Eagle-eyed insights | Sports Daily Newsletter

It had been a while, nearly two weeks to be exact, but A.J. Brown broke his silence Wednesday and addressed the media. He said he’d been trying to avoid piling on the negativity that has shrouded the team lately and apologized to his teammates privately, too. He also said that he and head coach Nick Sirianni have “a great relationship” during his wide-ranging comments.

That’s good, right?

Brown’s comments on Wednesday were revealing. Not only did he reveal that the late interception that sealed the Seahawks’ win over the Eagles on Dec. 18 was an impromptu decision between himself and Jalen Hurts, but he unveiled deeper insights into the state of the Eagles’ locker room, Marcus Hayes writes.

— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓ Do you think Nick Sirianni should rest his starters Sunday against the Giants? Why or why not? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

It’s been about three weeks since Darius Slay underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, and the veteran cornerback isn’t waking up to a “painful little feeling” anymore. Rehab is going well, too.

That’s good news for the Eagles, who’ve gone 1-2 without the stalwart in the secondary, as they gear up for their playoff push. As for the season finale Sunday against the Giants? Slay left the door open for a possible return by then.

The NFL announced the Pro Bowl Games roster Wednesday night, with D’Andre Swift, A.J. Brown, Landon Dickerson, Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Haason Reddick earning the nod.

Remember that Eagles fan who went viral for shouting “What the hell are you doing?” Here’s what she had to say about her newfound fame — and the team.

Next: The Eagles close out the regular season with a road contest against the Giants on Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS3).

Ten years ago, Mo’ne Davis was helping lead the Taney Dragons to the semifinals of the Little League World Series. A whirlwind of fame followed.

She went on to play softball at Hampton University and now is in grad school at Columbia with hopes of bringing pro women’s sports to her hometown. The Inquirer caught up with Davis recently and discussed her memories of that LLWS and the growth of girls in baseball since.

“Nothing changes,” Nico Batum said. “It’s the same stuff as yesterday, or two days ago.” That was the 76ers forward’s take on the start of the new year, even as his team embarks on what could be a crucial 2024.

As The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell writes, the Sixers left the James Harden saga in 2023 and enter the year anchored by reigning MVP Joel Embiid, rising star Tyrese Maxey, and first-year coach Nick Nurse. Here are six resolutions facing the Sixers and that new crew.

Next: The Sixers are off until Friday when they host the Knicks (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

The Flyers are 19-13-5 and have, to this point, far exceeded all expectations. But after having lost three in a row and five of six, are some cracks beginning to show?

With four home games before the midway point — all against teams not occupying playoff spots — the Flyers have hit a pivotal spot in the schedule if they hope to remain in playoff contention.

Next: The Flyers’ key homestand begins tonight at 7 against the Columbus Blue Jackets (NBCSP).

We asked you: To you, what is the most crushing Philly sports collapse ever? Among your responses:

1964 Phillies remain the biggest collapse in Philadelphia Sports History. World Series tickets were printed and sold after a West Coast trip that put our boys 6½ games ahead with 12 to play. Ten games later, the year of the Blue Snow turned into a funeral. — Lonnie M.

1964 Phillies. I couldn’t sleep the night Chico Ruiz stole home to beat us — Dale O.

That is a difficult question, because there’s so many to choose from. The 64 Phillies? The ‘67-68 Sixers? The ‘76-77 Sixers? Game 3 of the ‘77 Phillies NL playoffs (at home)? The ‘81 Super Bowl defeat? The 80-81 Sixers? The ‘83-84 Sixers? the ‘86-87 Flyers? The ‘93 Phillies Game 6 vs. Toronto? All those Eagles NFL Championship defeats? (I’ve lost count of the years). The 2005 Super Bowl? The 2009 World Series loss? The Flyers loss to the Blackhawks in 2010? The Phillies playoff Game 5 loss in 2011? Their World Series loss in 2022? The Eagles’ choke in last year’s Super Bowl? The Phillies choke in last year’s NLCS? This year’s Eagles meltdown? For me, the CHAMPION WINNERS of this HALL OF SHAME GALLERY OF LOSERS is/are the 1964 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (cue applause). Not just one game, but 10 excruciating losses in a row. I was quite young at the time, but it scarred me for life. I can trace my pessimism & negativity from that year, reinforced perpetually by what came after. As a Philadelphia sports fan, I expect the worse — and I usually get it. If we win, it’s a fluke. When we lose, it’s an “expected indication” as we used to say in the missile business. But, I’m not bitter. — Karl Z.

Unlike being a Lakers or Celtics or Yankees fan, being a longtime Philly sports fan has had so many disappointments it is hard to recall them all. Last year’s Phillies at home loss to the D’backs really strung, but to me the worst ever was the total collapse of the 1964 Gene Mauch Phillies who had a 7-game lead very late in the season. The Phillies led the NL from day one almost to the end, but then injuries happened to key players, and at the end it was almost just Chris Short and Jim Bunning trying to handle all the pitching. It game down to the last day when the Cardinals won the pennant one game ahead of the 2nd place Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. Losing the pennant also cost Johnny Callison the NL MVP that then went to the Cardinals’ Ken Boyer. A disaster never to be forgotten. — Everett S.

For many of us who have been around for a while, nothing could match the collapse of the 1964 Phillies. How could you lose a 6½-game lead with 12 to go? You do it by losing an incredible 10 straight. It was even more devastating because before the collapse it had been a magic season with everything seemingly going right for the team. I have seen far too many collapses since, but nothing could match that one. — Tom E.

The “Phold of 64″. The Phillies with a 6½-game lead with 12 games to play and they lost 10 in a row and lost the National League pennant and a trip to the World Series. That collapse was heartbreaking and is considered the biggest collapse in baseball. — Skip B.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Josh Tolentino, Gabriela Carroll, EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, Seth Engle, Gina Mizell, Gustav Elvin, Lochlahn March, Jeff Neiburg, Brooke Ackerman, and Owen McCue.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

That’s it from me today! Jim will be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with all of the biggest sports stories in Philly! — Maria