PHILADELPHIA — The birthplace of the United States has another reason to rebel 250 years later. Philadelphia didn’t get enough votes to register in a recent Sports Business Journal poll of best American sports cities. New York City led the way at 20%, followed by Pittsburgh (16%) and Chicago (13%). Philadelphia didn’t make the top 11. From a sports perspective, this is more than enough reason to start another revolution.
The poll results might not come as a surprise to anyone who loathes Philly as a sports town. But the things you don’t like about the city are the reasons it should have been at the top. The spirit of ’76 still animates the fan base. They’re passionate. They don’t put up with tyrants or unwanted interlopers. And they’re not afraid to fight.
The founding fathers were not that much different than callers into the all-sports station. If WIP was around back then, you might have heard calls like: “Angelo, this is taxation without representation. The King is a bum. We should fire his ass. Buddy Ryan wouldn’t have stood for this crap.”
- VOTE: What’s your pick for best American sports city?
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to protest a sports business poll, Philadelphians will be there. Here are 10 reasons my hometown is the No. 1 sports city in America….
1. Most loyal fans
Much like the founding fathers, Philadelphia sports fans put local interests above all else. The attitude is that if you’re not with us, you’re against us and you’re going down. No professional fan base hates their enemies more. Just try wearing opposing jerseys at an Eagles game. Sometimes it goes too far with the inappropriate behavior. But it points to the camaraderie and common goal of everybody in the stadium. They also boo their own players, which speaks to how much they live and die for their teams.
9. The Philly Special
No play is more synonymous with a city than the Philly Special in Super Bowl LII. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles mistakenly called for “Philly Philly” before catching the fourth-down touchdown to help beat the Patriots. Nothing is more Philadelphia than accidentally naming the play after the city.
10. The Wing Bowl
Radio personalities Angelo Cataldi and Al Morganti created the annual chicken wing eating contest that could only happen in Philly. Fans lined up before sunrise to get in to cheer the over-the-top, sometimes insane competition. While not always pretty, it was the perfect showcase for how deep the connection was between fans and Philadelphia sports talk radio. Ben Franklin definitely would have made a guest appearance at the Wing Bowl back in the day.
