* It will be Philadelphia vs Boston again in Super Bowl LII. We have taken a back seat to Boston for too long, with the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox and Patriots overshadowing our sports teams. Time for that to change, starting on February 4.
The Pats will be on the downside since Brady is getting older. The Eagles a re going to be good for years with Carson Wentz. The Phillies, with Rhys Hoskins are a young, promising team. The Flyers have young stars. And the Sixers, with Joel Embiid, should be good for years, if Embiid stay healthy.
What a contrast: The Patriots are this cool, machine-like, corporate, business-like, unemotional team that seems to reach the Super bowl every year and often wins it. The Eagles are a hard-working, blue-collar underdog squad that has never won a Super bowl before.
Tom Brady is the rich, pretty boy, greatest quarterback of all-time, with the supermodel wife. he also cheats. Nick Foles is the back-up quarterback who isn't flashy, but gets the job done. He doesn't have a supermodel wife but he has kids and is a good family guy.
Bill Belichek is the grumpy, arrogant coach who has won five Super bowls and thinks he is God's gift to football. Doug Pederson is the second-year coach who is humble, friendly and is civil to reporters.
Speaking of which, a local writer mentioned the differences in Pederson and his predecessor, Chip Kelly. Chip couldn't adjust, either in a game or adjust his scheme and philosophy about football. He was stubborn, arrogant and stupid in his decision-making and personnel evaluation. Pederson is flexible, player-friendly, and has adjusted his thinking in the offense to maximize Foles' strengths.
It's amazing to think about- Kelly nearly ruined the Eagle organization for years to come with poor drafts, trades, free agent signings and his overall scheme. It didn't take long for GM Howie Rossman to clean up his mess. Owner Jeffery Lurie and Rossman hired Pederson, despite negativity surrounding the signing, and the rest is history. Wentz developed faster than anyone expected and now the Birds are in the Super Bowl.
So, one of the fascinating stories leading up to the game is the differences in the Eagles and Pats and what a redemption it would be for the Eagles to finally end the dynasty of the evil empire known as New England and get revenge for 2004.
Lurie has ties to the Patriot organization ( he tried to buy the Patriots before he purchased the Birds). I can only imagine how sweet it would be for him to win his first Super bowl against the organization which has looked down on him for decades.
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The Sixers blew another double-digit lead last night in Memphis, losing to the Grizzlies. This young team doesn't know how to win. They can't close a game. They had 24 turnovers against, far too much. Coach Brett Brown was furious after the game. Their inconsistency is exactly the reason why they will be a bubble team when it comes to making the playoffs.
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