Which Philly sports team is next to become title contenders?
By Nick Som
After years of losses, it’s finally fun to be a Philly sports fan again. How do the Philadelphia Flyers stack up with the city’s other teams?
A lot of the recent articles on this blog have had an optimistic outlook for the Philadelphia Flyers’ chances of returning to playoff relevancy in the near future. That’s good news for us Philly sports fans, who are currently enduring one of the worst stretches of professional sports the city has ever seen. The Eagles haven’t won a playoff game since 2008. The Phillies are on track to finish with the worst record in the MLB for the second time in three years. The Sixers need not be discussed.
However, all four teams have shown recent signs of growth. So where do the Flyers fall in terms of likelihood of becoming championship contenders, compared to Philly’s other teams?
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As you’re probably aware of by now, the Flyers have a lot of talent in the pipelines, some of which has already arrived in the NHL. Making the playoffs is an expectation for next season, which would serve as a springboard for the extended period of success that’d hopefully follow, thanks to said talent. The 2019-20 season seems like a reasonable goal for the team to be relevant in the Stanley Cup discussion.
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The Eagles’ defense looks like it’s going to be an excellent unit this year and into the future, but the team will only go as far as quarterback Carson Wentz can take them. Wentz is primed to take a major step forward, with a year of experience under his belt and a WR corps that’s worlds better than the sorry group of last year. Most media members don’t plan on seeing a ton from the Eagles in 2017- ESPN recently placed them at #15 in their power rankings- but if Wentz develops faster than expected, this is a top-10 team in the NFL right now.
The Phillies’ rebuild hasn’t quite gone according to plan. The team still lacks the star players necessary to build a World Series team around. Starting pitcher Aaron Nola has ace potential, and the arrivals of prospects Nick Williams and Rhys Hoskins offer some hope. But third baseman Maikel Franco has taken a large step back this year, and top prospect J.P. Crawford has struggled to hit (though he’s begun to turn it around in recent weeks). In short, the Phillies still have a long way to go.
Meanwhile, the Sixers’ much-maligned Process appears to finally have proven its worth to the greater public. The core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and Dario Saric looks on paper to be the kind of foundation a dynasty can be built upon. But even if they do make the playoffs this upcoming season, the Sixers won’t be contending for a title for at least a few years. Simmons and Fultz have yet to step on the court in an NBA regular season game, and Embiid’s health will always be a concern. It will take time for the players to reach their primes and mesh as a team. There’s a lot to be excited about, but the titles aren’t about to roll in yet.
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I’d say the Eagles are most likely to become championship contenders the fastest, with the Flyers and Sixers tied for second and the Phillies bringing up the rear. The NFL is a highly unpredictable league, and if you have a great quarterback, anything is possible. The Flyers and Sixers both have extremely bright futures, but their peaks are certain to be at least a few years down the road.