🦅 Fancy feast | Sports Daily Newsletter

What if I told you there was an Eagles tailgate serving up cuisine that most people pay a premium to receive at any fine dining establishment?

In what might be one of the coolest stories to grace the Inquirer sports section this week, I encourage you to take some time out this morning to check out what you might’ve actually smelled if you walked by Lot M on your way inside Lincoln Financial Field during any home game this season. Dylan Marck, a chef from Newark, Del., takes the roughly hour-long trek to the stadium to serve up everything from roasted Brussels sprouts to crab cakes to T-bone steaks and Ibérico pork chops.

His tailgates have gone from just one spot to a bit of a crowd that sometimes needs as many as six spots to contain. He’s fed celebrities and politicians and has a crew of regulars, one who told Inquirer writer Gabriela Carroll that “I eat better in a South Philly parking lot than I do anywhere else.”

Lots to get into on this chilly Thursday, but this one is my pick of the day for you.

Speaking of chill, we aren’t expected to get out of the 30s today on what’s supposed to be a breezy day around the region. Bundle up.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Could Paul George be returning to form? The high-profile offseason addition played one of his best games of the season on Tuesday, posting 29 points in a 110-104 Sixers win over the Charlotte Hornets. On the season, he averages only 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists. But that could be changing if he can fully recover after suffering two bone bruises to his left knee. The Sixers sure hope so as they try to emerge from the 5-14 record they took into Wednesday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Speaking of said change, it looked for naught in the Sixers’ 106-102 loss to the Magic at home. Rookie Jared McCain led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds. As for George? Zero as he sat out again, undoubtedly.

The Flyers have been playing good hockey of late (8-2-2 in their last 12) and people beyond Philadelphia have taken notice.

On Wednesday, three Flyers were picked to represent their respective countries at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off, the first best-on-best international hockey tournament since 2016. Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim will play for Canada while Rasmus Ristolainen will suit up for his native Finland. Add in John Tortorella, who will be an assistant coach for Team USA, and the Flyers will have four attendees.

The biggest surprise may be Sanheim, who has gone from trade bait to the team’s unquestioned No. 1 defenseman. How? Jackie Spiegel looked at Sanheim’s transformation over the past two years.

It comes down more to what Nick Sirianni did than what he wouldn’t say.

While he remained cagey about the status of tight end Dallas Goedert, who looks set to go on the injured reserve list after sustaining an apparent knee injury against Baltimore on Sunday, the Eagles signed tight end C.J. Uzomah to the active roster on Wednesday, a session Goedert missed with a knee injury he suffered last Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.

With Goedert sidelined, the tight end depth chart will once again begin with Grant Calcaterra filling in as the starter. In addition to Uzomah serving as the new deputy, the team also has E.J. Jenkins and newly signed fullback Khari Blasingame on the practice squad going into the final stretch of the regular season. Calcaterra has started eight of the Eagles’ 12 games this season, three of which came in October when Goedert missed time with a hamstring injury. Inquirer writer EJ Smith has the latest on the Eagles depth at the position.

Also, read about the Ravens receiver who has to dig deep in his pockets for refusing to play against the Eagles. Also, Cooper DeJean might need to change his number after that hit on Derrick Henry on Sunday.

He was much-hyped, and has much delivered. With five games to go in the 2024 regular season, Vic Fangio has the Eagles defense on pace to finish as one of the top statistical units in the NFL — an incredible ascent for a group that ranked toward the bottom of the league last year. The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane zooms in on the old-school, veteran coordinator, and explains why Fangio has not only been a perfect fit, but a driving force behind the Eagles’ postseason push. Listen here.

Dick Allen’s Hall of Fame case will be dissected Sunday for the third time in 10 years when a 16-person committee meets in Dallas. He needs to receive 12 votes from the Classic Era Committee to become a Hall of Famer. Allen, who died in 2020, fell one vote shy in each of his previous two chances with that committee. Allen has the numbers to fit into that room in Cooperstown. But it takes more than numbers to make it. You have to be special. And that’s how Allen has long been seen in Philadelphia. Sixty years ago, he grabbed hold of a generation and never let go.

Dec. 5, 1978: Free-agent slugger Pete Rose inked a four-year $32 million deal with the Phillies, making him the highest-paid player in MLB at the time.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

Any coach is only as good as his players permit him to be. For [new Temple head coach K.C.] Keeler to be successful, he will need to recruit (and pay) new and better players. The NIL system is a big drawback because Temple doesn’t appear to have the deep pockets as some of the other Division I schools. — Richard F.

Temple’s new coach is at least familiar with the recruiting landscape in the area as he has prior experience at Delaware. Not worried about the Xs and Os part of coaching as he has plenty of background in that area. We need players! — Bill B.

Great choice, eastern guy with head coaching experience, and a winning background. — Richard V.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gabriela Carroll, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Jackie Spiegel, Declan Landis, Lochlahn March, Keith Pompey, and Ariel Simpson.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading! We’ll be back in your inboxes tomorrow morning for the final Sports Daily of the week. — Kerith