Curse of Billy Penn

Decade in Review: 10 Best Philadelphia Sports Moments

Here's a look at the ten best Philadelphia sports moments over the past decade...

10. Phillies sign Jim Thome

The Phillis locked up Jim Thome to a 6-year $85-million contract prior to the 2003 season.  Thome hit 47 home runs in 2003 and 42 in 2004.  He missed the majority of the 2005 season due to an elbow injury, allowing Ryan Howard playing time at first base.  Howard proved to be one of the best first baseman in baseball, forcing the Phillies to trade Thome.

Thome may have only played three seasons in Philly, but he was a fan favorite!  More importantly, he was the first step to a World Series team.  It had been over twenty years since the Phillies won a World Series, and quite frankly, no attempts had been made to make them a winner in the meantime.  Thome was their first move!  

The Phillies had not acquired a top level player of that caliber since Pete Rose in 1979.  Excitement surrounded the possible acquisition of Thome, and when they got him, the town went nuts.  The Phillies finally had a player that was considered to be one of the best in the game.

The Phillies have since won three Division titles, two NLCS Championships, and a World Series.  It is exciting to sign big name players such as Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay, but with a team full with stars, we almost take it for granite.  That was not the feeling when Thome arrived!  If you were 30-years old or younger, you probably never saw a player like that in a Phillies uniform until they signed Thome.  It was a big deal! 

 

9. Phillies win 2007 Division on final day of season

In 2006, the Dodgers beat out the Phillies for the wild card spot by three games.  The Phillies seemed to be improving with each passing year, but always came up short of the playoffs.

In 2007, they were behind in the wild card hunt, and their only hope would be to win the Division.  The Mets were in first, and had a 7-game lead with seventeen games remaining.  It looked like another year of, "almost!"    

It all came down to the last day.  The Phillies won their final game, and the Mets - who had suffered the largest September collapse for a leading team in baseball history - lost their final game to the Marlins.  It put the Phillies in first, and in the playoffs.  They had won the Division!

It was the first time the Phillies won the Division or reached the playoffs since 1993.  It was awesome, but the best part is how they got in.  The Mets had the Division all wrapped up, and not only did they lose that, they failed to make the playoffs altogether.  It was wonderful!

8. Sixers reach NBA Finals

The Iverson/Coach Brown team had reached the playoffs in consecutive years during the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons, but came up short each time.  2000-01 was their season!  

Iverson had probably his best season, averaging 31.1 points per game, won the NBA scoring title, and won the All-Star game MVP.  The Sixers finished with a 56-26 record, the best in the Eastern Conference, and sailed to NBA Finals.

In game-1 against the Lakers, the Sixers pulled out an exciting overtime victory 107-101 with Iverson scoring 48-points.  It was exciting!  Unfortunately they were unable to hold off Kobe Bryant, Shaq, and crew.  The Lakers took the next four games, winning the 2001 NBA Finals.  It was nice to be there!

 

7. Matt Stairs home run & Jimmy Rollins walk-off double; Both game-4 NLCS winning hits of Jonathan Broxton

2008 NLCS, Game 4, Phillies lead series 2-1:  The Phillies had the series lead, but it was starting to get scary.  The Dodgers headed into the 8th inning with a 5-3 lead.  It looked like the series would soon be tied! 

In the eighth inning, Shane Victorino came up huge, hitting a 2-run home run to tie the game.  Jonathan Broxton - the Dodgers star closer - was then brought in after Carlos Ruiz reached first on a single.  Matt Stairs had recently joined the Phillies, and had very little impact to that point.  His next at-bat would be one to remember, crushing a towering home run halfway up the right field stands. 

The home run gave the Phillies a 7-5 win, putting them up three games to one.  Matt Stairs immediately became a fan favorite in Philadelphia!   

  

2009 NLCS, Game 4, Phillies lead series 2-1:  Once again, the Phillies had the series lead, but were in danger of losing it.  It was the ninth inning, and the Dodgers were winning 4-3, and Broxton was coming in to close it out.  We got him last year, could we really get him again?  It seemed to be wishful thinking!  

Ironically, Matt Stairs came to the plate, but Broxton gave him nothing to hit.  He walked him on four straight pitches.  The Phillies were down to their last out when Jimmy Rollins came to the plate with two men on.  On a 1-1 pitch, Rollins drilled the ball to right-center, scoring Eric Bruntlet - who was pinch-running for Stairs - for the game-winning run.

They had done it again! 

6. The Eagles playing in five NFC Championship games, and a Super Bowl

The Eagles may not have won a Super Bowl yet, but you can't complain too much about the decade they had.  They have played in half the NFC Championship games over the past ten years, reaching the Super Bowl on one occasion.  Win or not, it's always exciting when your team is in a Championship game.  We have been lucky enough to have that opportunity on five occasions now...and counting! 

 

5. Brad Lidge has perfect season

When the Phillies got Brad Lidge, everybody wondered what they were getting.  He clearly struggled with confidence problems following a massive home he gave up to Albert Pujols in the 2005 NLCS.  He had surgery to repair his knee prior to the start of the season.  It was...iffy!

He quickly proved the skeptics wrong.  It was immediately clear he was dominant; nobody could hit him!  When he entered the playoffs without blowing a save yet, it was in the back of everybody's mind...surely he would be perfect all year and blow one that counted!  

Amazingly, it didn't happen.  He was perfect the whole way through, saving 48-of-48, giving the Phillies a World Series Championship.

 

4. Keith Primeau scores in 5/OT to end longest game ever

On May 5, 2000, Keith Primeau ended the longest NHL game in modern history with his game-winning goal in the fifth overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It is important to remember the significance of the goal.  It was game-4 of the Conference Semi-Finals, and they were down 2-1.  Had they lost the game, they would have gone down 3-1.  The win tied the series up 2-2, and they went on to win the series, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. 

You would expect a game like that to end on a cheap goal, but it ended in style!  Primeau beat Penguins' goalie Ron Tugnutt on a shot from the circle that sailed over his shoulder.  The game lasted 152-minutes and 1-second. 

3. 4th and 26

On January 11, 2004, the Eagles hosted the Green Bay Packers in a Divisional Playoff game.  With 1:12 remaining in the game, the Eagles were faced with a 4th & 26 from their own 25 yard line.  If they were going to win, they would have to convert it.  If they failed, their season was over.  It would take a miracle!

Donovan McNabb threw a perfect pass to wide receiver Freddie Mitchell for a gain of 25-yards.  It was enough for a first down.  It set up a field goal by David Aikers to send the game into overtime.  The Eagles went on to win the game, advancing to the NFC Championship.

2. Phillies Worlds Series Parade

It was the perfect day!  After waiting 25-years for another championship to come to Philadelphia, we finally got it.  Millions of fans lined Broad Street to watch the Phillies parade go by.  The sun was shining, the weather was perfect, and everybody was happy.  Philadelphia was a sea of red!

As Mitch Williams would say, "not even God could rain on this parade!"

 

1. Phillies win World Series

For many, they had waited a quarter of a century to witness a championship in this town again.  For others, they have never seen one!  Would it ever happen again?

The longer you wait, the more special it is!  Not only was it special, it was perfect!  Winning at home, on a swinging strike out, with Harry Kalas making the final call.  When game five was delayed because of rain, we all felt short changed.  It seemed like they waited for the Rays to tie it up before they halted play.  

Everything happens for a reason!  We may have lost our ace Cole Hamels because of the rain situation, but we got one heck of a three-inning game!  On a crystal clear night, Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske for the final out, making the Phillies World Series Champions.  Because the game was being resumed from the sixth-inning, the game was over by 10 pm, allowing fans to celebrate all night long.  

It was perfect!  

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Decade in Review: 10 Worst Philadelphia Sports Moments

Here's a look at the ten worst Philadelphia sports moments over the past decade...

10. No 2004/05 hockey season due to lockout

Due to a dispute between the NHL and the NHL Players Association, a lockout began on September 16, 2004 and lasted 310 days.  

• The entire 2004/05 season was canceled.  It was the first time a complete season was canceled in any of the major North American sports because of a labor dispute.
• It was the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919.

The Flyers played in the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2003/04 season, but lost to the Tampa Bay lightning in 7-games.  Could the 04/05 season have been their year?

The real killer is the loss of interest in hockey following the lockout.  To this day they have failed to recover!

9. Matt Geiger gets absurd contract

Matt Geiger was never a superstar player, but the Sixers decided to give him a guaranteed six-year $52-million contract in 2001.  Knee problems - that existed before they signed him - frequently kept him off the court, and forced him to retire in 2002.  Wonderful!

8. Trading Placido Polanco for Ugueth Urbina

On June 8, 2005, the Phillies sent Placido Polanco to the Detroit Tigers for Ugueth Urbina.  The Tigers were looking to get rid of Urbina because his temper problems became a distraction to the team.  He was fighting teammates on the plane and stuff like that.  The Phillies said, "that's our guy!"

Urbina would finish the 2005 season with the Phillies, but wasn't able to return in 2006 due to legal obstacles.  Urbina's temper got him in trouble again!  Back home in Venezuela, Urbina found the need to go after five farm workers with a machete, and attempted to throw gasoline on them.  That little stunt landed him a 14-year prison sentence.  

Meanwhile...while Urbina was incarcerated, the Tigers enjoyed nice production from Polanco!  He won two Gold Glove Awards, an ALCS MVP Award, a Silver Slugger Award, and made an All-Star appearance.  He hit .341 in 2007 while going the entire season without committing an error.

Who Knew?

 

7. Eric Lindros gets knocked out by Scott Stevens

On May 26, 2000, the Flyers played the New Jersey Devils in Game-7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.  They were one win away from the Stanley Cup Finals!  

Eric Lindros had missed 10-weeks due to a concussion, but made his return for the game.  The excitement of having their best player return for their most important game yet went away when Lindros was leveled by Devils' defenseman Scott Stevens, leaving him unconscious on the ice.

That was the final time Lindros wore a Flyers uniform!  His career in Philly was surrounded by criticism and controversy, and many considered him to be a disappointment.  Disappointment or not, when he was playing well, he was the best player in the game!  It's a shame his tenure in Philly went the route it did.  What could have been!

6. Phillies reach 10,000 losses

This is the type of achievement we get in Philly!  On July 15, 2007, the Phillies lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.  It was their 10,000th career loss.  They became the first professional sports team to reach such a milestone! 

Based on a 162-game season, it would take 62-years to reach 10,000 losses losing all 162-games per season.  Think about that!

5. Flyers blow 3-1 Eastern Conference Series lead to Devils

During the 1999-2000 season, the Flyers finished first in their division and found themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals against their nemesis, the New Jersey Devils.  Ideally, they took a 3-1 series lead.  You had to believe they were going to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The saying, "it's not over til it's over" couldn't be more true!  The Devils came back, winning the next three games, and advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals.  They went on to win, beating the Dallas Stars 4-2.

Typical!

4. Donovan McNabb throwing up in the Super Bowl

The Eagles had never won a Super Bowl.  They lost in their only appearance in 1980, and had recently lost three consecutive NFC Championship games.  2004 was their chance!  They headed down to Jacksonville to take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.

They came up short, but had victory within sight!  Losing 24-21, they were criticized for running too much time off the clock on their final scoring drive, forcing them to blow their remaining time-outs when New England got the ball back.  More critical, was Donovan McNabb, who appeared to be sick on the field, unable to get the plays off quickly.

McNabb has denied that he had thrown up, but it was reported that Freddie Mitchell had to call a few plays because McNabb was incapable of doing so.  McNabb said he was just tired.  

What's the difference?

3. Phillies lose World Series to the Yankees

Everybody was on a year long hight following the Phillies 2008 World Series victory, but that ride finally came to an end on November 4, 2009 when they lost to the Yankees in game 6.  

Giving the city their first championship in 25-years, nobody can be upset the Phillies didn't repeat.  It's a lot to expect from a team, but we all know this team was capable of beating anybody, including the Yankees!  After the Phillies won game 1 - with Cliff Lee looking like the man - the idea of a second consecutive world series victory became a reality.

Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be!  The Yankees took the next three games, eventually winning the series 4-2.  It's not too disappointing considering they won the previous year, but to lose to the Yankees...ugh!

2. Eagles play in 5 NFC Championship games, and lose 4 of them

When the Eagles reached the NFC Championship game in 2001, everybody was excited!  They lost to the Rams, but we were all happy they made it that far.  They reached the Championship game the next two seasons, but appreciation turned into disappointment!  Losing to two teams they should have beaten - Buccaneers and Panthers - everybody wondered how many more chances could they get.

Finally, in 2004 they jumped the hurdle.  They beat the Falcons in the Championship game only to lose the Super Bowl.  Four straight years on top with nothing to show for, did they miss there chance?  It turned out they didn't!  In 2008 they found themselves in a Championship game against the Cardinals - a team they crushed earlier in the season - but lost again.

What a decade for the Eagles.  5 NFC Championship games and 1 Super Bowl appearance.  1 NFC Championship victory and 0 Super Bowl titles! 

1. Losing great people 

At the end of last season, Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was not on the field for the final games.  He was sitting up in the box because of health issues.  He was battling cancer!  Before the season began, it was announced that he had passed away.

Following a World Series Championship - the first in 25-years - everybody was in good spirits!  Just a few days after receiving their World Series rings, Harry Kalas passed away.  The World Series title that had everybody flying high, had all of a sudden become an after thought.

Unfortunately, the list goes on!  Tug McGraw, Paul Owens, Reggie White, and John Vukovich...the list goes on!  

In a town where we live and die sports, these people become a part of our lives, and we are never ready for them to go away!  Really, what is baseball without Harry Kalas?  It is much worse than losing any game!  

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Decade in Review: Top 10 Memorable Philadelphia Sports Moments

Here's a look at the top ten most memorable Philadelphia sports moments over the past decade...

10. August 13, 2001: Eagles/Ravens pre-season game canceled due to turf

The original AstroTurf at the Vet had just been replaced with a softer surface called NextTurf.  The Eagles and Ravens were scheduled to play the first football game on the new turf, but Ravens head coach Brian Billick had something to say about that.

The turf was improperly installed, leaving the seams exposed.  Billick would not allow his team to take the field for warm-ups when he discovered there was a trench around the third base area of the field.  The field crew were unable to repair the problem and the game was canceled.

Only at the Vet!    

9. February 10, 2002: Kobe Bryant booed at the All-Star game in Philadelphia 

Philadelphia native Kobe Bryant did not get such a warm welcome when he came home to participate in the 2002 NBA All-Star game at the First Union Center.  The Lower Merion graduate was booed from the time he hit the floor until he left.

Bryant had one of the best All-Star performances ever, with 31-points, 5-assists, and 5-rebounds.  His performance earned him the game MVP, and helped the Western Conference wrap up a 135-120 victory.

Welcome home!  

8. March 21, 2004: Veterans Stadium comes down

Veterans Stadium was considered to be "state-of-the-art" when it first opened in 1971.  It was part of a new wave of stadiums known as "multi-purpose stadiums."  They allowed football and baseball teams to share the same building, despite differences in dimensions.

Thirty years later, our "state-of-the-art" building would be outdated!  Construction began on the Linc in early 2001 and Citizens Bank Park in 2002.  The Vet would soon be history!  The Eagles were the first to leave, opening the Linc on August 3, 2003.  As soon as the Phillies wrapped up their 2003 season, the Vet was done.  On March 21, 2004, the Vet was torn down.

It was old, it was dull, it was smelly, but it was the home to so many memories.  It was somehow awesome!  

7. July 8, 2007: Phillies' save grounds crew from tarp in Colorado

The Colorado grounds crew was taken by surprise when they found themselves trapped under the tarp, the result of out of control winds.  They were attempting to cover the field during a seventh-inning delay when the wind caught the tarp, trapping many of the crew underneath.

The Rockies' players had already retreated to their locker room, but the Phillies were on hand to save the day.  In a heads-up move, they ran out to help, getting the grounds crew out of danger and securing the tarp.  

Their good deed paid off!  They went on to win the game 8-4.  With 9,999 career losses, they avoided their 10,000th loss.  Unfortunately, the Rockies would knock the Phillies out of the playoffs that year.

 

6. Ryan Howard wins Rookie of the Year

Jim Thome had been a huge acquisition for the Phillies, but Ryan Howard got his chance to show what he was capable of when Thome was lost for the 2005 season due to an elbow injury.

Howard's numbers: 22-Home Runs, 63-RBI's, and a .283 batting-average in just 313 at-bats.  It was enough to earn him the 2005 Rookie of the Year award.  The Phillies had a new first baseman!

5. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard win back-to-back MVP Awards

The after winning Rookie of the Year, Ryan Howard showed he was worth the fuss.  In 2006, Howard hit 58-Home Runs and 149-RBI's with a batting average of .313, earning him the NL MVP Award.

The following season, teammate Jimmy Rollins would show off what he was capable of.  In 2007, Rollins had 30-Home Runs, 20-Triples, 94-RBI's, and 41-Stolen Bases, with a batting average of .396.  He also won the Gold Glove Award that year.  It was enough to make him the Phillies' second consecutive NL MVP Award winner!

4. Terrell Owens and Drew Rosenhaus press conference; Next Question...

Everybody was excited when the Eagles acquired wide receiver Terrell Owens!  The team that played in three consecutive NFC Championships without a top quality receiver was now in position to take the next step.  Sure enough, they ended up in the Super Bowl that year.  

The following season, Owens hired agent Drew Rosenhaus and sought to restructure his contract.  He also created a feud between himself and quarterback Donovan McNabb, commenting that "I wasn't the guy that got tired in the Super Bowl."  

The Eagles refused to rework the contract and Owens continued to voice his displeasure with management.  The Eagles suspended Owens for four games without pay, and then deactivated him for the remainder of the season.  

The suspension was to begin on November 6, and on November 8, Owens held a press conference with Rosenhaus.  Owens issued an apology to the organization and to McNabb, but the circus began when Rosenhaus took over.  He answered almost every questions with, "next question."  Hilarious!  The best question was, "what have you done for T.O. besides get him suspended?"  His response, "next question!" 

3. March 5, 2004 - Flyers and Senators brawl, set NHL penalty record

The ultimate hockey fight!  It began when tough guys Donald Brashear and Rob Ray engaged in a routine fight, with Brashear getting the better of Ray.  The situation escalated after the fight ended, when Ray's teammates went after Brashear, a hockey no-no!  What started out as a normal hockey fight, ended in chaos...

• Five consecutive brawls, including a fight between the two goalies
• 419-penalty minutes issued, an NHL record
• 20 Players were ejected for their role in the brawl     
• It took 90-minutes for the officials to sort out all the penalties
• Flyers General Manager Bobby Clarke had to be restrained from going after Senators head coach Jacques Martin following the game.

I have never seen anything like it before, and will probably never see anything like it again.  Naturally, a team that was once referred to as "The Broad Street Bullies" would have be involved in a game like that!

2. September 28, 2003 - Veterans Stadium closing ceremony

After 32-years of service, Veterans Stadium was closing.  The Phillies played the final game at the Vet, losing to the Atlanta Braves.  The ceremony following the game was memorable!

Paul Owens and Tug McGraw made their final public appearances at the ceremony.  Both men would pass away that winter.  Mike Schmidt reenacted his 500th home run, and was greeted by their current slugger Jim Thome at the plate.  McGraw reenacted the final pitch of the 1980 World Series, the only one they had one at that time. 

The great Harry Kalas announced the final broadcast from the Vet: "And now, Veterans Stadium is like a 3-1 pitch to Jim Thome or Mike Schmidt.  It's a looong drive, IT'S OUTTA HERE!" 

They made us remember that there were many memories in the place we were so eager to tear down!

1. May 7, 2002 - Allen Iverson Practice Rant

When the Sixers were eliminated from the first round of the 2002 NBA playoffs, coach Larry Brown criticized Iverson for frequently missing practice.  When asked about the topic, Iverson went on his famous rant.  Check it out...

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