Tom’s done | Sports Daily Newsletter

Tom Brady’s longevity in many ways meant he was around a long time to be the villain of many teams’ seasons. Sure, he earned plenty of accolades during those years, but they came at the expense of the hopes and dreams of others.

Beyond that, there were things Brady did and ways in which he acted that often rubbed others the wrong way — or even explicitly violated league rules.

So if he has indeed retired for good this time, with no take-backs, there are more than a few people happy to see Brady ride off into the proverbial sunset.

Marcus Hayes, for one, isn’t pining for a return from Brady but isn’t sure anyone should rule it out.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓ Is this it for Brady’s playing days? Why or why not? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

How will the Eagles plan to slow down Patrick Mahomes? Yes he’s been hampered a bit by an ankle injury. But he can still carve up defenses and did so against the Eagles last season. Our beat writers break down the matchup with some early thoughts.

The Eagles have their own star signal caller in Jalen Hurts. In the offseason, he did a cheesesteak segment for the cameras with FoodChasers Kitchen. And with national TV shout-outs and off-camera as well, Hurts has kept up his genuine support of the Black-owned Elkins Park restaurant.

Leading up the Super Bowl, the NFL also placed Eagles reserve offensive lineman Josh Sills on the commissioner exempt list after the undrafted free agent was indicted by a grand jury on rape and kidnapping charges in Ohio.

The 2023 NBA trade deadline has a different feel for the 76ers. After the Ben Simmons saga dominated last season, this year feels like a breeze. Georges Niang was honest when asked about that cloud that followed the Sixers and how it feels to have that gone: “Obviously, we had to do something last year. But this year, I feel like we’re in a good position. They don’t pay me enough to make those roster moves, so I’m going to keep it at that.”

Against the Magic, the Sixers got their groove back.

Next: The Sixers take to the road to face against the San Antonio Spurs at 8 p.m. Friday (NBCSP).

Trea Turner as a freshman was skinny as a strip of yarn, listed on North Carolina State’s official roster as 6-foot-1 and 171 pounds — measurements that had to have been taken while he had lifts in his shoes and paperweights in his pockets — and he had a face that made anyone who saw him question whether he was old enough to drive, let alone drink. It was rare that he could get his hands on a decent fake ID, and, even when he did, he still failed to fool the bouncers around town. “They’d be like, ‘Dude, you look like you’re 12. This is not you. You’ve got to go home,’” former teammate Brett Austin said. “He could not get into a bar with me.” Mike Sielski went to Raleigh, N.C., to trace the path of the Phillies’ $300 million man back to where it all started.

The NHL All-Star Game is far from perfect, but there have been tweaks in recent years that have tried to make the event more fun and appeal to new fans.

This year, the NHL has created two new Florida-centric skill competitions for fans to look forward to, including “Pitch n’ Puck.” Here’s what you need to know about the two new events and everything else All-Star related ahead of the NHL’s showpiece weekend.

Next: The Flyers are off until Monday for the NHL All-Star break.

The SheBelieves Cup roster is out, and in a World Cup year, it is likely an early indicator of the final U.S. women’s national team roster for that event.

There are some surprises. Inquirer soccer writer Jonathan Tannenwald breaks down exactly what they are and what they mean.

Tannenwald also has the breakdown on the new MLS broadcasting package with Apple, known as the MLS Season Pass.

Few things lend more perspective than becoming a new parent. It uproots priorities and changes aspirations into goals.

Perhaps no one knows this more than Temple guard Damian Dunn, who welcomed his son Nolan in December and has become an imperative piece on the Owls “tournament-or-bust” approach to the season – as the Owls sixth man.

Dunn talks fatherhood, redemption, and more before he and the Owls host No. 3 Houston on Sunday (6 p.m., ESPN2).

Sticking with Temple hoops, how about the women who celebrated its third straight with a 72-59 rout of Wichita State – with just eight players on its current roster after the release of four players last week for a variety of reasons.

Last night also was a big one across the City 6 basketball scene for both men’s and women’s programs as a number of teams got after it.

We asked: What is your fondest gold-medal memory?

Tara Lipinski! She was tiny and fearless. — Jennifer T.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Gina Mizell, Mike Sielski, Gustav Elvin, Jonathan Tannenwald, Joe Santoliquito, Javon Edmonds, Cayden Steele, Matt Breen, Jeff McLane, Elle Rushing, EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino.