When Did Philly Become Good At Life?

Jason Babin - 2010 Pro-Bowler


Ronnie Brown - Former #2 overall pick, 2008 Pro-Bowler

Cullen Jenkins - 7 sacks in 11 games for the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers

Nnamdi Asomugha - At worst 2nd best CB in football, 3-time Pro-Bowler, 2-time 1st Team All-Pro


Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie - 2009 Pro-Bowler

Vince Young - 2-time Pro-Bowler, 30-17 career win/loss records


Hunter Pence - 2-time All Star

All newly acquired by Philadelphia in the past 2 weeks. 


What the hell is going on around here?

Most times your sports allegiance are determined by things beyond your control like who your dad rooted for or where you grew up or who was winning and on tv the most when you growing up.  Most times you don't really have a choice.  But since our Dad wasn't a big sports fan (it was more about The Beatles for him) and the town we grew up in was essentially equidistant (yeah, we did) from New York and Philadelphia, we did.  Instead of one CBS, one NBC, one Fox and one channel airing sports, we had two.  With the the Eagles and Giants on every football Sunday and the Mets and Phillies on WPIX and Philly57 all summer long, both cities had the chance to gain our loyalty.  Of course, in the late 80's/early 90's, we may have had options but it wasn't really a choice.  It was New York all the way.   


The Mets were coming off a World Series and, at that point, still gave off an aura of hope (instead of the current stench of helplessness) while the Phillies were in the midst of a 12-year stretch of losing seasons, broken up by a an unexpected and steroid-infused World Series run in 1993 (at least the Mets did coke!!).    Von Hayes, Dickie Thon, Juan Samuel's mustache, and a bunch of pitchers their families don't even remember didn't exactly capture our imagination.  It was mostly the same with the Eagles.  Despite some success under Buddy Ryan, they were predictably disappointing through the Kotite/Rhodes era, while the Giants were busy winning a pair of Super Bowls.  We worshipped L.T. and Parcells while wondering how any franchise could the Eagles ended up with seasons where their leading passers were Rodney Peete, Ty and Koy Detmers and Bobby Hoying (ignoring, of course, the Giants three-headed debacle of Dave Brown, Danny Kanell and Kent Graham).  And we certainly weren't going to root for a city that forced all-time greats like Reggie White, Curt Shilling and Charles Barkley to leave in order to contend for titles.   Even the uninspiring Shea and Giants stadiums looked like the Taj Mahal in comparison to The Vet, a stadium known for its ugliness and evil career-ending turf.  New York had an iconic skyline.  Philly had a busted-ass bell.


With all our perceived advantages, we developed a certain arrogance.  A dismissal of our counterparts down the Turnpike.  Even if our teams weren't better that season, they were still better.  And so were we.  We weren't anything like those savages who boo Santa and cheer paralysis.  We held the moral high ground.  


But it would be inaccurate to say that it was a rivalry.  Rivalries require parties of equal footing and, for as long as we could remember, our teams won big and Philly never did.  New York was the big brother and Philly was the impossibly awkward younger brother.  They were a nuisance more than a rival.  And it was good.


But then something awful happened.  Slowly but surely, the Philly teams started to win.  And then they started to do it consistently.  The once awkward little brother was no longer awkward or little.  The Phillies won a World Series and went to another, while the Mets struggled to overcome memories of a third strike looking and endured consecutive September collapses.  The Eagles became a fixture in the playoffs.  Things had changed,  after years of us looking down on Philly, suddenly they were looking us right eye.  Our veneer of arrogance was stripped away and we were left with nothing to do but hate them.    


Now, after the last few weeks, even the most arrogant of New York fans can no longer deny that the city who's most famous dish involves heavy doses of Cheez Whiz had become the home to two of the best, most respected franchises in the sports world while the Mets and Giants have become Cooper Manning.  Philly's inferiority complex has been replaced by a superiority complex.  Can you blame them?

The Phillies Acquire Hunter Pence

For something like 5 hours on December 16, 2009, the Phillies had a pitching staff that featured Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels until they traded Lee to Seattle to "restock the farm system."  It was a total Philly move and exactly what their fans expected.  Instead of doing everything they could to lock up the baseball's best rotation, they left their fans wanting.  Why be great when you can be good?


364 days later they came out of nowhere to steal Cliff Lee away from the Yankees.  It was the most surprising move of the offseason and officially marked their entrance into The Arms Race.


How do they follow that up?  By acquiring probably the most long-term desirable player on this year's trade market - Hunter Pence.  Say what you want about Pence, he's an awkward, ugly player (Johnny Damon with more power and a less uncomfortable throwing motion) and probably won't ever be a superstar but, he's exactly what the PhilliesDomonic Brown and Vance Worley two players who figure to take on even more prominent roles next season and provide a youth infusion, and they control Pence for the next 3 seasons.  Sure, they gave up their two best prospects but those guys are prospects (as opposed to established players) for a reason.  It was a stunningly intelligent and effective move and puts them squarely in position to get to another World Series.  

The Eagles Sign All the Good Players

We're fascinated by the relationship between Eagle fans and the organization.  In their championship blood-lust, the fans seem to overlook the incredible consistency of their team and focus on things they don't have like a Lombardi Trophy and an open checkbook.  Well, they can't complain about the latter any longer.  


After years of borderline antagonistic moves (their free-agent forays for guys like Kearse, T.O. and Asante Samuel always seemed to be coupled with a rage-inducing veteran cut), the Eagles have gone all-in this season, signing a handful of the best players on the market, including one of the best players in the league, Nnamdi Asomugha.  They took a weak defense and, seemingly overnight, filled it with Pro-Bowlers (including 3 Pro-Bowl corners).  And they didn't do it just by throwing around huge Redskin-contracts, they did it because players want to play there.  The Eagles, next to the Pats and Steelers, are one of the most respected teams in the NFL.  Yeah, that really happened. 


As much as their rise is a product of first class facilities, excellent treatment of players and a respected coach, the latest moves come down to one thing - guys want to play with Mike Vick.  We doubt the Eagles were smart enough to envisioned this when they signed The Dogkiller in 2009, but Vick, as much or more so than more established guys like Brady and Manning, is a draw.  Players see his singular talents as their ticket to the promised land.  Whether you agree with that assessment or not (we tend to disagree) his mystique is unmistakable.  

It's nearly impossible to predict how new players will adapt to new schemes and new teammates, particularly in a contacted offseason.  But the Eagles have officially won the offseason and are inarguably better than they were last year.  We'll see if this collection of talent, a "Dream Team" if you will, can finally bring home a title.  But the organization has proven, once and for all, they're going to contender in a real way for a long time.


Even a New York fan can't disagree with that assessment.


(God that was painful.  This reverse jinx better work.)