This Week In Philly Sports: Biden On Philly Fans, HR Heartbreak

PHILADELPHIA, PA — By all accounts, the past week was a banner week for both the Phillies and Sixers, as they solidified their respective first place position in the standings with a series of wins.

But the past week was about more than the Phillies sweeping the Brewers four games in a row, or the Sixers six game win streak pushing them two and half games over the second place Brooklyn Nets.

The leader of the free world weighed in on the cultural juggernaut that is the Philadelphia sports fan, and a replay review crushed Phillies fans' hopes in a moment of bated breath more akin to an NFL game. More highlights:

Biden on Philly sports

As the most visible symbol of global democracy, President Joe Biden must routinely give his input on rogue states, terrorist organizations, rebellious factions, and the criminal underworld across the planet.

So when he was asked about Philadelphia sports fans during a lunch stop at a Washington D.C. restaurant, he was not in unfamiliar territory.

"Philadelphia fans are the most informed and most obnoxious fans in the world," he said, according to NBC Philadelphia and other reporters on the scene.

The comments came up in conversation with a woman at the restaurant who was from the Fishtown section of Philadelphia.

That Biden is a Philly fan is not news: he's been seen wearing a Phillies hat on campaign trail, and was on the field shortly after the Eagles defeated the Patriots in the 2018 Super Bowl.

Triple crown achieved

Something happened in Philadelphia sports history this week that has not happened in over nine years.

On Monday, May 3, the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers all won on the same day. Believe it or not, the last time that happened was 3,309 days ago, as Barstool Sports first noted.

Part of this is just luck of the draw: there's only a short, roughly two month period where all three are regularly playing, and the Flyers and Sixers only play a few times a week.

Part of it is also symbolic of a larger truth in Philadelphia sports: there cannot be too much of a good thing at any given time.

Phillies lose on heartbreaking call

Before they went on a tear and swept the (formerly first place) Milwaukee Brewers four games in a row this week, the Phillies lost a heartbreaking rubber match with their arch rival New York Mets on Sunday night.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Phillies trailed the Mets, 8-5, with two outs and two runners on base. Hoskins represented the tying run.

On a 2-1 count, he ripped a line drive into right field that appeared to clear the fence, tying the game and sending the COVID-limited crowd in the stands at Citizens Bank park into a wild frenzy.

But moments later, it was overturned: the ball, replay reviewers in a booth New York determined, had actually hit the railing at the top of the fence before bouncing back into the field. Hoskins' hit was therefore deemed a double, the score changed back to 8-7, and a few pitches later the Mets had won.

This Week in Philly Sports is a weekly dispatch covering the wildest, the weirdest, and the greatest sports city in America. Have something you'd like to see here? Email justin.heinze@patch.com.