When I was 17 ...

OK, 16, actually.

That’s the last time (1993) the Eagles opened training camp with the Phillies in first place in the NL East. What can we learn from that year?

The Good
-- The Phillies finished with five pitchers who won at least 12 games.
-- The Eagles started the season 4-0.
-- The Phillies held onto first and made the playoffs.
-- Underrated Eagles CB Eric Allen had six picks and four TDs, earning him a Pro Bowl berth.
-- The Phillies whooped the Braves in six games in the NLCS.
-- Even by the end of the season, the Eagles had never employed a Detmer of any kind.

The Bad
-- The Phillies didn’t quite win that World Series.
-- QB Bubby Brister was the leading passer for the Eagles on the season.
-- The Phillies three offensive superstars (Dykstra, Daulton, and Kruk) were never as good in future years.
-- The Eagles finished the season 8-8, out of the playoffs.
-- The Phillies helped popularize the terrible jock jam “Whoot, There It Is.”
-- The Cowboys won the Super Bowl.

The Horribly Prophetic
-- The Phillies star closer (Mitch Williams) blew the World Series for them.
-- The Eagles star QB (Randall Cunningham) went down with a season-ending leg injury.
-- The Phillies lost in the Series in large part because of Pat Gillick (then Blue Jays GM).
-- The Eagles kept their coach (Rich Kottitie) despite his deer-in-the-headlights style.