Tom Brady was Philly’s unique villain | Sports Daily

Philadelphia and Boston sports fans just don’t get along. Two rich traditions, two passionate fan bases and a whole lot of history have assured that will be the case for as long as time.

So when former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady officially announced his retirement on Tuesday, there weren’t too many tears shed in the City of Brotherly Love. Again, this is a player the Eagles battled in two Super Bowls and who with Tampa Bay eliminated the Eagles from the playoffs a little more than two weeks ago.

But while Brady might have been a rival, he was not hated but rather respected, as Mike Sielski writes. Sure, he was a villain. Sure, he was feared. But he was not hated. Why?

Maybe he was just too good or won too many Super Bowls to be hated. Or maybe his rags-to-riches story from sixth-round draft pick to the greatest quarterback of all time was too good to be hated. Or maybe things changed in 2018, the year the Eagles went head-to-head with the GOAT and this time came out out on top to win the franchise’s first Super Bowl.

Philadelphia fans normally hate better than anyone else, but in Brady, they found a unique villain indeed.

— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport

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The 76ers started the season strong before being ravaged by injury and COVID-19 in November and December. But since Christmas, they have been one of the best teams in basketball, putting together a 15-3 record and rising to the upper tier of the Eastern Conference standings.

The Sixers have credited team chemistry and positive morale for their recent surge, along with the performances of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and the resurgence of Tobias Harris. “Guys in the locker room embracing each other — through wins, through losses, through ups and downs — that’s the type of group that we are,” Harris said.

Next: The Sixers face the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

There are so many questions facing the Phillies before the start of the 2022 season, starting with: When will the 2022 season start? Beyond that, there is the resumption of the hot stove, which was put on pause by the lockout. Will the Phillies sign Kris Bryant? Kyle Schwarber? Will they make a trade to address center field?

Further down on the list of queries: Which prospects are knocking at the door of major-league service? With help from a half-dozen scouts, Scott Lauber put together his ranking of Phillies prospects, anchored by two hard-throwing (but very young) potential aces.

The Eagles watched Senior Bowl practices Tuesday with general manager Howie Roseman, coach Nick Sirianni, and Julian Lurie among those on site. Lurie, the 26-year-old son of the owner, doesn’t officially have a title with the team, but his presence indicates an increasing role.

This weekend, four Eagles players are expected to participate in the Pro Bowl, with defensive end Josh Sweat the latest to be named as an alternate.

Once the new league calendar begins, the Eagles could bid farewell to most of their unrestricted free agents. But some might stick around. Beat writer Josh Tolentino offers predictions on all nine of them.

After losing 13 straight games, the Flyers will head into the All-Star break on a two-game winning streak.

The Flyers beat the Winnipeg Jets, 3-1, on Tuesday night behind late third-period goals from James van Riemsdyk and Oskar Lindblom. Carter Hart was also outstanding in goal, stopping 32 shots to pick up his ninth win of the year.

Next: The Flyers are off through the All-Star break and don’t play again until Feb. 9, a home game against Detroit.

He’s got the funk — Christian Pulisic, that is — and not the good kind Positive Force once sang about. While the U.S. men’s national team used to be a refuge for Pulisic from his occasional club troubles, it seems the toll of not playing regularly is now affecting his national team performances. Jonathan Tannenwald takes a look at the pressure on Captain America ahead of a crucial World Cup qualifying game.

Next: The U.S. team takes on Honduras at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.(FS1).

No. 2 behind Dwight Howard on the Orlando Magic’s all-time scoring list? Jameer Nelson.

We asked yesterday what your favorite Big 5 basketball moments were.

“Donches killed the Cat”. A cold, sunny Sunday afternoon and the Palestra erupted like I never saw before or since (and as a crazed SJU freshman, I literally leaped several rows down onto other delirious fans.) Those were the days! - Kilkenny referring to St. Joe’s guard Steve Donches’ legendary 29-foot game-winner against Villanova in 1966.

Win any money this weekend on the NFL games?

One bettor won more than you, as he cashed a parlay of the exact scores for both conference championship games. How much did he win? A $20 wager — Bengals to win by 27-24, Rams to win by 20-17 — paid $579,020!

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Josh Tolentino, Gina Mizell, EJ Smith, Giana Han, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mike Jensen, Matt Breen, and Scott Lauber.

Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino are in Mobile, Ala., for the Senior Bowl, where NFL teams scout top college players ahead of the draft in April. For this special edition of Inquirer LIVE, watch EJ and Josh discuss the Eagles’ top offseason priorities, analyze how the team might use its three first-round picks, and provide observations on this year’s talent at the Senior Bowl.

Registration Link: Inquirer.com/SeniorBowl