Some joy in the mourning | Sports Daily Newsletter

It may not seem like much to brag about, but becoming the first city to lose two national titles in different major sports on the same day is impressive, especially considering Philadelphia, unlike other cities with teams contending in MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL and NFL, only has one each of those teams.

Phillies and Union fans may be united in heartbreak this week, but they’ll also have memories of remarkable seasons for both teams to console them. Similar to favorite movie son Rocky in the final round, both teams did Philly proud, going down swinging, putting a solid scare into their favored opponents, even if the end was bitter.

Once the heartache fades a bit, there remains the unbeaten Eagles to root for, while the Sixers are getting Embiid back from the flu and the Flyers are showing signs of a turnaround. College basketball starts up. The sun rises again, reflecting on the Schuylkill, and sports stars in the city set out to make their mark.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓Which championship lost by Philadelphia this weekend hurt you more as a sports fan, and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The sun rose Sunday, and 131 players became free agents, including six Phillies. Others, notably Jean Segura and Zach Eflin, may join them once decisions are made on options. By week’s end, the market will be open. But most will return, and from the initial wave of disappointment, the Phillies spoke optimistically about their chances of reaching this moment again. They made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, came within two victories of winning the whole thing and, to a man, believe they’re just getting started. The offseason begins immediately for Dave Dombrowski, and like every team, the Phillies have questions. Let’s tackle a few of the bigger ones.

Pitchers and catchers will report to Clearwater, Fla. in the middle of February — roughly 100 days from Saturday’s crushing finale — and they’ll use this run as motivation when they begin anew.

From the free-agent splurge in March to heartbreak in Houston, here’s a timeline of the Phillies’ wild run to the World Series.

Lane Johnson has been open about the mental health struggles that led him to take games off last season, and he has also done various speaking engagements in the community to send a message: It’s good to talk about these things. Eagles beat writer Josh Tolentino attended one of Johnson powerful talks on Saturday as the star Eagles right tackle shared his story.

The 76ers have played several games without Joel Embiid this season, including the last three games against the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks. The All-NBA center has missed games for right knee recovery and sat out with the flu.

But now he’s back, and he’s joining the team at the right time. The Sixers welcomed Embiid as James Harden went out for a month with a right foot tendon strain. “He looked great, and he did everything that was asked,” Georges Niang said.

Next: The Sixers play against the Phoenix Suns at 8 p.m. Monday at the Wells Fargo Center.

It worked for Real Madrid often to bring in Gareth Bale off the bench, so why not for Los Angeles FC? The Welsh star brought fresh legs to the MLS Cup championship match in extra time and scored the equalizer that sent the match to penalty kicks.

It was on penalties that Philadelphia native and former Union player John McCarthy, playing because of an injury to the regular LAFC goalkeeper, broke Union hearts in the L.A. stadium and back in the city of his birth by making two crucial stops.

LAFC were thrilled to win their first title and deny the same to the Union, even if McCarthy himself said that if the Union had been playing anyone else, he’d be rooting for his hometown team.

For Union manager Jim Curtin, it was a tough pill to swallow, being on the losing end of what is already being called “the greatest MLS Cup final.”

The Union aim to return to contend for a championship, but if they do, it will be with changes in key areas.

A new era: The Fran Dunphy tenure at La Salle begins, and expectations are already high.

Philly fans react: It takes a Philadelphia fan to appreciate the trolling of a Houston street musician playing the Rocky theme after the Astros win.

Doc tips his hat: Sixers head coach Doc Rivers was one of many in Philadelphia following the Union and Phillies games, and he reached out to both coaches after their losses.

On November 7, 1933, Philadelphia voters turned out to overturn local “Blue Laws” that forbade sports teams from playing in the city on Sunday. This change helped ensure the success of the new NFL franchise in the city, the Eagles, after the Frankford Yellow Jackets went bankrupt two years before.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Jensen, Andrea Canales, Jonathan Tannenwald, Josh Tolentino, Marcus Hayes, Ed Barkowitz, Jason Nark, Matt Breen, Gina Mizell, Bridget Reilly and Scott Lauber.