Forget what the national narrative might be — anyone who grew up a Philly sports fan is very lucky.
Sure, that luck hasn't resulted in as many banners as other cities. But when it comes to getting to watch and root for elite, interesting, Hall-of-Fame talent, not many cities have had a better group of players than Philadelphia has.
Which is why coming up with a top five is such a fun, yet also frustrating, process.
You could make an argument for anywhere from 8-10 players for ultimately coming out on top of 94WIP's G.O.A.T. of Broad Street, and going off of the debate that has happened so far this week, it could even end up being more. What makes it fun is that G.O.A.T. means a lot of different things to different people, and the result has been all kind of different top-five lists, and tons of different players at No. 1. None are wrong, and whoever you have as your No. 1, make sure to go and vote.
For all of the debate there has been, however, the player that deserves the top spot is crystal clear:
Allen Iverson: To me, the G.O.A.T. is more than just the best player of all time. The G.O.A.T. has to have it all, on-and-off the court/field. You just know it when you see it. Yes, there have been great defensive ends in the history of this city. There have been great third basemen. There have been great quarterbacks, great basketball players, great hockey players, great football players and great baseball players. Every city has had them.
Only one city had Allen Iverson.
Maybe I am showing my age here a little, but no Philadelphia athlete in my lifetime has captured the city — and really the entire country — the way Iverson did during his years with the Sixers. He was not only a Hall-of-Fame talent and incredibly fun to watch, but would have put together maybe the best season in Philadelphia sports history in 2001 if he didn't run into an NBA dynasty at the end of his MVP campaign. Up until the Philly Special, Iverson also had arguably the signature moment — or at least the most replayed moment — in Philly sports when he stepped over Tyrone Lue.
Other athletes might have accomplished more, but honestly, I don't care and it doesn't matter.
Simply put, when it comes to Philadelphia sports, there is Allen Iverson and then there is everybody else.
Reggie White: White is the best athlete to ever suit up in a Philadelphia uniform. Full stop, period, end of story. White ending his time with the Eagles with more sacks (124) than games played (121) is one of the craziest stats I have ever heard. The fact he was able to total the sacks he did during a time in the league when they weren't throwing the ball as much makes it even more impressive.
Donovan McNabb: This one is pretty simple — McNabb is the best quarterback in franchise history and was the best player on the best stretch of football in the franchise's history. No player has had more impact on the most important team in the city than McNabb did. McNabb has his haters, but he turned the Eagles into what they are today, and the Eagles were a Super Bowl contender every year he was under center. Not many quarterbacks can say that.
Brian Dawkins: Perhaps the most popular player in the history of the franchise, Dawkins is what Eagles fans want their players to be — elite, tough, physical, plays hard and really, really cares. A Hall of Fame player at a position where it is tough to get in, Dawkins finished his career with 37 interceptions, 36 forced fumbles and 26 sacks — a sign of just how often he made game-changing plays. Any list of Philadelphia athletes that doesn't have Dawkins in the top five is a flawed list.
Jimmy Rollins: This is going to be one most people don't agree with. Most people will put Mike Schmidt on their list. That's fine and I won't argue it. But to me, Jimmy Rollins deserves a spot on my top five, so I'm putting him in over Schmidt. The team's all-time leader in hits, Rollins ushered in arguably the most exciting stretch in franchise history in 2007, then oversaw and lead a team that not only won a title in 2008, but should have won another in 2009, 2010 and 2011. When I think of the best stretch of Phillies baseball ever, I think of lots of players, but I don't think that stretch ever happens if it isn't for Jimmy Rollins.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
