2025-26 NBA Season : NBC / Peacock / Amazon Prime : Welcome To The TV Party !

 NBA on TNT after 3 decades, aired it's final game in Indianapolis this past spring.

The Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The final Inside The NBA post game show took place, well at least on that network. 

NBA on ESPN / ABC remains...however after money was dished out far as a new tv deal : NBA on NBC is back ! Along with streaming services : Peacock and Amazon Prime.

Here at Sports247365, we grew up in the 1990's and became young adults in the early 2000's. That's the era where NBA on NBC was in it's prime.

It was nothing like : Bulls/Knicks, Knicks/Pacers, Knicks/Heat, Bulls/Magic etc...and we didn't even get to the NBA Finals. Where the Bulls aired on NBC for all 6 of their titles in an eight year run 1991-1998.

Shaq and Kobe 3 peat vs. Indiana, Philadelphia and New Jersey = the final years of the NBA on NBC.

You close your eyes and you can hear Marv Alberts voice at venues : Chicago Stadium, United Center, Delta Center, Staples Center, Great Western Forum and Madison Square Garden, just to name a few.

Lastly, the epic theme. the epic score = legendary. Just as legendary as the Bulls pre game introductions in Chicago ! 

Week 2 Super Bowl LIX Rematch In Arrowhead

 Week 2, of the 2025 NFL season will be highlighted by a Super Bowl rematch.

The Philadelphia Eagles will head to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas Chiefs.

On February 9th, the teams met at the Superdome in New Orleans. 

Kansas City was looking to become the first team in NFL history to three peat.

Early on, it seemed a real possibility it was not meant to be. By now everyone knows the final score : 40-22 in favor of Philadelphia. Many would say : it wasn't even that close.

6 months later, it's an early season test for both teams.

It's not what we call a hat and t shirt game. Those are NFC / AFC Championship Games. Winning a division title, and obviously a Super Bowl followed by a trophy presentation.

Eagles would go on to lose by 3 in Glendale, Arizona during Super Bowl 57, by a final score of 38-35.

Later that calendar year, during the 2023 season...Philadelphia won in Kansas City.

However that victory, did not undo the Chiefs being reigning defending champions at that particular time.

4:25PM EST = NFL on Fox. 

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.