The Gang Stays Together: After Months Of Threatening To Leave, The Sixers Made A Deal With The Flyers To Stay And Build New Arena In South Philly
Togetherness. It's one of the fundamental pillars of human existence. We, as beings, crave to have community.
That's what you get with the South Philly Sports Complex. All 4 major sports teams in this city playing in the same location. Add in the Philadelphia Wings, and a potential WNBA team on the way, and you've got 6 teams all playing on the same block.
The Sports Complex is the heart of the city. There's nothing like it in October when all 4 teams are playing at the same time. Phillies in the postseason, Eagles hopefully a few weeks into convincing us they're going to win a Super Bowl that year, Flyers and Sixers just getting their seasons underway. When you show up to the Sports Complex, you can feel all of it.
That's what the Sixers were attempting to take away from the city when those selfish little bastards made plans to build a new arena in Center City. They wanted a fancy new building all to themselves in the middle of the city, and to abandon the one place that makes sports in Philly so unique.
Now I don't know the politics behind what went on here to make them change their mind. I don't know if Comcast-Spectacor came in with an offer that they just couldn't refuse. I don't know if whatever deal they struck with the Market East location was starting to fall through. But all I know is that this sounds like the perfect plan for the future of the Sports Complex.
Expand the complex so you still have plenty of room for tailgating. But also start to build up the area directly surrounding the stadiums so that you have more to do there besides just drinking in a parking lot. Retractable roof to host a Super Bowl one of these years. New arena for the Flyers to play in just in time for Matvei Michkov to be the greatest hockey player on the planet.
Which, quick sidenote here, what a win for the Flyers last night.
Flyers may not have been anywhere close to a decent hockey team in at least 3-4 years, but the Wells Fargo Center was on fire last night. Turns out having a great hockey teams helps bring in fans, but having another team/player to absolutely despise works just as well.
Great win for the fans of Philadelphia here. And great win for all of the teams. I'm going to assume that the Sixers staying in South Philly means that there are going to be big plans for pretty much everyone in the complex. Especially when you have Roger Goodell coming in and playing a role in getting them to stay.
Super Bowl. Go Birds.