Heartbreak in Arizona | Morning Newsletter

Last night was rough. It was a familiar ache. It’s only been a few months since the Phillies and the Union also reached league championship games before they fell short of winning it all.

The Eagles followed suit last night in Super Bowl LVII.

Our lead story recaps what went wrong.

If you see this 🔑 in today’s newsletter, that means we’re highlighting our exclusive journalism. You need to be a subscriber to read these stories.

We’re in for sunny skies today and a high of 56.

— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The Eagles lost a 10-point lead and the Kansas City Chiefs rolled away with a 38-35 victory.

Eagles fans aren’t happy with that late holding call on cornerback James Bradberry that allowed the Chiefs to run out the clock and ultimately win the championship by a field goal.

But putting that aside, the Birds had defense struggles. Even with that ankle sprain, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes proved to be too difficult of a puzzle for Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.

Honorable mention: Jalen Hurts, the runner-up to Mahomes for the NFL MVP, provided the Birds a fighting chance but it wasn’t enough to get them their second Super Bowl title.

Continue reading to learn what’s next for the Eagles heading into the 2023 season — and check out our photo gallery from the stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Philly mayoral candidate and longtime grocer Jeff Brown has never run for office, but said he’s done the work to prove he’s ready for the city’s top job.

He’s running on his decades-long business background in largely Black neighborhoods and argues that his efforts to hire previously incarcerated people put him on the front line of the criminal justice reform movement.

What Brown’s supporters say: He’s a businessman with a record of working in neighborhoods that lack access to healthy food. He’s allied himself with prominent Black surrogates who attest to his work, and he’s won the backing of labor unions with majority Black memberships.

What Brown’s critics say: He’s using Black communities to win an election. Some say he’s running as a “white savior,” someone who presents themselves as rescuing marginalized communities.

Keep reading to learn how Brown is handling criticism on issues related to race. 🔑

Jenkintown native Bradley Cooper appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for T-Mobile with his toughest costar yet. Who did he share the screen with?

A) His mom, Gloria Campano

B) His older sister, Holly Cooper

C) Jennifer Lawrence

D) None of the above

Find out if you know the answer.

🎤 Listening to: Sheryl Lee Ralph’s performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” to open the Super Bowl.

👀 Watching: U.S fighter jets shot down another “unidentified object” over Lake Huron.

Hint: One of the Eagles’ oldest living former players

BAD GRUNT

We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Send us your own original anagram to unscramble if you’d like. Cheers to Hazel Moiles who correctly guessed Sunday’s answer: Saxophone. Email us if you know the answer.

And that’s a wrap from me. Thank you for starting your morning with The Inquirer ☕.