Crossing Broad launched 10 years ago today. Our decade on the webnets coincides neatly with, well, the decade.

And what a decade is was for Philadelphia sports, with no shortage of stories to talk about, be they good, bad, crazy, or borderline unfathomable. Be it the Andrew Bynum Saga, Chip Kelly’s tenure, or the Bryan Colangelo burner account scandal. There’s never a dull moment in this town.

But we wanted to keep it positive as we reflect on the past 10 years of Philadelphia sports. What were the best stories? What made people happy? What moments will athletes and coaches be remembered for? What went viral and put us in the national spotlight?

Here’s what we came up with:

10. La Salle’s Sweet 16 run and the Southwest Philly floater

“Shout out to my cousin Bern! Shout to my mom!”


La Salle’s Tyrone Garland, a Bartram High School grad, found himself the darling of the national sports media after hitting the game-winner against Ole Miss to send the Explorers to the Sweet 16 back in 2013.

Dr. John’s squad finished 21-8 that season, beating a ranked VCU and Butler along the way. They stumbled in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 tournament, earned themselves a #13 seed and a play-in game, then proceeded to beat Boise State, Kansas State (in Kansas City), and Mississippi before falling to Wichita State in the next round.

It was fun, and it provided us with one of the best viral moments of the decade.

-Kinkead

Kyle: Let’s be honest, we don’t cover La Salle basketball much around here. But 2013 was the beginning of a sports wasteland in Philly. Save for the first season of Chip Kelly, the year saw little on-field or court success. La Salle’s unexpected run, complete with Philly-perfect game-winner-post-game-interview combo, was a genuinely fun story.

Memorable coverage:

Ramon Galloway’s Mom Celebrated at 20th and Olney, Too

La Salle TV and Student Newspaper Reporters Need Your Help Getting to the Sweet 16

Shout-Out to John Clark for Finding Cousin Bern

 

9. Claude Giroux – “The Shift”

The 2012 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins was absolutely bonkers.

Those two teams hated one another – oh, and they happened to score a combined 50 goals through the first five games of the series. But by Game 6 the momentum of the series was shifting. The Flyers had won the first three games of the series, but Pittsburgh had taken the last two and were really starting to feel confident that they could pull off the comeback. That’s when Claude Giroux went into coach Peter Laviolette’s office for a quick meeting.

I’ll let Lavy tell it from there:

“When the best player in the world comes up to you and tells you, ‘I don’t know who you’re planning on starting tonight, but I want that first shift’, that says everything you need to know about Claude Giroux right there.”

Ultimately, that “best player in the world” moniker didn’t age well, because Sidney Crosby later went on to win his second and third Stanley Cups and Giroux hasn’t won a playoff series since, despite him continuing to be a great player. However, for that one shift, Giroux was so much better than Crosby (and let him know it) and then scored the first of five Flyers goals that locked up the series win. Little did they know at the time, it would be the last of the decade.

-Anthony Sanfilippo

Kyle: I’d actually argue that Mike Richards’ The Shift in Game 1 of the 2010 ECF was even more impressive and impactful. I mean:

At the time of Giroux’s goal, I wrote “Philadelphia has a new The Shift.” And since we don’t speak about Mike Richards anymore, G, and this shift, has aged better.

Memorable coverage:

Claude Giroux: Alpha Male

 

8. Villanova Wins It Again

Wildcats and Wolverines, 2018.

Villanova was looking for their second national title in as many seasons, riding a 30-4 record into March Madness after winning yet another Big East regular season+tournament combination.

Jay Wright’s team was given the #1 overall seed in the entire bracket and proceeded to lay the smack down throughout, winning every single game by double-digits. Donte DiVincenzo scored 31 points in the national title game as Nova ran Michigan off the floor by a final score of 79-62.

-Kinkead

Kyle: On March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day) during a second round game in which DiVincenzo scored 18 first half points against Alabama, I tweeted the following:

That one received some scorn. And yet, DiVincenzo just put up 5, 10, and 9 in a head-to-head matchup with Jalen Brunson the other night. I’m usually right. But I wasn’t as right as this guy, who called it:

https://twitter.com/DBaxter316/status/938455907926728704

Memorable coverage:

How About That Donte DiVincenzo NBA Buzz

 

7. Cliff Lee Signs With The Phillies

This item was originally listed as “Bryce Harper signs with the Phillies,” but our team is young or wasn’t fully blogging on the Philly webternets those days and can’t imagine what a huge deal it was when Ruben Amaro slammed it on the table and pried The Clifton away from the New York Yankees– at a discount!

Lee was on a path to become the most beloved Philly athlete of all-time, but his blown NLDS lead, reputation for being surly (a reporter once told me he and Jayson Werth were the biggest dicks on the team), and lack of, like, ever showing up to alumni stuff have killed that.

Still, the Lee signing was a big deal, and huge for this site– it happened just a week after I quit my job to do this full-time and was a massive shot in the arm for the site.

Bryce Harper certainly rates. But people on the web those days remember how big of a deal this was.

-Kyle Scott

Kyle: I suppose this part is redundant, but I remember being at a networking event at the Field House in Philly and seeing Tweets from Heyman and Rosenthal that this was a possibility. I sped home, ran to the basement (…), and began blogging. Back then, no one trusted Twitter reports, but we were the first site to write a story that it was done– based on a Tweet from a Texas Rangers reporter. The next 24 hours were a blur as Cliff Lee helped put CB on the map.

Memorable coverage:

R2C2

More R2C2 Photoshops

R2C2 Photoshops Part Three

 

6. The Flyers’ Improbable Comeback

I remember clear as day talking to Danny Briere the morning after the Flyers went down 0-3 to Boston in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

He said, “You’re going to think I’m crazy, Anthony, but I like the way we’ve played. We’re the better team and we’re going to come back and win this series.”

He was right. I thought he was nuts, but then they won Game 4 and Game 5 and Game 6. And I started to believe him. But after they got into a 3-0 hole at the Garden in Boston in Game 7, I thought they had run out of gas. I was wrong again. James vanRiemsdyk got the first one. Then Scott Hartnell. Then Briere tied it. And then Simon Gagne finished off the most improbable 0-3 comeback in sports history. The Flyers had other great moments in this playoff run – Mike Richards against Montreal, Claude Giroux in overtime against Chicago, Chris Pronger stealing pucks and holding the best of the best press conferences. But nothing compared to this comeback vs. Boston. And short of a Stanley Cup victory for the Flyers, I’m not sure anything else ever will.

–Anthony Sanfilippo

Kyle: This will not resonate well with Flyers fans. But I had mostly written off the OB once they went down 3-0 (in the game) and was flipping back and forth between this and Jamie Moyer tying off a bow against the Brewers. Don’t judge me.

 

5. Roy Halladay’s Postseason No-hitter

Philadelphia athletes, especially Phillies pitchers, just don’t do THIS.

Well, nobody did this for any team for 54 years after Don Larsen threw a perfect game in the World Series. In his first ever postseason start, Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter in game one of the 2010 NLDS against the Cincinnati Reds, the only blemish of the entire day a two-out walk against (Phillies legend) Jay Bruce in the fifth inning. Just as good as advertised the entire year for the Phillies, Halladay cemented his place in postseason lore with his dominant outing. Ironically, the no-hitter was almost spoiled by a wayward, softly-hit dribbler in front of the plate by Phillies-killer Brandon Phillips that caromed off his dropped bat. The entire city watched in horror as Carlos Ruiz had to alter his approach to the ball, but should have known it could only end perfectly as the ever steady Ruiz effortlessly fired a strike to Ryan Howard from his knees to preserve one of the greatest postseason pitching performances of all-time.

-Coggin

Kyle: This is likely the greatest sporting event I ever attended. I wasn’t at the 2008 clincher, the Super Bowl, or Villanova’s two recent National Championships. I have seen multiple no-hitters (Terry Mulholland), truly great hockey games (Game 1 against the Rangers in 1995), Scottie Reynolds’ winner in the Elite 8, Chooch’s walkoff in the World Series, Shane Victorino’s grand slam, and more more. But this… this was it. My dad is a fan of great pitchers. It’s his thing. He loves baseball lore and stats and, in particular, no-hitters. I never heard him scream the way he did when Ruiz dropped to his knee and threw to Howard.

Memorable coverage:

Roy Halladay is Simply The Greatest

 

4. Brandon Graham’s Strip Sack

Super Bowl 52 was a shoot out.

This was unfamiliar territory for Jim Schwartz’s defense, a unit that stifled the Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings en route to an improbable run, led by backup quarterback Nick Foles and a team of “underdogs” who felt disrespected despite securing the NFC’s #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Tom Brady was carving up the Birds in the second half and the outcome felt inevitable, like those cheating bastards would find a way to win another title for the unappreciative and undeserving city of Boston.

Then this happened:

https://twitter.com/DelcoDelphia/status/1026869926534041600?s=20

-Kinkead

Kyle: For me, this may have elicited more excitement than Philly Special. That one was shock, some awe, and ball-swinging disbelief. But Brady was unstoppable and poised to lead the Patriots on a game-winning drive. The strip sack was the moment you realized the Eagles were probably going to win the Super Bowl.

Memorable coverage:

Idk, Tom Brady sitting on the ground with his head in his hands. Loser.

 

3. Kris Jenkins Buzzer Beater

Bang!

What a shot.

I remember watching this at the CBS 3 newsroom, pretty sure we were live on-air (on the CW because the game was on CBS) and Ukee was watching the game from the anchor desk and we got his live reaction when Kris Jenkins took out North Carolina with a buzzer beater to hand Villanova their first national title since 1985.

-Kinkead

Kyle: Jay Wright solidifies himself as one of the best coaches in college basketball, knocking off Roy Williams 11 years after Villanova fell to North Carolina in the Sweet 16 on a bullshit travel call against Allan Ray. BANG. BANG. BANG. Someone get Arcidiacono Jim Nantz’s weird tie.

Memorable coverage:

Videos: Reactions To Kris Jenkins’ Shot

Scenes From The Villanova Celebration

Audio: The Villanova Radio Call of Kris Jenkins’ Game-Winning Three-Pointer

 

2. Philly Special

The Philly Special will go down as the most famous play call in Eagles history.

Imagine having the audacity to run a reverse to your tight end, who then throws a pass to the quarterback, and you do it on fourth down right before halftime in the Super Bowl.

It was a ballsy call from Doug Pederson, who accepted the play at Nick Foles’ behest, but it really did encapsulate the 2017 Eagles, who were aggressive and took risks and made a lot of gutsy decisions that season. That mentality was a big reason why the Birds won the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

-Kinkead

Kyle: I mean, not sure what can be added here. But this play made me a non-insignificant amount of money on Philly Special t-shirts. My deck is named “The House That Nick Built.” Thank you for all that you do, Nick.

Memorable coverage:

Holy Shit Nick Foles Called Philly Special

 

1. Eagles Win The Super Bowl

“The long drought is over, finally.”

If the Philly Special was the biggest play call from Super Bowl 52, and the strip sack was the most significant defensive play, then Tom Brady’s Hail Mary falling incomplete would have to be apex of Eagle fan euphoria. It signified the end, really – the end of all of the suffering and shortcoming that we’d seen through the 80s and 90s and through the Andy Reid era. It was the end of Rodney Harrison and Joe Jurevicius and Donovan McNabb barfing and whatever other dark clouds of misery that were hanging over us in perpetuity.

This was the moment where Eagle fans could turn to each other and say, “It’s over. They did it. They won it all.” It was a long-time coming, and the parade was appropriately bonkers.

-Kinkead

Kyle: It’s not in this video, but leave it to Al Michaels to leave it hanging there for a beat too long. But even is nonchalant “time runs out” wasn’t going to spoil the greatest moment in Philly sports history. Years of genuine frustration, lifted as Brady’s pass falls to the ground. The Eagles won the Super Bowl, beating the Patriots 41-33.

Memorable coverage:

All we got, all we need.