Philadelphia has been painfully close to an all-time sports year
Just over six months ago, the Philadelphia Union fell to Los Angeles FC in the MLS Cup in devastating fashion, losing 3-0 in penalty kicks.
Little did the City of Brotherly Love know that that afternoon would be the first of four crushing defeats in only half a year's time.
Hours after the Union's loss, the Phillies dropped their third straight contest to the Houston Astros, finishing their six-game World Series loss.
Professional sports fans in Philly then got a three-month reprieve from heartbreak, as the NFL's Eagles tore through the NFC in the regular season and made it to Super Bowl LVII, where they faced the Kansas City Chiefs. Unfortunately for Jalen Hurts and crew, Patrick Mahomes guided the Chiefs to a second-half comeback on the big stage, going 21-for-27 for 182 passing yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions as Kansas City won their second championship in four seasons.
Fans again got a three-month break before the next painful loss, as the 76ers clinched the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and rolled past the Brooklyn Nets in a first-round sweep. After going up 3-2 on the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals though, the defending conference champions won Game 6 on the road and routed MVP Joel Embiid and company in Game 7 behind a record-breaking 51-point performance by Jayson Tatum.
The Union (5-2-4) and Phillies (20-20) are still in the first halves of their new seasons, so it's too early to tell if they can make another run to their respective championships. With Hurts recently signed to a massive contract extension, other key players back for another season and a recent draft that looked good on paper, the Eagles are looking primed for another big season in 2023.
As their season ended less than 24 hours ago, the 76ers are clearly facing the most questions right now, perhaps starting with whether head coach Doc Rivers will be let go in the coming days.
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