Preface
It’s been a while. Almost what, three months? The last thing I’ve written was a preview of the NFC Championship Game where the Eagles blew out the Vikings. Since then, the Eagles won their first Lombardi Trophy, MLS and MLB have kicked off with a bang, and it’s almost time for the NHL and NBA playoffs. I guess you could say that infrequent was a bit of an understatement in my first piece on WordPress. Looking back at my drafts on this website was almost like a trip down memory lane. Nonetheless, getting back to sharing my thoughts in more opinionated and insightful manner was long overdue, hence why I’m back. So for now, enjoy!
Philadelphia has always been a sports city. With passionate fans, teams that participate in what I view as the big 5 (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB, and MLS), and a viable market, the city of Brotherly Love has been known to cater to more than just tourists. In Philadelphia, the fans are known to be pessimistic and for good reason. In 2004, the Eagles lost 24-21 to the Patriots. In 2009, the Phillies went down to the blue-and-white pinstripes in six games. The next year, the Flyers’ magical cup run in 2010 came to an end after six games with the Blackhawks. Even the Union had their playoff disappointments in 2011 and 2016. Regardless of ups and downs, the players know that they’ll always have support and people cheering them on. I mean, just look at how the Eagles faithful responded to beating New England in the Super Bowl. People climbed up poles, ate horse shit, and it was total chaos. Even when Villanova, a college with roughly 11,000 students, won their second championship in three years, the city was behind them. What’s even better is that this might not be the last time there’s a party on Broad Street.
We all make hypothetical outlooks on the future, but before we can get to that time in each franchise’s success, we’ll have to look at where everyone is at in this current stage.
Philadelphia Eagles
Man, it feels so good to call yourself a champion and it’s no different here. Eagles fans have been milking every possible opportunity to remind everyone who currently possesses the Lombardi Trophy. Whether it’s E-A-G-L-E-S chants at games, shouting, “Go Birds!” out loud in public, or even going on social media to brag with fans around the NFL. I mentioned earlier that fans were pessimistic at one point and quite frankly, pessimism is at it’s the greatest extent with the team in green. Forget the horrid past, in a regular season full of highs, finishing 13-3 and as the best team in the NFC, the Eagles faced so much adversity in 2017. Injuries picked apart the team towards the latter stages of the season and for that reason, no one said the #1 seeded team in the NFC would go far in the Playoffs. Through it all, a group, led by a QB dubbed as a failure, an energetic defense, some playmakers in Ajayi, Jeffery, and Blount, and a young coach who hasn’t been in the playoffs won the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl. Not only do they have some hardware, but they’re even dubbed to repeat. Pederson’s aggression, stars on both sides of the ball, and chemistry that’s second to none makes them favorites for the next season. Howie Roseman hasn’t hesitated to make this a reality, either. Trades and acquisitions have came left, right, and center. If you find his busy offseason to be ruthless or impulsive, you may have a fair point, but like a car, a dynasty is made when you continually tend to a team and improving any flaws they may show. For years to come, we’ll expect to see more postseason football at the Linc and maybe see more trophies added to the cabinet.
Philadelphia Eagles fans celebrate their first Super Bowl on Broad Street (Photo via USA Today)
Philadelphia 76ers
Clap your hands, everybody. The Sixers are on their way to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. This time, though, the team has a starting five that has toyed with their competition, a bench that can do the job when the starters are on the bench, and a potential ‘Coach Of The Year’ candidate in Brett Brown. Some have made a bold statement and believe the team can go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, while the vast majority believe that this group of youngsters is far too inexperienced to make a deep playoff run and see their time end in the second round. Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, this season is a success. Getting the 3rd seed with a 52-30 record and finishing the season with 16 straight wins is an amazing accomplishment, even if they play in the Eastern Conference. Markelle Fultz has recovered from his shoulder strain, Joel Embiid has played significantly more games this season and is off his minute restriction, Ben Simmons has received praise from players all across the league, including LeBron James, and even Dario Saric has held his own. When the Sixers are at home, Wells Fargo Center is ROCKING. With an average of approximately 20,310 fans per game, the fans really show their support. Whether it’s being loud at the free-throw line for Frosties, chanting defense during a tight game, or celebrating another game being added to the W column, these fans have something to unite for and may see a championship in the near future. Should LeBron come to the city of Brotherly Love, “the process” will speed up at an even faster rate. Hinkie’s vision is all coming together and even without his seat in the front office, the Sixers have reaped the plant he’s sown.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies aren’t playoff material, but they’ve started the process and have made strides. Ruben Amaro was cast out with Matt Klentak replacing him, marking an end of a dominant era. While the team hasn’t been that great during 2016 and 2017, a common term in “the process” was used to make a timetable for our future success. The Phillies farm system is ranked in the top 5 in MLB and while potential studs are still in the minor leagues, a hint of what’s in store has been shown. The likes of J.P. Crawford, Jorge Alfaro, and Scott Kingery have displayed what they can do in the Major Leagues and to say Phillis fans are pleased would be a bit of a…understatement. Kingery, a 23-year-old infielder, has been tested 2B, 3B, SS, and even in the outfield. His glove has proven to make plays this early in the season, but his most memorable moment so far has come from his bat. A grand slam late in a game against the Reds, Kingery secured a Phillies win and their second series win at home in 2018. Mix the talent of their young stars along with players who’ve been with the organization and in MLB for a while and you’ve got something special. To make things even better, a young manager in Gabe Kapler will be leading the charge for the Phillies as their skipper. Despite being inexperienced, his views on analytics and fitness give the idea that he can develop a group of youngsters. Sure, he’s got his fair share of boos and a passionate fan base will naturally be quick to judge, but Kapler has responded to all of this negativity, saying, “I’m going to work my ass off for these fans” in a press conference. Progress is the motto and as early as the process is for the Phillies, we may see some success in the near future.
Philadelphia Flyers
The ‘Orange & Black’ are sometimes classed as the *forgotten* team in Philadelphia, but they’re not in the worst shape ever. For a team that will want to make an impact in the playoffs soon, the Flyers have some core guys as well as one of, if not the best prospects in the NHL. Rookies Nolan Patrick, Oskar Lindblom, Travis Sanheim and Robert Hägg have all done well and/or shown promise in their inaugural seasons. There’s more where that came from, too. In the system, the Flyers still have forwards Morgan Frost, German Rubtsov, Mikhail Vorobyov, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Tanner Laczynski, defensemen Philippe Myers & Samuel Morin, and probable franchise goaltender in Carter Hart. This along with the likes of Hart candidate Claude Giroux, Selke candidate Sean Couturier, a point-producing player in Jake Voracek and rising stars in Shayne Gostisbehere, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Konecny, and now you have a team that has a very bright future. The may not be winning as much as they could due to key depth positions having a void, but the youngsters will plan on occupying that space soon enough. This team may not be the Broad Street Bullies from 1974-75, but a first-round exit can be deemed as a playoff failure in the upcoming years.
Philadelphia has always been labeled a “cursed city” that won’t see their franchises contend, but that’s looking like a myth as the days go on. We’re seeing headlines, getting the media’s attention, and doing all of this while seeing youngsters develop and entertain our city. The Eagles and Wildcats have already brought some hardware to Philly, but it doesn’t look like it’ll stop there. All you have to do is simply trust the process.
PHINoah 