⚾ One or the other | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Phillies were going to have to pick between J.T. Realmuto and Bo Bichette — they couldn’t get both.

And they were “very close” to getting a deal done with Bichette — a seven-year, $200 million deal — according to Dave Dombrowski, but the New York Mets swooped in at the last minute with a shorter-term, higher-salary offer.

It was “a gut punch,” the Phillies’ president of baseball operations said. But that’s how the team found its way back to Realmuto. It may have sparked some awkward tension leading up to Realmuto’s deal as the Phillies “almost certainly” were going to sign Bichette — they even called the catcher’s agent to inform him that the team might be going in another direction.

If things had gone as they anticipated, Realmuto would be in a different city this week. But now he’s here for three more years and he’s glad to be back with the Phillies. On Tuesday, Realmuto acknowledged his offensive decline over the last few seasons, but he believes it’s something he can turn around.

Plus, the Phillies might actually be better off with Realmuto at the controls of the pitching staff than with Bichette’s right-handed bat in the lineup. But for now it seems that the Phillies aren’t considering a run at any other big-ticket free agents.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Fran Dunphy read in disbelief as La Salle was mentioned more than once in a 70-page federal indictment that was released last Thursday, which accused more than 39 college basketball players of fixing games and shaving points during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.

Dunphy, who retired from coaching after last season, says he didn’t consider that any of his players might be engaged in fixing games. But wants to be the first to acknowledge that this should be a conversation that more coaches are having.

🎉 Celebrating: Tyrese Maxey was named a starter in the NBA All-Star Game. He’s also getting his first signature shoe.

⚾ Learning: Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were voted into the Hall of Fame — Chase Utley could be next in 2027.

🤔 Wondering: Why this Pennsylvania university is celebrating Indiana’s national title.

The Eagles offense did not pass the eye test this season. The Birds suffered from negative plays and penalties on early downs, setting themselves up for third-and-longs, and ultimately forcing them to punt early and often.

But what do the underlying numbers reveal about the offense’s performance that could have implications going forward? The Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner tells us one compelling advanced stat about each notable offensive starter.

The 76ers officially began the second half of the 2025-26 NBA season on Tuesday, having played 42 games and made a marked improvement on last season. In fact, with his team competing in the Eastern Conference after tanking last season, Nick Nurse said he was “happy that we’re here right now.”

But the Sixers still have room for improvement, including the handful of close losses Nurse said they gave away. With that in mind, The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell takes a look at some second-half goals for the Sixers, including Tyrese Maxey’s MVP push, Joel Embiid’s dunks, and much more.

Speaking of close losses, the Sixers, who did not have Embiid or Paul George on Tuesday, dropped a six-point contest at home to the Phoenix Suns, 116-110. Kelly Oubre Jr. was a welcome bright spot in the loss, writes Keith Pompey in his takeaways.

Bobby Brink seemed to be the Flyers’ good luck charm on Monday night. Without him, the team lost six straight, and in his return from a concussion, the team snapped the skid to beat the Vegas Golden Knights, 2-1. Brink brought a much-needed energy shift.

While Rick Tocchet said the Flyers would monitor his time, Brink skated 13 minutes, 28 seconds, including more than two minutes on the power play: “It’s never fun sitting and watching.”

This year was the first season that Jalen Hurts wasn’t surrounded by former quarterbacks. It’s something the Eagles should keep in mind, especially with Mike McDaniel now reportedly closing in on a deal to be the offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Chargers, and Brian Daboll a hot name for head coach and OC jobs around the league.

Daboll brings the kind of experience that the Eagles lacked in 2023 and 2025, but somebody like Matt Nagy or Zac Robinson would be a good backup plan — former quarterbacks often make good coordinators, writes columnist David Murphy.

We asked: What’s your favorite story about a coach? (Dick Vermeil sleeping on a cot at the Vet, etc.) Among your responses:

Not sure if this qualifies as a favorite story but I always loved the compliment Bum Phillips, as coach of the Houston Oilers, gave then-Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula. Bum said ... “He can take his’n and beat your’n and he can take your’n and beat his’n.” — Bob A.

I always enjoyed the story of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden when he was confronted by Bill Walton and other players who wanted him to loosen his rules regarding beards and long hair. They told him he did not have the right to restrict how they handled such personal things. He responded that they were absolutely right that he did not have that right, but then added that he was just saying that there won’t be any guys with beards or long hair playing for the UCLA basketball team. — Everett S.

Gotta be Buddy Ryan never calling his players by their name. Always called them by their number. “Ya! 38 had a great game as did 44.” — Ronald R.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, David Murphy, Ellen Dunkel, Matt Breen, Gina Mizell, Gabriela Carroll, Jackie Spiegel, Mike Sielski, Keith Pompey, Ryan Mack, and Owen Hewitt.

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.

As always, thanks for reading. Stay warm this week, Philly. Kerith will be back in your inbox tomorrow with the latest stories. — Bella