Philly’s jam-packed summer of sports has come to a close, but not before it ushered in the return of several events that hadn’t made their way to the city in quite some time.
From July’s MLB All-Star Game to August’s UFC 330 to the return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, there was a great mix of events that came back for the first time in a long time, which begs the question: What other Philly-centric events would it be great to have back?
In no particular order, here are five among the several sports staples. Some of these still could, some are gone forever, but all of them were authentically Philly while they were here.
Sonny Hill Community Basketball League
It wasn’t just that it was responsible for having some of the best players in the NBA to emerge from the league. It was that for over 50 years, at the height of its popularity in Philly, the famed Sonny Hill Basketball League gave thousands of kids, those directly in the city and some from the Philadelphia area, an opportunity to stay off the streets, hone their hoops skills, and create a pathway toward a college education.
And for a rare few, it was their bridge to superstardom. But nothing stays on a high forever. At its end, Sonny Hill, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and beloved radio jock — who can still be heard on early Sunday mornings on SportsRadio WIP (94.1-FM), where he’s been since 1987 — ran out of steam trying to keep up with the rise of AAU basketball’s popularity.
In 2015, writer DelGreco Wilson penned a piece on his blog, The Black Cager, which read: The Sonny Hill League facilitated a broader “Philadelphia” identity and solidarity among Philly ballers. The Sonny Hill League helped translate an “I” mentality into a “we” mentality … [but it] has declined in significance. Philly’s basketball community is poorer as a result.”
The Dad Vail Regatta … on the Schuylkill River
It was the beautiful nuisance Philly just grew to accept. For close to 70 years, the Dad Vail Regatta took over Kelly Drive and a swath of the Schuylkill River to welcome the best college crew teams from across the country.
The event saw thousands descend upon the banks of the river to cheer on the racers and turn sections of Kelly Drive into full-blown tent parties over the course of the two-day annual spectacular.
But when the city decided to dredge a section of the river ahead of the event, race organizers scrambled to find a new venue and were pleased and thankful that Camden County commissioners took it on in 2023.
The race is still going strong and is projected to return to Cooper River as organizers continue to be cagey with a never-say-never attitude about returning what was conceived as Philly’s “boat race weekend” on the Schuylkill.
Army-Navy Game
Ninety, as in 9-0. That’s how many times Philadelphia has hosted one of college football’s most electric games: the annual Army-Navy Game, a showdown between the two service academies. The pomp and pageantry that surrounds all of it is one of the best parts about this annual matchup, now a conference game in the American Conference.
But that hasn’t been the case for quite some time. The last Army-Navy football game played inside Lincoln Financial Field was in 2022, with Army beating Navy in double overtime.
It’s a game that saw more than two-thirds of its 126-year iteration played in Philly. But over the last few years, the event has traveled to a number of cities but is expected to return to Philly for the 91st time on Dec. 11, 2027.
WCW wrestling inside the old Philadelphia Civic Center
While pro wrestling isn’t exactly for everyone, it’s cool to recall a time when there were steel-cage and barbed-wire matches inside the old Philadelphia Civic Center.
In fact, major wrestling houses brought their show to University City just off Penn’s campus, and with their major wrestlers. The venue has hosted wrestling royalty like Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Razor Ramon, Sting, and more. It was the venue for professional wrestling on the East Coast during the 1980s and 1990s.
But the shows started to dwindle there as wrestling grew in popularity and the Civic Center aged. The building, demolished in 2005, was the beginning, with the baton seemingly passed to the 2300 Arena in Pennsport, which hosts several wrestling matches and other combat sports.
Just for KiXX …
Sure, the city is spoiled with having a Major League Soccer team in the Union, but before MLS landed here in 2010, the city was in a bit of a drought for the sport. It had been long since the Atoms and the Fury had played in their since-defunct leagues, and women’s soccer tried twice with different iterations of the Philadelphia Independence.
The one constant was when the Philadelphia KiXX took to the turf where green carpet met concrete at the old Spectrum. Some of the best KiXX players were guys from Philly neighborhoods who never left and plied their trades here. Goalkeeper Peter Pappas was always tough to beat, and the combination of Pat Morris and former player-coach Don D’Ambra brought crowds out.
The KiXX shut down operations in 2010, but not before winning the Major Indoor Soccer League title twice while making a number of their players hometown heroes in the process.
