Philadelphia Phillies

Philadelphia has long been a city that's aggressively its own (and insular). The only thing that separated the enclave from Boston since 2000 was their possession of a moderate amount of sports championships rather than an avalanche. One dynasty and Philly would likely be on every aggrieved sports fan's naughty list, banished to the Whine Pile. So how is it that most of America has rooted for a cocky, punishing, overloaded Philadelphia Phillies roster the past two Octobers, captained by Bryce Harper, a Sports Illustrated cover boy since he turned 16? The existence of the Astros on the other side of the bracket helped, but the reality is these Phillies are so undeniably fun that city cynics across the country can't help but punch the air in tandem with the team's rah-rah workmanship. Who doesn't love a backup catcher in beer-filled overalls taunting the Mets in the locker room after defeating the Braves? No one.

Phillies fandom served as a reminder that, in a modern sporting universe where bloated contracts reign supreme and loyalty is at a minimum, a baseball team can still connect with a city intrinsically. The Phillies are Philadelphia; they're just a bunch of guys who happen to make a lot of money and flex their muscles, but could also show up at the bar across the street from the stadium, stepping right out of some story your dad told you about Mike Schmidt or Charles Barkley.

It's a tie between singing “Dancing on my Own“ after playoff victories (a tradition stolen from the 2021 Red Sox locker room, which makes it even better) and “screaming at 111 decibels into the wind for the duration of three-hour baseball games“.