A midget dunking, Sasquatch existing, Kirstie Alley executing a perfect swan dive.

These are just a few of the things the public judges as more likely than the Giants beating the Phillies in the National League Championship Series this year.

Common thought has Philly prevailing in four to six games on the strength of home field advantage, a star-studded lineup and an ace who’s as difficult to hit as a house fly after six Jack-and-Cokes (so I hear anyway).

As unlikely as it is that the Giants will win, it’s still going to be a great series to watch.

Why?

It depends who you are.

If you’re a Phillies fan, the answer is obvious: This is your chance for revenge. Beating the Giants gives you a chance to go back to the World Series in a potential rematch against the hated Evil Empire.

Philly may have won a championship in 2008, but let’s not kid ourselves. There’s pride on the line when it comes to playing the Yankees. The Phillies are hungry for redemption.

Derek Jeter and Co. embarrassed them last year, beating them two of three games at home and delivering an Evander Holyfield-Buster Douglas–esque beatdown in a decisive Game 6. Yes, the Phillies won two games in the series (including Game 1) but both of those games were Cliff Lee starts. Without him, they likely would have been swept.

It’s obvious this team still has something to prove.

On the other hand, if you’re a Giants fan, you have next to nothing to prove. You’re the happy-go-lucky guy at the corner of the bar with the black-and-orange cap and the Brian Wilson imitation beard. Your team wasn’t supposed to make it this far, not with the lineup it started the season with, which means you’re in bonus baseball right now all things considered.

I know this because I’m a Giants fan. And, like nearly every other Giants fan I know, I’m happier than a pig in Clay Davis’ favorite noun that my team is in the NLCS. It’s something I dreamed about but hardly expected.

After all, this is a team that began the season with Pablo Sandoval, Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa at the heart of the lineup. Tom Berenger’s Indians from Major League had a better middle of the order. Now San Francisco is four games away from a championship appearance.

If you’re a Giants fan and you don’t care about this series, you must be out of your damn mind.

The same goes for baseball purists, the ones who love a good old fashioned pitcher’s duel.

This series features one of the finest collections of aces in recent memory (Roy Halladay, Tim Lincecum, Roy Oswalt, Matt Cain, Cole Hamels, Jonathan Sanchez) creating pitching matchups so exhilarating your 60-year-old neighbor will ditch his Cialis for the week.

He won’t need it with the excitement this series is going to produce. (If you like pitching that is.)

Each of those guys has pitched brilliantly so far in the playoffs, particularly Halladay (second no-hitter in postseason history against the Reds) and Lincecum (nine innings of shutout ball and 14 strikeouts against the Braves). Watching these two square off in Game 1 is going to be like watching Picasso go head-to-head with Van Gogh in a paint-off; just clear everyone out of the way and let the masters work.

I can’t wait.

Hardcore fanatics and Philly/San Fran homers aren’t the only ones who will fall in love with this series though.

Casual baseball fans will love the personality of the Giants. Not only are they underdogs, San Francisco is also the most personality-riddled clubhouse in the league.

Think about it. There’s Lincecum with his boyish grin and Hanson-esque locks. There’s Brian Wilson with his cartoonish beard, unbuttoned shirt and orange-Sharpied cleats. There’s Buster Posey with his baby-faced charm. And there’s Kung-Fu Panda, the Giants’ tubby third baseman who blows bubbles with his gum during routine throws to first base.

What’s not to love about this team?

They’re probably going to get their asses handed to them by an offensive juggernaut that includes multiple MVP winners, but they’re going to have fun doing it. And odds are so will you.

If you’re a Yankees fan, you’ll probably flip over to this series during 30 Rock commercial breaks. You’ll say you’re scouting the competition but really you’re just counting the days until ring No. 28. Who’re we kidding? You’ve already scheduled the parade into your Blackberry.

Rangers fans will be so caught up researching things like Alex Rodriguez’s effectiveness against left-handed starters and Andy Pettitte’s ERA on 11 days’ rest that they’ll likely skip this series altogether. Not that they should. If anybody has a chance of knocking off the Yankees on the way to the World Series, it’s them.

Bud Selig will be out cold next to a stack of George Will hardcovers but when he wakes up momentarily to slug a glass of Perrier I bet he finds these games entertaining.

Alyssa Milano will probably like the matchup quite a bit less. But when she succeeds in breaking down the door to Matt Kemp’s room, it will at least give them something to watch together.

Meanwhile, Robin Williams will be launching into an even more unintelligible tirade than the one he threw before Game 1 of the NLDS and Gavin Newsom will be scheming ways to wrap the Liberty Bell in a Giants flag.

Even the Philly Phanatic will take a break from filming ESPN commercials to watch. (Derek Jeter still won’t know who the green hair in his razor belongs to though. Bad um chish.)

In the end, we’ll all be winners because this series is going to be the most entertaining, lopsided NLCS matchup we’ve had in a long time. If we’re lucky, it’ll be Celtics-Bulls 2008. If not, at least it’ll be quick and raucous.

Getcha popcorn ready.

Patrick Crawley is the sports editor for Neon Tommy and the managing editor of Basketball Fiend.

• The Philadelphia Phillies win the World Series with a 4-3 Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies for winning the World Series and ending championship droughts for the team and city that lasted nearly 30 years. The Phils defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in Wednesday’s conclusion to Monday’s suspended game five, and Cole Hamels was named World Series MVP. The Phillies set Philly free at last and and the city hopes the winning spills over to the Eagles.

If the monotone stylings of Joe Buck aren’t your thing check out how broadcasting legend Harry Kalas made the call of the Phillies winning the World Series.

And you had to know, like Boston Celtics fans, the Philadelphia Phillies fans were gonna tear some shit up after winning the championship. I’m still not clear what the fence in this video did to deserve the ass whooping it got.

The Detroit Tigers’ Dontrelle Willis prepares for life after baseball by interviewing Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies and David Wright of the New York Mets. The question that Willis wants answered to most is “Who’s the toughest pitcher you’ve faced?” and he’s begging for the answer to be him. Ryan Howard took the diplomatic way out by saying the D-Train is one of the best pitchers in the game but David Wright didn’t hold back.

Dontrelle: Who’s one of the toughest pitchers you’ve faced in the league man and why?

David: I would say you but I own you.

Classic. For the record Wright is 14-39 (.359) with 1 hr and 8 rbi against Willis. Dontrelle cracked back by saying it’s gonna be Tigers-Phillies in the World Series, but it was too late. Wright got him again.

Tags: Dontrelle Willis, Ryan Howard, David Wright, Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, video, youtube, utube

Weddings are beautiful.. ways for a two people to make some quick cash and get a lot of gifts. The rich and famous are no exception. Philadelphia Phillie Pat Burrell and his fiance Michelle Fonseca apparently have some big plans for their kitchen. Check out the registry for the November 10th Burrell/Fonseca union:

They’ve asked for a slew of bakeware and cooking tools from Williams-Sonoma: bowls, spatulas, pastry and basting brushes, colanders, a panini press and a grill press, a juicer, a flour sifter, a stainless-steel salad spinner, a rice cooker, a waffle maker, a $500 espresso maker, a wok, a pepper mill (red, 12 inches), and not one but two Dutch ovens. The maple rolling pin ($36) should say Louisville Slugger, it’s so solid.

Forget the fact that I don’t know what half of that stuff is.. I roll with the basics. Pots, pans, plates, bowls, and silverware… You might have to use a jelly jar for a glass. Maybe Pat should add timely hitting to the registry for next year’s playoff run.

Burrell in full swing for kitchen. Courtesy of Philly.com

Make sure you check out the entire Pat Burrell proposal photo shoot. The photo is courtesy of Hollyes.com (A Thousand Words).

Tags: Pat Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies, Baseball, MLB, Sports, Weddings, Wedding Registry

Alcohol.. It’s like steroids for hecklers and there’s no better place for fans to juice up than right in the parking lot. A lot of food, plenty of drank, and a video camera are all that you need for a successful tailgate.

Jacksonville Jaguars fans like to kickoff the festivities with some beverages, a fire, and two chicks wrestling a dude.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poLpdSEcFxU]

 People drink in Philly? Which is more of a dead giveaway that this video is early in the season: one guy screaming that the Phils will dominate the NL East or the dude being excited about Brett Myers?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujKL2sk6658]

Penn State alumni having a good time. Keep this up and we’ll be seeing the likes of Blair Thomas and Mike McQueary cleaning up outside the stadium.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AakHAq4gWFg]

NASCAR fans gettin loose:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvyPGuzT-Zc]

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Freddy Garcia attacks cart, then gets carted off. Courtesy of Babes Love Baseball

Jeff Van Gundy not leaving Houston? Courtesy of MSNBC (not exactly a blog but w/e)

Basketball can tear a family apart. Courtesy of Ball Hype

Did ESPN suspend Keith Olbermann? Courtesy of The Big Lead

Sopranos and Entourage vs. The Philadelphia Phillies. Courtesy of The 700 Level

Ashy Larry is having a bad couple of weeks. Courtesy of SOHH

Vernon Wells loves his detractors. Courtesy of Our Book of Scrap

Steve Nash is calling out somebody on his team. Courtesy of Larry Brown Sports

KG lets T-Mac know it wasn’t his fault. Courtesy of The Hype Guy

Floyd Mayweather Sr.= The Crypt Keeper. Courtesy of Concrete Loop

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