Springing into March Madness | Sports Daily Newsletter

This is the whiplash time of year on the sports calendar. There’s so much happening it’s hard to keep up. And thanks to the resumption of baseball — and the hot stove which had been on ice since Dec. 2 — the 2022 version of this month amps up the madness of March.

And today marks one of the best days on the calendar of a very busy month. The NCAA Tournament (how is your bracket doing?) begins for No. 2 seed Villanova at 2:45 p.m. against No. 15 Delaware. And the Phillies open their delayed spring training schedule against the Tigers at 1:05 p.m. How’s that for a Friday doubleheader? Oh, and then there is NFL free agency (farewell Fletcher Cox?) and a Sixers matchup against Luka Doncic and the Mavs.

Enjoy the madness.

— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport

The release of Cox, one of the best players in franchise history, saves the Eagles some money, and yes, Cox could very well return to the Eagles. But due to the restructured contract Cox had, the Eagles will now be taking yet another huge dead cap hit.

The news happened to come on the same day of the confirmation that GM Howie Roseman had signed a three-year contract extension. There’s been a Super Bowl victory during his tenure. There have also been missteps along the way, and that has led to this point, with the Eagles trying to tinker with Cox’s deal.

That other great big dead cap hit was $33.8 million thanks to the Carson Wentz trade. Wentz has since been traded again to the Washington Commanders, and while being introduced Thursday, he expressed his thoughts on being in the same division as the Eagles.

The Eagle who’s locked in right during the free agency period is Haason Reddick, who was introduced Thursday and is happy to be back home.

Corey Knebel has a “surprise” new pitch that he has been working on since 2018. He already has an effective four-seam fastball and a curveball, but this mystery pitch has potential after years in the laboratory. So what’s the pitch? “I can’t share what it is right now,” he said with a grin, “but you’ll probably see it in the spring. I want to keep it a surprise.” Hitters will find out soon enough, and the Phillies are counting on Knebel’s arsenal to help him lock up the closer role in 2022.

Ranger Suárez is “probably a little behind” thanks to the time it took to secure a work visa, but he’d probably be a little further off pace if it wasn’t for some friends he made in Colombia.

Next: The Phillies open their spring training schedule against the Tigers at 1:05 p .m. Friday.

James Harden got off to a fast start with the 76ers, leading his team to two wins against the New York Knicks and a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. But it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing since as the perennial All-NBA selection has struggled to find his shot and deferred to teammates too often at times.

Coach Doc Rivers and All-Star Joel Embiid have called for Harden to be more aggressive. And Harden himself also realizes he needs to take the bull by the horns more often, like he did for eight seasons as a member of the Houston Rockets. For Harden and the Sixers, the adjustment period continues.

Next: The Sixers play the Dallas Mavericks at 7 p.m. Friday at the Wells Fargo Center (NBCSP).

In a season of gloom, Thursday brought a night of celebration at the Wells Fargo Center, not only for St. Patrick’s Day but for Claude Giroux. The captain played his 1,000th game, all with the Flyers, joining the legendary Bobby Clarke as the only players in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

Giroux, who ranks second in franchise history in points (900) and assists (609), has been the team’s captain since 2013. The 34-year-old is just the 40th player all-time and the 11th active player to reach 1,000 games with one team.

The Flyers marked the occasion, which could also be the farewell game for Giroux, by knocking off the Nashville Predators, 5-4.

Next: The Flyers are right back in action Friday night as they take on the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., NBCSP+).

The guy to the left of Sergiño Dest and Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, may be the only one USMNT fans may see in upcoming Concacaf World Cup qualifying action. That’s because McKennie is injured and even though he was named to the latest roster, Dest is now injured as well, though the official word on the extent of the injury has yet to be revealed. Jonathan Tannenwald has all the latest ahead of the next round of national team games.

There’s also more club soccer action, and Tannenwald covers some of the best rivalry games on offer this weekend.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, Jeff McLane, Mike Jensen, Keith Pompey, Ellie Rushing, Giana Han, Gina Mizell, EJ Smith, Jonathan Tannenwald, Rob Rose and Olivia Reiner.