The fun part of the baseball offseason is the illusion of control.
Unless you are Dave Dombrowski.
In which case, you’re a sitting duck. Or, even worse, you’re a floating duck, whose legs are tied, except they are tied beneath the surface, and so everybody thinks you’re a dumb little ducky because you don’t know how to swim.
The Phillies president has earned some of the criticism being lobbed his way. As ridiculous as it may seem for the Mets to pay Bo Bichette $42 million in annual average value, is it any more ridiculous than paying Taijuan Walker and Nick Castellanos a combined $38 million in AAV?
The substitution costs are always what get you. Thirty-eight million dollars would have been enough to have Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez in your bullpen last season. It would have been enough to have Edwin Díaz in your bullpen this season. General managing is all about the tradeoffs you make.
The irony is that the Castellanos and Walker contracts are easy ones to stumble into for the same reason that everyone thinks Dombrowski has done a lousy job this offseason. If you happened to be someone who pointed out the overinflated and potentially ill-advised nature of those deals at the time they were signed, you were met with a shrug of the shoulders.
Phillies president David Dombrowski has been the brunt of a few jokes this offseason as the team looks to retool for this upcoming year.
Who cares? It’s not our money.
Well, it’s nobody’s money now.
But let’s get back to our original point. Whatever nickel-and-diming we do in hindsight, it wouldn’t erase the only conclusion we can draw from this offseason. No amount of fiscal prudence would have given the Phillies the means to catch up to, let alone keep pace with, the Dodgers. Over the last three offseasons, they have signed Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and now Kyle Tucker and Díaz to contracts ranging from $22 million to $57 million in average annual value.
John Middleton might be a billionaire, but the Dodgers’ annual payroll is pushing half a billion once you factor in the luxury tax. How many billions? That’s the question you need to answer to compete at this level of spending.
The Phillies know this. Could Middleton and his minority owners rub their pennies together a little harder? Sure. Their attempt to sign Bichette was a sign that they aren’t operating by any hard spending limits. What they lack — what everybody lacks, except for the Dodgers and Mets — is the ability to sign such contracts with the knowledge that they can outspend any mistakes. The Dodgers have plenty of seemingly dead money on their books after last year’s bullpen spending spree. But it doesn’t seem to matter.
Chasing Bo Bichette, who signed with the Mets, was admirable of the Phillies. But what would the cost have been if they landed him?
The ability to sign Bichette for what would have been a reasonable seven-year, $200 million deal is a lot different from the ability to spend that money on whoever happens to be available. That’s how you end up hamstringing yourself by overpaying for players like Walker and Castellanos.
Those contracts only make sense if you can outspend the mistakes. The Phillies aren’t there, nor have they ever pretended to be. It’s plenty fair to criticize Dombrowski and Middleton for offering those deals to begin with. But you can’t fault them for their inability and/or unwillingness to offer another batch of them.
Which brings us to the illusory aspect of the baseball offseason. Regardless of how the last few months would have played out, the Phillies were always going to enter spring training needing to look inward in order to catch up to the Dodgers. In more ways than one. They are going to need to get some sort of impact from their minor league system. And they are going to need to get the intestinal fortitude to create opportunities for it to happen.
The best news of the offseason might have come over the last week, when all of the national outlets released their Top 100 prospects lists. Aidan Miller showed up in the Top 10 of two of those lists: No. 6 on The Athletic’s and No. 10 on ESPN’s.
News? Perhaps not. But confirmation that the national scouting industry agrees with what all of us local yokels have seen with our own two eyes for the last two years. Miller is the kind of prospect who can alter a team’s long-term trajectory while massively boosting its present-day World Series odds.
Many believe Phillies minor league infielder Aidan Miller is the kind of prospect who can alter a team’s long-term trajectory.
Years ago, the Dodgers had one of those prospects in Corey Seager. He broke into the big leagues at 21 on a team managed by Don Mattingly. Mattingly happens to be the new Phillies bench coach and the father of the team’s general manager. The Dodgers went to the NLCS the following season, when Seager was 22, and the World Series the year after, when he was 23. Miller will be 22 in June.
Prospects are largely responsible for writing their own future. Miller needs to start the season the way he ended the last one. If he does, the Phillies need to do their part and find him a spot in the lineup. It could involve difficult conversations, but they will be necessary ones.
Same goes elsewhere. With Andrew Painter. With Gage Wood. With lesser-heralded prospects like Gabriel Rincones and Jean Cabrera. The Phillies need to be willing and flexible to bring guys up and find out what they have.
The Dodgers have set the bar high. The Phillies have no choice but to reach for it.
Sunday is the first day of February, which means March is right around the corner, which means it is officially no longer too early to think about the NCAA Tournament.
Villanova is 20 games through its 31-game schedule, and nine games through its 20-game Big East slate. The Wildcats, who host Providence on campus Friday night, are 15-5 overall and 6-3 in their conference matchups in the first season of the Kevin Willard era.
School administration moved on from Kyle Neptune last March after a third consecutive season ended without an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Villanova officials believe the school should field a basketball team that perennially is in the at-large bid conversation, and three consecutive seasons without meaningful basketball was not acceptable.
Right now, it’s hard to believe the drought could stretch to four.
Villanova coach Kevin Willard is on pace to get the Wildcats back to the tourney.
The Wildcats aren’t yet a lock, but it’s looking pretty safe for their fans to preemptively look into taking a PTO day or two for the third week of March.
What are the numbers saying? We went to ESPN’s bracket guru himself, Joe Lunardi, for some help.
‘A very long leash’
Saturday’s loss to No. 2 UConn in Hartford, Conn., was an “insurance policy” kind of game, Lunardi said. Villanova declined coverage. The Wildcats let an upset opportunity slip away in an overtime loss, but the result, Lunardi said, was a “wash.” Villanova was a double-digit underdog and lost by eight.
“It didn’t hurt, and it didn’t help,” said Lunardi, who had the Wildcats as a No. 7 seed in his latest bracket projection released Tuesday morning.
The metrics support that notion. Villanova barely budged in the NCAA’s NET rankings, where it was ranked 34th as of Wednesday afternoon, and at KenPom (27).
What has to happen to stay on the right path?
“All they really need to do is win games they’re favored, and they can even afford to lose [a few] of those,” Lunardi said. “If they go 6-5, they’re going to make it.”
That’s some leeway.
“That’s a very long leash given the fact that, frankly, the league is good but not great,” Lunardi said.
Guard Acaden Lewis is among those who could land the Wildcats back in the dance.
As things stand right now, Villanova likely would be favored in at least eight of its final 11 contests. Take care of six or seven of those, and there’s no need for a marquee win over UConn or St. John’s.
While 6-5 the rest of the way probably would be a disappointment, Lunardi projects that a final record of 21-10 gets Villanova “at worst” a No. 10 seed. The Wildcats’ ceiling, meanwhile, is “probably a five,” Lunardi said.
So, don’t count on the NCAA rewarding the Wildcats with a “home” game at Xfinity Mobile Arena to start the tournament.
Asked to put the resumé in perspective, Lunardi said: “I would describe it as a resumé of a regular good Jay Wright team, meaning a mid-single-digit seed, not a Final Four team. Everything has to go right to make the second weekend.”
That’s probably a result any rational person in ’Nova Nation would have signed up for nine months ago.
It also seems pretty accurate. Villanova is 15-5 because it mostly has taken care of business against teams it is supposed to beat. The nonconference schedule started with a loss to nationally ranked BYU, but then came seven consecutive games against teams well outside the KenPom top 100, including three dominant Big 5 wins.
The Wildcats were then blown out by Michigan before traveling to Wisconsin to beat the Badgers in overtime, which was followed up with a road victory over Seton Hall to begin conference play. At the time, those were pretty good wins. Only the Wisconsin game has aged well.
As of Tuesday morning, Seton Hall was Lunardi’s first team outside the field of 68 after a four-game losing streak.
Forward Matt Hodge and guard Tyler Perkins have Villanova in good shape despite a near-miss against UConn on Saturday.
It is a Villanova resumé without a signature win, and it might not need one. Why?
“They don’t have the dreaded bad loss,” Lunardi said.
Last year’s resumé had losses to Columbia, St. Joseph’s, and a down Virginia team. The year before featured losses to St. Joe’s, Penn, and Drexel. This year’s biggest blip currently is against a Creighton team that still is on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Show me the math
Lunardi says his projections are pretty conservative and include some emphasis on past similar resumés. Right now, Villanova has more than an 80% chance of making the NCAA Tournament, according to Lunardi’s projections.
On the more extreme side, the TourneyCast projections at Bart Torvik’s analytics site have Villanova at 96% to make the dance. Torvik’s numbers are based on thousands of simulations playing out the rest of the season.
“It’s too early to make anybody a lock,” Lunardi said.
But it’s getting closer to that time.
If there was anything to worry about right now for Villanova fans, it should be health. The Wildcats are a key injury or two — even minor ailments — from scrambling a bit. They don’t have a reliable backup center, for example. Their depth has taken a hit elsewhere, too.
But those worries are hypothetical. Then again, all of this is.
What about the rest of the Big 5?
Villanova is the only one of the six Big 5 schools with an at-large path to the men’s NCAA Tournament. The others would need to win their respective conference tournaments. Of the bunch, only Temple (5-2) and St. Joe’s (5-3) entered Wednesday with a winning conference record.
Villanova celebrates after a win over Xavier on Jan. 8.
On the women’s side
Similar story. Villanova (16-5, 9-3) was projected as a No. 10 seed on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble with an at-large bid in the latest ESPN women’s bracketology. No other team has an at-large path, and only Drexel (4-3) had a winning conference record entering Wednesday.
There’s a lot of anxiety in the ether these days about the Eagles, particularly about the fact that they haven’t hired an offensive coordinator yet to replace Kevin Patullo.
Just look at some of the candidates who have been scooped up elsewhere or who decided to stay where they were: Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll, Joe Brady, Mike Kafka, and Charlie Weis Jr.
We can call this group the “Guys We’ve Heard Of” group, and they’re the biggest drivers of this collective worry that the Eagles will end up hiring some nincompoop who can’t call plays or, worse, calls the same kinds of plays Patullo did. I don’t know much about McDaniel other than he digs capri pants and tinted sunglasses. But I recognize his name, which means he must be smart, and the Eagles must be stupid for not hiring him.
Mike McDaniel (left) was a player high on the list of potential replacements for Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator. Until he accepted the role with the Chargers.
Then there’s the “Guys I’m Googling” group. They’re the up-and-coming coordinators and quarterback coaches who aren’t as well known to the casual NFL follower but who aspire to become branches on the Sean McVay tree or the Kyle Shanahan tree or whatever metaphorical foliage the Eagles happen to prefer. The way the Eagles’ search is shaping up — the time they’re taking, the three still-vacant head coaching jobs around the league — they’re likely to settle on someone from this group.
Hiring such a candidate, one with relatively little experience and no discernible track record, could turn out to be a problem for the Eagles, who might end up with another play-caller who isn’t quite ready for the role. But it would be a boon for the team’s fans and media, who could start second-guessing and complaining about the guy as early as Week 1.
No matter who the Eagles bring on board, they would do well to take a big-picture factor into consideration when they make their choice. In the short term, sure, the new coordinator’s primary concerns will be centered on improving an offense that may or may not have A.J. Brown, may or may not have Lane Johnson, may or may not have a decent tight end or two, and could use a bounce-back season from Jalen Hurts. But in the longer term, they should be mindful that they’ve been part of a strategic shift across the NFL, and they should be prepared in case Roger Goodell and the league’s owners try to shift things back.
Here’s what I mean: During this regular season, the average NFL team passed for 209.7 yards a game. That figure represents the lowest such average since 2006. It has been two decades, in other words, since NFL passing offenses were as anemic (or as conservative, depending on how you want to look at it) as they were this season.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was among an NFL passing collective that accounted for an average of just 209.7 yards per game, the lowest since 2006.
Why? You don’t have to be Bill Walsh to figure it out. After years of franchises chasing franchise quarterbacks and brilliant scheme designers and elite wide receivers — and tight ends who could catch and run like wideouts — a funny thing started happening: Certain teams geared up to counteract their opponents’ dynamic passing games and to exploit smaller, faster defenses. That is, certain teams won championships because of their defenses and/or their run games.
The 2023 Kansas City Chiefs had Patrick Mahomes, yes, but they ranked 15th in scoring offense and second in scoring defense. The story of the 2024 Eagles is practically gospel around here: the dominance of Saquon Barkley and the offensive line, a stout defense overseen by Vic Fangio and built from the secondary in, the reality that the team didn’t want to and didn’t have to rely on Hurts’ arm to win.
Now we have the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Drake Maye had a great second season, and Sam Darnold is a great story. But both the Patriots’ and Seahawks’ defenses finished among the league’s top four in fewest points allowed and among the top eight in fewest yards allowed.
Simply put, the passing game — the aspect of football that leads to high scores, general excitement, and the rise of the sport’s biggest celebrities and product-movers (i.e., star quarterbacks) — ain’t what it used to be. Hell, we were three points away from having a Super Bowl with Darnold and Jarrett Stidham as the starting QBs … not exactly an electrifying matchup of two all-time greats/household names.
Broncos backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham leaves the field after the team’s loss in the AFC championship against the New England Patriots.
For all the moaning that Sunday’s Patriots-Broncos game was boring and unwatchable because of the snow at Empower Stadium, for all the silly calls for holding conference-title games in domes from now on, the weather wasn’t what made it dull. What made it dull was that Maye played as if he was trying not to lose the game (sound familiar, Eagles fans?), and Stidham wasn’t capable of winning it.
The last time the NFL went through a stretch similar to this one was a quarter-century ago, when four consecutive Super Bowls were won by teams primarily defense-oriented: the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, the 2001 and 2003 Patriots, and the 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Consider some of the quarterbacks, too, who were reaching those Super Bowls back then: Trent Dilfer, Kerry Collins, Brad Johnson, Rich Gannon, Jake Delhomme, and a rookie named Tom Brady.
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick might have had Tom Brady for the Super Bowls he racked up, but he also boasted some good defenses as well.
In the aftermath of that ’03 Patriots run — Bill Belichick’s defensive backs manhandled the Indianapolis Colts’ receivers in the AFC title game — the NFL decided to crack down on illegal contact, defensive holding, and pass interference infractions. In 2003, NFL teams averaged 200.4 passing yards. In 2004, that average jumped by more than 10 yards, to 210.5, and it kept rising for years thereafter.
That surge has stopped. The game has slowed down, and it’s a safe bet that the NFL won’t allow it to stay this way for too much longer. The Eagles were among those applying the brakes, but the sport is poised to open up again, and they and their new man at the wheel, whoever he might be, need to be ready.
There were the usual favorites on both sides of the ball — as well as a few new faces — and a grizzled veteran that fans can’t seem to agree on.
Eagles fans want pending free agent linebacker Jaelan Phillips back next season, but they're split over veteran Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement last year.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles have long-since been eliminated from Super Bowl contention, after their wild-card round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. But the conversations around what went wrong with the Birds last year are ongoing, as the team continues to search for a new offensive coordinator and prepares for what’s sure to be a busy offseason.
We asked you, our readers, which Eagles you want to see stay or leave the team for next season. Here’s what we found — and how some of those results compared to what beat writer Jeff McLane expects the team to do …
The Eagles’ All-Pro cornerback duo, Quinyon Mitchell (96.4%) and Cooper DeJean (96.1%), graded out the best of any Birds players. But they weren’t alone. Jordan Davis (96.1%) tied DeJean after a breakout year.
The best defense
It’s not just those two. Overall, 19 Eagles earned over 90% stay votes in this year’s poll, despite the early playoff exit — 12 of those players were on defense or special teams, including Zack Baun (95.8%), Jalyx Hunt (95.3%), and more.
On the offensive
There were fewer on offense — seven in total — who received at least 90% stay, including four offensive linemen: Lane Johnson (91.8%), Jordan Mailata (95.9%), Landon Dickerson (93.6%), and Cam Jurgens (91.2%).
Hurts remains popular
Quarterback Jalen Hurts (85.7%), however, was not one of them. That doesn’t mean he’s unpopular — he finished just a few percentage points shy of his Super Bowl MVP season (89.5%), and is not going anywhere.
Brown takes a hit
That’s nothing compared to the dip A.J. Brown (62.3%) saw. The wide receiver came in at 88.8% stay following last year’s Super Bowl run. But after a season wrought with controversy, where Brown looked like he may have taken a step back, fans have soured a bit on Brown.
Tight ends on the move?
Backup tight end Grant Calcaterra (36.8%) fell over 55 points from last season — down from 92.3% stay after 2024 — but fans still love Dallas Goedert (79.4%). However, Jeff McLane thinks both pending free agents will be wearing different colors next year.
Love ’em or hate ’em
Overall, the results on the offensive side paint an interesting picture, with no one player landing in the middle 20%, between 40-60% stay. Fans know what they want.
Special requests
That includes the team’s specialists. An overwhelming majority want punter Braden Mann (94.2%) back next season. The same can’t be said for veteran kicker Jake Elliott (23.2%), who saw the biggest year-over-year drop. McLane thinks the team will agree.
A difference of opinion
Franchise legend Brandon Graham (40.6%) un-retired midway through the 2025 season, and he said after the season that he felt he still had more in the tank. He was one of the most polarizing players in the poll, with a slight majority voting for him to go.
The kids are all right
Howie Roseman also had a good year, according to fans. The Eagles’ rookie class, headlined by Jihaad Campbell (95.6%) and Drew Mukuba (90.3%), graded out well after its first NFL season.
The new guys
The Birds traded for Jaelan Phillips (81.4%) at the trade deadline. While the move didn’t ultimately lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, the pending free agent quickly became a fan favorite. Running back Tank Bigsby (94.7%) graded even better — and higher than Barkley.
Check out the full results
We’re done breaking it down for you. Let’s put the numbers directly at your fingertips — simply hover over or click on a player on the chart to see not only what percentage of stay votes they received, but also what McLane thinks will happen.
So what does the future hold for these players? The NFL’s new league year begins on March 11 — that’s when teams are permitted to execute trades and begin signing new players. Stay tuned.
Temple coach Diane Richardson is not from Philadelphia. She spent much of her life in the Maryland and Washington region, which included several coaching stints in the area.
When Richardson was hired at Temple in 2022, she got a taste of what the Big 5 — and sports in general — mean to the city. But seeing how Philly responded to the women’s side of the Big 5 intrigued Richardson. It made her want to grow women’s basketball even more.
Richardson has become an advocate for professional women’s basketball and hopes to bring more eyes to the game, with a WNBA franchise set to come to Philadelphia in 2030. In the meantime, Unrivaled will make its first trip out of the Miami area and play at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday.
“It really sets the tone for what Philly has to come,” Richardson said. “The WNBA is coming here in a few years and to have Unrivaled come here, the first place that they have come to, it really shows the support that’s here for women’s basketball and how Philly’s grabbing ahold of it. So I’m excited about it. I’m really excited about the representation. I’m excited for the young girls in Philly to be able to see that up close and personal.”
Basketball was not always Richardson’s calling card. She was named one of the top female executives in the country in 1995, but she left her post as founder and chief operating officer of American Security Corporation to pursue a different passion, mentoring young girls through basketball.
Part of Richardson’s inspiration to make that change came from former college basketball coach and current color commentator Carolyn Peck. Richardson crossed paths with Peck during a recruiting visit with a player while Peck was at the University of Florida and Richardson was coaching at Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro, Md. She was enamored by Peck’s drive to help young athletes.
“I saw the care she had with her student-athletes and how she wanted to project women’s sports,” Richardson said. “I was just amazed and inspired that when you can be in a position like that, you can actually inspire other people. I left corporate America to coach because I saw her example. And I love what I’m doing now.”
Richardson arrived on North Broad before the 2022 season and quickly got to work, not just with her new program, but with women’s basketball overall.
Richardson bought into the Big 5 Classic, and when the format changed before the 2024-25 season, she was all for it. The the tripleheader has been held at Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion the first two seasons. While Richardson believes the first two iterations have been successful, there is more to be done.
“I think we could use some more exposure,” Richardson said. “We’re playing at Villanova and the guys are playing downtown [at Xfinity Mobile Arena]. And I think if we put enough money into it, enough marketing into it, and we can market it locally and get a lot of people there.”
Richardson also has her team engage with the community in women’s basketball events. The Owls held a camp with Skilladelphia, a basketball clinic for young girls, and attended a WNBA watch party with Watch Party PHL to see a game that featured Jonquel Jones, Natasha Cloud, and Kahleah Copper.
Temple attended a WNBA watch party in July at Libertee Grounds.
A key part of Richardson’s involvement over her four years at Temple has been the involvement of Jones and Copper. Jones, who plays for the New York Liberty, is Richardson’s adopted daughter and makes the trip to Philly whenever she can.
She acted as a tour guide when the Owls went to the Bahamas in November. Copper, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, is from North Philly and has been a great friend of the program. She attended many practices during Richardson’s first two seasons.
New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones (second from left), the adopted daughter of Temple women’s college basketball coach Diane Richardson, was courtside to watch the Owls play the Drexel on Dec. 7.
Having professionals involved with the program has been beneficial for the team. It’s an opportunity to see what basketball can do for them.
“Coach Rich is really great at networking,” said junior guard Kaylah Turner. “We’ll have little meetings here and there to meet this person and that person she wants us to talk to. She knows that every person has one thing that we can take away from, as far as lessons. We meet a lot of different people, and just watching her, she knows everybody.”
Richardson brought her whole team to the Unrivaled announcement event on Oct. 2, when the pro three-on-three league announced it would visit the city on Jan. 30. Unrivaled is the next step to growing women’s basketball in the area.
Richardson hopes a lot comes from Unrivaled, including gaining more women’s basketball fans.
“I hope that the people who talk bad about women’s sports and the WNBA will see that this is true basketball,” Richardson said. “It’s not just some stuff on the corners. It’s not just AAU or church league. This is real professional basketball, and it should be respected as such.”
After Unrivaled, the city will have four years to prepare to welcome its WNBA team. The support that has come from Unrivaled is encouraging, and Richardson believes that with continued marketing, Philly will be more than ready for a pro team.
Temple coach Diane Richardson calls plays against Charlotte on Saturday.
“With the WNBA coming here … we’re going to be exploding,” Richardson said. “To get Unrivaled sold out in a matter of days, that tells you we are ready for the WNBA. I think if we continue to have programs and events like that, it’ll get there, and I think we’ll have sold-out stadiums when the WNBA gets here.”
In her short time in the city, Richardson has been at the forefront of the push to grow women’s basketball here. She hopes others will see the beauty in the sport, too.
“If they are a true sports fan, they will love women’s basketball,” Richardson said. “And it’s not just to say that it’s women’s basketball, but if you love sports, you’ll love women’s basketball, because it’s basketball.”
Allen Iverson is being criticized for an allegedly disrespectful visit with a children’s cancer charity in Australia, after a viral Reddit post called out the former Sixer for “absolutely disgusting” conduct at the hospital.
Challenge, a Melbourne-based charity supporting children with cancer, has hosted NBA players such as Shaquille O’Neal, Cameron Johnson, Josh Giddey, Seth Curry, and Carmelo Anthony for visits in the past.
Challenge chief executive officer David Rogers told The Inquirer in a statement on Tuesday that Iverson spent almost two hours engaging with media, executives, and high-profile sports figures, but “in stark contrast,” described the Hall of Famer’s conduct with the children and families as “unacceptable.”
Iverson was set to do a 45-minute meet-and-greet with children and families supported by Challenge. Iverson was more than 90 minutes late, and according to the Reddit post, decided not to sign anything or speak to anyone, adding that his security said he was “having a bad day.”
“My little brother who is 12 years old and is currently receiving chemotherapy for ALCL lymphoma, was so excited to meet one of his idols,” the Reddit post reads. “He came out to be extremely disgusted and disappointed in Allen Iversons[’] [behavior], and so were the other [families].”
Iverson took one group photo and then ended the visit. The poster did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Challenge was deeply disappointed with the meet and greet involving Allen Iverson,” Rogers said in the statement. “There was nothing further we could have done as an organization to improve the experience and, despite working diligently on the day to manage a challenging and at times disrespectful approach from his management team, we believe Allen Iverson ultimately let down the children and families who came to meet him.”
Iverson and his management team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The incident was one of a number of reportedly bad events on Iverson’s recent tour of Australia. Former NBL player Chris Anstey posted on Instagram that Iverson skipped a scheduled free guest-speaking experience with CreativeCubes.Co in Melbourne, canceling two hours after the event was set to begin.
Another former NBL player, Jason Cadee, said on a podcast that Iverson was invited to HoopsFest in Perth, and he spoke for just a few minutes on stage before skipping his scheduled meet-and-greet.
“Iverson comes across and he speaks,” Cadee said. “He walks in the room and he speaks, he spoke pretty well for about seven minutes or eight minutes, gives the mic up and just leaves, that’s it. Apparently there was supposed to be photos, supposed to be some time to mingle, [but he was] out. That was it.”
It’s been a roller coaster of a January for the Flyers.
Within 27 days, the Flyers have claimed wins against the two-time Stanley Cup finalist Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks, endured a six-game losing streak, and snatched five of six points across the new Death Valley.
Monday brought a reality check as the Flyers faced a division opponent, the New York Islanders, and were handed a 4-0 loss. But coach Rick Tocchet has emphasized how important it is for his club to remain at an even keel.
“It’s huge,” forward Travis Konecny said when asked about Tocchet’s approach, which was also stated by Jamie Drysdale after the game Monday.
“I mean, even during a game, I know, I get pretty intense and frustrated, but it’s important to just reset every shift and not let things drag on. Especially coming in this morning, a positive attitude, be excited to play, be excited to practice, and on we go.”
The Flyers now head to Columbus to face a Blue Jackets team that has only lost once in six games since Rick Bowness took over following the dismissal of former coach Dean Evason on Jan. 12. And it’s another critical game against a division foe that trails the Flyers by just two points in a tight Eastern Conference. The Flyers are currently two points back of the Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Metro, albeit with a game in hand, and six points back in the wild card, also with games in hand.
While Tocchet likes that his team is so close and has been resilient, he did say Tuesday that part of being close is holding each other accountable when warranted.
“I’d like to see them get on each other a little bit. In a positive way — I’m not saying yell and scream — but whether it’s practice, or if somebody makes a mistake after the first in the dressing room after the coaches leave don’t be afraid to make your friend accountable,“ the coach said. ”Sometimes we’re all buddies and they’re scared to say something. I find that a little bit with this team. The teams that I’ve played or coached with the leadership gets on each other, in a good way. That’s probably the next level for this team.”
If the Flyers are to stay in playoff contention, one thing they’ll need is the top line of Konecny, Trevor Zegras, and Christian Dvorak to rediscover its game. Since Jan. 1, Konecny has nine points in 11 games (he missed one game with an upper-body injury), and Zegras and Dvorak have seven apiece across 12 contests. From the outside, those numbers don’t look bad, but the glaring issue is their plus-minus; Konecny is a surprising minus-3, Zegras is minus-4, and Dvorak is minus-8.
According to Natural Stat Trick, when the trio has been on the ice as a line at five-on-five since Jan. 1, the Flyers have allowed a greater share of shot attempts (54.34%), shots (53.49%), scoring chances (54.08%), and more high-danger goals (2-3). The one plus: they have managed to outscore opponents, 6-4.
After averaging a point per game through his first 41 games as a Flyer, Trevor Zegras has two goals, five points, and is a minus-five over his last 10 games.
But it’s a marked difference from the 38 games before the flip of the calendar. In those games, with that trio on the ice, the Flyers scored nine goals and allowed nine, but outshot (52.29%), outchanced from high-danger areas (63.01%), and outscored opponents from high-danger spots by a wide margin (7-2). They were also even in scoring chances.
“I hate to use the word cheating; they’re cheating for offense,” Tocchet said of his top line’s game recently. “You’ve got to go through the procession to get offense. … And I think they put pressure on themselves. It’s not like a lot of guys are filling the net. So they feel that they have to be that line, but you can’t be that line that just cheats for offense.
“You’ve got to play the right way. You’ll get the same amount of chances in the long run, and that’s the way you’re supposed to play the game anyway.”
The Flyers need their top line to produce. Konecny played well during his latest streak, a four-game one with six points, which ended on Monday. But Dvorak has just two goals and one assist in the past seven games, all of which came in the OT loss to Utah, including one tally on the power play. Zegras has also cooled off considerably. He had 41 points in the first 41 games of the season, but has scored only twice in the 10 games since his emotional multi-goal game against his former club, the Anaheim Ducks.
“I think get to the inside with the puck. I feel like we’re kind of one-and-done plays right now, which is something we know, and we’re talking about,” Zegras said of his line.
“It’s not like, ‘oh, we think we’re perfect and then we don’t have to do the little things or the hard things.’ I just think it’s that next play that we have to get back to making, whether it’s beating a check or supporting a guy in a corner. But I think just getting that puck to the inside.”
Breakaways
Dan Vladař participated in practice again but remains listed on injured reserve. Aleksei Kolosov was at the team’s practice, too. … The defensive pairings had Emil Andrae on the outside looking in. Tocchet said on Tuesday he felt the Swedish defenseman “seems to skate into trouble and he’s been losing the puck a lot.” … Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen returned to the lineup on Monday after missing six games with an upper-body injury. He said it “[stunk] to kind of watch from the couch,” but said, while it’s never easy, he was able to slide right back into the lineup because the “last couple of years, I’m kind of used to it [but] it was a lot easier to come back after missing 10 days than when I was out for nine months.”
Blink and you’ll miss it — a sea of Phillies red will be back at Citizens Bank Park for the home opener against the Texas Rangers on Thursday, March 26, with first pitch set for 4:15 p.m.
Along with the on-field action, fans can expect the return of one of baseball’s best supporting casts: the uniquely local ballpark food.
Aramark, which has refreshed the Phillies’ in-stadium menu for four decades, is still putting the finishing touches on a handful of new, experimental bites. While the full 2026 lineup hasn’t been officially announced, longtime fans know there’s a reliable cast of classics that tend to return year after year.
Here’s what we’re ready to welcome back this season, from soft serve worth the sticky fingers to Jersey Shore-style slices that taste like summer.
Served with a side of gravy at Citizens Bank Park, Bulls BBQ’s stuffed turkey egg rolls come with stuffing and cranberry sauce.
Ballpark favorites
General concession stands can be spotted throughout CBP, typically offering old faithfuls like Hatfield Phillies jumbo franks, Federal Pretzel braids, and a mix of domestic and local beer options.
With a little game planning, you could score either a hot dog, a super pretzel, a popcorn box, or a soda for $5 each. And around $10 for a sizable combo at most concession stands in the park.
(You can find these gems at South Philadelphia Market, Hatfield Grill, Cooperstown Café, Shibe Park Eatery, and other concessions throughout the park.)
Two buckets of crabfries from a Chickie’s & Pete’s concession stand at Citizens Bank Park, as shown in this 2023 file photo. One basket is more than $15, not including a side of cheese, at the ballpark this season.
Chickie’s & Pete’s
While not as price-friendly as the previously mentioned menu items, Chickie’s & Pete’s Crabfries are worth every penny. The nearly $20 price tag may seem high for an Old Bay-seasoned fry basket, but the savory offering has won over fans’ hearts for a reason. Oh, and don’t forget to add the cheese sauce on the way out.
Manco & Manco Pizza
This Ocean City staple delivers one of the best slices you’ll find at the ballpark. Go for a personal pie of the iconic thin-crust pizza, then settle in with your crew and let the Phils do the rest against their big-league rivals.
P.J. Whelihan’s
P.J. Whelihan’s is a trusted Citizens Bank Park standby — and for good reason. From savory onion rings to fiery boneless wing combos and crowd-pleasing cheesesteak egg rolls, this original Poconos-area favorite has earned its spot as a must-visit at the ballpark.
1883 Burger Co.
A homage to the year the Phillies were founded, 1883 Burger Co. gives the nation’s oldest, continuously running franchise its proper due. The spot’s smash burgers are stacked with fresh veggies and a flattering dose of Thousand Island, all resting on a soft, buttery bun that seals all of its savory glory in one.
A cheeseburger from Shake Shack at Citizens Bank Park.
Shake Shack
In case the line at 1883 Burger Co. is slammed, stop by Shake Shack for a cheeseburger that’s made the fast-food chain a national treasure. Then wash it down with a hand-spun shake, coming in multiple flavors.
Colbie’s Southern Kissed Chicken
Indulge in Southern-style comfort, brought to you by Phillies legend Ryan Howard. Along with original and Nashville Hot chicken sandwiches, try the Peach Spoon Pie dessert and The Big Piece, an unmistakable ode to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Famer.
Jerk chicken sandwich from Bull’s BBQ concession stand at Citizens Bank Park on April 9, 2023.
Bull’s BBQ
What’s not to love about burnt-end cheesesteaks, pulled pork, smoked rib platters, and turkey collard greens? Bull’s BQ, a main course concession staple, brings at-home barbecue to your stadium seat. The real highlight is the jerk chicken sandwich, complete with a plantain (or two) for an extra pinch of Caribbean flavor.
Campo’s
If you’re looking for a cheesesteak on game day, stop by Campo’s for the ballpark’s widest variety of the classic sandwich. The Old City staple has everything from a traditional cheesesteak and chicken cheesesteak to a buffalo-sauced sandwich and a vegetarian version.
Doughnuts from Federal Donuts concession stand at Citizens Bank Park on April 9, 2023.
Federal Donuts & Chicken
There are few things better than hand-battered tenders, boneless chicken sandwiches, and freshly made doughnuts from the brainchild of world-famous restaurateurs Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook of CookNSolo Restaurant, as well as Tom Henneman, Felicia D’Ambrosio, and Bob Logue. Stopping by this South Philly-born franchise at CBP is always a home run.
Greens & Grains
Ballpark food isn’t just fare for meat lovers. The grub at Greens & Grains is proof that vegan or vegetarian fans don’t have to settle for french fries or pretzels. The vegan and plant-based eatery offers restaurant-quality dishes like Chk’n parm pesto, gyro pita, and a vegan hot dog.
A cheesesteak from Uncle Charlie’s Steaks at Citizens Bank Park.
Uncle Charlie’s Steaks
For classic cheesesteaks at CBP, Uncle Charlie’s Steaks has earned the trust of Phillies fans. The smell of smoked rib-eye and Cooper sharp cheese can be spotted yards away. And the taste certainly matches the pleasant aroma.
Tony Luke’s
The South Philly-made franchise is a ballpark favorite, thanks to the roast pork sandwich and famed cheesesteak. Between the two, the roast pork is among the best CBP has to offer. Don’t believe me? Try it yourself.
Baker Bowl Bistro and Connie Mack’s
For some high-end ballpark bites, this Hall of Fame Club suites destination houses chef-attended specialties like a seared crab cake sandwich and a black bean veggie burger that rivals any other one in CBP.
Chocolate ice cream and sprinkles from Old City Creamery at Citizens Bank Park on April 9, 2023.
Old City Creamery
Old City Creamery is a kid’s dream. Not only do they leave with Richman’s delicious soft serve, stacked with toppings of their choice, but they also get a miniature Phillies batting helmet to go. Sounds like a win to me.
Philadelphia Water Ice
Whether you pronounce it water or “wooder” ice, it makes no difference. This regional staple is all the more delicious under the stadium lights on a simmering summer day. The simple mix of water, sugar, and refreshing fruit flavors is a hit out of the park every time.
A cup of mango water ice from Philadelphia Water Ice concession stand at Citizens Bank Park.
After consecutive losses, Temple needed to get back in the win column, and it took a road trip to Texas against two teams sitting at the bottom of the American Conference to do so.
Temple battled with Rice last Wednesday, before winning, 69-65. The University of Texas at San Antonio gave the Owls a similar test on Saturday, but Temple prevailed, 70-64.
The Owls (13-7) now are 5-2 in conference play and are tied with Tulsa, South Florida, and Charlotte for second place in the American. Florida Atlantic is currently in first place.
The second half was the opposite. Temple shot 51.9% from the field to take a 12-point lead, but another field-goal drought allowed the Roadrunners chip away at the Owls’ lead.
Temple’s core played cohesively during its scoring burst, though. Guards Derrian Ford, Aiden Tobiason, and Jordan Mason recorded double figures in each game. Guard Gavin Griffiths had 12 points against Rice.
Holding onto the ball
Before their game against Memphis on Jan. 14, the Owls were among the least turnover-prone teams in the country. However, they had 14 against the Tigers and 15 against FAU, a season high.
The Owls addressed their turnover issue and recorded six against Rice and nine against UTSA.
Guard Jordan Mason has been leading the Owls’ offense this season
A big factor was Mason returning to form. He had four turnovers combined in the past two games, after having as many turnovers (10) as points against Memphis and FAU. The San Antonio, Texas, native also scored 18 points against his hometown Roadrunners and added 15 points and six assists vs. Rice.
The bench
Temple’s offense takes a noticeable dip when its bench players hit the floor. The team is averaging 16.7 bench points and had just 19 during their road trip.
Forward Babatunde Durodola and guard Masiah Gilyard have been the best options off the bench, but aren’t the biggest scoring punch, averaging 4.5 and 4.4 points, respectively.
Temple’s Masiah Gilyard is averaging 4.4 points off the bench this season.
With guard AJ Smith out for the remainder of the season because of shoulder surgery, the Owls lack scoring depth on the bench. Guard CJ Hines could have been an option, but he never played a game and was dismissed from the team on Jan. 16 amid a national gambling investigation.
Wins against Charlotte and South Florida would go a long way if Temple wants a chance at securing the American tournament’s No. 2 seed, which grants a bye to the semifinals in the conference’s new format.
It’s hard to think about going outside right now with the subfreezing temperatures in town, but here’s another reason to hope things will be better in a few weeks.
The Union announced Tuesday that they will host a youth soccer tournament with teams from around the world, including some big-time European clubs, from Feb. 9-14 at their WSFS Bank Sportsplex in Chester. Fittingly for the time of year, it will be called “The Snow Bowl.”
There will be under-15, under-16, and under-18 age groups, with Union teams competing in all three. The under-15 group has the biggest visiting headliners: England’s Manchester United and Newcastle United, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, and Mexico’s Monterrey.
The under-16 division is headlined by Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach, the Netherlands’ PSV Eindhoven, and Portugal’s Benfica.
PSV’s sporting director is former Union and U.S. Soccer sporting director Earnie Stewart. Its youth academy chief, Aloys Wijnker, worked for U.S. Soccer around the same time Stewart was in Chester.
The Union have hosted many visiting teams at their facilities in recent months, including England’s Chelsea and the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams.
Benfica is in the under-18 group too, as is Denmark’s Lyngby is in both of those age groups. That’s notable, since the Union have an ownership stake in Lyngby.
Another team in the under-18 group will bring a familiar face back to Chester. Former Union midfielder Roland Alberg now runs a youth soccer program in South Africa and has entered one of his squads.
“This event is about high-performance preparation and showcasing our Academy’s elite youth development environment,” Union director of academy and professional development Jon Scheer said in a statement. “It provides our Union Academy players with the opportunity to test themselves against the very best ahead of the upcoming Generation adidas Cup and MLS Next playoffs, while also highlighting the world-class facilities we have built here at the Sportsplex.”
The tournament will give the Union a chance not just to show off their facilities and youth teams, but the full scale of their development setup. One of the title sponsors is The SWAG, a no-cost, year-round soccer training program for players ages 4-11 from communities of color, which the Union helps promote.
The SWAG is a free program for underprivileged kids from 4-11 to play soccer and get to know the world’s game.
“With all eyes on soccer this summer, especially here in Philadelphia, the Snow Bowl is designed to inspire the next generation of youth soccer players and introduce them to the highest level of international youth competition,” said Richie Graham, Union part-owner and academy financier, whose brother, Steve, helped launch The SWAG in 2022.
All of the games will be played on the indoor turf field at the Union’s complex (one concession to the time of year), and they’ll all be livestreamed on the team’s website. The schedule, streaming links, and more details are available at philadelphiaunion.com/snowbowl.
U-15 division: Union, Manchester United (England), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Newcastle United (England), C.F. Monterrey (Mexico), Chicago Fire (USA).
