Philadelphia fans cheer a reversed "curse"

By Jessica Hall

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Chilly weather and a two-night delay in finishing the World Series did not spoil the excitement of Philadelphia fans who took to the streets to cheer the city's first major professional sports title in 25 years.

"A championship-starved city finally got fed," said Philadelphia native John Land, 27, after the Philadelphia Phillies completed a rain-suspended 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night to win baseball's Fall Classic.

One beer-drinking crowd sprayed champagne and lit fireworks in the street, while shirtless men with Phillies logos painted on their chests braved temperatures in the low 40s F (5 degrees C) and ran through the streets screaming: "Finally. We're number one!"

The Phillies captured their first World Series title since 1980 and only their second ever in a unique finish to Game Five, which was suspended in the sixth inning on Monday with the score tied 2-2 when the field became unplayable after rain. The Phillies won the best-of-seven series four games to one.

"We finally reversed the curse," said Nicole Mallon, 19.

The suspected curse has been hanging over the city's sports teams since the 1987 construction of a skyscraper that exceeded the height of a statue of the city's founder, William Penn, atop City Hall. Previously, no building in the city had surpassed the hat on Penn's head.

No Philadelphia team in professional major-league baseball, football, hockey or basketball had won a title since the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers won the championship in 1983.

"We're going to win everything now. We're a new city," said Don Trommer, who celebrated with friends in the streets of a working-class neighborhood known as the Great Northeast.

During Wednesday's 3 1/2 innings, fans and police officers crowded the sidewalks outside a closed appliance store to watch the game on TVs, and peeked in the doorways of crowded bars to catch a glimpse of the game.

Afterward, fans lingered in the stadium and filled the streets through the city, honking car horns and creating traffic jams for several hours after the game ended.

Philadelphia police declined to provide statistics on the number of extra officers on duty to control the crowds.

"It's all in good fun until they start rocking buses and throwing beer bottles at us," said a Philadelphia police officer named McMichael, who declined to give her first name. "We blocked off the streets so they could have some fun and so far, so good."

The poles of traffic lights and streetlights were greased to prevent fans from scaling them, and streets were barricaded to keep revelers contained in main thoroughfares.

In South Philadelphia, some celebrating fans were taken away in handcuffs after loud fireworks went off, according to ABC affiliate WPVI television. No injuries were reported.

"The curse is over, said Frank Tursi, 32, a resident of South Philadelphia, a neighborhood near the baseball stadium.