DeSean Jackson made a splash in his first season coaching Delaware State’s football team. Now, the former Eagles wide receiver is being rewarded for it.
After an 8-4 finish, the Hornets’ most wins in a season since 2007, the university announced Tuesday that it has signed Jackson to a contract extension that runs through the 2028 season.
The Hornets were picked to finish last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference but finish second to South Carolina State after a 28-17 loss to the Bulldogs in the regular-season finale. Jackson’s team led the FCS in rushing yards per game (291.2) and had a winning record for the first time in 13 years.
“Just two days before Christmas last year, I began the next phase of my professional career, as a first-time head coach, in a community I did not know, with players I did not recruit. It was not easy, but it was important,” Jackson said in a news release. “Giving my whole self to these young men and representing one of the best Historically Black colleges in the country has been a high honor and one I do not intend to take for granted. We have some unfinished business to take care of on the field, and I am proud to be a part of the athletic transformation taking place at the school.”
The highlight of Jackson’s season came during the Battle of Legends between Delaware State and Michael Vick’s Norfolk State at Lincoln Financial Field, as the former Eagles teammates faced off for the first time as coaches. Delaware State beat Norfolk State, 27-20, in the Oct. 30 matchup. The game brought in more than 47,000 fans and felt like a night of celebration that transcended the game.
“The job of Delaware State is not to develop a good story about access and opportunity that changes and prepares young people to take their rightful place of usefulness and honor in a global community. That is Delaware State already,” Tony Allen, Delaware State’s president, said. “Our goal is to increase the number of storytellers who believe in the power of HBCUs like ours and can make the investment in a future they can see for themselves, their community, and their country. Coach Jackson understands that vision and is helping us carry that message around the world.”
Jason Kelce, a man of voracious appetite and enthusiasm, is putting his money behind a local Jersey Shore brand, Hank Sauce.
The hot sauce company, based in Kelce’s beloved Sea Isle City and sold everywhere from surf shops to the Acme, produces a variety of hot and not-so-hot sauces that have become ubiquitous at the Jersey Shore and Philadelphia area.
The deal with Kelce’s Winnie Capital was announced in two ways: a sedate corporate press statement, and a not-at-all sedate Instagram post featuring a full-throated Kelce throwing jabs and juggling bottles of Hank Sauce, growling and snarling about the wonders of the flavorful sauce. As only the pitchman and iconic Eagles great can do.
“BAM! POW! POW FLAVOR! YEEEEOWWWWWW,” Kelce spitballs for the camera from inside the Hank Sauce restaurant in Sea Isle, an array of sauce laid before him, before he and others off-camera dissolve in laughter. “You got some eggs that don’t have any [beeped expletive] flavor? Well we got you covered baby.
“Any notes?”
Someone throws him a bottle from stage right; he makes the catch. “I’m glad I looked,” he said.
In the comments, and in the press statement, Kelce calls Sea Isle “right in my backyard in South Jersey,” and says he and the three founders plan to “take this thing to the next level.”
“This one was a no-brainer,” Kelce said in the Instagram post. “I’ve been a consumer of this product and a fan of this brand for a long time.”
Former Eagles player Jason Kelce rips off his pants during the fifth annual Team 62 at the Ocean Drive celebrity bartending event on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in Sea Isle City, NJ. The event raises funds for the Eagles Autism Foundation.
A regular in Sea Isle City with his family, Kelce said he walked into Hank Sauce in 2015 and met Brian “Hank” Ruxton himself, who took the Eagles star into the back where they shared a beer.
“I like these guys,” Kelce said.
The statement described the arrangement as “a strategic equity investment from former NFL player, podcaster, and investor Jason Kelce.”
“The new investment and partnership with Kelce’s Winnie Capital will accelerate national expansion and increase Hank Sauce’s visibility and reach in new markets across the country,” the statement said.
Founded in 2011 by three college roommates — Ruxton, Matt Pittaluga, and Josh Jaspan — as “a hot sauce for people who don’t like hot sauce,” Hank Sauce was first made in a garage, and hand-bottled for six years. The company eventually expanded into a 10,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Millville, and is now sold in more than 5,000 stores nationwide, according to the press statement.
Matt Pittaluga (from left), Kaitlin Ruxton and Brian Ruxton are the dream team behind the Hank Sauce phenomenon. (DAVE GRIFFIN / For The Inquirer)
Hank Sauce comes in multiple variations, including the original Herb Infused, plus Cilanktro, Camouflage, and Hank Heat.
As part of the deal, Kelce will “collaborate with Hank Sauce on original content and ongoing brand strategy,” the statement says.
“We’ve poured our lives into building this brand, and we couldn’t be more excited to have Jason on board — not just as a partner and ambassador, but as a genuine fan long before this partnership,” Pittaluga said in the statement.
Winnie Capital is described as “a private family office supporting the business and philanthropic activities of Jason and Kylie Kelce. The Winnie portfolio includes diverse investments and partnerships across media, athletics, consumer packaged goods, apparel, real estate, agriculture, and technology.”
Five Eagles players, including two first-timers, were named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster for 2026 on Tuesday.
Inside linebacker Zack Baun, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, defensive back Cooper DeJean, center Cam Jurgens, and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell have been voted to the Pro Bowl, which is Feb. 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco during the week leading up to the Super Bowl.
Carter, now a two-time Pro Bowler, is slated to be the lone starter in the game. DeJean and Mitchell have been named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in their careers. Baun and Jurgens also were Pro Bowlers in the 2024 season.
The Eagles had five selections, which is tied for second in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Chargers. The Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks led the way with six players.
According to the Eagles, five players are alternates at their respective positions — outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips (second alternate), running back Saquon Barkley (third), tight end Dallas Goedert (third), special-teamer Kelee Ringo (fourth), and quarterback Jalen Hurts (fifth).
Pro Bowl selections are determined in voting by fans, coaches, and fellow NFL players.
Eagles fans have plenty on their minds this week, and we’re not just talking about last-minute Christmas shopping. There is playoff seeding to consider, along with the question of whether the Eagles should rest their starters with two games left. There’s an Arctic matchup with the 11-4 Bills approaching on Sunday. And there is a kicker who keeps hooking his field goal attempts.
Here’s what we know: The Eagles have roughly a 10% chance of moving up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC, according to FTN Fantasy’s playoff projections. At some point, Nick Sirianni will choose to rest key players before the playoffs, but Lane Johnson (foot) and Jalen Carter (shoulders) reportedly could be available on Sunday. So Sirianni has some choices to make before the matchup in Orchard Park, N.Y.
Regarding the Bills, they’re still in a fight to win the AFC East with the 12-3 New England Patriots, although Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is nursing a foot injury that might limit his ability to scramble. The Birds will be focused on shutting down James Cook, the league’s rushing leader with 1,532 yards.
And what about that kicker who has lost his way? Sirianni gave Jake Elliott another vote of confidence, but Sports Daily’s readers have plenty to say about Elliott later in this newsletter.
Former Cubs reliever Brad Keller signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Phillies.
Dave Dombrowski spent time Monday praising the Phillies’ new bullpen acquisition, Brad Keller, which you would expect the team’s president of baseball operations to do. “We love Keller. We think he’s one of the best in the business, the way he stepped up last year as a reliever with the Cubs,” Dombrowski said. “So we really like the way the bullpen now shapes up.”
Beyond the hype there is this: After Keller transitioned to the bullpen, his fastball velocity increased from an average of 93.7 mph in 2024 to 97.1 mph last year. That heat should fit in nicely alongside Jhoan Duran.
Flyers center Trevor Zegras (46) skates after the puck as Vancouver’s David Kampf moves in.
The Flyers ended a two-game losing streak by beating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 in their final home game of 2025. Four goals in the third period was the difference.
Before the game, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet sounded off about persistent questions regarding Matvei Michkov: “Enough is enough.”
Villanova coach Kevin Willard had a 225-161 record in 12 seasons at Seton Hall.
It will be more than just a Big East opener for coach Kevin Willard tonight when Villanova (9-2) plays Seton Hall (11-1) in Newark, N.J. Willard spent 12 seasons coaching the Pirates, so this game will be a trip back home.
“It’s obviously a league game, so it’s not like I’m going to be crying at halfcourt,” Willard says. “But it’s definitely a place that I hold very dearly and will always be the love of my life to be honest with you.”
Bryce Lindsay will take an average of 16.7 points into the game as Villanova’s leading scorer. The guard lost his mother to cancer when he was a senior in high school and faced more adversity after that before he landed with the Wildcats.
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers skates with the puck in the first period against the Flyers on Monday. He is a 17-year NHL veteran.
The Sixers had the night off Monday, but guard Quentin Grimes was at Xfinity Mobile Arena anyway. He was watching his half brother, Tyler Myers, play for the Canucks against the Flyers. Grimes and Myers are the only pair of brothers to ever play in the NBA and NHL. Gabriela Carroll has the story of their Christmastime reunion.
Marcus Hayes: Plenty of people have had a hand in five seasons of Eagles success, including Big Dom.
🧠 Trivia time
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris eludes a tackle by Oakland’s Jimmy Warren as he scores a touchdown on the Immaculate Reception to win a 1972 playoff game.
We asked: Should the Eagles be looking for a new kicker? Among your responses:
Not the first time Jake Elliot has had major issues. Stick with him the rest of the year, but bring in someone new next year. — Daniel B.
Jake seems puzzled over his most recent struggles. A lot of times these things don’t work them selves out. I suggest a new kicker to finish things out and he is Justin Tucker. Very reliable and a hard worker. Give him a chance and watch the good results. Thank you Jake for all your efforts over the years. — Kerry B.
I think that next spring they should bring in a second kicker option. Unlike Nick Sirianni, I am loyal not to the one who brought me to my first dance but to the one who is best able to dance next Sunday. — Milton T.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott reacts after missing a 52-yard field-goal attempt on Saturday.
Kicking is so heavily emotional/mental that it takes very little to compromise confidence, but a great deal to restore it. Given that he’s missed six of his last 11 field goal attempts (plus one conversion), Elliott’s confidence probably has more cracks than the windshield of a car following a gravel truck. … Jake Elliott’s future with the Eagles is hanging by a very tenuous thread, as I see it. And it won’t take much to snap it.—John B.
Let’s see how Jake does in the postseason. He has had slumps before and always come through in the postseason. — Bill M.
Jake had these problems last year which were abnormal. He got back on track for the playoffs and the Super Bowl. He has been a great kicker for us and I do expect him to get it turned around and be accurate again. The only kickers out there are the ones who have been dumped by other teams for having the same problems. Stay the course! — Vince O.
No. — Jeffrey H.
Like most Eagle fans I have really been a fan of Jake’s for these past years, but his inability to score when needed is really hurting the team. I would hate to see him go, but it may be necessary. — Everett S.
We never should have let the greatest kicker of all time get away. The Chargers picked him up a few years ago for NOTHING! I knew “Dicker the Kicker” was something special when he was with the Eagles for a short time. Yes, we should be scouting the world for a replacement kicker because going into the playoffs with who we have is unacceptable. — Ronald R.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Lochlahn March, Jackie Spiegel, Gabriela Carroll, Ariel Simpson, Marcus Hayes, Isabella DiAmore, Brooke Schultz, and Dylan Johnson.
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.
Thank you for reading. On Wednesday, Bella will bring you the final Sports Daily of the week before a Christmas break. Happy holidays! — Jim
With hockey leagues around the world nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship starting on Friday, we caught up with Brent Flahr to talk prospects. In Part 2 of our interview with the Flyers’ assistant general manager, we focused on the team’s international-based prospects and those competing in Lehigh Valley.
This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length. Part 1.
While No. 1 center and No. 1 defenseman remain holes the Flyers organization is looking to fill, Flahr noted that while there are fewer than 32 of those guys around, the Flyers remain on the lookout and have assets that could help in acquiring one.
Swedish center Jack Berglund’s skating has been a contentious point among fans, but Flahr says it has improved and that Berglund reminds him of a young Mikko Koivu in that regard.
When asked for his favorite under-the-radar prospects, Flahr pointed to Cole Knuble and Denver Barkey as two guys that are easy to “cheer for.”
More Details
With hockey leagues around the world nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship starting on Friday, we caught up with Brent Flahr to talk prospects. In Part 2 of our interview with the Flyers’ assistant general manager, we focused on the team’s international-based prospects and those competing in Lehigh Valley.
This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Where do you see Jack Berglund, who was pretty impressive at development camp, fitting?
A: I think he’s a very well-rounded player and has the ability to be a really good 3C, maybe more. But he can play power play. He’s strong. He wins battles. He can make plays. He’s very sound defensively. Where he’s played, he’s had to earn everything he can, but he can shoot it.
I think people worried about his skating, but his skating is coming along as well, and he’s big and strong. You’ll see at the U20 level, he’s a big, strong horse out there, but he’s nowhere near where he’s going to be at 23 years old. When you see him off the ice, he’s still a young guy, and you forget about that. … Not all these players who have been drafted are going to play the next year, but he’s on the right path to being a very good pro.
The Flyers remain bullish on Jack Berglund, who Brent Flahr says continues to make strides with his skating.
Q: Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Carson Bjarnason, have been the three B’s in Lehigh Valley. What have you seen from them in their transition to pro hockey? [Note: Barkey was recalled after this interview was conducted.]
A: Barkey, I think right from the start, he’s played very well. On the production side, he makes plays, he works, and the details are great. Such a smart player. He’s got to get stronger and build up his body to handle the grind but so far, so good. Down there, he’s been arguably our best forward a lot of nights, and coaches love him. …
I think Bumper, when he first went down there, even though playing last year — I don’t know if he thought it was going to be easy or disappointment from not making the team right away — I thought he stumbled around a little bit early, and then he found his game, and now he’s going. But part of the why he’s down there is to find the consistency in his game, not just offensively, but defensively, and managing the game and then playing it every night. But he’s talented. He’s producing now. I think he’s feeling good about himself, and he’s certainly going in the right direction. …
And Carson … I think he’s exceeded expectations so far. He’s got the right demeanor, the size, the athleticism, and he’s learning the pro game. … It just seems easier for him. In juniors, it was so chaotic in front of him; he used to get so many Grade A chances.
Q: You mentioned Aleksei Kolosov. He seems like a different player this year, no?
A: He is a different player, different personality. He’s really trying to fit in. He’s very athletic, very competitive, and he’s giving our team a chance to win down there almost every night. He’s a talented kid, so he’s got a chance to be an NHL goalie now. He just skipped a step last year. Now he’s building it back up again here, and we’ll see where it goes.
Q: What about Yegor Zavragin? He has another year on his deal but it sounds like he’s playing well in Russia.
A: He’s a talented, talented kid with size. … He’s got to build up his body, which is a big focus for St. Petersburg, and he’s working hard. … We want him to be over here right away, but the one thing the KHL does, or has a history of doing recently, is developing goalies. So we’re in a good spot and, hopefully, when the time comes, we can get him over here and get him going.
Egor Zavragin has firmly established himself as one of the best young goaltenders in Europe.
Q: There’s been a lot of criticism of the Flyers not having a 1C or 1D. What would you say to those people, and how would you assess the system?
A: There are not 32 1Cs in the league or 32 1Ds. So we’re always trying to look for that and strive for that. But we have some good players coming, guys who can play, hopefully, 2Cs. We have some guys on the wing, we think. We have some solid defensemen coming.
We understand what we need to be an elite team; at the same time, we’re growing a pretty good base as far as depth through the lineup and people that can contribute in different ways. So, that’s where the Berglunds and some of these guys that aren’t talked about as much could be valuable pieces as well. Then you’ve got [Jett] Luchanko, and [Jack] Nesbitt, who are going to take a little time to get stronger. Heikki [Ruohonen], as well, is a really good player.
Q: Give me one or two prospects that you’re excited about in the system.
A: Porter [Martone] is Porter. He has a chance to be a special player. When you meet him, he’s kind of got that “it factor,” as far as he’s got cockiness, but in a good way. I think he’s a pro; he’s got the mindset now where he knows where he has a little more work to do as far as getting there. But he understands. Getting that experience last year with Team Canada was huge, to be a young kid playing with those types of players and see where you’ve got to get to. I just think he’s matured, and he has a chance to be a really good one for us.
But the guy we drafted, who is one of my favorites … is Cole Knuble. Just a good hockey player. So competitive, great motor, smart, plays every position. I don’t know where it’s going to get to, but he’s worked really hard on his skating, and it’s become good. It’ll be interesting to see when he turns pro. Guys like Barkey and him are the guys you cheer for.
Brent Flahr believes Cole Knuble, son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, is a prospect who has a chance to surprise.
Barkey’s such a smart player, he’s so competitive. You watch a game, you just kind of start just watching him, just because of the way he plays the game. Whether he can handle the size [remains to be seen] but he’s proven everybody wrong at every level.
Q: What are the strengths of the 2026 NHL draft?
A: Early on, I think it’s a strong defensemen draft. There are some quality wingers. I think there are a couple of centermen, but not a really deep pool of centermen. But some good players. … I don’t think there’s any Connor McDavids. There are some well-known, big-name players at the top end, and there are some guys challenging behind who aren’t as far up as some people think. So it’ll be interesting.
With hockey leagues around the world nearing the midway point and the World Junior Championship starting on Friday, we caught up with Brent Flahr to talk prospects. In Part 2 of our interview with the Flyers’ assistant general manager, we focused on the team’s international-based prospects and those competing in Lehigh Valley.
This interview, which was conducted on Dec. 10, has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Where do you see Jack Berglund, who was pretty impressive at development camp, fitting?
A: I think he’s a very well-rounded player and has the ability to be a really good 3C, maybe more. But he can play power play. He’s strong. He wins battles. He can make plays. He’s very sound defensively. Where he’s played, he’s had to earn everything he can, but he can shoot it.
I think people worried about his skating, but his skating is coming along as well, and he’s big and strong. You’ll see at the U20 level, he’s a big, strong horse out there, but he’s nowhere near where he’s going to be at 23 years old. When you see him off the ice, he’s still a young guy, and you forget about that. … Not all these players who have been drafted are going to play the next year, but he’s on the right path to being a very good pro.
The Flyers remain bullish on Jack Berglund, who Brent Flahr says continues to make strides with his skating.
Q: How do you define it when you say a player’s skating is not NHL-ready?
A: Nine times out of 10, that’s strength-related. Like Tyson Foerster, everybody was worried about his skating when we drafted him. He was not a great skater when we drafted him. But it’s not all fundamentals. You see his body, he’s got no leg strength at this point. And you see he can generate speed in a straight line, quickness, agility, and lower-body power, stuff like that.
So Jack could skate in a straight line. His foot speed and everything had to improve, turning and that. But a lot of its strength, a lot of it’s just his body linking up for a big 6-4 guy. And as he gets older and stronger, he’s skating more than fine, and it’s something that he’s always gonna have to work on, the quickness and agility.
I compared his skating, when I saw him play as a young player, to a player that we had in Minnesota a long time, Mikko Koivu, who was a great player. He’s someone that he could pattern his game after because Mikko was a great two-way player, but he’s big and strong, and as a young player, people worried about his foot speed and whatnot, and he just became a really good pro for a long time that you can win with.
Q: Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Carson Bjarnason, have been the three B’s in Lehigh Valley. What have you seen from them in their transition to pro hockey? [Note: Barkey was recalled after this interview was conducted.]
A: Barkey, I think right from the start, he’s played very well. On the production side, he makes plays, he works, and the details are great. Such a smart player. He’s got to get stronger and build up his body to handle the grind but so far, so good. Down there, he’s been arguably our best forward a lot of nights, and coaches love him. …
I think Bumper, when he first went down there, even though playing last year — I don’t know if he thought it was going to be easy or disappointment from not making the team right away — I thought he stumbled around a little bit early, and then he found his game, and now he’s going. But part of the why he’s down there is to find the consistency in his game, not just offensively, but defensively, and managing the game and then playing it every night. But he’s talented. He’s producing now. I think he’s feeling good about himself, and he’s certainly going in the right direction. …
Alex Bump is producing down in Lehigh Valley but his defensive consistency remains a work in progress.
And Carson … I think he’s exceeded expectations so far. He’s got the right demeanor, the size, the athleticism, and he’s learning the pro game. … It just seems easier for him. In juniors, it was so chaotic in front of him; he used to get so many Grade A chances.
Q: You mentioned Aleksei Kolosov. He seems like a different player this year, no?
A: He is a different player, different personality. He’s really trying to fit in. He’s very athletic, very competitive, and he’s giving our team a chance to win down there almost every night. He’s a talented kid, so he’s got a chance to be an NHL goalie now. He just skipped a step last year. Now he’s building it back up again here, and we’ll see where it goes.
Q: What about Egor Zavragin? He has another year on his deal but it sounds like he’s playing well in Russia.
A: He’s a talented, talented kid with size. … He’s got to build up his body, which is a big focus for St. Petersburg, and he’s working hard. … We want him to be over here right away, but the one thing the KHL does, or has a history of doing recently, is developing goalies. So we’re in a good spot and, hopefully, when the time comes, we can get him over here and get him going.
Egor Zavragin has firmly established himself as one of the best young goaltenders in Europe.
Q: Christian Kyrou has hit the ground running in Lehigh Valley. What have you seen from him, and what are his NHL chances?
A: Well, he brings a dimension we didn’t really have there as far as his offense and the power-play ability but I think it was a good trade for both players, a new environment. What he’s brought is some swagger and some offensive instincts.
Obviously, he’s not the biggest guy, and his criticism was defensive play and lack of size, but he’s been fine. … What he does with the puck is he gets it going up the ice and transitions. … He’s been very good and productive … and really helped the power play.
Q: Samu Tuomaala went the other way in the deal. What do you think went wrong?
A: He just kind of stalled, and part of it, you’ve seen the guys that kind of went ahead of him. But Samu, when he’s on his game, he brings speed, he can really shoot the puck, and he’s a good kid. I just think for whatever reason, he just didn’t have it at the start of camp. … You look at what we have coming and what we have now, the way he was going, he was going to be boxed out, so we decided to make the move, and it kind of worked out for both teams.
Q: Ty Murchison recently made his NHL debut, and he has seemed to have jumped a few people. What made the Flyers opt to call him up from Lehigh Valley?
A: He’s a great kid. He can skate, he’s competitive, and he’s taken his game, even from last year in college, to a whole new level, even in the playoffs, and it’s opened a lot of people’s eyes here. He went down to Lehigh, and he did nothing but play well, played hard, played his game, and some other guys were up and down and not going. So when Rick Tocchet wanted a guy, that’s a guy they recommended just because of his performance and consistency and his battle level. I think it sends the right message to a lot of guys down there.
Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk just recently joined the Phantoms after missing most of the summer with an injury.
Q: Oliver Bonk just got back on the ice. What’s the latest with him?
A: Finally, he’s healthy, feeling good. … He’s a smart player. I assume he’ll be a fairly quick study, and I know coaches are happy with this first game, but it’s going to take him some time for conditioning, strength, and all that to get back up to normal.
Q: Where do you see Alex Bump this year? Do you see him getting called up?
A: It’s all based on his play and, to be honest with you, an opportunity here with injuries or whatever. … But he’s going in the right direction, and at some point, my guess is he’ll get an opportunity. .
Q: John Snowden was very impressive in my first interactions with him. How important has he been to the development of not just the ‘killer Bs’ that we talked about, but Karsen Dorwart, Devin Kaplan, and others in Lehigh Valley?
A: He’s got a presence on the ice when he teaches, when he runs a practice, but …[also] has fresh ideas, whether it’s generating offense or the way the team plays.
He wants guys to hold on to pucks, make plays, and that comes with mistakes. These guys are young, and they’re gonna have to learn to manage the puck and manage situations a little differently, but that’s part of the process of learning down there. … They’re having fun and they’re winning some games. So yeah, it’s a good development environment.
Q: There’s been a lot of criticism of the Flyers not having a 1C or 1D. What would you say to those people, and how would you assess the system?
A: There are not 32 1Cs in the league or 32 1Ds. So we’re always trying to look for that and strive for that. But we have some good players coming, guys who can play, hopefully, 2Cs. We have some guys on the wing, we think. We have some solid defensemen coming.
The Flyers believe Jack Nesbitt can develop into a strong 2C on a winning team.
We understand what we need to be an elite team; at the same time, we’re growing a pretty good base as far as depth through the lineup and people that can contribute in different ways. So, that’s where the Berglunds and some of these guys that aren’t talked about as much could be valuable pieces as well. Then you’ve got [Jett] Luchanko, and [Jack] Nesbitt, who are going to take a little time to get stronger. Heikki [Ruohonen], as well, is a really good player.
Q: Does it take the pressure off needing a 1C when you have such top-tier wingers?
A: I think it certainly helps, yeah. You can do some things, but you look at the elite teams, and they have 1Cs. Sometimes it surprises you, some guys turn into that, that you weren’t necessarily expecting. But I think we’re doing the best we can to build up around it, and last year, the most skilled position we can to help our team going forward. And at one point, whether we have the assets to get it by trade, or develop it within your system, we’ll do the best we can to do that.
A: Early on, I think it’s a strong defensemen draft. There are some quality wingers. I think there are a couple of centermen, but not a really deep pool of centermen. But some good players. … I don’t think there’s any Connor McDavids. There are some well-known, big-name players at the top end, and there are some guys challenging behind who aren’t as far up as some people think. So it’ll be interesting.
Penn State winger Gavin McKenna is viewed as the prize of the 2026 NHL draft, but others like defenseman Keaton Verhoeff are gaining steam.
Q: Trade chatter is starting to pick up. Do you think the Flyers can be competitive with putting packages together?
A: We have assets now, and teams are going to have interest in our assets and make trades. The thing is that we have this prospect pool now, part of what’s going to make the players good is these guys emerging into the NHL and down the road filling in roles in the depth. But now, if you have a chance to add a star piece or elite player, you’ve got to match the value of it, but you can’t totally decimate your prospect pool and all your young players just to get one player — and then you have one player, and you have a bad team. Not everybody’s going to be able to play, but at the same time, we’re in a good position now.
Q: Give me one or two prospects that you’re excited about in the system.
A: Porter [Martone] is Porter. He has a chance to be a special player. When you meet him, he’s kind of got that “it factor,” as far as he’s got cockiness, but in a good way. I think he’s a pro; he’s got the mindset now where he knows where he has a little more work to do as far as getting there. But he understands. Getting that experience last year with Team Canada was huge, to be a young kid playing with those types of players and see where you’ve got to get to. I just think he’s matured, and he has a chance to be a really good one for us.
But the guy we drafted, who is one of my favorites … is Cole Knuble. Just a good hockey player. So competitive, great motor, smart, plays every position. I don’t know where it’s going to get to, but he’s worked really hard on his skating, and it’s become good. It’ll be interesting to see when he turns pro. Guys like Barkey and him are the guys you cheer for.
Barkey’s such a smart player, he’s so competitive. You watch a game, you just kind of start just watching him, just because of the way he plays the game. Whether he can handle the size [remains to be seen] but he’s proven everybody wrong at every level.
On Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Flyers fans would boo the Vancouver Canucks, like they do with every opposing team.
But one Canuck, defenseman Tyler Myers, had a cheering section to drown out the noise, led by his half brother, 76ers guard Quentin Grimes.
Grimes and Myers are the only pair of brothers to ever play in the NHL and NBA.
Their mother “gets on my dad a lot about who’s got the best genes in the family,” Grimes said jokingly. “She gets the bragging rights on that.”
Myers was born Feb. 1, 1990, 10 years before Grimes was born, in Houston. His father Paul, a former college hockey player, encouraged him to put on skates. Their mother, Tonja Stelly, and later Grimes’ father, Marshall Grimes, both former college basketball players, taught Myers how to play basketball.
“He said he had a pretty good crossover and stuff like that,” Grimes said. “He definitely [has] a little bit of game to him, for sure.”
When Grimes was much younger, he said the two sometimes would try and play one-on-one. “Just messing around, trying to play against the tallest guy I’ve ever seen,” he said. Myers is one of the NHL’s tallest players, standing at 6-foot-8, compared to Grimes, who is 6-4.
The brothers never lived together. Myers left Texas shortly after Grimes was born to live in Calgary with his father, where he grew into a professional hockey player. Grimes stayed behind in Texas, but the two of them would see each other as often as they could during the summer or school breaks.
Sixers guard Quentin Grimes has a half brother who plays for the Vancouver Canucks.
Myers became a mainstay in the NHL while Grimes established himself as a top basketball prospect. When Grimes was a junior in high school, the two got back in regular touch, with Grimes tapping into Myers’ years of experience as a professional athlete as he was just starting out.
“It’s been growing ever since I got pretty good at basketball,” Grimes said. “My mom was asking him some stuff to help me be a professional: eating habits, how to take care of your body, and stuff like that.”
The Canucks defenseman is one of just 28 active players to play more than 1,100 games in the NHL, a feat he has accomplished over 17 seasons. Myers had one goal and eight points this season. Grimes, in his fifth NBA season, is averaging a career-best 15.3 points for the Sixers.
The sports might be different, but the daily routines of the NBA and NHL schedules are nearly identical. They play 82 regular-season games from fall to spring, with a similar playoff and travel structure.
That means that whenever Grimes is going through something, Myers said usually has experienced it, too, and they’ll talk about it.
“Watching him on the court, you can tell his confidence and his mindset just have come such a long way,” Myers said. “I remember that progression when I was a young kid from 20 to 25, it looked very, very similar.”
Tyler Myers (left) of the Vancouver Canucks pursues former Flyer Cam Atkinson during a game in 2023.
Grimes said Myers has been critical in teaching him how to be a pro. He’s nowhere close to Myers’ longevity in his sport, but seeing the habits and routines up close helped him transition into the league.
“Listening to your body if you have nagging injuries,” Grimes said. “[Myers would] always say that he would take some lighter days or try to do that. Early in my career, I would just try to grind and grind and grind, and then an injury gets worse, and your body just breaks down a little bit.”
Myers, who has played in cities that don’t have NBA teams his entire career, has seen Grimes play in person in the NBA only once, when the Canucks’ extended road trip to New York gave him a day off on a night with a Knicks home game.
Unfortunately, Grimes played just a few seconds before he suffered an injury and missed the rest of the game.
“I showed up a couple minutes in; the game had started already,” Myers said. “A couple minutes went by, he came in, and like a minute later, he was laying on the floor, hurt. I was bad luck that day, and that was the only time I’ve been able to overlap with him.”
One day, Myers hopes to have another opportunity to see his younger brother play a full game in person, but he’s been following his career from afar. Grimes is a bit luckier — he gets to see Myers play about once a year, including on Monday night for the first time in Philly, since all the teams he has played on have been in cities with NHL teams of their own. He also has made trips to Vancouver and Buffalo.
“This is fun for me, to be a fan,” Grimes said. “Get rowdy, because hockey fans are completely different from NBA fans. They get real rowdy. I like to get rowdy with them, talk a lot of smack with the other fans if they’re in the arena.”
The Canucks had a cheering section at least 12 strong at the Flyers’ arena, including Grimes, their mother, and several other family members making the trip to celebrate having both brothers together around the holidays. The Canucks ultimately lost the game, 5-2, but Myers still gave them something to cheer about, earning a secondary assist on Vancouver’s first goal.
Myers, who now has three children of his own, couldn’t remember the last time they had a group this big together around the holiday season.
“Having this so close to Christmastime is a little bit more special,” Grimes said ahead of the game. “Knowing that Christmas is around the corner, our mom came up, a lot of our family came up for the game, so it’ll be pretty special.”
It’s official — this season’s collection of Birds doesn’t resemble the 2023 Eagles.
After a second consecutive definitive victory, this time over the Washington Commanders on Saturday, the Eagles have effectively shot down any further comparisons to their plight two seasons ago.
No, their last two opponents, including the Las Vegas Raiders, won’t frighten most playoff-caliber teams (although the Geno Smith-led Raiders hung 21 points on the top-ranked Houston Texans defense on Sunday). Plus, the Eagles still have a number of concerns to address before the playoffs, including Jake Elliott’s kicking woes and the inefficiency of the Tush Push.
But the 2023 Eagles too frequently stooped to the level of their opponents, as evidenced by their late-season losses to the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants. That has not been this Eagles team, even in the absence of two of their top linemen in Lane Johnson and Jalen Carter.
The Eagles’ greatest remaining test of the regular season awaits Sunday when they visit the 11-4 Buffalo Bills. Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles heading into their penultimate game of the season:
Could keeping Jalen Hurts out of harm’s way be in the cards for Week 18 against the apparently angry Commanders?
Seeding on the line
Ahead of last year’s Super Bowl run, Jalen Hurts sat out the final two games of the season while in concussion protocol, but he likely wouldn’t have started in Week 18 anyway given that the Eagles had already clinched the NFC’s No. 2 seed.
Could a respite be on the horizon for the Eagles starters? After Saturday’s win, Hurts was asked whether he would welcome a chance to rest if the opportunity presented itself over the last two weeks.
“That’s above me,” Hurts said. “If someone asks me, I’ll answer. But it’s above me to answer right now.”
In reality, that opportunity isn’t imminent. By the time the Eagles’ game against the Bills starts at 4:25 p.m., Hurts and his teammates will have a chance to improve their seeding in Week 17 with a win.
According to Wharton professor Deniz Selman, if the Eagles beat the Bills, they will only be locked into the No. 3 seed if the Seattle Seahawks beat the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m. and the Chicago Bears defeat the San Francisco 49ers at 8:20 that evening.
The Eagles play before the Bears, so Nick Sirianni ought to play his starters in Week 17. If that scenario for the Seahawks and the Bears doesn’t pan out, the Eagles could have a chance to improve to the No. 2 seed in Week 18, pending the outcome of Colts-49ers on Monday Night Football.
Unlike last season, there’s a chance that Week 18 will have real meaning, requiring the starters to play to give the Eagles a shot at a better seed. But the Bills will look to get in the Eagles’ way, as they’re still in the fight to win the AFC East with the 12-3 New England Patriots.
Will reigning MVP Josh Allen be ready to go against the Eagles?
Trouble afoot?
The injuries have been piling up for the Eagles’ opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks. There was Justin Herbert’s left hand injury, Geno Smith’s shoulder, Jayden Daniels’ elbow, Marcus Mariota’s right hand, and now Josh Allen’s foot.
But Allen’s injury, which he suffered on a foolish sack just before halftime in the Bills’ 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, didn’t sideline him. He received an X-ray on his foot and was cleared to return for the second half.
While Allen said after the game that he didn’t think the injury impacted his play after halftime, his production dipped considerably. The 29-year-old quarterback went from 6-of-7 for 86 passing yards and 17 yards on four carries in the first half to 6-of-12 for 44 passing yards and no yards on three runs in the second.
That second-half rushing output is unusual for Allen. He leads the league’s quarterbacks with 552 rushing yards, with the majority of that total coming from scrambles (436), according to Pro Football Focus.
The Eagles have had their issues containing mobile quarterbacks this season. Vic Fangio’s unit has given up 328 rushing yards to quarterbacks, the fifth-highest total in the league.
But while Mariota was in the game on Saturday, the Eagles kept him contained. He finished with one kneel-down for a loss of a yard, his worst rushing total in a game this season and just his third game out of 11 in which he did not post double-digit rushing yards.
James Cook III provides an offensive threat for the Bills.
Bills get Cooking
The Bills neutralized the Browns’ Myles Garrett-led pass rush in part by handing the ball off to James Cook. The 26-year-old running back rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, bringing his total for the season to a league-best 1,532 yards (on a league-high 287 attempts).
Cook is getting a helping hand from his offensive line and tight ends. According to Pro Football Reference, Cook leads the league with 919 rushing yards before contact. The Detroit Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs is the next-closest back with 770.
The Bills’ running game will meet its match on Sunday. Since the Eagles’ nightmare of an outing against the Bears’ rushing attack last month, the group has tightened up, conceding 4.0 yards per attempt in the last three weeks (tied for the sixth-lowest average in the league).
Jordan Davis has been one of the keys to the Eagles’ success in stopping the run. He tied for the team lead with six run stops on Saturday, wreaking havoc on a Commanders attack that ranks fourth in the league in rushing yardage. Davis has been disruptive late into the season, even while he’s playing a career-high 62% of the defensive snaps this year.
“I feel great,” Davis said after the game. “It’s the wear and tear of the season. Your body is never going to feel as good as it is going into camp. But I feel good. The work has been put in. It’s just continue on. Just have to continue.”
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley after scoring a rushing touchdown against the Washington Commanders on Saturday.
Running rampant
The Bills won’t be the only team looking to run the ball on Sunday. The Eagles’ rushing attack has had a resurgence over the last couple of weeks, combining for a league-high 390 yards in Weeks 15-16.
Saquon Barkley, of course, is at the center of that achievement. He took strides in the Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, highlighted by the efficiency of the under-center running game. While Barkley had far more shotgun runs in Week 16 against the Commanders, his explosive 48-yard run came from an under-center jumbo personnel handoff.
In his last three games, Barkley ranks second in the league with a combined 332 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Barkley — and Hurts — could be bound for more success on the ground on Sunday. The Bills have conceded 5.4 yards per rushing attempt this season, which is the second-worst clip in the NFL.
They’ve had a particularly tough time corralling quarterbacks. The Bills have allowed 356 rushing yards to quarterbacks this season, which is the third-highest total in the league. Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders took advantage of the Bills’ leaky run defense, leading the team with 49 rushing yards on four scrambles.
Hurts gave the Commanders headaches on scrambles, too. He had 40 yards on five scrambles, picking up three first downs along the way. While the designed running game was less of an emphasis in that game, Hurts was still able to extend plays with his legs. He could have another opportunity to build on that success on Sunday.
On Nov. 9, 2022, Bryce Lindsay announced his commitment to Texas A&M. It was just three days after his mother, Takisha, died.
Lindsay, now starting at guard for Villanova, calls his mother his biggest inspiration and the strongest person he knew. He watched her fight through surgeries and life changes and take care of a family during a 10-year battle with Grade 2 astrocytoma, a brain tumor that was diagnosed in September 2012.
Up and down his left arm and leg are tattoos that are meaningful to Lindsay. On the back of Lindsay’s thigh is a tattoo of his mother and her middle name, Simone. It is a permanent dedication to her.
“That time when I was at [Texas] A&M, [still dealing with] my mother passing was a very hard time,” Lindsay said.
It was not the first or last time Lindsay, 20, faced adversity in his young life.
In 2022, Lindsay was committed to South Carolina out of St. Frances Academy in his native Baltimore. He was determined to play for Gamecocks coach Frank Martin. However, Martin was dismissed from the program in mid-March. Because of the timing of the firing, Lindsay was left with limited options.
Villanova’s Bryce Lindsay is fouled by Duquesne’s John Hugley as he drives to the basket on Nov. 15.
He decided to play a prep school year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
That’s when Lindsay committed to Texas A&M. Exactly one year after his mother’s death, Lindsay finally played his first college minutes on Nov. 6, 2023.
‘Amazed at his strength’
“It was tough for him,” said Lindsay’s father, Dustin. “It was tough for our entire family. She was the rock. She held everything together, to be honest. So that stretch was really tough for him. Losing his mom could have broken anyone’s spirit. So watching him through it, though, I was honestly amazed at his strength, to be honest with you. He never let it define him.
“He grieved, he healed, but he also stayed committed to coming back stronger, and I saw it firsthand. That period really showed his resilience and character both on and off the court. He faced more than most people could imagine, but he turned it into fuel to grow mentally and emotionally.”
Then, just eight games into his college career, the 6-foot-3 Lindsay was struck with another setback. He suffered a sports hernia that required surgery on both sides of his abdomen and forced him to redshirt the remainder of his freshman season at Texas A&M.
Lindsay was without two of the most important things in his life: his mother and basketball.
“I saw him just put both feet in the sand and just say, ‘It’s my time, right?’” Dustin Lindsay said. “And that’s easier said than done. Because most of us never have to go through a tragedy like that. But, I tell people this all the time, it’s not until you go through a tragedy like that that you realize how strong a human being can really be. I saw an individual who realized that wasn’t making excuses.”
Guard Bryce Lindsay played at Texas A&M and James Madison before he landed at Villanova.
After he recovered, Lindsay committed to James Madison in May 2024. He came in thinking he would be a key player, but he was not in the starting lineup for JMU’s season opener against Ohio.
Despite yet another setback, Lindsay was unfazed.
“Bryce tells me, ‘Dad, I’m not even worried about it. I’m going to be sixth man of the year,’ Dustin said. “And when he told me that, I mean, it really almost brought tears to my eyes. The maturity that showed in him at that time was just priceless.”
Lindsay went on to accomplish that goal. He came off the bench for the first 18 games of the season, shooting 45.6% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. His performances pushed him into the starting lineup for the final 12 games of the season and the conference tournament.
At the end of the season, Lindsay was named the Sun Belt’s Sixth Man of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
“I believe that true confidence comes with the work you put in behind the scenes,” Lindsay said. “I was always the type of guy who was a gym rat. I would always be in the gym before practice, after practice, and I feel like that gave me my true confidence with me coming up.”
When Villanova hired coach Kevin Willard last spring, Lindsay had the opportunity to move up from a mid-major program.
Wildcats center Nico Onyekwere (left) pours water on Bryce Lindsay after Villanova beat Pittsburgh at the Finneran Pavilion on Dec. 13.
“I absolutely think he’s had such a positive effect on everybody offensively just because of the way he’s playing,” Willard said. “And he never worries about missing a shot. He never worries about a turnover. He’s like, ‘Next play.’ Guys like that who have that confidence, who don’t get down on themselves — and he doesn’t get down on himself at all, which is great — always have a positive impact on his teammates.”
Baltimore basketball
When asked about his resilience, Lindsay laughed. “It’s crazy that you use the word ‘resilient,’” he said. “I was about to get that [as my] next tattoo.”
Much of that comes from where he grew up, in a city known for its basketball culture.
“I could be kind of biased, but I think we have the best group of guys coming out of not just Baltimore, but the [D.C., Maryland, and Virginia] area as well,” Lindsay said. “Specifically, Baltimore, I just think that we just have that competitive edge and that nitty-gritty to our game and play style. Just because where we come from, we don’t really come from too much.”
It was not easy to carve out a path in a crowded Baltimore basketball scene.
“I remember Bryce when he first picked up a basketball,” Dustin Lindsay said. “He was young, and I could already see the love for the game. Seeing him maneuver and again, finding that resilience to overcome a lot of the obstacles that he had to endure, just growing up and playing that sport here that so many people are passionate about.”
Lindsay’s father put him on teams with older, more experienced players, so he was forced to play more physical basketball.
Bryce Lindsay is averaging 16.6 points for the Villanova Wildcats.
“I think it created that part of him, that resilience that I’m going to try my best not to let these obstacles get in my way,” Dustin Lindsay said. “I tried to put him in a lot of difficult situations on purpose. Because I just know how hard life can be sometimes. And so I just wanted him to face obstacles early on in life, and it wasn’t easy. But that kid just never gave up.”
Lindsay was a part of the Class 3A state title team at Baltimore Polytechnic in his freshman year. Then he transferred to St. Frances, the second of three stops in his high school journey. In 2021-22, Lindsay averaged 19.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.
“Being from Baltimore, I think that definitely puts an edge on me,” Lindsay said. “I mean, I just wanted to do extra work because nobody wants to be in Baltimore forever. They always want to get out, so I think I’m super grateful for being from Baltimore. I love my city.”
Now, Lindsay has transitioned from a mid-major to Villanova. He already has set a program record for three-pointers in a game, hitting nine against Sacred Heart on Nov. 11. It broke a record that had stood for 20 years.
He is averaging a team-high 16.6 points and has four 20-plus point outings in 11 games. Lindsay is also the 10-2 Wildcats’ best three-point shooter at 44.2%, and ranks in the top 40 nationally in threes made per game (3.17).
“I’m very grateful that I got to mesh with this group of guys,” Lindsay said. “We all came together pretty well in such a short time. So I’m grateful for that. We have a great coaching staff here. That’s why I chose to come here to Villanova. Plus, the culture and what Villanova means.”
Even after a dominant nonconference performance, Lindsay says there is more work to be done on his game. He believes he has not hit his ceiling.
“I would say I’m never satisfied with my play,” Lindsay said. “I feel like certain guys they get satisfied, and they stop doing all the little things. I was that type of person. Like during practice, I’m going to keep going hard 110% every day, and I’m never going to cut corners.”
The thoughts and feelings facing Kevin Willard this week hadn’t crossed his mind until Sunday, he said.
Villanova, with no classes to rush home for, spent the night in Milwaukee on Friday after finishing its nonconference schedule with an overtime victory over Wisconsin. The Wildcats traveled home Saturday with their 9-2 record and their ascending metrics tucked away with the cargo.
It’s time for Big East play, Willard’s first conference campaign since taking over at Villanova after three years coaching Maryland. Up first: Seton Hall on the road and a return to a place Willard spent 12 years from 2010 to 2022. Credit to the conference schedulers, who probably couldn’t have predicted it would be the 9-2 Wildcats against the 11-1 Pirates. They nailed it nonetheless.
On Sunday, though, Willard and his wife, Julie, started reminiscing. Willard didn’t play Seton Hall in any of his three seasons at Maryland, although he did coach a game at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Seton Hall’s home court, last season, coincidentally a Maryland victory over Villanova.
Tuesday will be much different. The Willards have numerous family photos that document memories around the Seton Hall program. There are pictures of their children, Colin and Chase, running around on basketball courts at the Prudential Center and on road trips. Willard said he has about 80 people attending Tuesday’s game, a mix of family and friends.
It’s a community he remains connected to. Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway was one of his assistants for eight years and the guy he wanted to succeed him. He still goes on golf trips with Seton Hill alums and stays in touch with former players, like Sandro Mamukelashvili, a Raptors forward who was in Milwaukee on Thursday night playing against the Bucks.
Seton Hall coach Kevin Willard talking with guard Myles Powell in November 2019.
Willard said he imagines he’ll be emotional seeing former staff members and fans Tuesday night.
“There’s a little bit more to this one,” he said Monday. “I love Seton Hall. I raised my kids in Jersey, my kids grew up there, my wife and I spent 12 great years at Seton Hall and in the community. It’s a great fan base, it’s a great alumni base.
“It’s probably going to be a little bit harder for me going back than I think it is.”
That being said …
“It’s obviously a league game, so it’s not like I’m going to be crying at halfcourt,” he said. “But it’s definitely a place that I hold very dearly and will always be the love of my life to be honest with you.”
That is the balance Willard will need to find Tuesday night. He will surely be cheered, and for good reason. Willard led the Pirates to five NCAA Tournament appearances in his last seven seasons, and a sixth would have happened if not for the COVID-19 pandemic. Seton Hall won 20 games just once in the first decade of this century before Willard hit that mark seven times in 12 seasons.
But whatever fanfare Seton Hall has planned for Willard’s return is only a distraction from what is a critical Big East Conference game.
Villanova entered Monday 29th in the NCAA’s NET rankings while Seton Hall was 36th. At the metrics site KenPom, Villanova was 28th and Seton Hall was 43rd. Meanwhile, ESPN’s bracket guru Joe Lunardi on Saturday had Villanova as a No. 10 seed, the 39th-ranked team in his 68-team field, and Seton Hall was a No. 7 seed, the 28th-ranked team.
Kevin Willard coaching Villanova against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Finneran Pavilion on Dec. 13.
It may be a little early for such discussions — the teams are barely one-third of the way through their 2025-26 schedules — but it is surely a game that could be a big deal come March. That is not a reality Willard hides from, a departure from his predecessor at Villanova, who treated every game like the “Super Bowl” and didn’t talk to his players about bubbles and rankings and metrics.
“We talk about where we are, where we’re standing,” Willard said. “We talk about our NET numbers. I let them know everything.”
When Bryce Lindsay decided to make a layup rather than run the clock out in the waning seconds of Friday’s win, Willard said the guard told him afterward that he was trying to protect Villanova’s NET ranking.
What’s the benefit of keeping his players aware of it all?
“Because you’re going to go through some parts of the season where you struggle,” Willard said. “Everybody does. If the players understand where you are and what your numbers are and what opportunities you have, it’s much easier to get them out of that struggle because they’re sitting there saying, ‘OK we lost a couple games, it’s over.’
“Nope. I lost a game last year on the road and my NET went up. It’s all about your opportunities … and once you get to conference play, as long as you did what you had to do for the most part in the nonconference, you’ve just got to stay focused and keep guys focused.”
Villanova did what it had to do in the nonconference portion of its schedule. It is, as Willard said, time to focus on the 20-game Big East schedule. But taking his own advice will be harder Tuesday night than the other 19 contests.
Even after selling more than $2 billion worth of sports and pop culture memorabilia, and adding celebrities like Drake, Kim Kardashian, and Shane Gillis to his client list, South Jersey’s Ken Goldin hasn’t lost the thrill of the chase.
During a visit to Japan last summer, Goldin made sure to post on social media that he wanted to meet nearby collectors and appraise their items.
Goldin’s years of collecting are evident in his office. The walls are lined with framed photos, encased music records, World Series trophies, and other prized collectibles, like signed baseball bats from Phillies legend Mike Schmidt and Reebok sneakers worn by Shaquille O’Neal.
The owner of Goldin Auctions in Runnemede said the things he has collected are invaluable heirlooms. Yes, they are rare, but they are also artifacts that carry the glory of pivotal moments in sports history, especially ones he witnessed himself.
Ken Goldin holds a 1976 Phillies bat used by Mike Schmidt, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey-based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.
Every time Goldin, 60, looks at the signed 1980s Phillies team poster in his office, he’s reminded of the World Series games he attended with his parents, sitting in the 500 level at Veterans Stadium.
The Phillies were playing the Kansas City Royals, and the teenage Goldin watched relief pitcher Tug McGraw tap his chest on the mound, a sign of his fiery competitiveness.
It’s those memories, not the money, that keep Goldin in the auction game, he said. They’re also the reason Netflix built a reality show around his collection and his business of selling high-value memorabilia.
“Every collectible I sell is a moment, it’s a piece of history,” he said. “And to me, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. What drives me is that I really enjoy what I do.”
Ken Goldin shows a childhood soccer jersey that belonged to Lionel Messi, on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at his office. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.
Among the season’s biggest surprises is a soccer jersey worn, or verifiably used, by Lionel Messi as a child. The story of how it landed in his hands, he said, is almost too good for TV.
“I’m not allowed to say any more than that, except that the provenance is unbelievable and the story behind it is remarkable,” he said in an interview prior to Tuesday’s premiere.
For Philly sports fans like himself, Goldin said there will be several Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson items making an appearance on the six-episode season.
Ken Goldin unpacks a 2006 signed Allan Iverson jersey on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 at his office in Runnemede. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.
Some will be things Goldin acquired on his travels to Tokyo, where he met the “single-best Iverson collection in the world.”
Among the people who responded to his social media post was this Iverson fan who had a signed 2006 alternate blue jersey of the Hall of Fame player. It features a classic “Sixers” wordmark with white letters, and red and black trim. It was photo-matched and could be forensically linked to Iverson.
“When I saw it, I was like, ‘Whoa,’” Goldin said.
When it comes to Philly sports, certain athletes and figures transcend international lines, and Iverson is one of them, Goldin said.
“AI is one of those players who connects with everyone, whether they’re 14 years old or in their 50s,” he said. “I’ve lived and breathed Philly sports my whole life, so I know.”
Ken Goldin holds a pair of Converse basketball sneakers on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, that belonged to 76ers star Julius “Dr. J” Erving and were worn during a game against the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.
On a recent Thursday afternoon, Goldin dug into his personal collection to reveal the sneakers of another legendary Philly sports icon: Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
The Converse All-Stars, worn by the revolutionary ABA and NBA star, feature his signature on both shoes. The sneakers are photo-matched to an early 1980s game that Erving’s Sixers played against Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics.
No stranger to TV-level theatrics, Goldin wore former Phillies center fielder and famed broadcaster Richie Ashburn’s 1980s World Championship ring that afternoon.
“I wear it almost never. It is set in a vault. But for this [interview], I said, ‘I’m going to put the ring on,’” Goldin said.
Ken Goldin shows his 1980 Richie Ashburn bicentennial ring on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. Goldin, the star of Netflix’s “King of Collectibles,” the South Jersey based collector and high-profile dealer has several new finds sure to excite Philadelphia sports fans.
But sports memorabilia won’t be the only thing Goldin is dealing with this season.
To further hone in on the Philly nature of the show’s new season, Goldin promised a Rocky-related find but wouldn’t share details. The show will also showcase high-priced items like Paul McCartney’s guitar, paintings by Bob Ross, and even the alleged mummified hand of Cleopatra.
Goldin said there will also be guest appearances from Logan Paul, Steve Aoki, and Giannis Antetokounmpo and his three brothers.
He knows Sixers fans aren’t the most welcoming to Eastern Conference contenders, but Goldin makes an exception for Antetokounmpo. “I know it’s Philly, but you have to love the guy,” he said of the Milwaukee player, before signing off with something of a prophecy.
“Who knows, maybe we can get him next year.”
The new season of “King of Collectibles” is streaming on Netflix.
