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Philadelphia Sports: Top 10 athletes from last decade (2010-19)

By Kevin Lagowski

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Carson Wentz #11 and Jason Peters #71 of the Philadelphia Eagles walk to the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field on September 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Lions defeated the Eagles 27-24. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Carson Wentz #11 and Jason Peters #71 of the Philadelphia Eagles walk to the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lincoln Financial Field on September 22, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Lions defeated the Eagles 27-24. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

Good, But Not Good Enough

I’ll begin by telling you that only one Philadelphia Flyers player will appear on the main list, and it shouldn’t be a surprise who it is. But several other Flyers deserve mentioning.

Jakub Voracek, now in his ninth season with the team, has worked himself into the top 15 in all-time franchise scoring. Sean Couturier took a while to develop the offensive side of his game, but is a true heart-and-soul player for the Flyers and one of the best two-way forwards in the entire NHL.

And former Flyer Wayne Simmonds exhibited everything that a Flyer should be, on and off the ice, during his eight seasons with the team. Look up “gamer” in the dictionary, and you’ll see his picture. At least, you should.

On the Philadelphia 76ers front, the only truly close call is Ben Simmons. He’s a fantastic player, but he has just two full seasons under his belt, which is working against him. But Simmons’ prospects look good for next decade, assuming he stays in town.

The Phillies were such a mess for most of this decade that none of their hitters even sniff this list. But a tip of the cap to Aaron Nola, whose best days are hopefully still ahead. The Phillies also got two excellent seasons out of Cliff Lee before he succumbed to injuries.

And then we turn to the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be heavily represented on the main list. Still, I just couldn’t find a spot for several key contributors. They are, in no particular order…

  • Brandon Graham, who has spent the entire decade with the Eagles and made the most important defensive play in team history, yet lacks any real individual achievements.
  • Stud offensive linemen Lane Johnson and Jason Kelce, each of whom have earned two Pro Bowl selections in their careers. Kelce nearly made the list on his parade outfit alone, but I had to draw the line somewhere.
  • DeSean Jackson was perhaps the most electrifying Philadelphia athlete this decade. But Jackson’s first two years in the league came last decade, which hurts his case for the list.
  • Carson Wentz. That’s right; he’s not on the list. And I expect him to spend the entire next decade throwing this in my face.
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