Maxey scored 35 points but missed a jumper with the Sixers trailing by one. Edgecombe tipped it in, but the Warriors quickly fired an inbounds pass to De’Anthony Melton, who had broke downcourt. Maxey got back to block the shot off the backboard just before time expired.
Joel Embiid had 12 points in his return to the 76ers lineup.
Pat Spencer scored 16 points for the Warriors, who erased a 24-point deficit despite playing with their two leading scorers, Stephen Curry (left quad contusion) and Jimmy Butler (left knee soreness), then losing Draymond Green to an injured right foot late in the second quarter.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid (left), Tyrese Maxey and Adem Bona celebrate after they beat the Warriors by one.
Maxey’s three-pointer made it 67-43 with 8 minutes, 6 seconds left in the third quarter. But the Warriors used a 15-0 run early in the fourth quarter to get back in the contest, then had a late lead before Edgecome stole an inbounds pass with 8.2 seconds to play.
Paul George (left knee injury recovery) was out for the Sixers, who play the second game of a back-to-back on Friday night in Milwaukee (8 p.m., NBCSP).
Curry didn’t even make the trip to Philadelphia, missing his third in a row and seventh game this season. Butler couldn’t play after getting injured in the Warriors’ 124-112 home loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Golden State did get some good news on the injury front with the return of Melton, who had 14 points in his season debut while coming back from a torn ACL.
Kelly Oubre Jr. missed his ninth straight game with a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his left knee on Thursday when the 76ers faced the Golden Warriors at the Xfinity Mobile Arena. Before the game, the swingman was transparent when asked how difficult it’s been to watch from the sideline.
”It sucks,” Oubre said. “Listen, man, I’m trying to stay above water, keep my head about it. Trying to fight the depression and all that stuff that comes with not being able to do your job and fulfill your purpose. So it’s a different challenge, and I’m up for the challenge, and I think the reward at the other side will be great just because I’m trying to take it day by day.”
The 6-foot-8, 203-pounder was recently evaluated and is progressing well. He’ll be re-evaluated early next week.
Since his injury, Oubre has been doing upper-body work in the weight room. He has leaned on the Sixers’ medical team to tell him what he can and can’t do during his rehabilitation process.
Oubre said he’s trying not to get too high or too low during what has been a difficult time for him.
“I want to be out there with my guys,” he said. “I want to help each and every one of them just develop. I want to help us win, and being on the sideline, I can’t really do so. I’m taking it day by day and trying to do everything I possibly can to get back.”
Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 12 games.
Oubre suffered the injury late in the second quarter of the Sixers’ 114-105 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 14 at Little Caesars Arena. He remained in the game for the rest of the half, but didn’t play after intermission.
“I just kind of hyperextended my knee,” Oubre said. “I did it in the first game against Boston, as well. But that wasn’t obviously as bad. I did the same thing again. But this time, I just wasn’t so lucky.”
Oubre, in his 11th season, got off to a strong start.
He averaged 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 12 games. Oubre also did a solid job of guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player. His best performance of the season came against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 2.
Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. scored a season-high 29 points to go with three rebounds, one steal, and one block against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 2.
Oubre scored a season-high 29 points to go with three rebounds, one steal, and one block. His 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting set a career high for points scored in the opening frame. He added a second-quarter basket to set a career high for points in a half at 24.
“Getting better each and every day,” Oubre said of his rehabilitation. “It’s a slow process, of course. Just not playing with Mother Nature and just allowing my body to heal and take the time to do the things I need to do in order to strengthen the muscle. So every day is a new challenge. But it’s getting better, and it’s going well.”
When did things start getting better for Matvei Michkov?
“When I start scoring,” he said with a smile through a team translator on Thursday.
“When you score, when you make a play, when you make an assist, that’s when you feel more confident.”
Across the first 19 games of the season, the winger had four goals and nine points, and a plus-minus of minus-4. In the last seven games, he leads the team with seven points (four goals, three assists) and is plus-2.
“A little bit better than the beginning,” Michkov said about his game. “Feels better, feels faster. Every game, [I] have to make a little bit better. It’s not my maximum.”
Five of Michkov’s last seven points have come at even strength. On Wednesday night, he made a slick pass to Owen Tippett for his goal, peering over his shoulder seconds before Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson, the son of former Flyers defenseman Kjell Samuelsson, converged on him.
But his power-play points are still finding their way. Last season, when Michkov led all NHL rookies in goals and tied for second in points, eight of his 26 goals and 17 of his 63 points were on the power play.
He’s still learning and adapting to his new position on the power play. On a unit with Trevor Zegras, Travis Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Tippett, Michkov’s role is now focused on being a net-front presence and screening the goalie.
“Try to be a universal player, [and] if it will help the team, I’m willing to work on it and get better at it,” said Michkov, who was the one cutting across the crease when Zegras’ pass attempt went off a skate and past Sabres goalie Colten Ellis.
Since Nov. 8, Michkov has also primarily played as a left winger. The shift started amid a three-game goal streak. He says there’s no difference in his game by playing the left side, but coach Rick Tocchet disagrees.
Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet and winger Matvei Michkov (left) are working hard to improve their communication.
“I think playing him on the left side has made him go more north,” Tocchet said. “He’s not backward skating as much through the neutral zone. I’m trying to explain to him, the faster he can go north with [the puck] you get more rush plays.
“When you take it back, and you’re opening up, playing backwards, you’ve just got to beat structure again. If we’ve just beat structure, why do we want to go back so we have to beat structure again. … But the more north he can play, the faster he looks, too.”
Michkov tried not to think too much about his early struggles. When you have a heavy head and start overthinking, and therefore not creating or getting points, he hates it.
But a big part of his slow start can be attributed to the fact that he did not train well this offseason and, because of it, as he noted in November, he “lost concentration” at the beginning of the season. Michkov, who turns 21 on Dec. 9, knows he is talented and that he just needs to keep working and building his craft.
“I think I will start training here [in Voorhees]. Maybe will go home for [short time],” he said. “What’s happening right now is I’m not feeling good about it. I’m not happy about my points. I’m sure I can do much better and make a lot more and make better for my team and, of course, score.
“You cannot score in every game, but physically, I need to be ready for it. And in February [during the Olympic break], I need to spend the time to be ready for the rest of the season. If you’re going to have good physical form, everything else will come along.”
“If that’s his choice, we can help him,” Tocchet said when told of Michkov’s summer plans.
“As for his play, I don’t want him to worry about points. He was focused on goals and assists. He’s got to be careful. Those things will come by doing the right things, and I think he’s tried to do the right things. Where to go in certain areas, he’s getting better at definitely.”
Although he may not be ready to be interviewed without Slava Kuznetsov, the Flyers interpreter, Michkov’s English is progressing. It is noticeable that he is understanding and responding more when speaking with teammates and the media.
Matvei Michkov says he plans to train next summer in Voorhees.
And the coach and player are still learning how to work together.
“I think in real time, it’s harder. I can bark at someone, ‘Hey, on a D dive, you’ve got to remember, this is your quad,’” Tocchet said. “With Matvei, you’ve got to take your time, and you’ve got to get a [white]board. Or intermission time, I’ve done it a few times, called him in to show video.”
“I think earlier on, we were giving him so much information, I think we could frustrate him a little bit,” Tocchet added. “I think the last three weeks, we’ve really dialed in how we do it. OK, one coach has him for today. Hey, let’s give him a break today. Let’s not talk even systems; let’s talk to him about something else.
“I think we just, collectively, [figured out] how to manage how we give him information, because he seems to be grasping it more these last three weeks than he did the first three weeks.”
And it’s showing on the ice.
It also helps that he has his mother, Maria, and his brother, Prokhor, in the area because if he were to be by himself, “I would go nuts,“ he said.
But there is one rule.
“I like to talk about everything,” he said, “but when I’m mad, she knows not to talk about hockey.”
Following consecutive losses, the Eagles will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Chargers on Monday night. The matchup will mark Philadelphia’s fourth nationally broadcast game over its last five. Both teams sit at 8-4.
Although the Eagles defense still ranks in the top 10 in points allowed, Vic Fangio’s unit will be looking to get back on track on Monday Night Football. Two weeks ago, Philadelphia allowed the Cowboys to score 24 unanswered points, en route to the Birds’ biggest blown lead since 1999. And on Black Friday against the Bears, the Eagles allowed 281 rushing yards, the ninth-most total they’ve allowed in team history.
While Los Angeles has won four of its last five games, the win-loss record doesn’t tell the whole story. None of the Chargers’ recent wins have come against teams with winning records, and two of them were against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10) and Tennessee Titans (1-11). Additionally, quarterback Justin Herbert recently underwent surgery for a hand injury he suffered during last week’s game, though he is likely to suit up on Monday.
Here’s a look at the updated player props and game lines for the Eagles’ Week 14 matchup against the Chargers …
Eagles vs. Chargers odds
The Eagles opened as 3-point favorites, and the lines have only slightly shifted since, even with encouraging news regarding Herbert’s injury status and with Jalen Carter missing Monday’s game for Philly.
Jalen Hurts has thrown for 519 combined yards over his last two games, but the Eagles have lost both.
Passing yard props
Jalen Hurts has thrown for 230 and 289 yards, respectively, in the Eagles’ last two games but did not reach 200 in the three games prior. Season-long, Hurts ranks 16th in the NFL in passing yards per game (209.5 yards).
Herbert ranks eighth in passing yards. The former Pro-Bowler managed just 151 passing yards last week, in a game where Los Angeles’s ground attack led the way. And against Jacksonville a week earlier, Herbert threw for a career-low 81 passing yards, with none in the second half. Since Herbert’s status has not been confirmed for Monday, DraftKings has not posted odds for the sixth-year quarterback.
Hurts and Herbert have both thrown for three touchdowns in their teams’ last three games, with two of the scores occurring last week. Season long, Hurts has thrown for 19 touchdowns, while Herbert has thrown for 21.
Running back Saquon Barkley hasn’t found the end zone since the Eagles’ Oct. 26 win over the Giants.
Rushing yards
Saquon Barkley has reached 70 rushing yards in just one of his last four games and is at just under 62 rushing yards per game this season, less than half the 125 yards the Penn State alum averaged last season. While his stats have declined, Barkley has continued to get the lion’s share of Eagles rushing attempts. The three-time Pro-Bowler has 198 carries; next up is Tank Bigsby with only 18. Barkley was notably the only back to receive carries against Chicago last week.
Los Angeles’s running back situation is a bit more of a mystery. The Chargers’ primary running back, Omarion Hampton, has been sidelined since Week 5. Kimani Vidal has filled in as the team’s main back and registered his third 100-yard game of the season last week. But Hampton has a chance to return off injured reserve this week, muddying the waters for active prop bettors.
As a result, FanDuel has not yet opened markets for rushing props, while DraftKings has only opened ones for Barkley and Hurts.
A.J. Brown has come alive over the past two weeks. The 28-year-old receiver is averaging 121 yards and has caught three touchdowns in that span. DeVonta Smith averaged just under 70 yards per game against Dallas and Chicago across 11 combined receptions.
The Chargers’ passing game has been more spread out. Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Oronde Gadsden II, and Quentin Johnston have all recorded between 500 and 700 receiving yards this season. However, Los Angeles’s aerial offense has been extremely quiet the past two games, with only 278 total passing yards.
Due to Hampton’s unknown status for Monday, FanDuel has yet to post receiving props.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has three touchdowns in the last two games.
Touchdown scorers
Across the last three games, the Eagles have had two touchdown scorers: Hurts and Brown. All of Philadelphia’s other offensive weapons have not seen the end zone in nearly a month. Smith last scored against the Packers on Nov. 10, while Barkley and Goedert last saw the end zone on October 26th.
The Chargers, meanwhile, had four touchdown scorers in their last game alone. Herbert found both McConkey and Johnston in the end zone Sunday, while Vidal and Jaret Patterson both had rushing scores. If Hampton is to return on Monday, both other running backs’ opportunities would likely decline. Hampton scored in two of his five games this season.
WASHINGTON — Whether fans like video reviews in soccer or not, they tend to draw complaints when those reviews seem to take too long.
It might seem natural to want a time limit for those reviews, perhaps one or two minutes. The sport’s global governing body is saying no, though, at least for now.
“Well, there might be different opinions, which I will respect,” FIFA’s refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina said Thursday at a media briefing ahead of Friday’s 2026 men’s World Cup draw. “Certainly, when something lasts a bit longer, it’s not because the referee is, say, lazy or slow. Probably, things which are considered are particularly complicated.’”
A game referee from 1995 to 2005, including the 2002 men’s World Cup final, Collina took his new role with FIFA in 2017 and has remained a public figure ever since.
Pierluigi Collina (left) speaking at Thursday’s event.
“Something else to consider is when you are waiting for someone, every second looks like an eternity — when you are under pressure and you are doing something, time flies,” he said. “So, referees, when they are doing that, probably they do not really realize that time is passing for them so quickly. But, we all know that timing is an issue in every activity, so we are always trying to improve.”
Collina acknowledged a report by the Times of London earlier this week that the International Football Association Board — the entity that sets the rules of how soccer is played — is considering expanding what VAR is allowed to rule on.
The expansion would include second yellow cards, which result in red cards and expulsion; and whether officials got it right calling a corner kick vs. a goal kick.
“It was already announced after a meeting of the IFAB football and technical advisory panel: the discussion took place, and the outcome was to propose to further discuss and propose” at the IFAB’s next business meeting on Jan. 20, Collina said. If a proposal passes there, it will go to the annual general meeting in March. That vote would be for implementation on June 1, in time for the World Cup.
Under the current rules, a straight red card is reviewable, but a second yellow card that results in expulsion is not reviewable.
“Certainly, extending the possibility of the VAR to intervene in some specific circumstances is something [on] the table,” Collina said, adding: “It would be a pity if the result of the competition, whichever the competition is, is decided not by what the players do on the field playing, but by a honest mistake made by the decision-maker.”
Specific to corner kicks calls, he said “that the main criteria is no delay” in the action on the field.
“It takes normally, how long? 10, 15 seconds to get the attackers ready to take the corner kick,” Collina said. “In these 10-15 seconds, if the corner kick was wrongly given, everybody has the evidence that the start of play is wrong. To me, it’s difficult to understand if they have the possibility to see that, why we have to hide our head under the sand and hope that nothing happened on the corner kick which is taken.”
Collina also said that FIFA hopes to use referee bodycams again next summer, after debuting them in the Club World Cup.
“It was, I would say, a great success,” he said. “It has been implemented in some leagues, [which] means that it was well-received by the TV viewers — also, referees got some benefit from using that. So, pretty confident that the rule-maker, as mentioned, IFAB, will give us the permission to to implement it during the next World Cup [in] ’26.”
Preparations at the Kennedy Center in Washington for Friday’s event.
FIFA defends expanding the World Cup to 48 teams
It was no surprise to hear FIFA officials say Thursday that it’s a good thing to expand the men’s World Cup to 48 teams, as will happen for the first time next year. The women’s tournament will follow suit in 2031 when the U.S. spearheads a regional tournament alongside Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica.
But the way those officials framed it nonetheless was news, especially for the international media outlets that have traveled to D.C. this week.
“It’s less than 25% of the 211 countries who are affiliated to FIFA,” said Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development and the famed former manager of English Premier League club Arsenal. “Still, 75% of the teams are not there, and I count in there China, India — that’s 3 billion people.”
FIFA’s chief football officer Jill Ellis, the former U.S. women’s national team manager, noted how the growth of women’s soccer worldwide has made it easier to have a 48-team tournament without fear of lopsided games.
“We see it in the in the college basketball landscape right here in the U.S.,” said the coach who led the U.S. women to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. “We’re used to these teams that are maybe lower-ranked and then they suddenly have this phenomenal run.”
Jill Ellis (left) and Arsène Wenger (right) on stage Thursday.
Will weather be an issue again?
The hot temperatures at this summer’s Club World Cup understandably raised a lot of complaints, and fears of more problems next summer. Wenger raised that unprompted.
“If there’s one uncertainty that we don’t master, it’s the weather,” Wenger said. “Especially in Miami, you know, places like Atlanta, where you had some problems last year. So we’ll do the maximum to protect the competition and the players.”
He also said “we will consider a lot the best possibilities for the teams to be protected from heat” as FIFA finalizes the kickoff times before Saturday’s announcement. But skeptical fans worldwide won’t believe that until they see it.
Temperatures were in the 90s during many Club World Cup games this past summer.
Paul George will sit out the first game of the 76ers’ back-to-back to end the week.
The forward will miss the game against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at Xfinity Mobile Arena due to left knee injury recovery, which has included holding him out from playing on back-to-back nights.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pounder could be available to play on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Sixers forward Paul George is averaging 13.5 points and 4.8 rebounds this season.
He’s not the only Sixers player unavailable to face the Warriors.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (sprained left knee) and Trendon Watford (left adductor strain) will remain sidelined. Joel Embiid (left and right knee injury recovery) was upgraded to questionable. And Quentin Grimes (right calf tightness) is available to play.
George has already missed 14 games due to his left knee and a sprained right ankle. He missed the first 12 games of the season with left knee injury recovery, then he sat out the Nov. 19 loss to the Toronto Raptors because it was the first game of a back-to-back. And George missed the Nov. 25 loss to the Orlando Magic with a sprained right ankle.
He is averaging 13.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals in 22.2 minutes.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Jocelyn Nathan, a defensive specialist in her third season with Penn State women’s volleyball, is from Delaware, a state not known for its volleyball prowess.
Her graduating class at Wilmington Friends had just 50 students, a “second family” she had attended classes with since elementary school.
“I think that [family-like] dynamic is something that I really wanted to bring to the rest of my life,” said Nathan, a Wilmington native. “Penn State is huge, but I wanted to bring a close-circle vibe to campus. I wanted to bring that small-town aspect to a bigger stage. And I feel like I’ve done a really good job of it.”
Nathan enjoyed her upbringing, but it didn’t help her gain traction on the recruiting trail. She wasn’t on a top club team, which meant she wasn’t invited to U.S. training sessions and didn’t attend nationals every year like most high-profile recruits.
So, the 5-foot-6 defensive specialist took charge.
She switched club teams to Conshohocken-based East Coast Power, an uncomfortable change for a then-15-year-old who went from knowing nearly everyone in her hometown to knowing none of her teammates or coaches.
But that move set Nathan up for success she never dreamed of.
“When I set my hopes out, I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll get noticed by some lower Division I teams,’” Nathan said. “And it never had anything to do with not believing I could get to that level. It was just, you see what you are working with because not many people knew who I was.”
Her father, Len, who played soccer and baseball at Swarthmore College, compiled highlight tapes to send to college coaches. Nathan sent countless emails to schools in search of offers.
And with the help of Roberta McGuiney (née Holehouse), who played volleyball at Penn State from 2005 to 2008 and coached Nathan with East Coast Power, Nathan secured an offer from the Nittany Lions.
She appeared in just two sets during her freshman year. She said she spoke “maybe 100 words” all season as she acclimated to a her new, environment.
But during her sophomore campaign, Nathan broke out. Penn State coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley lauded Nathan’s “fiery” personality, one she noticed during the recruiting process and has only grown since.
“I think [Nathan] is one of the best teammates around,” Schumacher-Cawley said. “I never question if she’s ready or if we should put her in. She knows the game well. She competes hard. She’s a great teammate. And I’m really happy for her success.”
Nathan tallied 69 digs in 59 sets across 22 matches as a sophomore. And she saved her best for last.
In the national championship match against Louisville, she totaled a season-high-tying 10 digs as Penn State won its eighth NCAA title. Nathan believes she’s the first Delaware native to win a national championship in women’s volleyball.
“It gives me goose bumps to think about it, just knowing where I came from,” Nathan said. “I think it just made everything feel so great. Not only could I represent Delaware, but [I could] also be a symbol for the little girls who are trying to get to a Division I school.”
One year after adding an eighth star to their uniforms, the Nittany Lions are back in the NCAA Tournament for a 45th straight season. As the No. 8 seed in the Texas Region, Penn State will face South Florida at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Austin, Texas. If the Nittany Lions advance, they will face the winner of No. 1 Texas and Florida A&M.
Nathan is having another strong season in Happy Valley. She has appeared in all 30 matches and tallied career-highs in digs (130), sets played (94), and assists (17).
And through her success at the national level, she has remained grounded in her roots.
“I’ve always wanted to make people feel welcome,” Nathan said. “And I strive to do that with one new person every single day. That was something I wanted to carry with me, not just to the volleyball court, but to school and to everyday life.”
Penn State’s Jocelyn Nathan celebrates during a game against Iowa.
Lydia Hope Victor often jokes about how much worse off she’d be if she’d grown up in Ohio instead of Philadelphia.
Her parents arrived there from India before settling in Philly. Her father learned about American culture through Ohio State and then Eagles football. He came to love the brutal sport and passed his fandom down to his children, but who knows what would have happened if the family had been forced to root for the Cleveland Browns.
“Obviously, thankfully [he] became a Birds fan,” she said.
Victor, 22, is a graphic designer and multimedia artist based in Elkins Park whose work is focused on sports and the overlooked elements that shape them. Her work across mediums is for the casuals and diehards alike, including an Allen Iverson sweater vest, fan zines, and banners reading, “Find a New Slant” and “I’m Sorry I Just Wanted a Frosty”.
She’s in the middle of a season-long Sixers project that she’s sharing on social media called 82 Games. After every contest, Victor is creating an illustration based upon what happened on the court, with easter egg references, too.
Victor’s passion for basketball was molded by post-The Process-era Sixers and Allen Iverson YouTube highlights, despite being born after his 2001 MVP season. She was raised on Philly talk radio car rides with her dad, and her fondest sports memory is watching people flood the streets from her brother’s Temple University dorm after the Eagles’ first Super Bowl win.
“It’s hard to live in Philly and not be an insane Philly sports fan,” she said.
Victor spoke with The Inquirer about her 82 Games project and how it represents relentless Philly fandom and community, being a Joel Embiid truther, and aspiring to consume sports a little more healthily.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
This is an endurance art project. How do you come up with a new design every game? And how do you stay committed to it, even when the Sixers are more or less a fringe playoff team?
I think that’s the fun of it, pushing myself to think of new ways to interpret the story. Some of the joy of it is also being able to look back and be like, I committed to doing that, I was able to finish it.
I originally did this project in high school, it was honestly to teach myself how to draw. [Now] I have a lot more experience in design and illustration, and I’m just seeking out some of the community again. I think that’s what really brought me back to it. Even the most niche reference I try to make in games, someone will understand it somewhere.
Victor shows off one of her illustrations for the 82 Games series, featuring Tyrese Maxey.
That fandom is so important to finding a community of people.
Philly fans are all a little crazy, we’re all so committed to support our teams. Even if we’re in a slump. I think Philly fans have a reputation — oh we booed Santa. But it’s coming from a place of — I’m still here and I’m gonna show up no matter what.
A through-line of your work is holding a player-centric point of view. Why do you feel like that’s an important perspective to emphasize? What do you think of the way sports are typically covered in media or online?
It’s kind of just rage-baiting. They want people to engage, but there’s no intention to do it through healthy conversation. People watch sports because they enjoy it at some level and sometimes those perspectives take away from that joy.
It’s easy to center the fan, but none of these things would exist without the player, too.
Victor’s custom-made banners with various Jalen Hurts quotes made after the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.
I’m a Joel Embiid truther ‘til the day I die. People give him a lot of flack for not giving his all for the team, and I don’t think you can really point to his history and in good faith say that about him. He was playing with a mask. He was playing with [Bell’s palsy].
You made a sweater vest inspired by Allen Iverson and his tattoos. How did that project come to be?
I’m 4’11, so I immediately connected to Allen Iverson and his story and just the way he played. I remember watching his Hall of Fame speech and crying. When you think about how the media treated him or general narratives about him as a player, it all seemed negative. And I think it’s exciting to see him get his flowers.
I just love experimenting with different mediums. If I have an idea in my head, I wanna get it out into the world. Last season I was like, a jersey looks just like a sweater vest, what is something I could do to explore that? I immediately was like, do something about Allen Iverson.
Victor displays her Allen Iverson sweater vest, modeled after his iconic Sixers jersey. The embroidered designs mimic several of A.I.’s tattoos.
What are some of other ways you’ve focused your work on player perspectives and other overlooked parts of sports?
I try to think of things from systems point of view. I think there’s really a story behind every single thing in sports.
The project I’m working on right now is about the Women’s Basketball League, which was the first women’s basketball league in America in the 1970s. It only lasted for three seasons, but there was a team that was based in Philadelphia called the Philadelphia Fox, which only lasted for 10 games.
Victor is working to tell more multimedia stories about the subtle structures that impact sports.
Some of those people are doctors and lawyers and basketball coaches, their lives took such a different turn. Title IX was just starting, so there weren’t a lot of [opportunities] for women to play sports in general. I’ve been interviewing some of those women which is pretty cool, getting to hear their stories.
So just thinking about how these systems exist and operate and how to make them more equitable. Understanding where we started is so important.
Who are your Letterboxd-style four favorite Philly athletes of all time?
Allen Iverson, Nick Foles, Joel Embiid, and Michael Vick.
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter will miss Monday’s game in Los Angeles and be considered week to week after undergoing a procedure on both of his shoulders, a source confirmed to The Inquirer on Thursday.
ESPN was first to report the news on Carter, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury since the beginning of training camp. It has bothered him at times during a season that has featured a slight decline in production.
“He does have a shoulder issue,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Wednesday. “He has been playing with it.”
The Eagles were dominated by the Chicago Bears’ rushing attack Friday, and Carter was ineffective at times. He was removed from the field on some first- and second-down plays.
“There was some runs out there I got drove back or I wasn’t making an effect on the play,” he said.
“It’s my problems to deal with. I ain’t fitting to tell y’all what I’m going through.”
Apparently the shoulder injury reached a breaking point.
Jalen Carter has been dealing with a shoulder injury since training camp.
In October, Carter described the injury as “a little serious, but I’m working through it, fighting through it.” That came after a game at Tampa Bay in which he was forced to the sidelines for some defensive snaps because of the injury.
“Everybody has injuries, depending on if it’s small or if it’s big, but when the right time comes, if I need to stop and take a little break to work more on my shoulder, that time is going to come,” Carter said.
Two months later, his words were proven true.
“It’s always hard when you don’t feel 100% or not healthy,” defensive tackle Moro Ojomo said. “I think that it’s most important to get your body right. This is a sport that wears and tears on you, so that was kind of the whole idea.”
It does not appear that Carter is heading toward a stint on injured reserve, which would force him to miss at least four games. The Eagles play the Chargers on the road Monday before returning home for a game vs. the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 14. The Eagles’ priority probably will be getting Carter as healthy as possible before the postseason begins, but they’re still trying to clinch a trip to the playoffs.
“I think he should get right and get his body feeling as good as possible, and we’re going to be ready when he gets back,” Ojomo said.
Carter had a breakout 2024 season and emerged as one of the better interior defensive linemen in the NFL. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl and was named second-team All-Pro.
Fangio was critical of the shape Carter was in earlier this season, but Carter had worked his way back to a large workload after playing more snaps last season than any other interior defensive lineman. Carter has missed two games this season. He was ejected before the first snap of the Eagles’ Week 1 game vs. Dallas after spitting at Dak Prescott, and he missed a Week 6 loss to the New York Giants with a heel injury.
While his pressure rate has dropped (8.9% to 7.8%, according to Next Gen Stats) and he has at times not been as effective against the run, Carter’s presence is still a key factor for the Eagles. They are a much better defense with him on the field than with him off.
Any length of absence with Jalen Carter is significant.
The Eagles' defensive EPA per play changes drastically when Carter is on the field (0.12) and when he is not (-0.14), per TruMedia.
With Carter out, expect to see rookie defensive tackle Ty Robinson, who has at times been a healthy scratch, in the rotation for depth. Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, and Byron Young likely will see an uptick in snaps. The Eagles could also use Brandon Graham on the interior, especially on obvious passing downs.
Ojomo, who is playing nearly 65% of the snaps on defense, said he was expecting to see more time on the field with Carter out. Since Carter likes to line up on the left side of the ball, Ojomo said there are “little nuances” and different things to study to prepare for a bit of a change.
The Eagles entered the 2025 season with limited depth on the interior after losing Milton Williams to free agency. They drafted Robinson to backfill, but he has played just 35 snaps. Gabe Hall made the initial 53-man roster after spending last season on the practice squad, but he has played 13 snaps and has spent most of the 2025 season back on the practice squad.
The Eagles also in August traded Thomas Booker, who could have been a rotational piece, to the Raiders for cornerback Jakorian Bennett, who has been used sparingly and also missed time because of an injury.
The depth will be tested greatly with Carter out. Davis and Ojomo have made improvements, but Young hasn’t been consistently effective when he’s on the field.
The Bears racked up 281 rushing yards on the Eagles last Friday. That happened partially because of Carter’s weakened shoulder, but there were other factors. Ojomo said the mistakes were seen on film.
“As a defense, we just have to have accountability,” he said. “Everybody look themselves in the mirror and realize, ‘OK, we have to be more accountable. I’m not going to mess up here, take this chance here,’ and get back to the defense we know we can play.”
That won’t be as simple without Carter, and it comes at a critical juncture in the Eagles’ season.
Ash Roberts remembers the dark. Some nights he would sob in a pillow, wondering if he lost his one love, football.
The 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior receiver at Roman Catholic never wanted anyone to hear or see him during those restless moments alone that kept him up burdened by self-doubt. He was the only one, he thought, who would forge through it.
Three years ago, major college recruiters would flock to see Tyseer Denmark, now at Penn State, work out when he was with Roman. But someone else also caught the scouts’ attention — a skinny, fast-twitch freshman. That’s when Roberts began receiving scholarship offers from programs such as Penn State, Alabama, Pittsburgh, and Michigan.
Something happened along the way. He broke his left collarbone before playing a down his freshman year, wiping out the season. Six games into his sophomore year, he snapped the same collarbone again. After 10 months of recovering, looking forward to a breakout junior season, he lost another year when he tore a meniscus in his right knee. The attention slowly dissipated. He found himself in a recruiting wasteland.
Roberts had only his senior year to prove himself — and he did just that. In Roman’s second game, Roberts scored three touchdowns in the Cahillites’ 49-35 victory over Cardinal Newman (Fla.). Against Catholic League champion and PIAA Class 6A state finalist La Salle College High School, he scored three touchdowns on two TD receptions and an 81-yard kickoff return. In Roman’s 39-36 win, he had 225 all-purpose yards, 130 yards receiving, and 95 return yards, looking arguably like the best player on a field filled with Power 5 recruits like La Salle’s Joey O’Brien, a Notre Dame signee, and Gavin Sidwar, who is heading to Missouri. In Roman’s 48-20 Class 5A state semifinal victory over Springfield (Delco) last Saturday, he had two touchdowns and a game-high five catches for 114 yards.
Temple football coach K.C. Keeler was not about to let a talent up Broad Street slip away from him, and on Wednesday, Roberts signed to play for Keeler and the Owls.
Roman Catholic receiver Ash Roberts doing some drills during practice on Wednesday.
, Roberts will play a vital role Friday in Roman’s quest toward its first PIAA state football championship. The Cahillites (11-3) face District 3 and defending state champion Bishop McDevitt (12-2) at Cumberland High School in a rematch of last year’s Class 5A title game, won by McDevitt in overtime, 34-31.
As the days wind down toward his final high school game, Roberts said his injury ordeal sometimes causes him to pause and reflect on where he might have been if he did not encounter adversity.
“There were a lot of nights I was up and emotional, where I would question myself, ‘Why me, why is this happening to me?’” Roberts said. “I didn’t want anyone to hear me or see me like that. I had to stop feeling sorry for myself. I was not about to quit. I had people there for me, but you can only do the work and get through it yourself.
“I kept telling myself, ‘Everyone is going to see soon, everyone is going to see soon.’”
Once a 5-foot-7, 140-pound freshman, Roberts found the weight room — with a little push from former teammate and current Duke freshman linebacker Will Felder, one of the Cahillites’ team captains last season.
“I couldn’t even lift 95 pounds when I started,” Roberts said, laughing. “I can hit 245 pounds for a couple of reps now. I never liked lifting. Being around Will, I wanted to put in the work and gain that confidence. I would do anything to get out lifting. I would go in there and just do leg presses and try to avoid the coaches.
“I wanted to play football and didn’t think I needed to lift. I would lock myself in the bathroom stall and get on my phone. The times I got caught in the bathroom, I would tell my coaches, I’m studying plays on my phone. They never believed me.”
He’s added three inches and 35 pounds.
Roman Catholic receiver Ash Roberts only had his senior season to prove himself on the field.
In March 2024 when he was working out, he felt discomfort in his right leg. He had a torn meniscus, which could heal through rest, doctors told him.
It was another setback, after building himself up to squat 405 pounds, and power clean 265 pounds.
“Ash always had the talent, he needed to put the work behind it,” said Felder, who is getting playing time as a true freshman and carrying a 3.6 GPA at Duke. “We only live about five minutes away from each other, and I would take him to school every day. We would have long talks, and I think that helped him. Ash is like my little brother. I’m really proud of him, because he hated to lift. The biggest thing I wanted to reinforce to Ash was he’s still ‘that guy,’ and God would not put him in a situation he could not handle.
“Ash was so talented [that] he did not feel he had to lift. I stressed to him that if he got bigger and stronger, he would be a better player. I finally convinced him to do the work. Now look at him.”
Roman coach Rick Prete said he could have played Roberts late last season, but knowing he would be back his senior year, he was not about to risk Roberts’ future. Prete saw him tiptoeing around the weight room to become one of the team leaders there.
“It all came together, and a lot of college coaches are beginning to see what we knew about Ash here at Roman,” Prete said. “I think Ash is a great fit for Temple and Coach Keeler. Coming out of high school, considering Ashdan’s path, this has been great for him. Ash is on the quiet side, but with his teammates, that changes and he is outgoing. Beyond the shadow of doubt, Ash is the best wide receiver in Pennsylvania. He is bringing a level to his game that I love to see, adding something physical to the receiving room.”
That manifested in the state semifinal game when Roberts caught a pass on the sideline, lowered his shoulder and rammed through a couple of Springfield defenders during the second quarter. That showed the trust Roberts has in himself. It showed he conquered the doubts of whether he could withstand a hit. He woke up at 5 a.m. three days a week throughout the summer and into September to work out, a routine he built with Felder.
Ash Roberts and Roman Catholic will compete in the PIAA Class 5A final on Friday night.
Though he sat out his junior season, Roberts was on the sideline last December when Roman lost to McDevitt in overtime. He remembers seeing the tears stream down the senior’s faces, strengthening his resolve to come back the next season and make an impact.
“I know what it is like having football taken away from me,” he said. “It’s something I took for granted. I took my talent for granted. I took my health for granted. I don’t take anything for granted anymore. With the breaks and tears, I learned something you love can be taken away from you in a split second. I want more. If I didn’t go through the injuries, I would not be as hungry as I am. I’m looking forward to working out with Will this summer. I want this state championship for him, for every senior who lost last year.
“Winning this state championship will be for them. We’re going to get the job done. We cannot let the work we put into this season go to waste.”
