Sports in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, has been home to many teams and events in professional, semi-professional, amateur
, college
, and high-school sports.
." The city's teams have had recent success and saw its first major championship since the 76ers championship of 1983
when the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays
in the 2008 World Series
. Also, the city's teams have lost championships during presidential inaugural years, beginning with the 76ers' loss in the 1977 NBA Finals
, and most recently in 2009, when the Phillies lost to the New York Yankees
in the World Series
. During the spring that followed the Phillies loss in the World Series, the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals
, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks
. The losses by the Phillies and the Flyers clearly made evident a main reason why Philadelphia went 25 years without a championship until the Phillies won in 2008: it continued an interesting coincidence of the only years the city's teams played for championships during that span were during presidential inauguration years. The loss by the Flyers was the first time since they themselves lost in that one of the city's teams lost championships in a non-presidential inauguration year.
The Flyers Cinderella
run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals made the city of Philadelphia the first city to have all four of its major-professional-sports-league teams play in the league championship finals at least once since 2000.
On September 17, 2011, the Phillies became the first team in the city's major-professional-sports history to finish the regular season in first place in five consecutive seasons. Two other teams finished first during four consecutive seasons: 1973-77 Flyers and the 2001-04 Eagles. Five other teams finished first for three seasons in a row: the 1929-31 Athletics, 1947-49 Eagles, 1965-68 Sixers, 1976-78 Phillies, and 1984-87 Flyers.
The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, 76ers and Wings all play their home games in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex
section of the city. The Eagles currently play at Lincoln Financial Field
(commonly referred to as "The Linc"), built in 2003. The Phillies play at Citizens Bank Park
, which opened in 2004. The Flyers, 76ers and Wings share the Wells Fargo Center, opened in 1996. The Philadelphia Union plays their home games at PPL Park in the suburb of Chester
, about 13 miles south of Philadelphia. All three venues are within walking distance of AT&T Station on SEPTA's Broad Street Line
. Philadelphia is one of a handful of cities, which include Atlanta, Chicago
and Denver, where all of its teams from the four major sports play within the city limits.
In 1980
, when Philadelphia had teams in only four major sports (baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey), it became the only North American city in which all four of those teams (Phillies, 76ers, Eagles, Flyers) played for their respective championships in one year. Only the Phillies, however, were able to win a championship, by defeating the Kansas City Royals
in six games in the 1980 World Series
. The Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders
, 27-10, in Super Bowl XV
; the Flyers fell to the New York Islanders
in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals
; and the 76ers bowed to the Los Angeles Lakers
in the NBA Finals
in six games.
Philadelphia has also been home to the Philadelphia Athletics (MLB
, later the Kansas City Athletics and now the Oakland Athletics
) and the Philadelphia Warriors (NBA, now the Golden State Warriors
).
team is the Philadelphia Phillies
. Founded in 1883, the team is the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports. It competes in the National League East
and has won the World Series
twice, in and . In 2010, Philadelphia sports fans picked both of the Phillies' World Series wins as the two greatest moments in Philadelphia sports, picking the 2008 win as the greatest moment.
Still in existence are the Philadelphia Athletics, though they are no longer in Philadelphia. The Athletics were founded in 1901 in the American League
to compete with the Phillies. After playing their last season in Philadelphia in 1954, they moved to Kansas City
and eventually—in 1968—to Oakland
.
The first game in the history of Major League Baseball was played in Philadelphia, on Saturday, April 22, 1876, at the Jefferson Street Grounds
. The Boston Red Caps
defeated the Philadelphia Athletics (NL), 6–5, in the inaugural game of the National League
of Base Ball Clubs. The Athletics were dropped as a team at the end of the season because they had failed to play a full schedule.
Several other Philadelphia teams are now defunct. The Philadelphia White Stockings played in the National Association of Professional Baseball Players from 1873-1875. They renamed their franchise twice as the Philadelphia Pearls in 1874 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1875. The Philadelphia Centennials played in the National Association of Professional Baseball Players in 1875 but failed to complete a season before folding. The Philadelphia Keystones played one season in the Union Association in 1884. The Philadelphia Quakers played one season in the Players League in 1890. The Philadelphia Stars
played in the Negro National League from 1934 to 1948.
by the Warriors
(now in Oakland, California
) and the 76ers
. Defunct teams include the Fusion of the American Basketball Association and the Fox of the Women's Professional Basketball League
as well as the American Basketball League's Rage.
, formerly the Jersey Squires, was an American Basketball Association (ABA) team. The team folded in February 2005 with a record of 3-10.
moved from Richmond, Virginia
in 1997 and played a year and a half in the American Basketball League
before the league folded in mid-season in 1998.
teams, one Arena Football League team, one World Football League
team, one USFL
league team, and one Women's Professional Team.
The city's first NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets
. Originally a community athletic-association team in the Frankford
neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia
dating back to about 1900, the club became one of the early NFL clubs in 1924. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926. Its home field was Frankford Stadium
(also called Yellow Jacket Field). The club disbanded in the 1931 season.
The Philadelphia Quakers (AFL)
played one season in Philadelphia before folding, but managed to win the AFL Championship in 1926.
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Two years after the Yellow Jackets folded, Bert Bell
and Lud Wray
bought the franchise rights and formed a new team, the Philadelphia Eagles
. They are members of the East Division
of the National Football Conference
(NFC) in the National Football League
(NFL). The Eagles have won three NFL titles (1948
, 1949
, 1960
)and are the only NFL team to win back to back championships by shutout (7-0 v. Chicago Cardinals, 1948; 14-0, v. L.A. Rams, 1949). The 1960 Eagles are the only team to defeat the Vince Lombardi-coached Packers in a playoff game. They have made two Super Bowl
appearances (in 1980
and 2004
), but did not win either Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Soul
are an Arena Football League
franchise founded in 2004. They played at both the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum
. The Philadelphia Soul won ArenaBowl XXII
in 2008 before the league formally disbanded in 2009. The Soul returned in 2010 after the Arena Football League restarted its operations under a new entity.
Other teams in the city have folded. The Philadelphia Bell
was a franchise of the World Football League
, which operated in 1974 and for a portion of a season in 1975. It played its home games in JFK Stadium. The Philadelphia Stars were a football team in the USFL in 1983-84, after which they became the Baltimore Stars
for their final season in 1985. They won the USFL Championship in 1984. The Philadelphia Bulldogs played in the Continental Football league from 1965-1967. They won the 1966 championship. The Philadelphia Quakers played in the American Football League in 1926 and won the championship in 1926. In 1902 the MLB owners of the Philadelphia Phillies, Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates created 3 football teams with the same names and called it the National Football League. Pittsburgh was declared the champion after one season of play.
The city's first women's tackle football team was the Philadelphia Liberty Belles
. Founded in 2001, they won the first Women’s National Football Championship in the league’s inaugural season. The club disbanded in the after the 2004 season. The Liberty Belles have reformed for the 2009 season and have joined the new Women's Football Alliance
.
were a National Hockey League
team that played only one full season, 1930–31, at the Philadelphia Arena
. They were the successors of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
, the league's first. They have won two championships, the 1974 and 1975
Stanley Cup
s.
team, which began play in 2010. Its first two home matches were at Lincoln Financial Field
. On June 27, 2010, it played its first match at its newly built stadium, PPL Park, located in Chester, Pennsylvania
.
will also be placing an expansion team in Philadelphia beginning in 2010. They will play at Widener University
's Leslie Quick Stadium beginning in the 2011 season.
. They won the championship in the 2001-2002 and 2006-2007 seasons.
of the National Lacrosse League
play at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. The Wings have won the NLL title six times, in 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2001. They are currently the longest-tenured team in one location in the NLL.
and Pittsburgh. There is also an intense rivalry in Philadelphia between the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys
.
, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League
, and the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers
in the National Hockey League
. There is also a rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association
, although it is not as intense as the other three rivalries.
There is also a spirited rivalry between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia teams at both the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University due to the fact that there are many students from both cities at each school.
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a minor-league hockey team from 1996 to 2009 that played at the Spectrum. The franchise won two Calder Cup
s, in 1997-98 and 2004-05. After the 2008-09 AHL
season, the team relocated to Glens Falls, New York
due to the closing of the Spectrum.
from 1974–1977, winning the league championship in 1976. When the NAHL folded in 1977, they joined the American Hockey League
, where they played from 1977-1979. In 1979, the team moved to Syracuse, N.Y. They played their home games at the Philadelphia Civic Center
, razed in 2005.
Media Rugby is a Division 1 Rugby Union organization, founded in 1978 and consistently ranked as a Top 20 rugby team in the United States for the past 15 years. It exists to play and promote the sport of Rugby Union and to further the growth of the sport in the Philadelphia area. Media Rugby is a member organization of USA Rugby and the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Union.
Media Rugby's record of excellence is as follows:
The Schuylkill River Exiles Rugby Football Club are a Division 1 Men's Rugby Club based in Philadelphia. The team plays matches on public fields in Fairmont Park. The Exiles are members of and compete in MARFU, The Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union, and are also members of USA rugby. The team competes against various other local area teams and plays matches against teams from Boston to Charlotte and out to Pittsburgh.
Schuylkill River Exiles Rugby Club was founded in 1995 and is the only Men´s Division I club that trains and plays in Philadelphia. Since its inception in 1995, the club’s accomplishments are a source of pride and the foundation on which it builds its future.
The legacy began in 1999, with the club securing the EPRU Division III championship and advancing to the final 8 in the Division III national playoffs.
In the fall of 2000, the club’s first season in Division II, the club won the EPRU Division II Championship, and once again advanced to National play-offs, getting as far as the Division II Sweet 16.
This sequence of back to back Divisional Championships, gave Schuylkill a unique status in USA Rugby, as one of the few teams to advance from Division III to Division I in a two year span.
2001 saw Schuylkill competing in the Division I Championship Division and surprising many by earning a second place finish. The following spring of 2002, Schuylkill focused on competing with primarily Division I clubs. The clubs strong showing and fierce competitive spirit sent the message that the club was for real and intending to stay in Division I. An unfortunate one-point loss in MARFU play-offs stopped the club from advancing to Nationals for three consecutive years, in three different divisions.
Fall 2002 introduced Schuylkill to a tougher Division I comprising MARFU Division I and Rugby Super League clubs. Since that time, the club has aspired to compete at the highest levels of domestic rugby, and has an ongoing goal of returning to the National Championship playoffs
Currently, the Exiles are looking to rebuild their glory days. With their group of experienced veterans and a newly found consistent flow of youth, the sky is the limit.
The Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC
is a division 3 rugby union
team in Philadelphia. The team was formed in 1985, due to the merging of the Philadelphia and Whitemarsh clubs.
teams in the Philadelphia area, The Aston Bulls
and Bucks County Sharks are both competing in the AMNRL and the Philadelphia Fight
participate in the USA Rugby League
. Aston, Pennsylvania is considered as the birthplace of rugby league in America.
has a long history of play in Philadelphia and is arguably the hotbed for cricket in the US. It was the center of the "golden age" of American cricket in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Philadelphia Cricket Club
was founded in 1854. Greats such as Bart King
, Percy Clark
and Christie Morris
played for the team in its prime. Though it was disbanded in 1924, it was revived in 1998. There are also cricket clubs in Germantown
and Merion.
Since 1993, the city has been home to the annual Philadelphia International Cricket Festival, held during the first weekend in May, benefiting the Inglis Foundation. Each year, twelve teams, including five from the area and seven from across the United States or guest international sides, are invited to participate in the Festival.
league, founded in 2005. PRG broke off of the original PJRD. PJRD were coached by Philadelphia Warriors All Star Judy Sowinski
. They are the founding league of the Old School Derby Association
(OSDA).
The Philly Rollergirls
, or PRG, are a Philadelphia-based women's flat-track roller derby
league, founded in 2005. The PRG are a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association
, and have been host to the WFTDA East Coast Derby Extravaganza tournament since 2007.
area of the city is home to the annual Philadelphia International Championship
bike race. The main feature of the race is the "Manayunk Wall
", an inclined street including all of Levering Avenue and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue. The race has been largely credited with the economic revival of the neighborhood, and cycling is a prominent theme of many of the shops and restaurants in the area.
Competed at the same time and over the same course is the women's Liberty Classic
.
Philadelphia hosts the annual Penn Relays
, held at Franklin Field
, the largest early-season track and field meet in the U.S.
, is closed to traffic for the annual Broad Street Run
, a 10-mile race contested since 1980.
(aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon), founded in 1954, is an annual marathon sporting event held on the third Sunday of November.
in Newtown Square, PA hosted the 2010 AT&T National
and will host the event again in 2011.
was popular during the 1930s and '40s. The two major tracks were Yellow Jacket Speedway, which closed in 1950, and National Speedway, which closed during World War II as a result of fuel rationing. Races were sanctioned by the American Automobile Association
.
In 2005, the Champ Car World Series began negotiating with the city to organize a race. Several locations for a street course
were discussed including the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
, Fairmount Park
, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
, but no agreement could be reached.
Philadelphia is in close proximity to Dover International Speedway
, Pocono Raceway
, and the defunct Langhorne Speedway
, Nazareth Speedway
and Flemington Speedway
.
champion Joe Frazier
. The city is home to The Blue Horizon
, which is considered one of the finest boxing establishments in the world. The Arena was named 2006 Venue of the Year by ESPN2
boxing program Wednesday Night Fights.
, former world heavyweight
champion and Olympic gold medalist, Joe Frazier
, currently resides in Philadelphia having lived there for most of his career. He currently owns and manages a boxing gym.
is a former world middleweight
champion. Hopkins
defended the Middleweight Championship a record 20 times losing via split decision to Jermain Taylor
. He is also the oldest middleweight champion. His career remains active in the light heavyweight
division, which is the division he debuted.
(West Point) and the United States Naval Academy
(Annapolis) — has been held more often in Philadelphia (which is located approximately midway between the two schools) than in all other locations put together. Eleven of the past fifteen Army–Navy Games have been held in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia-area school with a Division I football team is Temple University
.
However, many Philadelphia residents are fans of the Pennsylvania State University
Nittany Lions Division I Football team, and the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights Division I Football team.
, a unique basketball rivalry among five local Division I universities: Temple
, St. Joe's
, Penn
, Villanova
, and La Salle
. The Big Five have played many of their games at the Palestra
, Penn's venerable gymnasium. The Big 5 rivalry is unique because each of the schools has a rich basketball history and each school is located within a fifteen mile radius of all of the others.
Drexel University
also fields a Division I team and makes up the City 6
in extramurals with the Big 5.
In addition, Division II teams are fielded by Chestnut Hill College
, Holy Family University
, Philadelphia University
(men and women), and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
.
Philadelphia hosts numerous local and collegiate rowing clubs and competitions, including the annual Dad Vail Regatta
, the largest intercollegiate rowing event in the U.S., and the Stotesbury Cup Regatta http://www.stotesburycup.com/, both held on the Schuylkill River
. Boathouse Row
is a symbol of Philadelphia's rich rowing history. Each Big 5 member has its own boathouse.
, as District 12. The first state championship won by a Public League team was the Preparatory Charter High School basketball team, winning the AA state basketball championship in 2006.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, has been home to many teams and events in professional, semi-professional, amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
, college
College athletics
College athletics refers primarily to sports and athletic competition organized and funded by institutions of tertiary education . In the United States, college athletics is a two-tiered system. The first tier includes the sports that are sanctioned by one of the collegiate sport governing bodies...
, and high-school sports.
Major-league professional teams
Philadelphia has a long and proud history of professional sports teams. Of late, Philadelphia teams have been performing well, but have much more often than not missed championships by failing in the crucial stages. Some locals jokingly attributed this to the "Curse of Billy PennCurse of Billy Penn
The Curse of Billy Penn was an alleged curse used to explain the failure of major professional sports teams based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to win championships since the March 1987 construction of the One Liberty Place skyscraper, which exceeded the height of William Penn's statue atop...
." The city's teams have had recent success and saw its first major championship since the 76ers championship of 1983
1983 NBA Finals
The 1983 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1982–83 NBA season.-Overview:The final piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when they acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets...
when the Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the 2008 World Series
2008 World Series
The 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
. Also, the city's teams have lost championships during presidential inaugural years, beginning with the 76ers' loss in the 1977 NBA Finals
1977 NBA Finals
The 1977 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1976-77 NBA season. The Portland Trail Blazers of the Western Conference played against the Philadelphia 76ers of the Eastern Conference, with the 76ers holding home-court advantage. Their 4 regular season meetings had been...
, and most recently in 2009, when the Phillies lost to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the World Series
2009 World Series
The 2009 World Series was the 105th edition of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Philadelphia Phillies, champions of the National League and defending World Series champions, and the New York Yankees, champions of the American League...
. During the spring that followed the Phillies loss in the World Series, the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup Finals
2010 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2010 Stanley Cup Final was the championship series of the National Hockey League season. As the culmination of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Flyers faced the Western Conference champion Chicago Blackhawks...
, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. The losses by the Phillies and the Flyers clearly made evident a main reason why Philadelphia went 25 years without a championship until the Phillies won in 2008: it continued an interesting coincidence of the only years the city's teams played for championships during that span were during presidential inauguration years. The loss by the Flyers was the first time since they themselves lost in that one of the city's teams lost championships in a non-presidential inauguration year.
The Flyers Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals made the city of Philadelphia the first city to have all four of its major-professional-sports-league teams play in the league championship finals at least once since 2000.
On September 17, 2011, the Phillies became the first team in the city's major-professional-sports history to finish the regular season in first place in five consecutive seasons. Two other teams finished first during four consecutive seasons: 1973-77 Flyers and the 2001-04 Eagles. Five other teams finished first for three seasons in a row: the 1929-31 Athletics, 1947-49 Eagles, 1965-68 Sixers, 1976-78 Phillies, and 1984-87 Flyers.
The Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, 76ers and Wings all play their home games in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex
South Philadelphia Sports Complex
The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home of Philadelphia's professional sports teams. It is the site of the Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park...
section of the city. The Eagles currently play at Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
(commonly referred to as "The Linc"), built in 2003. The Phillies play at Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
, which opened in 2004. The Flyers, 76ers and Wings share the Wells Fargo Center, opened in 1996. The Philadelphia Union plays their home games at PPL Park in the suburb of Chester
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, about 13 miles south of Philadelphia. All three venues are within walking distance of AT&T Station on SEPTA's Broad Street Line
Broad Street Line
The Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
. Philadelphia is one of a handful of cities, which include Atlanta, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Denver, where all of its teams from the four major sports play within the city limits.
In 1980
1980 in sports
1980 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall season champion: Andreas Wenzel, Liechtenstein** Women's overall season champion: Hanni Wenzel, Liechtenstein...
, when Philadelphia had teams in only four major sports (baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey), it became the only North American city in which all four of those teams (Phillies, 76ers, Eagles, Flyers) played for their respective championships in one year. Only the Phillies, however, were able to win a championship, by defeating the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in six games in the 1980 World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
. The Eagles lost to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 27-10, in Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
; the Flyers fell to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in six games in the Stanley Cup Finals
1980 Stanley Cup Finals
-See also:* List of Stanley Cup champions* 1979–80 NHL season* 1980 NBA Finals* 1980 World Series* Super Bowl XV-Notes:...
; and the 76ers bowed to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in the NBA Finals
1980 NBA Finals
The 1980 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1979–80 NBA season.Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the league's MVP. But midway through Game 5, the Laker center suffered a severely sprained ankle. He managed to come back in the game in the 4th quarter to lead the Lakers to victory...
in six games.
Philadelphia has also been home to the Philadelphia Athletics (MLB
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, later the Kansas City Athletics and now the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
) and the Philadelphia Warriors (NBA, now the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
).
Baseball
The city's sole existing Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team is the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Founded in 1883, the team is the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports. It competes in the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
and has won the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
twice, in and . In 2010, Philadelphia sports fans picked both of the Phillies' World Series wins as the two greatest moments in Philadelphia sports, picking the 2008 win as the greatest moment.
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
to compete with the Phillies. After playing their last season in Philadelphia in 1954, they moved to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
and eventually—in 1968—to Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
.
The first game in the history of Major League Baseball was played in Philadelphia, on Saturday, April 22, 1876, at the Jefferson Street Grounds
Jefferson Street Grounds
Jefferson Street Grounds was a baseball field located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was also known as Jefferson Park and Athletics Park. It was home to the Philadelphia Athletics from 1871 to 1876, five seasons in the...
. The Boston Red Caps
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
defeated the Philadelphia Athletics (NL), 6–5, in the inaugural game of the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
of Base Ball Clubs. The Athletics were dropped as a team at the end of the season because they had failed to play a full schedule.
Several other Philadelphia teams are now defunct. The Philadelphia White Stockings played in the National Association of Professional Baseball Players from 1873-1875. They renamed their franchise twice as the Philadelphia Pearls in 1874 and the Philadelphia Phillies in 1875. The Philadelphia Centennials played in the National Association of Professional Baseball Players in 1875 but failed to complete a season before folding. The Philadelphia Keystones played one season in the Union Association in 1884. The Philadelphia Quakers played one season in the Players League in 1890. The Philadelphia Stars
Philadelphia Stars (baseball)
The Philadelphia Stars were a Negro league baseball team from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Stars were founded in 1933 when Ed Bolden returned to professional black baseball after being idle since early 1930...
played in the Negro National League from 1934 to 1948.
Basketball
Philadelphia has been represented in the National Basketball AssociationNational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
by the Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(now in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
) and the 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
. Defunct teams include the Fusion of the American Basketball Association and the Fox of the Women's Professional Basketball League
Women's Professional Basketball League
The Women's Professional Basketball League was a professional women's basketball league in the United States. The league played three seasons from the fall of 1978 to the spring of 1981...
as well as the American Basketball League's Rage.
Warriors
Fusion
The Philadelphia FusionPhiladelphia Fusion
The Philadelphia Fusion was an American Basketball Association team based in Philadelphia. The team folded in February of [2005] with a record of 9-10....
, formerly the Jersey Squires, was an American Basketball Association (ABA) team. The team folded in February 2005 with a record of 3-10.
Rage
The Philadelphia RagePhiladelphia Rage
The Richmond Rage, which after one year relocated to become the Philadelphia Rage, were one of the eight original franchises of the American Basketball League , a women's professional basketball league...
moved from Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1997 and played a year and a half in the American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1996-1998)
The American Basketball League, often abbreviated to the ABL of 1996 was an independent professional basketball league for women in the United States. At the same time the ABL was being formed, the National Basketball Association was creating the Women's National Basketball Association...
before the league folded in mid-season in 1998.
Football
Philadelphia has been the home of two National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
teams, one Arena Football League team, one World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
team, one USFL
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
league team, and one Women's Professional Team.
The city's first NFL team was the Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
. Originally a community athletic-association team in the Frankford
Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frankford is a large and important neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles northeast of Center City. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankford Creek, now roughly Adams to Aramingo...
neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia
Northeast Philadelphia
Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Northeast and the Great Northeast, is a section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to the 2000 Census, the Northeast has a sizable percentage of the city's 1.547 million people — a population of between 300,000 and 450,000,...
dating back to about 1900, the club became one of the early NFL clubs in 1924. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926. Its home field was Frankford Stadium
Frankford Stadium
Frankford Stadium was a football field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was the home of the Frankford Yellow Jackets football team of the National Football League, which predated the Philadelphia Eagles. The stadium was also known as Yellow Jacket Field.The stadium, located at Frankford Avenue...
(also called Yellow Jacket Field). The club disbanded in the 1931 season.
The Philadelphia Quakers (AFL)
Philadelphia Quakers (AFL)
Not to be confused with the defunct Philadelphia Quakers team of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Quakers baseball team who became the Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 or the University of Pennsylvania athletics teams, the Pennsylvania Quakers....
played one season in Philadelphia before folding, but managed to win the AFL Championship in 1926.
Bert Bell
De Benneville "Bert" Bell was the National Football League commissioner from 1946 until his death in 1959. As commissioner, he helped chart a path for the NFL to facilitate its rise in becoming the most popular sports attraction in the United States...
and Lud Wray
Lud Wray
James R. Ludlow "Lud" Wray was a professional American football player, coach, and co-founder, with college teammate Bert Bell, of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He was the first coach of the Boston Braves in 1932 and of the Eagles, 1933-1935...
bought the franchise rights and formed a new team, the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. They are members of the East Division
NFC East
The NFC East is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Redskins....
of the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
(NFC) in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). The Eagles have won three NFL titles (1948
1948 NFL season
The 1948 NFL season was the 29th regular season of the National Football League. During the season, Halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Los Angeles Rams' helmets, making the first modern helmet emblem in pro football. The season ended when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago...
, 1949
1949 NFL season
The 1949 NFL season was the 30th regular season of the National Football League. Prior to the season, Boston Yanks owner Ted Collins asked the league to fold his team due to financial woes, and give him a new one in New York City...
, 1960
1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
)and are the only NFL team to win back to back championships by shutout (7-0 v. Chicago Cardinals, 1948; 14-0, v. L.A. Rams, 1949). The 1960 Eagles are the only team to defeat the Vince Lombardi-coached Packers in a playoff game. They have made two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearances (in 1980
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
and 2004
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
), but did not win either Super Bowl.
The Philadelphia Soul
Philadelphia Soul
The Philadelphia Soul are an Arena Football League team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They began play in as an expansion team. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the American Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59–56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
are an Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
franchise founded in 2004. They played at both the Wachovia Center and Wachovia Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. The Philadelphia Soul won ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII
ArenaBowl XXII was played on July 27, 2008 at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana . It was the 22nd and final championship game in the history of the original Arena Football League. This was the fourth neutral site ArenaBowl in AFL history and the second ArenaBowl in the state of Louisiana...
in 2008 before the league formally disbanded in 2009. The Soul returned in 2010 after the Arena Football League restarted its operations under a new entity.
Other teams in the city have folded. The Philadelphia Bell
Philadelphia Bell
The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell....
was a franchise of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
, which operated in 1974 and for a portion of a season in 1975. It played its home games in JFK Stadium. The Philadelphia Stars were a football team in the USFL in 1983-84, after which they became the Baltimore Stars
Baltimore Stars
The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. They were owned by real estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum. They were the league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning two of...
for their final season in 1985. They won the USFL Championship in 1984. The Philadelphia Bulldogs played in the Continental Football league from 1965-1967. They won the 1966 championship. The Philadelphia Quakers played in the American Football League in 1926 and won the championship in 1926. In 1902 the MLB owners of the Philadelphia Phillies, Athletics, and Pittsburgh Pirates created 3 football teams with the same names and called it the National Football League. Pittsburgh was declared the champion after one season of play.
The city's first women's tackle football team was the Philadelphia Liberty Belles
Philadelphia Liberty Belles
The Philadelphia Liberty Belles are a team of the Women's Football Alliance which began play for its inaugural 2009 season. Home games are played on the campus of Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania....
. Founded in 2001, they won the first Women’s National Football Championship in the league’s inaugural season. The club disbanded in the after the 2004 season. The Liberty Belles have reformed for the 2009 season and have joined the new Women's Football Alliance
Women's Football Alliance
The Women's Football Alliance is a full-contact Women's American football league which began play in the spring of 2009. They have now completed three full seasons and grew to over 60 teams slated for the 2011 season. The women play 11 person tackle football games with rules that basically mirror...
.
Quakers
The Philadelphia QuakersPhiladelphia Quakers (NHL)
The Philadelphia Quakers were an American professional ice hockey team that played only one full season in the National Hockey League , 1930–31, at the Philadelphia Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
were a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
team that played only one full season, 1930–31, at the Philadelphia Arena
Philadelphia Arena
The Philadelphia Arena was an arena used mainly for sporting events located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.The building, originally named the Philadelphia Ice Palace and Auditorium, was located at 4530 Market Street, next to what would become the WFIL TV Studio which broadcast American Bandstand. ...
. They were the successors of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers were part of the 1967 NHL Expansion1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
, the league's first. They have won two championships, the 1974 and 1975
1975 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since...
Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
s.
Soccer
Union
The Philadelphia Union is a Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
team, which began play in 2010. Its first two home matches were at Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
. On June 27, 2010, it played its first match at its newly built stadium, PPL Park, located in Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
.
Independence
Women's Professional SoccerWomen's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
will also be placing an expansion team in Philadelphia beginning in 2010. They will play at Widener University
Widener University
Widener University is a private, coeducational university located in Chester, Pennsylvania.Its main campus sits on 108 acres , just southwest of Philadelphia...
's Leslie Quick Stadium beginning in the 2011 season.
KiXX
The Philadelphia KiXX are an indoor soccer team in the National Indoor Soccer LeagueNational Indoor Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League , formerly known as the National Indoor Soccer League, is an indoor soccer league which began play in 2008. It is the third league to be known as the Major Indoor Soccer League...
. They won the championship in the 2001-2002 and 2006-2007 seasons.
Wings
The Philadelphia WingsPhiladelphia Wings
The Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box lacrosse league in North America. They play at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
of the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
play at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia. The Wings have won the NLL title six times, in 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1998, and 2001. They are currently the longest-tenured team in one location in the NLL.
Major professional championships
Championships won by Philadelphia teams in the four major leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL):- 1910 Philadelphia Athletics1910 World SeriesThe 1910 World Series featured the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago Cubs, with the Athletics winning in five games to earn their first championship.Jack Coombs of Philadelphia won three games and Eddie Collins supplied timely hitting...
- 1911 Philadelphia Athletics1911 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 2:Monday, October 16, 1911 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-Game 3:Tuesday, October 17, 1911 at Polo Grounds in Manhattan, New York-Game 4:...
- 1913 Philadelphia Athletics1913 World SeriesIn the 1913 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the New York Giants four games to one.The A's pitching gave the edge to a closer-than-it-looked Series in 1913...
- 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets1926 NFL seasonThe 1926 NFL season was the 7th regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 teams, a figure that would not be equaled in professional football until 1961, adding the Brooklyn Lions, the Hartford Blues, the Los Angeles Buccaneers, and the Louisville Colonels, with Racine...
- 1926 Philadelphia Quakers (AFL)1926 American Football League seasonThe 1926 American Football League season is the only season of the existence of the first American Football League. It started with nine teams, with the initial game of the season being played in front of 22,000 fans in Cleveland, Ohio, but by the end of the season , only four teams were still in...
- 1929 Philadelphia Athletics1929 World SeriesIn the 1929 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics beat the Chicago Cubs in five games.The famous "Mack Attack" occurred in 1929, named for manager of the Athletics, Connie Mack, in which the Athletics overcame an eight-run deficit by scoring ten runs in the seventh inning of Game 4...
- 1930 Philadelphia Athletics1930 World SeriesIn the 1930 World Series, the Philadelphia Athletics defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in six games, 4–2. Philadelphia's pitching ace Lefty Grove won two games.The St...
- 1948 Philadelphia Eagles
- 1949 Philadelphia Eagles
- 1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors1956 NBA FinalsThe 1956 NBA Finals was the championship series and conclusion of the 1955-56 NBA season. The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Fort Wayne Pistons four games to one...
- 1960 Philadelphia Eagles
- 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers1967 NBA FinalsThe 1967 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1966-67 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1967 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Francisco Warriors and the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia...
- 1973-74 Philadelphia Flyers
- 1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers1975 Stanley Cup FinalsThe 1975 Stanley Cup Final championship series was played by the Buffalo Sabres, making their first Finals appearance and the defending champion Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers would win the best-of-seven series four games to two. This was the first Final to have two non-"Original Six" teams since...
- 1980 Philadelphia Phillies1980 World Series-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
- 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers1983 NBA FinalsThe 1983 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1982–83 NBA season.-Overview:The final piece of the Philadelphia 76ers' championship puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when they acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets...
- 2008 Philadelphia Phillies2008 World SeriesThe 2008 World Series was the 104th World Series between the American and National Leagues for the championship of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies as champions of the National League and the Tampa Bay Rays, as American League champions, competed to win four games out of a possible...
Rivalries
Due to their geographic locations, Philadelphia has an intense sports rivalry with the cities of New YorkSports in New York City
Sports in New York City have a long and distinguished history. The city has a few historic sports venues: the original Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 2008, before the team moved into their new stadium in 2009, Ebbets Field, home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913 until...
and Pittsburgh. There is also an intense rivalry in Philadelphia between the Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
New York City
In each of the four sports leagues, there is intra-division competition between teams from New York City and Philadelphia, as seen in the rivalries between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies in Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers–Rangers rivalry
The Philadelphia Flyers–New York Rangers rivalry is one of the most storied and well known rivalries in the National Hockey League...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. There is also a rivalry between the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, although it is not as intense as the other three rivalries.
Pittsburgh
With Pittsburgh, there's an intense intra-division rivalry between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL.There is also a spirited rivalry between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia teams at both the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University due to the fact that there are many students from both cities at each school.
Dallas Cowboys
Since the 1960's and the rise of the Cowboys as "America's Team," there has been an intense passionate rivalry amongst Eagles fans against the Dallas team. The rivalry is often explained as a result of the two teams being NFC East division rivals. However, other theories and folk legends regarding the rivalry have arisen throughout the years.Phantoms
The Philadelphia Phantoms were a minor-league hockey team from 1996 to 2009 that played at the Spectrum. The franchise won two Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
s, in 1997-98 and 2004-05. After the 2008-09 AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
season, the team relocated to Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
due to the closing of the Spectrum.
Firebirds
The Philadelphia Firebirds were a minor-league hockey team from 1974-1979. They played in the defunct North American Hockey LeagueNorth American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
from 1974–1977, winning the league championship in 1976. When the NAHL folded in 1977, they joined the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, where they played from 1977-1979. In 1979, the team moved to Syracuse, N.Y. They played their home games at the Philadelphia Civic Center
Philadelphia Civic Center
The Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center, more commonly known as the Philadelphia Civic Center and the Philadelphia Convention Center, was a complex of five or more buildings developed out of a series of buildings dedicated to expanding trade which began with the National Export Exhibition...
, razed in 2005.
Rugby Union
Media Rugby Football ClubMedia Rugby is a Division 1 Rugby Union organization, founded in 1978 and consistently ranked as a Top 20 rugby team in the United States for the past 15 years. It exists to play and promote the sport of Rugby Union and to further the growth of the sport in the Philadelphia area. Media Rugby is a member organization of USA Rugby and the Mid-Atlantic Rugby Union.
Media Rugby's record of excellence is as follows:
- 2011 - DI Currently Ranked #24 in USA
- 2010 - DI MARFU Champions, USA Rugby Final 16 - Ranked # 7 in USA
- 2009 - DI USA Rugby Final 16 - Ranked # 5 in USA
- 2008 - DI USA Rugby Final 64
- 2007 - DII USA Rugby Final 64
- 2006 - DII USA Rugby Final 32
- 2005 - DII USA Rugby Final 16 – Ranked # 9 in USA
- 2004 - DII USA Rugby Final 32
- 2002 - DII USA Rugby Final 16 – Ranked #13 in USA
- 2001 - DII USA Rugby Final 32
- 2000 - DII USA Rugby Final 16 – Ranked # 5 in USA
- 1999 - DII MARFU Champions
- 1998 - DII MARFU Champions
- 1997 - DII MARFU Champions
- 1996 - DII MARFU Champions - Ranked # 6 in USA
- 1994 - DIII MARFU Champions
- 1985 - DIII MARFU Champions
The Schuylkill River Exiles Rugby Football Club are a Division 1 Men's Rugby Club based in Philadelphia. The team plays matches on public fields in Fairmont Park. The Exiles are members of and compete in MARFU, The Mid-Atlantic Rugby Football Union, and are also members of USA rugby. The team competes against various other local area teams and plays matches against teams from Boston to Charlotte and out to Pittsburgh.
Schuylkill River Exiles Rugby Club was founded in 1995 and is the only Men´s Division I club that trains and plays in Philadelphia. Since its inception in 1995, the club’s accomplishments are a source of pride and the foundation on which it builds its future.
The legacy began in 1999, with the club securing the EPRU Division III championship and advancing to the final 8 in the Division III national playoffs.
In the fall of 2000, the club’s first season in Division II, the club won the EPRU Division II Championship, and once again advanced to National play-offs, getting as far as the Division II Sweet 16.
This sequence of back to back Divisional Championships, gave Schuylkill a unique status in USA Rugby, as one of the few teams to advance from Division III to Division I in a two year span.
2001 saw Schuylkill competing in the Division I Championship Division and surprising many by earning a second place finish. The following spring of 2002, Schuylkill focused on competing with primarily Division I clubs. The clubs strong showing and fierce competitive spirit sent the message that the club was for real and intending to stay in Division I. An unfortunate one-point loss in MARFU play-offs stopped the club from advancing to Nationals for three consecutive years, in three different divisions.
Fall 2002 introduced Schuylkill to a tougher Division I comprising MARFU Division I and Rugby Super League clubs. Since that time, the club has aspired to compete at the highest levels of domestic rugby, and has an ongoing goal of returning to the National Championship playoffs
Currently, the Exiles are looking to rebuild their glory days. With their group of experienced veterans and a newly found consistent flow of youth, the sky is the limit.
The Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC
Philadelphia Whitemarsh RFC
Philadelphia Whitemarsh Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. They are currently members of the Eastern Pennsylvania Rugby Union, the organizational body for the sport in eastern Pennsylvania, and currently play in USA Rugby Men's Club Division...
is a division 3 rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team in Philadelphia. The team was formed in 1985, due to the merging of the Philadelphia and Whitemarsh clubs.
Rugby League
There are 3 semi professional rugby leagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
teams in the Philadelphia area, The Aston Bulls
Aston Bulls
The Aston Bulls, also known as the Aston Delco Sports Club Bulls , are a semi-professional rugby league football team based in Aston Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The team currently plays in the American National Rugby League , the United States' oldest competition...
and Bucks County Sharks are both competing in the AMNRL and the Philadelphia Fight
Philadelphia Fight
The Philadelphia Fight are a semi-professional rugby league team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. They are the current champions of the USA Rugby League. They play their home games at A. A...
participate in the USA Rugby League
USA Rugby League
The USA Rugby League is a semi-professional rugby league football competition based in the United States. The league was founded in 2011 by clubs that had broken with the established American National Rugby League , plus expansion franchises...
. Aston, Pennsylvania is considered as the birthplace of rugby league in America.
Cricket
CricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
has a long history of play in Philadelphia and is arguably the hotbed for cricket in the US. It was the center of the "golden age" of American cricket in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Philadelphia Cricket Club
Philadelphia Cricket Club
The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, is the oldest country club in the United States. It has two locations: Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, and Flourtown, Pennsylvania.-History:...
was founded in 1854. Greats such as Bart King
Bart King
John Barton "Bart" King was an American cricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. King was one of the Philadelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak of World War I...
, Percy Clark
Percy Clark
Percy Hamilton Clark was an American cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He began playing cricket in 1885 and soon found himself at the top of the game in the USA during the brief "Golden Age" of North American cricket.-Biography:He was born on 7 August 1873...
and Christie Morris
Christie Morris
Charles Christopher "Christie" Morris was an American cricketer during the sport's brief North American "golden age". He was a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler.-Early cricket:...
played for the team in its prime. Though it was disbanded in 1924, it was revived in 1998. There are also cricket clubs in Germantown
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
and Merion.
Since 1993, the city has been home to the annual Philadelphia International Cricket Festival, held during the first weekend in May, benefiting the Inglis Foundation. Each year, twelve teams, including five from the area and seven from across the United States or guest international sides, are invited to participate in the Festival.
Roller Derby
Penn Jersey Roller Derby, or PJRD, are a Philadelphia-based co-ed banked track and flat track roller derbyRoller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
league, founded in 2005. PRG broke off of the original PJRD. PJRD were coached by Philadelphia Warriors All Star Judy Sowinski
Judy Sowinski
Judy Sowinski was a roller derby skater and coach.Sowinski was born in Chicago, and became interested in roller derby after watching a game at the Chicago Coliseum in 1957. She tried out and was soon picked up as a professional, skating for the San Francisco Bombers...
. They are the founding league of the Old School Derby Association
Old School Derby Association
The Old School Derby Association is an association of roller derby leagues in the United States.The OSDA was founded by Kenneth Sikes in 2007, with nine member leagues. It has the stated ambition of bringing together innovations in flat-track derby with the traditions of the banked-track sport...
(OSDA).
The Philly Rollergirls
Philly Rollergirls
The Philly Rollergirls, or PRG, are a women's flat-track roller derby league based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2005, the league played their fourth season in 2009...
, or PRG, are a Philadelphia-based women's flat-track roller derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
league, founded in 2005. The PRG are a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association
Women's Flat Track Derby Association
The Women's Flat Track Derby Association is an association of women's flat track roller derby leagues in the United States. The organization was founded in April 2004 as the United Leagues Coalition but was renamed in November 2005. It is registered in Raleigh, North Carolina as a 501 business...
, and have been host to the WFTDA East Coast Derby Extravaganza tournament since 2007.
Professional and world-class events
Several events are competed in Philadelphia on a regular basis.Philadelphia International Championship
The ManayunkManayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Manayunk is a neighborhood in the northwestern section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Located on the banks of the Schuylkill River, it contains the first canal begun in the United States . The area's name comes from the language of the Lenape Indians...
area of the city is home to the annual Philadelphia International Championship
Philadelphia International Championship
The Philadelphia International Championship is an annual bicycle race held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is described as "America's top international cycling classic, and one of the richest and most prestigious one day races outside of Europe." It is one of the longest single-day races in the...
bike race. The main feature of the race is the "Manayunk Wall
Manayunk Wall
The Manayunk Wall is an inclined street, comprising all of Levering Avenue and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue, that is a part of the Philadelphia International Championship bicycle race in Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
", an inclined street including all of Levering Avenue and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue. The race has been largely credited with the economic revival of the neighborhood, and cycling is a prominent theme of many of the shops and restaurants in the area.
Competed at the same time and over the same course is the women's Liberty Classic
Liberty Classic
The Liberty Classic is an annual women's bicycle race held since 1994 simultaneously with the Philadelphia International Championship.The 57.6 mile race consists of four laps of a 14.4 mile circuit through Philadelphia with 5 climbs up the famous Manayunk Wall. The Liberty Classic is the final leg...
.
Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, held at Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
, the largest early-season track and field meet in the U.S.
Broad Street Run
One of the busiest streets in the city, Broad StreetBroad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
, is closed to traffic for the annual Broad Street Run
Broad Street Run
The Blue Cross Broad Street Run, held in Philadelphia on the first Sunday in May since 1980, is one of the largest ten-mile road races in the United States.-Course:...
, a 10-mile race contested since 1980.
Philadelphia Marathon
The Philadelphia MarathonPhiladelphia Marathon
The Philadelphia Marathon , founded in 1954, is an annual marathon sporting event hosted by the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the third Sunday of November each year. The course is a certified , and is sanctioned by the USA Track & Field.-History:In 2011, two competitors died...
(aka the Philadelphia Independence Marathon), founded in 1954, is an annual marathon sporting event held on the third Sunday of November.
Pro tour golf
Aronimink Golf ClubAronimink Golf Club
Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Its championship golf course is consistently rated among the top 100 golf courses in the United States. In 2010, Aronimink was ranked #4 among the toughest courses on the PGA Tour by Links Magazine. The club has...
in Newtown Square, PA hosted the 2010 AT&T National
AT&T National
The AT&T National is a professional golf tournament held in the Washington D.C. area during the Fourth of July weekend. The PGA Tour event is hosted by Tiger Woods and benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation. The first AT&T National was held July 5–8, 2007, at the Blue Course of the Congressional...
and will host the event again in 2011.
Auto racing
While Philadelphia does not currently host any professional automobile racing, midget car racingMidget car racing
Midget cars, also Speedcars in Australia, are very small race cars with a very high power-to-weight ratio and typically use four-cylinder engines.-Cars:Typically, these cars have 300 to 400 horsepower and weigh...
was popular during the 1930s and '40s. The two major tracks were Yellow Jacket Speedway, which closed in 1950, and National Speedway, which closed during World War II as a result of fuel rationing. Races were sanctioned by the American Automobile Association
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
.
In 2005, the Champ Car World Series began negotiating with the city to organize a race. Several locations for a street course
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
were discussed including the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a scenic boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named for favorite son Benjamin Franklin, the mile-long Parkway cuts diagonally across the grid plan pattern of Center City's Northwest quadrant...
, Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park
Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It consists of 63 parks, with , all overseen by the Philadelphia Department of Parks and Recreation, successor to the Fairmount Park Commission in 2010.-Fairmount Park proper:...
, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park is an aesthetically designed park located along the Delaware River in the southern most point of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising some which includes a golf course, about of buildings, roadways, pathways for walking, landscaped architecture, and a...
, but no agreement could be reached.
Philadelphia is in close proximity to Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
, Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
, and the defunct Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township, Bucks County, near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia....
, Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing track in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history....
and Flemington Speedway
Flemington Speedway
Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. The track is most known for hosting four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and its pioneering use of foam blocks used to lessen the impact of crashes, which led to the adoption of the SAFER...
.
Boxing
Philadelphia has a rich history in boxing, being home of the former world heavyweightHeavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
. The city is home to The Blue Horizon
The Blue Horizon
The Blue Horizon is a historic 1,500-seat boxing venue in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Ring magazine voted it the number-one boxing venue in the world, and Sports Illustrated noted it as the last great boxing venue in the country....
, which is considered one of the finest boxing establishments in the world. The Arena was named 2006 Venue of the Year by ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
boxing program Wednesday Night Fights.
Joe Frazier
Originally a native of Beaufort, South CarolinaBeaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
, former world heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
champion and Olympic gold medalist, Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
, currently resides in Philadelphia having lived there for most of his career. He currently owns and manages a boxing gym.
Bernard Hopkins
Philadelphia native Bernard HopkinsBernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
is a former world middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
champion. Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins is an English, Welsh and Irish patronymic surname. The English and Welsh derivations mean "son of Hob". It derives from the Germanic warrior name Hrod-berht, translated as "renowned-fame". It was 'borrowed' into French, where the spelling was changed from "Hob" to "Robert". The name in...
defended the Middleweight Championship a record 20 times losing via split decision to Jermain Taylor
Jermain Taylor
Jermain Taylor is an American professional boxer and former undisputed middleweight champion. He made his professional boxing debut in 2001 and won his first 25 bouts, which included victories over former champions Raúl Márquez and William Joppy...
. He is also the oldest middleweight champion. His career remains active in the light heavyweight
Light heavyweight
In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...
division, which is the division he debuted.
Football
The Army-Navy football game — an annual football game between the rival service academies, the United States Military AcademyUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
(West Point) and the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
(Annapolis) — has been held more often in Philadelphia (which is located approximately midway between the two schools) than in all other locations put together. Eleven of the past fifteen Army–Navy Games have been held in Philadelphia.
Temple Owls football
The Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference...
.
However, many Philadelphia residents are fans of the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
Nittany Lions Division I Football team, and the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights Division I Football team.
Basketball
Since 1955, Philadelphia has been home to the Big FivePhiladelphia Big 5
The Philadelphia Big 5 is an informal association of college athletic programs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It is not a conference; indeed the five schools that are members of the Big 5 are members of three separate conferences: the Atlantic 10, the Big East, and the Ivy League.The five...
, a unique basketball rivalry among five local Division I universities: Temple
Temple Owls
Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a very long-running athletic program. The school's sports teams are called the Owls, originating from the university's early days as a night school. The current athletic director is Bill Bradshaw....
, St. Joe's
Saint Joseph's Hawks
The Saint Joseph's Hawks represent the athletic teams at Saint Joseph's University. The Hawks compete in Division I in the NCAA and the Philadelphia Big 5. The school also has intramurals and extramurals, the latter of which compete with the City 6 . The school is mostly known for its men's...
, Penn
Penn Quakers
The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 27 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing.-Men's crew:-Football:...
, Villanova
Villanova Wildcats
The Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
, and La Salle
La Salle Explorers
La Salle Explorers is the name of the athletic teams from La Salle University. The school's 23 varsity sports teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and are a member of the Atlantic Ten Conference. The American football team previously played in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Football...
. The Big Five have played many of their games at the Palestra
Palestra
The Palestra, also known as the Cathedral of College Basketball, is a historic arena and the home gym of the University of Pennsylvania Quakers men's and women's basketball teams, volleyball teams, wrestling team, and Philadelphia Big 5 basketball. Located at 215 South 33rd St...
, Penn's venerable gymnasium. The Big 5 rivalry is unique because each of the schools has a rich basketball history and each school is located within a fifteen mile radius of all of the others.
Drexel University
Drexel Dragons
The Drexel Dragons are the athletic teams of Drexel University.The school's athletic program includes eighteen NCAA Division I sports including nine men's and nine women's teams, with most sports teams competing in the Colonial Athletic Association . Drexel's athletic department was ranked first in...
also fields a Division I team and makes up the City 6
City 6
The City 6 refers to an informal association of college athletic programs in the Philadelphia area. It is not a conference; in fact, the six schools that are members of the City 6 are members of four separate conferences: the Atlantic 10, the Big East, the Colonial Athletic Association , and the...
in extramurals with the Big 5.
In addition, Division II teams are fielded by Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut Hill College is a coeducational Roman Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally called Mount Saint Joseph College and assumed its current name in 1938. In...
, Holy Family University
Holy Family University
- History :Holy Family University is a liberal arts university that offers graduate, undergraduate, and non-degree programs. The university strives and believes that it has a lifelong responsibility towards God, Society and Self. The mission statement of Holy Family Includes six core values that...
, Philadelphia University
Philadelphia University
Philadelphia University, founded in 1884, is a private university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Philadelphia University's student body consists of about 3,500 individuals from all 50 states and over 50 countries...
(men and women), and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia
University of the Sciences , officially known as University of the Sciences in Philadelphia , located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in pharmacy and a variety of other health-related disciplines.-History:The history of the University of the Sciences...
.
Rowing
Dad Vail Regatta
The Aberdeen Dad Vail Regatta is the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the USA, drawing over a hundred colleges and universities from North America. The event has been held annually on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, since 1953. Briefly in late 2009, it was planned...
, the largest intercollegiate rowing event in the U.S., and the Stotesbury Cup Regatta http://www.stotesburycup.com/, both held on the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
. Boathouse Row
Boathouse Row
-Early 19th century beginnings:The history of Boathouse Row begins with the construction of the Fairmount Dam and the adjacent Water Works. The Dam was built in 1810 as part of a lock at the Falls of the Schuylkill to bring coal downriver. The Dam submerged rapids and transformed the Schuylkill...
is a symbol of Philadelphia's rich rowing history. Each Big 5 member has its own boathouse.
Public League
In 2005, the Public League joined the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic AssociationPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
, as District 12. The first state championship won by a Public League team was the Preparatory Charter High School basketball team, winning the AA state basketball championship in 2006.
See also
- Philadelphia Sports Hall of FamePhiladelphia Sports Hall of FameThe Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., that was established in May 2002, to honor individuals and groups who are either area natives who became prominent in the field of sports or who became prominent in the field of sports in the...
- Pride of Philadelphia Award
- Roll Call of Champions (Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame webpage, honoring every area team—college and professional—that won the championship in its particular sport)
- Philadelphia Sports Writers AssociationPhiladelphia Sports Writers AssociationThe Philadelphia Sports Writers Association was founded on May 12, 1904, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US. The first of what would become an annual Awards Dinner was held on February 15, 1905.-Awards:...
External links
- And The Winners Were ... See all the John Wanamaker Athletic Award-recipients since 1961 webpage. Philadelphia Sports Congress website (Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau).
- Philadelphia Sports Fans Choice Awards webpage. SPPsports.com website