A Bleak Picture
Being a sports fan in the Philadelphia region, which includes most of southern New Jersey, has a bleak outlook these days. The Eagles, shot down and left for dead by the hated Dallas Cowboys last weekend, aren’t likely to make the playoffs. And, it looks like a downward trend will continue.
While the Phillies gave us some fun last summer and fall, the baseball season is months away.
The Flyers are much better this year, with free agent Danny Briere living up to his pre-season hype. The team is faster, playing better defense and Martin Biron has been terrific in the net. They should make the playoffs after the worst season in the team’s history last year.
Which brings us to basketball, my favorite sport to play and watch, pro and college. We all understand that the Sixers are not a great team in terms of star power and depth. This is the post-Allen Iverson rebuilding mode, with cap room money arriving next season.
However, despite all the dire predictions for the franchise, this team is entertaining to watch, because they act like a team. They really seem to root for each other, and the addition of Reggie Evans as a rebounder has been a major improvement. He can’t score worth a damn, but the Sixers are no longer a one and done team in the half court. Of course they play much better when they can get out on the fast break, which they have been doing. Sure, they are going to lose to the elite teams, and have some tough stints on the road, but if you can’t enjoy the selfless play of Andre Miller at point guard, you don’t know basketball. Andre Iguodala is exciting to watch, Sammy Dalembert has been blocking shots and shooting well around the basket, and on any given night Lou Williams, Willie Green or Kyle Korver can get hot in a hurry. Rookie forward/center Jason Smith has looked good with a nice touch, good rebounding fundamentals and energy off the bench.
The premise of this chat was that being a Philly sports fan these days sucks, but I’ve changed my mind. The Sixers and Flyers are keeping me entertained as winter approaches, and that’s more than I can say about the new TV season.