Last night is why we watch sports. You have pride in your team, but you never know what will happen. Sports are the greatest reality TV night in and night out. Last night, we got to witness something truly special. Not just a shocking win in Boston, but a game from James Harden that we have not seen since he wore a Rockets uniform. As I drove home from my friend's house last night, I was thinking of some of the other surprising moments in my lifetime when it comes to Philadelphia sports. The Harden performance definitely makes the list.
I won't lie to you, 7-year-old Choonis wasn't breaking down film and living sports day by day the way that I am now. The Sixers were the team that rivaled the Phillies the most for me as my childhood favorite. I was naive, but come on, 7-year-old Choonis knew that Kobe and Shaq were lethal. To go into LA and take Game 1 and keep all of our hopes alive was so much fun to witness.
There is so much to this. The Mets had a 7 game lead with 17 games left to play. The Phillies swept the Mets in mid September after just sweeping them in the end of August. And then it came down to the final day of the season when the Marlins beat the Mets as the Phillies were taking on the Nationals. The Phillies win game 162 to win the division for the first time since 1993.
What a wild wild wild final week of the season. This should probably be higher on the list because of the circumstances, but the Eagles weren't a bad team that year. Just a frustrating season, but we always deal with that. The Eagles beat the Cowboys 44 to 6, but they needed a lot more to happen and they did:
Hi. My name is Andrew Salciunas. I am a huge Phillies fan. I tried keeping people engaged with the Phillies during the 2022 regular season. I told people to believe and have fun for a potential playoff appearance. I said phrases like "Why not us?" Well... when they were set to face the Braves in the NLDS, I didn't feel great. The Braves are a powerhouse offensively, defensively, and on the mound. I thought they would beat the Cardinals, I thought they would beat the Padres, but the series in between was going to be hard. Winning the way they did was shocking and I loved every second of it.
I am more shocked that he played the way that he did than the Sixers actually winning game 1. It isn't that I think Harden is cooked. I argue with Sixers fans every day about how good he has been for the team this season. But no, I didn't think we would ever see a 40+ performance by the Beard with the Sixers or ever again in his career. He did that, without Joel Embiid, in the Boston Garden, in the playoffs. I couldn't sleep last night because of it.
This is not so much a moment, but an experience. You know the story. Like the 2007 Phillies, it came down to the final game of the season, but unlike the Phillies, the story continued. First, it came down to a shootout. Which NEVER goes well for the Flyers. Then, being down 3-0 to Boston and then being down 3-0 in game 7. The Lavi timeout, the comeback, the battle with Chicago. What a magical ride.
This may forever be number 1. The team was incredible. From start to finish, all they did was win, but when Wentz went down, the magic started. Nick Foles winning the Super Bowl, going head to head with Tom Freaking Brady, and bringing us our first Lombardi. I don't think this could ever be touched.
