A March Melancholy in Philly
Some Annual Months Are Quiet for Sports in Philly.
March Should Not Be One.
It’s difficult to imagine that not even eight weeks after an Eagles Championship Parade worthy of the celebrations of ancient Rome, Philly might be in a little bit of a slump in the area of sports.
Sure — the Phillies, on their 142nd Opening Day on Monday, are once again gearing up for a potential championship run that would allow the City to have another parade serenaded in red in October. But don’t book your seats just yet.
Sometimes, in Philly, championships in sports take time.
The fanfare surrounding the Phillies’ founding in 1883 at Recreation Park did not immediately translate to the same field where Pennsylvania played Equity some twenty years earlier, right before the Civil War in 1860. It would take just over thirty years for the Phillies to advance to the World Series, and it would take about 100 years for them to win one.
This is the third year a Philadelphia team hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament.
Big 5 Basketball was once some of the finest in the country.
PHOTO: Scott Wachter/Imagn Images
This March marks forty years since Rollie Massimino’s Villanova Wildcats marched through the NCAA Tournament defeating both Kenny Smith’s North Carolina Tar Heels and Patrick Ewing’s Georgetown Hoyas with a near perfect performance shooting from the field to march down Market Street, nine years since Jay Wright’s Wildcats dazzled the nation, and seven years since Donte DiVincenzo exploded against the Michigan Wolverines defense.
And certainly — we can rejoice for the sons of Philadelphia who have showcased their talents on other squads like Mike Mayock from American, Thomas Haugh from Florida, Andrew Carr from Kentucky, Al Amdaou from Florida, Quadir Copeland from McNeese State, Christian Ings from Norfolk State, Mikeal Brown-Jones from Ole Miss, Justice Williams from Robert Morris, Ryen Gresko from St. Francis, Ahmad Nowell from UConn, AJ Hoggard from Vanderbuilt, or Jack Clark from VCU. Why wouldn’t we?
But Philadelphia deserves better from the Big 5. We deserve representation in the Men’s NCAA Tournament. Let’s stay patient like Philly fans. We’ll get there.
Besides, if it takes a century, we won’t see it anyway—at least, not most of us.
PHOTO: Scott Wachter/Imagn Images
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