You freshmen are truly blessed.
A few short years ago, Philly sports were in a state of turmoil. The Philadelphia 76ers' superstar and coach were feuding, the Eagles were led by journeyman quarterback Doug Pederson and the Phillies were, well, the Phillies.
But as you arrive in West Philly in 2001, you will notice that Allen Iverson has discovered a new love for the game, the Eagles are led by blossoming superstar Donovan McNabb and the Phillies, are, believe it or not, firmly entrenched in a pennant race.
And that's not even mentioning the fact that the Flyers, with terrific off-season moves, have positioned themselves for a serious run at the Stanley Cup in 2002.
And in case you care about women's professional soccer, the Philadelphia Charge made the playoffs in the WUSA's inaugural season.
That means if the Phillies are able to beat out the Atlanta Braves for the National League East division title, all of Philadelphia's professional sports teams would have made the playoffs this year.
How times have changed.
The high point of Philadelphia sports, of course, came in June when Iverson and company led the Sixers all the way to the NBA finals. Iverson, who was once known more as a league misfit than a great player, totally changed his image last season. He came to practice on time and got along with his teammates and coaches, all from assuming the role of team captain.
Iverson's transformation catapulted the Sixers to the top of the Eastern Conference, and the city soon fell in love with a team of hard-workers and overachievers.
After nearly every playoff win, car horns blared as the Philly faithful rejoiced in the streets. Outspoken team owner Pat Croce got the city even more riled up when he climbed the Walt Whitman Bridge to hang a giant Sixers banner.
The Sixers' improbable run through the playoffs, however, hit a steel wall in the form of the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals.
But the Sixers are still optimistic for the future.
Speaking of the future, the Phillies -- a team with the most losses in the history of professional sports -- have finally cashed in on the rebuilding process.
The young team has surprised almost everyone this year, and is currently neck-and-neck with the battle-tested Atlanta Braves for the NL East title.
The Eagles are favored playoff contenders this season with McNabb and a healthy Duce Staley, and the Flyers are hoping for better things now that they they were able to get rid of the controversial Eric Lindros.
As for all of you who wish to jump on the bandwagon and become Philly sports fans, here's a little piece of advice: Be a jerk.
Eagles fans are required to throw nachos at anyone wearing an opposing team's jersey, boo at the other team (or at the Eagles, if they're doing poorly) and cheer if an opposing player is lying unconscious on the turf.
Turf. There's another issue that has made itself visible in this city in recent weeks.
The Eagles were forced to cancel their exhibition opener against the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 13 because the newly-installed turf was deemed unsafe to play on.
It was another black mark on Veterans Stadium, which will soon be torn down in favor of two new separate facilities for the Phillies and Eagles. The Eagles' new home will be unveiled in August of 2003, while the Phillies will have to wait until April of 2004 for their new ballpark.
Both stadiums are state-of-the-art facilities that should make Veterans Stadium and its artificial turf little more than a bad memory.
With these upcoming stadiums and the city's teams on top of the standings, the future of Philadelphia sports looks bright.
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