Backgrounder

Philadelphia: City of Brotherly Passion For Sports

PHILADELPHIA, September 1, 2003 - Philadelphia fans have known joy and heartache, anger and exultation in their hundred-plus years of living with professional sports teams. "Philadelphia is the most sophisticated, knowledgeable sports town in America. The fans don't expect you to win all the time, but they demand you play hard," says Bill Campbell, the "Dean" of Philadelphia sports, who has broadcast the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, Warriors and "Big Five" basketball throughout his 50-year career.

Philadelphia is one of the few cities with a professional franchise in all four major league sports, in addition to having a professional men's indoor soccer team and a professional men's lacrosse team. Most of Philadelphia's pro teams play within a few miles of Center City at the Wachovia Center (basketball and hockey); the new Lincoln Financial Field (football); Veterans' Stadium, which will soon to be replaced by the Citizens Bank Park (baseball); and the Wachovia Spectrum (soccer). Despite not having the constant success all Philadelphians would like, most of the Philadelphia sports franchises are steady contenders for their respective championships.

BASKETBALL

The Pros
The city's first professional basketball team was the Philadelphia Warriors, who won the NBA's first-ever championship in the 1946-47 season. The team moved to San Francisco following the 1961-62 season. Not wanting the city to be without a professional basketball franchise, Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman joined forces to the buy the Syracuse Nationals. In 1963, they moved the team down to Philadelphia and re-named it the Philadelphia 76ers.

By 1967, the 76ers held the league's best record and won the NBA championship. Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham starred. Cunningham would return to coach the 76ers and lead them to the NBA championship in 1983 - Philadelphia's last major championship - with a 4-0 sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers thanks to the help of Maurice Cheeks, Julius Erving and Moses Malone.

In between the titles, the 76ers went through ups and downs. The 1999 trip to the playoffs, spark-plugged by Allen Iverson and team owner Pat Croce, was the first post-season action since 1991 when the colorful Charles Barkley led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. In 2000, the Sixers ignited that famous Philadelphia spirit by winning the NBA Eastern Conference. In 2003, the Sixers made the playoffs for the fifth year in a row and, in Iverson, have a ticket to compete for the championship for many years to come.

The Sixers and Flyers, purchased in the major Comcast-Spectacor merger, play in Comcast-Spectacor's state-of-the-art Wachovia Center, opened in 1996.

The "Big 5"
In addition to a rich professional basketball history, the city of Philadelphia is home to what is affectionately known as the "Big 5." Born in 1955, the "Big 5" is a battle for basketball bragging rights between five local universities: Villanova, Penn, Temple, St. Joe's and LaSalle.

The "Big 5" has produced one NCAA Champion and one Final Four team in Villanova and Penn, respectively. The Wildcats brought the NCAA title home when they pulled off the biggest upset in tournament history, knocking off Georgetown in 1985.

Great players and coaches have come from Big 5 schools, including John Chaney, Tom Gola, Lionel Simmons, Aaron McKie, Eddie Jones, David "Corky" Calhoun, Steve Bilsky, Dr. Jack Ramsay, John Baum and Guy Rodgers. At the start of the 1979-80 season, the athletic directors of the five schools expanded the group to include the women's basketball programs from each of their schools. Helping to first put women's basketball on the map in Philadelphia were the "Mighty Macs" from Immaculata College. The Macs ruled women's basketball in the early 1970s by winning three consecutive championships from 1972-1974.

Final Four
Women's basketball holds a special place in Philadelphia's history. In 2000, Philadelphia was the first northeastern city to host the NCAA Women's Final Four tournament.

FOOTBALL

The Pros
The Philadelphia Eagles took to the football field for the first time in 1946. In recent years, the team has regained its position as one of the league's most dominating teams, led by quarterback Donovan McNabb. This fall, the Eagles will kick-off their season in a brand new, first-class facility, Lincoln Financial Field, located across the street from their old home, Veterans' Stadium. As the reigning NFC Champions, the team is poised to make a strong debut at the Linc, as it is affectionately known.

The Birds enjoyed early success in the franchise's history, winning three championships in 1948, 1949 and 1960. Their last trip to football's promised land was in 1980 when they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship before falling to the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XV.

Army-Navy
One of the greatest rivalries in college football has called Philadelphia its home for the majority of its history. The fiercely competitive Army-Navy game has been played in Philadelphia for 76 of its 103 years. As a neutral site conveniently located between the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Philadelphia was an easy choice for the Army-Navy game, which the city now enjoys as its unofficial bowl game. In 2003, the game will be played for the first time in the brand new Lincoln Financial Field, which will host the Army-Navy game every year through 2009, except 2007.

BASEBALL

The Philadelphia Athletics, a local franchise started in 1870, played in Philadelphia's legendary Baker Bowl. The A's won the 1913 World Series in Shibe Park, later re-named Connie Mack Stadium after the team's longtime manager. The team left town in 1954 and moved to Kansas, where they became the Kansas City Athletics.

The Philadelphia Phillies, the oldest, continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional sports, were founded in 1883 and played in several parks, including Baker Bowl. When the Phillies went in search of a new home, the City of Philadelphia stepped up to the plate. In 1971, the team moved to Veterans' Stadium in South Philadelphia. After 30 years, the Phillies' days at the Vet are numbered with the construction of a new ballpark, Citizens Bank Park, slated to open in 2004. However, when the team finishes its 2003 season, they will leave the Vet with very fond memories. Veterans' Stadium is where the Phillies hosted two All-Star games and three World Series. It's also where the team captured the crown in 1980.

In 1993, the team, led by Len Dykstra, John Kruk and Curt Schilling, upset the mighty Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship series before falling to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games. As they move to their new home next year, the fightin' Phils look to build another championship with Jim Thome, Pat Burrell, Kevin Millwood, Randy Wolf and Vincente Padilla.

HOCKEY

The Philadelphia Flyers have advanced to the National Hockey League playoffs for nine consecutive seasons from 1995-2003. On May 19, 1974, the Flyers became the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup and then won it again the following year. The Flyers also advanced to the Finals in 1987 and 1997, where they were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings. The Flyers play at the Wachovia Center.

LACROSSE

The Philadelphia Wings were one of four original members of the National Lacrosse League when it was started in 1987 and are now the team with the most wins in league history. In the 17 seasons that the National Lacrosse League (NLL) has been in existence, the Wings have reached the playoffs in all but two seasons and played in the championship game nine times. The Wings have won the NLL Championship five times, most recently in 2001. The Wings play at the Wachovia Center.

SOCCER

Philadelphia's indoor professional soccer team, the Kixx, are only eight years old but have already brought one Major Indoor Soccer League Championship home. The Kixx followed their championship season in 2001-2002 with another strong performance in the 2002-2003 season, garnering the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. However, they were upset in the Conference Finals and will look to regain their championship form this winter. The Kixx play their 18 home games a season at the historic Wachovia Spectrum.

TRACK AND FIELD

The University of Pennsylvania's historic Franklin Field, which hosted the Army-Navy game 18 times between 1899 and 1935, is the site of one of the nation's most storied track meets, the Penn Relays. A late April tradition, the Penn Relays date back 107 years and attract top-notch track stars for one weekend of intense competition and collegiate activity in May.

RECREATION

In addition to the professional and collegiate sports scene, the City of Philadelphia has plenty to offer the recreational athlete. The Schuylkill River is a world-class venue for rowers. Runners, joggers, walkers, bicyclists, rollerbladers and even rock climbers enjoy an eight-mile loop of track and greenery on the banks of the river in some of the 8,700 acres of Fairmount Park, the world's largest urban park.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's official regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com.

CONTACT:

Jeff Guaracino, GPTMC
(215) 599- 2290, jeff@gptmc.com