photo credit: CSNPhilly Facebook page
For anybody that knows Philadelphia sports fans, they can attest that the city likes to consider itself front and center in some of sports’ biggest rivalries.
Of course one of these rivalries that instantly rings to mind is the never-ending, now five-sport competition between Philadelphia and Boston.
While both teams ironically hate New York just a little more, fans in both Philadelphia and Boston will tell you there is no love lost between the two cities.
The rivalries in between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics and Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins (who could forget the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals when the Flyers came all the way back from an 0-3 series deficit and 0-3 first period deficit to win the series?) have deep historical roots and are still very much alive today.
And of course if you add in Super Bowl XXXIX won by the New England Patriots over the Philadelphia Eagles amidst cheating allegations and the entire “Spygate” saga plus the fact that both cities are constantly competing to be the best and most passionate sports city in the country, then it makes sense why Bostonians and Philadelphians don’t always get along.
But despite this hatred that has been carried down from generation to generation, when it comes to the tragedy that happened at the Boston Marathon, Philadelphia is putting that aside, if only for a moment.
Partnering with ComcastSportsnet, each of Philadelphia’s five major sports teams, the Philadelphia Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, Sixers and Philadelphia Union, joined together to sponsor a billboard for our friends in Boston.
Pictured above, the billboard will be appearing in two places, one in Philadelphia en route to the Sports Complex and the other in Medford, MA, home of 29-year-old bombing casualty, Krystle Campbell.
“From one TOUGH city to another,” the billboard reads, “#PhillyLovesBoston.”
So while the Sixers will never stop wanting to beat the Celtics, nor the Eagles the Patriots, it was nice to see Philadelphia put aside the sports mentality and come together to do something admirable for a city very much in need.
They say sports can begin to heal wounds in these sorts of situations. If that is the case, this is certainly a fine way to start.
Follow Marilee on Twitter, @MGallagher17 and on Google+.
