2008 Woodie Awards
A tale of two cities
Andrew Mashas
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: sports
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On one end of this state we have a Mecca of sports dynasties and tradition. On the other end we have a city that defines the term futility. The only thing that binds the two cities is a turnpike and a commonwealth; other than that, they couldn't be more different.
`Strictly on the professional level, Pittsburgh is simply a better sports city. It kills me to say because I bleed Phillies red, Eagles green, and Flyers orange. I just don't want to get hanged for saying such things.
Pittsburgh was the epitome of dynasty during the 70s. Everyone knows about the Steelers of the 70s and the numerous hall-of-famers they had. Many claim the 1978 Steelers to be the best professional team ever assembled. I know Eagles fans who cringe at that thought. But it's simply undeniable. Over the years the Steelers have accumulated 5 Super Bowl rings compared to the Eagles 0. It's not something that we Eagles fans like to tote around to other cities, but it's pretty much the only thing that's ever brought up by everyone else.
As an Eagles fan it's so hard to debate or argue with other teams fans, simply for the fact that there's no Lombardi trophy hanging in south Philadelphia. The conversation usually ends there. Sure, we used to have Ron Jaworski, but he was no Terry Bradshaw. Both of them are loud "comedic relieve" football analysts anyway. But the Eagles didn't have one of the best receiving corps in history to go along with on the greatest defenses in history.
Oh, it burns to say all of this but the first step to recovery is admitting there's a problem. And there is one in Philadelphia; the city starved for a championship.
The great thing about this past year is the fact that the Steelers/Eagles and Phillies/Pirates have been balanced in performance. On one hand, the Steelers keep getting better each week and look to be a real contender in the AFC while the Eagles just strive for mediocrity. The Steelers have a potential superstar quarterback on the rise (oh yeah and he's already won a Super Bowl) while the Eagles have theirs on the major decline. The Steelers keep having great drafts every year and are young enough to dominate once Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are past their primes.
`Strictly on the professional level, Pittsburgh is simply a better sports city. It kills me to say because I bleed Phillies red, Eagles green, and Flyers orange. I just don't want to get hanged for saying such things.
Pittsburgh was the epitome of dynasty during the 70s. Everyone knows about the Steelers of the 70s and the numerous hall-of-famers they had. Many claim the 1978 Steelers to be the best professional team ever assembled. I know Eagles fans who cringe at that thought. But it's simply undeniable. Over the years the Steelers have accumulated 5 Super Bowl rings compared to the Eagles 0. It's not something that we Eagles fans like to tote around to other cities, but it's pretty much the only thing that's ever brought up by everyone else.
As an Eagles fan it's so hard to debate or argue with other teams fans, simply for the fact that there's no Lombardi trophy hanging in south Philadelphia. The conversation usually ends there. Sure, we used to have Ron Jaworski, but he was no Terry Bradshaw. Both of them are loud "comedic relieve" football analysts anyway. But the Eagles didn't have one of the best receiving corps in history to go along with on the greatest defenses in history.
Oh, it burns to say all of this but the first step to recovery is admitting there's a problem. And there is one in Philadelphia; the city starved for a championship.
The great thing about this past year is the fact that the Steelers/Eagles and Phillies/Pirates have been balanced in performance. On one hand, the Steelers keep getting better each week and look to be a real contender in the AFC while the Eagles just strive for mediocrity. The Steelers have a potential superstar quarterback on the rise (oh yeah and he's already won a Super Bowl) while the Eagles have theirs on the major decline. The Steelers keep having great drafts every year and are young enough to dominate once Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are past their primes.