Philadelphia is one of just 13 cities in the country that is home to one of each of the ‘big four’ major sports leagues. When you count the great Philly area, Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union can also be entered into the mix. But even with all those teams, there have not been that many championships to celebrate.
Philly fans are notorious for giving opponents a tough time but it has not translated into success. The Eagles are the most recent champions, winning the Super Bowl in 2017. But there has been only one other since the turn of the century – the Phillies in 2008. So maybe there’s a reason why the bookmakers at MyTopSportsbooks offer long odds for a Philly success.
We thought we would take a look at which team from the city has the best chance of breaking the dry streak.
76ers, NBA
It will come as no surprise to anyone with the slightest interest in Philadelphia sports that the 76ers are judged to be the team from the city with the best chance of winning a championship. The Sixers were already well-liked before the trade deadline – but their chances grew even more with one of the biggest NBA trades in years.
Out went disgruntled Ben Simmons – to the disappointment of absolutely no one in Philly – and in came 10xNBA All-star James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. There were other players involved in the trade but the arrival of The Beard to team up with Joel Embiid could mean Philly will be celebrating soon.
Union, MLS
It might not please the more traditional sports fans in the city, but it is soccer’s Philadelphia Union that is currently considered the second best chance of a championship in the city (and greater area). Although not one of the favorites, the Union can definitely be included in the chasing pack.
The Union lost out to eventual winners NYCFC in the Eastern Conference final last season but kept the majority of the team over the offseason and brought in two big name strikers, Julian Carranza and Mikael Uhre, to score the goals to take them all the way in 2022.
Phillies, MLB
There is a major question mark over whether any team at all will be able to win the World Series in 2022. Thanks to the ongoing dispute between the owners and the players, we are currently experiencing a lockout with more cancelled games than home runs.
The Phillies last won the Fall Classic in 2008 and there has hardly been any postseason action since then, let alone a repeat. Little was expected of this year either, so missing out on games might not be the absolute worst situation for long-suffering Phillies fans.
Eagles, NFL
After a year away from the postseason, the Eagles made the wild card playoffs in 2021 where they lost to Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not a lot more was expected, to be honest, and Eagles fans will be happy if their team get another shot at the postseason in 2022.
There is some room with the salary cap and the organization is set to take three picks in the first round of the NFL draft this April. But much of the hope for the Eagles rests on the improvement of QB Jalen Hurts. He does have some good players around him, so if he progresses the Eagles might be ok.
Flyers, NHL
With the 2021-22 NHL regular season already about two-thirds of the way through it is clear that the Flyers will not be making the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The only time that has ever happened is back in the early 1990s. Even a change in coach back in December didn’t seem to help.
So, if this season is already a bust – is there hope for the future? Unfortunately, there seems to be little to get excited about. The Flyers desperately need to succeed at the 2022 NHL Trade deadline at the end of the month so fans can start dreaming about the organization solving some of its many problems.
Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
