#10. Andy Reid's Eagles 2001-present.
Love Factor(out of 10): 6
Reason(s) For Love: Won franchise' first ever out right NFC East title. Advanced to 4 straight NFC Championship games and 5 in 8 years. Advanced to franchise' 2nd ever Super Bowl and first in 24 years. Would be higher on the list if they had won, but poised to move up the list this season.
Impact: Restored football as the favored sport in town for the better part of a decade and Allowed city to dream of a Lombardi Trophy for the first time. Even now 3 years removed from their last playoff win they continue to sell out every game. They could change sports in the city forever with a super bowl win this year.
#9 Fo Fo Sixers (1983)
Love Factor: 6
Reason(s) for Love: The team that owed us one snagged Moses Malone in the offseason and finally delivered what would be the city's last championship for the next quarter century, with a resounding sweep of the Lakers in the Finals.
Impact: Briefly lifted Basketball to #1 sport in town. Unfortunately became the first victims of the Billy Penn curse with a shocking opening round playoff loss to the Nets in 1984.
#8 2010 Flyers.
Love Factor: 7
Reason(s) For Love: As a #8 seed, became only the 3rd NHL team to rally from 3-0 down to win a series, rallying from 3-0 down in game 7 to stun the Bruins in the Eastern conference semi-finals. Won franchise' first Eastern conference title in 13 years. Pushed the heavily favored Blackhawks to overtime of game 6 of the finals. Their loss in game 6 ranks amongst the city's most heartbreaking.
Impact: Renewed the Flyer's drive for the cup after a now 36 year drought. Sure it didn't work last season, but with new faces and perhaps a #1 goalie this year, the Cup may finally be theirs again.
#7 Vermeil's Eagles (1980-1981).
Love Factor: 7
Reason(s) For Love: Advanced to franchise' first Superbowl by defeating the hated Cowboys in the NFC championship game. No Eagles' head coach has ever been more one with the city than Dick Vermeil.
Impact: After nearly 20 straight years of losing the Eagles were finally winners again. Unfortunately it didn't last. Vermeil burned out just 2 years later and so did the Eagles. It was 13 years before the Birds finally won another playoff game, 21 before they finally returned to NFC title game and 24 before they returned to the Superbowl.
#6 Current Phillies(2007-Present)
Love Factor: 8
Reason(s) For Love: Exercised the demons of 64 by rallying from 7 games down in September to win the 07 NL East title. Exercised the demons of 'Black Friday' by downing the Dodgers in back to back NLCS. Delivered the city's first championship in 25 years with the 08 world title, vanquishing the Billy Penn curse at least partially. Gave Harry Kalas his first and sadly only opportunity to call the final out of the world series.
Impact: Baseball is king in Philly once again. Not even the Eagles can match their popularity at this point. Like the Yankees and Red Sox they now routinely sell out before the season even begins, have fans in every stadium, not just the Bank, and are always in the World Series picture. No Philly team has ever matched the sustained excellence of this team and they've got all the other teams in the city trying to match them now. Likely to move up this list in the coming years.
#5 Hextall's Heroes (1987 Flyers).
Love Factor: 8.5
Reason(s) For Love: Pushed Gretzky's Oilers to the 7th game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Since their last triumph in 1975, no other Flyer's team has come closer to winning the cup. Just had an eclectic mix of fan favorites in Rick Tocchet, Dave Poulin, Tim Kerr, Brian Propp, Mark Howe, and a crazy rookie goalie named Ron Hextall. J.J Daigneault's winning goal in game 6 of the finals produced arguably the loadest roar in spectrum history.
Impact: As it turned out this would be the Flyers last real shot at a cup until the mid-90s. In the 24 years since they have advanced to only 2 Stanley Cup Finals. Why you ask? In all those years they have yet to find another goalie as good as Hextall. Things might finally be different this season.
#4 2001 Sixers
Love Factor: 8.5
Reason(s) For Love: Survived 2 grueling 7 game series in a row to advance to franchise' first NBA finals in 18 years. Denied the hated Lakers of the first perfect postseason in NBA history with an overtime win in game 1 of the finals. No one is more Philly than then owner Pat Croce. Allen Iverson was the epitome of Philly, the fearless little guy who just keeps getting back up again.
Impact: Like Fo Fo, briefly turned Philly into a basketball town when it was thought to be impossible to do so. Unfortunately, the renaissance didn't last as Allen Iverson was traded away and Larry Brown resigned. So far the team has yet to recover from their departures.
#3 1980 Phillies
Love Factor: 9
Reason(s) For Love: After 97 years of frustration they finally won the franchise' first ever world title. Survived arguably the most dramatic NLCS in history just get to the world series. All 4 Phillys teams played for a championship in 1980 but only the Phils finished the deal. Tug McGraw, fearless and effervescent, might be the most beloved reliever in history. Pete Rose, "Charlie Hustle", was always endearing to the fans with his grit and determination.
Impact: Proved that even the losing-est franchise in pro sports could be a champion. The legendary figures from that team as well as the drive and will to win with which they played remain an inspiration to this day. Could have changed the course of the franchise if ownership had not completely mortgaged the future to win a 2nd title in 1983.
#2 Macho Row(1993 Phillies)
Love Factor: 9.5
Reason(s) For Love: This wonderful wacky bunch of throwbacks led us on the 162 game joyride of a lifetime. Had an incredible will to win no matter the circumstances. Not necessarily the most talented team but wanted it more than anyone else. Every fan in the city and in America for that matter had a player on the team they could relate to. Probably had more wild and wacky endings then any team ever. Won franchise's first NL Pennant in 10 years. Pushed the mighty Blue Jays (then defending champions) to 6 games in the world series. The walkoff homer by you know who is arguably the most heartbreaking moment in Philly sports history.
Impact: Proved that talent and good looks aren't everything. It's hard to imagine any team being better remembered for losing a world series than these guys. Always a one shot deal, the Phils were doomed to losing seasons for the remainder of the decade. Eventually you have to put real talent on the field if you expect to win. It was 8 years before they finally started doing so, resulting in a winning season in 2001, and then their first postseason berth in 14 years in 2007.
#1 The Broad Street Bullies(Flyers 1974-1975)
Love Factor: 10
Reason(s) For Love: Only Philly team in the modern era to win back to back titles. Won the Orange and Black's last Stanley Cup in 1975. Had an enigmatic cast of characters, with the likes of Rick Macleish, "the Rifle" Reggie Leach, Bernie Parent, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Bill Barber, Gary Dornhoeffer, and Dave Schultz. Won the way Philly would have wanted them to, either outscoring the opposition with skill and precision or if all else failed, kicking the crap out of them. Nearly won a 3rd straight Stanley Cup before losing to the Canadiens in the 1976 finals. Bobby Clarke was most the fearsome competitor ever to wear the Orange and Black along with the Captain's C. Simply put, they were our team, our champions, and they were loved like it.
Impact: Ushered in a championship era in Philly, with the Phils following suit in 1980, the Eagles reaching the super bowl in 1981, and the Sixers winning their 2nd championship in 1983. Before they got here most people in the city didn't know what a puck was, now you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the city who isn't at least a casual fan. Even now they remain beloved by those who saw them play. Most still live in the area and contribute in multiple ways. Some returned to the team after retirement, most notably Clarke himself as GM, and Barber as head coach. 36 years later their accomplishments still hang like a cloud over the current Flyers and they will continue to unless they win the cup this year.
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