Jaylen Brown 🤝 Sixers | Sports Daily Newsletter
Did they just become title contenders?
The 76ers stunned the NBA world on Wednesday.
It wasn’t just by simply acquiring the stellar Jaylen Brown from the rival Boston Celtics, it was the manner in which they did it. Four draft picks and Paul George? Wild.
In Brown, the Sixers receive a 2024 Finals MVP who finished sixth in the voting for this season’s regular-season award. They got someone with the size, versatility, and defensive skill to complement the Tyrese Maxey-VJ Edgecombe duo. And they unloaded George’s contract. Predictably, the internet had plenty to say about the deal.
There’s always risk. There’s always the question of Joel Embiid’s health. But for now, we can step back and consider a world in which the Sixers are legitimate title contenders as David Murphy shares his take on the trade.
— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Over the years, it’s been clear that physicality is part of the Flyers’ DNA — just look at the franchise’s two best players, Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros.
So as Danny Brière, who was 5-9 and 174 pounds as a player, builds the next iteration of the Flyers, it’s no surprise he goes to a tried-and-true playbook.
Is he trying to build this millennium’s Broad Street Bullies? Not exactly. But bringing back big guys like Dan Vladař (6-5) and Tyson Foerster (6-2) gives us an idea of what the brass is looking for.
Jackie Spiegel has more on VladaĹ™ and Foerster, as well as the newest members of the organization.
A few weeks ago, Phillies reliever Brad Keller knew something was off before he even got out of bed. He’d just had a rough outing the night before vs. Milwaukee, and when he woke up, he couldn’t straighten his elbow.
He ended up going on the injured list with right forearm tendinitis. But on Wednesday, he was eager to see how he’d respond after facing live hitters for the first time in more than two weeks. The result? “A night-and-day difference,” he said.
Trea Turner homered for the third straight game as the Phillies handled the Pirates, 10-6, for their seventh win over the last nine games.
Next: The series vs. the Pirates wraps up with a matinee today (12:35 p.m., NBCSP). Pirates righty Jared Jones (1-1, 5.76 ERA) will face off against Alan Rangel (0-1, 4.50).
Today’s Eagles newcomers aren’t just new to the Eagles, they’re new to the NFL. Offensive lineman Markel Bell was drafted out of Miami in April and surprisingly took first-team reps during OTAs. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a Week 1 starter, but he could see meaningful snaps as a rookie.
The next newcomer is new to football. Joshua Weru is an undrafted free agent from the International Player Pathway program who joined a pro rugby club at age 14 and has represented Kenya internationally in the sport. He may have a long path to the 53-man roster, but he definitely seems like an interesting story.
Speaking of Eagles linemen (or former Eagles linemen), Jason Kelce helped raise $1.26 million for the Eagles Autism Foundation in four events across two days in Sea Isle City.
The U.S. men’s soccer team finally ended its 24-year wait to win a World Cup knockout game, though it came at a cost.
Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina featured goals by Folarin Balogun and Malik Tillman, but also a red card to Balogun that means he’ll miss the round of 16 matchup against Belgium in Seattle on Monday.
On this date
OK, this is a bit of a weird one. Ed Delahanty dominated the National League in the late 1800s and at the turn of the century. Primarily an outfielder, he spent 13 of his 16 major league seasons with the Phillies and slashed .348/.415/.508 (and .346/.411/.505 for his career, which also included stints with the Cleveland Infants and Washington Senators). He also was the first major league player to hit over. 400 three times.
But drinking issues began to loom large after he moved on to Washington. While the team was in Detroit, he boarded a train bound for New York but was kicked off after drunken and disorderly behavior, according to the Society for American Baseball Research. He then fell from a bridge spanning Niagara Falls and died on this day in 1903.
He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame via the Old Timers Committee amid World War II in 1945, but his induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y., wasn’t held until 2013, 110 years after his death.
What you’re saying about upsets
We asked: Tell us about the biggest upset you’ve ever witnessed in any sport. What made it so special?
Three upsets that I watched on TV. 1969 Joe Namath and the Jets upset the unbeatable Baltimore Colts. Because of the great Lenny Moore I was a Colts fan. 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid when our young college guys carried the U.S. to a stunning upset of the USSR’s supposedly unbeatable team. And 1985 on April 1 my 47th BD Villanova Wildcats upset highly favored Georgetown 66-64 with an incredible 79% shooting percentage. I would guess that Pope Leo then Robert Prevost was cheering on his Wildcats. — Everett S.
Not the most personally sentimental, but biggest upset in my book has to be the Brady-era Pats’ first Super Bowl loss, some ragtag Giants spoiling an undefeated season with such tools as an off-brand Manning and a football pinned on a helmet. It had seemed unfair that Randy Moss had joined New England, but it all led to nothing more than this. — D. Stone
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gina Mizell, David Murphy, Jackie Spiegel, Mia Messina, Scott Lauber, Jeff Neiburg, Becca O’Reilly, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Marcus Hayes.
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.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll be back tomorrow with one last newsletter before the holiday weekend! — Maria