Ahead Of Valentine’s Day, Something To Love About The 4 Philly Sports Teams
By Connor Thomas
We are 2 days away from the most romantic day of the year: Valentine’s Day. It hasn’t been the easiest year to show love for the big 4 teams, but despite all of their faults, let’s take the time to find something to love about each of our favorite franchises in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia 76ers:
Probably the easiest team of the 4 right now to show love to is the Sixers, who despite falling to the Portland Trailblazers last night, still sit alone atop the Eastern Conference standings. Because the rest of this list will require some more difficult choices on what to love, we’re going to take the low hanging fruit on the hardware. Joel Embiid has been dominant this year, and for the first time since Allen Iverson Philadelphia has a bona fide MVP candidate. Maybe the best part about loving the unstoppable Embiid is that he shows love back to the city, especially when the buildings are able to be filled. Fans can’t be there in person to chant “Trust The Process” or “MVP” at him as he goes to the line for the 15th and 16th times in a blowout win, but it is still important to love and appreciate the greatest athlete in this city right now.
Philadelphia Phillies:
The Phillies are that hookup that you come back to every time the weather gets warm and you’re looking for the summer fling. You know that when September rolls around, there will probably be a painful collapse of your relationship, but their return means that all the fun that warm weather brings is coming with them. The Phils are returning one of the top 5 offenses in baseball, so all the chicks who dig the long ball are no doubt swooning over the prospects of a high scoring lineup at Citizens Bank Park again this year. And while last summer seemed to come late and go early, it appears that this year we will be beneficiaries of a full summer affair with baseball. Don’t forget that Bryce Harper has had a love affair with Philadelphia (and the Phillie Phanatic) since the second he first put on red pinstripes. Hey, maybe it’s not the team that you’re in love with, but the time of year that the start of the Phillies season brings with it is something that a bunch of people who have been constantly buried in snow can easily love thinking about right now.
Philadelphia Flyers:
Ah, young love. Numerous up and coming players who are yet to truly break our heart yet (outside of that game 7 against the Islanders last year) are back again for this season, and the promise of a bright future still abounds. We’re going through a bit of a long distance relationship with the Flyers right now as the team is set to miss about a week’s worth of games due to a COVID outbreak, but everyone knows that absence makes the heart grow fonder. This honeymoon phase will certainly not last forever for a fan base that has been starved for a Stanley Cup, but the bevy of attractive young prospects that hit the ice when the team is actually playing makes the team easy to see a lovely future with. Throw in a head coach that’s a hockey version of James Bond and you can see why many Flyers fans have fallen for this generation of Broad St. Bullies. Remember, if you have him for dinner Sunday night, he likes his martinis shaken, not stirred.
Philadelphia Eagles:
They’re the longtime ex-girlfriend that you’ll always come back to. They’re the one that gets you like no one else, but also drives you absolutely insane with all of the quirks and foibles. Every once in a while, there’s a messy breakup, but everybody knows eventually you’ll get back together, right? This time, it seems that a lot of Eagles fans aren’t so sure. The relationship here seems to be perched at the precipice of a dark stretch, one without a QB, Coach, Owner, or especially a General Manager that elicits any faith. Times like these make it tough to find things to love about the Eagles, despite the strong history that we have. But deep down we all know the gridiron is where most of the passion in this city lies, regardless of how bad the team, or how hopeless the front office. It will take some mental gymnastics to convince yourself of a reason to love the birds right now, but let me try and help you up onto the imaginary pommel horse. There is something to love about the opportunity to start over. A new era, whether for better or for worse. A chance to have a fresh face at QB, a completely rebuilt coaching staff. Sure, the front office is still in rough shape, but for a team that steadily declined following the Super Bowl win in 2018, there’s something to love about finally getting a fresh start to try and build another championship team (even if you don’t trust who’s building it).
