American sports fans go crazy after Pope Leo XIV makes history
By Matt Reed

The Catholic Church has named a new pope following the death of Pope Francis, and it's created an unexpected buzz from American sports fans because of the historic nature of his replacement.
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For the first time ever, an American pope has been selected after Robert Prevost, Pope Leo VIX, was revealed as the replacement for Pope Francis. Prevost has a unique connection to American fans though because he's a Villanova graduate, which has Philadelphia sports lovers very active on social media.
New pope Robert Prevost Villanova grad pic.twitter.com/TCOFC6Venv
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) May 8, 2025
It's also an exciting time for New York Knicks fans because their team has so many former Villanova players competing at Madison Square Garden, and perhaps they think it's a good omen for the Knicks to win their first NBA title in decades.
Villanova is on a legendary run pic.twitter.com/Rqti1vau08
— Dylan Hornik (@_Hornik_) May 8, 2025
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