From the Super Bowl to two Game 7 losses, from the Eagles to the Sixers, here’s our best sports journalism of 2023

Everyone does best-of lists this time of year, and nobody likes doing them more than sportswriters do. We get a chance to highlight some of the good work we did, and despite all Inquirer.com-commenter protestations to the contrary, we actually did produce some good work. Honest.

So here it is: The Inquirer’s best sports journalism of 2023. The stories and columns are in no particular order. Hope you enjoyed them then and enjoy them now:

Before he sailed off into the sunset of retirement, Mike Jensen delivered a revealing series of stories on how the Big 5 was dealing with the demands of NIL.

EJ Smith profiled Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and his inner circle.

Alex Coffey on the success of the Clearwater Threshers.

David Gambacorta, Barbara Laker, and Marcus Hayes investigated the presence of cancer-causing toxins in the artificial turf still present in 14 NFL stadiums.

Olivia Reiner tracked down the Scottish rugby coach who helped the Eagles refine the Tush Push.

A column on the life and death of a teenage athlete and the need to break the silence about mental-health issues.

Phillies owner John Middleton outlined his vision for the franchise to Scott Lauber.

Keith Pompey let everyone who was paying attention know that the 76ers were going to trade James Harden — and quick.

Matt Breen talked to former Phillies slugger Pat Burrell, who had been struggling since retirement and had begun fighting his way back into baseball.

Jeff McLane revealed the power and respect of the Eagles’ “mystery man”: security chief Dom DiSandro.

Olivia Reiner and Giana Han broke the news that the Flyers had fired general manager Chuck Fletcher.

The story of Bucks County native and Lycoming College strength coach Tim Chiarolanza and his journey back from the brink of death.

Jeff Neiburg wrote about the real power of the Palestra: as the home for the Catholic League championships.

David Murphy saw that the Phillies were in big trouble after Craig Kimbrel cost them Game 4 of the NLCS.

Matt Breen on Neumann Goretti’s Carl Arrigale, who sells washing machines and coaches one of the best basketball programs in the city.

We took a decibel reader to Citizens Bank Park to see how loud Phillies fans really are.

Jonathan Tannenwald examined what the U.S. women’s national soccer team must do to get back on top of the world.

The Eagles won the NFC championship game and lost the Super Bowl. EJ Smith told the story of each.

Scott Lauber explained how Bryce Harper made such a rapid recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Mike Jensen wrote about Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist and her bond with the cloistered nun whose scoring record she broke.

Josh Tolentino wrote about Jalen Hurts’ quest to stay true to himself.

The Sixers fired Doc Rivers in mid-May. Gina Mizell explained why.

Jeff McLane journeyed to Starkville, Miss., A.J. Brown’s hometown, to tell Brown’s origin story.

Marcus Hayes took former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to task for his clumsy exit from Philadelphia.

The most recent episode of “UnCovering the Birds,” Jeff McLane’s podcast on the Eagles, delved into the team’s recent turmoil.