Here are our top 10 trending sports stories of 2024

It was another wild year for Philly sports, as 2024 took the city’s fanbases on an emotional roller-coaster from regular-season joy to postseason disappointment. There were franchise-changing signings, big debuts, and an even bigger collapse.

Plenty of other stories surrounded the city — not centered on a Philly sports team — such as the year of Jason Kelce and a WrestleMania takeover at Lincoln Financial Field. As 2024 ends, let’s remember the top 10 trending storylines The Inquirer covered this year — from Saquon Barkley’s signing to the Sixers’ plan for load management.

After 76ers center Joel Embiid injured his meniscus last season — leaving him sidelined for two months, which stunted the team’s playoff hopes — the Sixers entered this season with a new plan to get Embiid to the finish line and potentially make a postseason run.

In October, Daryl Morey told ESPN that both Paul George and Embiid would “probably not play many back-to-backs, if any.” The Sixers’ load management plan led to a lot of backlash from former players — including former 76ers star and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley who said it “sets a bad leadership role on the team.”

Now, after missing time at the start of the season and then suffering a sinus fracture, the center is back playing — trying to dig the Sixers out of an 11-17 record.

The Inquirer’s sneaker coverage had a good run in 2024. Specifically, Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott and the Phillie Phanatic joined forces to unveil the Nike Dunk low ‘Philly’ shoe.

In May, the brand introduced the sneaker in a promotional video on X. The shoe has a gray exterior color above a white base and features green laces with “PHILLY” spelled out on the back of the shoes. The sneaker was designed in collaboration with local shoe stores Lapstone & Hammer and Creme.

Sneakerheads lined up in front of Lapstone & Hammer for two hours with hopes of adding the “Philly” Nike Dunk to their collection. Here’s how the local clothing and shoe played a large role in the design.

But Stott wasn’t the only Philly athlete who helped unveil a new sneaker release. The former Villanova stars Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart partnered up with RZA to unveil the Wu-Tang Nike Dunk High.

In September, Citizens Bank Park welcomed the Savannah Bananas with a sold-out crowd. Instead of your typical baseball game, fans watched an experience full of backflip catches and men pitching and hitting on stilts.

The Bananas paid homage to Philadelphia with Philly-themed walk-up songs throughout the night and relived iconic Philly sports moments, including the Philly Special and the Tush Push.

The Bananas even had a 2008 Phillies reunion, with Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, and Ryan Howard entering the game.

When the Summer Olympics began in Paris, The Inquirer kept fans up-to-date by tracking more than 70 athletes with ties to the Philly region.

The medal tracker included more than 70 Olympians from around the area. The Inquirer also provided stories of the local athletes to watch at the Paralympics.

The Inquirer’s Olympic top 10 moments and stories included the U.S. rugby sevens’ miracle bronze medal, the rapid rise of Stephen Nedoroscik, and the U.S. women’s soccer team earning gold. Embiid also won a gold medal and Guerschon Yabusele later joined the Sixers after a breakout performance for France.

Following the success of the 2023 London Series, the MLB made its return with NL East rivals Phillies and New York Mets battling at London Stadium. Despite the Phillies splitting the series, Bryce Harper was electric, Phillies fans filled London Stadium, and the Phillie Phanatic stole the show.

But the Phillies weren’t the only Philly sports team to go international. The Eagles opened up their 2024 season in Brazil at Corinthians Arena against the Green Bay Packers. The Eagles reflected on the significance of the global spectacle.

Most of the 2023 collapse doesn’t fit the 2024 timeline of this list but it still needs to be discussed. The team started hot with a 10-1 record before they collapsed down the stretch — losing six of their last seven games, including an embarrassing 32-9 wild card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A lot of questions surrounded the Eagles and head coach Nick Sirianni after the loss. One of the main questions looming over the team ahead of the 2024 season: Would the Eagles great collapse of 2023 matter in 2024?

Russian phenom Matvei Michkov’s journey to the NHL arrived earlier than expected. Drafted seventh overall by the Flyers in 2023, Michkov had two more years left on his contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League and wasn’t projected to play in the States until at least the 2026-27 season.

In July, Michkov arrived at JFK airport, walking side-by-side with team president Keith Jones and general manager Danny Brière. Since then, the Russian forward has proved he’s a star in the making — on and off the ice. As of the final week of 2024, Michkov leads all rookies in points (27).

After Jason Kelce announced his retirement, it seemed like he appeared everywhere, from Sea Isle to celebrity golf tournaments to the Paris Olympics. But it didn’t stop there.

The former Eagles center has become more visible than ever thanks to television appearances, commercial deals, and a podcast valued at $100 million in New Heights. In case you haven’t seen it yet, Kelce is also a host on Monday Night Countdown; he’s been featured in Buffalo Wild Wings and Campbell’s Soup commercials and is an investor in Garage Beer.

Kelce also recently added late-night talk show host to his long list of roles he picked up post-retirement. Fans have even hosted a Jason Kelce look-alike contest in Philly.

The biggest weekend in professional wrestling returned to Philly for the first time in 25 years. The highly anticipated two-night event set a new gate record with 145,298 fans across both nights at Lincoln Financial Field.

Of course, the event had to add some Philly flair to the show with Kelce and Lane Johnson in attendance to assist Rey Mysterio, who performed in Eagles-themed ring gear. The Inquirer even featured Luke DiSangro, an Autistic wrestler, who helped both Kelce and Johnson prepare for the event.

WrestleMania XL arguably was one of the greatest WrestleManias of all time, with Cody Rhodes finishing the story over Roman Reigns to appearances from megastars such as The Rock and John Cena.

In a premier NBA free agency move, the Sixers signed nine-time NBA All-Star Paul George this offseason. George agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract to join the Sixers — declining his $48.7 million option with the Los Angeles Clippers.

After George signed with the Sixers, forming an All-Star trio with Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, Sixers fans had championship aspirations. Since George’s arrival, the All-Star — and the team — are still trying to find their footing.

In one of the most significant acquisitions of 2024, former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles. Since his arrival, the two-time Pro Bowler has put on an MVP-caliber season.

He impressed fans in his first game with the Eagles, finishing with 109 yards rushing and three touchdowns — including a “freak-show” catch. He’s continued to put up numbers, setting the franchise single-season rushing record, eclipsing LeSean McCoy’s record (1,607 yards) set in 2013..

During the Eagles’ 28-23 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Barkley continued to make heads turn after a memorable 14-yard gain that saw Barkley run through one tackle, spin off of another, and then hurdle over a player — backward. The move has even made its way onto the popular video game, Madden.