Highlights from Super Bowl LIX Opening Night

Happy Tuesday! Five more sleeps until Super Bowl Sunday.

The big game pageantry is already underway in New Orleans, where the Eagles and Chiefs were made available to the media Monday night. We’ll loop you in on the highlights.

In Sixers world, is there a chance the team can escape Paul George’s contract this season? A credible source thinks it’s possible.

You’ll find all of that, a new reason to boo umpires, a very special “This Day in Philly Sports,” and our usual odds and ends in today’s newsletter. Let’s jump in.

In the email today:

• 🏆 Highlights from Super Bowl LIX Opening Night

• 🧳 Shams Charania floated a Paul George trade rumor

• 🔥 MLB fires umpire for sharing online gambling account with baseball bettor

  • 📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

  • 📊 Poll

  • 🔗 Links

  • 📺 Coming Up

Monday was Super Bowl LIX Opening Night (a/k/a media night)! The excitement was palpable!

Well, maybe not for Jalen Hurts.

Hurts fulfilled his media-related obligations, but gave the impression that his mind was elsewhere. The man is on a mission. Just get him to Sunday.

Elsewhere, center Cam Jurgens gave the health update Birds fans were hoping to hear:

But one of the most intriguing sound bites of the night came not from a player, but from owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Asked about the possibility of building a dome over Lincoln Financial Field (or possibly some future Eagles stadium), Lurie seemed open to the idea.

“You're torn," said Lurie. “I love outdoor football. I love it. I love the cold games, I like the hot games, I like the snow games.

“On the other hand, Philadelphia deserves to host a Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, lots of great events. It's an incredible sports city. Does it deserve that? Yes. So, gotta balance all those things."

A few other Eagles items you may have missed Monday over on 🚦THE Philly Sports Website:

• Packers president says 'no skill involved' in Tush Push; advocates for it to be banned

• Here's some evidence it could be an Eagles-heavy crowd at Super Bowl LIX 

• Yes, it's Super Bowl week. But have you considered Myles Garrett?

• 'I think New York needs a quarterback,' deadpans Saquon Barkley in response to Jameis Winston question

In July of last year, the decision to give Paul George a four-year contract worth $212M was questionable, but defensible.

George had just turned 34. His numbers fell off a bit in the 2023-2024 season from where they had been, but he was coming off two straight All-Star selections. Teaming George up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey looked promising.

It hasn’t worked out. George’s contract looks like another Al Horford-esque albatross for the franchise. The Sixers couldn’t get lucky enough to move George, could they?

Trade rumors are often not worth spending too much time on, but in this instance we are willing to make an exception.

The Warriors might just be desperate enough to do something like this. Like the Sixers, the Dubs are on the play-in fringes. Adding a piece like George probably gives them enough to slip into the playoffs and give Steph Curry another postseason run.

Unlike the Sixers, the Warriors’ centerpiece (Curry) is healthy. With Embiid’s availablility this season in perpetual doubt, if the Sixers can hit rewind on the George deal they have to at least consider doing so.

What could the Sixers demand in return? Quite literally, who cares? If George can be talked into making a move to a contender, the Sixers have to do whatever they can to make it happen.

Mind you, we really don’t think this is going to happen. But isn’t it pretty to think so?

Major League Baseball umpire Pat Hoberg lost his job for sharing online betting accounts with a professional poker player whom MLB held Hoberg “should have known bet on baseball.”

Hoberg denied ever betting on baseball. Moreover, “data provided by sportsbooks doesn’t show any baseball bets from his devices, and MLB found no evidence that he manipulated the outcome of any games.”

Hoberg was actually intially fired on May 31, 2024, when MLB received information indicating that Hoberg had opened a sports betting account with a sportsbook in his own name.

The investigation that followed determined that Hoberg actually used his own electronic device to access the wagering account of the baseball bettor.

It would be easy to shrug at this outcome, but this really isn’t an easily replaceable functionary we’re talking about. Hoberg is considered by some “one of the best umpires in the game.”

Hoberg was understandably contrite, particularly because at age 38, he’s probably hoping to earn reinstatement in 2026 (when he is first eligible to apply).

It remains to be seen whether MLB will seriously consider giving Hoberg the keys again. Baseball tolerates a great deal of bad behavior, but even the suggestion of gambling causes the hammer to fall hard.

Then again, as woeful as umpiring has been in MLB for some time, losing one of the few umpires who reliably called good games might be a step too far for the league.

📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

On February 4, 2018, Eagles fans’ Super bowl prayers were finally answered.

📊 Poll

Results from Monday:

🔗 Links

• 💍 Saquon Barkley announced his engagement to his longtime girlfriend Anna Congdon.

• 🌴 The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers visited the White House.

• 🦅 Josh Sweat changed agents in advance of his free agency.

• 🐏 Cooper Kupp’s time as a Ram appears to be over.

• 🏈 Roger Goodell called the idea that referees are in the bag for the Chiefs a “ridiculous theory.”

📺 Coming Up

Games before our next send.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

• Sixers vs. Mavericks, 7:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia+)

• Flyers at Utah Hockey Club, 9:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.

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