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Philadelphia Fans Fear 'God Is Joking With Us Again'

The Associated Press

Philadelphia Phillies fan Jimmy Martyniak, of Aston, Penn., wears a Phillies sticker on his shaved head.

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By HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 28, 2008

TAMPA - Uh-oh.

The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but for long-suffering fans of the Philadelphia Phillies, the biblical deluge that suspended Game 5 of the World Series is an omen on par with the number of the beast.

"Everyone sees this as the latest in a 30-year cycle of bad omens," says Glen Macnow, who should know.

Macnow, a former sports writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is a host on the city's biggest radio sports talker, WIP, 610 AM, and has co-authored three top-selling Philadelphia sports books.

He says Phillies fans, with their team up three games to one against the Rays and starter Cole Hamels - its best pitcher - on the mound, could taste the end of a 28-year championship drought after Sunday night's 10-2 rout in Game 4.

But now, says Macnow, Phillies fans think the downpour will extend the drought that has existed since pitching star Tug McGraw jumped for joy as the Phils beat the Royals in the1980 World Series.

"This is like the rain of the 1977 National League Championship Series," he says, referring to how the Phillies lost the last game of that series with future Hall of Famer Steve Carlton on the mound. Like Monday night, it was in a driving rain (but in Los Angeles, of all places). NL officials refused to call the game, and the Phillies lost, 4-1.

There's been other precedence for something wicked this way coming toward Philadelphia, Macnow says in between commercial breaks of his top-rated sports talk show.

• NHL linesman Leon Stickle missing an offsides call that helped the New York Islanders win Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup finals against the Flyers.

• The Fog Bowl, the 1988 NFL playoff game between the Eagles and Chicago Bears played in dense fog at Chicago's Soldier Field. The Bears won 20-12.

• And, of course, the fact that no Philadelphia major sports franchise has won a championship since the city violated a long-standing gentleman's agreement by building One Liberty Place office tower higher than the hat on the William Penn statue atop city hall.

"All of those things put together is one bad omen," Macnow says.

Macnow says he still thinks the Phillies are going to win the World Series.

But still.

"What you need to understand is that [Monday], having a 3-1 lead with the best pitcher on the mound, Phillies fans allowed themselves the feeling of being optimistic," Macnow says. "Then, all of a sudden, Hamels is out of the game and quirky weather things were happening. I don't want to sound like I am whining, but I believe Tampa Bay's second run came because of the weather. I am not taking anything away from them, but Hamels did not have his best changeup [Monday] night because of the weather. Now Phillies fans have a deep feeling in the pit of their stomachs. God is joking with us again."

Editor Howard Altman can be reached at (813) 259-7629.

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