DAVID SWANSON / Staff Photographer
The Philadelphia sports renaissance is in part reflected in the standing-room-only crowdsthat typically come out to root for the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
- Bob Ford: Eagles' opponents are confused, too
- MTC: Live pre-game reports from the Linc
- Eagletarian: Eagles-Bucs predictions, key matchups
- Ashley Fox: Trotter kept faith that he'd return to Eagles
- Bye week suits Eagles
- Tampa Bay looks back to when the rivalry was real
- Trotter signing? Now that's unusual
- Gonzo: These are good old days
- You Talkin' to Me? Birds vs. Bucs - Don't expect a Wild one
- Phillies turn to Happ for Game 3
- Phil Sheridan: Flaky weather gives Happ the chance he deserves
- An idle day for Phils is a busy one for him
- Reduced roles for two Rockies
- S'no day for having a playoff game
- Ex-Phil Padilla slams door on Cards
- Memorabilia cop calls 'em as he sees 'em.
- Gonzo: These are good old days
- A day without baseball - or Eppa Rixey
- From a bust to a big game
- Flyers Notes: Anaheim's Bobby Ryan comes home
- Flyers blow lead, lose shoot-out to Anaheim
- Gonzo: These are good old days
- In the Crease
- Red Wings power past Capitals
- NHL Roundup
- Buy Eagles jerseys, t-shirts, hats, and more
RELATED STORIES
Gonzo: These are good old days
When I was a kid, I heard a lot about the golden era of Philly sports - that stretch in the late '70s and early '80s when Philly was America's Title Town and all four teams seemed to be in the championship mix every year. I was busy coloring on the wall and eating paste while all that was unfolding (which isn't all that different from my current day-to-day), and I don't remember any of it.
But I'll never forget the run we're on now.
The old-timers will tell you this new golden era of Philly sports doesn't compare to the first go-round. That's fine. That's what they do - wax nostalgic about how things were so much better back when newspapers were strong, cable TV didn't exist, and the Cold War was a global preoccupation. Pay no attention; it will be time for their naps soon.
Forget about the past for a brief moment and appreciate the present. The Phils are the defending world champs, and regardless of how the NLDS shakes out, have treated us to three straight NL East titles. The Eagles made another NFC championship game a year ago and could go farther this season. The Flyers made some huge, headline-grabbing moves in the off-season and are being discussed as a serious contender to claim the Cup this season. And the Sixers . . . run some terrific fan-friendly promotions.
It's difficult to drink in these teams, to consume the success and the prospects for achievement, and not wind up fall-down intoxicated. When you live in a city where all four squads have a good chance to make the playoffs each year, you should thank the often cruel sports gods for being so atypically kind.
People across the country are noticing our sports renaissance. The Sporting News - yup, it's still being published - loves to make lists. TSN recently released its yearly rankings of the best sports cities in America. The City of Brotherly Glove came in second, just one spot behind top-rated Pittsburgh (which takes a little of the sting out of Travelandleisure.com's ranking us dead last on its list of cities of attractive people).
"The Phillies' bringing home a World Series title was the story in Philly, but look at how close the Eagles came to making it an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl," said the Sporting News' press release. "This is as close as the point totals at the top of our rankings have been in quite a while."
Pittsburgh is a nice choice - if you go in for that sort of thing. It's a little predictable, no? So what if the Iron City knotheads won another Super Bowl or another Stanley Cup? It's still Pittsburgh.
The town is a Hail Mary throw from being in Ohio, which - geographically speaking - is about as close as you can come to death without receiving a personal visit from the Grim Reaper. The 'Burgh's city council may as well distribute two coins to every resident so the folks can pay the boatman up front.
Pittsburgh is stale news as far as sports go. It's the same old story out there - working-class town wins title; men, women and children with mullets rejoice.
Philadelphia, conversely, is fresh and new and exciting (and has a far lower per capita mullet ratio). After years of abject defeat and public suffering, we're back. We are the phoenix rising from the ashes of sporting despair to soar once more.
It really is an exciting time to be a Philly sports fan. I'll take what we have going on here over what they offer out in Pittsburgh. Plus, we have crab fries and Tony Luke's. Beats Primanti Brothers, any day.
Fantasy football is becoming a particularly ugly kind of torture for me. I'm honestly getting to the point where I'd consider getting waterboarded if it got me out of my next game.
Start
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre
RB: Glen Coffee, Jerome Harrison, Rashard Mendenhall
WR: Santonio Holmes, Percy Harvin, Mike Sims-Walker
TE: Brent Celek, Vernon Davis, Owen Daniels
Bench Carson Palmer, Mark Sanchez, Jason Campbell
QB:
RB: Cedric Benson, Kevin Smith, Jamal Lewis
WR: Chad Ochocinco, Tory Holt, Antonio Bryant
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe, Ben Watson, Kevin Boss
Sunday Sixer(Home team in caps)Last week: 1-4-1
Season: 13-10-1
BRONCOS +3 over Pats: Mini Bill Belichick vs. Regular Bill Belichick. Fans who attend the game should wear rain ponchos to avoid getting soaked by their egos.
Cowboys -71/2 over CHIEFS: How long until the NFL steps in and disbands the K.C. franchise? I give it another week.
Jets – 2 over DOLPHINS: Buddy's boy bounces back after a tough game in the (not-so) Big Easy last week.
Falcons +21/2 over 49ERS: Last week, Shaun Hill had more fantasy points than Drew Brees or Matt Schaub. That has nothing to do with gambling, of course, but I thought I'd share my shock with you.
Vikings -101/2 over RAMS: A recap of SportsCenter's NFL coverage so far this season: BrettFavreBrettFavreBrett-
FavreBrettFavreBrettFavre.
EAGLES -15 over Bucs: Tampa is terrible. It's that simple.
Contact columnist John Gonzalez at 215-854-2813 or gonzalez@phillynews.com
