Phillies Move Game to Accommodate Eagles' Home Opener
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Professional sports teams in the same city will often work together to help their fans and community, and two Philadelphia franchises, MLB's Phillies and the NFL's Eagles, did just that.
Originally, the Phillies were slated to close out their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, Sept. 14. That same day, the Eagles are slated to welcome the Minnesota Vikings in their home opener on Thursday Night Football. Having both games on the same night would've been a major scheduling conflict, but luckily, the Phillies thought ahead.
With a quick scheduling change, the Phillies moved their game to Monday, Sept. 11, now serving as the series opener. This now gives the Eagles a stage all to themselves for their long-anticipated home opener.
“Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Braves, Major League Baseball and the reigning NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, we were fortunate to be able to move our game to Monday night on September 11,” Phillies executive vice president David Buck said in a statement. “This was an easy decision for all, as the move to avoid conflicting game times is a win for Philadelphia sports fans. It will no doubt be a fun and busy week in the Sports Complex with the Phillies-Braves series September 11-13, followed by the Eagles-Vikings game on Thursday, September 14 at 8:15 p.m.”
This schedule change also benefits the Phillies in more ways than just avoiding an overlap. They were originally scheduled to play 13 days in a row, but now they'll only play 10 consecutively with a break on that Thursday. With the MLB season then in its home stretch, that bit of extra rest could make a world of difference.
Meanwhile, the Eagles were more than happy to accept the accommodation. Philadelphia fans are eagerly awaiting the defending NFC champions' return to the field, and they can now watch without fear of missing the baseball game that night.
“We greatly appreciate the willingness of the Phillies, the Braves and Major League Baseball to adjust their schedule,” Eagles president Don Smolenski said in a statement. “In what has shaped up to be a very busy week in Philadelphia sports, this accommodations is a tremendous example of our close relationship with our friends at the Phillies."
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