Down at my local tavern -- that would be "The Gold Cane" on Haight Street in San Francisco, in the spirit of free plugs -- we have this sports-mad bartender from Philly. Let's call him Philly, in case he doesn't want me writing about him.

	Doug Pederson, right, rallied the Eagles to an unlikely upset of the Cowboys.

Guy bleeds all things Philadelphia. I swear, cut him open and Cheese Whiz comes out of his veins. I think he dresses up as the Phanatic each year on Halloween. Thinks Rocky Balboa was a better fighter than Joe Louis.

So I like to tease him about all things Philadelphia. Especially since most things Philadelphia, well, you know, stink. The other day, I went in before the Eagles-Cowboys game and said, just to get his goat: "Hey, Philly, your team stinks."

Guy didn't bat an eye.

"We're just getting in position to draft Peter Warrick out of Florida State," he said.

I repeated myself: "Yo, Philly. You're oh and four. Listen to me: Your team stinks."

Guy was right back in my face, handling the heckling like Mike Schmidt handled fastballs.

"Same record as the defending Super Bowl champions and NFC champions from last year, baby," he said.

I laughed and waved my hand in disgust. What did Philly know? Guy was hopeless. If he wasn't talking Allen Iverson, he was talking Bobby Abreu. Now, he's trying to talk Andy Reid? Doug Pederson? Duce Staley?

Philly even hangs a Philadelphia Eagles flag outside his apartment. I'm serious! A Philadelphia Eagles flag hangs outside his window. It sways gently in the San Francisco breezes, it handles the moisture from the San Francisco fog, it takes the rays from the San Francisco sun.

So when I was tooling by Philly's pad late Sunday night, I couldn't help but sneak a peek at the silver-and-green banner. The score was hours old from the Vet. Eagles 13, Cowboys 10. I hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Philly, but I'm sure his face paint was smeared with tears of joy.

And you know what? Good for him. What a reward for the wait. Even Reid, the novice head coach, got into the Philly spirit and announced he would celebrate the win with "a giant cheeseburger." Actually, Andy blew the moment. Cheesesteak would have been a much better call.

So, I imagine my buddy Philly did what he always did on Monday morning -- you know, wake up at 4 a.m., drink eight egg yolks, go for a run up City Hall with his dog, Butkus, then read the Inquirer and Daily News online -- with a little extra happiness.

Yo, Philly. It's your moment, baby. Live it up.

In the spirit of the Eagles' conquest, then, we make this week's List of Five a tribute to all those long-time sufferers, a dedication to all those determined to stick by their lousy teams, a shout out to all the former sewer dwellers:

1. Bungee-jump off the Arch, Rams fans!

As a guy who has witnessed all of St. Louis' previous attempts to get over on the 49ers, I know the drill by now: Arrive Friday. Read in papers about how it will be different this year. Go to game. Watch Rams piss it away. Read Monday papers about how it's always the same. Well, guess what, baby! It ain't the same no more!

Even the Genius went over to his old buddy Dick Vermeil after the game and told him: "You're going all the way, baby." Bonus is, the Rams are guaranteed to beat the 49ers again, since Walsh accidentally slipped Vermeil the game plan in their postgame embrace.

One last thought on this momentous occurrence in St. Louis: Is there a better MVP candidate in the NFL right now than Kurt Warner? And, yes, I know they issue a jersey with No. 4 on it in Green Bay. But give me the Arena Leaguer any day. Guy knows what it's like to beat the 49ers and play with former airport baggage handlers.

2. Pound your chest, Akili!

OK, I'll buy the story. Akili Smith felt used by Carmen Policy. On the eve of the draft, the Browns opened negotiations with Smith as the top overall pick as a leverage device against Tim Couch and his agent. Carmen knew he was going to take Couch all along. But he played with Akili's emotions when he quickly worked out a deal with Couch later on and shoved the former Duck by the wayside.

So forgive Akili his moment: by throwing the game-winning TD at Cleveland, he went through some major histrionics, some chest-thumping, some "Hey, Carmen, think you can hide your 0-5 record somewhere in that coif of yours?" Couch said he wouldn't forget Smith's actions. Oh yeah? Well, neither will I. Dug it, baby!

3. Stay away, Ryan Leaf!

Is there any question that Ryan Leaf must have downed high-school beers on an old Indian burial ground? Guy is cursed. So forget about him, San Diego.You had him last year, you were one of the worst teams in the league. He's out of the picture this year, you're 3-1! So what if it's the defense doing it all? Enjoy the karma. And start thinking AFC West titles, Bolts fans.

4. Party at Rush Street, and Cade's buying!

For any of you who have ever imbibed at the legendary Chicago bar, "The Lodge," crack a peanut shell in honor of the Bears' win at Minnesota for me. And fret not, Bears fans. Though Shane Matthews injured his hamstring, you guys get the chance to see Cade McNown get after it this Sunday.

At least you hope you do: the kid is awesome. Take it from a UCLA graduate. Any cat who goes 4-for-4 in beating 'SC should be OK by any right-thinking American. Only one problem: it's Bears-Eagles on Sunday. Who to root for?

5. Do a Lambeau Leap, Packers fans! What? So, they don't fit into the theme of the meek inheriting the earth of the NFL? So what? I just wanted another chance to say that, with each passing Sunday, I'm starting to believe that Brett Favre is passing Jerry Rice as the greatest player I've ever seen play. There. Got that off my chest.

Now, Philly -- cheesesteaks for everyone! It's on me.

Brian Murphy of the San Francisco Examiner writes a weekly "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" column for ESPN.com.