From Jason Kelce’s retirement to more Sixers disappointment to a clutch Olympic performance, let’s review the year in Philly sports

So here we are, nearing the end of the year, and in 2024, there was a fair amount of Yeesh where the city’s sports franchises were concerned.

The Eagles capped an unnerving late-season collapse by traveling to Tampa, Fla., getting their doors blown off in a wild-card game, and entertaining the thought of hiring Bill Belichick — a risky idea considering that Belichick, now 72, might not have the stamina to focus on work from May to December. The 76ers won a play-in game, then lost in the first round to the New York Knicks, who reaffirmed that the Philly area’s toughest, grittiest basketball players come from one neighborhood: Radnor.

» READ MORE: Don’t panic. The Eagles will be fine ... as long as Jalen Hurts is.

The Phillies won their first National League East title since 2011 and earned a bye to the NLDS, where their hitters spent four games pretending they were swinging broomsticks while blindfolded. It looked for a while like the Flyers might sneak into the NHL playoffs, but they faded down the stretch and lost eight straight games. John Tortorella could have thrown the team under the bus, but at that point, the bus might have gone through his goaltenders’ legs.

Sure, from that perspective, it might seem that the last 12 months have been nothing but postseason disappointments, unmet expectations, and bad jokes. But 2024 has been more than that. Let’s review the year that was.

Best Goodbye That Wasn’t a Goodbye: Jason Kelce

When Kelce made his retirement official with an eloquent, emotional speech on March 4, Eagles fans everywhere wept with him. But if they thought Kelce would avoid the spotlight once he had finished playing pro football, they thought wrong. Really wrong. The man has been everywhere as a product-endorser and one-man media conglomerate.

Fastest Vibe Shift: The Phillies

After their lengthy playoff run in 2022, the Phils — with a core of stars who collectively projected an accessible, everyman image — were beloved here. Through five games of the 2023 NLCS, they were the favorites to win the World Series. After falling to the New York Mets this past October, they’re surrounded by fans who are looking at their watches and tapping their feet, wondering how long they have to wait and who has to be traded for this team to win a championship.

Slowest Vibe Shift: The Sixers

Patience with the Sixers has been waning for at least half a decade, and the team’s terrible start this season — on the heels of another early playoff exit — has only increased the general indifference toward the franchise and its fortunes.

Most Important Newcomer (Short-Term): Saquon Barkley

The guy is having the best year of any running back in Eagles history, is threatening to break the NFL’s single-season rushing record, is responsible for the most memorable individual play of the entire season with his Matrix-like spin-and-leap against Jacksonville on Nov. 3, and is regarded as one of the most respected and decent men in the league. Other than that … meh.

Most Important Newcomer (Long-Term): Matvei Michkov

Spend any time watching Michkov during what has been an excellent rookie season for him so far, and his natural skills and instincts — the kind and quality that should make him a superstar soon enough — are obvious. But he’s important to the Flyers not only for the player he is and will become but for the strategy and approach he represents. The franchise’s leaders were willing to take a chance on drafting him, to exploit other clubs’ fear that Michkov might never come to North America from Russia and the KHL. That daring move looks to have paid off.

» READ MORE: Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov is the latest Philly sports savior. Can he match the hype?

Most Clutch Performance: Maia Weintraub

A Friends Select alumna and member of the U.S. Olympic fencing team at this year’s Summer Games in Paris, Weintraub didn’t compete at all through the quarterfinals and semifinals of the women’s foil tournament. But in the finals against Italy, she stepped in cold against two-time world champ Arianna Errigo, knocked off Errigo, 6-4, and won her next bout, too. By beating her two opponents by a combined six points, Weintraub single-handedly accounted for the United States’ margin of victory (45-39) and the gold medal.

Best Joel Embiid Moments: His 70-point game against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 22, his second-half performance against Serbia to propel the U.S. Olympic men’s basketball team to the gold-medal game, and his 50 points against the Knicks in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

» READ MORE: Joel Embiid’s 70-point outburst will serve as a signature moment for a singular season

Worst Joel Embiid Moments: Every other moment is a tie.

Best Championship Game: Roman Catholic vs. Archbishop Ryan

What a night at the Palestra. After Ryan Everett made a go-ahead three-pointer, Ryan was 8.3 seconds away from winning its first Philadelphia Catholic League boys' basketball title. Then Kabe Goss hit a 19-foot pull-up at the buzzer to give Roman its 34th league championship. The 46-45 thriller was as good as hoops get at the high school level — or at any level.

Departures That No One Is Crying About: Tobias Harris, Cutter Gauthier, Haason Reddick

Non-Departure That Everyone Is Crying About: Taijuan Walker

Most Overdue Honor: Dick Allen, finally, earning induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Most Heartbreaking Tragedy: The deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau

Big Questions for 2025: Will Tortorella remain the Flyers’ head coach beyond this season? Can Trea Turner get back to being the line-drive hitter he used to be? Can Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott prove themselves to be cornerstones of the Phillies’ future? Will there be any progress toward Philadelphia landing a WNBA franchise? When will a Big 5 men’s team qualify for the NCAA Tournament again? And when will Jalen Hurts return to the Eagles’ lineup?