"The Eagles will win a Super Bowl someday. And McNabb will lead them there....he's a great Quarterback."

That's what I, along with most of Philadelphia, have been saying since recovering from last Sunday's Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots. We watch McNabb week after week, and what we see is one of the league's top Quarterbacks. We assume that, eventually, this will be enough to bring a parade to Broad Street.

But sometimes, it's not.

Yesterday Karl Malone announced his retirement, and with that, became one of the top profesional athletes to retire without ever winning a championship. It's one of the most popular debates on sportsradio, at sports bars, and around water coolers: Who are the greatest players to never win a championship and can they still be considered Hall of Famers despite their ability to win the most famous jewelry in sports? How important, exactly, is a championship?

ESPN recently compiled their list of the top 10 athletes to retire without a ring. There are some huge names on the list: Ted Williams, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, and Ty Cobb to name a few. The NBA, alone, is full of big names that never won championships thanks to Michael Jordan's remarkable reign over the League for so many years. Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, and John Stockton are just a few of the ultra-talented players with nothing to show for their efforts.

Seeing the names of such oft-mentioned athletes reminds us that an athlete's greatness guarantees nothing.

As a Philadelphian, one has to wonder if Allen Iverson and Donovan McNabb will end up on that list.

With a season cancellation looming for the NHL and another season of mediocrity looming for the Phillies, Donovan McNabb and Allen Iverson are currently the two most exciting athletes in Philadelphia. But do we fully appreciate watching them ply their craft or are we too busy worrying about winning a championship?

On Saturday night, Allen Iverson scored 60 points (60 points!!!) in a win over the Orlando Magic. He shot 17 for 36 from the floor, 2 for 5 from three-point territory, and nailed 24 of 27 free-throws. That would be a tremendous effort from any player, but from Iverson, it was remarkable. Anyone who has seen Iverson play knows that his greatest contribution is not his ability to force a turnover or the eyes he has got to have in the back of his head. The most important thing Iverson brings to the table is his fearlessness, toughness, and determination.

Iverson is not a big guy, as anyone except Allen will tell you. When he drives to the basket night after night, it's as if he believes that he is 7 feet, 250 pounds. But the less-than-6-foot Iverson throw his body around each and every game, many times ending up on the floor.

"If it wasn't for Allen's unspeakable amount of toughness, that I've personally never witnessed before, he would have a shortened career, having gotten nailed that many times."

That's Sixers coach Jim O'Brien, who is lucky enough to watch Iverson play every night. So why does Iverson play such an aggressive game, despite the physical harm it has done?

It could be his past experience as a football player. Or, it could be the fact that he has no other choice.

The Sixers' management has done nothing to try to bring a championship to Philly since the team's 2001 appearance in the NBA Finals. Kyle Korver is maturing and fast becoming an offensive threat, but for most of his NBA career, Iverson has been forced to do too much to give his team a win.

Such mediocrity, combined with the Eagles' recent success, has resulted in many Philly sports fans overlooking the Sixers. Most fans still tune in to the games, but they are rarely taken seriously as a team with playoff aspirations and games are not sold out on a consistent basis. Those of us who do watch are constantly complaining about the front office's lack of focus, lack of dedication, and failure to build a valid contender. Plus, the team's sub-.500 record prevents them from appearing on national TV, keeping fans of other teams from ever seeing Iverson in action. Thus, the question must be asked: are we too busy worrying about winning to appreciate one of the most impressive players in recent NBA history?

Jim O'Brien thinks so.

"We are all witnessing one of the great careers in the NBA, put on by one of the most talented, tough guys with the biggest heart ever seen on the basketball court," O'Brien said. "I think we should all enjoy this while Allen is still in the NBA."

Could the same be said for Donovan McNabb? The beauty of watching him work in the pocket has been expounded upon on this very page. His talents are not lost on the majority of Philadelphians. But are we too worried about rumors of vomiting and breathlessness to notice? Are we too concerned with a parade to enjoy what we we have?

We spend a great deal of time worrying about parades, rings, and Hall of Fame nominations, and while those things are all a wonderful way of telling a player his actions were appreciated, there's another way of saying thanks: appreciate them NOW.

"You don't ever get the goose bumps until the fans start to appreciate what you are doing out there. When they are up and making noise... they are feeling good. It makes you feel good about the people coming out to see you and something they might remember and cherish for the rest of their lives."

That was Allen Iverson, talking about the crowd at the Wachovia Center following his 60-point effort.

I do believe that, with help from each team's management, Allen Iverson and Donovan McNabb are capable of leading their teams to a championship.

But what if they don't? What if what we are seeing right now is as good as it gets?

That's ok, too.