I just watched the Eagles victory parade and I’m mad as hell.
At the “Philadelphia” Union.
I’ve been a Philly sports fan since By Saam lulled me to sleep with his dulcet drone on languid summer Sunday afternoons. I listened to my dad’s radio as Bill Campbell went wild when Chuck Bednarik sat on Jim Taylor to make sure the Eagles won the NFL championship in 1960. I’ve celebrated Bobby Clarke and the Bullies, Wilt and Dr. J. And I stood for hours at Dilworth Plaza waiting to watch the green buses go by the first time.
In winter my blood runs green. In spring it used to run red. But since 2010 it turned purple. And right now, it’s bad blood.
You see, the Eagles have a commitment to excel and a plan to match. Same thing for the Phils. Neither organization is afraid to do what they need to do to compete for their championships.
We’re all grateful to Jay Sugarman and his organization for bringing the Union to Philly’s soccer fans. But is he a Jeffrey Lurie type of owner? Can he rival John Middleton’s commitment? In other words, is he the owner of a team worthy of the identifier “Philadelphia?”
Lurie and Middleton run organizations that win championships. Sugarman runs an organization that diffuses its resources to drive diverse revenue streams like developing talent for sale, sports and entertainment complexes and parking lots. And I almost forgot – an MLS team.
The Union talk a good game. I believe the organization wants to win. And Ernst Tanner has been hailed by many as a cunning dealmaker who tries to build the Union the “Right Way,” eschewing the temptation to win fast by importing aging superstars. And the Union’s spending habits are hardly parsimonious.
But is this organization’s first and overriding priority the winning of championships for the senior team? Are the Union truly a Philly team, sharing the burning desire for excellence shown by the Eagles and Phils? Or are they just a sports enterprise that plays in MLS on a field in Chester?
The next time I stand for hours in Dilworth Plaza with my sons and grandsons, I want to be wearing blue and gold. I’d like ownership to commit to that goal, unreservedly, unequivocally and invariably, while I’m still on this side of the grass.
I watched the Philadelphia Atoms when they won it all in their inaugural year. Fifteen years in, the Union need to earn the right to be called a true Philadelphia team.
Author: Matt Custer
Anyone who can name Ernesto Lopera and Pat Fidelia among his favorite players has been a fan of Philly Footy for a long time. A club and league founder, coach, ref, apostle of the Union Bible and Founding STH, Matt is now co-managing editor of PSP.
“Philadelphia” Union?
Posted by Matt Custer on February 15, 2025 at 12:27 amI just watched the Eagles victory parade and I’m mad as hell.
At the “Philadelphia” Union.
I’ve been a Philly sports fan since By Saam lulled me to sleep with his dulcet drone on languid summer Sunday afternoons. I listened to my dad’s radio as Bill Campbell went wild when Chuck Bednarik sat on Jim Taylor to make sure the Eagles won the NFL championship in 1960. I’ve celebrated Bobby Clarke and the Bullies, Wilt and Dr. J. And I stood for hours at Dilworth Plaza waiting to watch the green buses go by the first time.
In winter my blood runs green. In spring it used to run red. But since 2010 it turned purple. And right now, it’s bad blood.
You see, the Eagles have a commitment to excel and a plan to match. Same thing for the Phils. Neither organization is afraid to do what they need to do to compete for their championships.
We’re all grateful to Jay Sugarman and his organization for bringing the Union to Philly’s soccer fans. But is he a Jeffrey Lurie type of owner? Can he rival John Middleton’s commitment? In other words, is he the owner of a team worthy of the identifier “Philadelphia?”
Lurie and Middleton run organizations that win championships. Sugarman runs an organization that diffuses its resources to drive diverse revenue streams like developing talent for sale, sports and entertainment complexes and parking lots. And I almost forgot – an MLS team.
The Union talk a good game. I believe the organization wants to win. And Ernst Tanner has been hailed by many as a cunning dealmaker who tries to build the Union the “Right Way,” eschewing the temptation to win fast by importing aging superstars. And the Union’s spending habits are hardly parsimonious.
But is this organization’s first and overriding priority the winning of championships for the senior team? Are the Union truly a Philly team, sharing the burning desire for excellence shown by the Eagles and Phils? Or are they just a sports enterprise that plays in MLS on a field in Chester?
The next time I stand for hours in Dilworth Plaza with my sons and grandsons, I want to be wearing blue and gold. I’d like ownership to commit to that goal, unreservedly, unequivocally and invariably, while I’m still on this side of the grass.
I watched the Philadelphia Atoms when they won it all in their inaugural year. Fifteen years in, the Union need to earn the right to be called a true Philadelphia team.
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