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  • What the stats say about new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion

    What the stats say about new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion

    After a search that lasted 16 days to find the replacement for Kevin Patullo, the Eagles on Thursday announced that 33-year-old Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion is their next offensive coordinator.

    Mannion played mostly as a reserve for nine NFL seasons and was a player in the NFL just two seasons ago. He has been a coach for the previous two, and now has risen from first-year offensive assistant to first-year quarterbacks coach to first-year offensive coordinator with the Eagles.

    Get the theme here? We’re talking numbers. And while Mannion hasn’t been a coach long enough to have too many data points to parse to infer much about what his hire means, there are at least some meaningful stats and numbers that could be meaningful.

    Let’s have a look.

    66.3%

    That was Jordan Love’s completion percentage in 2025, Mannion’s first as quarterbacks coach. That was Love’s best mark in his three full seasons as a starter in the NFL. The 66.3% completion rate wasn’t the only high Love set in 2025. He also had his best season as a starter by passer rating (101.2, which ranked sixth among all NFL starters), and threw his lowest total of interceptions (six, down from 11 in each of his first two seasons as a starter).

    Jordan Love had a strong 2025 despite a substandard performance against the Eagles.

    All while the Packers dealt with a constant list of key injuries on offense.

    What’s more, backup Malik Willis had an 85.7% completion rate in 35 attempts in relief of Love.

    Five things to know about new Eagles OC Sean Mannion, from his playing career to his Andy Reid connection

    +95.6

    The NFL MVP race is between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, but Love was third in the NFL in pass EPA (expected points added) at +95.6, according to Next Gen Stats. EPA measures the average points added by the offense on each play.

    Love had the same EPA per drop back as Stafford (+0.20).

    Could more play action be in the cards for Jalen Hurts during the Sean Mannion era?

    28.3%

    Mannion has had a lot of influence in his years as a player and coach from some well-regarded offensive minds. How might he shape the way the Eagles’ offense looks moving forward?

    Love’s numbers could offer some clues.

    His play-action rate of 28.3%, for example, was fifth-highest in the league. Jalen Hurts ranked 23rd at 23.8%, according to Next Gen.

    13%

    Hurts threw more deep balls per attempt than any other quarterback, despite what you may think about the Eagles and their conservative nature. According to Next Gen, which counts a deep pass as a ball that travels 20 air yards, Hurts threw a deep ball on 13.2% of his throws.

    Right behind him was Love, who went long on 13% of his passes.

    Throwing them is one thing, completing them is another. Hurts rated 14th in deep ball completion rate (38.3%) while Love completed only slightly more (40.4%, 10th).

    Look for Sean Mannion’s scheme to borrow heavily from those of Sean McVay (left) and Kyle Shanahan.

    59%

    Only four teams ran less motion before the snap than the Eagles’ rate of 44%. Green Bay, meanwhile, used motion on 59% of its offensive plays, which was the eighth-highest rate in the NFL.

    Motion is a staple of the offenses run by Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, whose influences are all over Mannion’s past. McVay’s Rams were fourth in motion rate while Shanahan’s 49ers were third.

    Of course, the best coaches find a way to use their players to fit their players’ strengths, but Mannion is likely to incorporate a lot of the things he’s learned along the way.

    13,600

    Here’s a bonus set of numbers that have nothing to do with Mannion’s coaching career but are worth mentioning anyway.

    This first one is worth it because Mannion is a quarterback guy whose new job is largely about maximizing Hurts’ skill set.

    Mannion may have thrown only 36 passes at the NFL level, but he was a prolific college quarterback at Oregon State, where he threw for 13,600 yards, a number that ranks 19th in FBS history.

    1

    Mannion had one career NFL touchdown pass, and it came in his final game, which was his third career start.

    On Jan. 2, 2022, Mannion filled in for Kirk Cousins (COVID-19) in a Week 17 game vs., ironically, the Packers. In a 37-10 loss, Mannion completed 22 of 36 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He rushed twice for 14 yards and was sacked twice.

    K.J. Osborn caught Mannion’s touchdown pass, a 14-yard connection on the final play of the third quarter.

    How’s that for a useless trivia answer?

    31

    Here’s another one. Mannion might be young, but the Eagles once hired a younger offensive coordinator.

    In February 1995, the Eagles hired a 31-year-old to be their offensive coordinator. His name was Jon Gruden.

  • Eagles’ Clint Hurtt discusses coaching the Senior Bowl and his interview for the Dolphins DC job

    Eagles’ Clint Hurtt discusses coaching the Senior Bowl and his interview for the Dolphins DC job

    MOBILE, Ala. — Standing in the north end zone of Hancock Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama’s campus, Clint Hurtt, the Eagles defensive line coach, had the sun shining on him while decked out in a black Eagles T-shirt and black pants. Hurtt was the head coach of the National team at the 2026 Senior Bowl, and was responsible for planning, delegating, and monitoring the two-hour practice session.

    For Hurtt, who has more than a decade of NFL coaching experience that included two seasons as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator, the opportunity to run the show along with the hands-on experience leading a group of players are “things you can’t take for granted.”

    “If you have aspirations to be a head coach one day, it’s a different circumstance in terms of getting practice schedules together for the players, for the coaches, the installation, all those things that happen throughout the day,” Hurtt said Thursday. “There’s things that you know that happen when you’re following the lead of the respective head coach that you work for, but to do it yourself, it’s a great experience to be a part of. And obviously you’re not doing it alone. The [other] coaches are obviously a big part of that, and they help out with that stuff.”

    Eagles hire Packers QB coach Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator

    The focus is on helping build up and coach the next generation of NFL players this week, but Hurtt’s name has also circulated in coaching searches. He interviewed with the Miami Dolphins last weekend for their vacant defensive coordinator job under new head coach Jeff Hafley.

    Hurtt, 47, didn’t delve into much detail but confirmed the interview “went well and the feedback I got was that it went really well.”

    The preparation for his Senior Bowl assignment started well before Hurtt got boots on the ground in Mobile earlier this week. Hurtt, who played collegiately at Miami and began his coaching career shortly after, said his staff assembled from other NFL teams had meetings on Zoom to organize the daily practice and game day plans for the Senior Bowl. He leaned on Eagles running backs coach Jemal Singleton, the offensive coordinator for the National team this week, to help orchestrate the offensive plan.

    From planning for two-minute drills to red-zone work throughout the week, Hurtt is shouldering more on-field scheduling responsibilities than he typically would with the Eagles.

    Before coming to the Eagles, Clint Hurtt spent seven seasons with the Seahawks, including two as defensive coordinator.

    “When you’re the head, you have to have answers for everybody, for all position groups,” Hurtt said. “[Having been] a coordinator, before being used to that, coaching linebackers and the secondary and things of that nature. So it’s been really good and enjoyable with these kids. And they’re all hungry for knowledge.”

    One player benefiting from Hurtt’s coaching is Western Michigan edge rusher Nadame Tucker, one of the standouts of the week for the National team. Tucker, who spent his first three seasons at Houston before having a breakout season in 2025 with 21 tackles for losses and 14½ sacks for Western Michigan, said he “gravitated toward [Hurtt]” and appreciated his similar approach to football.

    “I feel like coaching D-line, to get guys to listen to you, that’s how you should be, man,” Tucker said after practice Tuesday. “So he’s my great idea of a D-line coach. He’s a stern guy, a guy that’s going to pull the best out of the players and want the best out of his players. … I just keep working with him and learning from him and learning from all the [coaches].”

    The Eagles might be a few steps from a Super Bowl return. Here’s how they can get them right.

    Hurtt is using this week to gain more exposure to coaching and the detailed nature of running practices, things he never experienced.

    “When you want to go into a job interview to try to escalate, improve your career and move up the ladder, there’s things that you have to learn along the way. But it’s hard to do that if you don’t get exposure,” Hurtt said. “I always constantly self critique, every evening, try to sit back and say, ‘OK, what went well today? What I’ll continue to do, what things can we improve on?’ Always looking for critical feedback. And because I like the criticism, I’m always self-talking on what are the things that we can do to get better, where can I be better, to be better for the players and be better for the staff.”

    Hurtt’s head coaching experience will come to an end on Saturday with the Senior Bowl game (2:30 p.m., NFL Network). But for now, he’s relishing this opportunity with the future NFL players who are soaking up knowledge from Hurtt and his coaching staff.

    “Being passionate, you want the kids to feel your energy and where you’re coming from, because then they understand how you want things to be,” Hurtt said. “The coaches [are] obviously doing that, too. It’s a great energy from our defensive coaching staff and offense as well. But I want every coach to be authentically themselves, too. Don’t try to replicate anybody else that’s around you. Got to be you, because that’s what the players are going to respond to the best.”

  • Five things to know about new Eagles OC Sean Mannion, from his playing career to his Andy Reid connection

    Five things to know about new Eagles OC Sean Mannion, from his playing career to his Andy Reid connection

    After weeks of searching, the Eagles have hired Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator.

    Here are five things to know about the man who will be calling plays for the Birds next year:

    He was a quarterback at Oregon State

    Mannion played for the Beavers from 2011 to 2014, and still holds 18 Oregon State records, including most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and most completions in school history. He held the record for career passing yards in the Pac-12 with 13,600, until Washington State quarterback Luke Falk passed him in 2017.

    After graduating, Mannion was drafted by the Rams in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft.

    Sean Mannion played against the Packers before he was a member of their staff.

    He’s played in the NFL

    Mannion spent nine seasons with three NFL organizations: the Rams, Vikings and Seahawks.

    He was a career backup, appearing in 14 NFL games, starting three of them, and throwing for 573 yards with one career touchdown pass (to K.J. Osborn) and three interceptions.

    He’s risen quickly through the ranks

    Following the 2023 season, Mannion retired from playing and secured an interview to join the Bears’ coaching staff. He reached out to Matt LaFleur, who had coached him while he was a player, to ask him for advice on his interview.

    “I jumped on a Zoom call with him in the second half and he showed me what he was going to present, and I told him, ‘Wow, that’s pretty good. I think you should come up to Green Bay right when you’re done with that interview,’” LaFleur told ESPN. “And I’m surprised that they let him out of the building. They tried to get him, but I guess we had more to offer. But we’re lucky to have him. I really do think this guy’s going to have a bright future for us and certainly in the coaching profession.”

    Mannion was promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2025. Now, in 2026, he’ll be a first-time play-caller at age 33.

    Sean Mannion was part of a staff that made consecutive playoff appearances in Green Bay.

    His dad also coaches

    Mannion’s father, John Mannion, is a longtime high school football coach. He has coached at Mountainside High School in Beaverton, Ore., since 2017, and in 2023 he was honored by the American Football Coaches Association with the Power of Influence Award.

    John told ESPN that a 7-year-old Sean came along on a scouting trip to another school, and spent the entire game taking his own notes on a yellow notepad. When he was hired by the Packers, John, who’d kept the notepad ever since, gave it back to him as a gift.

    He’s following Andy Reid’s path

    The last time the Eagles hired the quarterbacks coach from Green Bay, that man was Andy Reid, who was head coach of the Eagles from 1999-2012. If it worked once…

  • Eagles hire Packers QB coach Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator

    Eagles hire Packers QB coach Sean Mannion as offensive coordinator

    The Eagles are hiring former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach Sean Mannion as their new offensive coordinator, the team announced on Thursday night.

    Mannion, 33, played for nine NFL seasons as a quarterback, including three on practice squads, from 2015-23. He began his coaching career in 2024 as an offensive assistant with the Packers under head coach Matt LaFleur. Mannion quickly worked his way up the ranks, taking over as quarterbacks coach last season following the retirement of Tom Clements.

    Mannion, who replaces Kevin Patullo, joins the Eagles as the fifth offensive coordinator of the Nick Sirianni era. While Mannion does not have any play-calling experience in his brief coaching career, he will take on that responsibility with the Eagles.

    In a statement to the Eagles website, Sirianni said he was “thrilled” to add Mannion to the staff.

    “My goal throughout this process was to operate with an open mind regarding the future of our offense to find the best fit for the Eagles,” Sirianni said. “Over the last few weeks, I had an opportunity to meet with a number of talented candidates and great offensive minds. I am appreciative of the time I was able to spend with each of them. Some came with years of experience running an offense and calling plays. Others were young, sharp, and dynamic coaches on the rise. I felt it was important to be patient and thorough to allow the right fit to reveal himself to us. Sean did just that.

    “It was quickly apparent in meeting with Sean that he is a bright young coach with a tremendous future ahead of him in this league. I was impressed by his systematic views on offensive football and his strategic approach. Sean’s 11 years in the NFL have provided him a great opportunity to learn from and grow alongside some of the best coaches in the game. As a result, he has a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to our team moving forward. I can’t wait to see Sean with our team, and I want to welcome him and his wife, Megan, to the Eagles family.”

    The hiring of Mannion comes after a two-week interview process to fill the vacancy left by Patullo, whose one-year stint as the offensive coordinator ended on Jan. 13. The Eagles reportedly interviewed more than a dozen candidates, with at least four of them landing second interviews, including Mannion, Jim Bob Cooter, Josh Grizzard, and Jerrod Johnson.

    Sean Mannion (14) counted the Vikings among his playing stops.

    Mannion began his NFL playing career when he was drafted by the St. Louis Rams as the No. 89 overall pick in the third round of the 2015 draft out of Oregon State. He also had playing stints with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-21 and 2023) and the Seattle Seahawks (2021-23).

    In addition to working with LaFleur, Mannion has been coached by members of the Kyle Shanahan tree, including current NFL head coaches Sean McVay of the Rams, Kevin O’Connell of the Vikings, and Zac Taylor of the Bengals, among others.

    Over the last two seasons in Green Bay, Mannion has worked with quarterbacks Jordan Love and Malik Willis. His development of Willis is particularly notable, as the 26-year-old quarterback went from being a disappointment with the Tennessee Titans to a more-than-capable backup and spot starter with the Packers. Willis went 30-for-35 for 422 yards (85.7%) and three touchdowns (no interceptions) in four games (one start) with the Packers in 2025.

    Mannion will be tasked with refreshing an Eagles offense that floundered just one season removed from their Super Bowl win. With Patullo at the helm, the Eagles ranked 19th in the league in scoring, 24th in total yards, and 13th in expected points added per play, which measures the average points added by the offense on each play.

    The addition of Mannion could particularly stand to benefit Jalen Hurts given the new offensive coordinator’s history playing the position. While Mannion started just three games in his NFL career (14 total appearances), he played in 47 games over four seasons at Oregon State and set nearly every school passing record. His 13,600 career passing yards rank in the top 20 in FBS history.

    This isn’t the first time the Eagles have hired a former Packers quarterbacks coach to a prominent role on staff. In 1999, the Eagles tapped 40-year-old Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid as their head coach, a post he held for 14 years. Like Mannion, Reid did not have play-calling reps, although he had much more coaching experience.

  • Basketball star Paige Bueckers is not afraid to use the platform her fame has given her

    Basketball star Paige Bueckers is not afraid to use the platform her fame has given her

    Paige Bueckers has lived in a big spotlight since her senior year of high school. It, understandably, hasn’t always been easy, but she is pretty comfortable with it these days.

    She also is comfortable using her fame as a platform, and she has done so again.

    The 24-year-old grew up in Hopkins, Minn., about 10 miles southwest of downtown Minneapolis. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s recent swarming of the Twin Cities, from raiding homes and business to the killings by ICE officers of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, hit especially close to home for her.

    On Friday night, Bueckers will be in another big spotlight, in a city that has paid much attention to ICE’s actions. The Unrivaled basketball showcase will have a sellout crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena and another national TV audience watching from home.

    “Innocent lives are being taken; innocent families are being broken apart,” Bueckers said Thursday amid the four touring teams’ practices at the Alan Horwitz Sixth Man Center. “People are afraid to send their children to school, people are afraid to go to work and provide for their family, people are afraid to go to the grocery store. What’s going on is not OK, and at some point — we feel like, and we hope and we pray, that there’s a change in direction in where this is heading.”

    All of Unrivaled’s games this season except Friday’s are played in Medley, Fla., just outside Miami, with the season running from early January to early March. That has kept Bueckers away from participating in protests at home, which she said she would do if she could.

    What is Unrivaled, which kicks off its tour in Philly Friday night, and how is it different from the WNBA?

    “I’m very proud to be from Minnesota, and to see the community come together and show strength and unity and try to do everything possible to stay together through this really tough time,” she said. “That’s kind of what Minnesota is all about. So it’s tough, just being from there and not being able to go there and help and [have] feet on land, but you try to do everything from afar to support.”

    In the meantime, Bueckers has put her money where her mouth is.

    Paige Bueckers getting some shots up:

    [image or embed]

    — Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) January 29, 2026 at 11:37 AM

    At the start of the week, she won Unrivaled’s $50,000 prize for having the best free-throw shooting percentage through the three-on-three league’s first five games of this season. Soon after that, she put the same sum on the table as a donation match to the Hopkins Strong Relief Fund.

    The fund describes itself as “an ongoing drive to help feed Hopkins children and meet other urgent needs during this time of heightened stress and uncertainty in our community.”

    Here’s why Unrivaled picked Philadelphia to be the first stop on its nationwide tour

    ‘We have this platform to say things’

    Bueckers, who also plays for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, spoke resolutely about the importance of leveraging her fame.

    “I feel like I’ve been very blessed and fortunate,” she said, “and God has given me this platform to speak out on things that are important to me and use my platform for good. And whether that be donations or just speaking out or standing up for what I think is right, I think that’s very important.”

    Paige Bueckers (5) in action with the Dallas Wings last year.

    She also was ready for a response she has seen often across society.

    “As athletes, it can be so easy for people to say, ‘Just play your sport. Don’t worry about politics; don’t worry about all of life’s issues,’” Bueckers said. “But I think as somebody who’s in the entertainment business, and we get this platform, and we have this platform to say things, I think it’s important for us to use our voice and stand up for what we believe in.”

    Philly has long been a special place for tennis legend Billie Jean King. And she wants to see the WNBA succeed here.

    Fellow superstar Breanna Stewart of Mist BC and the New York Liberty made a major statement Sunday when she held up a handwritten “ABOLISH ICE” sign during that day’s player introductions.

    “All day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news,” Stewart said afterward. “Everyone here [at Unrivaled] is feeling that way, one way or another. … We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of ‘ABOLISH ICE,’ which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence.”

    Another Minnesota native playing in Unrivaled, the Lunar Owls’ Rachel Banham, added her voice on Thursday.

    “There’s a lot of things that need to, on a deeper level, be fixed, right?” said Banham, who also plays for the Chicago Sky. “I think the biggest thing that we can control — I mean, obviously, use your voice, continue to pray, continue to be there for people who need it. Lend a helping hand, if you can, because a lot of us have that privilege to be able to do that.”

    She also acknowledged the scale of the current task.

    “It’s going to be something that’s going to be [from] higher up, right?” Banham said of finding a solution. “It’s come from the top, government-wise.”

    Bueckers did not say whether she’ll do something specific at Friday’s games. But she praised the WNBA’s tradition of player activism for “having always inspired me in that way.” She also spoke of her own history having “grown up, and I’ve seen, and I’ve been a part of, peaceful marches and protests and the community coming together just because of tragic events.”

    She added that the Unrivaled player group has “talked about” doing something collectively, and “we want to do something to stand up for [it].”

  • USWNT star Crystal Dunn announces retirement from soccer at age 33

    USWNT star Crystal Dunn announces retirement from soccer at age 33

    PARIS — United States international Crystal Dunn has retired from professional soccer after a decorated playing career to spend more time with her family.

    The 33-year-old New York native helped the U.S. win the 2019 women’s World Cup and the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

    “This decision has not come easily, but I am at peace and deeply fulfilled with all that I have accomplished,” she wrote in an Instagram post Thursday. “I’ve achieved nearly everything I dreamed of in this sport and gave all I had to give.

    “I’m ready to embrace the life that awaits me on the other side. I look forward to spending more time with my family and being a more present mom.”

    Dunn was under contract with Paris Saint-Germain, which said Thursday that both sides agreed to end their collaboration. A versatile player who contributed from multiple positions, Dunn joined PSG in January 2025 after leaving Gotham FC of the NWSL. She made nine appearances for PSG, scoring two goals and providing two assists.

    Dunn appeared in 160 games for the United States, scoring 25 goals.

    “As one of the first Black stars of the U.S. women’s national team, especially as a field player, Dunn has long been a role model to many young players of color across the country who aspired to reach the highest levels of the game,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in its announcement about Dunn’s retirement.

    USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps will join NWSL expansion team Denver Summit

    “Dunn’s career will be remembered for her versatility, her tremendous one-on-one defending, her ability to perform far above her size (5-foot-1), her popularity among her teammates, her ability to inspire generations of U.S. Women’s National Team players and for a heck of a lot of winning.”

    Before Gotham, Dunn played for the Portland Thorns and took most of 2022 off for the birth of her son, Marcel. She also had stints with the North Carolina Courage, Chelsea, and the Washington Spirit.

  • Joe Walsh, Hall of Fame football coach and longtime West Chester teacher, has died at 75

    Joe Walsh, Hall of Fame football coach and longtime West Chester teacher, has died at 75

    Joe Walsh, 75, of West Chester, member of four athletic Halls of Fame, longtime high school and college football coach, retired health and physical education teacher at West Chester Henderson High School, mentor, and neighbor extraordinaire, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, of cancer at his home.

    Mr. Walsh grew up in the Farmbrook section of Levittown, Bucks County, and played football at the old Woodrow Wilson High School and what is now West Chester University. He got a job as a health and physical education teacher and assistant football coach at Henderson in 1972 and spent the next five decades coaching thousands of high school and college athletes, teaching thousands of high school students, and mentoring hundreds of friends and colleagues.

    He coached football, wrestling, lacrosse, and tennis at Henderson, and his football teams at Henderson and Sun Valley High School combined to win four league championships. He coached in 13 all-star football games and was named the Chester County area football coach of the year four times, the Ches-Mont League coach of the year three times, and the Del-Val League coach of the year once.

    In 1992, an Inquirer reporter asked him to describe himself. “I am an easygoing, volatile kind of coach,” he said with a big chuckle, the reporter wrote. “Actually,” he said, “I think I’m a player’s coach. I think my rapport with my players is my strong point.”

    Mr. Walsh (center) had many occasions to celebrate with family and friends on the football field.

    Former colleagues, players, and friends said in online tributes that Mr. Walsh was “an inspiration,” “a great coach,” and “a positive example for many, many young people.” On Threads, his brother, Russ, called him a “Hall of Fame human being.”

    “He was always there,” said John Lunardi, assistant principal at Henderson, who played quarterback for Mr. Walsh and served later as his assistant coach, “a steady, reliable role model, somebody who could be counted on no matter what.”

    In 20 years as head football coach at Henderson, from 1992 to 2011, Mr. Walsh’s teams won 131 games, lost 104, and captured three Ches-Mont League championships. From 1988 to 1991, he went 17-25 as head coach at Sun Valley and won the 1990 Del-Val League championship.

    His 2007 team at Henderson went 12-2, won the Ches-Mont title, and made it to the district championship game. “Our motto,” he told The Inquirer in 2004, “is no excuses, just results.”

    Mr. Walsh and his Henderson football team were featured in The Inquirer’s 1992 preview section.

    He coached the West Chester University defensive linemen as an assistant for seven seasons after leaving Henderson and was inducted into the university’s Killinger Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 2001. He entered the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Ches-Mont League Hall of Fame in 2018.

    In 2025, he was inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame, and colleagues there noted his “remarkable achievements and contributions to local athletics” in a Facebook tribute. He earned a standing ovation after speaking at the ceremony, and Henderson officials recognized his legacy with a moment of silence at a recent basketball game. They said in a tribute: “Joe Walsh was a Hall of Fame person in every possible way.”

    Mr. Walsh taught health and physical education at Henderson from 1972 to 2008. He organized offseason clinics to encourage all students to join sports teams and told The Inquirer in 1992: “I’ve always tried my best to get as many people out and make it enjoyable for them so they stay out.”

    He served as board president for the Killinger Football Foundation and cofounded W & W Option Football Camps LLC in 2001. “It wasn’t about the wins and losses for him,” said his wife, Pam. “It was all about the kids, and he was that way in all aspects of his life.”

    Mr. Walsh and his wife, Pam, had many adventures together and spent countless afternoons at football games.

    Joseph Richard Walsh was born Feb. 5, 1950, in Philadelphia. He lettered in football, wrestling, and track in high school, and graduated from Wilson in 1968.

    He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education at West Chester in 1972 and played center on its two-time championship football team.

    He married Sharon Clark, and they had a son, Joe, and a daughter, Kelly. After a divorce, he married Pam Connor in 1978, and they had a daughter, Jen, and lived in Downingtown and then West Whiteland Township since 1985.

    Mr. Walsh enjoyed all kinds of fishing and golf. In 2023, he and his wife visited half a dozen college football stadiums on a wild cross-country road trip to Yellowstone National Park.

    Mr. Walsh enjoyed time with his children.

    They entertained often at home, and his gourmet soups were usually the hit of the party. He doted on his children and grandchildren, and never lost his sense of humor, they said.

    He was the best neighbor ever, friends said. He cleared miles of sidewalks and driveways with his snowblower every winter, hosted late-into-the-night firepit parties every summer, and could fix practically anything.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    “He was gentle but strong,” his wife said. “He was kind and considerate, and he never badmouthed anybody. He truly was a great man.”

    In addition to his wife, children, brother, and former wife, Mr. Walsh is survived by seven grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, sisters Eileen and Ruth, and other relatives.

    Mr. Walsh rarely let the big ones get away.

    Visitation with the family is to be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6, at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church St., West Chester, Pa. 19380. A celebration of his life is to follow Friday at 10:30.

    Donations in his name may be made to the Joe Walsh Scholarship Fund, c/o the Athletic Department, West Chester Henderson High School, 400 Montgomery Ave., West Chester, Pa. 19380.

  • Mistakes cost fading Flyers despite the play of Dan Vladař and a banged-up Travis Konecny

    Mistakes cost fading Flyers despite the play of Dan Vladař and a banged-up Travis Konecny

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — For most of the night, it seemed as if the Flyers were still on a road outside Columbus. Despite facing a Metropolitan Division foe in the Blue Jackets, and with their playoff dreams fading away, it was too much of that Midwest way of ease.

    They finally turned it up for the third period and were knocking on the door of a comeback, thanks to Travis Konecny and Dan Vladař, but then fell back into the habits that sank them earlier in the game. Within five minutes it went from a tie game to a 5-3 loss.

    Just a few weeks ago, the Flyers were sitting inside the playoff picture. Now they’ve lost nine of 11.

    “We just shot ourselves in the foot a few times, and they capitalized on them,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “And just weren’t executing the way that we need to at this level. And it cost us.”

    The gas tank seemed to be low for much of the team for much of the time — except for Konecny and Vladař.

    “We all know he’s our big dog, as everybody says,” Vladař said about Konecny. “We were happy that he’s going, but at the same time, it’s a team game. We just can’t rely on only two players. We cannot expect from him scoring [a] hat trick every single game.”

    A painful hat trick

    Konecny notched his third career hat trick as he gutted and grimaced out a performance that could have and should have gone down in Flyers lore.

    His first goal tied the score at 1, settling things down momentarily after his line was on the ice for the first Columbus goal 38 seconds into the game — thanks to a turnover by Trevor Zegras. But then, at the end of the second, Konecny blocked a Damon Severson slap shot off his ankle or foot and appeared to be in so much pain that the guy who normally sticks around after the buzzer was already deep down the tunnel when it sounded.

    Travis Konecny (right) leads the Flyers in goals with 20 and points with 48.

    He wasn’t out there for the start of the third — missing the opening shift with his linemates, Zegras and Christian Dvorak — but he was on the bench just as the puck dropped and was back on the ice for their next rotation. The next shift after, Konecny made it 3-2, and with 4 minutes, 46 seconds remaining, he received a nifty pass from his buddy Travis Sanheim to tie it at 3.

    But in the process, the Flyers may have lost Konecny for some time.

    “He’s hitting the holes, and … he races inside on them and beats people, and then obviously he’s got a good shot,” coach Rick Tocchet said.

    The Flyers’ lingering issues carry over to Columbus in near-comeback loss

    “And he took one off the foot. He’s limping around. He might not play [Thursday against the Boston Bruins]. We don’t know. He [had] a lot of guts tonight.”

    Konecny is the Flyers’ leader in goals (20) and points (48), and losing him would be a big hole to fill as they try to climb back in the race. They are six points out of third place in the Metro and eight points back of a wild-card slot.

    Vladař’s strong return

    Although Sam Ersson battled and performed up to the task across the gauntlet through Las Vegas, Utah, and Colorado, the return of Vladař after a six-game absence was expected to be a durable shovel added to the dig-out.

    Although he missed two weeks and said he didn’t “think my legs and my reads were there at the beginning,” the No. 1 goalie was up to the task. But the defense faltered in front of him again, committing turnovers and leaving Blue Jackets wide-open on the weak side.

    “We’ve talked from training camp [about] the weakside goals, and lately, since Tampa, we’re just giving up too many weakside goals,” Tocchet said, referencing two straight losses to the Lightning in mid-January.

    “You cannot let that weakside goal go in. Obviously, there’s a couple of guys [who] made mistakes on it. Let Vladdy have the strong side shot; he stops that all day long. But that one’s impossible for him to stop.

    “I shouldn’t say impossible, because he made some great saves.”

    Indeed, he did.

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar in action against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan 12. He made 26 saves Wednesday.

    There’s always talk about goalies needing to make one more save in a game. Vladař did that and more. He saw the puck well, especially through traffic, and made 26 saves on 30 shots, stopping three out of five high-danger shots.

    Two of those saves were highlight-reel, saves-of-the-year stops on Adam Fantilli when it was 3-1 and Boone Jenner when it was 3-2, with his glove as they waited on the weak side all alone at the right post. Sean Monahan, who scored the game-winner two shifts after Konecny notched his third goal, mentioned postgame he was happy his shot was on the stick side.

    “[Sanheim] can’t be tied up with his guy, he’s got to stay loose. He’s got to stay loose because there’s a breakdown,” Tocchet said about the game-winner. “Noah [Cates] should have took back ice, but Sanny just was, he stood with his guy. He should just leave him loose, and then he takes the weak side. So, it’s a couple of things, multiple things. You want to give your goalie a chance to make the save when there’s a breakdown.”

    It did seem as if the Blue Jackets were crashing the net and making a goalie returning from injury move side-to-side a lot.

    “I don’t think it was intentional because of Vlad,” Sanheim said.

    “I think it was some of the mistakes that we were making and coverages and allowing them to make those plays. It puts a lot of stress on your goaltender and can’t blame him, he made a heck of a save on a couple of occasions and really kept us in that game.”

    There were turnovers galore, missed assignments, missed reads, and the official stat says nine giveaways. It’s been the norm lately for the Flyers as their once-promising season is charging downhill.

    The question is, how many times can the Flyers break till they shatter?

  • Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline

    Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline

    The 76ers have made at least one move at five consecutive NBA trade deadlines since Daryl Morey took over as president of basketball operations in 2020.

    Many of those moves slashed salaries, enabling the Sixers to avoid paying the luxury tax. However, the new acquisitions didn’t make the team’s playoff chances any better.

    What is the Sixers’ biggest need at the NBA trade deadline? Patience.

    The Sixers are expected to continue their trend of making moves ahead of this season’s 3 p.m. deadline on Feb. 5. Here are five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the deadline:

    The Sixers could avoid the luxury tax by trading Kelly Oubre Jr. ahead of the Feb.5 NBA trade deadline. However, he’s their best perimeter defender.

    A bad look for the franchise

    The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.

    Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), and Andre Drummond ($5 million) have expiring contracts that could help avoid paying the threshold tax.

    But trading a key contributor for the sake of avoiding being taxed would be a bad look for the franchise. It would give the impression that saving money for Sixers managing partner Josh Harris is more important than contending for a title. The team would come off looking cheap, especially considering that the Joel Embiid championship window is closing quickly.

    Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe (77), the Sixers don’t have the assets to bring in the type of player who could drastically improve the team.

    Not enough assets

    The Sixers don’t have much to give up to upgrade talent via a trade. Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets to acquire the type of player who could drastically improve the team. And they’re not trading either of those guys. Nor should they forfeit their future by surrendering future draft picks to help facilitate a trade. The Sixers will need those picks to acquire young talent and continue building around Maxey and Edgecombe after Embiid and Paul George leave.

    Joel Embiid (21) and Paul George (8) are once again healthy. As a result, the Sixers can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference when the team plays well.

    A dangerous team

    The Sixers are dangerous as currently constructed. When they play well, they can beat anyone in the East. They’ve won two of their three meetings against the conference’s second-place New York Knicks. The Sixers have done the same against the third-place Boston Celtics, and split the four-game series against the fourth-place Toronto Raptors. They’re 0-2 against the first-place Detroit Pistons. However, the Sixers were without Embiid and George in both games. And they still had opportunities to win before blowing fourth-quarter leads both times. So if they remain healthy, the Sixers are a team no one wants to face in the postseason.

    Forward Trendon Watford is one of many role players who have learned to mesh well with the Sixers’ Big Three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.

    Losing chemistry

    If you bring in someone new, he’ll have to learn to play with Embiid. The current players spent half the season learning how to play with Embiid, Maxey, and George. And based on the Sixers’ early struggles with their Big Three intact, there’s clearly a learning curve to playing alongside Embiid, Maxey, and George.

    Players like Oubre, Grimes, Drummond, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Adem Bona, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford have established roles. Tinkering with that could negatively impact the team, especially if the Sixers are not acquiring a major upgrade in talent.

    League sources say the Sixers are open to trading Andre Drummond.

    Insurance for Embiid

    With Drummond and Bona backing up Embiid, who is back to playing at a high level, the center position is set. However, league sources say the Sixers are open to trading Drummond, even though he and Bona have been equally valuable assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid, who misses games because of knee injury management.

    Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers who flourish in the post.

    Sixers mailbag: Will Joel Embiid make the All-Star Game? Will Jared McCain be here after the trade deadline?

    The 6-foot-11 Drummond averages a team-leading 8.9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.0, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9). And he has started 17 of the games Embiid has missed, averaging 8.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in those contests.

  • Gameday Central: Phillies extra with Whit Merrifield

    Gameday Central: Phillies extra with Whit Merrifield

    In 2024, Whit Merrifield was the newcomer to a Phillies’ roster that was virtually unchanged from the previous season. Now, the retired former infielder joined Phillies Extra to discuss the team’s decision to keep the core of the roster intact, as well as his close friend Brad Keller’s path to the Phillies’ bullpen and why Rob Thomson was his favorite manager. Watch here.