those back east to celebration ...
... in Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Here’s why.
In 2002, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were no longer patsies. They had hired Jon Gruden as coach and ditched ‘Bucco Bruce’ as their logo. But before trouncing the Oakland Raiders in the 2003 Supper Bowl, the Buccaneers went to frozen Philadelphia and handled the Eagles in the NFC title game.
Fast-forward to spring of 2004, when the Tampa Bay Lightning was making all of Canada cringe by winning the Stanley Cup (no Canadian team has won the Cup since 1993). Before making those up north sob into their Labatts by beating Calgary in the final, the Lightning crushed Philly’s cheese-steak dreams by beating the Flyers in seven games.
Tampa Bay Rays followers can only hope that if they get to the World Series, the Phillies are waiting for them. Tampa fans know two things: bad expansion teams and how to beat Philadelphia in the playoffs.
-- Chris Foster
