We’ve done a lot of recent talking about Phillies attendance and blah blah, do people “believe in the team” and all of that. Everybody ranks the various challenges differently, be it money, school, buy in, etc, but I agree with what Bob wrote Wednesday morning:

“I get that gas prices are high, parking is expensive, and the experience can be a costly one — especially for families and/or those who want to go out there and put down five beers. That’s fair. I also acknowledge that you don’t have to sit down at the stadium for three hours to be a “real fan,” but where some people lose me is on the “I don’t believe in this team” argument.

I know the Phillies haven’t made the playoffs in 11 years. Scars and skepticism build. But they’re also playing at a 90-win pace and currently hold the second wild card spot. They’ve won 47 of their last 73 games, have a ton of crazy wins and surged into their current position despite the prolonged absence of their best player.”

Posidelphia is the proper angle here. I’ll take it a step further and say that this is the best summer in Philadelphia sports over the last decade, and that’s not a hot take. My opinion on this is based on the fact that:

  1. the Phillies spent money and are playing their best baseball since 2011
  2. the Union lead the Eastern Conference and are a title contender

I know a lot of people don’t give shit about the Union, which is kind of a bummer since they truly are a fantastic team, but if you’re one of those folks who likes both baseball and soccer, wouldn’t you agree with my lukewarm take? Seriously. We have it so good right now. The Phils are on pace to win 90 games, which they haven’t done since 2011, and the Union are out here with 14 wins, four losses, and nine draws. They’ve scored 51 goals, conceded only 20, (+31 goal differential) and haven’t lost a single game at home. At 1.89, they have the second-best points-per-game in Major League Soccer and if LAFC slips up, the Supporter’s Shield is in play for the second time in three years.

We talked about this on Tuesday’s Crossing Broadcast, the idea that the Phils and Union haven’t been this good at the same time going back a decade. But when you take the temperature of the town, it still feels like the Eagles are the biggest thing, and we haven’t even begun the NFL regular season yet.

I get that folks are excited about the Birds, and they have the potential to be really good this year, but it feels like people are prioritizing live practice tweets over the two teams that are playing real games right now AND WINNING. That’s what’s a little baffling to me. There is quality shit to watch right this very moment. The Phillies are very good. The Union are out here beating teams 6-0 and 7-0. Shouldn’t we be enjoying what we’re watching right now, and talking about it?