Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Get Special Shout-Out During Super Bowl Press Conference

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni loves the Philadelphia Phillies.
Tyler Maher|
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media during a press conference at Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
Feb 5, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni speaks with the media during a press conference at Hilton New Orleans Riverside. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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The Philadelphia Phillies aren't playing right now, but they're still top of mind for Philadelphia sports fans.

That includes Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nicki Sirianni, who gave the Phillies a special shout-out during his Super Bowl LIX press conference in New Orleans this week.

For the second time in three years, Sirianni will face his old team, the Kansas City Chiefs, in the Super Bowl. He worked as an assistant coach for the Chiefs from 2009 to 2012 before eventually becoming the Eagles head coach in 2021.

In explaining why he prefers Philadelphia over Kansas City, Sirianni cited the city's phenomenal sports teams, including the Phillies, Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.

"I love Philadelphia. We love the food in Philadelphia. We love our sports teams," Sirianni said, even though his wife is from Missouri. "I love being a Sixers fan now, and a Phillies fan and a Flyers fan..."

Sirianni has shown his support for the Phillies in the past. After leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl at the beginning of 2023, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Phillies' home opener that spring at Citizens Banks Park.

His success with the Eagles has coincided with the Phillies' recent resurgence, making it a great time to be a Philly sports fan.

The Eagles have made four straight playoff appearances under Sirianni (including two Super Bowls), while the Phillies are coming off three straight postseason trips (including a World Series).

Unfortunately, neither team has won a championship during that time despite coming agonizingly close.

Just a few months after the Phillies lost the Fall Classic to the Houston Astros, the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to the Chiefs by a field goal following a controversial holding call.

The City of Brotherly Love's last title came seven years ago when Sirianni's predecessor, Doug Pederson, guided the Eagles to a stunning 41-33 Super Bowl victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots -- the first Super Bowl championship in Eagles franchise history.

The Phillies' last title came in 2008. The 76ers haven't won the NBA Finals since 1983, while the Flyers' last Stanley Cup was half a century ago in 1975.

Philadelphia sports fans have endured their share of pain lately. Sirianni & Co. will try to bring them some joy by stopping Kansas City's quest for a historic three-peat and lifting the Lombardi Trophy this weekend.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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