My top momments in Philadelphia sports history

Disappointment is a term well known by Philadelphia sports fans.

More often than not, high hopes fall by the wayside. Guys like Scott Rolen, Eric Lindros, Allen Iverson, and Donovan McNabb come and go without bringing the city a championship.

Everything changed in 2008 when the Phillies won the cities first championship in 25 years.

The perception of Philadelphia has changed and there was evidence of that when Cliff Lee left about $30 million on the table to re-sign with the Phillies rather than sign with the Mighty Yankees.

It got me thinking of what the top memories I have in my life of watching way more losses and disappointments than watching successful teams and players.

Number 5
Roy Halladay had waited his entire year to pitch in the playoffs. He finally got his chance in 2010 and his first start was historic. Halladay pitched only the second no hitter in MLB history, leading the Phillies to a memorable win over the Cincinnati Reds. As the game went on, I actually was more excited for Halladay to get the no hitter than I was for the Phillies to take a 1-0 series lead. As Brandon Phillips, the last batter of the game, hit a little dinker in front of the plate and Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz scrambled to find the ball, my heart stopped. I jumped up and down as Phillips was thrown out. You would have thought the Phillies had won the World Series.

Number 4
I was 13 and had no rememberance of a successful Phillies season. They were absolutely terrible for most of my childhood. 1993 was a different year. The Phils had a bunch of filthy scrubs who loved to play the game. There are so many memories I have from that season, the best watching Mitch Williams jump 2 feet off the ground and into the hands of catcher Darren Daulton as the Phillies celebrated their first trip to the World Series in a decade.

Number 3
Wayne Gretzky, Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey - these are just some of the Hall of Famers the 1986-87 Edmonton Oilers had. But the singy Philadelphia Flyers took them to seven games, only to lose. But game 6 will go down as one of the best in the history of the franchise. Many say that this was the loudest it had ever been in the Spectrum. Brian Propp scored late in the third period to tie the game and JJ Daigneault set off an explosion as he fired a puck that bounced off the boards past Fuhr for the game winner.

Number 2
The year was 2004. The Eagles had lost three straight NFC Championship games. Their run was remarkable but without a trip to the Super Bowl it was empty. On that chilly day in January the Eagles finally got over the hump, beating the Atlanta Falcons and their quarterback, Michael Vick.

Could it be that Vick is now the one who will get the Eagles back to the big game?

Number 1
Brad Lidge going to his knees and embracing Carlos Ruiz. This was the first championship I had ever experienced in my lifetime - I was three when the Sixers won and a baby when the Phillies won their only other championship, so I don't remember those.

This was easily the best day of my sports life. The joy was tremendous. I was able to unleash years and years of frustration, disappointment, and wonder of what it would be like for one of my teams to win.

Now I am craving another title.

Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, Hamels - I might not have to wait much longer.