🦅‘Time to say goodbye’ | Sports Daily Newsletter

It happened at around 4 p.m. yesterday.

Many of us were beginning to wind down a busy but routine day at The Inquirer sports desk, one that provided the fallout of the injury sustained by the Sixers’ Ariel Hukporti from Monday’s preseason opener against the Knicks.

It was also a Tuesday that answered just how expensive catching a Sixers game is going to be for fans eager for a glimpse of the team in action this season.

But then Lane Johnson announced his exit from the NFL after 14 seasons spent with the Eagles. It made for a bit of a surprise, and also a scramble, but our team offered not just the news, but:

Also, as a complete aside: How is it possible that only one Flyers player cracked ESPN’s Top 100 list of NHL players? Is the math mathing on this one? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Expect a carbon copy of yesterday’s weather; we’re looking at sunny skies and temperatures not expected to break out of the 60s for your Wednesday.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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After a season with hope fizzled out in Atlanta for the Phillies, a ton of questions remain regarding next steps: Who will be here and who won’t come when pitchers and catchers report to kick off Spring Training, expected some time in February?

Recently, Inquirer writer Scott Lauber checked in with Phillies radio announcer Scott Franzke, who offered his take on potential offseason movement. Be sure to check out:

📖 Reading: LeBron James isn’t the only Sixers player (past or present) who commuted to Philly. Or the last, for that matter.

🤔 Questioning: How big was the slide for the Eagles in collective NFL rankings after Sunday’s loss to the Rams?

🙏🏽 Hoping: These kids had a blast hanging out with Eagles starters at this recent Make-A-Wish event.

It’s not panic time yet, but the Eagles’ loss to the Rams added even more injury to the insult.

As of Tuesday, it still appears that for this week’s trip to London, the Eagles running backs Tank Bigsby and Saquon Barkley will be out for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars (9:30 a.m., Fox29).

Barkley is listed as week-to-week with his hamstring injury suffered against the Rams, and Bigsby is headed to injured reserve following what’s being labeled as a core muscle injury. Who’s left? Will Shipley at the moment, who has just one career game with double-digit carries in his pro career.

Before you start blowing into that brown paper bag, writer Jeff Neiburg examined the current state of the running room and what options are at the Birds’ disposal.

Temple earning a win against previously unbeaten South Florida on the road is the kind of event that can completely turn a season around — for the better.

One person out to keep the streak going is Temple quarterback Ajani Sheppard, who has started the last two games and whose preparation is something to be studied. Lucky for you, Inquirer writer Mike Livingston went exploring ahead of their next game, a home game against UConn on Saturday (3:45 p.m., ESPNU).

From the lack of forced turnovers to missed coverage assignments, the Eagles have plenty of room for improvement.

Can defensive coordinator Vic Fangio work his magic to get the defense on track in time for this week’s showdown? Inquirer reporter Jeff McLane puts the defense under the microscope, and also answers listener questions in this week’s mailbag.

Oct. 7, 1985: Lynette Woodard became the first woman basketball star to represent the famed Harlem Globetrotters.

“What he lived with and lived through was something else. His willingness to talk about his struggles made the toughest, most technically sound tackle in the NFL a vital voice for understanding and sensitivity toward the unseen issues that an elite athlete, or anyone else, might be facing.” — Columnist Mike Sielski on the legacy Lane Johnson leaves behind, both on and off the field.

We asked: Are you a fan of the NFL’s international games?

No I am not a fan. Waste of time and money. Hard on the players. Just another way for the money-grubbing NFL to make more money. Always wondered where it went, and nobody knows. — Bill M.

Not a fan of the NFL trying to go international. America’s other two games, baseball and basketball, have been widely embraced worldwide, and we now have players from all over the world playing in our professional leagues and college teams. But I do not think football will be as widely accepted, nor can it compete with their football (what we call soccer). — Everett S.

Not a fan! Play a preseason game overseas, not a regular season game. Or, limit it to one or two per year. Seems like there’s an international game every week. —Richard V.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Scott Lauber, Ariel Simpson, Gina Mizell, Mike Sielski, Gustav Elvin, Matt Breen, Mike Livingston, Mia Messina, Jasen Lo, and Ximena Conde.

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.

That’s your Wednesday. I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow, praying another notable Philly athlete doesn’t want to drop major news just before the start of rush hour traffic. — Kerith