So the Phillies lost the opener of their National League Division Series to the Rockies. They did not play well. They disappointed the faithful who packed Citizens Bank Park. The top of their lineup, the guys who carried them all year, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, were dreadful. Utley struck out four times.

There are bigger things in life.

A lot of readers tell me we pay entirely too much attention to sports. "Keep it on the Back Page," is their mantra. They don’t want it all over the front page as well.

It’s a juggling act, these decisions that we make here each day.

But the readers make a good point.

Yes, it’s nice to be swept up with Phillies Phever.

But we shouldn’t lose sight of what is really important.

Like what is going to happen this afternoon and tomorrow here in Delaware County.

Family, friends and firemen from all across the state will descend on Delaware County to pay their respects to one of their own who fell in the line of duty.

Michael Reagan was just 19 years old. He died last week of injuries he suffered while battling a fire in a garage in Sharon Hill.

We likely will take a photo of the viewing for Reagan this afternoon. We will probably keep our distance and give the family the privacy they deserve.

We will offer full coverage of tomorrow’s funeral.

I have said before, the normal policy of the newspaper is that we don’t cover funerals. But as with almost every rule at the newspaper, there are exceptions.

Tomorrow will be one of them.

Michael Reagan deserves it.

It reminds us of what is really important.