Go ahead. Call us homers.
Philadelphia once again finds itself in the international limelight.
First it was the pope. Then came the Democrats.
Now things are really getting serious.
The NFL is in town.
Tonight the city becomes the epicenter of the sports universe, hosting the three-day NFL Draft on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway - and of course the most famous steps in the universe.
Yes, those very same steps traversed by that underdog film hero Rocky Balboa, tonight play host to a slew of other athletes, No. 1 picks in the NFL Draft.
A massive stage has been constructed atop the Rocky steps.
There are those who believe shutting down a big part of Center City for this type of event is overkill.
Yes, it does have its downside.
But it is absolutely worth it.
We can give you about 80 million reasons why. That's how much the event likely will contribute to the region's bottom line - a cool $80 million bucks.
But it's more than that.
It's one more reason for the region to shed its inferiority complex and embrace our new role as a world-class city that routinely handles big events.
Sorry, Rocky, we're not underdogs anymore.
It's on our editorial page.
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