Palin Curse Lifted; Penn Curse Next?

Typically, I don't believe in curses, but the evidence in this case is pretty damning.

Republican VP Candidate Sarah Palin (referred to as the "V-Pilf" in the locker room the other night) dropped the ceremonial first puck at the Flyers season-opener. The Flyers lost their first six games of the season.

On Friday night, the V-Pilf was in St. Louis, again to drop the puck in advance of the Blues game against the Los Angeles Kings. As the Blues were taking the ice, goaltender Manny Legace tripped on the carpet laid out for Palin to walk to center ice and strained his hip. He left the game after the first period, and the Blues were shutout 4-0.

The Flyers, meanwhile, went into the swamps of Jersey (where they hadn't won since 2004) and knocked off long-time nemesis Martin Brodeur and the Devils for their first win of the season. They also took the second half of the home-and-home series yesterday afternoon, with Jeff Carter scoring the OT winner.

Is it any surprise John McCain is trailing in the polls?

Speaking of lifting curses, the Phillies are now two wins away after last night's (this morning's?) 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the World Series.

Jamie Moyer, who had been rocked around the park in his first two post-season starts, threw a gem. Chase Utley and Ryan Howard hit back-to-back home runs. Evan Longoria's deep fly ball came to rest in Pat Burrell's glove on the warning track in left. it seemed all the breaks were going our way.

Then the seventh inning started.

Moyer made a great play on a drag bunt by Carl Crawford, throwing Crawford out by a half a step. Only Crawford was called safe, another missed call by the umpires in this series. Of course, he came around to score as the Rays cut it to 4-3.

B.J. Upton walked in the eighth, stole second and third, and scored on Carlos Ruiz's errant throw to third. 4-4 in the ninth.

Lucky for the Phillies, Rays reliever Grant Balfour hit Eric Bruntlett, then uncorked a wild pitch. As Bruntlett hustled to second, the throw by catcher Dionner Navarro sailed into center field as Bruntlett scamperd to third. Two intentional walks loaded the bases with nobody out and brought the aforementioned Ruiz to the plate.

Ruiz atoned for his throwing error, hitting a chopper to third that Longoria flipped to the backstop as the Bruntlett scored the winning run.

The Phillies are two wins away from exorcising the evil spell posthumously cast on the city's sports franchises by founding father William Penn.

In 1983, the William Penn statue atop City Hall was the city's highest point. The skyscraper at One Liberty Place opened, and the city's championship drought began. When the Comcast Center, now the city's apex, was constructed, the architects affixed a William Penn figurine on the roof.

Rightfully returned to his perch atop the city, hopefully Billy Penn will witness the Phillies ascension to the top of the baseball world.

Let's hope they don't invite Palin to throw out the first pitch.