Friday, January 16, 2009
Marcus Morris thinks he is a jinx.
He lived in Philadelphia for the first 19 years of his life and never saw one of the city’s four professional sports teams win a championship. Then three months after moving to Lawrence, the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the World Series.
“I was real disappointed about missing the parade,” Morris said, “because I’ve never been to one.”
Now, Marcus and his twin brother Markieff are bracing for the reality that they might miss another championship parade. The Philadelphia Eagles are two victories away from winning the Super Bowl.
They play on the road against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at 2 p.m. for the NFC Championship and a spot in the Super Bowl. Do you even have to ask how Marcus sees this playing out?
“I think it’s just our year. The Phillies won. It’s just the Eagles time to win this year,” Marcus said. “Philly spirit.”
Not so fast, Marcus. Surely, he’s heard the old coaching mantra of “take it one game at a time” from Kansas coach Bill Self once or twice. Before handing the Lombardi Trophy to the Eagles, who will they have to beat for it?
It will be whichever team wins the AFC Championship between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at 5:30 p.m. Sunday.
“I like the Ravens,” Marcus said. “The Ravens’ defense is playing real good.”
To Marcus, the Eagles’ winning the Super Bowl would mean more than just his hometown team prevailing. It would serve as more ammunition to use against teammates such as Chicago natives Sherron Collins and Mario Little when they talk down on Philadelphia.
That babble has subsided a little since the Phillies’ triumph, though.
“Sherron and Mario just talked about how Philly never wins anything and Chicago always wins,” Marcus said. “When we won one, it kind of shut them up a bit.”
Marcus, who often wears a Phillies World Series hat he bought while home during winter break, can’t wait to see how Collins and Little will react if the City of Brotherly Love wins its second championship in three months.
But Little is prepared for his comeback. He’ll just point out where Donovan McNabb, the Eagles’ quarterback and one of Marcus’ favorite players, is from.
“If Philly does win, it doesn’t matter to me because Donovan McNabb is from the Chi,” Little said. “I’ll just throw that in there.”
The whole situation seems somewhat bittersweet for Marcus and Markieff. Even if the Eagles win, Little will still claim Chicago bragging rights and the twins won’t be able to attend the parade.
“As soon as I leave all of a sudden, the Phillies and Eagles start winning,” Marcus said. “And whenever I’ve been there for 19 years, they’ve never won anything.”
— — Edited by Liz Schubauer
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