The best Philly sports stories of the week
Why isn't there a pro women's sports team in Philly? What makes Tony DeAngelo so controversial? Can anyone slow down Kyle Schwarber? We look back at the week's top stories.
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From the fallout of NBA free agency to an NHL draft that included a big trade for the Flyers, it’s been a busy week. And that doesn’t even take into account the only team actually in-season: the Bryce Harper-less Phillies, who have suddenly found themselves back in a playoff spot thanks to some improved pitching and a red-hot Kyle Schwarber.
With so much news, you probably couldn’t follow it all — or at least didn’t have time to read everything you wanted. Fear not. We’re back with our weekly roundup of the biggest and best stories of the week, and it’s certainly going to include a few stories you missed.
Without any further ado, let’s dive right in with Jonathan Tannenwald’s in-depth story on why Philadelphia doesn’t have a major professional women’s sports team and, perhaps more importantly, what needs to happen to get one.
You could barely inbound a pass at a WNBA arena without hitting someone who wants a team in Philadelphia. There’s been chatter for years about it, from players such as Broomall’s Natasha Cloud all the way up to Collingswood-born commissioner Cathy Englebert. ...
Another locally bred star in the league, North Philly’s Kahleah Copper, also wants to see a team in her hometown.
“There’s a lot of young girls and there’s a lot of women’s basketball fans in Philly who would love to see that team and who would love to support that team,” said Copper, who will play in the All-Star Game (1 p.m. Sunday, 6abc) at the same Chicago arena where she led the Sky to last year’s WNBA title. “So I’m definitely an advocate for it. I would love to see a team in Philly. It would be amazing for the city.”
We’ll hear from Englebert on Sunday morning, when she holds a news conference just over an hour before tipoff. — Jonathan Tannenwald
So why hasn’t a team arrived? How can the Sixers help? And what other pro leagues have a chance at expansion in Philly? Read Jonathan’s story for much more.
What you need to know
The NHL draft is in the books, with the Flyers officially adding five players on Day 2, in addition to fifth-overall pick Cutter Gauthier in Thursday night’s first round. But the big news for the Flyers on Friday was their acquisition of Tony DeAngelo in a trade with the Hurricanes. Philly parted with three draft picks for the controversial defenseman.
With the younger Sixers out in Las Vegas for their second summer league of the offseason, James Harden, who previously opted out of his $47.3 million deal for 2022, took a substantial pay cut to re-sign in Philly and help out the team in free agency.
The Phillies pitching staff has successfully deployed a NSFW approach to the game, but the biggest story for the club continues to be Kyle Schwarber, who has carried over a red-hot June into July. The slugger’s legendary power has been on full display, as he has put up some incredible numbers during this hot streak.
Speaking of the Phillies, the MLB trade deadline is fast approaching. Bryce Harper, who is still hoping to return from thumb surgery this season, is expecting some reinforcements at the deadline. So, what could some potential trades look like for the Phillies?
We’re in the doldrums of the football offseason, but we’ve still got some fresh content for you, including Josh Tolentino’s story on “nasty” rookie offensive lineman Cam Jurgens and Mike Sielski’s look at how the Eagles’ depth on the offensive line is once again going to be key for them. And speaking of depth, E.J. Smith broke down the Birds’ depth chart.
It was a busy week for college conference realignment news, and Mike Jensens believes all the chaos could be good for Temple.
Matt Breen caught up with Downingtown native and USMNT goalie Zack Steffen, who was in North Philly to give back to kids at a local Boys and Girls Club.
In light of Bryce Harper’s injury — and the countless others that local fans have watched their favorite players suffer — Isabella DiAmore took a look at some of the worst Philly sports injuries of all time.
Paul VI’s Hannah Hidalgo, one of the nation’s top recruits, will be bringing her basketball talents to the international stage when she represents the United States at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.
Worth the time …
Each week, we highlight a story here that might have felt a little long to commit to during the week but is absolutely worth the time. This time, it’s the latest installment in our Icons series from Olivia Reiner, focusing on former Flyer and Hockey Hall of Famer Eric Lindros, who changed the course of the franchise when he arrived 30 years ago.
Long before Lindros became an NHL star and Philadelphia icon, he was “The Next One,” a prospect so highly touted as a teenager that 30 years ago, two teams traded for him at the same time.
In the summer of 1989, then-Flyers head coach Paul Holmgren and general manager Bob Clarke traveled to Ontario to scout several players at a Hockey Canada camp leading up to the 1990 World Juniors. Sixteen-year-old Lindros, who played for the Metro Junior B St. Michael’s Buzzers at the time, physically stuck out “like a sore thumb” among his peers, Holmgren said.
But Holmgren wasn’t wowed by Lindros’ size alone. Unlike other gangly 16-year-olds whom Holmgren scouted in the past, Lindros boasted a rare sense of coordination.
“That’s the first time I’d seen Eric, I don’t know if Bob had seen him before or not,” Holmgren said. “But Clarkie, I remember him saying vividly, ‘Oh, we’ve got to figure out a way to get this guy.’” — Olivia Reiner
You can read Olivia’s full story, here.