Zimmerman knew he was in enemy territory, fearing he might have a beer or two dumped on him by the end of the night at Citizens Bank Park.

But that was OK.

"This is society coming together — hopefully peacefully," said Zimmerman, 38, a history and civics teacher from Hamburg, Pa. "I've gotten a few (derogatory) comments, but I think (this World Series) has been very good for Phillies fans. I'm very pleased to see them somewhat humbled."

There was no love lost between Philadelphia and New York in the City of Brotherly Love on Sunday. It was the NFL Giants against the Eagles in the afternoon, and the Yankees facing the Phillies in Game 4 of the World Series at night. The cities, less than 100 miles apart, seemed much, much closer.

"Philadelphia is a happy place right now," Eagles radio color man Mike Quick said as the football game was about to begin.

Sure, the Yankees took a 2-1 Series lead into Game 4. But New York fans were humbled in the afternoon. The Eagles jumped to a 23-point halftime lead and pummeled the Giants 40-17.

"Today the Eagles proved to me that they are the team I thought they were," said Shirley Kennedy, 51, of Maple Shade, N.J., who was chanting 'Here we go, Phillies" at Pattison Avenue and Citizens Bank Way.

Exuberant Eagles fans were exiting the game at about the same time as Phillies fans were arriving for the World Series. Many were attending both.

"This is about as good as it gets," said Tom Hopkins, 45, an attorney from Santa Barbara, Calif., who grew up in Philadelphia. "I'd like to take some of those Eagles points and give them to the Phillies.

"I was here for last year's World Series and promised my wife I wasn't going to come back. But I happened to be in New York last week on business. I said, 'Honey, I can just take the train down. It will be easy."

Mike Bauman, 24, from Northeast Philadelphia, was showing off the tattoo on his left arm.

"That's the Philly Phanatic (mascot) holding up the 2008 World Series championship pennant," he said. "Hopefully, in another week, he'll be holding up the 2009 World Series pennant."

The Eagles and three touchdown passes by Donovan McNabb had Bob Warman of Plymouth, Pa., feeling generous. He flipped a dollar into the trumpet case of street musician Mark Nicholson. "After a big victory like that, how can you not be generous?" Warman said.

Phillies officials forced Nicholson to move from his sidewalk location just outside the ballpark.

"Too bad, because I would have cleaned up," Nicholson said after playing the theme from Rocky. "But it's all about Philly tonight — and New York, too."

Some Philly fans were feeling their oats on their home turf. Jeremy Sirkin, 21, from Upper Darby, Pa., was on the busy street corner holding a sign that read "Our City is Better than Yours" on one side and "ARoid" on the other.

Most Philly fans were less extreme. The Macasieb family from Philadelphia — three of 10 siblings with their 70-year-old mother, Pat — professed to hate no one (except maybe the Dallas Cowboys) as they walked from Lincoln Financial Field to Citizens Bank Park.

"But any win against the Giants is great, and the way they did it was excellent," said Silvino Macasieb, 44.

Michael LaValva, a New York fan from Easton, Pa., said the rivalry is not such a bad thing.

"Why do we hate Philly the way they hate New York? Because we're passionate fans," LaValva said. "There's nothing like the Northeast and the fans in New York, Philly and Boston. They all care about their teams, and that's a good thing."

Many Eagles fans who couldn't get into the World Series game opted to tailgate in the parking lots and listen to baseball on the radio, while others waited to get into McFadden's sports bar.