Getting ready for tonight

In case you forgot that tonight's Flyers game is against a true rival, here's a quick look at the history of bad blood between Pittsburgh and Philly:

1939 – The Philadelphia Eagles upend the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-14, in the first-ever game Thanksgiving Day game for both teams. On radio, the play-by-play is handled by a then 60-years-young Myron Cope.

1947 – The Pittsburgh Ironmen finish their first and only basketball season with a 15-45 record. The Philadelphia Warriors finish their inaugural season that year as well, but it takes them seven more years before posting their first 40-loss campaign.

1953 – After the Eagles sweep their season series against the Steelers with a pair of double-digit victories, a distraught Jonas Salk unsuccessfully tries to find a cure for sports despair in his University of Pittsburgh lab, but instead stumbles upon a polio vaccine. He later neglects to thank Philadelphia for the inspiration.

1976 – Rocky, the story of an underdog boxer whose life reflects his hometown's inspirational spirit, wins the Academy Award for Best Picture. Pittsburgh attempts it's own theatrical reflection of itself later the same year -- Dawn of the Dead hits theater screens in 1978.

1987 – 3B Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run – a 9th inning, game winner – in Pittsburgh to push the Phils over the Pirates 8-6. The Pirates have not won a game since.

2000 – In the third longest game in NHL history, the Flyers take the Penguins into five overtimes before Philly C Keith Primeau nets the game-winner over the shoulder of Pittsburgh G Ron Tugnutt. Philly fans celebrate in gentlemanly fashion by declining to go for the easy Tugnutt notes.

2002 – Former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell is elected governor of Pennsylvania despite carrying only six counties in the state’s democratic primary. Shortly thereafter, all official state maps are reworked to close the PA border 30 miles further east, assigning Pittsburgh as part of West Virginia.

2007 – Temple researchers discover populated areas located in the 300-mile no-man's-zone between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. No one cares.