BOTTOM? So seven days and a handful of hours ago, the Eagles were leading San Francisco 20-3 at halftime, and the Phillies were up 1-0 on the Cardinals with Cliff Lee scheduled to start that evening.
Things have changed.
Look, it's possible that the Eagles can turn things around, that the Phillies will restock appropriately for 2012, that the 76ers will play this season and be inspiring, and I guess it's even possible (however remotely) that I will develop a hockey jones again.
I know we're spoiled. After all, as Isaac would surely note, at least we still have all our teams. And I never thought Philadelphians could develop the sense of sports entitlement that New Yorkers have always had and Bostoners have cultivated in the past decade. Where our teams are right now is still better than where they were in 1999 -- Doug Pederson, QB; Paul Byrd, Chad Ogea and Robert Person starting for the Phillies; Allen Iverson, a season away from magic; and Eric Lindros, multiply-concussed and properly bitter. We are not there yet, and the Phillies in particular may not be a "bad" team for at least the next three years.
But there is a distinct chill in the Philadelphia sports air. Winter is coming.
It's been a rough and unpleasant month for Philly sports (I don't think I've happily visited a sports site since the Phillies clinched several weeks ago). I agree that winter is coming, but this has been the longest sports summer of my conscious lifetime (I only really became aware of the the late '70s--early '80s glory period in 1981), and I guess I can't complain too much about the inevitable winter.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, this Eagles team is something special. I don't think I've seen a collection of insanely idiotic play like the Brown lateral (last week), Vick pass at the end of the 1st half this week and Parker being drawn offside since Leon Lett last dined alone.
Winter is coming? Does that mean that the 76ers, Eagles, and Phillies are going to engage in open warfare for the Iron Throne?
ReplyDeleteThe UNION are first in the East.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a sense of entitlement in terms of winning. Like anyone raised on Buddy's Eagles and Ron Hextall, I feel entitled to effort. Ive not seen the last two birds outings but I did see the first three games, and they're unwatchable. As for game 5, Inothing more articulate comes to mind than, "oh, Jesus Christ."
I'm still blaming Castillo for the offense, too. Rarely has tarring and feathering someone felt so attractive.
ReplyDeleteAdopt Detroit.
ReplyDeleteThat is all.
--bd
Effort is why Philadelphia fans loved Lenny Dykstra and Allen Iverson more than Scott Rolen and Andre Iguodala -- the former had a style of play that *looked* more effortful.
ReplyDeleteThis Eagles team is embarrassing.
You know nothing, Michael Vick.
ReplyDeleteCleveland fan here. Sorry, not feeling your pain.
ReplyDeleteResolved: Michael Vick is the most overrated quarterback since Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have ensured mediocrity with that big contract, because in a hard-cap world, that's money they can't spend on more effective parts of the team. You can't pay Peyton Manning-sized money for a quarterback that isn't Peyton Manning-quality.
ReplyDeleteIt's not fair to compair Philadelphia sports to Westeros. One is filled with cruelty, violence, villains and monsters, and the other is a fictional world.
ReplyDeleteIt could be worse - could you imagine what we'd be going through if not for 2008? For baseball at least, we did hit that highest point.
ReplyDeleteI like Iguodala for his defense.
ReplyDeleteI think we could safely assume that Lenny Dykstra would have taken the Black by now.
ReplyDeleteLet's see. Mets have not won a World Series since 1986. Knicks have not won a championship since 1973. Jets have not won a Super Bowl since 1969.
ReplyDeleteSo, no, I feel no sympathy for Philly fans. And, yes, you have gotten spoiled. And please remember that only SOME New Yorkers have developed a sense of entitlement. The rest of us have developed only a sense of foreboding.
I "like"d Duvall's comment because it's funny, not because it's true.
ReplyDelete...and why Michael Jack Schmidt had to deal with the boo birds.
ReplyDeleteI'm done with the Eagles already, and I can't say that I've even been able to stomach an entire game this season. The Reid era needs to end.
Adam, come back to Chicago. You've clearly gone soft.
ReplyDeleteChicago had Jordan and six titles.
ReplyDeleteWhich is lovely if you care about basketball.
ReplyDeleteAt least you still have all your teams. I'm sitting here rooting for Doug Fister because he used to be mine and what else do I have to root for?
ReplyDelete(Answer: UW volleyball, by the way. Krista Vansant and Summer Ross! Kylin Munoz finally making The Leap!)
Nystrom was offsides!
ReplyDeleteThe way I look at it, this just means that the luggage stores of Philadelphia are safe for now from a post-championship looting.
ReplyDeleteDavid P. Currie from property class: "A to B, as in Back, as in Michael's Back!"
ReplyDelete