There's plenty of reason to be excited about the 2018 Philadelphia Phillies season.
The betting public is drooling all over the Fightin' Phils as a safe bet to win more than 75 games in anticipation of an Opening Day with more promise than the team has seen in maybe five years. New manager Gabe Kapler is bringing the club's #BeBold slogan all the way down to batting practice logistics. And for once in the post-title-contending years of Philadelphia's rebuild, there are at least faint hopes of a wild-card run.
If Phillies fans need any more proof, however, that 2018 is set to mark a turnaround for the team, they should look no further than the hometown Eagles.
Although the Birds may have permanently stolen the City of Brotherly Love spotlight, not to mention rewritten the area's sports identity, by capturing their first-ever Super Bowl title in February, the Eagles may also have indicated the dawn of a new era of Phillies success with their own dominance.
How so? History tells us that when the Eagles are good (and we mean good), the Phillies usually are, too.
Just take a look at how closely some of the biggest years for the city's baseball and football teams align:
1948, 1949: Eagles win the NFL Championship
1950: Phillies win the NL Championship Series
1980: Eagles win the NFC Championship
1980: Phillies win the World Series
2008: Eagles make the NFC Championship
2008: Phillies win the World Series
If you want to throw the Villanova University men's basketball team in there as well, be our guest. The Wildcats made the Elite Eight the year the Eagles won it all (1949), won their conference the year the Eagles went to the Super Bowl and the Phillies made the World Series (1980), and won the NCAA championship the year before the Eagles won the Super Bowl (2016).
So, in other words, buckle up, Phils fans. The time is now, and the city is confirming it.
