Sal Paolantonio pretty much sums up the feeling in the Philly metro area:

What will this town be like, what will the celebration be like if the Eagles finally prevail on Sunday and go to the Super Bowl?

That question was put to three veterans of the Eagles defense, three guys who are the hardcore fan favorites, who have toiled, literally, through the blood, sweat and tears of the last two years of ugly disappointment.

Troy Vincent, Bobby Taylor and Brian Dawkins all had the same one word answer:

"Sick."

As in flat-out, whacked-out, all-out crazy, mad jubilation.

"It'll be off the chain," said Dawkins, who plays safety, well, off the chain.

"It'll be a human tornado at the Linc," said Taylor, referring to Lincoln Financial Field, the site of Sunday's NFC championship game between Philadelphia and Carolina.

"I want that feeling so bad," said Vincent, who grew up 26 miles from downtown Philly.

"Right now, Philadelphia is like a giant bottle of champagne that has been strapped to one of those paint can shakers at the hardware store for 40 years, and it's ready to blow," said Glen Macnow, co-author of a new book called The Great Philadelphia Fan Book (Middle Atlantic Press). "When it blows, the party will be like something you've never seen before."

The feeling is measured optimism at this point.