Etc.

July 21, 2008

Patience: In Philadelphia, it's a prerequisite for sports fans

Of the dozen US cities that have franchises in each of the four major professional team sports – baseball, football, basketball, and hockey – none has gone longer without a championship than Philadelphia. Its last came 25 years ago. That's when the Philadelphia 76ers swept the Los Angeles Lakers to give the City of Brotherly Love the 1983 National Basketball Association title, just three years after the Phillies won the World Series. Last year, the Phillies again were in the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round by Colorado. This season, they narrowly lead the National League East at the midway mark, raising hopes they could go all the way for only the second time in history. The four-sport cities, their most recent championship teams, and the year in which each won:

Philadelphia: 76ers (basketball) 1983
Minneapolis/St. Paul: Twins (baseball) 1991
Washington: Redskins (football) 1991
Atlanta: Braves (baseball)1995
Dallas: Stars (hockey) 1999
Denver: Avalanche (hockey)2001
Phoenix: Diamondbacks (baseball) 2001
Miami: Heat (basketball) 2006
Chicago: White Sox (baseball) 2005
Boston: Celtics (basketball) 2008
New York: Giants (football) 2008
Detroit: Red Wings (hockey) 2008