The 76ers recent embarrassing loss to the Celtics in the playoffs was just another one of Philadelphia’s collapses during the season and the playoffs. Like many of their predecessors, this Sixers’ team suffered another disappointing exit.

In this week’s version of my Yesterday column - a look back to the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and sometimes beyond – I will write about some of the infamous Philadelphia sports crumbles of all time, as well as some pop-culture items from that era.

Sixers’ Stinkers ... The Sixers’ 88 points in Game Seven against the Celtics was futile, but they also only managed 88 in the previous game in Philly. Many believed this team - led by Joel Embiid and James Harden - could get to the Eastern Final, especially with a 3-2 lead. But the debacle in their final two games leaves the franchise as a crossroad. Head coach Doc Rivers was the first domino to fall, and it will be worth watching to see what happens next.

Unfortunately, you don’t have to look back too far to see another Sixers’ massive tumble in their history. If you recall in 2021, the Sixers watched a 26-point lead against Atlanta in Game Five of a second-round home game wilt away before the Hawks rallied to close out the series. The Sixers scored just 34 points in the final 20 minutes of that game.

And, yes, two years earlier, the Sixers also had another humiliating setback in the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals against Toronto. The Sixers were labeled as the favorites to reach the finals out of the East and were coached by Brett Brown - who’s quickly been forgotten. The team was paced by Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons and J.J. Redick.

But they couldn’t stop Kawhi Leonard, who had 41 points in Game 7, and ended another 76ers’ season early.

Phillies Pain ... If you’re a lifelong Phillies’ fan and over the age of 65, you likely can still recall what happened in 1964 - or the “Phold” as it was called.

The Phillies had a 6 ½-game lead with 12 games to play, but their win over the Dodgers on Sept. 20 would be their last one for a long stretch.

They returned home to open a three-game series with the Reds. A sweep of the series would have given the Phillies the pennant, and they were considered a favorite to win the World Series.

It all ended with the “Curse of Chico Ruiz,” who stole home off Art Mahaffey, and the club never recovered. The defeat began a 10-game losing streak before the Phils won the final two games in Cincinnati, but by that time, it was too late. Manager Gene Mauch was accused of mishandling his pitching staff, primarily pitching Chris Short on two days rest and wearing out his staff’s arms. I’ll always remember Short for his crewcut.

Then there was the 1977 NLCS game “Black Friday” game in which the Phils squandered a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth to the Dodgers that resulted in a 6-5 loss. Thinking about Greg Luzinski playing left field and the Dodgers’ 38-year-old Vic Davalillo’s bunt still is tough to take for fans.

The Eagles too ... How about the 2002 Eagles? They had the script written to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1981 when the 12-4 Birds hosted the Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFC Championship Game. The Birds dominated the Bucs in the previous two years in playoff games.

In what was anticipated as a raucous night for the final game at the Vet turned into one of the most stunning defeats in Philadelphia sports history, as Brad Johnson and the Bucs offense and defense clipped the Birds’ wings in a 27-10 loss. Duce Staley was held to 58 yards rushing, and Donovan McNabb was 26-for-49, for 243 yards, one interception, and two fumbles lost.

Journal Juked ... Did you remember the Philadelphia Journal? It debuted as a tabloid in 1977 and served primarily as a “sports, entertainment, and crime” paper. The Journal did have an expansive sports section and a unique layout. However, the paper suffered huge financial losses and folded in December 1981.

About a month later, the city’s oldest paper, the Philadelphia Bulletin – an evening paper - stopped publishing. The Bulletin also had a strong sports section.

Go to Gino’s ... If you remember the Phillies’ broadcast from the 70s, you should remember Gino’s Hamburgers and Chicken. The fast food restaurant was located close to the Vet, and I do recall stopping there just for the experience. I still can hear the jingle in my head, “Everybody Who Knows, Goes to Gino’s…”

Gino’s was known for its Hero Burger, the Gino Giant, and the Sirloiner, which was made from sirloin steak. The Gino Giant predated and later competed with the Big Mac. They also were recognized for good fried chicken.

With the rise of McDonald’s, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken and others, Gino’s began to take a backseat to eventually having just one Pennsylvania location in King Of Prussia. There are still three locations in Maryland. Gino Marchetti, the Colts’ All-Pro defensive end from the 60s, founded the franchise. He passed away in 2019.

JFK South ... Did you attend any concerts at JFK Stadium in your late youth or early 20s?

The legendary stadium played host to the Eagles in the late 30s, the Army-Navy game from 1936-79, and also to the Philadelphia Bell. In 1992, the stadium was demolished, and its last concert was the Grateful Dead in 1989. Currently, the Wells Fargo Center sits on the old site.

The Giant and the Superstar ... Today, wrestling legend Andre the Giant would have celebrated his 73rd birthday. His real name was Andre Rene Roussimoff, and he passed away in 1993 at the age of 46. Promoter Vince McMahon labeled him as the “Giant” in ‘73.

He participated in more than 5,000 matches and was the first wrestler elected into the WWF Hall of Fame in ‘93.

On Wednesday, Billy “Superstar” Graham passed away at the age of 80. He gained fame for his body-builder physique, and also by defeating Bruno Sammartino for the WWF title in 1977. Graham retired in ‘87 to be a manager and announcer. Over the past 20 years, Graham had battled several health issues.

Take Back the Bottles ... Back in the day, soda – I remember Pepsi – was in long bottles and in a six-pack. We would then take them back to the grocery store for a few cents of a refund. There was something about drinking soda from those long, thin bottles.

On this Date ... I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that the Flyers won their first Stanley Cup on this date in 1974. Over the years, I have mentioned it more than once. But I still remember where I was when it happened, and hearing play-by-play announcer Gene Hart screaming several times over, “The Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup!”

Feedback ... Your ideas, thoughts, and comments are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com