Is This Philly’s Last Chance to Save Their Beloved 76ers?
In 1954 — with Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics brought to the brink of bankruptcy — the city attempted to save the franchise. The fundraising campaign, known as “Saving the A’s” was Philadelphia’s last-ditch effort to keep the AL championship franchise in the City. Philadelphia had lost franchises previously, including when the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt and sustained heavy damage to their Stadium in 1931 at the corner of Devereaux and Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philly.
In 1963, the Syracuse Nationals moved to Philadelphia and became the Philadelphia 76ers. The Nationals had been NBA Champions in 1953–1954. Their arrival followed the void left by the Philadelphia Warriors who had just left for San Fransisco.
Upon arriving in Philadelphia in 1963, the 76ers took up in both Philadelphia Arena and Convention Hall on Market Street. By 1968, the Sixers moved to the first version of The Spectrum.
In 2024, time is running out to save the Sixers here in Philly.
Plans were moving forward for the 76 Place at Market East in Center City, which is expected to open in 2031 with an estimated capacity of 18,500 seats in close proximity to public transportation and the Fashion District Shopping. The Market-Frankford Line and Jefferson Station would be available to fans, an easier destination than trying to get to South Philadelphia.
For the better part of a year, the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation and Chinatown activists alike opposed the Center City arena and shopping destination citing both traffic concerns and that the City would end up spending more on the project than it would bring in with revenue.
Earlier, this month — Delaware Governor John Carney posted on social media that he wants the Sixers to move to Wilmington. The tweet was then confirmed later in the day by a spokesperson for Governor Carney.
And then this week, a confirmation that New Jersey has placed a bid to build an arena in Camden for the Sixers. Governor Phil Murphy has placed a proposal for $400 million of tax credits through the Aspire Program and possibly $500 million available in bonds.
And while other Philadelphia professional sport’s franchises have tried similar proposals like when the Phillies also tried to build a baseball stadium near the same center city location in 2000.
Philly is running out of time to keep its beloved Sixers. If a Center City isn’t feasible to retain the franchise, let’s keep it in South Philadelphia. It doesn’t matter that it’s not a far-away state that is trying to poach the team — the 76ers belong to Philadelphia. Not Camden, New Jersey or Wilmington, Delaware.
In 1954 — the Athletics could not be saved. The family of Connie Mack sold the bankrupt team who was then moved to Kansas City. Shibe Park — their once state-of-the-art home ballpark — was sold to the Phillies.
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