Clock is ticking | Sports Daily Newsletter
Fill out your Bracket Jawn picks today!
March Madness is officially in full swing with the men’s First Four games in the rear-view mirror. That means time is winding down to get your picks in for Bracket Jawn, The Inquirer’s fun, free bracket challenge!
To recap. Here’s how it works:
Picks: (1) Bracket per tournament challenge (men’s & women’s).
Shot clock: Men’s brackets must be submitted by noon ET on Thursday (3/16). Women’s brackets must be submitted by noon ET on Friday (3/17).
Trophy: (1) $1,000 Visa gift card per tournament challenge; (2) total.
Still mulling your picks? We’ve got you covered with scouting reports on each first round matchup. Just click on the “i” in the top right corner of each box.
Click here for more information and to enter the challenge.
— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
❓With no City 6 men’s teams in the Big Dance, who are you rooting for? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
If you went to bed thinking Darius Slay was moving on, you likely weren’t alone. The Eagles seemed all set to release the veteran, who was one of last year’s captains.
But then.
“Back like I never left!!! Run it back,” Slay wrote on Twitter.
The two sides returned to the bargaining table, and, while it may be a pay cut for Slay, he’s expected to be back.
More good news: Fletcher Cox will be in midnight green for at least one more year. The veteran defensive tackle, who registered seven sacks and 43 total tackles last season, signed a one-year, $10 million deal that will bring him back for a 12th season.
Miles Sanders moved on, however, signing a four-year deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Through the whirlwind of deals in Philly and beyond, in Howie Roseman we trust, Marcus Hayes writes.
Bryce Harper likes what he sees from the World Baseball Classic as he watches from a distance, unable to play because of his rehab from Tommy John surgery. But the Phillies star is thinking even bigger than the WBC. He’s thinking about the Olympics. “I’ve been a huge advocate of baseball getting back in the Olympics and us [in MLB] taking that pause during the regular season, kind of like hockey does, to just let the guys go and play,” Harper said. It almost certainly won’t happen because of the biggest obstacle: timing.
The Phillies are trying to be extra careful with their healthy pitchers as their depth dwindles.
The Phillies aren’t expecting to sell out 257 straight games at Citizen Bank Park, but tickets are moving again after many down years.
Next: Zack Wheeler will get his fourth Grapefruit League start at 6:05 p.m. Thursday against the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla.
The Sixers have 14 games left on their regular-season schedule and sit at third in the Eastern Conference. As the postseason draws nearer, it becomes clearer who the Sixers are chasing and who they could potentially play against in the first round. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell takes a closer look at the race for seeding and potential playoff opponents.
Joel Embiid was called for his sixth foul Wednesday, but the call was overturned, allowing him to play down the stretch of the Sixers’ nine-point win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Next: The Sixers play against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday as part of a three-game road trip (7 p.m., NBCSP).
The Flyers have acknowledged they are rebuilding but how long will it take?
Where the team lands in the NHL draft lottery will play a major role in determining that. The NHL announced Wednesday that the lottery draw will be held on May 8.
In that vein, here is a look at the upcoming draft, some of the top prospects headlined by Connor Bedard, and its significance within the Flyers’ long-term plan.
Next: The Flyers host the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Well, look who is back — yes, Gio Reyna, he of the recently investigation-resolved scandal — but also Downtingtown’s own Zack Steffan, who was left off of the World Cup roster. Both have been called in by interim manager Anthony Hudson for the Concacaf Nations League, a competition in which the United States is the defending champion.
Jonathan Tannenwald has the full roster with an initial analysis of what challenges lie ahead for the American squad.
For the Union, the goal is to return to MLS action and build off their win against Alianza, perhaps leaning more on players they’ve learned they can count on.
Worth a look
Stellar Siegrist: Maddy Siegrist continues to make history, now with first-team All-American honors.
NIT no-shows: A couple of Villanova stars didn’t play in the NIT game? Good, Mike Jensen writes.
Gloomy gridiron: Football season is months away, but Stan Drayton is having to deal with coaching turnover.
More Madness: It’s tourney time in Division III too, and Swarthmore is in the Final Four.
What you’re saying about your NCAA Tournament winners
We asked: Who’s your pick to win the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournament and why? Among your responses:
Women’s Basketball — South Carolina Gamecocks to win. Why — They could be the new UConn of Basketball.
Men’s Basketball — Kansas Jayhawks to win. Why — They have a rich tradition in basketball. — Brent G.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Jeff McLane, Josh Tolentino, Marcus Hayes, Scott Lauber, Matt Breen, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Gustav Elvin, Jonathan Tannenwald, Meghann Morhardt, Cayden Steele, and Mike Jensen.