Run It Back ? Philadelphia Has Once…In February Could It Be Done Twice ?

 2024 NFL Standings through 10.5 weeks :

Chiefs (9-0) 1st in AFC

Eagles 2nd in NFC 

February 2005 the Eagles loss Super Bowl XXXIX to New England in Jacksonville by 3. 

February 2018 the Eagles ran it back in Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis while defeating New England vs. Brady & Belicheck. 

February 2023 in Glendale, Arizona during Super Bowl LVII vs. Kansas City, Philadelphia loss by 3 to Mahomes and Reid. 

February 2025 the Super Bowl is in New Orleans. There is plenty football left to be played. The Chiefs are looking to become the only NFL in history to win 3 Super Bowls in a row. 

Could the teams really square off and run it back ? 

Barring major injury to both teams. For Philadelphia their is no Nick Foles to come  off the bench like in 2017 if Jalen was to go down.

The intrigue is Carson Wentz who played MVP level football in 2017 prior to ACL injury in Los Angeles is Mahomes backup.

Or is this like 1996-97 LL Cool J ‘Hey Lover’ Lyrics “ It’s a fantasy it won’t come true”. 

📸 from watching Super Bowls 52 & 57 respectively. 

5 Down 25 More To Go #NovaNation Due To Past Success = Tough Watch

 

The 2024-25 Villanova Mens Basketball season is 5 games in with 25 left to play in the regular season. After Friday’s game in Baltimore vs. Virginia a defeat to drop the Wildcats to 2-3. 

The Wildcats, unfortunately are becoming a tough watch. This is the 3rd season since Jay Wright retired following the 2022 Final Four in New Orleans. Only player remaining for that roster is Villanova best player graduate player Eric Dixon.

His game has come along way from then to now. 

Growing up here at Sports247365 we grew up rooting for the Big 5 / City 6 yet Villanova was right there at the top of the list. 

Those teams of Celestand, Haynes, followed by Kittles, J. Lawson, Kittles, eventually Tim Thomas. Turn of the century : Wayans, Lowry, Ray, Foye. Then you had 4 Final Four appearances from 2009 to 2022 including a pair of National Championships in 2016 & 2018. Those teams featured, Mikal, Donte, Josh and Jalen all future NBA pros. 

The last 2 years no NCAA tournament appearances. This could be trending to year 3 of that, under former Nova assistant current head coach Kyle Neptune. Whether it’s offense, defense, shooting, rebounding, play making it doesn’t appear their is one thing, this team can hang their hat on in the Big East. 

Here at Sports247365 we grew up a fan, yet over the years able to forge relationships with those in the program. 

Literally becoming a friend of the program. 

Definitely not easy writing this article of where Villanova basketball is, especially where they have come from. 

Week 4 Goff Was Mr. Perfect

 18 for 18, those were the Week 4 numbers for Lions QB Jared Goff. Goff also caught a touchdown pass similar to “Philly Philly”. That play became well known by Nick Foles and the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII.

Goff was named NFC Offensive Player Of The Week. The Ford Field crowd watched The Lions defeat the previously unbeaten Seattle Seahawks. 

Growing up, the late Curt Henning was known as Mr. Perfect.

He won the WWF Intercontinental Championship multiple times. The Minneapolis, Minnesota native…character had plenty of bravado. 

Final Day Of September Philadelphia Loses Two Significant Athletes

 Monday September 30, 2024 locally in the Delaware Valley…what a day. With the region already simmering from Sunday, when the Eagles were manhandled by 17 down in Tampa Bay. 2001 Eastern Conference champion, Dikembe Mutombo passed away. In 2001 Mutombo won 1 of his 4 NBA defensive player of the year awards. He was 58 years old.

Later Monday evening, news came down 83 year old Pete Rose passed away. After winning multiple World Series with the Reds and the Big Red Machine, Rose became missing piece in Philadelphia. Mike Schmidt and the Phillies, with the help of Rose won the 1980 World Series. Philadelphia finally was able to win their first world title.

After beating on baseball, Rose was banned by Major League Baseball for life. With no access to the Baseball Hall Of Fame. 

The irony is now that he passed away, he may finally get in. 

3 Generations Of North Philadelphia Represented In USA Basketball

Diamond Street, Lehigh Ave, Cecil B. Moore Ave, Ridge Ave. are some of the streets in North Philadelphia. If you are from there like : Dawn Staley, Kyle Lowry and Kahleah Copper you probably know those streets pretty well.

Staley is the senior of the 3 North Philadelphia natives, followed by Lowry and Copper.

University of Virginia, Villanova University and Rutgers University are the college institutions eached played Division 1 basketball for respectively.

After Sunday Olympic gold medal final a one point win by the USA Women, Copper won a gold medal. 

Which carries on the North Philadelphia tradition.

Lowry won a gold medal for the USA Men in 2016 while in Brazil. 

Staley as a head coach in 2021 while in Tokyo guided the USA women to gold. Then in Atlanta, 1996 summer games and 2000 summer games in Sydney contributed as a player to a pair of gold medals. 

Locally the city couldn’t be more proud of those three individuals. 

Canada vs. France Game Should Be Quarterfinals Best Competitive Game

 Here at Sports247365 on the men side of the Olympic quarterfinals on Tuesday we spotted what should be the highlight of the day.

Canada vs. France quarterfinal number 3 of the day.

Paris will be the place, France and Wemby certainly should have the crowd in their favor.

Gobert is the other twin tower for the French team. 

Along with veteran Nic Batum.

This should be a medal game, yet the loser will be eliminated completely.

Canada led by OKC Thunder : SGA, his teammate Dourt is on the team. RJ Barrett, Dillion Brooks amongst others.

Both teams are potential competition threats to heavenly favorite of the USA team. Now they may only potentially have to deal with only one. 

These Finals Plenty Of Local DV Ties : Jefferson / Lively II / Jones Jr. / Morris Twin

Thursday the 2024 Finals tip off in Boston for Game 1. 5th seed Mavericks won the West. Overall 1st seed NBA best record Boston Celtics won the East.

Both teams are trying to win their first Larry O’Brien trophy since 2011 & 2008 respectively. Here in the Delaware Valley we have local guys in the Finals coaching or playing. 

Amile Jefferson of Friends Central prior to Duke and the NBA, we grew up with his father Malcom in West Philadelphia. We also played pickup basketball back then at Cato. When Amile was in 7th grade we coached him in a church league on Saturdays at West Philadelphia HS.

Now he is on Boston staff. Morris twin, Markieff already a 2020 world champion with the Lakers is a veteran off the bench in Dallas. Locally he and his brother while at Prep Charter prior to Kansas won a PIAA state title. One of the first Philadelphia HS that was allowed to do so back in 2007.

Jones Jr of Dallas we have followed since his catholic league days prior to UNLV, read up on him via City Of Basketball Love. Chester own, very athletic. Game has expanded despite being a slam dunk champion.

Lastly, Lively II just two years ago watched him lead Westtown to Friends League title vs. ANC at La Salle University. Which was prior to Duke & Mavericks, now in the NBA Finals 24 months later.