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The Curse of William Penn is an alleged curse, sometimes used to explain the failure of professional sports teams based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to win championships since the March 1987 construction of the One Liberty Place skyscraper, which exceeded the height of William Penn's statue atop Philadelphia City Hall.^[1] Since then, no Philadelphia major sports team (baseball, football, basketball, or hockey) has won a league championship. The last professional team to win a championship in the four major sports was the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1983 NBA Finals, when they swept the Los Angeles Lakers in four games. This curse has gained such prominence in Philadelphia that a film by the same name, The Curse of William Penn, was produced in 2006. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Look up Curse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a rich tradition of sports, from club sports in the mid-nineteenth century to the professional teams and events of today. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... The One Liberty Place Building is currently the tallest building and skyscraper in the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ... For other uses, see William Penn (disambiguation). ... Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short) are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ...

Origins of the curse

Atop Philadelphia City Hall stands a statue of William Penn, the city founder and original proprietor of the then-British colony of Pennsylvania (meaning "Penn's Woods"). Under a gentlemen's agreement, no building in the city rose above this statue, up to March 1987, when a modern steel-and-glass skyscraper called One Liberty Place opened three blocks away. One Liberty Place dwarfed City Hall by 397 feet (121m), soaring 945 feet (288m) in height compared to City Hall's actual height of 547' 11-3/4" (167m) to the top of Penn's hat, usually rounded off to 548', which coincidentally matches the career number of home runs hit by Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt. Its sister skyscraper, Two Liberty Place, at 848 ft (258m), would soon follow. Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... For other uses, see William Penn (disambiguation). ... This article is about a type of political territory. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... A Gentlemens agreement is an informal agreement between two or more parties. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Skyscraper (disambiguation). ... The One Liberty Place Building is currently the tallest building and skyscraper in the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. ... The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related... Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949 in Dayton, Ohio) is a former American professional baseball player who played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies. ... Two Liberty Place in Philadelphia, PA Two Liberty Place is the second tallest skyscraper in Philadelphia, and the 31st tallest in the United States, stretching 58 floors to 848 ft (258m). ...

Philadelphia sports teams had just before then enjoyed an enviable run of success: Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies had won the 1980 World Series and the 1983 National League pennant; the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers had won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, and were a regular presence in the finals (to wit, 1976, 1980, 1985, and 1987); the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles had appeared in Super Bowl XV, losing to the Oakland Raiders); and the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers had won the championship in 1983, as well as making the finals in 1977, 1980, and 1982.^[2] In fact, before 1980, the Phillies had appeared in only two other World Series, in 1915 and 1950, and the Eagles had won no NFC conference championships since the 1966 agreement that had created the Super Bowl, while the 76ers won NBA titles in both Philadelphia and in their prior incarnation, the Syracuse Nationals. Construction on One Liberty Place began in 1985, two years after the last championship season in Philadelphia. In a matter of sad coincidence, the ground was broken on the same day as the MOVE tragedy that left numerous members of a radical "Back to Africa" group dead, and burned down several blocks of West Philadelphia neighborhood. Major Leagues redirects here. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... haha ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ... NHL redirects here. ... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ... The 1973-74 NHL season was the 57th season of the National Hockey League. ... The classic NHL shield logo The 1974-75 NHL season was the 58th season of the National Hockey League. ... The classic NHL shield logo The 1975-76 NHL season was the 59th season of the National Hockey League. ... The 1979-80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. ... The 1984-85 NHL season was the 68th season of the National Hockey League. ... The 1986-87 NHL season was the 70th season of the National Hockey League. ... NFL redirects here. ... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... Date January 25, 1981 Stadium Louisiana Superdome City New Orleans, Louisiana MVP Jim Plunkett, Quarterback Favorite Eagles by 3 National anthem Helen OConnell Coin toss Marie Lombardi Referee Ben Dreith Halftime show Jim Skinner Productions presents Mardi Gras Festival Attendance 76,135 TV in the United States Network NBC... City Oakland, California Other nicknames The Silver and Black Team colors Silver and Black Head Coach Lane Kiffin Owner Al Davis General manager Al Davis League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–1969) Western Division (1960–1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC West (1970... NBA redirects here. ... The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short) are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The 1982-83 NBA Season was the 37th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The 1976-77 NBA Season was the 31st season of the National Basketball Association. ... The 1979-80 NBA Season was the 34th season of the National Basketball Association. ... The 1981-82 NBA Season was the 36th season of the National Basketball Association. ... In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies in 5 games. ... The 1950 World Series matched the defending champion New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies. ... National Football Conference logo. ... Nickname: Location of Syracuse within the state of New York Coordinates: , City Government  - Mayor Matthew Driscoll (D) Area  - City 66. ... This article is about the organization MOVE. For other uses, see Move. ... MOVE! is an organisation formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972 by John Africa (Vincent Leaphart) and Donald Glassey. ... West Philadelphia is a section of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. ...

Unlike other "curses" that seem to strike particular teams (the Boston Red Sox's Curse of the Bambino, the Chicago White Sox's Curse of the Black Sox — both of which seem to have been lifted, the Detroit Lions Curse of Bobby Layne, and the Chicago Cubs' Curse of the Billy Goat), this evil is said to have struck four professional teams in the same city. Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, 42 Name Boston Red Sox (1908–present) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Other nicknames The BoSox, The Olde Towne Team, The Sox Ballpark Fenway Park (1912–present) Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds... Babe Ruth — The Bambino The Curse of the Bambino (1918-2004) was a superstition cited, often jokingly, as a reason for the failure of the Boston Red Sox baseball team to win the World Series in the 86 year period from 1918 until 2004. ... Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 11, 16, 19, 42, 72 Name Chicago White Sox (1904–present) Other nicknames The Sox, The South Siders, The ChiSox, The Pale Hose, The Good Guys, The Go-Go Sox, The... Not to be confused with the Baltimore Black Sox of the Negro Leagues. ... City Detroit, Michigan Team colors Honolulu Blue, Silver, and Black Head Coach Rod Marinelli Owner William Clay Ford, Sr. ... Major league affiliations National League (1876–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 10, 14, 23, 26, 42 Name Chicago Cubs (1902–present) Chicago Orphans (1898-1901) Chicago Colts (1890-1897) Chicago White Stockings (1870-1871, 1874-1889) (a. ... The Curse of the Billy Goat is an urban legend concerning various regular-season and postseason woes of the Chicago Cubs, a Major League Baseball team. ...

Philadelphia sports since the curse's inception

Major-league sports

View of Philadelphia skyline from Citizens Bank Park. William Penn's statue can be seen one-quarter from the right. Note height relationship to the newer buildings to the left. The tallest building (with antenna) is One Liberty Place

After One Liberty Place opened, Philadelphia's franchises began a pattern of narrow, but spectacular, failures to win a conference or national championship: the Flyers lost the Stanley Cup Finals twice (1987—in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers, a mere two months after One Liberty Place opened, and again in 1997 in a four-game sweep by the Detroit Red Wings); the Phillies lost the 1993 World Series in six games to the Toronto Blue Jays, with the Series ending on Joe Carter's famous walk-off home run; the 76ers lost the 2001 NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games; and the Eagles lost three straight NFC Championship games from the 2001 through 2003 seasons, before finally breaking through after the 2004 season and reaching Super Bowl XXXIX, only to lose to the New England Patriots by three points. Download high resolution version (2043x498, 92 KB)Phila. ... Download high resolution version (2043x498, 92 KB)Phila. ... Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball-only stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that opened on April 3, 2004 and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of that same year, as the tenants of the facility, the Philadelphia Phillies lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 4... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Image:Stanleycuptrophy. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... Dates October 16, 1993–October 23, 1993 MVP Paul Molitor (Toronto) Television network CBS & Simulcast in Canada on CTV Announcers Sean McDonough, Tim McCarver Umpires Dave Phillips (AL), Paul Runge (NL), Tim McClelland (AL), Charlie Williams (NL), Mark Johnson (AL), Dana DeMuth (NL) The 1993 World Series was the second... Major league affiliations American League (1977–present) East Division (1977–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Toronto Blue Jays (1977–present) Other nicknames The Jays Ballpark Rogers Centre (1989–present) a. ... The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short) are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... NBA Finals logo from NBA.com. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Los Angeles, California. ... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... Date February 6, 2005 Stadium ALLTEL Stadium City Jacksonville, Florida MVP Deion Branch, Wide receiver Favorite Patriots by 7 National anthem Combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S... City Foxborough, Massachusetts Other nicknames The Pats Team colors Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, and White Head Coach Bill Belichick Owner Robert Kraft General manager Bill Belichick (de facto) Mascot Pat Patriot League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present...

In addition, losses in conference finals have occurred seven times since the opening of One Liberty Place, including four by the Flyers, in 1989, 1995, 2000, and 2004. The 2000 team was one win away from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, after leading the New Jersey Devils 3-1 before losing three straight, and the 2004 team lost Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Eagles accounted for the other three conference-final losses; they lost the NFC Championship Game (the winner of which meets the winner of the AFC's corresponding game in the Super Bowl) three years in a row from 2001 to 2003, thus becoming the first NFL team to do this in either conference since the Dallas Cowboys of 1980-1982, losing the last two at home after posting the best record in the NFC. No other team in NFL history has lost back-to-back conference title games at home since the NFL began its practice in 1975 of awarding home-field advantage in postseason play based on regular-season record. The 1988-89 NHL season was the 72nd season of the National Hockey League. ... The 1994-95 NHL season was the 78th regular season of the National Hockey League. ... The 1999-2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League. ... The 2003-04 NHL season was the 87th regular season of the National Hockey League. ... Image:Stanleycuptrophy. ... The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. ... The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). ... National Football Conference logo. ... The American Football Conference (AFC) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League (NFL). ... The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ... The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League. ... The 2003 NFL season was the 84th regular season of the National Football League. ... City Irving, Texas Other nicknames Americas Team, The Boys, The Pokes Team colors White, Silver, Silver-Green, Royal Blue, Navy Blue Head Coach Wade Phillips Owner Jerry Jones General manager Jerry Jones League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1960–present) Western Conference (1960) Eastern Conference (1961-1969) Capitol Division... The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League. ... The 1982 NFL season was the 63th regular season of the National Football League. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bronze statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall

Some believe the curse manifested again on December 19, 2004. The Eagles clinched home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs, but wide receiver Terrell Owens suffered a fractured fibula and severe ankle sprain, which was expected to end his season. Even so, the Eagles won the NFC Championship Game 27-10 over the Atlanta Falcons, breaking their triple NFC Championship losing streak. However, the Eagles lost 24-21 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6, 2005, despite Owens's return against medical advice. Donovan McNabb threw three interceptions after having had only eight in the entire regular season, and was speculated to be sick with the flu, even to the point that McNabb vomited during the Eagles' final offensive run. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1488x1984, 493 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Penn Philadelphia City Hall User:JVinocur/Images Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1488x1984, 493 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): William Penn Philadelphia City Hall User:JVinocur/Images Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Terrell Eldorado Owens (born December 7, 1973) is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. ... For other uses see fibula (disambiguation) The fibula or calf bone is a bone placed on the lateral side of the tibia, with which it is connected above and below. ... City Atlanta, Georgia Team colors Black, Red, Silver and White Head Coach Bobby Petrino Owner Arthur Blank General manager Rich McKay Mascot Freddie Falcon League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1966–present) Eastern Conference (1966) Western Conference (1967-69) Coastal Division (1967-1969) National Football Conference (1970-present) NFC West... City Foxborough, Massachusetts Other nicknames The Pats Team colors Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, Red, and White Head Coach Bill Belichick Owner Robert Kraft General manager Bill Belichick (de facto) Mascot Pat Patriot League/Conference affiliations American Football League (1960–69) Eastern Division (1960–69) National Football League (1970–present... Date February 6, 2005 Stadium ALLTEL Stadium City Jacksonville, Florida MVP Deion Branch, Wide receiver Favorite Patriots by 7 National anthem Combined choirs of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and U.S... is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. ...

Other sports

The curse is sometimes also extended to include Bensalem-Township-based thoroughbred racehorse Smarty Jones, who saw his bid for horse racing's Triple Crown evaporate when he finished second (by one length) in the 2004 Belmont Stakes after decisive victories in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, including trouncing Belmont winner Birdstone by 15¼ lengths in the Derby. Bensalem Township is a township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... For the processor with the same codename , see Athlon. ... Smarty Jones (born February 28, 2001) is a thoroughbred race horse, and winner of the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ... The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (Triple Crown for short, but the term is also used in other sports, and thus the full name should be used when it could cause confusion) consists of three races for three-year-old thoroughbred horses. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Belmont Stakes is a prestigious Grade I stakes race held yearly in June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. ... The Hannah Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. ... The Preakness Stakes is a Grade I stakes race 1 3/16 mile (1. ... Birdstone (born May 16, 2001) is a thoroughbred racehorse now best known for winning the 2004 Belmont Stakes. ...

Although the curse is not generally thought of as extending to college sports, two Philadelphia-based college basketball teams, the St. Joseph's Hawks and the Villanova Wildcats, which had very successful seasons in 2004 and 2006 respectively, failed to reach the Final Four of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Both were eliminated in the fourth-round Elite Eight matches, with St. Joe's, first seed in the East Regional, losing a heartbreaker to Oklahoma State, and Villanova, first seed in the Minneapolis Regional, falling to eventual NCAA-champion Florida. A third Philadelphia team, the Temple Owls, also failed to reach the Final Four five times due to losses in the fourth round (1988, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2001). This article is about the university in the United States. ... Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Final Four is a sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament. ... The playoff term Elite Eight has been popularized to refer to the final eight teams in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, who play in the final game of each of the tournaments four regional brackets. ... Oklahoma State University Logo The Oklahoma State University System comprises of five educational instututes across Oklahoma. ... The University of Florida (Florida, UFL, or UF) is a public land-grant, research university located in Gainesville, Florida. ... For the private Christian university in Tennessee, see Tennessee Temple University. ...

The curse, however, does not seem to affect professional teams outside of the "big four" sports; in fact, professional Lacrosse teams have had tremendous success. The Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (indoor winter league) have won six titles since 1989, and the Philadelphia Barrage of the Major League Lacrosse (outdoor summer league) have won three championships (2004, 2006, and 2007). Additionally, the Philadelphia KiXX of the Major Indoor Soccer League won their league's championship in 2002 and 2007. For other uses, see Lacrosse (disambiguation). ... The Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional sports league in North America, since the 1997-1998 season. ... NLL redirects here. ... Victoria Shamrocks vs Peterborough Lakers, Mann Cup 2005. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... The Philadelphia Barrage is a lacrosse team based in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. ... Major League Lacrosse is a professional outdoor Lacrosse league that is made up of teams within the United States. ... The Philadelphia KiXX is an indoor soccer team, founded in 1995 as an NPSL expansion franchise, that plays its games at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The Major Indoor Soccer League is the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league is a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. ...

The curse also does not seem to affect Philadelphia's minor-league hockey franchise, the AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms, who won the Calder Cup championship trophy twice since the curse's inception, in both 1998 and 2005 (the latter championship occurring during the NHL Lockout effectively making them the top North American professional hockey team). The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Philadelphia Phantoms are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. ... The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. ... The 2004-05 NHL Lockout resulted in the cancellation of what would have been the 88th season of the National Hockey League (NHL). ...

The curse has not yet applied to the Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul, despite lackluster seasons after signing top AFL quarterback Tony Graziani in 2003. The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. ... Conference National Division Eastern Year founded 2004 Home arena Wachovia Center & Wachovia Spectrum(alt. ... Anthony Robert Graziani (Born:December 23, 1973, in Las Vegas, Nevada) is a current Arena Football League quarterback for the Philadelphia Soul. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Miscellaneous

In spite of the Curse, when Philadelphia sports teams have reached their league's finals, Penn's statue has often been decorated to support that team's success. For example, after the Phillies won the 1993 National League pennant, Penn was fitted with an oversize red Phillies baseball cap; when the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997, the city adorned Penn with an orange-torso-with-white-shoulders Flyers jersey (at the time, the combination was the Flyers' road jersey). Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ... The classic NHL shield logo The 1996-97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. ...

When the Sixers faced the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals Billy Penn was not touched. Pat Croce said he would have "decked out" the statue had the Sixers won but not before.^[2] Billy Penn was also untouched when the Eagles went to the Super Bowl in 2005. Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Logo of the NBA Finals. ... The winning Super Bowl team receives the Vince Lombardi Trophy. ... The 2004 season of the National Football League (NFL) was the 85th one played by the major professional American football league in the United States. ...

While several other skyscrapers have been erected since Liberty Place, it should be noted that they stand west of City Hall, and that Penn's statue faces northeast. As local sentiment goes, Penn may not be pleased, but at least his view of the Delaware River remains unobstructed. As of early 2007, construction is underway two blocks west of City Hall for what would become Philadelphia's tallest edifice, the Comcast Center, to be completed in late 2007. Coincidentally, the building's main tenant, Comcast-Spectacor, owns two of the city's sports franchises, the Flyers and 76ers. For the Delaware River in Kansas, see Delaware River (Kansas) The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For the arena in College Park, Maryland, see Comcast Center (arena). ... Comcast-Spectacor is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based sports and entertainment company. ...

On June 18, 2007, ironworkers from Local Union 401 helped raise the final beam in the construction of the Comcast Center at 17th and JFK in downtown Philadelphia, which will be the tallest building in the city at 57 stories. In an attempt to end the curse, workers John Joyce and Dan Ginion attached a small figurine of Billy Penn to the beam, along with an American flag and a small tree. ^[3] is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Notes

^ The Phillies had their own separate run of bad luck before 1980. Until then they had been the only one of the sixteen original Major League Baseball teams formed from the 1901 National League contraction and subsequent American League foundation to have never won a World Series (the St. Louis Browns had won in 1966 and 1970 as the Baltimore Orioles). This, however, appears never to have been publicly identified as any curse, and no curse-related theories were ever offered, as their futility was largely attributed to bad players and incompetent management. On July 15, 2007 the Phillies became the first team in the history of professional sports to amass 10,000 losses. Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Major Leagues redirects here. ... For other uses, see National League (disambiguation). ... The American League (or formally the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States of America and Canada. ... This article is about the contemporary American major league baseball team. ... Year 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the contemporary American major league baseball team. ... is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

On September 30, 2007, the Phillies won the National League East by beating the Washington Nationals by a score of 6-1. Entering play that day they had been tied with the New York Mets, who before their epic September 2007 collapse had previously been poised to win the National League East. The Mets lost to the Florida Marlins by a score of 8-1 on September 30, thus enabling the Phillies to win the National League East for the first time since 1993. However, the hope engendered by the Phillies' improbable late-season comeback proved to be a mirage: by October 6, the white-hot Colorado Rockies had completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies in the 2007 National League Division Series. Major league affiliations National League (1993–present) West Division (1993–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 42 Name Colorado Rockies (1993–present) Other nicknames The Rocks, The Rox, Blake Street Bombers, Hurdles Heroes. ... The 2007 National League Division Series (NLDS) will take place at the end of the baseball season of 2007 and will pit the winners of the divisions plus the wildcard against each other. ...

See also

• Sports-related curses
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Philadelphia Flyers
• Philadelphia Phillies
• Philadelphia 76ers

A sports-related curse is the effective action of some power or evil, that is used to explain the failures or misfortunes of specific sports teams, players, or even cities. ... City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Team colors Midnight Green, Black, White, and Silver Head Coach Andy Reid Owner Jeffrey Lurie General manager Tom Heckert Fight song Fly, Eagles Fly Mascot Swoop League/Conference affiliations National Football League (1933–present) Eastern Division (1933-1949) American Conference (1950-1952) Eastern Conference (1953-1969) Capitol... The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils... The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short) are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

References

is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

External links

• Throwing Things explanation
• About the Curse - phrustratedphan.com