Time for an uprising of Philly fans
The protest has always been part of the American culture. It began with the Boston Tea Party, back on December 16, 1773. Dozens of colonists boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor and hurled 342 crates of tea overboard in an act of political protest.
The history of protests continued through the Abolitionist Movement to end slavery in the 1800s; the Suffragettes, who argued for a woman’s right to vote; the Temperance Movement, which resulted in a 13-year prohibition on the consumption of alcohol; the Labor Movement in the 1930s; the Civil Rights protests of the 1960s and the Anti-War Movement in the ’60s and early ’70s.
More recently, there was the modern Tea Party, which was formed to oppose policies of the Obama administration; and the anti-Trump protests which began shortly after the election of Donald Trump.
Each protest movement had a marked effect on American history. And each had a passionate group of supporters.
But the cold, hard historical fact is that all of these protests pale in comparison to the grave injustice that has been forced on a particular portion of Americans for so long … people who are desperately in need of an organized protest to help restore their rights … their dignity … their very reason for living.
Of course I am speaking of the downtrodden Philadelphia sports fan.
For too long they have suffered the indignity of being a perpetual doormat … in every major sport.
And what have they done to deserve this?
Without a doubt, Philadelphians are the most passionate sports fans in the country. And, they are among the most loyal.
Despite the lack of championships – or recently, even playoff appearances – by the Flyers and Eagles, almost every game nears sellout status. In the case of the Phillies and 76ers, long periods of futility may result in decreased ticket sales but, as soon as there is a glimmer of hope, the ticket sales quickly rebound.
Let’s recap this city’s history of futility.
The Philadelphia Eagles lead the way, with a 57-year drought since the last NFL Championship in 1960. Only two NFL franchises – the Arizona Cardinals (1947) and the Detroit Lions (1957) have gone longer without hoisting a trophy.
The Philadelphia Flyers are next, 41 seasons since their last Stanley Cup victory in 1974-’75. That is the sixth-longest drought in NHL history. To rub a bit of salt in that wound – since that last parade down Broad Street, the Flyers are 0-6 in Stanley Cup Final appearances. For that they win the Close-But-No-Cigar Award.
The Philadelphia 76ers have gone 33 seasons since center Moses Malone proclaimed “Fo, Fo, Fo” and he joined the likes of fellow Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Mo Cheeks and Bobby Jones to bring a championship to a city with a rich basketball heritage. And let’s not forget that they went 75-253 over the last four seasons. Plus, they still hold the low-water mark for incompetency with a 9-73 record in 1972’73.
And then there is the Philadelphia Phillies – the franchise that proudly holds the record for the most losses of any team … in any sport … in American history. Through 2016 the franchise has lost an incredible amount of 10,441 games – and the total is climbing quickly. The current pathetic edition is on a pace to lose 103 games this season. Yes, they are the most recent Philadelphia franchise to win a championship (2008) but their fall from grace has been epic.
To make matters worse, almost every time there has been a championship in Philly, it comes amidst a display of amazing underachievement.
When the Phillies finally triumphed in the 1980 World Series, it came during a run when they were arguably the best team in baseball through the years 1977 to 1981. Yet, only one title – due to a dysfunctional family of players that needed an attitude adjustment through the addition of Pete Rose to the roster.
And, again, when the Phillies won in 2008, they easily could have won additional World Series titles the next three years but failed to deliver. Footnote: the Phillies came into existence in 1883 as the Philadelphia Quakers and immediately established their legacy by going 17-81 in their inaugural season.
Those who fondly remember the dominant 76er team of 1982-83 probably also remember the underachievers of the previous three seasons. In 1980 their team of stars lost in the NBA Final to the Los Angeles Lakers, as rookie point guard Magic Johnson filled in at center for injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the clinching game before a shocked crowd at the Spectrum and provided a 42-point, 15-rebound, 7-assist MVP performance.
The upset inspired the phrase, “We Owe You One.” It then became “We Owe You Two” the following year as the Boston Celtics overcame a 3-1 deficit before eliminating the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Final. And “We Owe You Three” followed the next season when they lost again in the NBA Final to the Los Angeles Lakers.
And, even though the Eagles enjoyed some success during the era of head coach Andy Reid, reaching the Super Bowl in 2004, their run was marred by a series of playoff upsets and exasperating examples of underachievement. And before that there was the Buddy Ryan era – great records, imposing defenses … but a disappointing 0-3 in the playoffs.
While the Flyers have not had a similar history of falling on their faces as favorites in the playoffs, again the disappointment of going 0-6 in their last Stanley Cup final appearances must be pointed out.
It is against this backdrop of sports torture in Philadelphia that a new movement of protest must arise. The fans need to band together and march on the South Philadelphia sports complex to voice their discontent.
They can no longer be content with the wave of optimism that has arisen from the stockpiling of No. 1 NBA draft choices by the 76ers. The fans have been down that road before, only to be emotionally crippled by the news of seven-footers with broken feet.
Don’t let the hope of the Eagles being led to the promised land of a Super Bowl by second-year quarterback Carson Wentz fool you.
Don’t fall for another rebuilding effort by the Flyers, who missed the playoffs two of the last four years and lost in the first round of the playoffs the other two years.
Don’t be placated by another series of Dollar Dog Nights at the Phillies games. Your clogged arteries are certain to fail before the team reaches another World Series.
It’s time to rise up and demand a championship from at least one of the four Philadelphia franchises. And at least some semblance of competency from the other three.
The long-suffering Philadelphia sports fans deserve it. After all, how much longer can their spirits be buoyed by the mythical movie heavyweight boxing championship won by Rocky Balboa?