Forty years after the 1982-9183 Philadelphia 76ers took it all in the NBA Championships, the Sixers are back in the playoffs, and, again, up against the Boston Celtics for their third playoff showdown in the last six seasons. Isn’t it about time that Joel Embid can change the polarity of what happened during those last two meetings?
Along with the treasured #21, the 2023 76ers has team vets Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, and Tobias Harris and relative newbies James Harden, Tyrese Maxey and P.J. Tucker in on the attack. Now, I am no coach, and will make no attempt at quarterbacking this playoff, save to say that the Sixers need to ward away the Celtics guards from messing up Embid’s game. Without encouraging Philadelphia sports fans (who need no encouragement) from doing anything stupid from the stands, can we change out the Celtics’ kicks? Make them squeaky? Something dumb, not violent?
Please watch The Process emerge for the start of what could (should) be the 76ers first NBA Championship in 40 years between April 29 (that last Brooklyn Nets game, please be gone) and the Boston Celtics on Monday May 1 at:
Chickie’s and Pete’s in South Philadelphia.
There are other Chickie’s & Pete’s in Upper Darby and Malvern and Warrington (where is that?!), but unless you Crab Fry-ing at the extra-super-sized C+P location in South Philly, just blocks from the Wells Fargo Center with three long bars to belly up to and a 14-foot television screen to ogle, why bother going out?
Chickie and Pete’s, 1526 Packer Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.
Wicked Wolf
This newest of sports pubs in the busy Philly watch/booze/brew economy is actually more of a club – not so much for dancing (please, not sports guys in jerseys dancing – NFW), but certainly, uhm, “party”ing as a verb. This Center City hot spot has a 12-foot by 4-foot LED screen in the middle of its main bars, along with 28 additional monitors spread across its tall, three floor entirety.
Wicked Wolf, 1214 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
The Garage
How does one hang along the Italian Market’s Cheesesteak Vegas of Pat’s and Geno’s without actually having to stand outside and risk fighting with non-Sisers fans? Go to the home of “Cold beers right heres” – East Passyunk Avenue’s The Garage. Yes, it is an old mechanics’ garage, yes they have Wildwood boardwalk games such as Skeeball, along with a fine craft beer selection. And yes, along with having their own menu and hosting pop-ups from some of the city’s finest chefs, The Garage actually allows you to bring in food from other restaurants, Pat’s and Geno’s included. Yep, so now there is drinking allowed mere feat from Pat’s and Geno’s – that doesn’t sound at all dangerous. With that, you can also check out the Girard Avenue Garage, grab a peaceful cheesesteak from Joe’s in Fishtown, maybe watch the band at Johnny Brenda’s if things go south WHICH THEY WON’T.
Garage Passyunk, 1231 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Garage Fishtown, 100 East Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Buffalo Billiards
While much of Old City is fine dining and craft brews, Buffalo Billiards is the place to be if you would like to play sports while watching sports – which means throwing darts (pointy fast-moving objects always being a good pastime amongst drinkers), shuffling through shuffleboard and, yes, playing billiards on regulation play pool tables. I know that there is an axe throwing space a block away on Market Street, but for the love of God, stay at Buffalo Billiards and deal with ducking darts and stray cue balls rather than hatchets.
Buffalo Billiards, 118 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
The Founding Fathers Sports Bar & Grill
The good half of South Street (just saying – from Repo Records up is cool) offers a lucky thirteen television monitors lined across its walls and a huge menu of craft beers and sandwiches and wings.
The Founding Fathers Sports Bar & Grill, 1612 South Street, Philadelphia, PA
Brewerytown Food Hall
A new industrially-designed corner hot spot on the 300-block corner of N. 31st in Brewerytown, this neighborhood namesake Food Hall is immense with wide garage/opera doors for a free air hangout with a table tennis/ping pong table set up and foosball games for competitive play, surrounded by a ground bar and lounge seats. Walk up to its next level, and the high-ceilinged space is surrounded by bars topped by hi-def large scale television screens with table seating in the center, as well as a DJ. Plus, its handheld grub includes everything from Mexican quesadillas with pico and guacamole, New Orleans’ style grill crusted Cajun chicken sandwiches and ciabatta bread-cased Po boys filled with jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage and tabasco mayo, Greek grilled pita gyros filled with lamb and cucumber dill sauce, ribeye cheesesteak wraps, and Southern tempura rice flour-battered Hunnie’s chicken with chipotle aioli on a brioche, battered cod-filled tacos, Applewood bacon and cheddar grilled cheese sandwiches, big burgers on big buns and more. Quite frankly, between the table tennis, the beer and stuffing yourself with Hunnie’s chicken, you’ll probably be too tired to pay attention to the Sixers.
Brewerytown, Food Hall, 1363 N 31st St, Philadelphia, PA 19121
XFINITY Live!
Sports Complex Row in South Philadelphia has no better friend to the Philadelphia 76ers than this glittering, loud booze, beer, dining and entertainment palace – to say nothing of having more mega-sized LED screens than I can count.
XFINITY Live!, 1100 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
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