It’s been a frustrating few weeks for Philadelphia sports fans. Don’t ask us how we are. The answer will most likely be something along the lines of ‘not good’ or ‘leave me alone.’
Our beloved Birds lost at home on Jan. 11 to the lower-seeded San Francisco 49ers in a 23-19 upset. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong—the offense, the defense, and the coaching.
I went into the game with relatively low expectations. The only thing I was excited about during game time was the buffalo chicken dip I was going to eat. Realistically, I didn’t expect another trip to the Super Bowl this year, but I would have preferred we weren’t eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
The high-salaried Eagles’ offense that took the team to a Super Bowl win last year fell short in almost every game this season. It’s been embarrassing to watch all season. The lack of enthusiasm and energy among offensive players has caused frustrations to spread throughout the fandom.
Kicker Jake Elliot, whom I praised for his performance in the Super Bowl last year, missed a field goal attempt in the first quarter, losing the chance to tie the game at 7-7. It all went downhill from there. Wide receiver A.J. Brown dropped three critical passes from quarterback Jalen Hurts, who had an average performance all season. The performance of the usually-reliable running back Saquon Barkley was unremarkable. And when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, our defense gave up the game-winning touchdown on a ten-play 49ers drive.
I really have nothing else to add. It simply was a boring game.
Looking for someone to blame, fans turned their eyes to offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Two days later, on Jan. 13, head coach Nick Sirianni released a statement announcing that Patullo was removed from his position. The role has yet to be filled, and we will see what happens in the next few months.
Onto the Phillies. With the countdown to spring training well underway, the team has been making moves and spending money.
In great news, the Phillies re-signed designated hitter Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150 million contract in early Dec. Now 32, Schwarber will be 37 by the end of his contract. 37 is considered old in the baseball world, and I expect he will retire as a Phillie. Other teams offered Schwarber competitive offers, but for him, it was always Philly.
Additionally, after losing out on free-agent infielder Bo Bichette to division rivals the New York Mets, the team re-signed catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract. If signed by the Phillies, the highly coveted Bichette would have drastically shifted the infield dynamic, and they likely would not have had the money to re-sign Realmuto.
And now what all Phillies fans were dreading. Pitcher Ranger Suárez, a free agent at the end of last season, signed with the Boston Red Sox for five years. With the loss of Suárez, a diminishing Aaron Nola, and Zack Wheeler still recovering from a surgery he had over the summer, the pitchers’ starting rotation is looking bleak.
Other Phillies updates include definite changes in the outfield. Former Phillie and free-agent Max Kepler was suspended for eighty games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). It seems unlikely that any team will sign him now.
The team is still expected to release right-fielder Nick Castellanos. Apparently, they’ve been practically ‘begging’ for another team to take him.
Another big loss in the outfield is free agent Harrison Bader, who joined the Phillies halfway through the 2025 season. He signed with the San Francisco Giants on Jan. 26 for two years.
After re-signing Realmuto, they also released outfielder and Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (the highest minor league affiliate of the Phillies) legend, Weston Wilson, who has since signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
Ahead of the 2026 season, the player I’m keeping my eye on is Otto Kemp, an all-around guy who has played for the Iron Pigs since 2024. After a breakout performance with the Phillies last season when they were looking for help, he seems to have captured the hearts of the coaching staff and fans alike. I hope he sticks around.
As if I didn’t have enough Philly sports teams to be disappointed by, I took more of an interest in the Flyers over winter break. Upset by the Eagles and missing Phillies baseball, I needed something else to watch. Enter: the Philadelphia Flyers, who promptly went on a six-game loss streak as soon as I began to watch. Since then, they’ve won two, but still seem shaky.
At least I still have Gritty, the Flyers’ ridiculous, orange, googly-eyed mascot.
