When is Bryce Harper's statue going up outside Citizens Bank Park? His first days as a Phillie couldn't be going better and the city is loving it.
Related: Bryce Harper: 10 highlights from Opening Weekend
Whether it's his pregame routine of bowing to the crowd, pumping his fist and throwing a ball to the third deck, or brilliant Instagram posts and dramatic curtain calls, Harper is proving he's as much a showman as he is a baseball player, and he's a pretty darn good baseball player. Philadelphia loves athletes who produce and share their personality at the same time. Harper is doing that, and then some.
The most amazing part of the 26-year-old's persona is his how he's embraced the city, one that's going to be his home until he's nearly 40. For seven seasons he was the enemy at a division rival down the turnpike in DC. Now, by his choice, he left "The Dark Side."
Can you imagine Sidney Crosby as a Flyer? Or Eli Manning as an Eagle? Remember, Manning is the guy who just highlighted how a nine-year-old Eagles fan gave him the double bird. Could you ever fathom Larry Bird and Magic Johnson leaving the Celtics and Lakers during their prime to wear Sixers blue? What about the other way around, and a fan favorite like Joel Embiid deciding to head to Boston in free agency? This city would cry and tear down Wells Fargo Center at the same time. Then, they'd head to Camden and do the same to the same to Sixers headquarters.
What Harper is rare, but it's happening and his initiation to Philadelphia is fitting like a glove already well broken in.
And the best part about this whole equation is Phillies baseball is back. Over 130,476 fans attended the season opening series against the Braves, the most to attend the first three games of a season at Citizens Bank Park since 2012 (135,684). A lot of that has to do with "The Harper Effect," as ticket sales went through the roof immediately after word broke during spring training that he hopping on Air Middleton to go to Clearwater.
Remember when Phillies games were a nightly and daily party, whether you were at the ballpark, watching on TV or listening to your radio? That's what 2019 is going to be like…and 2020…and 2021…and 2022…and all the way through 2031.
Enjoy.
Sixers Resting Embiid is Smart
I can't believe I wrote that headline, but I did. Usually I'm not one to think resting players for more than one game is a good thing, but this actually makes sense. While it's not ideal for Joel Embiid to be missing the entirety of the Sixers three-game road trip, they are somewhat comfortably in the three-seed with six regular season games left.
Heading to Monday night's game against the Mavericks, the Sixers lead the Celtics and Pacers by 4 1/2 games for third place in the East, with a five-game cushion in the loss column. The Sixers remaining games are against Dallas, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, Miami and Chicago. Don't be mistaken, none of these are cake walks, especially given how the Hawks and Bulls recently played against the Sixers, and the fact that the Heat are fighting for a playoff spot in Dwyane Wade's swan song. But, minus Milwaukee and maybe Miami, the rest of winnable games without Embiid, who is getting precautionary rest for load management purposes as he recently returned from a lengthy absence due to left knee soreness.
It's important to make sure Embiid is good to go for the playoffs, so as long as he plays three of the remaining six games, his conditioning should be good enough.
Now, you can make the fair argument that the Sixers played him too much prior to the All-Star break, but remember that daunting 12-game stretch the Sixers went 7-5 during? There was a lot of debate about the condition of his back around that time. If the Sixers rested him during a lot of those 12-games, which they did in a loss to Denver, they might not have finished with the record they did. It was critical time during their season when they needed to prove they could compete with the best.
Fast forward to the present day, there should be nothing to worry about with Embiid's status for the postseason. This is a smart move by the Sixers.
Claude Giroux Captain Worthy?
Claude Giroux and a great player and a tremendous Flyer who's almost a lock to be considered a legend down the road when his playing days are done. Giroux took over the captaincy in 2013, and since then the Flyers haven't won a playoff series, with Giroux often disappearing during some of those.
The Flyers season costing slow start falls on the shortcomings of former General Manager Ron Hextall and former head coach Dave Hakstol. If they would've played half as bad as they did before the team's amazing rally, the Flyers would be in the playoffs next week. Instead, their final game is Saturday.
The team was eliminated from playoff contention this past Saturday, and then played like it on Sunday, a listless 3-0 loss to the Rangers at Wells Fargo Center. Interim coach Scott Gordon shouldn't be blamed for that performance, or the struggles in recent weeks. He, along with Carter Hart, are the reasons the Flyers got back into the race.
Rather, I turn to the captain when the team puts together an uninspiring effort like the did against New York less than a day after getting eliminated from contention.
A decision will need to be made about who the full-time head coach will be starting next season. Gordon will either be rewarded for the job he's done, or it will go to someone else. Stanley Cup winning head coach Joel Quenneville is often talked about.
In addition to head coach, it might not hurt for the Flyers to think about a different captain. That doesn't mean the Flyers should try to move Giroux. He's their best player. But, the playoff success simply isn't there. That's how great players are measured. Ever since Peter Laviollete called Giroux "the best player in the world," Giroux hasn't stacked up with the game's best, and neither have the Flyers.
Something needs to change beyond the head coach and general manager.
