76ers’ Off the Court Excitement

Sure the addition of Andrew Bynum means the 76ers’ season can’t start soon enough. I’m looking forward to it now. But, there are a few other things that I’m hoping the Sixers get out the way this season.

Blue alternate jerseys

Yeah man the Sixers kinda sorta announced their existence but we have yet to see the Sixers play in them. Besides, the current red jerseys are a slight eyesore. I personally think the blue jerseys are better and perhaps they should be used as the regular road jerseys. One negative is that the red looks rather orange-ish. But perhaps that’s the light of the photo? Only the sight of it on the court will tell if it’ll work out or not.

But, Adam Aron said this past season that it’s “most likely” that we will see those jerseys this upcoming season. So that’s cool.

New Mascot

I mean, it’s not like a team is make or break by its mascot. But, after the…uh…rabbit/bunny/hare/whatever Hip-Hop guy, I think the team needs a mascot that resembles their team name, or at least the city’s rich history. The team’s name is based off of this country’s year of declared independence so Sixers really need to jump on this and mix some historical value in here. There were 3 “finalists” available to vote for at Sixers.com (I voted!) so I figure the results would be announced soon. Who would you like to see represent the 76ers?

It’s coming together nicely for the new ownership. They spent all of last season drawing people back in. Meanwhile, the Sixers had a historically super start, a terrible middle, and an average finish of a regular season. Then, with some unlucky breaks for the Bulls, Sixers had their longest playoff run in about a decade. Then, Sixers went and basically got a brand new team including a superstar Center in Andrew Bynum. Bynum is someone the ownership can sell to Philly. Bynum can potentially draw another top player over. The Sixers are still young and exciting (I’m tired of hearing it though. Ready for contender status).

The game experience has changed. Being at Wells Fargo Center is better now. It’s gotten better but I’ve always been a fan of the actual basketball and not so much the other stuff during timeouts and quarter breaks. But, people are saying it’s better. But hey, those cheap ticket prices can’t hurt either. I can only say that about the tickets…

What the Sixers need now is to play the game. Win games. Everything else is there. Everything is in place. We need the improvement from Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday. We need Bynum to stay healthy. With his contract, we need him to stay, period. Management/Ownership have done what I’d say is just about the best they can do. I can’t really complain about much. And if you do find something to complain about then that’s a shame.

As for the players, it’s time to prove themselves. Most of these guys are on one or two year deals. Maybe they want to stick around. Maybe they like what they see in Philly. Or maybe they want to play to get attention on them from other teams. Whatever the case may be, this season will be big for all players involved. The stakes are very high. Coach Collins seems like he’ll be able to keep things under control.

And for the new fans. Yes the bandwagon fans. I’m calling you out. Welcome to life as a 76ers fan. Us diehard fans will not like you at first but give us time (and some Sixers wins) and we’ll warm up to you. This blog here is a great one to keep up with. This whole FanSided network is pretty neat too.

Sean O’Connor’s last post here called for an end to eras. His time was at an end here at the site and he felt the same for Andre Iguodala and the 76ers. I begin a new era as I become the editor for this site (though it’s not my first editor gig for a sports network). Meanwhile, it would appear the Sixers are beginning a new era themselves.

So there’s a lot to look forward to. There’s plenty to be optimistic about. A championship is closer to Philadelphia. As a strictly 76ers fan, I’ve waited my whole life for this. I don’t feel bad for Phillies fans at all. Eagles and Flyers could use a championship these days.

Oh well, it’s about the Philadelphia 76ers right now.