ORLANDO — To close out this year’s winter meetings, the Phillies selected right-handed pitcher Zach McCambley in the Rule 5 draft.
McCambley, 26, was in the Miami Marlins organization, and had a 2.90 ERA and 1.097 WHIP in 62 innings between double A and triple A. According to draft regulations, McCambley was assigned directly to the Phillies’ 26-man roster.
To be removed from the roster, he must be placed on outright waivers and offered back to Miami. But the Phillies think McCambley has a chance of impacting their club in 2026.
“When we drafted him, we had the feeling that he could make the team,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said. “And one of the things that we’ve talked about looking to have over the last few years is a right-handed person in the bullpen that dominates right-handed hitters. So we think he has a chance to do that.”
To further bolster their relief depth, the Phillies acquired reliever Yoniel Curet in exchange for minor league pitcher Tommy McCollum in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. Curet had a 3.90 ERA in 55⅓ innings across rookie ball, double A, and triple A this year but missed some time because of a shoulder injury. He had been designated for assignment by the Rays.
Curet made 14 starts last season, but the Phillies are viewing him as a reliever.
“He has options available. He has an arm that we really like,” Dombrowski said. “He’s really been successful at the minor league level; plus-plus fastball. … We have roster spots, so we’re going to start building some depth and take advantage of it.”
Griff McGarry was selected by the Nationals in the Rule 5 draft after the Phillies chose not to protect him.
The Phillies lost right-hander Griff McGarry in the draft after opting to leave him unprotected for the second straight year. The 26-year-old was selected by the Washington Nationals with the third overall pick. McGarry has been unable to establish himself in triple A but had a bounce back season in 2025 with a 3.44 ERA. He won the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies’ top minor league pitcher.
“We liked him,” Dombrowski said. “We just think that he’d have a hard time staying with the big league club. We like his arm strength and like a lot of things about him. … It was just a risk that we took, figuring that we’d rather have the roster spot at that time. Wish him nothing but the best.”
It’s possible McGarry returns to the Phillies if he doesn’t make the Nationals out of camp. Last year, the Minnesota Twins selected Eiberson Castellano in the Rule 5 draft, but he was returned to the Phillies in March.
In the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft, in which there aren’t any roster restrictions for selections, the Phillies took infielder Austin Murr from the Detroit Tigers and right-handed pitcher Evan Gates from the San Francisco Giants. First baseman Carson Taylor was selected from the Phillies by the Seattle Mariners.
ORLANDO — Any day now, Kyle Schwarber’s wife, Paige, will go into labor with their third child.
First, though, there was a contract to sign.
So, after reaching a five-year, $150 million agreement with the Phillies late Monday night, Schwarber hopped a flight early Tuesday to Philadelphia to take a physical and finalize the deal. By lunchtime Wednesday, he was back home in Ohio.
“I’m happy they were able to accommodate that, get me up there and get me back,” Schwarber said on a Zoom call. “So now, whenever our little girl comes into the world, I will be here.”
Indeed, the week has been a whirlwind for Schwarber, and it’s only getting started. But between signing the largest contract ever for a designated hitter and racing home ahead of the baby, Schwarber found time to deliver a recruiting pitch to a good friend.
“I’d be lying that I didn’t send a text to J.T. [Realmuto],” Schwarber said, “trying to see where he’s at and try to coax him.”
If Schwarber was Priority No. 1 for the Phillies, Realmuto is 1-B. While the rival Mets lost core pieces Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso in free agency on back-to-back days, the Phillies are proudly trying to bring back the band from 95- and 96-win teams that were a Tush Push — or maybe a youth infusion from Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, and, eventually, Aidan Miller — away from getting over the top.
Schwarber said he’s “trying to be respectful” of Realmuto’s free-agent process. And surely he can relate.
In finding his way back to the Phillies, Schwarber cited the “respect” he received during his 37-day free agency from the organization that helped him evolve into one of the most prodigious sluggers in the sport.
Because as much as Schwarber wanted to stay with the Phillies, he also welcomed the chance to explore his market before the biggest payday of his career.
Schwarber had been a free agent before. Twice, actually. But the first time came in 2020, with his value at its nadir after the Cubs didn’t tender him a contract. A year later, the owners locked out the players and shut down the sport for 99 days. When the stoppage ended, the Phillies signed Schwarber for four years and $79 million, among the best free-agent deals in franchise history.
This time, Schwarber hit the market with the force of a 56-homer season — and 187 home runs over four years, tied with Shohei Ohtani for second among all hitters and trailing only Aaron Judge.
Few names were more prominent on the free-agent menu.
“When you reach free agency, you want that opportunity to go out and listen and make sure all your bases are covered,” Schwarber said. “You want to hear all different types of information and make sure that you’re making a really great, informed decision. I appreciate the whole process and don’t take it lightly.”
The Phillies gave Schwarber space to hear pitches from the Orioles, Pirates, and his hometown Reds, among other teams, with the understanding that he would circle back to them when he began receiving offers.
But they didn’t send him into the free-agent wilds without making clear what he meant to them.
The owner even made a house call.
First, Schwarber had what he described as a “really, really good conversation” with president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski a few days after the divisional series loss to the Dodgers. Then, before he and Paige packed up their two sons and returned to Ohio, John Middleton knocked on the door of their South Jersey home.
Phillies owner John Middleton made it clear to Kyle Schwarber that he wanted to re-sign him.
“We were able to spend a really good amount of time just sitting down and talking about the Phillies and his family and talking about what’s the future looking like for us here,” Schwarber said. “Those were conversations that I just never forgot, right?
“Like, you start having different conversations with different teams, and just because those conversations were fresh, it doesn’t mean that anything was forgotten. That was an important time and important conversations that Dave and Mr. Middleton, that we had.
“Trust me, I took notes. Once I had everything all said and done, you can look at everything and know that John is committed to winning and wants our organization to continue to keep pushing for a world championship. What else is there for a player to ask for, you know?”
The Phillies sent Realmuto into free agency with a similar message. The veteran catcher, who will be 35 next season, is weighing multiple offers, a source said Wednesday, the final day of the winter meetings at the Signia by Hilton. It’s unknown whether any of the offers are for more than two years. MLB.com reported that the Phillies have made a bid.
After re-signing Schwarber, the Phillies can focus on remaking the outfield, filling out the bullpen, and adding overall pitching depth. With 2026 payroll commitments totaling approximately $286 million, as calculated for the luxury tax, some of those pursuits may involve clearing payroll space by trading, say, Alec Bohm or Matt Strahm.
But Realmuto could be their next domino to drop. And Schwarber hopes the catcher will follow the path that led back to the corner of Pattison and Darien.
“Selfishly, I think that we would all love to have J.T. back,” Schwarber said. “Because we know what he brings to the table and how important he is to, not just our clubhouse but what he means to Philadelphia. … He should be highly sought-after, and I’m hoping that, at the end of the day, he’s back in Philadelphia.”
As the Eagles’ losing streak stretched to three games, Jason Kelce chronicled what he called a “comedy of turnovers” on the latest episode of New Heights.
But Kelce found little to laugh about when it came to the heartbreak of a 22-19 overtime loss to the Chargers on Monday night. He also pointed to what he believes hurt the Eagles most: the lack of an offensive identity — and maybe a bunny.
Here’s what you may have missed from the podcast …
The not-so-positive rabbit
Last week, the Eagles debuted a holiday locker room decoration: an inflatable “positivity rabbit.”
The Eagles have installed the “positivity rabbit” into the locker room
It showed up today and the offensive line stressed to me they are not sad they just wanted a good vibes bunny 👍 pic.twitter.com/zJi0M93SEr
After NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter Ashlyn Sullivan attributed the rabbit to the Birds’ offensive line, podcast co-host Travis Kelce asked the former Eagles center if it had mysteriously appeared in the locker room before.
Jason Kelce replied that this was a first for the Eagles — and he was not a fan.
“There was a lot of negativity in Philadelphia before the game for an 8-4 team that’s first in their division and certainly looking like they’re going to be in the playoffs,” Kelce said. “I think the team was trying to make a statement that we’re all in on this together.
“To be honest, I don’t really like the rabbit. It’s a little hokey. … It didn’t work. You have to ditch the rabbit.”
The Eagles were on the precipice of a comeback win in overtime against the Chargers. And not even an inflatable bunny could save them, as quarterback Jalen Hurts threw an interception in field-goal range that handed the Birds another preventable loss.
Jason Kelce shared the fans’ disappointment in the costly turnover.
“It was just a very frustrating game that ended in a very frustrating fashion,” he said. “We’re putting together a great drive, playing outstanding ball in overtime, driving the length of the field, and then the interception to lose.
“It was just a gut-wrenching way to end that one. We needed to get some momentum back, and unfortunately, a very sloppy game again left the Eagles in another week of frustration.”
Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo (left) chats with Jason Kelce before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Offense searches for answers
Much of the blame for the Eagles’ latest loss landed on Hurts, who committed an uncharacteristic five turnovers.
“It was a horrendous game of ball security,” Kelce said. “I know the last couple weeks have been rough for [Hurts]. This is one of the things he’s done well his whole career, taking care of the football. It’s unfortunately two out-of-character games from him and our team that have really cost us.”
Kelce also shifted the criticism away from Hurts alone, despite the quarterback’s five turnovers, including the second-quarter play in which he threw an interception, recovered a fumble, then lost a fumble himself. Rather than a lack of talent, Kelce suggested the Birds offense is missing the strong team identity that helped it succeed in past years.
“This offense has been so stagnant and struggled to get anything going the last couple weeks. … Offensively, [the Eagles] are looking for who they are,” Kelce said. “They’re looking for that identity. There’s so many good pieces … Throughout Jalen’s tenure, what lends itself to the best for this team is that we’ve got to attack the line of scrimmage with [Saquon Barkley], one of the best running backs in the game, and then take our shots down the field.”
If the Eagles are still searching for an identity with just four games left in the season, they’re running out of time to find it.
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles agreed to a $155 million, five-year deal with slugger Pete Alonso, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical.
It’s a major move for a Baltimore team that vowed to be aggressive following a last-place finish. Alonso hit .272 with 38 home runs and 126 RBIs this year for the New York Mets, posting an .871 OPS that was his highest since he hit 53 home runs as a rookie in 2019.
Alonso, who turned 31 on Sunday, hit 264 homers over seven seasons with the Mets. He’s earned All-Star honors five times, including each of the past four years.
Nicknamed the Polar Bear, Alonso became a Citi Field fan favorite as a home-grown member of the Mets. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, when he hit .260 with a major league-high 53 homers — a rookie record — and 120 RBIs. He had a career-high 131 RBIs in 2022.
Alonso batted a career-low .217 in 2023 while hitting 46 homers and driving in 118 runs and hit .240 with 34 homers and 88 RBIs in 2024.
After a slow free agent market last winter, Alonso signed a $54 million, two-year contract to stay with the Mets, but he opted out of the final year of the deal.
DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II is set for season-ending surgery on his ailing right foot.
The team said Wednesday the surgery will be performed by Dr. James Calder in London. The Mavericks previously said Lively was seeking multiple medical opinions as discomfort in the foot lingered.
He had a procedure on the same foot in the offseason.
Lively’s final game of the season was a 118-115 victory over New Orleans on Nov. 21. He then sat the second night of a back-to-back after missing 10 of the previous 14 games because of a knee injury. The foot issue arose after his return.
The 21-year-old Lively, a former Westtown School standout, will have missed 148 of a possible 246 games by the end of his third season.
Lively missed 27 games as a rookie but was healthy for the postseason as the Mavericks made their first trip to the NBA Finals since winning the franchise’s only championship in 2011. Dallas lost to Boston in five games.
Injuries sidelined Lively for 46 games last season. The former Duke star and 2023 first-round pick ended up missing 75 games in 2024-25.
When he’s healthy, Lively has been productive. At 7-foot-1, he was a strong pick-and-roll partner with Luka Dončić before the Mavericks traded their young superstar last season.
Lively has barely had a chance to play with fellow big man Anthony Davis, former general manager Nico Harrison’s target in the Dončić trade. Harrison was fired last month with the Mavericks off to a slow start in their first full season without Dončić, and the oft-injured Davis was sidelined at the time.
Lively also didn’t get to share much of fellow Duke alum Cooper Flagg’s rookie season after the Mavericks won the draft lottery and the right to take Flagg No. 1 overall.
Lively has averaged 8.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 98 games.
It doesn’t get much worse than a prime-time loss headlined by a five-turnover performance from your starting quarterback. Especially when Hard Knocks is there to film it.
The HBO documentary series released its second episode on the NFC East on Tuesday, bringing a behind-the-scenes look at each team’s preparation for Week 14 of the NFL season.
The latest episode looked into the Eagles’ wide receiver room, Zach Ertz’s unfortunate injury, and what players were saying on the sideline during Monday night’s deflating loss.
Here’s what you may have missed from Episode 2 of Hard Knocks …
Brown feels the love
If you have listened to sports radio throughout the season, you have likely heard about A.J. Brown.
Described by some as a diva receiver, the seventh year All-Pro wideout received a large amount of screen time from Hard Knocks this week, starting with some of his charity work at a local Acme.
“Shopping’s on you today?” one Philadelphia resident asked.
“It’s on me,” Brown responded. “Go get you another steak.”
“Just spreading holiday cheer and just paying for customers’ groceries,” Brown said in a later interview. “Trying to make someone’s day.”
Brown appeared to make one shopper’s day in more ways than one.
After he met a pair of customers and told them their groceries were on his foundation, one of the women thanked the Eagles wide receiver and finished by telling Brown, “You’re fine.”
In case Brown didn’t hear her, she leaned in and whispered in his ear, “I said, ‘You’re fine.’” Brown thanked her before the two shared a laugh.
“She kind of surprised me,” Brown said during an interview. “I read her lips perfectly fine the first time, but it just didn’t register in my brain. And then she leaned in and whispered it again, and I was just in shock. But that was a cool moment.”
A.J. Brown paid for fans' groceries to spread some holiday cheer ❤️ @Eagles
After checking in on DeVonta Smith’s Pilates workout, and reliving some of Nick Sirianni’s college highlights (more on that in a bit), the episode moved to the wide receiver room for a conversation between Smith and Brown about a fear you wouldn’t expect to hear out of an Eagle.
“If you get on a plane,” Smith said, “you [are] not afraid of heights.”
“It ain’t like we got a choice,” Brown responded. “What are you going to do, drive?”
Smith shared an interesting strategy for surviving a plane crash, which we wouldn’t recommend trying.
.@devontasmith has a plan if he ever needs to get off a plane 😂
The Washington Commanders’ portion of the show focused on Zach Ertz, the former Eagles tight end and Super Bowl LII champion.
Former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz scoring a touchdown against Washington in 2017.
The 35-year-old is second all-time in receptions for the Birds, and was candid with the documentary crew about not knowing how long he has left in the game.
“I try and exhaust myself in this career as much as I can,” Ertz said. “I don’t know how much longer I’m going to play in my whole career, it’s just been focused on the task at hand and how I can be better as a player.”
In meetings, coaches even poked fun at Ertz’s increasing age — comparing the tight end, who recently rose to top five all-time in career receptions for his position, to a clip of then 89-year-old Bryan Sperry scoring a touchdown in a 2015 Kansas football alumni scrimmage.
It was a hard watch, especially for those who knew what was coming next.
During the team’s 31-0 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Ertz suffered a season-ending ACL injury — with Hard Knocks providing an up-close view of the ordeal, letting fans witness Ertz’s raw emotions leaving the field.
“I think it like hyperextended in the back,” Ertz said. “I don’t think I can get up by myself.”
The former Eagles star may have played his last down of football after leaving the field in tears.
A game to forget
The second episode ends with the Eagles’ overtime loss to the Chargers, the team’s third straight defeat in what some worry will be another end-of-season collapse.
In the week leading up to the game, Sirianni focused on motivation as the team looks to get back on track. But his own college highlights brought excitement to the team, especially Brown.
“You want to know his personality? Just watch these highlights,” Brown said as the episode showed Sirianni catching touchdown passes — and celebrating — at Mount Union College. “And that’s how he coaches and how he wants to be on the sideline, but he may have to calm down — like he is the coach.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw four interceptions against the Chargers on Monday night.
As for the actual game, one many Birds fans likely don’t wish to relive, Hard Knocks makes sure to cover every excruciating detail — starting with Hurts’ two turnovers on one play in the second quarter.
“Damn, man,” Smith said. “We can’t get all the way down there and do that.”
Later, in the fourth, following Saquon Barkley’s 52-yard touchdown on a fake Tush Push, the show shifts focus to a potential go-ahead touchdown Brown dropped in the back of the end zone, leading to overtime.
“I’m more than capable of making those plays,” Brown said after the game. “Jalen trusts me in any situation. I made some plays, but I wasn’t great when it mattered.”
Before the Eagles took the field on offense in OT — trailing by three and needing a field goal to tie it or a touchdown to end the game — Barkley had this to say to Brown and Smith.
“One of us three, all right?” Barkley said. “It’s that simple.”
After Smith’s huge third-and-16 conversion to get the Eagles across midfield, the hype built even further.
“We are about to score,” Brandon Graham said from the sidelines. “You hear me?”
Of course, the game ended on Hurts’ fourth interception of the night on a pass to Jahan Dotson, and the Eagles fell to 8-5.
They moved to 16-9-3 Tuesday with a 4-1 win against the San Jose Sharks. It is their best start since the 2019-20 season, when the Flyers last made the playoffs.
Here are two big takeaways from a win that can help propel them forward.
Although he may have been nervous leading up to the game, and was thinking “don’t fall” when he went out for his solo rookie lap, Ty Murchison fit right in during his NHL debut.
But first, he sat in the stands.
“Yeah, taking it in, trying to do a little bit of mental preparation,” he said. “Yeah, I usually do that before every game, but it’s definitely crazy looking around and being in a rink like this, and kind of looking forward to it, and trying to settle the nerves.”
Looks like Flyers rookie Ty Murchison taking in the arena before he makes his NHL Debut Tuesday vs. the Sharks pic.twitter.com/MoofdTXEKW
A fifth-round pick in 2021, the defenseman did not look nervous on the ice. He skated the majority of his 14 minutes, 56 seconds of ice time, including a minute on the penalty kill, alongside veteran Noah Juulsen.
Known for his physicality and edge, Murchison was credited with three hits and one blocked shot while playing tough and making smart decisions along the boards and in front.
“He played well, he didn’t look out of place at all,” winger Travis Konecny said. “He did his job tonight.”
The California native was spotted being physical and playing on the right side of forward Adam Gaudette in front of the net in the third period, and throughout the game with Sharks tough guy Ryan Reaves. The veteran enforcer Reaves, who is the same height as Murchison at 6-foot-2, is listed as 13 pounds heavier and was playing in his 937th NHL game.
“Yeah, it was fun. He’s heavy,” Murchison said with a laugh. “So yeah, that was definitely something for sure. … I mean, that’s, that’s the type of hockey I want to play. So yeah, it was a fun game.”
Ty Murchison impressed in his NHL debut on Wednesday.
He left another good impression on Flyers coach Rick Tocchet.
“He can skate really well, that’s what I like about him, and he’s competitive,” Tocchet said. “I thought he did a great job for us tonight. … In your first game, I think he backed in a couple of times, but that’s normal, and we’ll work with that.
“But he’s a good skater, and he’s got some stiffness to him; that’s what I like. When you have defense that can skate and have stiffness to them — I think he went in the corner one time, not scared, and took a hit from Reaves, and kind of went at it with him — that’s a good luxury to have.”
Murchison did it all in front of about 20 family members and friends — and teammate Carson Bjarnason. The Phantoms goalie and Flyers prospect drove down from Allentown and was wearing Murchison’s Phantoms Christmas warm-up jersey.
Like with goalie Dan Vladař, who earned his 11th win on Tuesday, a lot of people questioned the signing of Christian Dvorak on July 1. Well, it’s paying off.
“He’s great,” said his linemate Trevor Zegras. “He’s great in the room. He’s a 10-year guy, which we love telling him, just a pro’s pro. So good doing the little things in the D-zone and creating space in the O-zone. I love playing with him. He’s been a lot of fun to be around.”
With 19 points in 28 games, he is on pace for 56 points, which would shatter his career high of 38 set when he worked with Tocchet in Arizona. Dvorak scored his seventh goal of the season on a nifty breakaway move and added an assist while skating 19:01 on Tuesday, his highest total since Nov. 4.
“He was more in a defensive role in Montreal, more on the fourth line,” Tocchet said. “And I think he’s getting a chance. He saw the opportunity here with our situation, and I think that he’s grabbing it.”
“I think it’s just more about confidence,” Dvorak added. “And, obviously, I’m playing with some really good linemates. So that helps a lot, too. I think we read off each other very well, and they’re a big help for me.”
Skating between Travis Konecny — who earned his 500th NHL point on the goal by Dvorak before adding an empty-netter — and Zegras, Dvorak has become a utility player. Tocchet has trust in him to play against the opposition’s top line at five-on-five, which was Macklin Celebrini’s line on Tuesday, and across special teams.
Travis Konecny scores his 500th career point with an assist on Dvorak’s breakaway goal! pic.twitter.com/Lei9Aw5t1Y
And while many thought it would be Zegras in the middle, Dvorak is excelling as the line’s center. His faceoff percentage is now at 55.8% after winning 14 of 17 against the Sharks. Among players to take at least 300 draws this season, Dvorak ranks 15th in faceoff percentage.
When Dvorak’s line was on the ice, the Flyers had 16 shot attempts to the Sharks’ seven, outshot them, 11-3, and created five high-danger chances compared to one against. They scored one goal and allowed one, as Collin Graf gave the visitors a 1-0 lead on their first shot of the game.
“Unfortunately, sometimes when you’re playing with myself or ‘Z,’ we’re leaning offense sometimes, and he seems to be a guy that’s going to be in the right spots,” Konecny said.
“If there’s a mistake, we don’t want that, but he’s got the mindset of protecting and cleaning up a lot of errors that I’m making. He’s also got a lot of [offense] too, so I think he’s all around a really good player and I’ve enjoyed playing with him.”
The blame game on offense this season has been a constant back and forth. One week it’s the coordinator. The next, it’s the head coach and his scheme. But after Monday’s game in LA, the pendulum took a major swing, and it was impossible to ignore the direction: right at the quarterback. Jalen Hurts isn’t the only problem, but five turnovers is unacceptable. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and David Murphy look at the implications of a historically bad performance by Hurts, and examine how the Super Bowl MVP has sunk to this level 10 months after reaching the pinnacle of his career.
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
The thought returns early every December as Ed Barkowitz asks himself why he still does it. He has organized a toy drive for 23 years, a task that feels more arduous each December. He’s 55 years old, teaches a college course, works with his family business, stays active as a freelance writer, and has to deal with the ever busy — and ever growing — holiday season.
“I’m thinking I must be nuts,” Barkowitz said.
But the donation boxes throughout his South Philadelphia neighborhood soon fill with toys. His friends — especially the ones he worked with for more than 30 years at the Daily News — soon pack a corner bar on a Friday night. And then he watches his nieces and nephews use the money collected to buy enough gifts for more than 50 South Philly families to have presents on Christmas morning.
His tradition started on a whim one December when Barkowitz found himself behind the bar at Downey’s, the since-closed Irish pub on South Street. Barkowitz made $100 but didn’t feel right keeping the cash so close to Christmas. So he bought toys and dropped them into a donation box. A tradition was born.
Enjoying the festivities at Wolf Burger, from left: Emma O’Hara, Madden Wilson, Eden McLaughlin, Gabriel McLaughlin, Mike Kern, Luke Polchenko, Brian Burkhardt, Ed Barkowitz, Colin Pooler, and Carter Wilson.
A year later, he held a fundraiser at Downey’s to raise money for a toy drive. It became a thing, a packed event every December where former Daily Newsers get together and tell old stories. Other people filter in — neighborhood guys, Big 5 basketball coaches, even Chase Utley once — and everyone knows that the tips are for the kids.
It’s easy then for Barkowitz to remember why he still does it.
“The parents come in to pick up the toys and they’re crying,” said Nicole Holt of Whitman Council, the neighborhood group that helps Barkowitz deliver the toys. “Or after Christmas, we’ll get phone calls because we made their kids cry and how appreciative everyone is. It’s like, ‘Oh my God, my kid had an unbelievable Christmas’ or ‘You made my daughter cry because you gave her this.’ We get thank-yous the whole month of January. It’s for the kids who deserve a Christmas but their parents can’t give them a Christmas.”
A Daily News friendship
Barkowitz’s father served in the Army with Frank Dougherty, who wrote for the Daily News under the byline the Phantom Rider.
“He would break SEPTA’s [chops] when an escalator wasn’t working or service was bad,” Barkowitz said. “He was terrific.”
The Phantom Rider helped Barkowitz get an entry-level gig on the paper’s news desk after he graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep. It didn’t take long for Barkowitz, who grew up at 4th and Porter, to find his way to the sports department.
He became a valued utility player as he could create a graphic, write a headline, cover a Phillies game, and write 50 interesting things about an athlete you didn’t know were interesting.
The People Paper with the back-page headlines had can’t-miss writers like Phil Jasner, Rich Hofmann, Dick Jerardi, Ted Silary, and Stan Hochman. They also had guys like Barkowitz, who could fill in anywhere.
“You couldn’t have a better friend than Eddie,” said Pat McLoone, Barkowitz’s former sports editor. “I remember when we moved the offices to Center City, and you couldn’t walk down the block at lunchtime without someone stopping Eddie. He has his hands in everything. He’s just friends with everyone and so well-connected.”
The “Daily News Live” broadcast on Oct. 10, 2002. From left are Michael Barkann, Keith Jones, Dick Jerardi, Bob Cooney, and Ed Barkowitz.
Barkowitz’s desk at Broad and Callowhill was next to Mike Kern, who covered college sports and has the Northeast Philly-est of Northeast Philly accents. Kern complained one Monday morning about his son’s T-ball team — “They friggin’ stink,” he said — and a friendship was born. “That’s my kind of guy,” Barkowitz thought.
So it makes sense that Kern is behind the bar every December with Barkowitz, pouring Guinness for Jay Wright after they tell the coach he would be crushed for drinking red wine in an Irish spot. They became the perfect pair when the place was packed and the donations were flowing.
“Eddie has a kind heart and soft spot for kids and this is his way of giving back,” McLoone said. “But it comes off as just another Friday night for him at a bar surrounded by people who know him.”
‘We did it again’
The toy drive used to collect enough toys to fill a small pickup truck.
“Now I have to use a 20-foot truck,” said Barkowitz, who freelances for The Inquirer.
Barkowitz places boxes in South Philly bars and diners for people to drop in toys. More toys — even bikes — are brought to the bar on fundraiser night. The tips that night are used for more gifts, and everything is dropped off to Holt, who makes sure they get under the right trees.
“Look, I’m a Northeast Philly person. But South Philly knows how to do some things,” Kern said. “They just know how. And this is one of those things. I’m not saying Northeast Philly or North Philly or West Philly [people] don’t. I’m sure there’s people in all these neighborhoods who are doing things for people. But I’m sure there’s a lot of families and kids who are touched by what Eddie does.”
Raising a toast at Wolf Burger, from left, are John Thomas, Jen Barkowitz, Amy Reilly, Russell Wilson, Leigh-Ann Wilson, Ashleigh Renzi, Chris Wray, Joe Ferretti, Bob Cooney, Ed Barkowitz, and Mike Kern.
The toy drive was Barkowitz’s idea, but he takes little credit. He says Kern helps draw people to the bar, his girlfriend, Amy Reilly, keeps it churning by “doing the things that don’t show up in the box score,” and his nieces and nephews do the shopping before Holt takes it to the finish line.
Barkowitz said he has plenty of “elves.” But none of this would have happened if he pocketed the money he earned years ago at Downey’s.
“It’s a wonderful thing Eddie does, but he just does it so naturally,” McLoone said. “Kern with him is the perfect wingman. He has these Christmas balls hung around his neck. People are asking for drinks. Eddie knows his way around the bar, and Kern has no clue but he’s laughing through it and throwing out crazy lines. It’s one of those only-in-Philly things.”
This year’s event is Friday at Wolf Burger at Front and Wolf Streets. The bar will be packed, and old stories will flow. Bob Cooney, another former Daily News scribe, will be behind the bar because Kern is on vacation.
“It’s almost like one of those things that you can’t miss,” said the guy who is missing it. “I’ll never cease to be amazed by the generosity of people who come, give you a $20, and say, ‘Give me two beers.’ I go to give them the change and they say, ‘No, put it in the thing.’ That happens 50 times a night. People want something to feel good about.”
The event is a chance to see people you may only see once a year.
“It’s sort of like an annual Christmas party for the misfits, which is what we were,” Barkowitz said. “We were a tabloid littered with talent. We were always competing against The Inquirer, and we had a little bit of a bunker mentality. We didn’t have the resources, perhaps, but that worked in our favor. We didn’t get every story, but we never got outworked. We really enjoyed being that Island of Misfit Toys.”
The best part comes at the end of the night when the bar is nearly empty. Barkowitz will sit at the bar and count the money collected. Another record year, he tells Kern. No longer does he need to ask himself why he still does it.
“We sat there and looked at each other and said, ‘Man, we did it again,’” Kern said. “It’s just a great feeling that all of these people came out and gave stuff to people they didn’t know. Then two days later, Eddie sends the photo of his nieces and nephews with all the gifts. You sat there and you said, ‘You know what? That’s pretty cool.’ No kid should have a bad Christmas.”
The positivity bunny couldn’t save the Eagles offense on Monday night if it tried.
Jalen Hurts threw a career-high four interceptions in the Eagles’ 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, extending their losing streak to three games. Just as it has for most of the season, the passing game continued to flounder, as Hurts completed just 21 of 40 passes (52.5%) for 240 yards.
The game was somewhat reminiscent of Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers, in which the Eagles defense dominated its way to victory. This time around, though, the Eagles’ stellar play, especially against the pass (Justin Herbert completed a season-low 46.2% of his attempts), wasn’t enough to earn the Eagles the win.
Is a get-well game finally on the way? On Sunday, the Eagles will face the 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders, who haven’t won a game since mid-October (over the 2-11 Tennessee Titans).
Or are the Eagles walking into a 2023 Week 17 Arizona Cardinals-esque trap game? After all, since Week 9, the Eagles have scored only one more touchdown (eight) than the Raiders. Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles heading into Week 15:
How will Jalen Hurts rebound from perhaps the worst outing of his NFL career?
Slopfest continues
After Monday night’s loss, Nick Sirianni described the Eagles’ five turnovers as being “uncharacteristic.”
In the greater context of the season, yes, the Eagles’ turnovers indeed were uncharacteristic. Entering the game, the Eagles had given up the ball 13 times, tied for the fourth-lowest total in the league.
But the turnovers have become characteristic of the Eagles over the last three weeks, a byproduct of their lack of attention to detail. They’ve coughed up the ball nine times, the worst total in a span of three games under Sirianni. Hurts has been responsible for seven of those turnovers, although it’s fair to point out that those mistakes aren’t always exclusively on him (especially his fourth-quarter interception on a pass deflected by A.J. Brown).
For the first time since Week 8 against the New York Giants, the Eagles were not the more penalized team in a game (the Eagles had six penalties and the Chargers had seven). But the offense still found a way to lose the game because of its copious mistakes, even though the defense forced three turnovers and sacked Herbert seven times.
Before the Eagles’ three-game losing streak, Sirianni spoke of the importance of winning the turnover battle. He said, “When you combine good talent with good detail and good fundamentals, that’s where you get some special things happening.” The Eagles have enough talent on offense, but the lack of fundamentals has been holding them back.
If they can’t put it together, regardless of how they fare for the rest of the regular season, their playoff run won’t have much life.
Old pal Kenny Pickett, who relieved Geno Smith last week, could get a shot against one of his former teams on Sunday.
Geno goes down
The blows keep on coming to the Eagles’ upcoming opposing quarterbacks.
After facing Herbert, who played through a surgically repaired nonthrowing hand on Monday, the Eagles may not see Raiders quarterback Geno Smith on Sunday. The 35-year-old quarterback exited their Week 14 loss to the Broncos with an injury to his throwing shoulder after taking a hit in the third quarter. According to the NFL Network, Smith is unlikely to start on Sunday.
With Smith sidelined last week, the Raiders turned to backup Kenny Pickett, who served in the same role with the Eagles in 2024. The Ocean Township, N.J., native fared well in relief of Smith, going 8 of 11 for 97 yards and a touchdown, but his efforts weren’t enough to help the Raiders pull off a comeback.
The game marked Pickett’s first meaningful action with the Raiders, who acquired him from the Cleveland Browns in late August.
Pete Carroll has not found the magic formula in his first season at the helm of the Raiders.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll said postgame that Smith’s shoulder “locked up,” and initial tests indicated that he avoided damage. If Smith can play, Carroll suggested that he would go with his starter. Otherwise, Pickett will be ready for his first start since he was a member of the Eagles in Week 17 against the Dallas Cowboys while Hurts was in concussion protocol.
With Smith at the helm this season, the Raiders offense has been one of the worst in the league, ranking 30th in expected points added per play (-0.22), a statistic that measures the average points an offense generates on a play.
One of the passing game’s bright spots lately, though, has been Jack Bech, the second-round receiver out of TCU. His usage has increased over the last couple of weeks, culminating with a career-high 80.9% of the snaps against the Broncos. He caught all six of his targets for 50 yards.
But the Raiders’ running game, headlined by sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty, is worse than their passing game. The Raiders rank last in expected points added per rush at -.28. The next closest teams, the New Orleans Saints, the Tennessee Titans, and the Browns, are tied at -0.12. The offense’s dysfunction led to the firing of Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, the former Eagles head coach, in late November after the team started its season 2-9.
If Vic Fangio’s defense can’t stop the Raiders offense, regardless of who starts at quarterback, the Eagles have a major problem on their hands. The group was stellar against the Chargers, despite the result, limiting Los Angeles to 1 of 3 in the red zone and 7 of 19 on third down.
Meanwhile, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels exited his first game back since Week 9 after reinjuring his left elbow. That’s a topic for next week.
Can Saquon Barkley build on the positive signs of his Monday night performance?
Run defense slide
Despite the teamwide turmoil, the Raiders defense has been solid against the run for most of the season. Through the first 12 weeks, the Raiders had given up 1,137 rushing yards (94.8 per game), the 12th-lowest total in the NFL.
The last two weeks have been a different story. The Raiders have conceded 344 rushing yards (172 per game), which is tied with the Arizona Cardinals for third-worst.
Six ballcarriers contributed to the Broncos’ rushing total of 152 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries. RJ Harvey, the Broncos’ rookie running back, led the way with 75 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries (4.4 yards per carry).
Missed tackles have been an issue for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s unit. The Raiders have missed the third-most tackles in the NFL at 106, according to Pro Football Reference. Former Eagles inside linebacker Devin White is tied for second-most in the NFL with 18 missed tackles this season.
But the Raiders still made plays against the run on Sunday. Four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby set a new career high with 25 tackles for loss. According to Next Gen Stats, Crosby leads all defensive linemen with 52 run stops, 10 of which have come in the last two weeks.
Despite the Eagles’ offensive struggles on Monday night, Saquon Barkley had some positive moments in the running game. He finished with 122 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, good for his second-best output of the season and just the second time he has eclipsed 100 rushing yards.
Barkley was particularly effective when Hurts handed the ball off from under center. His longest gain — a 52-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter — came off a Tush Push fake when Hurts was lined up under center. If Barkley and his blockers can build on their latest performance, and if Lane Johnson returns this Sunday, the Eagles could have continued success on the ground against the Raiders.
Could a big Britain Covey week be coming against the porous Raiders special teams?
Special teams nightmare
Kelly wasn’t the only coordinator who got the ax this season. The Raiders also fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon in early November.
The Raiders’ special teams unit is one of the weaker groups in the league. They have conceded two touchdowns on punt returns this year, most recently on Sunday when Denver’s Marvin Mims scored on a 48-yard return in the second quarter to break a 7-7 tie. The Raiders joined the Browns as one of two teams that have given up two touchdowns on punt returns this season.
Britain Covey could have an opportunity to take advantage of the Raiders’ shaky punt coverage. The 28-year-old return specialist has proved over the last two weeks why he should have been the Eagles’ punt returner to start the season.
Covey averaged 18 yards per punt return against the Chargers. For reference, Xavier Gipson averaged 11.2 yards return during his stint as the Eagles’ punt returner and Jahan Dotson averaged 9.6. Covey is still seeking his first career touchdown on a punt return.
