It really was a good year for Philadelphia sports, wasn't it? Despite there not being a parade down Broad Street, fans had a lot of reasons to celebrate this past year. There were historic moments left and right, miracle finishes and a nice early Christmas present to close out the year. That being said, with 2011 now here, let's look back at what I thought were the top ten moments in Philadelphia sports this year.
Honorable Mentions:
Donovan McNabb is traded to Washington (April 4), Roy Halladay pitches a complete game to win the NL East for the Phillies (September 27), Roy Oswalt is called upon to play left field (August 24), The 76ers get the second overall pick in the NBA Draft (May 18), Jamie Moyer becomes the oldest pitcher in baseball history to throw a shutout (May 7).
Now, on to the top ten!
#10: The Philadelphia Union are born (March 25)
For those of you that don't actually know me that well, let me make this clear. I do not like soccer. I'm not sure why. It might have something to do with being forced to play it when I was younger and being horrible at it, but the same thing happened with baseball, and I love that. Regardless, when I first heard the news that Philadelphia was getting an MLS franchise, I wasn't that thrilled. Then, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Soccer clubs have some of the most passionate fans in the world, and where better to put a team than in Philadelphia?
The Union were founded back in 2008, but didn't play their first game until this season. While they had their ups and downs, just like any expansion team, they showed a lot of promise. Sébastien Le Toux was one of the top goal scorers in MLS, putting 14 shots in the net, and PPL Park is absolutely beautiful. The Union already have the support of Philadelphia fans, who didn't really need another reason to go to a sporting event, but have one now anyway. A seventh place finish in the Eastern Conference wasn't great, but the future is already looking bright for this young franchise. The first season for the Union, and the support that they got from the fans, was certainly one of the better moments of 2010.
#9: The Flyers beat the Rangers in a shootout to make the NHL Playoffs (April 11)
Don't let this current season fool you. The 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers were, for most of the season, an average hockey team. They fired coach John Stevens 25 games into the regular season, and still only finished the year six games over the .500 mark. Philadelphia picked Michael Leighton up from Nashville, and somehow, Leighton became the starting goalie, only to be injured in March. Brian Boucher took over and led the team to the last two games of the regular season against the New York Rangers. All the Flyers had to do was win one of the two games. If they did that, they would clinch a spot in the playoffs. If they lost both, New York would go to the playoffs, and the Flyers would be sitting at home.
So, what did the Flyers do? They lost the first game of the home and home against the Rangers and then went into a shootout in the last game of the regular season, with the playoffs on the line. Danny Briere and Claude Giroux each scored for the Flyers in the shootout, leaving the pressure on Boucher as he faced Olli Jokinen. Jokinen made a move, but Boucher was ready, keeping the puck out of the net and sending the Flyers back to the playoffs for the third straight season. The regular season wasn't always pretty, but the playoffs were, and without this shootout win, none of it would have happened.
#8: Michael Vick is named the starting quarterback of the Eagles (September 21)
After the trade of Donovan McNabb, Eagles fans were expecting the Kevin Kolb era to begin in Philadelphia. After all, Kolb took the majority of the snaps during the preseason, and when Michael Vick got out onto the field during the preseason games, he still looked like the average player that he was back in 2009. There was no way that Vick was going to take over for Kolb.
Fast forward to the first game of this NFL season. Kevin Kolb lasted all of one half against the Green Bay Packers and was concussed, leaving the Eagles with no choice but to bring Vick into the game. Not only did Vick play well, but he almost led the Eagles to a come from behind win against a preseason Super Bowl pick in the Packers. Vick started for Kolb in Week 2, a 35-32 win against the Detroit Lions, and two days later, Andy Reid named him the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. While Vick did miss two games with a rib injury, his play this year more than justified Reid's starting of him. Yes, I have to eat some crow on this one. Vick has passed for over 3,000 yards with 21 touchdowns and just six interceptions while rushing for 676 yards and nine touchdowns. He was also elected as the starting quarterback for the NFC in the Pro Bowl later this month. Plus, the Eagles won their first NFC East title since the 2006 season. Overall, I'd say it was a good move.
#7: The Monday Night Massacre (November 15)
One week after defeating the Indianapolis Colts, the Eagles were making their first trip to Washington D.C. without Donovan McNabb in over a decade. Instead, McNabb was waiting for them as a member of the Washington Redskins, who, just five weeks before, had defeated the Eagles in Philadelphia and injured Michael Vick. McNabb got his revenge against the Eagles in that game, and the Eagles would get theirs on Monday Night, with the entire country watching.
It didn't take long for the Eagles to strike. In fact, it happened on the first play of the game. Michael Vick rolled out and hit DeSean Jackson for an 88 yard touchdown pass that set the tone. The rest of the first half was more of the same. The Redskins would punt the ball to the Eagles, or McNabb would turn the ball over, and the Eagles would march down the field and score. Philadelphia led 28-0 after the first quarter and 45-14 at the half. It was the most points scored by a road team against the Redskins in the first half in Washington history. The Eagles would score twice more in the second half to finish the game with 59 points. Michael Vick had insane, video game numbers, passing for four touchdowns and 333 yards while rushing for 80 yards and two more touchdowns. The 59 points were the most scored by a single team in Monday Night Football history, and Michael Vick became the first NFL quarterback to throw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for over 50 yards and two touchdowns. This game set the stage for the rest of the season for the Eagles, and while it's not over yet, this win sure was fun.
#6: Flyers win the Eastern Conference Finals (May 24)
The 2010 NHL Eastern Conference Finals might have been the most unlikely in NHL history. Not only were the Flyers there as the seven seed, but they had home ice advantage, due to the Montreal Canadiens making it there as the eight seed. In a conference with Washington, Pittsburgh, Boston and Buffalo, the Flyers and Canadiens were going to face off to see who was going to the Stanley Cup Finals. Michael Leighton had returned from injury and was starting in goal again for the Flyers. He didn't waste his chance, recording back to back shutouts in Games 1 and 2 to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead in the series. Montreal took Game 3 back in Canada, but Leighton responded with his third shutout of the series in Game 4, putting the Flyers one win away from their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals since 1997.
Montreal scored just a minute into Game 5, but Mike Richards would answer back with the goal of his season, getting a shorthanded breakaway three and a half minutes later. Jaroslav Halak came out to play the puck and collided with Richards and Roman Hamrlik. Somehow, Richards got up first with the puck on his stick and put it in the net. You could feel the energy get sucked from the Canadiens at that point. It was an amazing goal that was one of the best moments of the year for the Flyers. Arron Asham and Jeff Carter each scored in the second period, and when Carter added the empty netter at the end of the third period, the dream that had just gotten past the Flyers year after year since 1997 was finally a reality. They were headed back to the Stanley Cup Finals. The end result wasn't what everyone wanted, but let's be honest. It was one hell of a ride.
#5: Cliff Lee returns (December 15)
As the 2010 MLB offseason began, there was one big player that everyone was talking about. It wasn't Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth, but Cliff Lee. While Crawford and Werth were rumored to sign just about everywhere, Cliff Lee was apparently down to two teams. Either the Texas Rangers, who Lee had helped guide to the World Series with victories in the ALDS over Tampa and the ALCS over New York, or the New York Yankees, who Lee always seemed to beat when the spotlight shined brightest. The Philadelphia Phillies weren't given much of a chance at all, since they already had most of their pitching budget spent on Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. With the winter meetings winding down, and Jayson Werth signing with the Nationals, Phillies fans were just about to resign themselves to having a winter without a major splash in the baseball market.
Then came the news that a third, mystery team was in the running for Lee. The news came fast at that point. The Yankees were out of the running, and it was down to Texas and this other team. Rumors were flying around. Was it the Red Sox? Could the Nationals really make another big free agent move? If it was the Phillies, where did they find the money? It turns out, it was the Phillies, and just hours after the news about the mystery team broke, Cliff Lee had decided to come back to a city where he had spent just one half of one year, but fell in love. It wasn't the Phillies that got in touch with Lee, it was the other way around. Lee had asked his agent to talk to the Phillies and see what it would take for him to come back. Ruben Amaro got clearance from the owners to make the offer, and this time, Cliff Lee is staying for the next five years. The $120 million contract he signed doesn't hurt, either. Now, the Phillies have Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee. Go ahead, pick a pitcher you want to hit against.
#4: Roy Halladay's playoff no-hitter (October 6)
The Phillies brought in Roy Halladay for the sole reason of winning big games when it mattered the most. As this past season went along, Halladay did that more and more, finishing his regular season with a complete game shutout against the Washington Nationals that gave the Phillies their fourth straight National League East championship. His next start wouldn't be until Game 1 of the NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds, who won the National League Central for the first time in over a decade and boasted an offense that was one of the best in baseball. Halladay had already thrown a perfect game during the regular season, so there was no way that he could top that in the playoffs, right?
He sure came close. In his first ever playoff start, Roy Halladay pitched just the second no-hitter in playoff history. He struck out eight and walked just one batter on a full count in the fifth inning. Aside from that, the Reds couldn't figure out Halladay, and the Phillies scored four runs in the first two innings. That was all Halladay needed. He wasn't quite perfect against the Reds, but he was damn close. Just like the Flyers, the playoff run for the Phillies didn't end how they wanted it to, either. A sweep of the Reds was still nice, and having one of two pitchers in baseball history to throw a playoff no-hitter didn't hurt. There's one more moment from Halladay on this list. I bet you know what it is.
#3: The Miracle at the New Meadowlands (December 19)
The last moment to happen this year came when the Philadelphia Eagles staged that remarkable comeback against the New York Giants just two weeks ago. I really don't have anything new to write about it, so here's part of the recap from the game.
You have to give love to the special teams as well. First came the onside kick with the Eagles down 31-17. The Giants weren't prepared for it, and Riley Cooper did a great job making sure that the ball went ten yards before he touched it. The Eagles would score on that drive, cutting the lead to 31-24. Then came the last play of the game. This one falls more on the Giants than the Eagles, because, thanks to a high snap and a poor kick, the ball came right to DeSean Jackson, which was pretty much the one place that Tom Coughlin didn't want the ball to go. The kick was so bad that Jackson had time to fumble it, pick it up and find a hole to run through before the Giants even made it down the field to try and tackle him. Jason Avant had a huge block at midfield, and that was all Jackson would need. Did he have to start celebrating at the 25 yard line? Of course not, but with the smack that the Giants were talking during the week and for most of the game, I don't blame him. This game was a likely once in a lifetime comeback, so it's fine to showboat a little bit.
What else can be said? It was literally the most improbable ending to a game that I have ever seen in my life, and I'm sure it ranks right up there with just about any ending to any NFL game ever. When you get the first ever walk off punt return for a touchdown in NFL history, it's something amazing.
How can this just be number three on the list? Well, there was a little more history that was made this year in Philadelphia.
#2: Roy Halladay throws a perfect game (May 29)
At the end of May, the Phillies were going through some struggles that they usually reserve for the start of the baseball season. Coming into their series with the Marlins, the Phils had been shut out for an entire series against the New York Mets, and while they had won the first game of the series against Florida, with Josh Johnson going against Roy Halladay in the second game, it was going to take an even bigger effort to make sure the Phillies would win their first series since the middle of the month.
Roy Halladay had come close to pitching a no-hitter before, but he had never been able to get to the end. On this night, he would do just that. Halladay worked just the 20th perfect game in major league history, recording 27 straight outs against the Florida Marlins. Wilson Valdez scored the only run of the game on a Chase Utley fly ball that was misjudged by Cameron Maybin, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Roy Halladay was able to pitch the second perfect game in Phillies history, and that all the hype surrounding Halladay when he came to Philadelphia was legit. Halladay was a big game pitcher that could make history on any night, and he would do it again in the playoffs against Cincinnati, as I already discussed. There's a reason Halladay won the Cy Young Award this season, and the perfect game was the cherry on top of one of the best pitching seasons in recent Phillies history.
How can this not be number one? Well, at the same time Halladay was throwing his perfect game, the Flyers were playing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Chicago Blackhawks. Two weeks before that...this happened.
#1: The Flyers come back from an 0-3 hole to beat the Bruins (May 14)
Being down three games to none in a best of seven series is the worst feeling for any team. Not only does your opponent only have to win one more game to knock you out, but for you to win, you have to do something that's only been done a handful of times in sports history. You have to win four straight games, with at least one or two of them coming on the road. Not only is is next to impossible, it's damn near improbable. Only twice in the NHL before last season had teams come back from an 0-3 hole to win the series, and it hadn't happened in over 30 years. That was the task in front of the Philadelphia Flyers after they lost Game 3 at home to the Boston Bruins by a 4-1 score.
Going into Game 4, they had two things going for them. First, they were still playing at home, and the fans were behind them every step of the way. Second, Simon Gagne was able to return from injury. Gagne's return proved to have the biggest impact in the series, as he scored the game winner in overtime to force a Game 5 back in Boston. The Flyers had a tiny flicker of hope still there. Game 5 went even better for the Flyers as they won 4-0, but lost Brian Boucher to injury, meaning that Michael Leighton would find himself back in goal for the Flyers almost two months after his injury. Leighton made the most of his chance, stopping 30 shots in Game 6 as the Flyers won 2-1 to force a Game 7 back in Boston with the chance of an historic comeback.
Things didn't start out that well in Game 7 for the Flyers. By the time most fans were getting comfortable to watch the game, Boston had already built a three goal lead. Flyers fans had seen this before and figured that their nice little run was about to end, but not with this team. James van Riemsdyk scored his first playoff goal late in the first period to give the Flyers life again, and then came the second period. Scott Hartnell scored two and a half minutes in, and Danny Briere scored on a wraparound goal six minutes later. Just like that, the game was tied heading into the third, where Simon Gagne would strike one more time. Boston was called for having too many men on the ice, and on the ensuing power play, Gagne managed to fire a shot into the back of the net. The Flyers had a 4-3 lead that they would hold onto, making them just the third NHL team to come back from being down three games to none and win the series, and they were the first team to ever complete the feat after being down 3-0 in Game 7.
These type of moments don't normally happen to Philadelphia sports teams. That's why this was the best moment of 2010 in Philadelphia sports. Hopefully, 2011 can provide us with just as many good memories, as well as a parade or two.
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