Jul 23, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs a practice drill during training camp at NovaCare Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Getting away from the world of Philadelphia sports for a week was refreshing.
Oh, I stayed in tune while I was sitting poolside in Key West drinking my frozen beverages, or was sitting at Ernest Hemmingway's favorite watering hole listening to live music while keeping my eyes glued to the muted television that was locked on to ESPN.
But it was nice to get away from the sports noise. The ever-changing opinions. The mood swings. The melodrama of it all.
There were results. Yes. There were headlines, sure. There was analysis ingested, of course.
But it was like Philly Sports Lite - and it was glorious. I recommend trying it sometime.
But now that I'm back, it's right back to the well.
Here we are debating training camp stats again. Here we are with people worried about Jalen Hurts because he hasn't thrown enough touchdowns in practice.
Should We Be Worried About Jalen Hurts’ Rough Training Camp? https://t.co/dBH528xVXs
— Joe Giglio (@JoeGiglioSports) August 14, 2025
Cue A.I. - and we're not talkin' artificial intelligence, here.
No, we're talking about practice. Not a game. We're talking about practice.
Thanks, O.G. A.I.
Here's one thing that I've learned about preseason, training camp, spring training, whatever you want to call it for any sport - 95% of the things that are discussed publicly at these times of year ultimately don't matter one iota.
Let's flash back, shall we?
At this time, last year, was anyone thinking of the Eagles as having the most dominant defense in football and becoming a run-first, ball-control offense? Was there even a thought that the Eagles, coming off a horrific collapse in 2023, would be the best team in football and win their second Super Bowl?
Nope.
Instead, it was all about how long Nick Sirianni would keep his job. It was all about if Vic Fangio was past his prime as a defensive guru and how Herculean the task was to fix a defense that melted down a season earlier. And the offense, if it was going to save the Eagles, needed a consistent passing game from Hurts since general Howie Roseman had provided him with all the best skill-position toys for the passing game.
How did all those stories pan out?
Look, I get it. I've been there. As a reporter covering a team, you have to find stuff to write about. You are there every day and some times, there just isn't anything newsworthy. So what do you do, you start digging for something, anything. And the more you dig, the further you go and you realize, this hole in the earth was already there before, dug out by a rabbit, and you just wandered down their hole.
When you finally re-emerge, you can't have wasted time, so you need to put those efforts to use. As such, you start leaning on useless data. You start raising unnecessary questions. You start creating new narratives that may not actually jive with what's happening.
But hey, you got through another day, and you wake up the next day and hope for a better story to emerge. If it does, great. If not, then rinse, wash and repeat.
But everyone gets sucked into that trap. Very rarely are the storylines from the preseason ever relevant once things get cooking.
How many training camp darlings have there been? Guys who light it up when the games don't count and you are screaming for the team to utilize that player when they do. And then, that player is nowhere to be found.
Hopefully the other Eagles receivers can learn a thing or two about catching from Paul Turner pic.twitter.com/um5yBNHjSV
Here we are in August of a major league baseball season. How many narratives from Spring Training back in February and March are even relevant right now? How about that "July-ish" plan for Andrew Painter? How about the Phillies change in approach to stop chasing pitches? How about the debate over whether Kyle Schwarber or Bryson Stott should lead off for the Phillies? Where are any of those stories today for a team leading the N.L. East by five games with the second-best record in the sport?
Only one thing matters in these weeks before a regular season begins - health. Phillies manager Rob Thomson is always right when he talks both in Spring Training and even during the regular season that his No. 1 priority needs to be keeping his players healthy.
Because if you don't have them healthy when you are playing the most meaningful games at season's end and in the postseason, then what does it matter what they did before then?
It's no different in football, basketball or hockey. Health is all that matters in the preseason.
The Eagles seemed to dodge a bullet with Landon Dickerson's injury as an example of one that could have cost him a whole season but now won't. Make no mistake, getting players physically ready to play regular season games is the sole purpose of the preseason.
Sure, there's always going to be battles for bottom of the roster spots, and those are fun to watch, but even those are mostly decided before exhibition games are played.
Finish getting in shape. Have meetings about strategies and game-planning. Allow for time for repetitions to strengthen muscle memory and improve decision-making.
And for God's sake, stay healthy.
Therefore, who gives a damn what your touchdown to interception ratio is at the NovaCare Complex. It's pointless drivel.
Here's why Philadelphia fans are the best.
Down in Key West, we were sitting at a bar called Willie T's (not named after former Eagles linebacker William Thomas, but still - great mojitos and margaritas, if you go) on Monday night after the Phillies beat the Reds. A couple guys walked up to order drinks. While they were waiting, they started talking about the game. One guy was pumped about Kyle Schwarber's 42nd home run. He proclaimed to his buddy that the Phillies were finally shaping into form and were on their way to winning a World Series.
On Tuesday night, we were walking back to our resort and a guy was walking in front of us waring a throwback John Kruk batting practice jersey. He and his wife stopped to duck into CVS, but as we passed, I complimented him on the jersey.
He looked back at me, and with a look of pure disgust said, "Shame they aren't winning a damn thing this year with the sucky offense."
It was the same guy from the bar the night before.
Of course, the Phillies had just lost 6-1 to the Reds.
Speaking of the Phillies, they have a four-game series against Washington that starts tonight. But the game I'm going to be focused on is Sunday. That's when it's likely Aaron Nola will rejoin the rotation.
The Phillies haven't announced anything specific yet, but it's really looking like that's going to be the case. How Nola pitches will help shape how the Phillies move forward with their rotation.
Will the Phillies go to a six-man rotation with Aaron Nola expected to return soon?@jonmorosi | #MLBCentral pic.twitter.com/wB9s0KOlWt
Will they go with a six-man slate for a stretch to help manage innings for Ranger Suarez and Jesus Luzardo, while giving Zack Wheeler and his suddenly iffy shoulder situation an extra day? Or will they move someone out of the rotation?
Taijuan Walker would seemingly be the first, but not so fast. He's looked sharp in the second half. Maybe its Suarez, who has struggled, or Luzardo, who has been either really good or really bad.
A lot will be determined by how Nola looks upon his return. His first test won't be a big one against the lowly Nats, but it could still be a sign. Of all four games this weekend, that one matters most for what September, and ultimately October, will look like.
And if Nola pitches like he did last year, and not like he did at the beginning of the season, you can almost book him being the Game 3 starter in a playoff series.
Midweek Musings, or as some call it, "The Old Man Column," is a weekly opinion written by Anthony SanFilippo.
