All 4 Teams Make The Playoffs For 1st Time In 17 Years: This Week In Philly Sports

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Something happened that doesn't really happen much on the Philadelphia sports scene — at least for nearly two decades.

With the Sixers winning their Play-In game against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night and the Philadelphia Flyers clinching a playoff spot, all four major sports teams in the city made the playoffs during their respective seasons.

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That hasn't happened since the 2009 season.

During their respective seasons this year, the Philadelphia Phillies made the playoffs. So did the Eagles. And now the Sixers and the Flyers.

The last time that happened was the 2009 playoff run, when the Eagles reached the NFC Wild Card round, the Flyers reached the Stanley Cup playoffs, the 76ers got into the playoffs, and the Phillies advanced for the second straight year to the World Series.

The Sixers will probably do their usual fade with star Joel Embiid once again injured during playoff time. They play the Boston Celtics starting on Sunday.

The Phillies and the Eagles sputtered during their runs. With a new season underway, the Phillies are still sputtering.

So all eyes are on the Flyers.

When I first started following Philly sports in 1974, these teams were terrible.

Philadelphia had always been a hockey-first town. So seeing the Flyers have success is a feeling similar to the Artemis II astronauts circling the moon.

The Eagles were led by Quarterback Roman Gabriel and a running back named Tom Sullivan, playing in the new Veterans Stadium.

The Sixers were coming off one of the worst seasons in NBA history. This was a few years before Julius Erving arrived.

And the Phillies were starting out with youngsters from their farm system, with the names of Bob Boone, Larry Christenson, Greg Luzinski, and Michael Jack Schmidt. Pitcher Steve Carlton had almost won all the team's games like a year earlier.

The Flyers were still pretty new in the National Hockey League.

But they were dominant already. And like Philadelphia Mayor Frank Rizzo at that time, people were scared of players known as the "Broad Street Bullies."

You basically went to a fight to watch a hockey game in those days.

These Bullies all had cool names: Don "Big Bird" Saleski, Andre "Moose" Dupont, Bob "Hound Dog" Kelly, and Dave "The Hammer" Schultz.

They also had ace players in Bobby Clarke, Reggie Leach, and Rick MacLeish. And, most importantly, the greatest goalie on the planet in Bernie Parent.

The Flyers won two straight Stanley Cups and none since.

So we get excited that the Flyers are in the playoffs.

And while this team isn't made up of fighters, they are scrappy and dangerous, taking on the reputation of their coach Rick Tocchet.

These Flyers might be the hottest team in the NHL.

And maybe, just maybe, this team can light a fire in the City of Philadelphia and win a championship for the first time since their glory days.