Sixers season ticket holders are angry, Doug Pederson isn't living up to his reputation, and other thoughts

First and final thoughts…

There has been a swirl of questions and public frustration surrounding the 76ers this season, all stemming from three factors: Joel Embid‘s health, his absence from the lineup through their first four games, and — even with Embiid speaking Friday – the Sixers’ evasiveness about whether he was injured and when he would play.

If you thought the frenzy over a general manager’s social media accounts was going to bring the Sixers back to normal, if you thought at some point this franchise would stop making people roll their eyes and throw their hands up would throw it in the air… oh, you poor, naive thing.

Amid that swirl, I heard via email this week from two Sixers season ticket holders who agreed to let me present their (edited) thoughts on the whole Embiid fiasco. Those thoughts are quite negative, to say the least.

First, from Joe, a lawyer:

“There’s not much else to say other than that the snarky attitude, the indifference to fans, the lies and (expletives) from those in power at the Sixers are outrageous and shameful. A bunch of billionaires were more concerned about their new arena (so they can make more money) than giving the fans a product that isn’t as embarrassing as Wednesday night’s game against Detroit.

“I’m so disappointed. A team that is healthy and only plays 20 to 30 games together cannot magically win a championship. Meanwhile, I’m paying a huge amount of money to cover a salary for someone I can’t watch, and I have to make peace with the fact that Embiid might be healthy for the playoffs and they might make it. of the first or second round – never mind that the play-offs last two to three months and he could then get injured. It’s a mess.”

Then, from Junhao, a 20-year-old student and entrepreneur:

“I have been a season ticket holder for the past three years, but I am considering not renewing next year as prices continue to rise and the team’s performance has been disappointing every year. It is surprising how many track/floor level seats have gone unsold this year compared to past seasons. Many of my employees also have seats there and many chose not to renew or cancel last season.

“Other holders and I tried to sell the tickets before the news broke that Embiid was not playing, as the value of the tickets dropped by almost half. Tickets have been very volatile lately without any major players in the game. We understand that key players can’t play every round, but match after match? It feels like a robbery because we pay full face value in exchange for most of the key players not playing for a few consecutive games!

“The Sixers’ handling of Embiid is a joke and shows management’s incompetence in maintaining trust, not only with the NBA community, but also with the fans at home. It’s hard to ‘trust the process’ when there isn’t clear communication from the team NBA issues a $100,000 fine is just the tip of the iceberg of the problems. At the very least, have some transparency and communication with the fans so that we have hope or at least confidence in the team.”

To call this feedback negative is to say the least. If there are other season ticket holders who think differently and want to give their opinion, you know where to find me: [email protected]. I will also share those thoughts in a later column. But I have to be honest: I’m not sure how many such people there are.

Dougie P and the QBs

Twice a franchise has given Doug Pederson an important assignment: developing a well-rounded quarterback into a superstar. And for the second time — first with Carson Wentz, now with Trevor Lawrence — Pederson can’t seem to complete it.

Wentz’s degeneration in 2020 contributed to this Jeffrey Lurie‘s decision to fire Pederson after that season. Now the Jacksonville Jaguars enter their game Sunday against the Eagles with a 2-6 record, with Lawrence having failed to live up to the sky-high expectations that came with his entry into the NFL in 2021, and while the future of Pederson is weak at best.

Pederson will always be an immortal here for 2017-2018 Super Bowl walk. But so far, his track record as a QB whisperer doesn’t match his reputation as such.

A true original

Tom “Hockey Puck” McKenna was an all-time Philly character, an extraordinary scorer and statistician, ubiquitous at high school games in and around the city, quirky and knowledgeable and an essential thread in the tapestry of covering and loving basketball in Philadelphia. He was a second set of eyes and ears for longtime Daily News prep writer Ted Silary, and when the two happened to be in the same room, Hockey might as well have been attached to Teddy’s leg. A true original, he died Thursday evening. TEAR.