Andrew Noel, Staff

After a two-month-long break for the holiday season, we are back, and oh boy is there a lot of Philadelphia sports news to chat about. Everything listed here could be full articles on their own, but there is a lot to get caught up on, so let’s get the worst out of the way first, with everyone’s favorite football team.

Eagles 

What the heck happened? The last time we talked, the Eagles were 10-1 and looking like a real threat to go to the Super Bowl. Instead, they ended the season with a dismal 1-6 record and limped into the playoffs, only to be soaked by the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round for the second time in three years. There has been lots of talk about what happened, and the response from the team has been swift, with both the offensive and defensive coordinators Brain Johnson and Sean Desai being fired and replaced by Kelen Moore and Vic Fangio, respectively. Only time will tell if these changes are enough. One thing is clear, however: the Eagles are not the same team that they were in the second half of the season, and going into next year, there will be more pressure than ever to perform. This is especially true for underachieving superstars such as Jalen Hurts and James Bradberry. 

Phillies   

The Phillies have had a quiet off-season, with their major move being to resign Aaron Nola with a six-year contract extension. When the Phillies  made the headlines this winter, it wasn’t because of who they gained, but rather, who they lost. Craig Kimbrel left in free agency for Baltimore, and although he won’t be missed  by many of the Philly faithful, he still took up a roster spot that will need filling. The other notable name that departed this offseason will hurt many. Rhys Hoskins, the Phillies longtime first baseman and 2022 playoff hero signed a two-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. How sad it is that one of the longest-tenured Phillies had to have his Philadelphia career come to an end in the outfield grass in a meaningless game in March. Hoskins will be missed in Philly because of his play on the field, but more importantly, his charitable work off the field, with him and his wife becoming large advocates for children with Muscular Dystrophy in the Philadelphia area. On the field, the Phillies will have no problem replacing him, with some guy named Harper set to take over the full-time first base role next season. 

76ers  

New year, same Sixers. Despite a recent slump, the Sixers are where everybody thought they would be,  fighting with the Bucks and Celtics for the top three spots in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid has backed up his MVP season nicely, despite lingering injury concerns and doubts over whether he can play the same way in the playoffs. You would be forgiven for thinking that the Sixers would have taken a step back given the loss of James Harden, and the transition to a new coach. Luckily, that hasn’t happened, and so far, it has been smooth sailing for the most stable team in Philadelphia at the moment. 

Flyers   

They are no doubt the most unpredictable team in Philadelphia right now. The Flyers shocked everyone by getting off to a blazing-fast start, but have recently lost five games in a row, cooling expectations. The team is in the unfortunate spot known as purgatory, being too good for a good draft pick and too bad to make noise in the playoffs. How the new front office regime navigates these tough positions will be interesting, but given how they handled the shocking trade request of top prospect Cutter Gauthier, Flyers fans should have full faith that the Flyers front office will handle this delicate situation smartly and efficiently.