Gannon’s gaffes | Sports Daily Newsletter

Jonathan Gannon stirring up controversy is nothing new. But his most recent remarks took it to a whole other level.

The first-year Arizona Cardinals head coach didn’t mince words when he talked about the “politics” in Indianapolis, where he was the defensive backs coach, or when he claims to have suggested to Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni that Shane Steichen call plays.

Sure, Jonathan.

Our Marcus Hayes isn’t buying it, and, as he points out, it wouldn’t be the first time Gannon has lied. He offers his take on the latest from the former defensive coordinator, who can’t seem to stay out of the limelight.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓ Who is the biggest Eagles villain in your mind and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Check out our Eagles season preview section as the team with its roster of Super Bowl hopefuls heads into the opener on Sunday against the New England Patriots. We have a story on the Eagles’ “Core Four” of Fletcher Fox, Brandon Graham, Lane Johnson, and Jason Kelce — the old guard that remains for possibly one last ride together.

And we have game-by-game predictions from our beat writers as well. They suggest that the Eagles will at least put themselves in good position for another run at it.

Some question marks remain, but when you have Jalen Hurts leading the way — and Bill Belichick with high praise for the franchise QB — the Eagles should be chasing the Lombardi Trophy again.

Season 2 preview: The 2023 NFL season is almost here, and the Eagles have a huge question to answer: Can they not only get back to the Super Bowl, but this time win it? In Season 2 of unCovering the Birds, Jeff McLane will be following the Birds in real time, taking you behind the scenes to pull back the curtain on what makes the team click … or not. Listen here.

The James Harden situation remains unsolved — and could stay that way as the Sixers approach training camp. So what impact might that have on a team with a new coach, no clear point guard, and dreams of contending in the Eastern Conference? The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell takes a deeper look at how Harden’s uncertainty impacts reigning MVP Joel Embiid, head coach Nick Nurse, and rising star Tyrese Maxey.

Danny Green is back, and David Murphy offers his take on the newest Sixer.

At this point last season, Zack Wheeler was on the injured list, resting his right forearm so he could be the best version of himself down the stretch. This year, that hasn’t been necessary. Wheeler looks like an ace. He feels like one, too. He credits a mechanical adjustment he made entering his start in Williamsport, Pa., on Aug. 20. Before the game, Wheeler tried using a smaller side step. It allows him to “gather his leg, lift it, and go,” in his words. It felt good in that Aug. 20 game, so he has stuck with it. The eye test backs that up. Wheeler’s last three outings have looked effortless. On Wednesday, after recording 10 strikeouts and no walks in back-to-back games, he gave the Phillies six shutout innings in a 5-1 victory over the Padres to win two out of three in the series.

Bryce Harper snapped a career-long 0-for-20 hitless skid on Wednesday, but he’s not exactly celebrating.

Next: After an off-day on Thursday, the Phillies return home for a weekend series against Miami at 7:05 p.m. Friday (NBCSP).

Watching like a Hawk: Eleven of the 18 A-10 games for St. Joe’s will be nationally televised or streaming.

We asked you: Was it a mistake for Rob Thomson to let Michael Lorenzen keep pitching in his no-hitter? Among your responses:

Absolutely not. Thomson had him on a pitch limit for the 9th. I don’t always agree with Thomson’s decision but this one was the right thing to do. — Kathy T.

Absolutely not. I was there and there was excitement in the air which likely fueled his adrenaline. How often does this opportunity come? — Myra R.

Here’s my thoughts about Rob Thomson leaving Lorenzen in the game. Absolutely the right decision in the moment and really can’t be the reason that he is struggling at this point. I watched the game last night and have watched a few of his starts. While he is off, the defense and offense has also not helped him in these games. I believe his issues are correctable and they can get him back on track. — Spencer S.

I have no idea whether it was wrong for Rob to allow Lorenzen to finish his no-hitter, but I do know that they need to replace him right now in the rotation. He has had four consecutive poor performances since the no-hitter. — Everett S.

No, I don’t think it was a mistake. I believe that Lorenzen deserved the opportunity to get his no-hitter, even though he finished with over 120 pitches. Realistically, he had a lot of good fortune to be able to get his no-hitter. I believe there were 15 fly ball outs in the game and around 10 hard-hit outs. As I said, the no-hitter was more about good fortune than pitching domination, and Lorenzen will probably never have that kind of luck going for him again! — Bill R.

Depends on whether one believes in individual or team goals. Lorenzen seems to be nothing more than a .500 pitcher at best, so this was as close to a no-hitter as he’ll probably ever get. I can’t blame Thomson for letting him go for it. BUT Lorenzen was picked up for the loss of a promising prospect to help get the TEAM to the playoffs. In hindsight, the short-term gain may affect the long-term goal. — Karl Z.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Alex Coffey, David Murphy, Gina Mizell, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Olivia Reiner, and Jeff McLane.