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  • ⚾ Hot stove heats up | Sports Daily Newsletter

    ⚾ Hot stove heats up | Sports Daily Newsletter

    As a nasty winter storm bears down on us, it’s a good time to start the newsletter with warm thoughts about baseball.

    Could the Mets actually give the Phillies a run for their money in the NL East this season? In the last week or so, they have gotten a little closer.

    First they swiped Bo Bichette in a free-agent signing that Phillies president Dave Dombrowski called “a gut punch.” Then the New Yorkers traded for Gold Glove center fielder Luis Robert. Then they dealt for front-line pitcher Freddy Peralta, a noted Phillie killer.

    What in the name of Flushing is going on around here? David Murphy takes it all in and provides his analysis: “Offseasons are pretty much the only the thing Mets have won in the 40 years since the ’86 Amazin’s did their thing. They are going to need a lot of things to break right for that to change this year.” Read more of Murphy’s take here.

    Still … In Peralta and second-year righty Nolan McLean, the Mets will have a powerful 1-2 punch, and if Sean Manaea can bounce back, their starters could be formidable. At the very least, the flurry of Mets moves has given fans something to talk about around the hot stove … and we’ll need that stove in the next few days.

    — Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Philly ties

    Rams linebacker Omar Speights hits Eagles QB Jalen Hurts on Sept. 21.

    The Eagles will be spectators Sunday when the NFC and AFC championship games are played, but there will be more than a few Philadelphia connections to the action. The pride of Penn Charter, Mike McGlinchey, is the anchor of the Broncos’ line. Imhotep Charter’s Omar Speights is a top tackler for the Rams. And ex-Eagles DT Milton Williams is lining up for the Patriots. Olivia Reiner gives us the rundown of familiar faces one step from the Super Bowl.

    Assistant coach Christian Parker is set to become an ex-Eagle himself, as reports have him heading to the Cowboys to become their defensive coordinator.

    Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is a finalist for NFL assistant coach of the year honors.

    Working overtime

    Sixers center Joel Embiid drives on Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. during the second quarter Thursday.

    Joel Embiid delivered a triple-double with 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Sixers fought past the Houston Rockets, 128-122, in overtime at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Tyrese Maxey made only 2 of 10 three-point shots but led the Sixers with 36 points. Gina Mizell has a closer look at the action.

    Let’s make a deal?

    St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas (left) is one of the NHL’s top playmakers and tallied at least 80 points in each of the last two seasons.

    The Flyers’ ongoing search for a No. 1 center is no state secret at this point. But do they potentially have a new lead?

    With reports that St. Louis pivot Robert Thomas could be available, the Flyers might finally have a path to filling the organization’s biggest hole. Gustav Elvin believes the Flyers should do whatever it takes to land Thomas, whom he calls one of the league’s top playmakers and a bona fide top-20 center.

    The Flyers’ need for centers has been apparent in recent weeks as the team has dropped seven of eight games and fallen below the playoff cut line. But blowing a 3-0 lead and squandering a point on Wednesday in Utah represented a new low, writes Jackie Spiegel.

    Back to grassroots hockey

    Frank Seravalli added Germantown Academy boys’ hockey coaching duties to an already busy portfolio.

    A former Flyers beat writer for the Daily News, Frank Seravalli has become known as an NHL insider who is now building a hockey network at the streaming service Victory+. These days, he is also known as the hockey coach at Germantown Academy, a job that takes up even more of his precious time. A family tragedy was a major part of Seravalli’s inspiration to coach the Patriots. Alex Coffey tells the story.

    Sports snapshot

    Fans at the Finneran Pavilion honored the life and legacy of coach George Raveling at the Villanova-Georgetown game.

    What you’re saying about the Sixers

    We asked: Thoughts on the Sixers so far this season? Among your responses:

    Why would any Philadelphia sports fan, specifically a basketball fan, get fired up over our 76ers? By giving Joel Embiid and Paul George max contracts, the GM has essentially made this team irrelevant in the NBA for thee years. These two “Superstars” don’t play enough to make an impact yet account for almost a half BILLION dollars in salary over the life of their contracts. This franchise is handcuffed for the foreseeable future with two untradeable players who miss more games than they play while making it nearly impossible to add salary/free agents. For this franchise, the new reality is not championships, it’s relevancy. — Tom D.

    No one cares. George and Embid will be out of the playoffs with “pain management.” Please move back to Syracuse. — Bill M.

    An aging Embiid is transitioning into the complementary center he needs to become to help the young Sixers mesh and morph. They will become a quick guard-oriented offense, with the best total guard talent in the NBA.That set of guards includes Maxey, Edgecombe, McCain, Grimes, Edwards, Gordon and Lowry to mentor all of them. But there is no reason for Embiid to be hoisting 3-point shots, which he does at an awful 26% rate this year. — John W.

    Encouraging! After last year’s disastrous season, Tyrese and VJ have stepped up to lead the team. Finishing in the top 6 in the conference would be a very successful season. — Bob C.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from David Murphy, Lochlahn March, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Alex Coffey, Gustav Elvin, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Matt Breen, and Owen Hewitt.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thanks for reading. I’ll see you in Monday’s newsletter, when it looks like we’ll be digging out from a doozy of a storm. — Jim

  • Sixers takeaways: Surviving a blown call, grabbing a much-needed home win over Rockets and more

    Sixers takeaways: Surviving a blown call, grabbing a much-needed home win over Rockets and more

    The 76ers were fortunate that a blown goaltending call didn’t doom them.

    In response, the Sixers (24-19) showed they can win a meaningful game at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    And they did that despite, once again, surrendering a high-scoring performance to an opposing player.

    All those things stood out in Thursday’s 128-122 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets.

    Missed call

    Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 36 points, 10 assists, and four steals. Joel Embiid added 32 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and two blocks for his ninth career triple-double. And Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting — including 4 of 5 from three-point range — to go with four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a block in a hard-fought victory.

    But with the score tied at 115 with three seconds remaining in regulation, Maxey’s layup attempt bounced off the backboard and in the direction of the rim. That’s when Houston Rockets small forward swatted the ball away for an obvious goaltending.

    Luckily for the Sixers, the game went to overtime, and they pulled out a six-point victory.

    ‘Drumming saved my life’

    But …

    “That was bad,” Paul George said. “It was a double goaltend. Yeah, that was bad. Luckily, basketball gods were on our side to win the game tonight. But yeah, that was a bad no-call.”

    Nick Nurse said he doesn’t always have the greatest view. But on this night, the no-call occurred in front of the Sixers’ bench.

    “And I think Tyrese almost, on purpose, tried to get it to the backboard extra quick,” Nurse said. “Like he almost threw it into the backboard real quick. I mean, listen, they are supposed to call those if there’s any chance at all there’s a goaltend, because they can review it. They can’t review it if they don’t call it. So they can get it right.

    “I’ve actually been in games with those guys that they’ve called them more than two or three times. You get it when they call it. But they didn’t. I guess they just thought it was too far under, or they didn’t see it. So they didn’t call it.”

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey attempts a lay up late that was goaltended and became a controversial no-call.

    Maxey responded “nope” when asked if the official gave him an explanation on the no-call.

    So what was his reaction?

    “Just get to overtime and try to win it there. That’s it,” he said. “I just was surprised. I kind of like laid it on the backboard. But it happens, man. We’re all humans.”

    Maxey scored six of his points and tallied two of his steals in the extra session, leading the Sixers to victory.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. said it was hard to let that blown call go in order to focus on overtime.

    “But that’s why you have a 15-man roster,” he said. “Everybody kind of collectively [kept the team focused]. But it started with Kyle [Lowry]. You know in his prime, he was the biggest complainer of them all, right? But when you have a guy who accomplished so much and is who’s so just witty and smart, and he knows the game. He just rallied us all and told us just to forget about it. We got five more minutes to go in the basketball game.”

    Much-needed home victory

    The Sixers’ home arena has been far from a safe haven. Heading into Thursday, they had lost five of their last seven home games and were 11-12 at this building. The fifth-place squad and 10th-place Atlanta Hawks (7-13) are the Eastern Conference’s only top 10 teams without winning home records.

    Jabari Walker was asked following Thursday’s shootaround if there was a sense within the Sixers’ locker room that they need to start winning some of their home games.

    Yes, Philly is most definitely a basketball city. Dating all the way back to 1898.

    “That’s always been like that,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any extra pressure, recently. That’s always been the standard. … We are just going to continue to rely on the attitude that we’ve had. And I think we will bounce back.”

    And they did just that with a victory over one of the league’s best teams.

    “That was huge,” Nurse said. “We needed a good home win. We needed … to beat somebody really good. We needed a good, tough close-game win. Hopefully, we can get some momentum off of it.

    “We certainly need to play better at home.”

    Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored 36 poins to lead his team in scoring.

    The Sixers will conclude their current six-game homestand at 3 p.m. Saturday against the New York Knicks. After facing the Charlotte Hornets on Monday in North Carolina, they’ll return to Philly for another three-game homestand.

    They’ll host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back before entertaining the Sacramento Kings (Jan. 29) and New Orleans Pelicans (Jan. 31).

    The Sixers must find a way to keep racking up wins at home, where they are supposed to have an advantage. They blew golden opportunities to take advantage of home-court advantage in recent losses to the Cavs on Jan. 14 and 16, and to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

    Unfortunately for them, those losses weren’t surprising after losing home games to the tanking Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 23 and the depleted Denver Nuggets on Jan. 5. The Nuggets were without their entire starting lineup and eight players total.

    Right now, the Sixers are better on the road, where they’re 12-7. While the road record is impressive, they need to play much better at home. And as Nurse said, beating the Rockets was a good starting point.

    Another player torches Sixers

    We shouldn’t be surprised that Durant torched the Sixers for 36 points.

    The 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward is the 2014 MVP, a four-time scoring champion, an 11-time All-NBA selection, and a 15-time All-Star. He came into Tuesday’s game with a career scoring average of 27.2 points. And scored at least 30 points in 14 games played.

    To add to that, the Sixers have had a knack for allowing high-scoring performances from opposing players. So Durant’s performance was just part of a trend.

    Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant scored 32 points against the Sixers, becoming the latest star to score big against them.

    Boston Celtics swingman Jaylen Brown (32 points), Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (31), Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell (46 and 35), Milwaukee Bucks point guard Ryan Rollins (32), Miami Heat shooting guard Norman Powell (32), Orlando Magic point guard Anthony Black (31), Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (41), Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant (40), New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (31), Orlando shooting guard Desmond Bane (31) and Cleveland point guard Jaylen Tyson (39) were the others who scored at least 30 against the Sixers.

  • Maxey scores 36, Embiid has triple-double in Sixers’ 128-122 overtime win over the Rockets

    Maxey scores 36, Embiid has triple-double in Sixers’ 128-122 overtime win over the Rockets

    PHILADELPHIA — Tyrese Maxey scored six of his 36 points in overtime, Joel Embiid had 32 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists and the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Houston Rockets 128-122 on Thursday night.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. added 26 points for the 76ers, who evened their home record at 12-12. Paul George returned to the lineup for Philadelphia after missing two straight games due to left knee injury management and had 10 points.

    Kevin Durant scored 36 points for the Rockets, who had won three in a row. Amen Thompson added 17 for Houston.

    The 76ers scored the first five points of the extra session, on George’s 3-pointer and VJ Edgecombe’s follow from close range after he grabbed an offensive rebound, to take control.

    Philadelphia had a chance to win it in regulation, but Durant blocked Maxey’s driving layup attempt with 13.2 seconds left. Maxey added 10 assists.

    The 76ers opened up a 94-88 lead early in the fourth quarter, but it took 3:23 for Philadelphia to score another point. Reed Sheppard’s third three-pointer of the quarter put Houston up 105-96 with 6:25 remaining. The 76ers tied it twice late in regulation, the last on Maxey’s layup with 40.1 seconds left.

    Aaron Holiday (back spasms) was downgraded from questionable to out for the Rockets. Houston also was without center Steven Adams (left ankle sprain).

    Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving, who led the 76ers to the 1983 NBA title, was in attendance.

  • Trinity Rodman signs a new three-year deal with the Washington Spirit, a big win for the NWSL

    Trinity Rodman signs a new three-year deal with the Washington Spirit, a big win for the NWSL

    Forward Trinity Rodman has agreed to a three-year contract to remain with the Washington Spirit, ending months of speculation about the Olympic gold medalist’s future in the National Women’s Soccer League.

    “I think I’ve always had a vision and an idea of what I wanted my legacy to be,” Rodman said at an event announcing her new deal on Thursday in Los Angeles. “And for me, we’re doing that and I’m so grateful for that.”

    The speculation over Rodman’s future with the Spirit spurred criticism of the NWSL salary cap and whether it hampered the league from attracting and maintaining top players.

    The 23-year-old Rodman became a free agent at the end of last season after five years with the Spirit. One of the biggest stars in the NWSL, keeping her in the league was considered vitally important as other U.S. national team stars, including Naomi Girma and Alyssa Thompson, opted to play in Europe.

    Rodman, who won a gold medal with the United States at the Paris Olympics, had been drawing interest from European teams that don’t have a salary cap.

    “I can’t think of the Washington Spirit without her,” Spirit owner Michele Kang said. “And I hope she can’t think about her career without the Washington Spirit. So this is really monumental and it was really important, not only for the Spirit, especially for our fans who expect to see her. They come to Audi Field and that’s where Rowdy Audi clearly came out.”

    Why Trinity Rodman’s free agency became the biggest story in women’s soccer

    Rodman said she always wanted to stay with the Spirit

    “Making my decision, the one question I was asked was: ‘Do you feel like you’re finished with the Spirit? Can you say that and feel confident leaving?’” she said. “I didn’t even need half a second, and I was like, ’No, I’m not. I don’t feel ready to make a different decision. That’s just, again, getting drafted here and developing and maturing and learning – and failing – at the Spirit, in D.C., it’s become so much of my legacy and my story. But on top of that, I still feel like there’s so much more I have to give and so much more that I want to do.”

    The Spirit and Rodman had previously struck a multi-year deal that both parties maintained was in compliance with the salary cap, but it was rejected by the league because it went against the spirit of the rules.

    The National Women’s Soccer League Players Association filed a grievance claiming that the NWSL’s rejection of the contract violated Rodman’s free agency rights and violated the collective bargaining agreement.

    To address the salary cap issue, the NWSL in late December adopted a “High Impact Player” mechanism that allowed teams to spend up to $1 million over the cap to sign players that meet certain criteria. Those included metrics like national team minutes, inclusion among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or or player rankings by outlets like the Guardian or ESPN.

    USWNT captain Lindsey Heaps will join NWSL expansion team Denver Summit

    The NWSLPA filed a grievance over the rule, claiming it violated the collective bargaining agreement and federal labor law because player compensation must be negotiated. The NWSLPA maintains the league had no authority to “unilaterally create a new pay structure.”

    Spirit President of Soccer Operations Haley Carter said the High Impact Player rule figured into the contract Rodman ultimately agreed to. Carter also said the grievances would not alter Rodman’s deal.

    The financial terms of Rodman’s contract were not disclosed, but the Spirit called it “one of the most significant deals in NWSL history.”

    The NWSL’s salary cap is $3.5 million for each team for the 2026 season, although it will increase each year until it hits $5.1 million in 2030.

    Lindsey Heaps is a natural in the Champions League. But will other USWNT stars fit well in Europe?

    Rodman is currently with the national team in their annual January training camp in Carson, California. The team plays a match there against Paraguay on Saturday and then plays Chile on Tuesday in Santa Barbara.

    Rodman has 47 appearances and 11 goals with the national team, more than any other player on the latest roster. She played in one U.S. match last year, a 2-0 victory over Brazil in April, because of injuries.

  • Phillies re-sign lefty reliever Tim Mayza; Weston Wilson claimed by Orioles

    Phillies re-sign lefty reliever Tim Mayza; Weston Wilson claimed by Orioles

    The Phillies re-signed reliever Tim Mayza to a minor-league contract, his agency Covenant Sports Group announced Thursday.

    Mayza, 34, posted a 3.78 ERA and 1.320 WHIP in 15 regular-season appearances last season between the Pirates and Phillies. The left-hander landed on the injured list in April with a muscle strain in his left shoulder, and the Pirates placed him on waivers in August.

    After the Phillies claimed him as relief depth, Mayza was included on the National League Division Series roster but did not make an appearance. He is originally from Allentown, attended Upper Perkiomen High, and was drafted out of Division II Millersville in 2013.

    The Phillies were ‘very close’ to getting Bo Bichette and ended up with J.T. Realmuto. Here’s how it happened.

    The Phillies also announced Thursday that the Baltimore Orioles had claimed utility man Weston Wilson off waivers. He had been placed on waivers to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher J.T. Realmuto, who officially re-signed on Tuesday.

    Wilson made his major league debut with the Phillies in 2023. In 2024, Wilson hit for the 10th cycle in Phillies history.

    Wilson slashed .198/.282/.369 over 52 games last season as a right-handed bench option. He primarily played first base, second base, and left field for the Phillies.

  • Gameday Central: Phillies Extra with Rob Thomson

    Gameday Central: Phillies Extra with Rob Thomson

    In less than three weeks, Phillies pitchers and catchers will hold their first spring-training workout. It’s a good time, then, to sit down with manager Rob Thomson, who discussed the roster in the aftermath of not signing Bo Bichette, the potential impact of rookies Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter, the value of J.T. Realmuto, and whether the Phillies are better now than at the end of last season. Watch here.

  • Bradley Carnell likes what he’s seen from Union newcomers Ezekiel Alladoh and Japhet Sery Larsen

    Bradley Carnell likes what he’s seen from Union newcomers Ezekiel Alladoh and Japhet Sery Larsen

    Union manager Bradley Carnell did not hesitate to send new signings Ezekiel Alladoh and Japhet Sery Larsen into the fray of game action.

    Just two days after the team arrived in Marbella, Spain, for its preseason camp there — which started just a week after the players reported to Chester — the duo played the first half Tuesday in a 1-1 tie with Czech club SK Sigma Olomouc.

    Alladoh hadn’t seen live action since the end of the Swedish league season in November, timing that allowed the Union to move to sign him in December.

    Larsen’s last game was Dec. 11 in the UEFA Europa League, and when he arrived in Chester, he spent a few days training on his own.

    Ezekiel Alladoh (center) has quickly gotten to know his new Union teammates.

    Game reps for a centerback are especially important for building chemistry within the defense. So it mattered that Larsen paired with Olwethu Makhanya to form the Union’s expected centerback duo. They were challenged not just by the opposition but by Carnell’s decision to start reserve team prospect Giovanny Sequera at right back and midfielder Ben Bender at left back.

    Neither Alladoh nor Larsen looked out of place, which is fine at this point. The Union’s next scrimmage is Friday in Marbella against Danish club Nordsjælland at 8 a.m. Philadelphia time. (Nordsjælland will stream the game behind the paywall on its website; there’s no word yet if there will be a free option.)

    New Union striker Ezekiel Alladoh speaks softly but hopes to carry many goals

    “I think both of them have integrated seamlessly in all sides of the game with us,” Carnell said in a news conference on Thursday. “I think we got to see Ezekiel’s qualities in the game the other day, and potential threats. I think you could see that he’s a real weapon in behind, and just his speed and power and holdup play.”

    Carnell praised Larsen, a native of Denmark who, at 25, is the Union’s oldest centerback, for having “come in here and had such a calmness about him, and a real professional working manner about him, and hit the ground running. … I think he’s already establishing some form of foundational leadership capabilities here as well.”

    Japhet Sery Larsen (center) on the ball in a practice in Spain this week.

    Two transactions

    The Union promoted reserve team striker Stas Korzeniowski to the first team this week, a reward for the former Penn striker’s good work with Union II last year and with the first team in preseason this year.

    Korzeniowski scored the Union’s goal Tuesday with a well-taken finish, though his promotion was in the works before then.

    “Stas has certain qualities and a skill set that we really like,” Carnell said. “And, for sure, it’s far from polished right now, but that’s the journey that he started to take now with us and having him in these environments and just around the team and playing in our way.”

    ‘We aren’t done:’ The Union contends there are still more additions to come as preseason begins

    The Union also loaned 18-year-old centerback Neil Pierre to Lyngby of Denmark’s second division, a club in which the Union have had an investment stake for a year and a half. A move like this is a big part of why the Union did the deal, but this marks the first of a transaction of this kind on the books.

    Pierre is a marquee prospect, better than the reserves’ level in MLS Next Pro but not ready physically for the top flight. Lyngby is currently atop Denmark’s second division, pushing for promotion after being relegated a season ago.

    Cavan Sullivan looks ahead to what should be his biggest year yet with the Union

    “Closing the gap between Next Pro, MLS, and then there’s a mid-station there with Lyngby,” Carnell said. “Also going out of your comfort zone is a big one. … Very important for Neil to go and get those experiences, and I think he’ll grow as a person and as a player as well.”

    It’s also notable that the loan is just through June, instead of the full year. With MLS stopping for the World Cup after Memorial Day, it really means Pierre won’t be available until the season resumes in mid-July. But perhaps he’ll get a chance in the Leagues Cup in late summer.

    Neil Pierre (right) has played just once for the Union’s first team so far.

    Another prospect’s next chance

    Malik Jakupovic, the 16-year-old striker who’s getting a lot of hype, was named Thursday to the United States squad for Concacaf’s under-17 World Cup qualifiers next month.

    There’s a long history of major Union prospects showing their skills at the under-17 level. The next under-17 World Cup, which now is an annual event, will be played in Qatar in November.

    Bradley Carnell orchestrated the Union’s success in 2025. His second season in charge matters more.

    “We’ve seen a couple of good glimpses in training here in preseason that he comes to life and you think, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” Carnell said of Jakupovic. “And then you just get to remember, ‘Oh right, he’s just joined us for three, four days already in camp.’”

    The Union’s coaching staff is well-aware of the hype and is trying to not add too much more.

    Malik Jakupovic at a practice last week.

    “We don’t want to put any sort of crazy amounts of pressure on him,” Carnell said. “We want him to have fun, we want him to develop, we want him to learn and grow.”

    Goalkeeper Matthew White also made the 21-player roster, and midfielder Willyam Ferreira was picked as an alternate.

    As the Union begin their preseason, the World Cup puts Danley Jean Jacques in an even bigger spotlight

    News from MLS HQ

    MLS announced its roster rules for the year on Thursday, and they included two significant changes.

    A year after finally allowing teams to sell players within the league for cash instead of allocation money (basically extra cap space), the league axed its cap of two sales per team per season.

    The Union’s sale of Tai Baribo (right) to D.C. United for more than $4 million in December wouldn’t have been allowed in MLS a few years ago.

    That certainly will benefit the Union, who’ve taken full advantage in selling Jack McGlynn, Dániel Gazdag, and Tai Baribo for big sums. But it also will be welcome leaguewide because it’s a better measure of players’ market values than allocation money’s limits.

    MLS also adjusted its transfer windows, the times of year when teams can buy players. The winter window will run from Jan. 26 to March 26, and the summer window will run from July 13 to Sept. 2. The latter has been shifted later in the year, bringing it in line with windows used by other big leagues worldwide.

  • WIP host worries bad fans are hurting Eagles’ OC search, but national reporter says there’s more to it

    WIP host worries bad fans are hurting Eagles’ OC search, but national reporter says there’s more to it

    It has been nine days since the Eagles removed first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Since then, some of the team’s prime candidates have fallen off the board.

    The Athletic’s Dianna Russini first reported that former Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who the Eagles interviewed on Tuesday, is focused on the Bills’ head coaching job. If Daboll does not land in Buffalo, where he served as Josh Allen’s offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2022, he is “expected” to take over as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, per Russini.

    Former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, another one of the Eagles’ prospective candidates, is now expected to be hired as the Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator, per ESPN. Meanwhile, former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, a Philadelphia-area native and Penn graduate, has been hired to take over head coaching responsibilities for the Atlanta Falcons.

    Resetting the Eagles’ options at offensive coordinator: Declan Doyle, Jim Bob Cooter, and the other remaining names

    The Eagles have recently requested to interview 29-year-old Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Doyle joins former Chiefs offensive coordinator and Bears head coach Matt Nagy, who the Eagles interviewed on Wednesday, as a prospective candidate. Additionally, former Commanders offensive coordinator and Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury is still available.

    With some fans growing impatient over the Eagles search and candidates falling off the board every day, local and national media members have been looking to answer: Is the job as valuable as Eagles fans believe? Why have the Eagles not hired a candidate yet? What type of coordinator should they bring in?

    Local talk radio blames bad fan behavior

    In late November, following the Eagles’ 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears, Patullo’s South Jersey home was vandalized.

    A video of vandals throwing eggs at Patullo’s home went viral on social media, sparking an investigation by the Moorestown Police Department. At the time, Patullo explained that he knew that “part of [his] job is to handle criticism,” but the egging of his home “obviously cross[ed] a line.”

    Reports: Top OC picks Mike McDaniel, Brian Daboll spurn Eagles. Are they ‘dumb,’ ‘stupid,’ or justified? | Marcus Hayes

    Now, 94 WIP host Joe DeCamara is wondering if the that has turned likely candidates away from the Eagles job.

    “Every coordinator in football knows it. Every one. And you know who also knows it? The wives of the candidates,” DeCamara said. “Because when the wives talk to the candidates, the men who are their husbands, it’s ‘OK we’ve got seven openings, maybe there’s four we’re interested in, honey let’s put together pros and cons, let’s put the ledger on a piece of paper.’

    “There’s pros here. Three guys in the last three years have gotten a head coaching job here. Two on offense, one on defense. There’s a lot of success here. A lot on the pro side of the ledger. But don’t kid yourself. Those kids that egged the house, that is a [expletive] setback in hiring a coordinator. The wives know the last guy’s house got egged. That’s tough, man. That’s tough for the dude who’s going to be OC, tough for the wife.”

    ‘Hard decisions’ loom, making job less attractive

    Russini argued on WIP earlier this week that the Eagles’ job may come with too many “hard decisions,” leading to candidates not ranking it first among their available options.

    “I don’t [think the Eagles offensive coordinator job is an attractive job]. I think coordinators that are on this list are aware that navigating Philly is difficult because of the way it’s set up right now — who’s on the team and really what it’s going to look like in the next few months,” Russini said.

    “I think this offseason, of any team right now in the NFL, I think this Eagles group has to probably do the biggest revamp of figuring out what they are. … What is going to come with it are some hard decisions and figuring out who wants to be there and maybe perhaps who they need to bring in.”

    The Eagles have 10 free agents on offense, including tight end Dallas Goedert, wide receiver Jahan Dotson, and tackle Fred Johnson. Additionally, there has been a lot of dialogue around whether the Eagles will bring back star wideout A.J. Brown, who has made his frustration well known throughout the season.

    Chris Long, Brandon Graham want a ‘Vic Fangio’ on offense

    Eagles past and present are also weighing in on the team’s coordinator vacancy.

    On The Rich Eisen Show, former Eagles defensive end and Super Bowl LII champion Chris Long urged his former squad to hire a “cheat code” at offensive coordinator.

    “You need to hire a cheat code offensive coordinator. We talk about this thing a lot — bring somebody out of retirement, or find somebody who’s aged out,” said Long. “Find yourself a [former Saints and Raiders coach] Dennis Allen, because you have one on defense and his name’s Vic Fangio. He’s not getting a head coaching job. He doesn’t want one.”

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    Long went on to explain that the Eagles should hire a coordinator who will not leave for a head coaching vacancy to assist Hurts’ further development. Famously, Hurts has had nine offensive coordinators in 10 years, a trend dating to his time at Alabama.

    Meanwhile Eagles legend Brandon Graham, who came out of retirement to play for the team this past season, seems to agree.

    “I feel like you got to have someone that’s experienced,” Graham said on his podcast. “I like what someone said about a Vic Fangio [on offense] … You really do have to have that command. Because if A.J. [Brown], and all the guys that [were], you know, disgruntled last year, we got to get everybody believing it. …

    “I think a veteran person, or someone that got respect in the league will just have everybody kind of [have a] change in belief and get a re-energized feeling.”

  • Wednesday’s collapse marked a new low point for the Flyers: ‘We’ve got to learn how to play winning hockey’

    Wednesday’s collapse marked a new low point for the Flyers: ‘We’ve got to learn how to play winning hockey’

    SALT LAKE CITY ― Standing in the hallway outside the Flyers’ locker room at the Delta Center after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, Rick Tocchet was the most frustrated and direct he’s been all season after a loss.

    “Obviously, we had good parts of it, but that’s unacceptable what happened tonight. So [there’s] really not much to say,” the Flyers coach said.

    “I’ve been here [49] games, and there’s some really good stuff,” he added. “But when the pressure hits this team, we’ve got to learn how to play winning hockey.”

    The Flyers waste an early three-goal lead, fall in overtime to the Mammoth

    The Flyers had the game on their sticks. Literally.

    Garnet Hathaway skated in on an empty net with Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka pulled and nothing standing in his way of making it a two-goal game with 1 minute, 27 seconds left in regulation. Instead, he dallied, got his pocket picked, and never got a shot on goal.

    Nick Seeler then had a shot that was blocked by Clayton Keller, the eventual tying- and winning-goal scorer, with 1:16 to go. Travis Konecny had a third chance at the empty net from the right point blocked by Jack McBain with 53 ticks remaining.

    Those came after Trevor Zegras had been robbed by the glove of Vejmelka and Owen Tippett nailed the crossbar. Zegras also hit a post with 2:55 left. But those were just missed opportunities to ice the game.

    The Flyers also allowed the Mammoth to climb back into a game in which they led 3-0 and 4-2.

    Noah Juulsen rushed to defend Jamie Drysdale and got tagged for an extra minor, leading to the 4-3 goal with less than eight minutes to go. “I love Juuls, but take a punch in the mouth,” Tocchet said afterward. “You’ve got to win the game. … You can’t take a penalty there.”

    Then there was veteran defenseman Travis Sanheim getting dog walked by Keller on the tying goal with 35 seconds left, and Konecny losing the puck to Dylan Guenther deep in the Utah zone in the lead-up to Keller’s overtime winner.

    The Flyers also could have done with one more timely save along the way from Sam Ersson, who allowed five goals on 27 shots.

    Rick Tocchet called the way his team handled pressure on Wednesday “unacceptable.”

    As Ersson said, “Obviously, it [stinks], losing this game, but it’s not on one guy, it’s on everybody.”

    Tocchet can say that they’ve got to “keep building certain people, and get some of these young guys to understand that and go that direction.” But this was on the veterans.

    Regardless, the game is now in the past. Mistakes happen. It’s what one does in response that matters.

    “I thought for the most part, we were the better team [and] played some good hockey,” said Christian Dvorak, who scored twice. “Sat back a little bit. It’s a tough loss. It stings, but we can’t let it tread on the next game.”

    That next game is Friday against powerhouse Colorado. The Avalanche, who have only five regulation losses all season, are 20-1-4 at Ball Arena.

    With the Flyers sitting three points out of a playoff spot at 23-17-9 and with the 16th-best points percentage in the NHL, this is a big game. Leaving a three-game road trip with at least four points out of six across the new Death Valley would not only keep the Flyers in the playoff picture but be a good return considering they entered the week riding a six-game losing streak.

    The Flyers need to do what they did well early on against the Mammoth:

    • They need to play as aggressively as they did in the first period, when Cam York scored after sneaking down from the point to bury a rebound, and Dvorak got behind the defense and scored around a sprawled-out Vejmelka.
    • The power play scored twice, with Bobby Brink getting one of the goals. The Flyers moved the puck well and created good momentum, but as Tocchet said, “I liked it early, and we did a good job, but then the last one or two, we revert to old style again.” After going 2-for-6 on the power play, the Flyers have moved up from 32 to 30 (15.5%) but will have a tall task against the NHL’s best penalty kill (85.0%).
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    • The penalty kill was good early on and looked like the unit that went 6-for-7 against the Vegas Golden Knights’ potent power play on Monday. But it came up short in the end, with Guenther given space to put a shot on goal that hit Barrett Hayton to make it 4-3. “You’ve got to come out and block the shot, play aggressively, and we sunk,” Tocchet said. “We let Guenther, one of the best shooters in the league, go and shoot the puck. Obviously, we unraveled, and we’ve got to put the pieces back.” One positive — the Avalanche’s power play, given its immense star power, is surprisingly not clicking much better than the Flyers’ at 16.5%.
    • Turnovers are going to happen. It’s inevitable when you’re playing in a 200-by-85-foot enclosed space with 10 people typically skating around 20 mph. But the Flyers need to minimize them, especially when facing guys like Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, who can turn it into a goal in a heartbeat.
    • Whether it is Ersson or Dan Vladař returning from his injury in goal, the Flyers need saves. Early on, like he played in Vegas, Ersson was impressive against Utah, playing with confidence as he read the puck well, especially through traffic. The late goals were not entirely his fault, as one was a deflected shot, and the game-winner saw a guy left wide-open in the slot, but the Flyers will need big-time saves against the Avs. Ersson was in net for the Flyers’ 3-2 loss at home to Colorado in December, and let in three goals on 28 shots, with the game-winner coming off a cross-ice pass.
  • Travis Kelce helps pay for family of hockey star Laila Edwards to see her play in Olympics

    Travis Kelce helps pay for family of hockey star Laila Edwards to see her play in Olympics

    Laila Edwards, the first Black player to make the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team, could become one of the breakout stars of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, Italy.

    She’s also from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, the hometown of Jason and Travis Kelce. The brothers experimented with hockey growing up before committing to football, and they remain fans of the game.

    In November 2023, when Edwards first made the women’s national team, they gave her a shout-out on New Heights.

    “I thought, ‘I’ll just message them thanking them, they’ll never see it,’” Edwards told People. “And then Travis and I had a full conversation over DM, and that was super cool. He was a really down-to-earth, humble guy who was super supportive and had really good things to say. They shouted me out again recently for making the Olympic team.”

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    Their support didn’t end there. Edwards told People that Travis made a large donation to her family’s GoFundMe page, which has raised over $50,000 to help her family fly to Milan to support her and the U.S. women’s national team.

    Kylie Kelce will be on-site in Milan, after NBC named her as part of its Creator Collective. Jason and Kylie attended the Paris Olympics, and supported field hockey, volleyball, and women’s rugby. This time, Edwards hopes to see them at some of her games.

    “Travis was saying that Jason and Kylie are big fans of mine, and I’m hoping to meet them all in Italy,” Edwards said.

    Jason and Travis Kelce did not immediately respond to a request for comment.