The only result when you search "Pope" Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The only result when you search “Pope”
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a lot going on in Philadelphia coming up. The Phillies play a bunch of games, the Democratic National Convention is coming, the Eagles schedule was just released, and the Pope is on his way. Some of those are more connected than others.

According to Peter King, the Eagles play the Jets in New York Jersey in Week 3 because of the Pope.

Phillies conflicts in Weeks 1 and 4, and a letter from Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput to commissioner Roger Goodell (the archbishop spelled it “Rodger”) last July 8 respectfully requested the NFL not play in Philadelphia on the Sunday of Week 3, the day Pope Francis is scheduled to hold a mass for an estimated 2 million people on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway outside the Philadelphia Art Museum. In October, Katz wrote the archbishop to say the Eagles would be out of town that weekend … 93 miles up the New Jersey Turnpike to play the Jets on that afternoon, Sept. 27.

“Yes,” [NFL senior vice president of broadcasting Howard] Katz said, finally able to relax Tuesday evening in his scheduling den. “The pope did influence the NFL schedule. My name may be Katz, but I wasn’t taking any chances.”

How much of a conflict is there really with the Phillies? Plus, Tim Tebow and the Pope can’t be in the same place at the same time. I’m sure that’s written somewhere.