Recapping a Terrible January in Philadelphia Sports

Every new year brings the promise of a clean slate and hope. Whatever happened in the past is just a memory. Not all of memories are positive, but starting fresh gives the opportunity for a different ending. Well, at least that is what we thought as 2024 dawned. This month has been nothing short of a disaster. Story after story set this year up to be a horror show, and a Joel Embiid injury topped it all off. Here’s just a few of the January lowlights!

Like death and taxes, the Eagles dominating the series with the Giants has been a given. Big Blue is usually big black and blue after a meeting with the Birds. The season finale seemed like the perfect time to get things right.

What we saw was a roll over performance that should have prepared us for what was coming. The Eagles were listless and disinterested. They gave the Giants a happy moment to build off of.

I should have known better, but I didn’t learn. I got suckered into believing that the Eagles' talent and pride would take over against the Buccaneers, the team with the worst record in the NFL playoffs. If you didn’t get fooled, congratulations!

The Eagles finished the season 1-6. They cleaned house and fired both coordinators. Garnering up a reservoir of hope for this upcoming season is going to take some time.

After the Tampa Bay game, Jason Kelce reportedly told teammates that he will retire. If this truly comes to fruition, it will be one of the saddest closing chapters for a great career in the history of Philly sports.

The Flyers said all the right things about Carter Hart this season. He was a cornerstone piece and a major part of what they could accomplish in the future. Hart has taken a leave of absence from the team. His 2018 junior hockey team is the focus of a high-profile case involving an alleged sexual assault. He may have played his last game with the Flyers.

The 76ers were riding a three-game losing streak. Nick Nurse decided to play a hobbled Joel Embiid against the Warriors. He didn’t look good in the first quarter and went to the locker room to get checked out.

Instead of just sitting him out of caution, Nurse let him play 30 wobbly minutes. With 4 minutes to go, a Warrior fell on his knee as he laid on the court. An MRI awaits today. Can it get any worse?

I’m looking forward to the calendar turning but please, somebody put the Phillies in bubble wrap!

Philadelphia sports has caused us a lot of pain of late. Dating back to 2022, it has been disappointment after disappointment. First, they lost the World Series to the Astros. On that same day, the Union blew it in the MLS Cup despite having a lead in Overtime and a man advantage. Next, the Eagles lost in the Super Bowl. The Sixers followed that up with yet another 2nd round exit. Then the Phillies fell apart in the NLCS. Before finally, we had the disaster that was this past Eagles' season. The 49ers being in the Super Bowl only makes it worse.

The point is, things have sucked. Could it be worse? Sure. We could have teams that don't even make the playoffs. And there have been plenty of times in Philadelphia sports history that was the case for us. But in some ways that may be better. Because getting our hopes up just to get the rug pulled out from under us is almost worse than having a team that we already know is going to suck.

But dwelling on the negatives is not great for our mental health. And sometimes it is better to look on the bright side of life. And as much as all that stuff we just talked about sucks, there are things to be happy about in Philadelphia right now.

The Sixers are playing well. Until recently, the Flyers were playing well. Even with the Eagles and Phillies, there are some positives. Not everything is miserable, even if it feels like it. So for at least a moment, let's forget about all the things that cause us pain, and focus on the positives.

Obviously he needs to do it in the playoffs. but can we just appreciate how amazing of a player Joel Embiid is? He is on track to score over a point per minute this season. He is one of the best scorers we have ever seen. Yes better than AI. Not to mention his great defense, and his 6 assists per game. He is having an All-time type of season. That is something worth being excited about. He was already amazing, but Nick Nurse is getting him more open looks than ever. And maybe Nurse's scheme is the key to him being this good in the playoffs too.

Speaking of greatness, Tyrese Maxey is creeping up into that category. He has pretty flawless replaced what James Harden was doing last season, just more efficiently. He has become one of the top scorers in the league, improved as a passer, and improved his defense too. To the point you could argue he is the best running mate Embiid has had yet. He is not afraid to shoot like Ben Simmons was. but also wont selfishly dribble out the clock like Harden did. He is in the sweet spot of fearless and unselfish.

The Flyers have hit a bump in the road. Cutter Gauthier forced his way out, and Carter Hart may be finished in Philly too. On top of that, they head into the All-Star break on a losing streak. Despite all of that though, there is still reason to have hope for the future. They are building things the right way. Owen Tippett has broken out, along with a few other young guys on the team. And while they may have lost Gauthier, they replaced him with Jamie Drysdale, and Matvei Michkov is still eventually on the way. Even if this season falls apart, the future for the Flyers can still be bright.

This season was a disaster. And the offense took a huge step back thanks in part to a uninspiring scheme. But the Eagles roster on offense is still very good. 1 year ago Jalen Hurts was arguably having a better game than Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are an elite WR duo. Dallas Goedert has under achieved, but he is still a very good tight end. And even if Jason Kelce retires, the O-Line will be very good. Kellen Moore has 3 top 6 offenses with the Cowboys. His schemes, plus the Eagles talent, should at least see their offense bounce back next season.

The Phillies have not gotten the job done these past two seasons. They came up short in the World Series, and then in the NLCS. A lot of that is because their bats have gone cold. But  the reason they have been in that position two years in a row, is their starting pitching. Their staff had an ERA of 2.20 last season. They next best team's ERA is 2.8. It was a solid 3.24 the year before, the 4th best. It will be Wheeler, Nola, and Suarez once again. Wheeler and Suarez in particular have been lights out come playoff time. And while they have not added anything, neither has any other NL team besides the Dodgers. They will once again have one of the best post-season rotations in baseball. And that alone is enough for them to win any series.

The rotation has been reliable in the playoffs. The bats, not so much. When the Phillies bats are hot, they are as hot as they get. But they went ice cold in the 2022 World Series, and ice cold in the 2023 NLCS. But with that said, that stats do not lie about what Bryce Harper has done. In the history of the MLB, only 8 players have a better playoff OPS than Harper (.996). Only 15 have more career HRs than him in the postseason (16). One of them is Kyle Schwarber. If he hits 4 more, he will be tied for 4th. Harper is a special player. And Like Joel Embiid, it is always worth being excited about watching him play. And he could be in store for another MVP caliber season.

I will just let Daryl Morey explain the difference Nick Nurse is making for the team. In particular with Joel Embiid.

Having a coach who actually draws up plays, and works to get Embiid easy looks, just might be the key for the Sixers breaking the 2nd round curse.