August 23, 2016
Chris Szagola (left), Kim Raff/AP
Led by young stars Shayne Gostisbehere and Ben Simmons, the Flyers and Sixers shouldn't make us so reliant on the Eagles this fall.
Heading hard toward Labor Day, there is a different dynamic around Philadelphia sports than there has been in the waning days of recent summers.
Sure enough, the Eagles are always the No. 1 concern … and the No. 1 story. However, they are not the only team heading into a season with a sense of anticipation.
It’s hardly like the glory days of the Phillies, when the green team actually had to play in the shadow of postseason baseball. It’s not THAT extreme, but for the first time in a while, it’s not all-in with the Eagles to the exclusion of all the rest.
In fact, there is a building anticipation for both the 76ers and the Flyers as they head into their own stages of their respective rebuilds. It could even be suggested that there is more of a sense of anticipation about the Sixers’ season than that of the Eagles.
Whoa!
In this day and age of the NFL steamrolling everything in its wake – even, it seems, a presidential election – you would think it would be absurd that a basketball team that has reached historic levels of ineptitude in recent times can steal even the smallest slice of interest from the Eagles.
But, that’s the case. Instead, there will be lots of attention on the Sixers as they open camp with a supposedly healthy Joel Embiid and first-overall pick Ben Simmons, and with the Flyers as they hit the ice with young core players such as Shayne Gostisbehere and presumably, Ivan Provorov.
Sixers coach Brett Brown has basically suggested that Embiid is on the fast track to recovery from his foot problems. Granted, he will always literally be one foot away from another injury, but Brown certainly sounds optimistic that Embiid is ready to hit the floor running.
And Simmons?
Well, Simmons has already put on a show. Okay, so that show was on an intramural stage in a rookie summer league, but what a show – of passing and court presence – it was.
It was a great appetizer of what all Philadelphia fans are seeing as great things in the future of this long-woeful franchise. You mix in Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel and … well, you get the picture. This is actually going to be something to watch on the floor rather than on a blueprint buried a desk drawer in the general manager’s office.
And when the hardcourt is removed from the Wells Fargo Center, the ice will be a showcase for some outstanding young talent on the Flyers. There are big expectations for the first full season of Gostisbehere, who won over the imagination of all hockey fans with a magical rookie campaign.
The Ghost quickly became a fan favorite, giving the Flyers that element of a trap-busting, speedy, playmaking defenseman that has been missing for so long. And his work with captain Claude Giroux provided an immediate jolt of excitement, especially on the power play.
Making this even more enticing is the assumption that Provorov will arrive this season, giving the Flyers a young defense that will be the envy of most organizations. Expect general manager Ron Hextall to sort of pump the brakes on these expectations, but once the fans and his teammates get a first-hand look at this kid, there will be not stopping the excitement level.
To a much lesser extent, you can even throw the Phillies into this equation, at least compared to a year go when they were not only long dead but offered fans little in their September coming attractions. This fall, there will be many eyes on a class of kids who could get the call-up for a preview of what should be much better times to come.
There will also likely be the final farewells to legendary power hitter Ryan Howard and fan favorite Carlos Ruiz, the last embers of that great era of not too long ago.
The irony here is that the Eagles also have a player who represents a brighter future in quarterback Carson Wentz.
But the Eagles have decided that might actually be able to make a run at the division so Sam Bradford is back as the quarterback, and the club has also given a rookie head coach a formidable defense, and plugged some notable holes as they try to bridge the gap to the Wentz era with a hope to play in the postseason.
The bubble-wrap strategy has already been nicked as Wentz suffered injured ribs in the first preseason game, but fans are hopeful they can see him again the final preseason game next week. In the meantime, Bradford will lead the first team through at least a half this week against the Colts, and we should all have a better idea of whether the offense can do at least its share to improve the general outlook for this season.
If not, well there will be help on the way in the shape of the sneakers and skates of the winter teams.
