December 30, 2023
Joe Rondone/USA Today Sports
Jalen Hurts was magnificent on the Eagles' run to the Super Bowl, even if it all fell just short.
It's been a bit of a year.
From losing championships, blowing playoff leads and more than a few unforgettable moments, the 2023 calendar year has been one of the more exciting and memorable in Philly sports.
We're about to turn the calendar to a new year — a year that could see all five major pro sports teams in the area in playoff contention. But before we do, here's what we'll never forget about 2023:
This one feels like a complete footnote to a memorable season. The Phillies were relatively quiet at the trade deadline late in the summer, but they added depth to their rotation by bringing in Lorenzen, who tossed a no-hitter in his second start with the team:
For whatever reason, Lorenzen became less effective as the season went on and he made no impact at all when the postseason arrived. Still, a no-no at the Bank is something fans will always remember.
There was a brief time last spring when Philly fans had some hope that perhaps their beloved Sixers would end their streak of second-round playoff exits. They boasted the NBA's MVP in Joel Embiid. They had James Harden on the roster dishing dimes like he hadn't before in his career. The Bucks and Cavaliers were each upset in the first round, and the Sixers swept the Nets, entering a bout with the Celtics with confidence.
But as they always do, the team squandered a 3-2 series lead and a chance to clinch at home with Jayson Tatum struggling, then they faltered embarrassingly in Game 7. Not long after, a dramatic summer held hostage by Harden made things even worse for the win-desperate Sixers fans. Still, the success they had is deserving of a mention on this list.
The month of December has been one to forget, as the 10-1 Eagles lost three straight games and then nearly lost to the Giants. In the months prior, it looked like a straight shot at a 1-seed in the upcoming playoffs before brutal losses to the 49ers, Cowboys and Seahawks.
However, in the 11 games to start the season, the Eagles were one of the best teams in football and beat juggernaut contenders like the Dolphins, Chiefs and Bills while players like A.J. Brown flexed impressive football muscles.
During a stretch from Week's 3-through-8, Brown had six straight games with at least 125 yards receiving. He was the October NFC Player of the Month on offense. Jalen Hurts was an MVP candidate and Jake Elliott looked like the most clutch kicker in NFL history.
There is still a lot of season left, but the Eagles' start was special.
Most Flyers fans were prepping to snooze through the 2023-24 season with an eye on a top draft pick. But the team, coached by John Tortorella has fired off win after win to start the year, at one point boasting a nine-game point streak — with seven of them wins.
As a result, the Flyers are real playoff contenders, and they'd hold one of the three automatic postseason bids in the Metro Division if the tournament started today (it doesn't). The team has raised hopes that perhaps Stanley Cup contention is somewhere in the not-too-distant future.
The Eagles continue to have one incredible offseason after another. Somehow, they were able to use their two first-round picks on defensive linemen, Jalen Carter (who could have gone in the top 5) and Nolan Smith (who should have gone way sooner than 31st).
Both players, along with other draftees like Kelee Ringo and Sydney Brown, have been thrown into the fire as Howie Roseman has been able to make this team boast an impressive balance of young up-and-comers and veteran stars.
The Phillies spent $300 million on shortstop Trea Turner and at the beginning of August this past season, many were left wondering what the team spent all that money on. He was struggling, and barely hitting late into the summer, while making a mess on defense.
A campaign to help pick up the new Phillie gained enough traction that a standing ovation on August 4 might have saved the Phillies' season and boosted them to another deep playoff run:
Philly's got ya, Trea 👏 pic.twitter.com/KRIO03u8sN
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) August 4, 2023
After finishing second two years in a row, the NBA finally anointed Joel Embiid as the best in basketball in May when his 33.1 points, 54.8% shooting, 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks per game earned him MVP honors.
Embiid has continued to dominate, posting even better stats to start the 2023-24 season. Philadelphia is a pretty special place, with Jalen Hurts, Joel Embiid and Bryce Harper each in their primes and contending for MVP awards every season in a city with some pretty good teams right now.
I've been covering Philly sports since 2013, and I have been lucky enough to be at multiple Super Bowls and playoff games for all four local teams. It's special in this city, whether the team is good or bad. The fans are always spectacular. But there was something different at Citizens Bank this October. The energy was through the roof. The sound was off the charts. The atmosphere was buzzing.
The team was unbeatable until it went to Arizona, and returned to blow two series leads to the Diamondbacks. But I will never forget being in the building for this:
The Eagles are, and always will be No. 1 in this city. And they simply owned the Giants and the (eventually) short-handed 49ers way back in January as they punched a ticket to the Super Bowl. The team had every opportunity to beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the big game, leading by 10 at halftime and they came a holding call away from parading down Broad Street.
The 2022 Eagles, by virtue of how the NFL schedule pans out, saw their campaign spill over into the 2023 calendar year. Short of their world championship in 2017-18, there really haven't been many years with better Eagles football than this one.
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