A New City Called Philly
Devon Loring
I've lived just outside of Philly my whole life, and when it comes to sports fandom, I couldn't ask for a better sports family to be a part of.
I won't rehash the war stories everyone has heard. I won't relive the heartbreaks. I don't need to defend us as a fan base. That's the past.
Because lately, something feels different.
Philadelphia has become the center of the sports world.
We just hosted MLB All-Star Week and welcomed the FIFA World Cup. The Sixers are reportedly one of the teams LeBron James is considering. The Flyers made a magical run to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and even won a playoff series. The Eagles remain one of the biggest stories in the NFL every single season. The Phillies have been legitimate World Series contenders for years.
I think it's time to change the narrative surrounding Philadelphia. Not because we've forgotten our past, but because our present has earned a new conversation. The Home Run Derby showed the entire country our passion for our team and our players. We didn't make it about ourselves. We made it must-watch television.
The World Cup showed something else. It showed how welcoming, inclusive, and diverse this city can be. It wasn't fights. It wasn't mayhem. It was the complete opposite. The present, and the future, have never looked brighter for this reincarnated version of Philadelphia.
No matter what happens with the LeBron saga, the Sixers are legitimate contenders. The Flyers are one of the NHL's youngest, most exciting teams and proved, by nearly landing Connor Bedard and later Leo Carlsson, that this organization is willing to spend and do whatever it takes to become a contender.
The Phillies and Eagles have both spent the last several years competing for championships, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. The spotlight that's been shining on Philadelphia lately is just as bright as the future of its sports teams.
This version of Philly feels different.
And more importantly... It feels earned.
We weren't the ones acting like animals beating up Spurs fans. That's the version of Philadelphia people love bringing up. But that's not the city I've been watching. This Philadelphia is embracing the spotlight. It's enjoying being the center of the sports universe this summer, while believing multiple championships could be on the horizon over the next few years.
For years, Eagles fans embraced the chant that became famous after the Super Bowl:
No one likes us...
No one likes us...
No one likes us, we don't care...
We're from Philly...
Phuckin' Philly...
No one likes us, we don't care.
We sang it. We screamed it. We chanted it alongside Jason Kelce at the parade. We wore it like a badge of honor.
And honestly...
At the time, it fit.
But now...
I'm not so sure it does. I think the sports world is finally starting to do something I never thought I'd see. They're beginning to respect us. Maybe even admire us. That feels strange to say. But is it true?
Is it finally possible that people can stop repeating the stories of our past and start seeing what I've always known? That Philadelphia fans are the greatest sports fans in the world. That this is the greatest sports city in America. That we're standing on the doorstep of an era where every major professional team has a legitimate chance to compete for championships.
As someone who's called this place home his entire life...
I love the sound of that.