I've never been to Philadelphia. I don't know much about the area or the people that live there. But I know exactly how sports fans in Philadelphia feel this week. It's a mixture of euphoria, relief, disbelief, shock, and awe. Because that's exactly how I felt six years ago when the Patriots threw 16 years' worth of sports frustrations off this Boston sports fan's back.

For Philadelphia fans it's been 25 years. A quarter century of teams who could not claim the ultimate prize. Since Dr. J and the 76ers won the '83 NBA title, the professional teams from the four major sports that call Philly home-the 76ers, Phillies, Flyers, and Eagles-combined to finish 98 seasons without a championship.

But after suffering through an agonizing two day rain delay, Philadelphia fans were rewarded when the Phillies won the longest game in World Series history-nearly 50 hours went by since first pitch Monday night-and their championship drought was officially over.

I know how you feel, Philadelphia fans. You want to read every word written about your team. You want to watch every highlight show. You already own several pieces of championship attire, and you're wondering how many is too many. You've committed every member of the team's names and faces to memory, and you're considering naming one of your children-present or future-after one of them.

And it doesn't stop here. It will continue in the days and months ahead. When they're raising the championship banner in April, you'll have had more than five full months to bask in the glow and afterglow of your city's first championship in forever. And until the final out of the Phillies' final game in 2009, they will be known as the "defending World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies."

My attitude after that first Patriots' championship was, "we've earned every last ounce of enjoyment we can get from this championship." After enduring years of suffering thanks to Boston's sports teams we wanted our victory celebration to be as monumentally good as the suffering was monumentally bad.

And why not? I'm sure Philadelphia and Boston sports fans had similar thoughts through the years. Every time a team like the Yankees or Bulls or Lakers won another championship you just wanted to scream, "enough with them-when is it our turn?!" And each time a team that didn't even exist before the streak of futility began won it all-teams such as the Marlins and Diamondbacks-you must have wondered why you even bother to root for your teams at all.

Think about this: Since Philadelphia last celebrated a championship, 50 other franchises celebrated victories. Before Philadelphia could throw another parade, the Red Sox and White Sox-two teams that hadn't won since well before the Athletics moved out of Philadelphia-won championships. Between the Yankees, Mets, Devils, Nets, Giants, and Rangers, the New York/New Jersey area celebrated 12 championships. Even a place with only one professional team-San Antonio-not only danced to "We are the Champions" but did so four times before the next Philadelphia party.

Not only did all of these other places enjoy an embarrassment of championships, but often times it was at the expense of Philadelphia's teams. The four franchises combined to play for 7 championships in the last 25 years, but couldn't put it all together in the end. And 9 other times a Philadelphia team lost in the conference finals.

But all of this is in the rearview mirror now. Let Minnesota pick up the mantle of city/region with four teams that have gone the longest without a championship. They've been waiting since 1991 for their next parade. Let Tampa Bay and Chicago fans worry about missed opportunities and wonder when it will be time for their teams to finally break through.

I'll offer a little friendly advice to my friends in Philly: Enjoy this as much as you can. You never know if this week's World Series victory was the start of a Boston-like run of 6 championships in 6 years or the point of reference for the next championship drought. Either way, this championship is yours and no one can take it away.

So buy as many T-shirts as you think are necessary-especially those discounted division and league championship shirts (some of the most comfortable shirts I own). Splurge on that plaque, book, or DVD. Or add said items to your Christmas list. Don't feel self-conscious when you break out into a huge smile on the subway or in your car or on the street for seemingly no reason. You have a reason, 25 years in the making.

I'm going to stop and grab a cheesteak for dinner on the way home in honor Philadelphia's big win. From one formerly long-suffering sports fan to another-I'll raise a toast to Philadelphia tonight.

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Week 9 NFL Picks

Arizona (-3) over ST. LOUIS
CLEVELAND (-1