🏀 Let the Madness begin | Sports Daily Newsletter

My family will tell you, for the last week or so, I’ve been walking around my house humming the CBS March Madness jingle, doing stepbacks, and pulling up on imaginary rims. Shadow dunks on anyone who dares to walk through an entryway of any kind in front of me.

It’s March. I can’t help it.

I’m dating myself, but I’ve been hooked on college basketball since the Fab Five. I can vividly recall St. Joseph’s magical run in 2004 and how Phil Martelli, Jameer Nelson, and Delonte West captivated an entire city.

That’s what brings us to my top suggested read of the day. It has to do with St. Joseph’s but not on the men’s side, but the women who, despite another strong season, missed out on the NCAA women’s tournament. A consolation is the No. 1 seed in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, which tips off tonight for the Hawks inside Hagan Arena (7 p.m., ESPN+).

If you don’t already know the name, then let Inquirer writer Gina Mizell introduce you to St. Joe’s guard Laura Ziegler, the catalyst of the Hawks’ impressive season-long campaign and a major reason they’re a favorite to win the WBIT. In this piece, Ziegler talks about the divine intervention that landed her at St. Joe’s, why she’s chosen to stay instead of chasing NIL dollars, and what’s next in what has been a phenomenal career to date.

As the tournament gets underway today, we also invite you to check out our host of features, stories, analysis, and much more.

It’s all good stuff. Thank me later.

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, [email protected].

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❓Which team do you have winning it all in your bracket? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

You read that correctly: there is a proposal on the table fueled once again by the Green Bay Packers to effectively ban the Eagles’ signature goal line play.

On the table, the Packers have asked for an amendment to the NFL rule book that would prohibit an offensive player from pulling a runner with the football in any direction, from using another player as essentially a shield (what is blocking then?), and from pushing or throwing his body into a teammate to aid him in an attempt to obstruct an opponent or to recover a loose ball.

Now, as the Inquirer’s Jeff Neiburg writes, the proposal is in front of the NFL’s competition committee, to render a final verdict.

After you’ve finished laughing hysterically, check out Jeff’s other story on Zack Baun, who after securing a restructured deal is all in on the Eagles.

The 2024-25 NBA season hasn’t turned out as 76ers fans hoped. The team entered the year with sky-high expectations after signing Paul George and creating its own Big Three that included Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Instead of contending for a title, the Sixers are competing in the tank race with hopes of landing a top prospect. So it’s time to lock in on the NCAA Tournament for three weeks of basketball madness. Here are 10 players worth watching during the tournament.

Taijuan Walker had a rough outing against the Yankees on Wednesday, allowing six earned runs on nine hits in 3⅔ innings. But he will get another opportunity to start before spring concludes, and a role in the rotation is still on the table. Manager Rob Thomson said starter Ranger Suárez reported feeling stiffness in his back on Sunday night, a day after throwing four innings in an intrasquad game. Suárez underwent testing, and the Phillies will know more about his readiness for opening day in the next few days. Thomson said the injury is “not quite as bad” as the back soreness that kept him sidelined for nearly a month in 2024. His next spring start on Friday will be moved back.

Matt Strahm’s bullpen session went well, and how his shoulder feels in the coming days will determine whether he will be in the mix for the opening-day bullpen.

Next: The Phillies head to Northport, Fla., to visit the Braves at 1:05 p.m. (MLB Network). Nabil Crismatt will get the start.

Alex Ovechkin has tormented all 32 NHL teams on his way to 877 career goals … and the Flyers have been one of his favorite victims. The Russian’s 51 goals in 77 games against the Flyers are tied for the second-highest total he has scored against any franchise, and Thursday provides yet another chance for him to add to that tally.

With Ovechkin on the precipice of history — he’s just eight goals shy of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record of 894 goals — Jackie Spiegel talked to Flyers goalies past and present, all of whom are Ovechkin victims themselves, about what makes “The Great 8″ such a nightmare to stop.

March 20, 1954: La Salle wins the NCAA men’s basketball championship after a 92-76 defeat of Bradley. Most outstanding player of that game? The famed Tom Gola.

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

A challenging question for dedicated fans, using a word jumble ideal if connected to a big sports moment featured above.

We asked: What is your favorite Graham moment from his NFL career?

His strip sack of [Tom] Brady was awesome! I’ll never forget the look on Brady’s face … Thank you, Brandon we couldn’t have done it without you! Enjoy your retirement you definitely earned it!!! — Jane L.

Brandon Graham has many outstanding moments during his 15-year career with the Eagles, but nothing came close to the now famous “strip-sack” that took down the NFL’s greatest Super Bowl quarterback. Had he not done that it could have been another magical comeback for Brady and the Patriots. It goes down with the Philly-Philly, the Tush-Push, the 1960 Championship win over Lombardi, and this year’s incredible destruction of the Chiefs as a never-to-be-forgotten moment in Philly sports history. Graham was a first round draft choice out of Michigan who at first was thought by many to have been a bad choice. Staying for 15 years with an NFL team today is an amazing stat in itself. He played for five different Philly coaches, played in three Super Bowls while winning two of them, and now retires as a Philly legend. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Gina Mizell, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Kerith Gabriel, Jason Nark, and Susan Snyder.

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.

Hey, enjoy this glorious first day of spring. Jim returns tomorrow to close out your week. — Kerith