Ah, February. The time of year when sports takes a deathly boring holiday.
OK, so those “Go Birds!” guys just won the Super Bowl and held a parade that somehow didn’t warrant mass arrests.
It was the highlight of the sports year … like, by far.
But since this is their third Super Bowl appearance since 2018 — and yes, that is quite remarkable for a franchise that only had two Super appearances before that — it’s no less exciting but not exactly new anymore, either.
So the Eagles memories that so many TV news people swore through bleached teeth will last a lifetime should at least keep the city’s ever growing number of football fans satiated … well, until training camp, anyway.
Meanwhile, all else South Philly sports things will quickly die on the sports talk radio vine.
And for at least the next couple of months, the Philadelphia sports scene quickly dissolves into nothingness.
Consider the area’s “City 6” major college basketball teams. After watching Temple lose on Sunday and seeing that the other not-so-Big five teams all lost on Saturday, know the only March Madness that could possibly be created around here will be done on the high school level.
Thankfully, there are six different PIAA classifications now in that arena, which is, after all, only a couple too many. Hey, a whole lot of parents and schoolmates out there can have a lot to cheer about, at least.
As for the semi-barren professional front, there are Philadelphia’s once formidable winter sports teams, both of which were on hiatus Sunday for reasons that should only cause a collective eyeroll from real sports fans.
Nothing against the latest new and improved format for the NBA All-Star Game, but it’s flat out ridiculous.
Oh, and the “4-Nations-Who-Rightfully-Hate-Russia-Even-Though-Cost-Cutter-In-Chief Doesn’t Challenge,” or whatever that ill-timed hockey tournament is called, well … USA! USA! USA!
Um, in the spirit of political sports exhibition, Team Gulf of America vs. Team Canada producing three fights in the opening minutes of their game seemed so righteously scripted.
Alas, for those determined and eternally rebuilding Flyers, lately they’ve been looking more in-progress than ever.
Their best offensive player — still Travis Konecny — thus far has qualified as either a fourth-line grinder or scratched scrub on Team Canada. But it’s still a good thing that Konecny and the Flyers will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season, because a two-week break in momentum at the top of the stretch drive can’t be good for any contending NHL club.
It would have been a bad time for the Flyers to actually get better this season.
As for not getting better … no, make that, significantly worse … this season, there are YOUR Philadelphia 76ers. For more information on how the team’s doing, consult WebMD.com.
Because Adam Silver’s Hollywoodized version of the NBA now includes a for-money-only “play-in tournament,” that keeps 20 teams in the mix for a playoff spot by season’s end.
So cross your fingers and toes and dream hard and think that with a late run, with both Joel Embiid and Paul George magically getting and then staying sort-of healthy over the next couple of months, maybe the Sixers can slip into a play-in playoff spot.
Not bad for a $167.5 million payroll.
Oh, take heart Philly — and Phillies — fans. Spring sprung and training has begun. That means it’s drinking season in Clearwater, Fla.!
Of course, if you don’t want to travel that far, take heart.
It’s only another six weeks of shadowy sports before worthwhile games hit South Philly again. Oh, and until then … did you know those Philadelphia Union-ites start their 12-month-or-so regular season schedule on Saturday?
Seems like just yesterday that they found themselves out of the playoffs.
Contact Rob Parent at rparent@delcotimes.com
Source: Berkshire mont
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