Month: October 2023

The Fightins lose game 7 of the 2023 NLCS in, it’s safe to say, heartbreaking fashion.

At the start of the series against the Diamondbacks: many people in the Delaware Valley, as well of the rest of the country, believed this team would make another run to the World Series and win.

Welp, that didn’t happen…and the 9 months of Philly sports heartbreak continues.

This one hurts. The expectation of this year was clear: win it all. But baseball is a cruel mistress and anything can happen. Bats get hot, pitchers get dialed in, and managers figure things out as the series goes on.

Unlike other sports, in the MLB playoffs: the lesser team more often than not prevails. A fact that Phil’s fans know very well from the run last year.

Whether you want to point to the Kimbrel decision in Game 4, sticking with Rojas in the lineup, or watching the team forget they were playing baseball when they landed in Arizona. Seriously what happened on the road? Did the boys spend too much time 4 wheeling in Sedona? Did they hit some parties at Arizona State? In just a matter of 3 days they were a completely different team.

But I’m tired of this. This latest version of the Philly sports experience has been mentally draining.

Getting to 3 major championships in a year (MLS, World Series, Super Bowl) and losing them all. POOF! Nothing! Not just losing, but losing them again.. in heartbreaking fashion.

The Union losing in penalty kicks, the Phillies falling 2 wins short, and the Eagles a questionable holding penalty away from winning a second ring in 6 years. Or was it 5 years? Who cares, it doesn’t matter.

Maybe we’re all talking too much shit and the karma comes back to haunt us. I feel like I’m in that State Farm commercial where the old fisherman is taunting the lady with the dollar bill on the end of the fishing pole.

“OH, OH, you almost got it!!”

It’s almost as if I reluctantly stepped into this Haunted House that is fandom, and I’m creeping around every corner waiting to get scared but become angry and upset. I know there is a lot to be happy about, but do we want to be in the mid-2010s and be outright awful in everything? No of course not…but still… It hurts.

I’m 32 years old…how much hope and dedication can I put into athletes in their 20’s?? Most of my sport memories, if not all, have ended this way.

In the late 90’s, the Philadelphia Flyers led by number 88, Eric Lindros and his fragile cranium were perennial Stanley Cup favorites.

Lindros, and his aforementioned cranium, had concussion problems and those teams never broke through. Getting to the Stanley Cup final in 2000 and losing to Detroit. The Flyers went back to the Stanley Cup Finals 4 years later and lost to Tampa Bay and Martin St. Louis’s yellow stick.

Sadness.

In 2001, I was in 5th grade when a 6-foot guard from Georgetown stepped over Ty Lue and the Sixers beat the mighty 2000’s Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA finals.

I thought “Oh my God, can this happen??”

Oh wait: that’s Shaq over there, and who is that standing next to him? Oh yeah, Kobe. No, it can’t happen. Sixers lose in 5.

Flash forward 18 years. Time to put the cherry on top of the Process. Let’s get past the second round and get to the Eastern Conference Final and win a ring.

No! Kawhi Leonard makes a ridiculous fade away…one that, I think, is still bouncing on the rim and the Sixers lose again a game that I know the Sixers would have won in overtime.

Let’s jump ahead 3 years: Ben Simmons runs Jimmy Butler out of town and ruins a potential Embiid, Butler, Simmons Big 3. Simmons DOES NOT TAKE AN OPEN LAY UP UNDERNEATH THE RIM!! Then he refuses to play. Then is traded for a future Hall of famer in James Harden who also refuses to play.

And, still not out of the second round.

Anger.

These are all memories off the top of my head. Fact check me if you want, but who cares: pain is pain no matter how accurate.

Now, the Phillies. We talked about the last 2 years. No hit in a World Series game. 2 wins away from a championship last year.

Now, does 2011 hurt more? 102 wins, No hitter in the playoffs by the late Roy Halladay, then end up losing that first-round to the Cardinals. God, I hate the Cardinals.

Disappointment.

How bout the Eagles. Can I talk about the Eagles? 2017. Yes I know. But that now feels like 20 years ago!

The Birds rule the city. A franchise who led by Andy Reid, Brian Dawkins, and 5 (yes, He will always love you!!) were in the Championship conversation almost every year of the early and mid aughts. Teams that my brother and I still argue the importance of with my Dad about.

The 2002 season ending with a Ronde Barber pick 6 in the NFC Championship game. A year where the Eagles could’ve, and probably would’ve, won the Super Bowl.

Then the next season, losing to the Rams in the NFC Championship game. Then the next season, losing to Carolina.

I think if you poll Eagles fans…outside of losing the Super Bowl last year, that loss to Carolina in the NFC Championship game that year might be one of the worst loses in Eagles history.

Then, finally slaying the dragon and getting past the NFC title game only to face the Patriots dynasty in Super Bowl 39.

But wait! The Birds got back to the NFC title game in 2008..just when I don’t think anyone expected them too…losing again to the Arizona Cardinals and Kurt Warner. Hell, the early 90’s teams fell short: only winning one playoff game with Buddy, Randall, and Reggie.

Agonizing.

If you’re a fan you know all of this already and don’t need me to tell you. You’ve probably heard it talked about ad nauseam on sports talk radio today.

If you are like me, you’re tired of celebrating what could have been.

Hell, how much longer till we are all sick of the replays of the Kelce Super Bowl speech?? Yeah, I said it! How much longer?

How much longer until we all roll our eyes at another piece of ‘grease the poles’ merch?

Where do we go from here? Who knows.

In time, the Phillies wounds will heal, as we all have our calendars circled for Nov. 5 against Dallas.