Philadelphia vs. Kansas City: Who ya got? (Redux)

Two years later, once again seeing how the two cities stack up

Two years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles took on the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL’s championship game. Despite this site being dedicated to a baseball team, I didn’t want to be left out of the fun. So, I made a baseball-centric comparison between the two cities.

Philadelphia proved superior in that matchup, even though the city’s football team came up short in the Super Bowl.

With those same franchises back in the big game, why not take another look at the two cities and see if Philadelphia still reigns supreme?

Also, if you’d like to read my definitive preview of the Super Bowl, here you go!

Population

Philadelphia has 1.57 million residents compared to just 510,700 in Kansas City. Bigger is better.

Edge: Philadelphia

Success of Andy Reid

There’s this weird narrative that the Eagles stupidly ran a Hall of Fame coach out of town.

They conveniently ignored Reid’s constant playoff failures, and the fact that he went 12-20 in his final two seasons. Not only that, but his control over player personnel was providing diminishing returns, and he was making bizarre decisions like moving his offensive line coach to defensive coordinator.

Sure, Reid has had a lot of success in Kansas City. But before Patrick Mahomes arrived, many of those fatal flaws were popping up there too. Reid has undoubtedly had a hand in Mahomes becoming great but had the Chicago Bears not inexplicably passed over him in the draft, there’s a decent chance Reid would have moved on from the Chiefs by now.

Edge: Kansas City

Baseball team’s performance the past two seasons

When I previously made a historical comparison of the Phillies and Royals, the Phillies had the edge based on the 1980 World Series. Has anything happened to change that over the past two seasons?

No, and if anything, the gap has grown wider. The Royals were awful in 2023, going 56-106, finishing in last place of the American League Central. However, they made a massive jump in 2024, improving to 86-76 and earning a Wild Card playoff berth. But that pales to the Phillies who have a cumulative 165-135 record with two playoff series victories compared to the Royals’ one.

The head-to-head edge goes to the Phillies as well, with the Phillies winning two out of three in Philadelphia in 2023, and two out of three when they faced off in Kansas City last season.

Edge: Philadelphia

Star baseball player

Bobby Witt has emerged as one of baseball’s brightest stars. The 24-year-old shortstop won the American League’s Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards and finished second in MVP voting. However, Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper has been doing it for much longer and has two first place MVP finishes under his belt. He’s also become somewhat of a TikTok sensation lately.

Edge: Philadelphia

Ability to keep the Athletics in town

Philadelphia used to be home to two Major League franchises, but in 1954, with the Athletics struggling both on the field and financially, the Mack family sold the team to a group that moved them to Kansas City.

The Athletics at least had some successful seasons in Philadelphia, winning five World Series. During their 13 seasons in Kansas City, they never finished higher than sixth place. The team eventually moved further west to Oakland, where they happily remained forever more. (What’s that now?)

Edge: Even

Impact of Tom Gordon

Gordon was a right-handed pitcher with a 21-year career. He started off as a starting pitcher with the Royals, but couldn’t stick in the rotation, and was often used as a hybrid. It wasn’t until he joined the Red Sox and became a full-time reliever that he hit his stride. In 2006, he signed with the Phillies, earned 34 saves and made the All-Star Game.

Edge: Philadelphia

Quality of airport

Philadelphia International Airport has never been highly regarded by travelers who pass through. It’s generally regarded as dirty, difficult to maneuver through, and the facilities are considered outdated. On the other hand, Kansas City International typically ranks highly when airports are ranked.

Edge: Kansas City

Saturday Night Live cast member fan

Heidi Gardner has been seen on camera with a Chiefs jersey on, looking smug after they won the Super Bowl. I like Gardner well enough, but she doesn’t hold up against Eagles fan Tina Fey.

Edge: Philadelphia

Quality of baseball stadium

Kauffman Field is one of the oldest stadiums in the majors. It was built in the 70’s, and while it was designed for baseball only, it still shares some “cookie cutter” characteristics with its contemporaries. The park’s distinctive feature are the dancing fountains, which are cool and all, but if the stadium was that nice, they wouldn’t be talking about replacing it soon.

Citizens Bank Park is now 21 years old and has held up well enough. I’ve never loved the park that much, but it’s a fine spot to watch a baseball game.

Edge: Philadelphia

Final analysis

By a 6-2 margin, Philadelphia once again proves superior! Let’s hope that gets reflected in the final score on Sunday. Go Birds!!!