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Author: Gabriela Carroll

  • A close call for Pam Oliver, echoes of Brandon Graham, and more from the Eagles-Vikings broadcast

    A close call for Pam Oliver, echoes of Brandon Graham, and more from the Eagles-Vikings broadcast

    The Eagles finally are back in the win column, snapping a two-game losing streak with a 28-22 victory on the road in Minnesota, against former Birds quarterback Carson Wentz.

    Here’s what you might have missed from the broadcast of the Eagles’ big win:

    Tush Push

    Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a new strategy to stop the Tush Push — have a defender lie down and roll into the center.

    Greg Olsen, noted Tush Push fan, said rookie linebacker Tyler Batty was playing in his first NFL game after being activated from injured reserve this week. What an assignment for your NFL debut.

    “Making his NFL debut, the rookie out of BYU, Brian Flores says, ‘Hey, I’ve got a very interesting job for you today,’” play-by-play man Adam Amin said jokingly.

    “Quite the meeting on Wednesday when you’re setting your Tush Push defense,” Olsen, the analyst, said.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the Minnesota Vikings

    BG

    Could Brandon Graham unretire and return to the Eagles? The Inquirer reported just before kickoff Sunday that Graham is “strongly considering” returning to help the Eagles’ depleted pass rusher room.

    Just before kickoff, Graham’s Firstrust Bank commercial aired in the Philadelphia area. Is this a sign?

    OK, the commercial airs all the time. But it definitely felt a little different after seeing the news.

    Olsen’s drop

    Olsen usually is great to listen to, but even the good ones have some bad misses. Greg, come on, this is not a drop by Justin Jefferson.

    “Justin Jefferson, I’m going to call it a drop, for a guy as good as him,” Olsen said.

    That said, he did give credit to Cooper DeJean for the pass breakup earlier in his analysis.

    “Nine out of 10 times, Justin Jefferson comes down with it,” Olsen said. “They teach defensive backs, continue to fight through the hands all the way to the ground, Justin takes that left hand off the ball, and it’s just enough for DeJean to knock that ball loose.”

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings | Mike Sielski

    Oliver’s close call

    Getting knocked over on the sideline is an occupational hazard for any photographer or sideline reporter. This week’s victim? Fox’s Pam Oliver, who nearly got bowled over by Jefferson early in the third quarter.

    Oliver managed to maneuver herself out of Jefferson’s way, and he profusely apologized getting up.

    “If there’s one person on that sideline who cannot be run over, it’s Pam Oliver,” Olsen said.

    “He was so polite, he said, ‘Are you OK?’” Oliver said. “I patted him on the helmet. I was glad I didn’t go down.”

    “He’s one of the nicest guys,” Olsen said.

  • Maddy Siegrist doesn’t ‘remember what I said’ while meeting fellow Villanova alum Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

    Maddy Siegrist doesn’t ‘remember what I said’ while meeting fellow Villanova alum Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican

    Last week at the Vatican, two Villanova legends finally came together: Pope Leo XIV and former basketball star Maddy Siegrist.

    Siegrist took a short trip to Rome to visit the big landmarks, including the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum and spent a day with Villanova at an Augustinian conference, where she got to meet the pope.

    Last year, the Villanova women’s basketball team took a group trip to Italy and the Vatican, but Siegrist, still in the middle of the WNBA season, couldn’t attend. This time around, after the Dallas Wings were eliminated from playoff contention, Chrissy Quisenberry, who helps organize alumni trips at Villanova, reached out to let Siegrist know they were planning another trip and that they might get an audience with the pope, also a Villanova graduate.

    Pope Leo didn’t don an Eagles hat he received Wednesday, so we still don’t know whether he’s a fan

    “People always joke because he [went to] Villanova, like, ‘Is he going to do the wedding?’” said Siegrist, who’s engaged to Stephen Perretta, an assistant women’s basketball coach at Drexel and the son of former Wildcats coach Harry Perretta. “When it did happen, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is crazy.’ We have a family group chat of all my cousins and aunts and grandparents. I sent the picture, and they’re like, ‘Are you joking?’ It was kind of a last-minute trip, so I didn’t really tell anyone because I didn’t know — when they said audience, it could be 1,000 people outside, which would have been unbelievable, but I didn’t realize I was actually going to have the opportunity to shake his hand.”

    The group attended mass at St. Peter’s Basilica and toured the catacombs before meeting with Pope Leo. Siegrist got a photo shaking the pope’s hand — which she did have to pay for, like a Disneyland ride photo — and said it was a bucket list moment, which “rejuvenated” her Catholic faith.

    Pope Leo XIV wears a Villanova hat gifted to him during a meeting with an Italian heritage group in June.

    Pope Leo frequently goes viral for his White Sox fandom and has been pictured in Villanova hats on multiple occasions since assuming his new role. But even with a group from Villanova in the building, Siegrist said he was careful to stay impartial.

    “He’s not biased at all,” Siegrist said. “I’ve seen a few pictures of Villanova hats and stuff. I think he addressed that. Dr. [Barbara] Wall was on the trip, she was one of his professors, so that was pretty cool to be with her during that moment. He knew there was a small group from Villanova at the conference, I think about 20-25 people. Such a cool experience. I really don’t even remember what I said in the moment. You just get so starstruck. You’re so nervous.”