Hey Philadelphia, it’s good to be the reigning NFC champions, as well as the returning National League champions. Let’s keep that good mojo going in 2023. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni hopes to take the first step on that journey when he throws out the ceremonial first pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies.
That’s right. Sirianni will take the mound at Citizens Bank Park for the home opener in what is sure to be a rowdy atmosphere. The Phillies will take on the Cincinnati Reds on April 6 at 3:05 p.m. in their first game in front of the hometown fans since losing the World Series. The baseball team will also send third-grader Vincent Ardito, a cardiac care patient from Nemours Children’s Health, out to throw a second ceremonial first pitch. The game was already sold out.
Nick Sirianni will be throwing out the first pitch at Thursday’s Phillies opener. (Note: Not this ball.)
Sirianni, of course, threw his support behind the Phillies throughout their wild playoff run last season. He often wore a logoed red hoodie in press conferences and talked about how much he admired the Phillies, especially after watching Game 4 of the NLCS. They slugged four home runs in a 10-6 win in that one.
“It’s fun. I’m glad to say now I’m a Phillies fan,” Sirianni told reporters on October 26. “That Saturday night game was fun. That was fun. I didn’t watch any college football that night. That’s what I watched, the Phillies game. A lot of fun to watch. That’s a fun team.
“Man, I just look at that team and I think about the way they connect with each other, because you want to emulate good teams and you want to see what makes good teams good teams. They connect with each other. They’re always celebrating together. It’s fun to watch.”
Sirianni Forging Relationship with Doc Rivers
Sirianni has also been keeping tabs on the Philadelphia 76ers in recent weeks. He and Doc Rivers have forged a strong relationship dating back to last year, with Rivers revealing the two coaches keep in contact via text message. Now Sirianni has put the word out that he wants Rivers and the Sixers to join him at the Eagles practice facility for a shootaround.
“I want to get a hold of Doc before, well before a game, and maybe bring them over and shoot a little bit with them,” Sirianni told reporters at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix. “And they need to know, too, that I’m the best shooter on the team, on the coaching staff. I’m looking forward to a playoff basketball game or something like that, that we’ll all go to. Doc said that we were going to get to the Super Bowl, so maybe we go see them in the NBA Finals. That’s what I’ll say.”
The casual get together would have to happen between April 9 and April 15. Those are the dates between the end of the regular season and play-in tournament in the NBA. The Sixers have already clinched a postseason berth as they jockey for final seeding.
Eagles Looking to Draft Jalen Carter?
There is more smoke around the rumors of the Eagles taking Jalen Carter in the first round. First, it was reported that the Georgia stud was scheduled for an official visit to South Philly and now speculation is he will be the 10th overall pick (owned by the Eagles) if he’s still on the board. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah took an “educated guess” on Philly’s best intentions.
Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) says he believes that the #Eagles assured Jalen Carter they would be selecting him if still there at #10, and that that is his “educated guess” of why Carter isn’t taking any meetings outside of the Top 10.
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Eagles Coach Nick Sirianni Accepts Important New Position