by John Kincade
Here are ten Philly sports opinions that I’ve jotted down over the course of the last month that I believe will create a lot of discord. It’s ok to disagree because you may think these are way off base AND with my track record you might just be right.
Just Do The Math
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The Eagles lost the Super Bowl by 3 points and were tied at 35 with less than a minute to go. The Chiefs 35 included at least 10 possible “gift points”. A gift fumble recovery turnover for 7 and poor punt return coverage that gave the Chiefs a first and goal at the 4 yard line. That led to 14 points, but should have been a minimum of 10. Blame what you want to, but I see that as the main reason they lost. The Eagles made mistakes and gifted points while the Chiefs didn’t.
Got Away With One
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Oh, the Miles Sanders play should have been 7 gifted points too. We got away with that one!
Sirianni Can Clean Some Things Up
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Nick Sirianni should be applauded for a fantastic start to his career. That doesn’t mean he can’t clean a few things up. He conducts himself differently than any other NFL Head Coach on game day. Whether it’s mugging for the cameras, getting into it with opposing players, jumping up on the bench and going up to scold opposing fans in Indy. You may say that is what makes him great, but I say it can’t be helping him stay focused on game days.
Different Treatment
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The 76ers get treated completely different than the other local teams by many in the media. The Eagles have had an unprecedented local run of success and routinely their GM is labeled a dope and half the fan base was out on Jalen Hurts just a few starts into his career. The Phillies got so criticized (by me certainly) until they made the playoffs last year. The Flyers have earned every bit of their vitriol. The 76ers, despite failure for 22 years, 4 of which were completely self inflicted get every benefit of the doubt. Media members tell you they deserve more positivity. They get too much critique! It’s easy to connect the dots. Those who supported “the process” don’t want to jump ship and will wait until it officially hits the iceberg. They want you to wait for the last life boat with them.
Doubting the Benefit of the Doubt
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If any local team does not deserve the benefit of the doubt it’s the 76ers. They need to earn it. The Flyers are truly a dumpster fire but they have enjoyed far more success in the last generation. The 76ers are on the clock, period. I won’t believe in any more of this kicking the can of expectations.
The Madness In March
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It’s one of the worst weeks coming up on nationwide sports radio. It’s March Madness where most hosts pretend that they have been interested in college basketball all season. Worse yet, it’s the opening of “what’s your favorite 5-12 upset pick” or any variation of “who’s your Final 4?”
How Has Philly Not FIgured It Out?
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The worst thing about being a Philadelphia sports fan is trying to get in and out of the stadium parking lots. How this city can’t figure it out confounds me.
Early Start Times
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I hope that the Phillies weeknight 6:40pm start times are a trend that pays off in increased support from the local fan base. The earlier start times are better for most fans attending AND those watching on TV. The Flyers tried some odd weekend times this season. The 76ers should follow suit next season.
Kicking Off The Season
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Write it down. I’ll predict that the Chiefs will kick off the NFL season on Thursday night September 7th vs the Cincinnati Bengals. I’ll predict the Eagles open on Sunday Night Football on September 10th vs the Buffalo Bills.
Waiting For Surgery?
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We still have no explanation as to why Bryce Harper had to wait to have his off-season surgery. If there was a legitimate reason not to do it right after the season ended I have not heard it. That doesn’t mean that isn’t true. I will just say I’ll be counting back two weeks from when he dies return and hope those missed games don’t cost the Phillies a playoff berth, division title or home field advantage in a post season series.
