Bad for Birds? | Sports Daily Newsletter

Josh Harris is treating professional sports franchises like Pokémon.

Like the iconic franchise’s tagline — “gotta catch ‘em all” — Harris, the Sixers owner and managing partner who also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, reportedly is snapping up a third team as he’s part of a consortium buying the Washington Commanders.

So what does that mean for fans here in Philly?

Well, it’s not great for the Eagles, Mike Sielski writes. They — and the rest of the NFC East — likely will lose their two-times-per-year punching bag as Washington improves after two-plus decades of mismanagement by Daniel Snyder.

While it may not be ideal for the Birds, getting the mastermind of that mismanagement, who turned one of the league’s premier teams into a laughingstock, out of the way is a plus for the NFL as a whole.

And as for implications for the 76ers? While it’s a little odd that the guy who also owns rivals of two other Philly teams owns the Sixers, don’t expect it to be a big deal, Sielski writes.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

unCovering the Birds with Jeff McLaneEp 4: Chip Kelly - Part II: The Fall

In the second installment of this two-part retrospective, listen as Philadelphia Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane delves into the wild and unpredictable Chip Kelly era. McLane explains the series of events that played in Kelly’s demise. Plus, how a recent phone call between McLane and Kelly helped bring closure to an at-times rocky relationship.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts or go to Inquirer.com/podcasts

The phrase is overused in sports, but P.J. Tucker has been described as the type of player guys love to play with and hate to play against. That reality is a long list of intangibles that have made Tucker highly sought after. So what else makes the Sixers forward so special? Let his former teammates and coaches tell you.

Next: The Sixers hit the court at 1 p.m. Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets, kicking off their first-round NBA playoff series (1 p.m., ESPN, NBCSP).

From what Howie Roseman has done in the past, it seems like there’s a decent chance the Eagles trade the 10th pick — maybe to collect more draft capital, maybe even to move up a bit. EJ Smith and Devin Jackson go through some draft-day trade scenarios in their roundtable.

And if the Eagles stand pat with the 10th pick, according to Josh Tolentino’s mock draft, the choice could be yet another Georgia star who can bolster the team’s pass rush.

Bryce Harper, first baseman? Maybe it will work. Maybe not. Harper, true to form, wants to go for it. Full steam ahead. The Phillies believe that it’s worth exploring. There have been much worse ideas. And while not everyone can handle first base, it also requires less throwing — and from decidedly shorter distances — than Harper’s regular position in right field. To be clear, Harper wouldn’t come back as a first baseman. He will be cleared by doctors for game action as a designated hitter before he will begin a rigorous throwing program, and everyone agrees the most important thing is to have his bat back in the lineup as soon as possible. But if Harper eventually is able to play first base? Imagine the possibilities.

The Phillies had Reds starter Nick Lodolo on the ropes early but couldn’t cash in, falling to 4-9 on the season with the 6-2 loss.

Brandon Marsh was expected to be the everyday center fielder, but lineup choices against left-handers are showing otherwise.

Next: The Phillies continue their series in Cincinnati at 6:40 p.m. Friday (NBCSP). Taijuan Walker (0-1, 6.00 ERA) will start against Reds right-hander Connor Overton (0-0, 10.13).

The Flyers’ season lasted a few extra minutes Thursday evening, but they eventually came out on top, 5-4, in overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks. Defenseman Justin Braun, a 13-year veteran, logged more than 20 minutes of ice time and even was featured on the top power-play unit, but couldn’t notch his 200th career point.

However, his teammate, Travis Konecny, reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career — and then surpassed it. And it didn’t take him long to reach that milestone in the Flyers’ season finale.

Next: The Flyers hold their end-of-season exit interviews with the media starting Friday.

At Concacaf Champions League time, everybody agreed — the Union could have advanced to the semifinals with only a clean sheet against Atlas, but that didn’t happen. They needed help from their big-time goal-scorer, and Julián Carranza scored twice. The game was at times exhausting, but the team hung on and held out for their hero.

One of the broadcasters for this weekend’s game is familiar with Philly’s other teams.

Next: The Union hit the road to take on Chicago Fire FC (8:30 p.m., Apple TV+, paywalled).

Baker’s back: Baker Dunleavy is Villanova’s GM for basketball, a new position in the NIL age.

Relive the run: Go behind the scenes of Villanova’s historic run to the Sweet 16 with our five-part documentary series.

By the numbers: How do Maddy Siegrist’s stats compare to other No. 3 picks?

We asked: Who’ll win the Sixers-Nets series, and in how many games? Among your responses:

Sixers in 6 games. — James H.

The Nets in 7. An injury or two, lousy coaching, lack of depth and poor defense should do the Sixers in. Wait til next year. — Wendell I.

I believe that the current edition of Ben Simmons could drag down any team. There is something psychologically wrong with him when it comes to performing in the role of a professional basketball player. He is fraught with “issues” that can drag down a team. I wouldn’t go so far as to accuse him of self-injury to stay off the court, but doesn’t it almost seem that way? I am a professional in the mental health field as well as a Philadelphia basketball fan dating back to Paul Arizin and Larry Costello. Simmons is a one-off. Whatever we get from Harden makes it more than worth dealing him which he had some value. He has become like the deli clerk who fears using the slicer. With Ben Simmons, the fear of shooting a basketball has destroyed any possibility that he can have value. — Milton T.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Gina Mizell, EJ Smith, Devin Jackson, Josh Tolentino, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mike Jensen, Kerith Gabriel, and Maria McIlwain.