🏀 ‘I put it on me’ | Sports Daily Newsletter

There appears to be so much talent on this Sixers roster that a former NBA Most Valuable Player is taking the fall for the team’s sluggish offense.

If you guessed Joel Embiid, you’re right. But perhaps also surprised that despite his diminished time on the court, he’s been an important cog in this current starting five.

But the numbers are hard to shy away from. His shooting (37%), and having just four made threes out of 33 attempts entering Thursday’s game was not indicative of a man who casually dropped 70 points two years ago.

“I’ve said this so many times, [the halfcourt] feels crowded,” Embiid said. “But I also think it’s because I haven’t made shots. I put it on me.”

That hits different when you realize the Sixers now have 10 wins coming off last night’s 123-112 defeat of Toronto, sitting second overall in the East.

Make sure you take that umbrella and raincoat today, as showers are expected with temps not cracking out of the 40s.

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

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The opening to this story explains so much; It’d be an injustice not to give it to you straight. And no, we are certainly not referring to Phillies president David Dombrowski as a horse.

Just passing along where’s baseball stands at this juncture, courtesy of Inquirer writer Scott Lauber:

For two days, executives from the 30 major league teams got in their steps by walking from lobby to lobby in this sprawling resort and casino.

Now, the sprint begins.

Because with the general managers’ meetings wrapping up Thursday, everyone here knows what’s coming next. At 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, the collective bargaining agreement will expire, the owners will lock out the players, and the sport will plunge into a deep freeze.

No free-agent signings. No trades. No 40-man roster transactions of any kind.

Read the rest, right here.

🎨 Reading: About the former pro basketball player turned fine artist, who will return to Philly for another show featuring works of iconic Philly sports figures beginning Saturday.

👏🏾 Applauding: That Cavan Sullivan is a finalist for MLS’s Most Valuable Player award at just 17 years young.

🥊 Sharing: Philly boxer Jaron “Boots” Ennis will compete in a unification fight on Feb. 27 in Atlanta.

⚽ Assuming: It’s a formality when U.S. men’s soccer coach Mauricio Pochettino will confirm his intent to leave the federation for the job at Manchester United.

⚾ Watching: The Phillies are presumably looking to go younger in 2027.

The decision to play the saxophone in front of a crowd is already intimidating. But what if that song is The Star-Spangled Banner and that crowd is a packed stadium on Monday Night Football?

Then you would’ve experienced West Philly resident Hiruy Tirfe, who had that one job when the Birds played the Cowboys. So how’d it go? Inquirer writer Mike Livingston and Tirfe broke it down together.

Julie Ertz, one of U.S. women’s soccer’s former stars, was surprised at the Eagles practice facility yesterday with the announcement that she is a first-ballot inductee into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

She popped into the auditorium to find family, friends and a member of the Hall in the room. Jonathan Tannenwald looks at a major moment that happened in Philly.

Nov. 13, 2022: Was the night Sixers All-Star Joel Embiid dropped 59 points in a win against the Utah Jazz. It was his career-high at the time and stood for almost two years until his unforgettable 70-point, 18-rebound performance against the Spurs in 2024.

A quarterback change couldn’t reverse the Eagles’ fortunes as they dropped their seventh straight game in last Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants. Meanwhile, Paul George stole the show in his return to Philly with his 36-point performance in the Celtics’ win over the Sixers, and college hoops continued to heat up around the area and beyond.

As always, Inquirer photographers were out to capture that and more in our weekly compilation of the best sports images for your perusal. Enjoy.

We asked: Do you think less is more when it comes to the College Football Playoff?

Just always remember that every expansion of a conference or a playoff format is created to bring in more revenue. It is always about money, not the benevolence of those who make the decisions. I am an old-timer and hated the takedown of the Pac-12, one of the greatest conferences in the history of college sports. And the same with the storied Big Ten. Playoffs are for cash and lots of it. When I was 12, and my Phillies played the Yankees in the World Series, it started on Oct. 4 and unfortunately was quickly over, but this year’s World Series started on Oct. 23. The Rose Bowl, played on January 1, was the end of the college season. Last year’s national championship was played on Jan. 30. — Everett S.

College Football may be aiming to rival college basketball with a large postseason tournament — but changing the format after a hundred years seems to pose a lot of challenges. Just like the voting on the rankings each week — team No. 5 will always have an argument why they should be in at No. 4. And soon — team No. 25 will have the same contention. Regardless — more playoff teams are good for the sport. It’s just a shame that we don’t have more Philly-area teams contending. — Michael L.

It is fine the way it is. We don’t need the 8th or 9th best team in the SEC or Big Ten playing for the Championship. The year may come when both of those are in the title game. It cheapens the regular season. It could be like the 2023 World Series, where the Rangers and Diamondbacks combined for a .537 regular-season winning percentage. Did anyone feel that those were really the two best teams? — Warren V.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gina Mizell, Chris Hine, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Matt Breen, Mia Messina, Mike Livingston, and The Inquirer’s photography staff.

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, Philly. Enjoy your weekend. — Kerith