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PSU (& Philly non-) dominance

I'm just a Phillies fan so I'll keep it to them
1. Joe Carter
2 Losing to the Astros (cheaters) and the Yankees in 2009 (once again, cheaters)
3. Going 0-2 in games 6-7 while they were at home.
Losing 1-0 to Chris Carpenter in Game 5 of the 5-game first round. Halladay was great as always. Carpenter was very good, but the Phillies made him look like Clemens and Maddux combined.

What stunk the most was that you just knew from that game that their window was closing, and Halladay would never get his title.
 
Philly always panics. Hinkie was ready and had the assets to create a winner. Colangelo was a total friggen disaster( I agree the league had a lot to do with it). Who knew that Ben Simmons was a bigger Wussy than Geiger! Don't get me started. Too late, LOL. Hextal was close and had built up a massive amount of assets and as usual management was too impatient. They squandered a lot of those assets for win now scraps. Not much to complain about Phillies other than leaving Mitch Williams in when he was obviously fried. The "That's what we did all season" crap doesn't fly. Oh and they did it again with Kimbrel this year. He was toast!!! Eagles have done well, but just hung on to aging players too long this go round. Gene Mauch, Leroy Keys instead of OJ, ugh I need a drink, LOL.
Ed Snider was the source of a lot of Flyers problems, but Hextall was an atrocious GM who never figured out how to manage the salary cap, or that players are contracts, or the relative value of draft picks and player contracts. Snider can't be blamed for Hextall getting a quick hook as Pittsburgh GM.

Kimbrel was fried because Thomson horrifically overused his bullpen. (Same could be said for Williams in 1993 -- his fastball was noticeably slower in October than in July.) Topper is a good coach who the players love, but someone needs to pull him aside and teach him about pacing players. You don't need your closer in a 5-run game in June. And maybe don't hook your starters in the 3rd inning of a 2-1 game just because it's the playoffs.

Realmuto is gonna be next -- he's in his 30s, catchers have the most wear and tear of any position, and he gets overused in the regular season.
 
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Amen. If I never hear "left wing lock" again it will still be too soon. The Devils were the Lewan's of hockey back then.
That's an insult to Lewan.

The entire NHL went from wide-open Gretzky offense to concrete skates in about 3 years. Of course every team copied NJ because they won. Ugh.
 
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Losing 1-0 to Chris Carpenter in Game 5 of the 5-game first round. Halladay was great as always. Carpenter was very good, but the Phillies made him look like Clemens and Maddux combined.

What stunk the most was that you just knew from that game that their window was closing, and Halladay would never get his title.
Agreed, it was obvious their run was over after that game.
 
Any chance to get this back on topic or is it a lost cause?
Flower Reaction GIF by CBS
 
I think you got the years right. Add the 2010 Phillies losing in the first round with Halladay, Hamels, Lee, Oswalt, and bats that went dead in October.

Iverson would've won a title if the team had surrounded him with championship talent. Some good players, but there was no McHale or Parish, let alone two.

Philly also has a history of comically bad management:
- Signing the wrong Maddux and the wrong Giambi
- Letting Reggie White and the entire defense walk because the owner objected to free agency
- The Eagles moving their very good OL coach to defensive coordinator and then firing him in 1 year
- The Process (horrible as it was, made logical sense in NBA Salary Cap Hell -- and then the league stepped in and stopped it before it could bear fruit)
- The Flyers firing a head coach approximately every 6 weeks, and then wondering why they can't win a Cup since the mid-70s.
I'm a die hard SF Giant fan. I was loyal to my father rooting interest. He was in the Polo grounds the last game they played in New York.
With that being said, the Phillies in 2010 were the best NL team. However the Giants beat them with pitching. I will forever remember Howard taking strike 3 off of Brian Wilson to end the series.
 
Simmons, Fultz, and Okafor were karmic retribution for losing on purpose. It’s one thing to decide in the middle of a season, hey, this isn’t going our way, we’re going to trade some players for picks and regroup for next season, but it’s bad for sports when you say “we’re going to suck and lose on purpose for the next 5 years”. Sports gods will punish you for that. Notice that as soon as they stopped losing on purpose, they drafted Maxey with like the 15th pick, who is 1000x better than any of those top 3s other than Embiid.
 
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I'm just a Phillies fan so I'll keep it to them
1. Joe Carter
2 Losing to the Astros (cheaters) and the Yankees in 2009 (once again, cheaters)
3. Going 0-2 in games 6-7 while they were at home.
Outside of the Phillies, the Eagles also lost to the spygate-era Cheatriots, too, the year before they were caught.
 
What are you low points as a Philly fan? Mine in no particular order:

- Maddox dropping a ball in the rain - 77 NLCS with Dodgers
Joe Carter
Pelle Lindbergh dying on my birthday in a car crash
JB dying in a car crash
Trading #1 overall pick for Roy Hinson
Trading Moses for Jeff Ruland
1977 NBA Final choke against the Trailblazers
1981 - Ghost of Celtics past
1979 - Nystrom’s offside goal in game 6
If only you were a Steelers and Pens fan...

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I hear Pittsburgh might be getting a Major League Baseball team sometime soon—any truth to the rumor?

There is no defending the Pirates, but, winning an MLB title is going to be less and less impressive as the years go by. It is now a ridiculous spending contest, and with the prices going up and up, the big market teams are going to be the only ones that can afford to compete. Not putting in a salary cap when the other major sports did will eventually ruin baseball. The players union is strong and will never allow a cap at this point. Why would they? It's sad. I love baseball, but, it has been going the wrong direction for some time now. Don't even get me started on the DH, which takes all of the strategy out of the game.
 
There is no defending the Pirates, but, winning an MLB title is going to be less and less impressive as the years go by. It is now a ridiculous spending contest, and with the prices going up and up, the big market teams are going to be the only ones that can afford to compete. Not putting in a salary cap when the other major sports did will eventually ruin baseball. The players union is strong and will never allow a cap at this point. Why would they? It's sad. I love baseball, but, it has been going the wrong direction for some time now. Don't even get me started on the DH, which takes all of the strategy out of the game.
Getting rid of the NL DH and putting runners on base in extra-innings were two of the worst changes major sports have made in recent times. Just awful.
 
There is no defending the Pirates, but, winning an MLB title is going to be less and less impressive as the years go by. It is now a ridiculous spending contest, and with the prices going up and up, the big market teams are going to be the only ones that can afford to compete. Not putting in a salary cap when the other major sports did will eventually ruin baseball. The players union is strong and will never allow a cap at this point. Why would they? It's sad. I love baseball, but, it has been going the wrong direction for some time now. Don't even get me started on the DH, which takes all of the strategy out of the game.
I feel ya. I was raised to be a Twins & Vikings fan. I'll always have those 2 world series (that 2nd one!!)--but that's around the time things started to go south, and now the twinkies are in no better shape than the bucs. Though we do make the playoffs sometimes, it's always a 1st round exit....

Don't even get me started on the Vikings....

I've been happy to adopt the Steelers & Pens because Mrs. Nerf is from the burgh though. Heck, we even had a cat name Lemieux when I was a kid.
 
I feel ya. I was raised to be a Twins & Vikings fan. I'll always have those 2 world series (that 2nd one!!)--but that's around the time things started to go south, and now the twinkies are in no better shape than the bucs. Though we do make the playoffs sometimes, it's always a 1st round exit....

Don't even get me started on the Vikings....

I've been happy to adopt the Steelers & Pens because Mrs. Nerf is from the burgh though. Heck, we even had a cat name Lemieux when I was a kid.

My 4 dogs names: Bettis, Rooney, Crosby & T.J. (The first 3 were Golden Retrievers, my current (TJ) is a rescue boxer/white lab mix)
 
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Simmons, Fultz, and Okafor were karmic retribution for losing on purpose. It’s one thing to decide in the middle of a season, hey, this isn’t going our way, we’re going to trade some players for picks and regroup for next season, but it’s bad for sports when you say “we’re going to suck and lose on purpose for the next 5 years”. Sports gods will punish you for that. Notice that as soon as they stopped losing on purpose, they drafted Maxey with like the 15th pick, who is 1000x better than any of those top 3s other than Embiid.
I get what you're saying, but that's very rarely the reality in the NBA. You typically need more than 1 superstar to win a title, and the talent seriously tapers after the first few picks. Occasionally a team gets lucky with a Maxey at 15, but most guys drafted in that range are projects or busts.

And with the combo of guaranteed contracts + the salary cap, you have to trade contracts for contracts. So trades are almost always either my crap for your crap, or unloading a superstar for 25 cents on the dollar.

Hell is being around .500 to the 5th seed -- your draft pick won't help for years if ever, and nobody is gonna trade you future stars for your crap. You're stuck there indefinitely, until your best player gets hurt or leaves via free agency -- and then you suck for a year and get a good pick.

The best teams are the ones that crater and land a top draft pick, and use that pick well. The Sixers took that to its logical conclusion, but then didn't draft well. It's a shame they drafted so poorly, because had The Process succeeded, the NBA would've had to change or scrap its salary cap.
 
I hear Pittsburgh might be getting a Major League Baseball team sometime soon—any truth to the rumor?
The PIrates are karma for Pittsburgh fans no-showing Game 7 of the playoffs against the Braves in the early 1990s.

If you can't be bothered to show up for Game 7 of the playoffs, you don't deserve a franchise, and you don't deserve to bitch about your lack of franchise.
 
The PIrates are karma for Pittsburgh fans no-showing Game 7 of the playoffs against the Braves in the early 1990s.

If you can't be bothered to show up for Game 7 of the playoffs, you don't deserve a franchise, and you don't deserve to bitch about your lack of franchise.
IIRC, that was the same year the Twins won "the greatest world series of all time" vs. the Braves, so I'm cool w/ that outcome (even w/ local PA boy on the mound for the bucs). :cool:
 
There is no defending the Pirates, but, winning an MLB title is going to be less and less impressive as the years go by. It is now a ridiculous spending contest, and with the prices going up and up, the big market teams are going to be the only ones that can afford to compete. Not putting in a salary cap when the other major sports did will eventually ruin baseball. The players union is strong and will never allow a cap at this point. Why would they? It's sad. I love baseball, but, it has been going the wrong direction for some time now. Don't even get me started on the DH, which takes all of the strategy out of the game.
Emotion-based, not fact-based. Every year several lower-payroll teams make the playoffs and advance.

The 2023 World Series was the 10th payroll vs. the 21st payroll. Payrolls 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 did not make the playoffs (this included both NY teams). Payrolls 5 and 8 lost in their opening round.

The Evil Empire's last 2 World Series appearances were in 2009 and 2003.

The reason this happens is because of no salary cap. Big-market teams are enabled to sign players for far too many years, and then are stuck with those contracts well after the players decline. Small-market teams who acquire and develop talent intelligently can and do compete.
 
This thread is depressing. How about great Philly moments. Desean running back a kick to win the game.

The body bag game.

Buddy Ryan’s defense

Tug McGraw

1980

Julius Erving winning championship

The Philly Special……
 
Emotion-based, not fact-based. Every year several lower-payroll teams make the playoffs and advance.

The 2023 World Series was the 10th payroll vs. the 21st payroll. Payrolls 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 did not make the playoffs (this included both NY teams). Payrolls 5 and 8 lost in their opening round.

The Evil Empire's last 2 World Series appearances were in 2009 and 2003.

The reason this happens is because of no salary cap. Big-market teams are enabled to sign players for far too many years, and then are stuck with those contracts well after the players decline. Small-market teams who acquire and develop talent intelligently can and do compete.

Just because some teams don't make use of their advantage doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

The contract to Ohtani is a bad sign for where things are headed.
 
The PIrates are karma for Pittsburgh fans no-showing Game 7 of the playoffs against the Braves in the early 1990s.

If you can't be bothered to show up for Game 7 of the playoffs, you don't deserve a franchise, and you don't deserve to bitch about your lack of franchise.
If I could have I would have been there... that game wore on me for quite some time.. Bonds playing sooo deep, etc., etc. There was a playoff game in the late 80s against Cincy where tickets were easily attainable.. may have been Strike effects but doubt it
 
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Just because some teams don't make use of their advantage doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

The contract to Ohtani is a bad sign for where things are headed.
Advantage =/= results.

The Ohtani contract was brilliant. But any team could've done that, including most if not all small market teams. That wasn't a function of big market.

Also it won't work for most players. He was willing to defer almost all of his salary until future years when he won't be around to pay California taxes. Not even Bobby Bonilla's famous contract approaches what Ohtani did.
 
If I could have I would have been there... that game wore on me for quite some time.. Bonds playing sooo deep, etc., etc. There was a playoff game in the late 80s against Cincy where tickets were easily attainable.. Strike

That game 7 was, and still is my most painful pro sports fan moment.
 
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McNabb walking slowly to the line during the two minute drill in the 2005 Super Bowl is something I wish I could forget or at least stop picturing. Owens said he barfed.
 
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This thread is depressing. How about great Philly moments. Desean running back a kick to win the game.

The body bag game.

Buddy Ryan’s defense

Tug McGraw

1980

Julius Erving winning championship

The Philly Special……
Chase Utley's parade speech.
Jason Kelce's parade speech.

Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter. (As an aside: I was at his last regular-season start that year, when he threw a 2-hitter in DC against the Nats. That was the most locked-in I've ever seen any pitcher. Those 2 hits were both dribblers. Just incredible.)

Utley owning the Mets for his entire career.

Jimmy Rollins guaranteeing the playoffs in mid-September when they were something like 7 games behind the Mets, and they did it.

Mike Schmidt's 500th HR.

The playoff atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park, when you see NFL players blown away by the fan intensity.

The Eagles beating Brady in the Super Bowl with their backup QB.

The "pickle juice" game in Dallas. (Especially funny watching Eagles fans chugging pickle juice at the next tailgate, and retching.)

The 4th-and-1 win over Dallas. Another Dallas game: when the fans pelted Jimmy Johnson with snowballs.

Whenever Charlie Manuel gets airtime. Also Charles Barkley, Jay Wright, and John Kruk.

The Montreal playoff pre-game fight.

Also while the Flyers lost, the 7-game Cup finals vs the Gretzky/Messier Oilers. A ton of action, and both teams played insanely well.
 
Chase Utley's parade speech.
Jason Kelce's parade speech.

Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter. (As an aside: I was at his last regular-season start that year, when he threw a 2-hitter in DC against the Nats. That was the most locked-in I've ever seen any pitcher. Those 2 hits were both dribblers. Just incredible.)

Utley owning the Mets for his entire career.

Jimmy Rollins guaranteeing the playoffs in mid-September when they were something like 7 games behind the Mets, and they did it.

Mike Schmidt's 500th HR.

The playoff atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park, when you see NFL players blown away by the fan intensity.

The Eagles beating Brady in the Super Bowl with their backup QB.

The "pickle juice" game in Dallas. (Especially funny watching Eagles fans chugging pickle juice at the next tailgate, and retching.)

The 4th-and-1 win over Dallas. Another Dallas game: when the fans pelted Jimmy Johnson with snowballs.

Whenever Charlie Manuel gets airtime. Also Charles Barkley, Jay Wright, and John Kruk.

The Montreal playoff pre-game fight.

Also while the Flyers lost, the 7-game Cup finals vs the Gretzky/Messier Oilers. A ton of action, and both teams played insanely well.
The Flyers even getting to a game 7 against that amazing team was a miracle in itself.
 
This goes back a ways, but the Phillies blowing the NL pennant in 1964 has to be on a list of great disappointments.

In mid-September, the Phillies were up 6 games with 17 remaining. They proceeded to lose 13 of the next 15 games (thanks in part to Manager Gene Mauch's dubious strategy of pitching his aces Chris Short and Jim Bunning till their arms nearly fell off), and the St. Louis Cardinals won the NL by one game.

Classic collapse. The World Series drought continued until 1980.
Oh god - why-O-why have you brought up the 64 Phil’s. This is a wrestling board. It took me 40+ years to forget that debacle. Every morning riding to work with my Dad on the Paoli Local listening to all manner of Philly bitching about Gene M. Thankfully I’m downtown today fueling up for tonight’s match and with enough brews … I can forget that you raised the thing that must never be mentioned.
 
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We are family. All my brothers, sisters, and me
I still have a Pirates cap I bought at Three Rivers during the 1979 season with Stargell stars on it. I usually break it out once a year when we do something at work on opening day. It is the one time of year I still think about baseball. Anyway, that hat still gets me a lot of comments/compliments.
 
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