The Winning City?

There is no doubt that a culture changed has taken place in the City of Philadelphia. There has not been this much buzz around what possibly could be a long-term winning streak since the early 80s. When looking at the young talent on the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Phillies, it is clear that this city could be in for a fun ride.

The Eagles are clearly the biggest winners in all of this, they were obviously the Super Bowl Champions, they have unbelievable talent on all levels, and they have a strong coach and front office. The Philadelphia Eagles have established themselves as the team to beat going into the 2018/2019 season. Though there are questions around the health of their superstar QB, this team still has the pieces and the talent to win. There is no doubt in my mind that they will be contenders again with the players they have, whether or not Carson Wentz is ready for the start of the season.

Looking at the Sixers the framework is definitely there. Like many young teams they failed to continue their success once they faced a worthy opponent. The Sixers did not make the necessary adjustments to win against the Celtics, and I fully blame the youth of the team. Though they have some veteran leadership, they did not have that establish star to really take the pressure off the young superstars of the Sixers. It will definitely take some adjusting, and confidence building over the next year or two. However, I believe that this team will be NBA champions by the year 2021.

The Flyers are a bit of an anomaly they are one of the few Philadelphia organizations that are always consistent. However, with their consistency there is always disappointment. The Flyers are one of the those teams that can always create excitement. They are always a playoff contender, and will always put on a good show. However, they lack the winning culture, they never seem to have the push to win it all. Though this seems to be the case over and over again, this team may have the chance to win it all in a few years.

Now I will be the first to admit the Phillies have been the most surprising team in the City of Brotherly Love. This team has proven they can win, and have some key pieces around them. Though there were questions early on in the season with Gabe Kapler as manager, this team has seemingly rallied. I am not saying they are going to be World Series Champions, nor am I saying they have the talent to have long-term success. But, there are pieces that could create success in Philadelphia. This team is good enough to create quality play out on the field. In reality they are currently sitting .5 games out of first place. If their success continues we could see a playoff game at the Bank once more.

Over the next 5 years in Philadelphia will be extremely exciting. The talented players playing in South Philly will definitely be a site to see. This is the most impressive group of athletes since the early 2000s joined together. I believe that we will see more than one championship in these next few years and success will grow from the young talents we have.

Throwback Thursday

 Probably one of the more popular interviews during our time at SJU, Mike Lieberthal described what it was like to grow up in the Phillies farm system. Lieberthal described the trials and tribulations as an everyday catcher. Lieberthal explained the differences between being a good pitch caller and an average one. Mike provided us with some interesting insight about the Phillies and how the organization was run during his time. This interview took place during Lieberthal’s Wall of Fame induction period. If you the 90s Phillies, then this is the perfect interview for you! 

Mike Lieberthal - Former Phillies Catcher -- 4.17.15 12th (46th)