U.S. figure skaters Isabeau Levito, Alysa Liu, and Amber Glenn will take the ice Tuesday during NBC’s coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
The American trio, who call themselves the “Blade Angels,” will compete in the short program, which will be televised live beginning at 12:45 p.m. Philadelphia time on USA Network. Coverage will move to NBC at about 2:40 p.m.
Levito, Liu, and Glenn will skate in the fifth and final group. Here’s when they’re scheduled to take the ice:
4:20 p.m.: Liu
4:27 p.m.: Levito
4:46 p.m.: Glenn
The free skate, the second part of the event, is scheduled to take place beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday.
The three U.S. skaters are trying to end a two-decade medal drought in the women’s event. The last American to medal was Sasha Cohen, who took home a silver in Turin, Italy, in 2006. Sarah Hughes won the gold for Team USA during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Liu and Glenn have already won gold medals in Milan after the U.S. edged Japan by one point in the team figure skating team event last week.
As a general rule, our schedules include all live broadcasts on TV, but not tape-delayed broadcasts on cable channels. We’ll let you know what’s on NBC’s broadcasts, whether they’re live or not.
NBC
Noon: Freestyle skiing — Women’s and men’s aerials qualifying (tape-delayed)
12:45 p.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s slopestyle final
1:30 p.m.: Freestyle skiing — Men’s big air final
2:40 p.m.: Figure skating — Women’s short program
8 p.m.: Prime-time highlights include women’s figure skating
11:35 p.m.: Late night highlights
CNBC
7 a.m.: Snowboarding — Women’s slopestyle final
8:30 a.m.: Speedskating — Men’s and women’s team pursuit semifinals
9:05 a.m.: Biathlon — Men’s 4×7.5 kilometer relay
10:20 a.m.: Speedskating — Men’s and women’s team pursuit finals
12:15 p.m.: Men’s hockey — Czechia vs. Denmark, playoff
12:45 p.m.: Figure skating — Women’s short program
3:10 p.m.: Men’s hockey — Sweden vs. Latvia, playoff
How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online
NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference between Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.
As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.
NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.
Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.
On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.
When evaluating NFL prospects, a player’s past performance is often the best predictor of future performance. The same can be said for the act of scouting itself.
Howie Roseman, who began serving as Eagles general manager in 2010, has an extensive draft history that can be used to project his future prospect preferences. Roseman has had personnel control during 15 draft cycles, not including 2015 when Chip Kelly was in charge of those decisions. Those 15 draft classes offer windows into Roseman’s valued traits and abilities at each position.
For years, the Eagles’ player personnel department has been gathering information about the 2026 draft class. At the scouting combine next week, Roseman and his staff will continue to learn about the scores of NFL hopefuls and determine their prospective fit within the organization.
What can the Eagles’ draft history tell us about the questions they will seek to answer about some of the top prospects at three positions of need next week?
Will new Eagles offensive line coach Chris Kuper have the same impact on the team’s draft board as did his predecessor Jeff Stoutland?
‘Critical factors’ on the offensive line
Jeff Stoutland is no longer the Eagles offensive line coach, but will his philosophies in scouting prospective talent linger within the front office?
Throughout his 13-year tenure, Stoutland often emphasized the importance of his players possessing “critical factors” — traits that make them unusual (in a positive way) — to fit in on the Eagles line. Those factors were essential for everyone, from free-agent additions to Day 3 draft picks.
The Eagles may still take his approach in identifying offensive line talent, which is one of their key responsibilities this offseason. Given the uncertain future of Lane Johnson, regardless of whether he returns for the upcoming season or not, the Eagles could look to bolster their prospects at tackle.
For Johnson and Jordan Mailata — Roseman’s biggest draft success stories at tackle — “critical factors” trumped time on task. Johnson, the No. 4 overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2013, had three seasons of tackle experience going into the draft. Mailata, the Eagles’ 2018 seventh-rounder, had none.
They were remarkable athletes at their size, though. Johnson flaunted his athleticism at the combine, ranking in the 99th percentile in the 40-yard dash (4.72 seconds). But most offensive linemen aren’t running 40 yards unabated downfield. His 98th percentile 10-yard split (1.61 seconds) was a reflection of the short-area burst that would help provide the foundation for his All-Pro career.
This tackle class is top-heavy with talent that could interest the Eagles. Kadyn Proctor, the 6-foot-7, 366-pound tackle from Alabama, stands out for his movement skills at his hulking size. He can reinforce that notion with a strong performance at the combine. In addition to athleticism, Stoutland valued versatility along the offensive line. Proctor has the skill set to line up at guard, too, giving the Eagles another interior option if Johnson returns for a 14th season.
After a standout week at the Senior Bowl, Max Iheanachor, the 6-6, 330-pound tackle out of Arizona State, could be on the Eagles’ radar. He’s a rawer prospect than Proctor, beginning his football career in junior college only five years ago. Iheanachor has the requisite size and quickness at the position, though, and he could continue to improve his draft stock with eye-catching numbers at the combine.
However, without Stoutland on the staff developing the offensive linemen, it will be interesting to see if the Eagles gravitate toward a tackle prospect with a higher floor.
Zach Ertz (left) and Dallas Goedert were productive college tight ends who were selected by the Eagles beyond the first round.
Tight end production
Come the start of the new league year next month, the Eagles will likely put up their “help wanted” sign at tight end. After eight seasons in Philadelphia, Dallas Goedert is set to become a free agent, and his asking price may be too steep for the Eagles to meet. Grant Calcaterra, the Eagles’ second-string tight end, is poised to hit the open market, too.
The Eagles will likely draft a tight end in April, but how early? Goedert was a 2018 second-rounder (No. 49 overall) out of South Dakota State. Zach Ertz was drafted in the second round, No. 35 overall, out of Stanford in 2013. With Roseman at the helm, the Eagles have never selected a tight end in the first round, but could that change in 2026?
Kenyon Sadiq, the 20-year-old out of Oregon, is the consensus top tight end in this year’s draft class who could come off the board within the Eagles’ range (potentially earlier) at No. 23 overall. His speed and athleticism are his strengths, and he will likely continue to turn heads at the combine workouts.
Sadiq doesn’t boast the college production that most first-round pass-catchers have achieved, though, a group that includes the Eagles’ pair of second-round tight ends. In three seasons at Oregon, Sadiq posted 892 yards and 11 touchdowns on 80 receptions. Since the turn of the century, only one offensive skill player with at least 40 games played and fewer than 1,000 yards from scrimmage has been drafted in the first round — tight end Benjamin Watson (by the New England Patriots in 2004, No. 32 overall out of Georgia).
Goedert and Ertz were their respective teams’ top weapons by the end of their collegiate careers. Sadiq, who declared for the draft after his junior season, was not. Why? That’s the question the Eagles must answer as they mull the decision to use a first-round pick on the versatile hybrid tight end.
At 6-3, 245 pounds, Sadiq is smaller than Goedert (6-5, 256) and Ertz (6-5, 249). Still, Sadiq makes for an intriguing fit in the Shanahan-esque scheme that new Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is expected to bring to Philadelphia. The speedy Sadiq has the ability to exploit mismatches in the passing game, given his ability to outrun linebackers. He excels at making plays with the ball in his hands, which could be a benefit to the Eagles in the screen game.
Realistically, Days 2 and 3 could be the ideal spots to draft a tight end given the depth at the position in this year’s draft class. But Sadiq, a better athlete than Goedert or Ertz, could quell some doubts about his college production by dazzling at the combine.
Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell (tackling SMU wide receiver Jordan Hudson) is a player who has been linked to the Eagles in multiple mock drafts.
Need for speed, skill at cornerback
The cornerback position is a reminder that Roseman’s track record isn’t always predictive. Going into the 2024 draft, he had never drafted a cornerback in the first round. That year, he bucked the trend with the selection of Quinyon Mitchell with the No. 22 overall pick.
One of the biggest questions about Mitchell’s future in the NFL as CB1 was answered at the Senior Bowl. He had mostly played in off coverage and zone at Toledo, but he performed well in press-man against other top prospects in Mobile, Ala. Roseman said after the first night of the draft that Mitchell’s Senior Bowl showing helped him see his “diverse array of skill sets.”
Mitchell also helped his draft stock at the combine. He ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, the second-fastest speed by a cornerback that year. Unsurprisingly, speed seems to be one of the priorities for the Eagles at the position, with their cornerback selections over the last three draft classes running at most a 4.41 in the 40 at the combine. Cooper DeJean, who did not participate at the combine because of an injury, ran a 4.42 at his pro day.
Could Roseman go back to the cornerback well in the first round again? The Eagles have a need at CB2, with Adoree’ Jackson set to become a free agent in March.
Some notable draft analysts seem to think so. Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks, NFL Network draft analysts, tabbed Clemson cornerback Avieon Terrell to go to the Eagles in their first mock drafts of the year.
The 5-11, 180-pound Terrell is relatively undersized at the position, although that might not necessarily be a deal-breaker. By comparison, Mitchell has fairly average size at 6 feet, 195 pounds, but his 34th-percentile arms (31 inches long) haven’t seemed to hold him back in the NFL.
Regardless of his size, Terrell has solidified himself among the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft class with his smart instincts and competitive spirit, a pair of traits that would be coveted by Vic Fangio. He also has inside-outside versatility if the Eagles ever decide to move DeJean outside full-time. If Terrell tests well at the combine, he could get his foot in the door of the late first round.
LOS ANGELES — VJ Edgecombe did not want to waste Tyrese Maxey’s time once he took his courtside seat for the Rising Stars event at NBA All-Star Weekend.
And Maxey wanted Edgecombe to answer his simple question.
“I said, ‘Listen, what you going to do? You going for MVP or not?’” Maxey recalled. “He said he was going to go for it, and that’s what he did. That’s just who VJ is. He plays every single game the same way.”
The 76ers guards were in sync during their time together in Los Angeles, mirroring how they have instantly become an electric duo during their first 54 games as NBA teammates. Their presence at All-Star Weekend — Maxey as a contender to wind up on MVP ballots, Edgecombe as one of the league’s top rookies — was warranted. Edgecombe winning MVP of the Rising Stars event, before Maxey helped spearhead Sunday’s championship-winning Team Stars, made the weekend a success.
Now, the two Sixers who both rank in the league’s top 10 in minutes logged must recharge for the regular season’s stretch run. The Sixers sit sixth in a competitive middle of the Eastern Conference. And with Paul George still serving a 25-game suspension and Joel Embiid’s health still a wild card — the former MVP center missed the final two games before the break with knee soreness — Maxey and Edgecombe are going to continue leading the charge.
Before the NBA season resumes, here are some other Philly basketball-related nuggets from All-Star Weekend.
Carter pegged Edgecombe as Rising Stars ‘closer’
Edgecombe may now have a new mentor in Hall of Famer Vince Carter, his fiery coach during the Rising Stars tournament.
Carter said Saturday morning that he already “[gravitates] to young talent that wants to be great, that’s willing to listen, that wants to learn. Because I was that guy.” And Kyle Lowry, a friend of Carter’s and Edgecombe’s teammate, had already requested that Carter spend additional time with the Sixers rookie. Yet Carter had an inkling that Edgecombe initially thought his motivational tactics were “just talk” — until that carried from conversations, to the practice court, to Friday’s games.
“Now that I think that he knows me, I mean what I say,” Carter said. “ … I’m going to turn my volume up and I’m going to get on your ass a little bit, and he appreciated that.”
Team Vince guard VJ Edgecombe opens his arms before embracing Sixers teammate Tyrese Maxey.
So when Edgecombe scored 10 consecutive points — including the game-winning jumper — to secure their team’s first win of the night, it was no accident.
“Once it came down to [needing a] closer,” Carter said, “I pulled him aside and said, ‘This is what we’re going to do. I’m going to put you in position. Let’s go.’”
The ‘tanking’ debate
“Tanking” was the first topic addressed during NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s news conference, after the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers received fines of $500,000 and $100,000, respectively, for violating the player participation policy and “conduct detrimental to the league.” Both teams either rested or prematurely removed healthy key players to, presumably, increase their chances of losing the basketball game and improving their draft lottery odds.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” Silver said Saturday afternoon. “Which was what led to those fines. And not just those fines, but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”
Maxey has a unique perspective on the tanking conundrum, following a 2024-25 Sixers season that began with championship aspirations but abruptly face-planted into an injury-riddled disaster.
During his All-Star media day news conference, Maxey reiterated how much last season taught him about mentally handling constant losing for the first time in his life. He was eventually shut down for the season with a finger injury, and other rotation players were held out of down-the-stretch games. The Sixers were also fined $100,000 during that period.
But Maxey also could not deny that “the outcome was VJ Edgecombe,” after the Sixers landed the No. 3 overall pick in a dramatic draft lottery. Edgecombe became an immediate starter and impact player on both ends of the floor while averaging 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Sixers guards Tyrese Maxey (left) and VJ Edgecombe are among the leaders in minutes played this season.
“He’s great, man,” Maxey said of Edgecombe. “Not just basketball-wise, but for our team personality-wise and culture-wise for our organization and things that we’re trying to turn around.”
The Sixers will play 10 of their final 28 games against opponents expected to be tanking, including two apiece against the Jazz and Pacers.
Brunson’s weekend a family affair
Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks guard and former Villanova standout, has become an All-Star regular, earning a spot on the more veteran U.S. Team Stripes.
He was part of Kawhi Leonard’s monster 31-point outburst to beat Team World, understandably deploying the point-guard strategy of “feed him the ball, and get out of the way.” Brunson at one point in that game also got matched up against Knicks teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, which Brunson deadpanned meant, “No matter what shot I shot, the ball was going in.”
Yet Brunson’s highlight of the weekend was winning Saturday’s Shooting Stars contest alongside Towns and Knicks legend Allan Houston. Their designated passer for the event? Rick Brunson, Jalen’s father and a Knicks assistant coach.
“Spending time with my family in an atmosphere like this, in a place like this,” Brunson said, “it really means the world to me.”
After a run to the Eastern Conference finals last spring, the Knicks season has been up-and-down. When asked which team is the biggest threat to New York in the conference, Brunson said one can “obviously” point to the two teams currently ahead of them in the East standings: the second-place Boston Celtics and first-place Detroit Pistons.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson’s highlight of the weekend was spending time with family, including his father Rick Brunson, a Knicks assistant.
But Brunson also cautioned that “the East is better than what people think it is.”
“So you can’t really look ahead and you can’t really be focused on one or two teams,” Brunson said. “You have to prepare for everybody.”
Duren’s All-Star debut
Jalen Duren looked perfectly comfortable in the All-Star limelight, rocking sunglasses during Sunday’s postgame media session.
As a first-time All-Star, the Sharon Hill native and Roman Catholic product took in all the weekend’s extracurriculars — including “pictures, after pictures, after pictures, after pictures.” He also flashed what makes him an interior force for the East-leading Pistons, totaling six points and four rebounds in Team Stars’ dominant championship-game victory.
The 22-year-old Duren also found value in observing how his fellow All-Stars carried themselves through the weekend.
“Being part of this group of guys, you’ve got to walk with a certain type of pride and responsibility,” he said. “I think my perspective changed a little bit of how I approach the game and the rest of my career.”
VJ, meet Kareem
When asked about favorite parts of his first All-Star experience, Edgecombe enthusiastically mentioned the moment he wound up shaking hands with and sitting next to the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“That was fire,” Edgecombe said.
That reaction demonstrates the reverence Edgecombe has for the game’s history, a trait Sixers coach Nick Nurse has mentioned when speaking about the rookie’s beyond-his-years basketball IQ.
“Just [to] be in the same room as [Abdul-Jabbar] is a blessing,” Edgecombe said following the Rising Stars tournament. “Obviously, when we go on the floor, we try to honor everyone that came before us by playing hard, doing all the little things in the game. Grow it in the community off the floor. …
“Shout out to all the ‘OGs’ that came before me. Everyone. It’s all love from me.”
As we do every year to start a Union season, here’s a player-by-player look at the team’s roster.
The list at each position is in order of what looks to be the depth chart heading into the campaign, which starts Wednesday in the Concacaf Champions Cup at Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago (6 p.m., FS2, TUDN). The regular-season opener follows on Saturday at D.C. United (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
Andre Blake has won MLS’s goalkeeper of the year award three times.
Andrew Rick
He showed again last year that he’s a safe pair of hands as the backup, and he’s still only 20 years old. The question will be if he’s willing to wait longer than Matt Freese did — understandably — to get more playing time. If he is, his time will come, but Blake isn’t going anywhere yet.
George Marks in action for the Union’s reserve team last year.
Left back
A player who hasn’t been signed yet
There’s no other way to put it right now. The Union are shopping for a new starter, and are close to sealing a deal for that player to be 20-year-old Philippe Ndinga from Swedish club Degerfors. But as Yogi Berra might say if he was a soccer fan, it’s not official until it’s official.
Jon Scheer, the Union’s head of academy and professional development, has been the face of the front office this winter with Ernst Tanner on leave.
Frankie Westfield
Until Ndinga settles in, Westfield is likely to do the job. The rise of the Northeast Philadelphia native last year was one of the season’s great stories.
Frankie Westfield was one of the Union’s breakout players last year.
Right back
Nathan Harriel
He has definitely earned the starting job, even though his attacking contributions are still limited. Once Ndinga gets going, Harriel might start platooning with Westfield to play in certain matchups.
Nathan Harriel played 31 games last year, often stepping in at centerback when the Union were short there.
Olivier Mbaizo
He’s highly regarded in the locker room, especially as part of the unofficial welcoming committee for new players who come from abroad. But that doesn’t guarantee playing time, and it’s tough to tell how much he’ll get this year.
Olivier Mbaizo is going into his ninth season with the Union’s first team.
Centerback
Olwethu Makhanya
He hadn’t played a second for the first team at the start of last year, but Bradley Carnell trusted his fellow South African to step up. Now the 20-year-old is a stalwart, and importantly the only returning player in the centerback group. That, perhaps, makes his role even bigger.
Olwethu Makhanya was one of last year’s most impressive players.
Japhet Sery Larsen
The Union don’t often sign experienced players from abroad, preferring to find underrated names they can develop and sell. But they knew they needed a veteran to replace Jakob Glesnes, and the 25-year-old Denmark native fits the bill. Now, can he handle the physicality of MLS?
Japhet Sery Larsen is expected to have a big role on the Union’s back line this year.
Geiner Martínez
We haven’t seen much of the 23-year-old Colombian yet, but it’s a safe bet that we will in time. The Union have a busy schedule with the Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, and compressed stretches of the regular season around the World Cup. Rotating centerbacks will be as important as ever.
Geiner Martinez during one of the Union’s preseason games.
Finn Sundstrom
A 19-year-old prospect who grew up with North Carolina FC of the second-tier USL Championship, Sundstrom is a name for the future, and likely will spend more time with the Union’s reserves than the first team this year.
Finn Sundstrom working out during a preseason practice.
Neil Pierre
The best centerback prospect in the Union’s academy pipeline is on loan to Denmark’s Lyngby, where the Union own a stake, through June. Hopefully he will be closer to ready for first-team minutes when he returns.
Neil Pierre (right) made his Union first-team debut last year.
Defensive midfielders
Jovan Lukić
Perhaps the best of last year’s signings, Lukić jumped effortlessly into the midfield engine room. His tackles and his talking can be a little too robust sometimes, but the total package has been great.
Jovan Lukić getting stuck during a game last summer.
Danley Jean Jacques
A great partner to Lukić, Jean Jacques is now set for a true star turn with Haiti at the World Cup. It can’t be said enough how special it will be if he plays in Philadelphia against Brazil this summer.
Danley Jean Jacques also had a strong season in the Union’s midfield last year.
Alejandro Bedoya
The longtime captain is in his 11th season in Chester, and third in a series of one-year contracts. The mental side of his game is as sharp as ever, but the clock is inevitably running on a body that will turn 39 in April.
His arrival in August was the turning point in the Union’s season. They likely would not have won the Supporters’ Shield without him. Carnell likes playing Iloski at forward sometimes, but the team as a whole is clearly better when he’s in midfield. That forces opposing defenses to open up.
Early on in his time in Chester, it looked like most of his contributions would come from industrious pressing. But over the course of last season, he blossomed into more, and finished last year with seven goals and four assists.
Indiana Vassilev (center) celebrates scoring a goal for the Union in August.
Quinn Sullivan
When he returns from a torn ACL in July, after the World Cup break, it will give the team a huge boost. He’s been greatly missed on the field, although he’s fortunately been able to stay a vibrant presence off it.
The Union greatly missed Quinn Sullivan (left) after his ACL injury in September, especially during the playoffs.
Cavan Sullivan
With two years to go until he leaves for Manchester City, the now-16-year-old is running out of time to make an impact on his hometown club. Or perhaps it’s better to say the club is running out of time for him to impact it. Will this be the year he breaks out?
Lots of people around the soccer world are waiting for Cavan Sullivan to truly break out on the field.
Jeremy Rafanello
The Delran native has become the unofficial closer for Union wins, but he isn’t likely to overtake the players ahead of him here. It also bears saying that time given to him is time that Cavan Sullivan could get instead.
Jeremy Rafanello (center) on the ball against Inter Miami last year.
Ben Bender
Carnell likes his willingness to sacrifice, which has led to testing the 24-year-old as an emergency left back. That doesn’t look likely to stand for the long term, but at least he has the manager’s respect.
It was easy to see his strengths in his first season here: size, speed, physicality. But in the stats that mattered most, he tallied only nine goals and one assist in 40 games. That has to change this year, especially with Tai Baribo and Mikael Uhre gone.
You can tell just from practices why the Union broke their transfer fee record to sign the 20-year-old Ghana native. He’s still raw, though, and Carnell has preached patience. Alas, only so much will be given if he doesn’t find the net.
The Union paid a team record $4.5 million to sign Ezekiel Alladoh.
Agustín Anello
He’s an intriguing signing: born in Florida to Argentine parents, raised in Spain, and a pro career in four countries by age 23. Even better, he played with Harriel and Damiani at some of his stops along the way. He projects as the No. 3 striker right now but should still see significant playing time.
Jabari Walker and the 76ers have agreed to a two-year standard contract, a league source confirmed to The Inquirer Monday night.
The standard deal comes after Walker, a 6-foot-7 forward, exhausted his 50 active NBA games allowed while on a two-way contract. As a result, Walker was unable to play in the Sixers’ last four games before the All-Star break.
Before then, Walker had been in the Sixers’ rotation for the bulk of the season. He is averaging 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes across 45 games and has been praised for his high-energy playing style.
Walker’s contract conversion comes on the heels of the Sixers agreeing to a rest-of-season deal with veteran guard Cameron Payne, who spent part of the 2023-24 season in Philly and had been playing in Serbia. The moves help shore up the Sixers’ roster following the trade deadline, when they dealt away 2024 first-round draft pick Jared McCain and veteran guard Eric Gordon. The prorated deals will also keep the Sixers under the luxury tax threshold.
The Sixers also converted starting forward Dominick Barlow’s two-way contract to a standard deal on Feb. 5. Dalen Terry and MarJon Beauchamp currently hold the Sixers’ other two-way slots.
Once Walker’s contract is converted, the Sixers intend to sign forward Tyrese Martin to the vacated two-way roster slot.
Martin, a 26-year-old Allentown native, last played for the Brooklyn Nets before being released to free up a roster spot at the trade deadline. The 6-6 Martin has averaged 7.2 points, three rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 113 career NBA games across three seasons.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith will host his fifth celebrity softball game in Allentown on May 2, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs announced Monday. The event will take place at Coca-Cola Park, the IronPigs’ home stadium.
Smith had another successful campaign for the Eagles, recording 1,008 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 77 receptions. It was the third time Smith has topped 1,000 yards in a season.
The softball game will feature some of Smith’s teammates, friends, and other NFL players. A home run derby will take place at 1:30 p.m. followed by the softball game at 3 p.m.
Darius Slay (left) and A.J. Brown at DeVonta Smith’s celebrity softball game in 2024.
Smith’s game has provided fireworks for fans in the past. Running back Saquon Barkley, defensive end Brandon Graham, tight end Dallas Goedert, and cornerbacks Darius Slay and Cooper DeJean participated last year, along with former Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. DeJean earned last year’s game MVP.
Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons built his own team in 2022 to face Smith’s team. That year, Smith had wide receiver A.J. Brown on his team. Brown beat Parsons in the home run derby, then hit the walk-off home run to beat Team Parsons, which featured Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and former Eagles running back Boston Scott.
Participants for this year’s game will be announced at a later date.
The boys’ basketball players from Carver Engineering & Sciences who left the bench last week came onto the court after fans from Constitution’s stands rushed the court and surrounded their teammates, according to a report by one of the game’s officials that was submitted to the School District of Philadelphia.
The referee said the altercation in Thursday’s Public League playoff game was started by a player from Constitution, who the ref said pushed the E&S player as the E&S player walked away.
“Then I saw a crowd of people from the [Constitution] spectator area of the bleachers running towards those two players,” the referee wrote. “So, I gradually backed off because I didn’t know what was coming next.”
What came next was the reserves from E&S leaving the bench. They “eased onto the court,” the ref said. And that was enough for E&S to be suspended from the league playoffs.
The Engineers were ahead by 12 points with 1 minute, 11 seconds left when an altercation started by an opposing player was inflamed by opposing fans. And now that opposing team is taking E&S’ place on Tuesday against Imhotep Charter in the Public League semifinals at La Salle University.
Representatives from E&S met Sunday night on Zoom with Jimmy Lynch, the Public League president. Lynch told them the ruling stood. League rules say that a team must forfeit once their “entire bench” enters the field of play.
The PIAA told E&S that the decision stood with the school district. A school district spokeswoman said Monday that the decision would not be changed. Lynch could not be reached for comment.
The representatives from E&S did not argue that their players left the bench but they were hoping that the rule could be applied with the context of the situation: the players came onto the court to protect their teammates once their teammates were surrounded by spectators. The E&S players did not throw a punch or look to fight, the parents said.
“If our students engaged in the on-court incident we would’ve had penalties and suspensions,” said Miya Brown, a mother of an E&S player. “But because we avoided the confrontation, we have been disqualified from continuing on. All of this is so disgusting. It really is. The mission is supposed to be about student safety but they’re ignoring the safety part of this incident.”
“If this brawl happened at the opposing team’s end of the bench and our student athletes ran to the other end of the bench, I could understand. If this happened on center court and our student athletes left the bench, I could understand. But this happened in front of our bench and the crowd is running toward our student athletes. There is no way you can make a just decision based on those facts. It got out of control.”
E&S did not practice Monday but remained hopeful that something would change before tipoff of Tuesday’s semifinal. That seems unlikely.
The Carver Engineering and Science boys’ basketball team after winning a tournament earlier this season.
The Engineers were 20-4 this season before the forfeit became their fifth loss. They won a tournament in Northeastern Pa. and took Imhotep — the defending league champions — to overtime in January before losing. They wanted another shot.
“That’s the matchup everyone wants to see,” said Dave McField, a father of an E&S player.
The referee said he asked during the first quarter for security guards to be placed near the Constitution fans because “they were being unruly.” At halftime, he told E&S’ athletic director that he needed more security. He said a security guard stopped the game in the third quarter to warn the fans but the guard did not stay in the area.
“So when everything jumped off,” he wrote. “Those same unruly fans rushed the court.”
The referee said he planned to eject the Constitution player from the game “because he started this chain of events” and “was the only player I saw push or hit any opponent.” The referee stood in the corner of the court as fans overtook the floor. E&S was 71 seconds left from reaching their first league semifinals in 20 years. Instead, their season was about to end.
“I glanced at the [Constitution] bench area where I saw the head coach next to about five of his bench players,” the ref wrote. “At that time, I called the game and walked off.”
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Four innings before Orion Kerkering’s error sealed the Phillies’ fate in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Division Series, home plate umpire Mark Wegner made a call that may have helped tilt the game.
Cristopher Sánchez’s 2-2 pitch to Alex Call in the seventh, which caught the inside edge of the plate, was called a ball. What could have been a strikeout ultimately became a walk, and Justin Dean, who pinch ran for Call, went on to score the tying run in a game the Los Angeles Dodgers won, 2-1, in 11 innings.
In the quiet clubhouse after the Phillies were eliminated, Sánchez said that Wegner actually apologized to him for missing the strike.
“He knows he missed it,” Sánchez said through a team interpreter. “He knows he missed it because he told me, and he apologized to me. But a lot of pressure, important game, important situation, you can’t miss those things. You can’t miss those calls.”
With the automated ball-strike challenge system arriving to MLB in 2026, it’s possible those impactful misses could be a thing of the past. Under the system, each team starts with two challenges, which can be used by the pitcher, catcher, or batter to challenge a pitch call. If a challenge is unsuccessful, the team loses it.
According to the rules, challenges must be made immediately after the umpire’s call, and no input from the bench or manager is allowed. A team without challenges in extra innings will receive an additional one.
The Phillies piloted the system during spring training last year, and they will use this spring as a chance to get further acclimated.
“I think it will change the game a lot late, just making sure those calls are right in the biggest moments,” shortstop Trea Turner said. “Even if a team challenges and they’re wrong, at least you know the call is right. So I think that’s going to be big later on.”
Some critics of the system think that ABS removes the “human element” of baseball in the umpire’s strike zone.
“It’s kind of now that human element’s back on the players,” Turner said. “So that’s kind of interesting. It’s going to be fun to watch.”
The Phillies will eventually develop a strategy for using ABS as the regular season begins. Some teams only allow catchers to challenge, rather than pitchers, since they have a better vantage point. Teams also might prefer to save their challenges for after a certain inning of the game.
But for the first few weeks of spring training, Phillies manager Rob Thomson will have no rules.
“We need to push them to use it, so that they can learn,” Thomson said. “And as the situations come up, we just talk them through it. ‘This might be a situation where you should use it,’ even if they didn’t. ‘No, maybe that’s not the situation.’ But we still want them to try and get some experience with it.”
The Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez challenges a pitch call, initiating a review with the automated ball-strike challenge system during a spring training game last February in Peoria, Ariz.
Turner said that typically, when he has disagreed with umpires’ calls at the plate and then reviewed the footage later, he is often right about pitches he thought were inside or outside, but has been wrong about pitches high or low.
“I think that’s part of this. You’ve got to know what you’re good at, and where you’re good at,” he said. “I don’t plan on challenging too much, but if I do, I’ll probably be on the corners more so than up and down. And I think some guys are good at some things, and you’re going to have to learn.”
Extra bases
Zack Wheeler threw out to 120 feet for the first time Monday as he continues his rehab from thoracic outlet decompression surgery. Thomson said he did not have a date for when Wheeler will get on a mound, but “he’s getting there.” … Kerkering (mild hamstring strain) is running and doing agility drills and threw on flat ground. The next step is a light bullpen session, possibly on Wednesday, according to Thomson. … Brandon Marsh cut his foot off the field and did not fully participate in the workout, although he did glove work and played catch. “It’s minor,” Thomson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he was out there hitting [Tuesday].”
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Brandon Marsh stood in the outfield of the main stadium here the other day alongside a half-dozen teammates when it dawned on him.
“I was the oldest guy out there,” he said, a toothy smile forming above his lumberjack beard, “and I was like, ‘What the heck?’ I’ve never, ever in my life been in this position.”
Don’t tell Marsh, then, that these are the Same Old Phillies.
Other changes: A 22-year-old rookie (Justin Crawford) in center field, and a righty-hitting utility man (Otto Kemp) who might see most of his playing time in left field whenever the Phillies face left-handed pitching.
And — voila! — Marsh is the new dean of an outfield that critics believe will be among the worst in the majors.
Brandon Marsh didn’t have a hit in April but batted .303 over the final five months of the season.
“It’s going to be almost a complete different outfield, I know that,” said Marsh, limited in the Phillies’ first full-squad workout Monday because of a cut on his foot that Thomson didn’t consider serious. “But we have some incredible guys here that are going to step up. As humans, we always want to challenge ourselves. It’s going to be a fun challenge for us, and nothing that we’re not capable of doing.”
Maybe. Crawford did bat .300 at every level of the minors despite hitting a high rate of balls on the ground. García, a two-time All-Star, is three years removed from 39 homers and a dominant postseason for the World Series-champion Texas Rangers. Kemp impressed team officials with his grit last season while playing through shoulder and knee injuries.
But any improvement over last season, when the Phillies ranked 19th in the majors in outfield OPS (.710) and 21st in wins above replacement (3.2, measured by Fangraphs) must involve Marsh.
It has been nearly four years since the Phillies traded for Marsh. With Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm, he comprised a group of young, often goofy players dubbed by teammates as the “Daycare” along the way to the 2022 World Series. He has been a supporting cast member ever since.
Marsh is 28 now. He has two seasons before free agency. And still, there are questions about his ceiling as a player.
Take last season, for instance. Marsh was 4-for-42 — and hitless in April (0-for-29) — when he strained his right hamstring. The injury was mild. Physically, he was ready to return after the minimum 10-day term on the injured list. Mentally, he was a wreck.
“Honestly, I’ve never been on a baseball field and felt that low before,” Marsh said. “Not low as in depression or anything, but just like self-belief and just realizing like, ‘Dang, am I really cut out for this?’
“But I think the second half of last year really proved — not to anyone else but just to myself — that I can get through the thick of it. You know?”
Indeed, upon returning May 3, Marsh batted .303 with 25 doubles, 10 homers, and a .358 on-base percentage for the rest of the season. Among 96 National League players with at least 350 plate appearances after May 1, Marsh ranked 17th with an .836 OPS.
Brandon Marsh’s .836 OPS from May 3 through the rest of the season ranked 17th in the National League among players with at least 350 plate appearances.
Never mind, then, that Marsh continued to struggle to hit left-handed pitching. The Phillies would sign up for his post-April production from last season and install him as the strong (lefty-hitting) half of a left-field platoon.
But can they count on Marsh being that player?
“I’ve got to go off what the last five months looked like,” Thomson said. “All our analytics and what we see with our eyes has told us that that’s who he is. Now, maybe he’s becoming that. Hopefully he has a full year of that type of performance.”
If anything, the depths of Marsh’s struggle were surprising because of when it occurred.
Given the length of the season, with a game almost every day for six months, most players, especially veterans, downplay April slumps. It’s early, they insist, while falling back on clichés about the numbers on the back of their baseball card.
But Marsh — Bohm, too, his roommate and close friend who started in a 9-for-60 tailspin — was drowning.
“You play in Philadelphia and you’re hitting .090,” Marsh said. “… And I deserved every bit of boos I got and every bit of bashing that I got, and I just had to wear it the best I could. Some days were harder than others, for sure.
“I remember saying that to someone, like, ‘It’s April.’ But it’s easy to get overwhelmed, and there were days where I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this mountain might be too steep to climb.’ I might be too low, fighting for keeping a job and stuff like that. There was a whole bunch of stuff going on.
“Me and Bohmer, I remember us just driving home and we were like, ‘Bro, it can’t get any worse.’”
The Phillies signed Adolis García this offseason to replace Nick Castellanos in right field.
It helped that the Phillies gave Marsh a few extra days on his injury rehab assignment at triple-A Lehigh Valley. He credited catcher Garrett Stubbs for changing his perspective.
“Show up and smile,” Stubbs said.
“When Brandon Marsh was with us, we had some epic wins, a couple walk-off home runs, and he was just as happy as anybody on our team,” triple-A hitting coach Adam Lind said. “Maybe that’s just what it was. Sometimes a rehab assignment can just reignite that joy in the game. You can take a deep breath.”
In any case, Marsh salvaged his season. He batted .280 overall, “but it felt like I hit .800.” And the Phillies chose to remake their outfield around him.
Garcia represents “a very big bounce-back candidate,” as Bryce Harper put it.
“I think he’s going to have a lot more fun hitting in Philly than he did in a big Texas stadium,” Harper said. “But also, you’re not really sure until it happens.”
Ditto for Crawford, whom the Phillies expect to bring speed and energy to the bottom of the lineup. But he also would be the youngest player in a Phillies’ opening-day lineup since Freddy Galvis in 2012.
So, Marsh looked around the outfield the other day as the constant at the one spot on the Phillies’ roster that has undergone massive change. Last April, he never would’ve guessed it.
“I’m glad that bad stretch happened because it showed just to myself what I could crawl out of,” Marsh said. “I have that self-confidence now of feeling like you’re a dude, like you’re supposed to be here. That’s kind of where I’m at.”
Kelly Oubre Jr. appears to be spending his All-Star break in the recording studio.
On Monday, the Sixers forward posted a clip of his newest single, “Fast & Furious,” on Instagram under the stage name t$unami, which he has been using since 2020 on Soundcloud. Oubre also uploaded the song to Spotify and Apple Music.
The rap song is the first Oubre has released since “A prayer for you” in 2023. He also released “Flipped the Game” in 2022, which is currently his most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 300,000 streams.
Oubre is just the latest in a series of Philly athletes who have tried their hands at music, including Allen Iverson, Brett Myers, Lou Williams, DeSean Jackson, and more recently Terrell Edmunds. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata — better known as The Philly Specials — also released a few original songs on their three Eagles Christmas albums.
The Sixers return from the All-Star break on Feb. 19, against the Miami Heat.
