The best Philly sports stories of the week
From everything you need to know about the Sixers' arena plans to setting the stage for Eagles training camp, here's what you might have missed this week.
Any other year, this would be the end of the slowest sports week on the calendar. But this year, for some reason, it didn’t quite feel that way.
Maybe that’s because the Sixers announced plans for a new arena in Center City. Or maybe it’s because there’s some added anticipation for the Eagles to open training camp. Or because the Phillies look like contenders. Or even because James Harden finally signed his new deal with the Sixers.
Whatever the reason, it certainly felt like a busy sports week. And if that feeling matched your personal life, then we’ve got some good news. We’re back with another roundup of the best and biggest stories you might have missed.
Typically, we start these posts with one big story — and we’re still going to do that in a way — but instead of a specific story this week, we’re going to focus on a particular topic: the Sixers’ new arena. We had a lot of coverage already this week — and much more to come — so we’re go run through it all quickly in case you missed any of it.
On Thursday, The Inquirer reported that the Sixers are planning to build a $1.3 billion arena at 10th and Market streets that, if approved, is expected to be completed by 2031.
This isn’t the first time a local team has tried to build in Center City, most notably the in 2000 were met with fierce opposition when they tried to put a ballpark in Chinatown, not far from where the Sixers are looking.
While Mayor Jim Kenney came out in support of the arena and confirmed that no public money would be used, members of City Council — including Kenney’s potential successor — are more split over the idea. Residents of Chinatown, unsurprisingly, are opposed to the idea.
Players, including Joel Embiid, and fans from across the city spent the day Thursday reacting to the news, and not everyone agreed on the merits of a downtown arena. But that didn’t stop us from asking them what they would name it.
The Sixers said they wanted to build their own version of Madison Square Garden, but some are skeptical that’s the right move given that MSG isn’t the best example of urban design. Others wonder why the Sixers are interested in demolishing a block of the Fashion District when the “Disney hole” sits vacant just across the street.
If Philly goes through with a downtown arena like many other major cities, transportation will be key. But it’s also worth noting that having two separate arenas for NHL and NBA teams in the same city would make Philly an outlier.
Ultimately, it’s a good thing this project isn’t expected to be completed for the better part of a decade because there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered.
What you might’ve missed
James Harden signed a two-year, $68.6 million deal to return to Sixers, giving Sixers fans $14 million reasons to be thankful.
In addition, Keith Pompey emptied out his mailbag with questions on Matisse Thybulle’s trade market and Tobias Harris’ value, while Gina Mizell opened up her notebook to provide some insight on what she saw at summer league.
Eagles training camp opens this week, so Josh Tolentino offered up his initial 53-man roster projection.
The Union, led by captain Alejandro Bedoya, have the best chance of winning the city its next championship.
But don’t sleep on the Phillies, who — Friday night notwithstanding — have themselves in contention as they open the second half of the season. And they could get even better at the upcoming trade deadline — not to mention a possible return for Bryce Harper.
Speaking of the Phillies, did you know Dick Allen helped invent walk-up music in baseball? Well he did, and without him, we wouldn’t have these classic Phillies’ walk-up tracks to remember.
The Flyers held their development camp in Voorhees last week with all their top prospects, including first-round pick Cutter Gauthier. So where does he rank among the best their farm system has to offer?
Bernard Hopkins is going into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame this weekend, so Matt Breen caught up with the legendary Philly native, who recalled how his career started with a prison visit from a boxing ref named Rudy Battle.
And finally, you’re likely feeling the heat this weekend. Do you remember the time Andy Reid and the Eagles used pickle juice to not only beat the heat, but the Cowboys as well?
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 Jeff McLane’s story on Nick Sirianni, who invited The Inquirer along with him as he watched one of his son’s baseball games.
Nick Sirianni was yelling at his son from the stands. The timbre of his voice contained a familiar blend of excitement, exasperation, and exhortation for anyone who has been at the receiving end of one of the Eagles coach’s high-pitched appeals.
“Jacob, get up!”
The younger Sirianni had just ripped a clean single into the outfield, and after a series of Little League mishaps, the 7-year-old reached second base and needlessly slid. Nearly everyone on the Haddonfield side cheered as two runs scored to extend its lead, 11-8, in the top of the fourth inning.
But the elder Sirianni was fixated on his son, who remained parked in the dirt halfway to home as the opposing team continued to fumble the ball about the diamond. He spoke under his breath, perhaps to his wife, Brett, seated to his left, or to no one in particular.
“What’s he doing? It cost us a run.”
It was a brief moment of uncertainty amid a torrent of positivity from Sirianni at a coach-pitch tournament in Gloucester City. With the NFL on hiatus for a month, the 41-year-old father of three was otherwise basking in the freedom of watching his eldest son’s doubleheader on a Saturday afternoon in June.
The day before, when practice was rained out, Sirianni brought the team over to the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia to work out indoors. Afterward, he said he took the players into the locker room. Sirianni may not be his son’s baseball coach, but being the coach of the local NFL team has its rewards. — Jeff McLane
Click here to read the full story from Jeff.