The best Philly sports stories of the week
Do the Flyers actually have a plan? What will the Phillies do in the MLB draft? And why is Kevin Durant in the area this weekend?
Welcome to the weekend. You’ve made it through the week and things are finally starting to slow down a little bit. Maybe you’ve got a big day planned. Maybe you’re going to hit up Home Depot. Maybe you also want to go to Bed, Bath & Beyond, but aren’t sure if you’ll have enough time.
And maybe, that’s because you like to catch up on whatever sports news you missed during a busy workweek — it’s not your fault half your department went on vacation this week — before heading out on your errands, or to that family party, or to that concert with your friends.
If that’s the case, we’ve got some good news and bad news. The good news is we’ve rounded up the best and biggest sports stories of the week to save you the trouble (and time) of searching for them yourself. The bad news? Well, once you start reading, you might not stop. But we’ll leave that decision up to you.
This weekend, we’ll start with NHL free agency and the Flyers’ puzzling decision not to do whatever it took to bring Johnny Gaudreau home after trading multiple picks for controversial defender Tony DeAngelo. Here’s Olivia Reiner on the Flyers’ plan ... or lack thereof.
Gaudreau’s decision to sign with a team in a market like Columbus and for a team that also missed the playoffs last season only will enrage Flyers fans more. Landing the superstar seemed attainable, and the Flyers passed.
Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski argued that the Flyers shouldn’t sign Gaudreau, not because of his skill set, but because the Flyers should be rebuilding. They should be keeping their draft picks and their young players, not flipping them and giving out long-term, costly contracts to veteran players.
Sure, but alas, the Flyers aren’t rebuilding. At least, that’s what they’ve repeatedly said and what their recent actions have shown.
A rebuilding team doesn’t trade three draft picks (a 2024 second-round pick, a 2023 third, and a fourth in 2022) for defenseman Tony DeAngelo plus a seventh-rounder in 2022 and then sign DeAngelo to a two-year, $5 million AAV contract. A rebuilding team wouldn’t sign defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to a five-year, $5.1 million AAV deal before the trade deadline. A rebuilding team doesn’t give 31-year-old fourth-line enforcer Nicolas Deslauriers a four-year, $1.75 million contract, especially when he has never played on a contract worth more than $1 million annually. Would you rather have middle pairing defensemen DeAngelo and Ristolainen for a combined $10.1 million or a bona-fide superstar in Gaudreau for $9.8 million per year?
By letting Gaudreau, the definition of skill and speed, not to mention a local athlete, sign with Columbus without even putting up a fight, Fletcher showed he has one foot in an “aggressive retool” and the other in a rebuild. Time will tell what result this nets the Flyers, but still, the plan lacks consistency. If the plan is not a retool and it’s not a rebuild, then when do the Flyers expect to be competitive again? — Olivia Reiner
You can read Olivia’s full story here.
What you need to know
These are some of the most important stories from the last week or so that you might’ve missed.
Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who was recently named to the National League All-Star team and has had legendary power since high school, will participate in MLB’s Home Run Derby on Monday night. Prior to that, catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe, who has been the subject of trade chatter, will take part in the Futures Game.
Speaking of the Phillies, the MLB draft begins Sunday and the Phils will be picking 17th overall. They should have plenty of options — and despite selecting in the middle of the first round, they should have a shot at landing a quality player. Just look at some of the names that have been taken there.
The week didn’t get off to a great start for the local ball club, which had lost four straight heading into play on Friday. The Phillies dropped both of their games in Toronto while missing some key players who were unable to travel to Canada due to their vaccination status. That included J.T. Realmuto, who angered some fans with his comments regarding his absence.
Ahead of next month’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, former Eagles coach Dick Vermeil discussed his ties to Philly and why he still considers himself an Eagle. “I belong here. This is my community,” Vermeil said.
From a legendary Eagle to a new one, wide receiver A.J. Brown got into it with the local media a bit as he tried to defend his longtime friend and quarterback Jalen Hurts from an unflattering report about Hurts’ performance at OTAs.
Two Eagles running backs connected with their hometowns as Miles Sanders, who has been working out this offseason in Pittsburgh, and Kenneth Gainwell, who was in Yazoo City, Miss., hosted youth football camps.
The Sixers spent the week in Las Vegas for summer league, and we’ve got stories on Grant Riller’s comeback from injury, the opportunity presented to summer league coaches Dwayne Jones and Tyler Lashbrook, and a strong showing from Isaiah Joe — before he was injured.
Kevin Durant is going to be in the area this weekend. But probably not for the reason Sixers fans hope.
The Union made a move, and then moved into first place in the conference. Meanwhile, off the pitch, Andre Blake and Kai Wagner were named to the MLS All-Star team and Alejandro Bedoya traveled to the White House, where he was present when President Biden signed the bipartisan gun control bill.
A pair of Union players — Brandan Craig and Quinn Sullivan — are lifelong friends from Northeast Philly who have played together their entire lives. And the two teenagers just helped the U.S. clinch a spot in the Olympics for the first time since 2008.
Finally, we update you on last week’s story on the lack of a major professional women’s sports team in Philly. The NWSL has said it is in the early stages of expanding from 12 to 14 teams — and Philly could be one of the candidates. Likewise, at the WNBA All-Star Game, commissioner Cathy Engelbert, a Collingswood native, said the league has a list of about 15 cities it’s considering for expansion, and that Philly is “on that list.”
Worth the time
Each week, we highlight a story here that might have felt a little long to commit to during the week but is absolutely worth the time. This time, it’s Matt Breen’s story on Philly boxer Danny Garcia, who is returning to the ring later this month after a two-year absence to treat his anxiety.
Danny Garcia spent the day where he spends most of them: the boxing gym he owns in his old neighborhood under the watch of his dad. He started boxing when he was 7 years old, used the sport to become rich and famous, captured championship belts, and moved his family from Juniata Park to a mansion in Montgomery County.
And another big fight — perhaps the biggest in a career of big fights — was looming two years ago as Garcia and his father, Angel, drove home from the gym. For the Garcias, life seemed good. But then Angel Garcia, behind the wheel of his pickup truck, noticed that his son was crying.
“I said, ‘Danny, what’s wrong? Talk to me. Tell me how you feel.’ He couldn’t tell me,” said Angel Garcia, who trains his son. “He would say, ‘Dad, I don’t know what’s going on.’ He’s a tough guy, so when he cried it really hit me. Oh, crap, this is serious. This is for real. He felt dark like a black cloud was hovering over him. I knew right there that he was suffering from anxiety. It’s like everything is closing in on you.”
The pressures that came with being at the top of the sport for nearly a decade had finally cracked Garcia, a fighter known for his concrete-like chin. — Matt Breen
You can read Matt’s full story here.