Bain There, Done That: Week 8

This Sunday, brace yourself for New York at Philadelphia — big game in the series.

But if you're thinking about the World Series exclusively, you're reading the wrong column; New York and Philadelphia are meeting in another game this week.

There are a lot of similarities between the Giants' visit to the Eagles in Week 8, and the Yankees visiting the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series. Prepare yourself for FOX's ten-hour barrage of Amtrak Series montages, complete with the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty and Tim McCarver's face.

I can't remember the last time two teams from the same two cities were concurrently playing each other with so much at stake (though if you remember, e-mail me and you can receive up to 50 bonus points). Even better, the storylines overlap to create one great Big Apple-Cheesesteak sporting rivalry.

Let's start off with the championships. The Phighting Phils are the defending World Series champs. The Giants are the defending NFC East champs with a Super Bowl championship from two years ago. On the other side of the field is a team, and a city, starved for glory. The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl, and their last NFL title was won in 1960. Those 49 years, however, seem like nothing compared to the Bronx Bombers, who have waited an agonizing nine years since winning their last World Series.

And you thought Cubs fans had it rough.

Much is at stake when the New Yorkers play the Philadelphians on Sunday. In baseball, the stakes are about as high as they can get: It's the championship round, and Game 4 could prove pivotal. That's why both the Yanks and the Phils will bring back their aces — C.C. Sabathia and Cliff Lee, respectively — to start on three days' rest.

In football, the game means plenty, even though it is only a regular-season contest. The Giants (5-2) lead the NFC East, with the Eagles a half-game back at 4-2. The winner of this game will have the inside track to the division at the season's midway point, and will also be the only NFC East team to remain undefeated in division play.

The cast of characters also has some overlap. Yankees manager Joe Girardi has received praise for easing off the disciplinarian gas pedal, much like Giants coach Tom Coughlin. The Phillies and Eagles each acquired star lefties this summer, with the Phillies trading for starting pitcher Lee on July 29 and the Eagles signing Michael Vick two weeks later (though only the former has paid dividends so far). Former Giants wideout Plaxico Burress literally shot himself in the leg, while high-paid Yankee infielder Alex Rodriguez has metaphorically shot himself in the leg — at least based on his antics as reported by the New York media. (OK, a little bit of a stretch there.)

Much has been said about the Yankees and Phillies seeing each other as a mirror image in this World Series: All-Star leadoff shortstops, ace ex-Indian lefties, homer-friendly parks and rabid fan bases. On Sunday, the Giants and will step up to the mirror as well, allowing New York and Philadelphia to see that maybe, just maybe, they're not so different after all.

Yoni Bain is a columnist.