The Ramos roundup is a weekly sports column highlighting all the news of the week featuring the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Union.
Eagles Fall to Commanders, Will Host Niners in Wildcard
The Eagles dropped a 24-17 decision to the Commanders on Sunday and will start their postseason defense of their Super Bowl title as the No. 3 seed in the NFC next weekend. Coach Nick Siranni opted to rest Jalen Hurts, Saqoun Barkley, wide receiver A.J. Brown and most of his team’s starters. Backup QB Tanner McKee went 21-of-40 for 241 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception in the loss.
The Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers next week on wildcard weekend with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m.
Sixers Clip Knicks 130-119 at MSG
The Sixers picked up their third straight win on Saturday, putting an exclamation mark at the end of a five-game roadtrip. Tyrese Maxey continued his stellar play, dropping 36 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid posted 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Finally, VJ Edgecombe recorded 26 points, four assists, two steals and two blocks as well.
The Sixers are 19-14 on the season are getting contributions from up and down the lineup. They should also be getting Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee LCL sprain) and Trendon Watford (left adductor sprain) back from injury sometime soon as well.
The Sixers return to action tonight, when they host the Denver Nuggets at the X. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.
Flyers Strike Oilers 5-2 to End Roadtrip
The Flyers completed a five-game, post-holiday roadtrip on Sunday with a victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Owen Tippett (1g, 1a) and Sean Couturier (2a) each registered multi-point games, while goaltender Dan Vladar was again strong in goal, stopping 22-of-24 shots attempts.
Moreover, the contest marked a special moment for rookie Denver Barkey, as he tallied his first NHL goal to open the scoring. Barkey, 20, has asserted himself well in his first seven NHL games. He’s found a home on a line with Tippett and Couturier and has shown a penchant for making quick plays both with and without the puck. It was nice to see him rewarded for that in the Edmonton game.
The Flyers will return home on Tuesday to begin a four-game homestand with the Anaheim Ducks.
Union Agree to Transfer Kai Wagner to Birmingham City F.C.
The Union continued their off-season makeover on Friday, announcing that the club reached a transfer agreement with English Football League side, Birmingham City F.C., for defender Kai Wagner in exchange for an undisclosed transfer fee. Wagner, 28, joins Jakob Glesnes and Tai Baribo as the latest veteran players on their way out of Philadelphia this winter.
Undoubtedly, Wagner has established himself as one of MLS’s best left backs since joining the league in 2019. He holds the club record for regular season assists with 56. Additionally, he has appeared in 204 games with the Union (198 starts), logging well over 17,000 minutes. Wagner is a three-time MLS All-Star and two-time MLS Best XI selection.
Though his departure is a surprise, it does fall in line with the Union’s organizational credo of focusing primarily on internal growth and development.
Rumor: Phillies Among Teams Interested in Bo Bichette
According to Jon Heyman on Saturday, the Phillies have emerged as a suitor for free agent shortstop Bo Bichette. the 27-year-old Bichette has a number of suitors, however, as Heyman also named the Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox and Blue Jays as teams with interest as well.
If the Phillies were to add Bichette, he would be an upgrade to their infield defense. However, with Trea Turner already playing at short, Bichette would be less of a fit for them. There would also have to be a deal made to find Bryson Stott or Alec Bohm a new home. Another wrinkle in a potential Bichette addition would be how much, if any, cash would be leftover to re-sign JT Realmuto. We’ll keep an eye on this.
