Jason Kelce chimed in on the 76ers’ ongoing arena saga Thursday on the local 94WIP morning radio show.
“The ownership group isn’t Philadelphian,” Kelce said. “And now they’re forcing the city to do what this guy wants, and it sucks.”
Sixers ownership, longing to escape the south Philadelphia home that they rent from Flyers owner Comcast Spectacor, has flirted with New Jersey while also pushing for a new arena downtown, right next to the city’s Chinatown neighborhood. Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker said Wednesday she supports the downtown plan, but local backlash has been fierce. A city-sponsored study found the downtown arena would benefit only one out of every five small businesses, hurt half of them economically, and could gentrify the neighborhood and displace residents.
Kelce said he knows a lot of fans would enjoy a downtown arena, but takes issue with the way it’s all coming together.
“When it does get built in Center City and all of these people are displaced, at the end of the day, people are probably going to love it. In 10 years, all this is going to be different. And we’re probably going to be really happy that there’s this beautiful complex that was developed down there, and it’s a thriving part of the city. But right now,” Kelce said, “I really hate it.”
The retired Eagles legend said he “unquestionably” would prefer the team to stay in South Philly. He also said he has “scars” from former Browns owner Art Modell trying to gain leverage in Cleveland when he was growing up, before moving the team to Baltimore and leaving the Ohio city without a football team for three years. He sees parallels with what’s happening in Philadelphia now.
“I really have a strong disdain for the fact that this guy strong-armed the city by threatening to move them out of the city, and all of these people that have devoted all of their time, all of their efforts, all of their money, and a lifetime of fandom towards this team, and now you are going to strong-arm people, against what the city wants,” Kelce said. “I really have a hard time being O.K. with that; I’m not O.K. with it. I think it’s wrong.”
Kelce acknowledged the city is in a tough spot. “What do you do? Do you risk losing the Sixers?”
Kelce said that besides the residents of Chinatown who could get displaced, most fans would likely have a positive experience with the new arena. “It’s going to be great; it’s going to be fantastic,” he said.
“I just don’t think that amount of disrespect towards the citizens that allow you to have these teams is appropriate,” Kelce said.
Plans for the new facility still need to pass a vote in the city council. The team has said it needs approval by the end of the year to line up the grand opening with the end of its lease at the Wells Fargo Center in 2031. Comcast Spectacor chair and CEO Dan Hilferty said the company’s “door will always be open for the 76ers” to stay in south Philadelphia.
