Is Our Time Coming?

Last night was quite a night for Cleveland. The city waited over a half-century, but they got their championship. With that hex gone, the two most recognizable droughts in sports are the Chicago Cubs and the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact though, Philadelphia is now at eight years without any championships, while the Flyers are reaching the four decade mark, the Sixers are at 33 years, the Phillies have two in their 133 year history, and the Eagles last won a title in the Eisenhower administration. In other words, I'm happy for Cleveland, but Philadelphia has had it tough.

It's very tough right now. The only team in the city to reach the playoffs in the past year are the Flyers. The Eagles were 7-9, the Phillies 63-99, and Sixers 10-72. The Phillies are mired in a long run of futility this June, more than erasing a good start. With all the teams so bad, the question is, is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Maybe. And it may be closer than you think. We are probably right in the midst of the most important stretch if we're going to emerge from this funk.

The Eagles:

• The Pro Argument- Carson Wentz. If the Eagles are going to win a Super Bowl in the next decade, he is probably the piece that decides it. No disrespect to Fletcher Cox and the other guys who got extensions this off-season, but you don't win championships in the NFL without either a franchise QB or an air-tight defense. I have hopes for the defense, but you can't project something like Denver's defense of last season. You have to hope that getting rid of the village idiot and replacing him with a new coach and QB will result in a title. We'll see.
• The Con Argument- Well, for one, they last won a championship when my dad was three. That's not good. Carson Wentz, like all top five QB's, has about a 75% chance of not living up to the hype, Doug Pederson wasn't high on many coaching lists, and Chip Kelly utterly destroyed the roster by trading away all the fire power. The receivers and running backs stink, and the defense is unproven. Oh, and we don't have a first round pick next season.

The Flyers:

• The Pro Argument- Ghost, Giroux, Voracek. It's an exciting young core. Some potential goaltenders in the minors. A GM who knows what he's doing, and is transitioning them away from "The Bullies" brand of hockey. A team that surprised us this season by being a playoff team at a very young age may continue to progress. A core of skilled, young defensemen could finally make the Flyers capable of facing down elite competition.
• The Con Argument- They lost in the first round. Their division will be stacked for a while. Giroux and Voracek aren't really stars. No goaltender has emerged yet as "the guy." They lost in the first round. Other young squads will not be getting out of their way anytime soon.

The Phillies:

• The Pro Argument- A series of top ten picks, several major trades for young talent, an immediate future of some high picks, a GM that now uses sabermetrics, and the end of the 2008 team's contracts this off-season. There are some young talents on the MLB team that may blossom. The top three teams in the minor leagues are all really, really good. A huge TV deal, and an owner who wants to spend money to win. A great ballpark and recent success make the city a destination for potential mega-free agents. Success at signing draft picks.
• The Con Argument- Two titles in 133 years. A team that has barely won any games this month. Injuries and poor performances by the starting pitchers. A line-up that can't hit at all. A new GM who has made some questionable promotions and draft picks recently. Poor history in the international market. Concerning performance by some of the young talent on the MLB team.

The Sixers:

• The Pro Argument- Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and the #1 pick in this draft. Three first-rounders this year, two next. Either you keep Okafor and Noel, or you trade them for premium talent. A front office no longer committed to tanking. Plenty of money for free agency. The Colangelos have relationships with stars through the USA Basketball angle.
• The Con Argument- Who is going to sign with this team. They won ten games last season. They are about to trade a talented front-court player just to do so. Embiid and Saric have never played a game. Two of the picks this year are later in the first round. The Colangelo tandem specializes in creating borderline playoff teams that sit in purgatory.

So, are we close? I feel best about the Phillies and Flyers at the moment, and worst about the Eagles. At some point in the next couple of years, we may finally get to taste success again from some of these young talents excelling. Our collection of high picks might finally make us competitive again. Only time will tell. Congratulations to Cleveland, but it's our turn.