*SI.com shares a countdown of the Top 100 heartbreaks in the last 100 seasons.
I definitely agree with their number one choice:
1. 2002 NFC Championship Game | Jan. 19, 2003
The blindside factor makes the NFC title game between the Eagles and the Bucs the choice as the definitive Philly sports tragedy of the drought era. The idea of losing to Tampa Bay in the final game in Veterans Stadium history was unthinkable. Consider these facts:
- In the three most recent meetings between the teams -- including wild-card showdowns in 2000 and 2001 -- the Eagles had outscored the Bucs by a 72-22 margin.
- The Bucs entered the game 1-21 all-time when the temperature was under 40 degrees (with the lone win coming in Week 17 against the hapless Bears). The gametime temperature in South Philadelphia: 22 degrees and windy.
-Tampa Bay had never won a road playoff game in franchise history.
When Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards -- followed by Duce Staley's touchdown in the first minute -- victory seemed a foregone conclusion. Alas, the Eagles lost the game, 27-10. After sucking the energy out of the Vet with two lengthy touchdown drives during the first half, Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber's sealed the outcome with a 92-yard interception with 3:12 left. It sent 66,713 salty fans to the aisles, an appropriate tribute to a building which provided the stage for 33 years of disappointment and heartbreak.
*Technically, it's only been 98 seasons of losing As Philly.com shares, all this talk about 100 seasons of losing is a little premature. There was no World Series champion in 1994 and there was no Stanley Cup awarded in 2004 due to strikes. I guess we will have to wait until after the Phillies and Eagles seasons this year for all this "100 seasons" talk.*Who will finally break the streak? Back when I first started this blog, I wrote about who I thought would be the next Philly sports champion. I still agree with everything I have written there.
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