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  • Villanova suffers first Big East loss to Creighton, snaps five-game win streak

    Villanova suffers first Big East loss to Creighton, snaps five-game win streak

    Villanova succumbed to Creighton, 76-72, marking its first home and conference loss of the season on Wednesday night.

    Villanova (12-3, 3-1 Big East) had its five-game winning streak snapped and picked up its first defeat since Dec. 9. The Wildcats could not find defensive stops in the second half, which was coupled with poor three-point shooting. Creighton (10-6, 4-1) pulled away after shooting 18-for-27 (67%) from the field in the second.

    Acaden Lewis finished with a team-high 20 points for Villanova. He dished out five assists within the first few minutes of the game and ended with seven and only one turnover. The freshman guard also collected a game-high three steals. Lewis is averaging 13.4 points and 4.3 assists in conference play.

    In the paint, ’Nova’s Duke Brennan continued to be a force, picking up his sixth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds (seven offensive).

    Villanova guard Acaden Lewis led the team with 20 points against Creighton on Wednesday.

    Villanova shot 44% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, compared to Creighton’s 50% on field goals and 30.4% on three-pointers.

    Next, Villanova will visit Marquette (6-10, 1-4) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. (TNT/truTV). The Wildcats lead the all-time series, 28-20.

    Decisive second half

    For just the second time this season, Villanova was outscored in the second half, 46-38. The only other time was in the 76-66 overtime win against Wisconsin on Dec. 19.

    Villanova had no answer defensively for a surging Creighton offense. The Bluejays spun off a 13-2 run, while Villanova went on a three-minute scoring drought.

    Kevin Willard coaching Villanova during the second half against Creighton on Wednesday.

    “I thought [the Bluejays] did a really good job of using their size to their advantage,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said. “I thought [Josh] Dix and [Blake] Harper made some really big plays just using their size against us, and every time we tried to get a stop. You’ve got to give those two credit. They played really well.”

    Creighton made Villanova’s best shooter, redshirt sophomore Bryce Lindsay, a nonfactor. Lindsay, who averaged 45.8% from deep in the last three games, went 0-for-3 on three-pointers against Creighton. Villanova made only 2 of 12 three-pointers in the second half.

    With Villanova knocking on the top 25 door, is it NCAA Tournament or bust in Year 1 of the Kevin Willard era?

    “We had our opportunities at the rim,” Willard said. “I thought [Jasen] Green had two really good wall-ups towards the end, but we had our opportunities. It had nothing to do with [our] offense. It was totally just abysmal defense.”

    Beaten on the boards

    Villanova kept Creighton at bay in the first half, and at one point led by25-15. However, it all slipped away after halftime. Villanova gave up 13 offensive rebounds, which Creighton turned into 11 second-chance points.

    “Just defense,” Willard said when asked about what he took away from the loss. “I thought we took some bad shots in the first half, when we had a good run going. And I thought we were playing good defensively early. So I thought our offense in the first half was the issue. But defensively, you just can’t give up 13 offensive rebounds to a Greg McDermott team. You’ve got no chance.”

    Villanova forward Duke Brennan (center) reaches for the ball against Creighton guard Ty Davis (9).

    Brennan was quick to take accountability for Villanova’s defensive performance.

    “Being a senior, I need to adjust my ball-screen coverages on different teams as we play,” Brennan said. “I don’t think I did a great job at it tonight, but I do look at the film and help out our defense. I’m that line for us.”

    Creighton’s 76 points were the most a conference opponent has scored against the Wildcats this season.

    Watching rotations

    At the beginning of the season, Willard consistently rotated nine to 10 players each game. Injuries limited the rotations with Devin Askew and Zion Stanford missing time to start the season. Villanova had multiple games with eight or more scorers.

    Villanova forward Tafara Gapare leaves the program

    Now, it looks like Willard has found his rotations that work efficiently. The coach has leaned on his starting five of Lewis, Lindsay, Tyler Perkins, Matt Hodge, and Brennan for a bulk of the minutes, with most of them playing an average of 30 minutes or more.

    As of recently, only Askew and Malachi Palmer have had meaningful minutes off the bench. Freshman guard Chris Jeffrey has missed the last five games due to a knee injury that required surgery, sidelining him indefinitely.

  • Despite sluggish second half, Temple prevails over East Carolina to extend winning streak

    Despite sluggish second half, Temple prevails over East Carolina to extend winning streak

    Temple looked like it would easily secure its seventh straight victory by beating East Carolina, a team that sits at the bottom of the American Conference, on Wednesday at the Liacouras Center.

    The Owls (11-5, 3-0 American) carried a 15-point lead into halftime. Then ECU started to crawl back. The Pirates (5-10, 0-2) got within five points in second half, but it was too little too late.

    A 29-point surge from ECU guard Jordan Riley wasn’t enough as Temple shook off its horrid offensive slump and finished with a 75-67 victory, marking its longest winning streak since the 2014-15 season.

    “We told our guys at halftime, ‘Hey, they’re going to ramp it up. They’re going to go on a run. We’ve got to be ready,’” coach Adam Fisher said. “I know we got a little stagnant and didn’t score as much as we would have liked in parts of that second half. But winning is hard. … So again, I’m really proud of our guys and I thought it took everybody to prepare the right way and then to get this win here tonight.”

    Next, Temple will face a true test in the American when the Owls visit defending conference champion Memphis (7-7, 2-0) on Wednesday (8 p.m., ESPN+).

    First-half defense

    Temple’s mentality all season has been simply to play defense. The Owls had one of the worst defenses in the country last season, and they’ve shown signs of improvement this year, allowing 70.4 points per game, the fourth-lowest average in the American.

    On Wednesday, the Pirates had little room to breathe as Temple searched for momentum on offense.

    The result was 12 turnovers, with eight coming in the first half. ECU had multiple scoreless stretches, including a five-minute drought, which helped Temple push the lead to seven points.

    The biggest win was Temple’s success on the glass. After ECU center Giovanni Emejuru picked up his second foul, Temple managed to get through.

    Guards Gavin Griffiths, who finished with a season-high 24 points, and Masiah Gilyard were key contributors for the Owls, as they finished with six and five rebounds, respectively.

    Griffiths also was Temple’s best defender. He swatted away four shots and had two steals.

    Hot-and-cold offense

    Toward the end of the half, Griffiths ended his 12-minute scoreless stretch with a three-pointer. Owls guard Derrian Ford, who missed the last game with an injury, started finding his rhythm. He finished with 18 points, with 10 coming at the free-throw line.

    But the offensive slump returned after halftime.

    Temple guard Gavin Griffiths scored a season-high 24 points on Wednesday.

    The Pirates clamped down after the break, limiting any chance for the Owls to stay comfortable.

    Guard Aiden Tobiason, who is second on the team in scoring, was a nonfactor. His first and only field goal came late in the game, as he finished with four points.

    Temple finished the second half going 8-for-22 and had six turnovers, forcing the defense to save the game. Then came a big three-pointer from Griffiths to make it 65-56 with 3 minutes, 21 seconds left.

    “I just felt like I was open, so I was going to shoot it,” Griffiths said. “My teammates did a great job finding me. I think I only took one dribble for my three. So most of them are catch-and-shoot.”

    Containing Riley

    Temple’s game plan was to stop Riley. The former Temple guard entered his homecoming as the conference’s leading scorer with 20.8 points per game, powering an offense that averages 67.3.

    In the first half, Riley was stuffed. But in the second half, the seal was lifted, and Temple had no way to stop him.

    Temple guard Derrian Ford guards East Carolina guard Jordan Riley on Wednesday.

    “Jordan Riley is a fantastic player,” Fisher said. “I thought Jordan made some tough shots. He gets downhill. We know how good he can be, but in the second half they were really good, and we’ve got to be better. Our second-half defense wasn’t where we needed to be.”

    Riley’s 23 second-half points kept the Pirates in the game as they finished the half with 46 points. But ultimately Temple’s lead was too big to overcome.

  • Sizing up the area’s top high school boys’ basketball teams in the 2025-26 season

    Sizing up the area’s top high school boys’ basketball teams in the 2025-26 season

    Since the PIAA basketball championships were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, District 12 boys’ basketball teams, comprised of the Catholic and Public Leagues, have won 11 state titles and appeared in 20 of the 30 state finals. No other district across the state has come close to matching that.

    District 12 is the only area to ever four-peat in the state championships, doing it twice: once in 2022 (Class 6A Roman Catholic, 5A Imhotep Charter, 4A Neumann Goretti, and 3A Devon Prep), and again last year, when the Catholic League became the first league to win four state titles in one season (6A Father Judge, 5A Neumann Goretti, 4A Devon Prep, and 3A West Catholic).

    It shows the dominance the Philadelphia area has on high school basketball.

    This season should be no different, even though there are stark differences for several marquee programs. Roman Catholic and West Catholic have new coaches. Imhotep will be competing for the second straight year as a Class 6A school, while two-time defending state champion Devon Prep and two-time defending Inter-Ac League champ Penn Charter have seen most of their impact players graduate.

    Breaking down the area’s top high school girls’ basketball teams this season

    Some prominent players have changed schools. Former Imhotep guard RJ Smith, who’s committed to La Salle, is now at Roman Catholic. Academy of the New Church’s Marquis Newson is now at Neumann Goretti, and Germantown Friends’ all-time leading scorer Jordan Dill now calls Imhotep home.

    In the Catholic League, Judge will be challenged by Roman, Archbishop Wood, Neumann Goretti, and a sleeper, Bonner-Prendergast, while Imhotep appears to be the clear favorite to win another Public League title. Academy of the New Church has enough back to three-peat in the Friends Schools League, with a challenge coming from Westtown, while Coatesville, Central Bucks East, Penn Wood, Garnet Valley, and Plymouth Whitemarsh look strong in District 1 Class 6A, and Penncrest, Springfield (Delco), Holy Ghost Prep, and Upper Dublin battle for supremacy in District 1 Class 5A.

    Here are some of the area’s top boys’ basketball teams to watch during the 2025-26 season.

    Academy of the New Church

    The Lions went 15-9 overall and 6-2 in the Friends Schools League last year. ANC returns 6-foot-7 senior forwards Ryan Warren and Cam Smith, 6-4 senior guard Dior Carter, and 6-foot senior point guard Bryce Rollerson. With a senior-laden team, the Lions are looking for their first Pennsylvania Independent School Athletic Association (PAISAA) state championship since they repeated as PAISAA winners in 2009. The Lions were knocked out of last year’s PAISAA semifinals by eventual champion Phelps School.

    Archbishop Wood

    The Vikings had a rare down year last season, finishing 11-13 overall and 5-8 in the Catholic League. Under coach John Mosco, Wood has been a perennial Catholic League contender. It looks like the Vikings are back, buoyed by a core group of 6-3 senior guard Brady MacAdams, 6-4 junior guard Caleb Lundy, and 6-11 junior center Jaydn Jenkins, who is on the radar of major college programs. The addition of Dylan Powell, an athletic 6-2 sophomore guard, makes the Vikings even stronger.

    Brady MacAdams will look to be one of the leaders this season for Archbishop Wood.

    Bonner-Prendergast

    The Friars are small and fast, possibly the fastest team in the Catholic League, the deepest league in the state. They finished 18-11 overall and 7-6 in the PCL last season, including a buzzer-beating victory over league champion Father Judge. Bonner-Prendie is a guard-oriented team, centered on juniors Korey Francis — who recently received a scholarship offer to La Salle — Kam Jackson, and Jakeem Carroll. Size inside will be provided by 6-7 senior Aydin Scott. The Friars reached last year’s Class 5A state quarterfinals, where they were upset by Upper Moreland in overtime.

    Coatesville

    The Red Raiders feature 6-6 sophomore Colton Hiller, who is rated as the top sophomore in the state by 247 Sports. Hiller will be joined by 6-7 senior forwards Larry Brown and Jonas Chester and junior guards Jahmaad Williams and Chris Allegra. Coatesville went 24-7 last season and is looking to three-peat as Ches-Mont champion, beating its opponents by an average of 25 points in the league tournament last year. The Red Raiders lost in the District 1 6A semifinals to eventual champ Conestoga and reached the state quarterfinals, where they lost to eventual state finalist Roman Catholic. Coatesville is a favorite in District 1 and last won district and state titles (under the Class 4A system) in 2001, when current Coatesville coach John Allen was the star of the team.

    Father Judge

    The Crusaders experienced their best season in program history last year, going 24-7 overall and 10-3 in the Catholic League, winning the PIAA 6A state championship for the first time, and the first Catholic League title since 1998. Judge returns three prominent players from that team: Temple-bound Derrick Morton-Rivera, Merrimack-bound Rocco Westfield, and Iona-bound Max Moshinski. The Crusaders have size, though they are untested, in 6-6 sophomore Rezon Harris, a transfer from Imhotep; 7-foot junior Jamal Hamidu, a transfer from New York; and 6-7 junior Jeremiah Adedeji, who played sparingly last year for Judge.

    How two Father Judge graduates are leading the way for Merrimack men’s basketball

    Imhotep

    The Panthers could be the best team in the city. They finished 26-6 last year and reached the PIAA Class 6A state semifinals, where they lost to Judge, breaking a 35-game state playoff winning streak. The Panthers’ legendary coach Andre Noble has won 10 PIAA state and 12 Public League championships. The Panthers are the five-time defending Public League champions, only the second school to win five straight titles since the legendary Gene Banks and West Philly’s five-peat (1974-78). Imhotep is looking to break that mark this season as a Class 6A school. Everything will revolve around 6-7 junior forward Zaahir Muhammad-Gray, who missed last season with a knee injury. He will be joined by Drexel-bound 6-5 senior Latief Lorenzano-White, 6-4 junior guard Kevin Benson III, 6-foot sophomore point guard Ian Smith, and 6-1 senior guard Dill.

    Malvern Prep

    The Friars return a strong nucleus that includes junior forward Nick Harken, junior point guard Marvin Reed, and 6-10 sophomore center Logan Chwastyk for a team that went 17-10 overall and 5-5 in the Inter-Ac, which has been ruled by two-time defending league champion Penn Charter. The Quakers lost most key players to graduation, leaving Malvern, under coach Paul Romanczuk, an open invitation to challenge for the Inter-Ac crown this season.

    Neumann Goretti

    The defending PIAA Class 5A state champion enters this season with vengeance, after going 18-11 (7-6 PCL) and being ousted in the Catholic League quarterfinals last season by Father Judge. Coach Carl Arrigale, who holds the all-time mark of 12 Catholic League titles and nine state titles, returns a loaded team with four starters back from Neumann Goretti’s first PIAA Class 5A state title team: Stephon “Munchie” Ashley-Wright, DeShawn Yates, Kody Colson, and 6-6 East Stroudsburg-bound Alassan N’Diaye. Add in exciting, above-the-rim 6-5 junior guard Newson, and the Saints could arguably be the best team in the city.

    Penncrest

    Why are the Lions on this list? They had eventual state champion Neumann Goretti down, 63-58, with 31 seconds left in last season’s state quarterfinals before Yates saved the Saints. Penncrest finished 23-4 last season and has one of the best coaches in the area, Mike Doyle, plus everyone back from a team that is a favorite in District 1 Class 5A. Everything will go through Carnegie Mellon-bound 6-7 senior star Mikey Mita, complemented by seniors Sean Benson, Will Stanton, Ryan McKee, and Connor Cahill, who scored 19 points in last year’s state quarterfinals.

    The area’s best boys’ basketball players to watch in the 2025-26 season

    Roman Catholic

    The Cahillites reached the Catholic League and state finals last season, losing both times to Father Judge. Brad Wanamaker takes over for Chris McNesby after Roman went 25-6. Roman will be led by VCU-bound Sammy Jackson, the son of former Temple star Marc Jackson, along with Smith, the former Imhotep point guard, and seniors Semaj Robinson, Bryce Presley, and Al Jalil-Bey Moore. Roman won consecutive Catholic League titles in 2023 and 2024 and last won a state title in 2022. This senior-loaded team wants to leave its mark.

  • The Sixers finally have a full roster. Now it’s time to see how all the players fit.

    The Sixers finally have a full roster. Now it’s time to see how all the players fit.

    About 70 minutes before tipoff Wednesday, Kelly Oubre Jr. let out a scream when he popped into the 76ers’ locker room. A few minutes later, Tyrese Maxey announced that “12 [is] back” while settling into his seat next to Trendon Watford.

    They were, indeed. Oubre and Watford both returned from lengthy injury absences in the Sixers’ comfortable 131-110 victory over the Washington Wizards at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Their modest stat lines — Oubre totaled two points, three rebounds, and two steals in 20 minutes, 16 seconds; Watford three assists and did not attempt a shot in 4:45 — reflected that they had been sidelined for more than a month.

    But their outings were an appropriate first step for the 20-15 Sixers, who had their full roster available for a game for the first time since December 2023.

    Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid is a mainstay, Paul George still has it, and more from win vs. Wizards

    “It’s been a long journey to get back out there,” Oubre said postgame. “And it felt amazing, just to even be able to just touch the court and be able to do anything out there.”

    Coach Nick Nurse’s eyes widened when informed that, according to research by PhillyVoice, it had been more than two calendar years since the Sixers had not ruled out any players before a game because of injury or personal reasons. When the public address announcer shared that the Sixers had “no injuries” a few minutes before tipoff, cheers erupted from the crowd.

    There was another big ovation when Oubre initially checked in during the first quarter, wearing a knee brace under a leg sleeve that provides proper support but “just [messes] my swag all the way up,” he quipped.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. averaged 16.8 points on 49.7% shooting along with 5.1 rebounds in the season’s first 12 games.

    Oubre airballed his first shot, an elbow pull-up off a rebound that he said he rushed because he “was so happy and geeked” to be back on the court. After two more misfires — which the 11-year veteran attributed to fatigued legs — Oubre’s fourth-quarter jumper in the lane bounced in just before he exited for the final time.

    But on the defensive end, the Sixers consistently felt Oubre’s full-court pressure. That was where he was most eager to test that knee, he said.

    “He just started going out there and picking his guy up,” Nurse said. “And everybody behind him saw how hard he was working, and I think they picked it up, too.

    “I think he was a big spark tonight, even though it doesn’t look like his offense is anywhere near his capabilities yet.”

    As Tyrese Maxey ascends, his shotmaking in ‘clutch’ scenarios is still a work in progress

    While rehabbing the knee sprain he suffered on Nov. 14, Oubre said he felt “no pain” but added that he needed to regain his stability and strength. When he finished “like my 1,000th sprint,” however, Oubre said he was “so done.”

    “I just wanted to get out there and play basketball,” Oubre said, “and test my wind out there on the court.”

    Next, Oubre will be tasked with recapturing his career-best play, when he averaged 16.8 points on 49.7% shooting along with 5.1 rebounds in the season’s first 12 games. He was more in control with the ball in his hands on offense and was another defender who could guard bigger wings and switch on to multiple positions.

    Oubre also has been a consistent starter when healthy throughout his two-plus Sixers seasons. Dominick Barlow, who had become a terrific fit as a rebounder and cutter in Oubre’s absence, maintained that first-team role Wednesday.

    Nurse said before the game that he would prefer to eventually become “a little more fluid” with lineup combinations, depending on opponent matchups. Personnel tweaks also could affect players further down the rotation, such as Jabari Walker and Jared McCain.

    Watford, who averaged 8.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 14 games before suffering an adductor strain in his thigh, put himself in the category of needing to earn one of those spots again.

    He believes his three assists in Wednesday’s short stint are evidence of his playmaking as a 6-foot-8 “point” forward. He said he needs to get more comfortable playing off former MVP center Joel Embiid, who is looking far more like himself than earlier in the season.

    Yet after Watford also missed training camp and the preseason with a hamstring injury, Nurse said he needs to evaluate the forward for “a long stretch of games.”

    Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey drops to third in East in All-Star voting; Joel Embiid remains 17th

    “We certainly like his size, his skill, his kind of versatility,” Nurse said. “But I just haven’t seen enough of it yet to really understand where he’s going to help us and fit into this thing.”

    That process will continue when the Sixers hit the road for a Friday matchup against the Orlando Magic before two straight games against the Raptors in Toronto. Nurse knows Oubre and Watford regaining their conditioning, rhythm, and “peak performance” will take time. And the coach does not want to disrupt the cohesion that has been building as Embiid and Paul George have become more available, mobile, and productive alongside the dynamic backcourt of Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

    But Wednesday was the first step with the Sixers’ full roster.

    Finally.

    “I feel fine,” Oubre said. “I feel amazing, actually. So I’m just happy to get one under my belt and just continue to grow from there.”

  • After striking gold in Paris in 2024, can NBC do it again at the Winter Olympics in Milan?

    After striking gold in Paris in 2024, can NBC do it again at the Winter Olympics in Milan?

    NEW YORK — In the lead-up to the Summer Olympics in Paris two years ago, there was no small amount of fear that the Games were losing their luster.

    It probably didn’t help that there were three straight Olympics in Asia, which meant most of the action was overnight for U.S. television viewers. And the pandemic definitely didn’t help, because sports without crowds in the stands weren’t as fun to watch.

    But NBC went all-in on Paris anyway, and was rewarded with huge ratings. Yes, people did still care, and they showed up to prove it.

    Now the network faces the challenge of bringing that energy to next month’s Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The winter edition has historically drawn lower audiences than the summer no matter the circumstances, but NBC once again is going all-in.

    The Winter Olympics start Feb. 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

    “We know the Winter Olympics haven’t been fully attended in eight years,” NBC’s Olympics executive producer Molly Solomon said at a media preview event last week. “We can’t take anything for granted. The media landscape has completely changed since 2018. So what have we got to do? We’ve got to win back viewers, we’ve got to show them why they should watch.”

    As with two years ago, there will be a lot of coverage on the big broadcast network, starting with at least five live hours a day. Because of the six-hour time difference between Italy and the eastern United States, the traditional prime time show will be like it was in Paris, with a mix of highlights and features.

    South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito looks to vault herself onto the Olympic team at this week’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships

    There will also be a lot of broadcasts on the USA Network and CNBC cable channels, and every event will be live on NBC’s Peacock streaming platform.

    If it feels natural to say all that, veteran Olympics fans will remind you quickly of how different things used to be. For many years, NBC held back showing some big events live to save them for the big prime time show.

    South Jersey-raised figure skater Isabeau Levito will likely be the highest-profile name from the Philadelphia area competing at the Winter Olympics.

    Paris was the first time NBC really opened everything up. It isn’t a coincidence that those were the first Games after Rick Cordella was promoted to president of NBC Sports, and the first outside of Asia after Solomon was promoted to her job in 2019.

    “The Olympics in Paris proved the Olympics are back, and remain an unrivaled media property with the unique abilities to captivate the nation and generate audiences across all demographics for 17 days and nights,” Cordella said. “We expect Milan-Cortina to carry on that legacy.”

    Solomon said she “felt as though we handed the viewer the remote control, and we said, ‘Hey, we’re going to give you different ways to watch the Olympics.’ And we’re now going to take all those learnings and build on them for Milan-Cortina.”

    With dramatic backdrops like the Eiffel Tower, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris proved to be a hit with U.S. TV viewers.

    A big bet paid off

    For as much as fans welcomed NBC’s change in philosophy, there was no guarantee it would succeed. If the prime time show’s ratings had flopped, some critics might have said the old way was more profitable.

    Instead, the network shot out of the gate. An average of 34.5 million viewers watched the first three days of competition in what were seen as the two “prime” slots, live coverage from 2-5 p.m. Eastern time then the nighttime highlights show — including a massive 41.5 million on the first Sunday.

    Auston Matthews and the Tkachuk brothers headline USA Hockey’s men’s Olympic roster

    The average over the whole Summer Games ended at 30.4 million, which NBC said was up 80% from 2021 in Tokyo.

    Solomon said that when Cordella called her after the first weekend with the early returns, “I burst into tears, because those numbers — I didn’t think it was possible. … We didn’t even dream that big.”

    NBC’s lead Olympics host Mike Tirico said he could tell from the studio that things were working.

    “We saw that there was a formula for the prime time show: that [showing an event] live and then showing it again, and there was enough differentiation in what we showed again, that it was connecting with viewers,” he said. “And then hearing back from people who were home: ‘Hey, this is so great, I’m enjoying watching it at night after we watch all the daytime events.’ Probably day four, I would say that Monday or Tuesday, was [when] I got feedback that it was working.”

    The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will be different again, since they’ll be on home turf. Then the 2030 Winter Olympics will be back in Europe in the French Alps.

    Who knows what the media landscape will look like by then, given how quickly things change these days, but it’s hard to believe NBC will ever revert to its past.

    Mike Tirico does lots of things at NBC, from hosting the Olympics to calling NFL and NBA play-by-play.

    “Just as a sports fan, I would say not,” Tirico said. He emphasized he was speaking just for himself, not his bosses, but his opinion counts for something.

    “I think we’ve seen because of streaming, you can access anything you want at any time,” he continued. “There’s still the largest audience sitting there at the end at night, and you want to give them the biggest events [as highlights]. So holding them doesn’t make any sense in this day and age. And we had long talks about that before Paris, and I think we saw a formula that worked.”

    Hilary Knight set to make 5th Olympics appearance for USA women’s hockey

    This year’s new additions

    There will be a few new toys for viewers to enjoy next month. Peacock will have extra camera angles available for figure skating — including some behind-the-scenes ones — and ice hockey.

    Solomon worked with the International Olympic Committee to get live drone cameras into coverage, to get microphones on some athletes, and to get into warmup areas to show how athletes get ready for their big moments.

    Skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn will be at her fifth Olympics, 24 years after her first.

    “We’ve really pushed everybody to go places, and take the viewer places they’ve never seen before,” she said. “Because in the winter, you’re covered with goggles and head gear. So we need to be at the place before they put this stuff on. We need to see faces. And the International Olympic Committee has been great about granting us that access.”

    The biggest new thing might be an expansion of the popular “Gold Zone” whip-around live highlights show. From 8 a.m. to around 4 p.m. each day, it will be televised not just on Peacock but on the recently relaunched NBCSN cable channel.

    That means more viewers will have access, but it also takes away an incentive to subscribe to Peacock if you don’t yet.

    “I think the NBA would say that would drive people to subscribe to Peacock, or Premier League [soccer], and now that’s available on NBCSN,” Cordella said. “And so our view of NBCSN is that we’re going to be agnostic to how people consume our content, as long as we’re getting adequately paid for it [by distributors]. We did a deal with YouTube [TV], we’ve done a deal with our parent company Comcast, and hopefully we’ll do a deal with others, but NBCSN is a big part of our strategy moving forward.”

    For the most part, everyone speaking at the media preview event stayed away from another addition to the landscape: the United States’ current hostilities with Venezuela and Greenland, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the turmoil within U.S. borders over ICE and many other subjects.

    But they did not stay away from the subject completely.

    “I’ve just been thinking a lot about this: In this increasingly divided and isolated world, there’s not many moments when we all come together anymore,” Solomon said. “Sports does bring us together, but I think the Olympics is really even more unique.”

    Comcast CEO Brian Roberts also alluded to wider affairs in his speech at the end of the event.

    “Bringing our country together when a lot of things are pulling us apart is just a fabulous opportunity,” he said.

  • Eagles-49ers film: Christian McCaffrey’s touches, dangerous George Kittle, and where Brock Purdy struggles

    Eagles-49ers film: Christian McCaffrey’s touches, dangerous George Kittle, and where Brock Purdy struggles

    A fascinating chess match should unfold on Sunday when one of the best defensive units in the NFL matches up with one of the league’s brightest offensive minds. Kyle Shanahan’s San Francisco 49ers squad, including stars Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle, will face off against Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, and the rest of a stout Eagles defense.

    This will be the best offense the Eagles have faced since the Chicago Bears on Black Friday. Quarterback Brock Purdy, Kittle, and several other key pieces have missed time at various portions of the season, but they will arrive at Lincoln Financial Field with an offense that challenges defenses pre- and post-snap.

    From defending McCaffrey’s versatile skill set to exploiting a clear weakness on San Francisco’s defense, here are the keys for the Eagles in Sunday’s NFC wild-card showdown:

    Christian McCaffrey will try to make a positive impact on Sunday after losing a key fumble against the Seahawks.

    McCaffrey’s dual-threat ability

    According to Fantasy Points, McCaffrey had the NFL’s most touches (413) and touches per game (24.3) this season. He had 311 carries, ranking second in the league.

    The San Francisco offense depends on him in many ways, and his usage is a reflection of it. Starting in the running game, McCaffrey primarily carries the ball from under-center alignments, with 905 of his 1,202 rushing yards coming from those formations. Of the 27 runs for McCaffrey that have gone for 10-plus yards, 21 have come from under center.

    Under Shanahan, the Niners execute an outside zone scheme, but they mix in gap scheme runs to allow McCaffrey to get downhill as a runner.

    The numbers back it up, too. According to Next Gen Stats, McCaffrey has a 50% success rate on runs between the tackles as opposed to a 32.6% success rate outside the tackles. Still, McCaffrey has found daylight outside the tackles, especially on San Francisco’s outside toss play with fullback Kyle Juszczyk leading.

    Even when McCaffrey is not rushing, the Niners and Shanahan are scheming up ways for him to get the football. San Francisco has a dynamic screen passing game, and at the center of it is McCaffrey. The running back often receives screen passes off play-action or on angle screen actions, when the running back fakes going out for a route and comes back toward the middle of the field with blockers in front.

    Running screen passes not only slows down a pass rush, it plays to the strengths of McCaffrey, who is dynamic in making defenders miss in the open field. In the regular season, he led all running backs in receptions (102) and receiving yards (924), and ranked third in the NFL in yards after the catch (721).

    McCaffrey aligns all over the formation for San Francisco, from the backfield to the slot and even as an off-ball tight end. Because he’s a dynamic route runner out of the backfield, McCaffrey can present mismatches wherever he’s aligned on the field.

    According to Pro Football Focus, McCaffrey has played 86 snaps in the slot, 19 out wide, nine as an in-line tight end, one at fullback, and the remaining 817 in the backfield. While he rarely runs vertical routes, his movement around the formation can cause confusion and has led to big gains in the passing game.

    Kittle and the intermediate passing game

    The second-most dangerous player on the Niners offense is Kittle, who missed six games but finished with the second-highest catch rate (82.6%) and ranked third in expected points added (+43.5) among qualified NFL tight ends, according to Next Gen Stats.

    Like McCaffrey, Kittle is moved all over the formation, with most of his snaps coming from in-line alignments (397). He also spent a considerable amount of snaps as a slot receiver (115), out wide (26), and in the backfield (16), according to PFF.

    Purdy, who played in only nine games this season, has found comfort in the passing game throwing to Kittle over the middle of the field and down the seam. Kittle has caught 14 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns on 20 targets between 10 and 19 yards, including 5 of 7 contested catch targets, according to PFF.

    Kittle is a matchup nightmare for whoever is defending him. The Niners make a concerted effort to set him up for one-on-one opportunities with smaller secondary players when the 6-foot-4 tight end is aligned in the slot, or out wide with pre-snap motion.

    Of Kittle’s 57 catches this season, 20 came from the slot or out wide, and he’s athletic enough to create separation on in- and out-breaking routes facing one-on-one coverage.

    Most of the Niners’ passing game operates in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Purdy has accumulated 1,734 of his 2,167 passing yards on passes between zero and 19 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

    One of their staple passing game concepts to exploit zone coverage is a Sail concept, which has an outside receiver running a vertical route and the slot receiver running a corner route than can convert to an out route. The passing concept is especially effective facing Cover 2 and Cover 3, as it puts the cornerback on that side of the concept in a bind to either run with the deeper route or try to undercut the outbreaking route.

    Between the numbers, the Niners offense is known to run a lot of deep, in-breaking routes and the Dagger passing concept, which has a clear-out vertical route occupying the deep safeties and the deep dig route coming in behind it. It is where Purdy is the most aggressive in pushing the ball downfield to hit big gains to receivers Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings, and Kendrick Bourne. According to PFF, Purdy has 83 of 107 passes for 788 yards and four touchdowns on passes between the numbers from behind or at the line of scrimmage to 20 yards downfield.

    The passing concept is especially effective against one-high safety structures on defense and against zone coverage, often vacating space between the linebackers and safeties. The teams that have defended the play effectively this season have linebackers who have the range to take away the deep in-breaking route window, and the Eagles have Baun, who is capable of doing so.

    X factors: Turnovers and running game

    While Purdy has played at a high level to close the regular season, he has thrown an interception in six of his nine starts this year, including three against Carolina in November. He has been pressured 34.9% of the time, the fourth-highest rate among qualified quarterbacks this season, according to Next Gen Stats, but has been sacked only 11 times across 312 drop backs because of his mobility to escape the pocket.

    Where he struggles, though, is locating the football consistently targeting the middle of the field. Half of his 10 interceptions this season have been due to either throwing the football too high or behind his receivers. With pressure in his face, too, Purdy is susceptible to airmailing a pass.

    San Francisco’s defense ranks third in snaps out of a light box (45%, six or fewer players in the box) in the NFL, with only the Eagles and Patriots playing a higher percentage of snaps with a light box. That, coupled with the injuries piling up at linebacker, could mean a big day for Saquon Barkley and the Eagles running game.

    The defense has also been prone to giving up big plays in the passing game. The Niners, according to Next Gen Stats, gave up the seventh-highest total yards per game on throws that traveled 20 or more air yards (49.9) and tied the Bears for the second-highest total of touchdowns allowed on such throws.

    Expect Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense to take their shots downfield, especially if the Niners load up to stop the running game.

  • Mark McKenzie’s plan to crack the USMNT’s World Cup roster? Sticking to what’s in his ‘control.’

    Mark McKenzie’s plan to crack the USMNT’s World Cup roster? Sticking to what’s in his ‘control.’

    Mark McKenzie needed November.

    When he returned to the Philly area for the U.S. men’s national team’s penultimate game of 2025 against Paraguay, it was a homecoming that he said grounded him.

    He was groomed in the Union’s academy system, having spent three seasons as a homegrown player on the club’s first team, but this marked the first occasion in quite some time that McKenzie, a native of Bear, Del., returned to his old grounds.

    Well, they were technically all-new grounds, considering that when he came up the ranks, Subaru Park was named Talen Energy Stadium, and the sprawling expanse that is now the WSFS Sportsplex was still a rendering.

    But being back, seeing familiar faces, training with the national team in Chester, and even briefly seeing a few family members brought perspective to what he’s ultimately trying to do: find his name among 25 other hopefuls eager to make the American roster ahead of June’s FIFA men’s World Cup.

    At the time, McKenzie, 26, noted that packing in all of that perspective was part of a “business trip,” one that has continued under the watchful eye of U.S. men’s manager Mauricio Pochettino as the starting center back for Toulouse, in France’s first division.

    Mark McKenzie (3) has appeared in 17 matches for Toulouse this season, with 16 starts at center back.

    “It’s always special coming back to Philly,” McKenzie said following the U.S. win against Paraguay at Subaru Park on Nov. 15. “I saw some old friends, my family came by the hotel, and just that time to take a little stroll and grab a bite to eat reminded me of who’s been behind me on this journey, and who I’m playing for.”

    Playing time has been consistent for McKenzie, who has appeared in 17 league matches for Toulouse this season, starting 16 at center back. That bodes well, as Pochettino has repeatedly noted that consistency in match play is a plus in his eyes. And considering there’s not a clear early favorite as the No. 2 center back on the field for the Americans, McKenzie has to know that his chances are as good as anyone’s.

    Three wishes for the Union heading into a massive year for soccer in America

    “The biggest thing is controlling what I can control,” McKenzie said. “Sure, I think about that stuff, but ultimately it’s not up to me. That’s my mentality, my attitude going into my performances.”

    Defensively, McKenzie is taking control of a Toulouse team that is eighth in the Ligue 1 standings, just two spots outside of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League next season. There’s still plenty of time for McKenzie and the team to climb before the season concludes in May, though it will take a better run than the seven points out of a possible 15 the club has collected in its last five league matches.

    “Going back to my [home] club [in Toulouse], that’s where a lot of the hard work is done,” he said. “So I’m just handling myself in those ways, and just not trying to worry about the things outside my control. My job is to keep getting selected for my club, play well, and hope it’s enough to prove that I deserve the opportunity to represent my country.”

    Trying to qualify for the second men’s World Cup in the United States isn’t the only thing on McKenzie’s mind. In October he became a dad, and he is trying to find the balance between those early days of fatherhood, his responsibilities to his club, and staying on Pochettino’s radar.

    To kick-start a generation of city kids playing soccer, it will take more than just a place to play

    It seemingly worked out as McKenzie was called up for every U.S. camp in the fall cycle in October and November. In October, he told CBS Sports that the birth of his son made him feel like he had “more to play for.”

    And even though his baby wasn’t old enough to understand the rigors McKenzie is going through, having his son while going through this process appeared to mean the world to the center back.

    “He can’t really hold his head up right now, and he’s not really watching …,” joked McKenzie on CBS Sports’ Morning Footy show in October, “but when we look back on these moments, this is something that I’ll cherish forever; just to say that he’s out there watching his daddy play is something that I’ll hold dear to my heart.”

    In just his second game with the national team since becoming a father, Mark McKenzie (left) battles Australia’s Connor Metcalfe in their meeting on Oct. 14, 2025.

    If fate has its way, McKenzie would be one of four players in the U.S. player pool who came up in the Union’s academy system or spent time on the club’s first team who could find themselves on the World Cup roster.

    That list includes Medford’s Brenden Aaronson, Wayne native Matt Freese, and Media’s Auston Trusty, the latter also vying for a spot along the back line. Each player has been invited to recent camps, and there’s a belief that one, if not all, has a good chance to crack Pochettino’s World Cup squad.

    But there’s still time before that happens. Six months, to be exact — meaning all McKenzie can do is focus on the now.

    After all, it is the only thing in his control.

    “Look, I’m trying to make the decision as difficult as possible [for the U.S. coaching staff],” he said. “I only do that by being at my best when I’m with my club and making the most of my opportunities when I get them. I just plan to do what I do and showcase my talent to the best of my ability, and hope that’s enough.”

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete soccer coverage right here!
  • Donna Kelce makes her reality TV debut tonight. Here’s what you need to know about Season 4 of ‘The Traitors.’

    Donna Kelce makes her reality TV debut tonight. Here’s what you need to know about Season 4 of ‘The Traitors.’

    The fourth season of The Traitors officially premieres Thursday night on Peacock, and it will feature a few Philly-adjacent stars, including Donna Kelce.

    Whether you’re a reality TV aficionado or just hearing about the show for the first time, here’s everything you need to know about the show before you tune in …

    What is ‘The Traitors?’

    If you’ve never seen The Traitors, it’s basically a big-budget version of the party game “Mafia.” It’s also similar to The Mole, which, like The Traitors, is a spinoff of a Dutch-language show. It’s wildly popular globally, with over two dozen countries having their own version, and nearly a dozen more international spinoffs on the way.

    In the American version, host Alan Cumming whisks the cast away to his castle in Scotland, and selects a handful of players to serve as “Traitors,” who then have to “kill” — or eliminate — the other contestants, known as “Faithfuls.” At the end of every episode, there’s a roundtable, where contestants interrogate and confront one another to pick one player to banish, with the goal of eliminating all of the traitors. In the middle, contestants compete in challenges to grow the cash prize pot, which can get up to $250,000. The Faithfuls win if they can eliminate all the Traitors and make it to the end, but if any Traitors make it to the finale, they keep the prize money for themselves.

    Past contestants include former Bachelor stars like Gabby Windey and Peter Weber, iconic Survivor contestants like Boston Rob and Parvati Shallow, and members of the Real Housewives franchise like Phaedra Parks and Dolores Catania. Zac Efron’s brother, Dylan, won Season 3 of The Traitors despite no past reality TV experience, so Donna wouldn’t be the first nepo-Traitors winner. There’s also usually a random old British guy.

    Host Alan Cumming won an Emmy for outstanding reality competition program for “The Traitors.”

    Who is in the Season 4 cast?

    For Philadelphians, Kelce might be the biggest name, but Olympic figure skaters with local ties (Johnny Weir, Coatesville, and Tara Lipinski, Sewell, N.J.) will also factor into this season, ahead of the Winter Olympics in February.

    “That was so much fun, just being able to do that, especially at my age, it was just a blast,” Kelce told the Kansas City Star. “The [Scottish] Highlands are absolutely gorgeous. The people were so kind. And it just was kind of like a dream to be able to do something like that and to interact with individuals on such a high level.

    “And it was a little bit daunting when it comes to some of the missions, but it was fun. It really was. It was a good time.”

    Here’s the full cast list:

    • Donna Kelce
    • Johnny Weir
    • Tara Lipinski
    • Lisa Rinna, Real Housewives
    • Dorinda Medley, Real Housewives (and Traitors Season 3)
    • Rob Cesternino, Survivor
    • Natalie Anderson, Survivor
    • Tiffany Mitchell, Big Brother
    • Ian Terry, Big Brother
    • Yam Yam Arocho, Survivor
    • Monet X Change, RuPaul’s Drag Race
    • Colton Underwood, The Bachelor
    • Mark Ballas, Dancing with the Stars
    • Porsha Williams, Real Housewives
    • Candiace Bassett, Real Housewives
    • Maura Higgins, Love Island
    • Eric Nam, singer
    • Ron Funches, comedian
    • Rob Rausch, Love Island
    • Kristen Kish, Top Chef
    • Stephen Colletti, actor
    • Michael Rapaport, actor
    • Caroline Stanbury, Real Housewives

    Can Donna Kelce win ‘The Traitors?’

    “Missions” plural? Could Mama Kelce be sticking around for a while?

    Shortly after she was revealed to be a part of the cast, the three Kelce boys — Jason, Travis, and their father, Ed — discussed the matriarch’s chances on the show … but only after the brothers explained to dad what the show was all about. However, once they explained the game, Ed’s response was to snore.

    “I haven’t got a [expletive] clue,” he said when asked about Donna’s chances. “I don’t know, I’m not a reality TV show type of person.”

    Before their mother joined The Traitors cast, the Kelce brothers revealed they were fans of the show, but neither thought they would do well, especially if picked to be a traitor.

    How can I watch ‘The Traitors?’

    The first three episodes of the show will premiere on Peacock Thursday at 9 p.m. ET (although last season, they usually ended up dropping early, at around 8:30 p.m.). New episodes will premiere each subsequent Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. There will be 12 episodes total, including the reunion show, which is hosted by Andy Cohen.

    Here’s a look at the full schedule:

    • Jan. 8: Episodes 1-3
    • Jan. 15: Episodes 4-5
    • Jan. 22: Episode 6
    • Jan. 29: Episode 7
    • Feb. 5: Episode 8
    • Feb. 12: Episode 9
    • Feb. 19: Episode 10
    • Feb. 26: Episode 11 (the finale) & Reunion

    If you can’t wait, a pair of clips showing the contestants’ arrival at Cumming’s castle were recently unveiled.

  • Indiana’s football run has made Kyle Schwarber ‘super fan out’ and helps him appreciate passion of Phillies fans

    Indiana’s football run has made Kyle Schwarber ‘super fan out’ and helps him appreciate passion of Phillies fans

    Kyle Schwarber will be in the stands Friday night, allowing his feelings to be controlled by the college football players in front of him the same way he often dictates people’s nights with one swing during the summer. He’ll be a fan, riding the emotional roller coaster with Indiana’s football team in Atlanta as the Hoosiers try to reach the national championship game with a victory over Oregon.

    “You’re living and dying with it and you’re like, ‘Man, this is what Phillies fans do for 162 games? That’s impressive,’” said Schwarber, the Phillies slugger who hit 56 home runs last season. “It brings back the super fan in you. It brings back that aspect. You’re in it and now you get to go super fan out on someone else.”

    Schwarber, 32, grew up near Cincinnati as an Ohio State fanatic but traded the Buckeyes for the Hoosiers after playing baseball for three seasons at Indiana. The school’s baseball team transformed during that time from an afterthought to a national power. The football team — which until November had the worst winning percentage in college football history — is now doing the same. And it’s allowing Schwarber to know what it feels like to be a fan in South Philly.

    Kyle Schwarber found his way back to the Phillies, and he hopes J.T. Realmuto does the same

    “We have people who show up and care,” Schwarber said. “How many times have we gone to a weekend series and it wasn’t sold out for any of those games? A Monday night or Tuesday night or a Wednesday afternoon, we have 40,000-plus. That’s awesome. Now you get to see that for these kids in college. This is so awesome and it’s such an awesome experience for me to be able to fan out.”

    Schwarber will be IU’s honorary captain for Friday’s Peach Bowl against Oregon. He narrated the team’s hype video before its Big Ten championship win over Ohio State and sat next to Lee Corso in 2024 when College GameDay came to Indiana. It might be harder to find a bigger IU football fan than the Phillies slugger, who was elected to the school’s Hall of Fame last year.

    A linebacker in high school, Schwarber had football tickets as a freshman, but the Hoosiers won just one game. The football program did little while Schwarber was there — “There wasn’t much winning going on,” he said — and it was hard to imagine the sport ever catching on at a basketball school.

    “It was like the tailgate fields were filled and then everyone vanished when it was game time,” Schwarber said.

    Now he’s wearing Indiana gear on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — “You have to wear it the day before game day, on game day, the day after they win,” Schwarber said — and texting his old buddies about the football team. Schwarber said people call him a bandwagon fan. Nope, he said. This is his school. Schwarber drove to Notre Dame last winter to tailgate at IU’s playoff game with his old baseball teammates and is flying to Friday’s Peach Bowl.

    Here are the Philly-area connections to know in the College Football Playoff semifinals

    “It’s so much fun now,” Schwarber said. “Now that they’re good, it takes away that Ohio State in you. You were there. You went to school there. It just revamps you — that’s my team, that’s my school. It brings back the super fan in you.”

    The turnaround started in November 2023 with the arrival of head coach Curt Cignetti, who was the quarterbacks coach at Temple under Jerry Berndt from 1989-92 and coached Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2011-16. The Hoosiers reached the College Football Playoff last season, and became the nation’s No. 1 team in December a week before their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, won the Heisman Trophy. The doormats rapidly became a powerhouse.

    “I need a documentary,” Schwarber said. “I need to meet Cig and see how in the heck does this guy come in from having one of the worst winning percentages in college football history to taking it in two years to a College Football Playoff team and then being No. 1 in the country the next year and being a win away from the national championship. It’s surreal.

    Kyle Schwarber played three seasons at Indiana on his way to being a first-round pick by the Cubs in 2014.

    “It’s so awesome to watch. It gives you goose bumps when you can sit back and realize that, ‘Man, Indiana is getting some really cool recognition.’ I wish I could go back all the time. It’s such a beautiful campus. It feels like the perfect college town with nothing around it. Just cornfields around it and it’s beautiful. To have a place like that get recognition because our football team is doing amazing things.”

    Schwarber started hitting earlier this month as he prepares for the first year of his newly signed five-year, $150 million contract. He could have gone elsewhere in free agency but said he often thought about the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park on a Tuesday in May or a Friday in October. He knows now how it feels to sit in the stands.

    Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs in an epic 2025 season. Here’s what to know about each one.

    “I’m not the outrageous, screaming, yelling guy,” Schwarber said. “That was the younger me watching the Bengals, screaming at the TV. Now being professional and understanding, you just understand a little more and not screaming, ‘How the hell did that dude not catch the ball?’ No, the guy is trying to catch the ball. He just didn’t. But I’ll be the first one to let you know that Indiana scored or Indiana stopped them on a fourth down or didn’t jump on a fake punt on fourth down. I’ll be the first one to let you know.

    “I’m going to be screaming and yelling and losing my mind Friday and then come home the next day and my wife will be like, ‘What the hell happened?’ That’s what this is about. It’s the escape and it brings you back to being the fan.”

  • 🦅 Roll the tape | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 Roll the tape | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Ahead of Sunday’s Eagles wild-card playoff game against San Francisco (4:30 p.m., Fox 29), the question of “how good is this 49ers team, really?” is a fair one.

    Unless you’re a fan of the team, or really like watching game highlights or have multiple games up on your screen on Sunday, you’re like a lot of Eagles fans wondering the same thing. Sure, the team is coming off a season-ending loss, but the Niners lost to the Seattle Seahawks, the No. 1 team in the NFC this season.

    But how effective is Brock Purdy or how elusive is Christian McCaffrey, or how did a 49ers defensive unit get this far, being this banged-up and without one of the best linebackers in the game in Fred Warner? Well, today we’re leading off with the latest from The Inquirer’s Devin Jackson, who for a large part of this season has been analyzing game film on Eagles opponents, pointing out the warning signs alongside the spots the Birds can exploit.

    If you’re reading this as early as we’re dropping it, then grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever your go-to morning beverage is and breakdown some game film with us.

    It should be another nice day across the region, with temperatures in the high 40s under partly sunny skies. Perfect.

    — Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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

    ❓What have you noticed about this 49ers team coming on Sunday? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Walker and Barlow’s dwindling days

    Jabari Walker, who previously played on a standard deal in Portland, has outplayed his two-way contract.

    The 76ers loaded up their frontcourt in advance of an uncertain Joel Embiid season. He’s been available more than anyone expected, creating a logjam at center and power forward. One major cause of that is the performance of two-way acquisitions Jabari Walker and Dom Barlow, who have performed more like members of the rotation.

    Because of that, they’ve spent extended time up with the Sixers and their available days on the roster could be dwindling unless their contracts are converted to standard deals. It’s something Walker tries not to focus on.

    “Every now and then, it will pop up in my mind, but just putting my energy toward what I can control right now,” Walker said. “And whatever happens, just knowing that I left an impact on my teammates and left an impact in the game. I think that’s the biggest truth.”

    What we’re …

    👀 Watching: The status of Flyers Jamie Drysdale and Bobby Brink after sustaining injuries from a pair of blindside hits in Tuesday’s game against the Ducks.

    🦾 Introducing: Villanova’s Brynn McCurry, the “bionic” presence on the Wildcats’ women’s basketball team.

    📖 Reading: The latest shenanigans coming off the most recent episode of the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast.

    🏀 Sharing: The good news is that, ahead of the Sixers’ win over the Wizards, both Trendon Watford and Kelly Oubre Jr., who were nursing injuries, were full participants at shootaround and played vs. Washington.

    🤔 Wondering: Is Bo Bichette really a possibility for the Phillies? Let’s explore.

    Helping Harper

    In Don Mattingly, right, Bryce Harper now has a former superstar player on the Phillies coaching staff.

    Although Bryce Harper met Don Mattingly only briefly at the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami and may not be able to recite all the pertinent numbers — .307 average, 222 homers, nine Gold Gloves, six All-Star appearances — it’s a safe bet he appreciates his nearly Hall of Fame-level place in the sport.

    And it has been years since Harper played for anyone with those credentials as a player.

    That wasn’t the primary reason the Phillies this week finalized a two-year contract with Mattingly to be the bench coach. They wanted another voice in the dugout alongside manager Rob Thomson.

    But Mattingly’s career gives him instant credibility among players, especially star players. His impact on Harper could be profound.

    Halfway home

    Trevor Zegras celebrates his first goal of the Flyers’ win over the Anaheim Ducks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Hockey is all about the details. So, it should be noted that the Flyers have hit the halfway mark of the NHL season with a 21-12-7 record highlighted by a win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Now some believe coach Rick Tocchet has this team looking like one that could crack the NHL playoffs instead of just teasing the notion.

    The Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel takes a look at some of the highlights of the team’s last game and how it reflects a bigger picture.

    Next up: The Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs (20-15-7) tonight (7 p.m., NBCSP).

    ‘Control’ freak

    Former Union standout Mark McKenzie practices in Chester with the U.S. men’s national team ahead of its game against Paraguay in November.

    Mark McKenzie is on a roller coaster. In the last six months, the former Union standout has been a regular starter for his new club, Toulouse, in the French first division, has had multiple call-ups with the U.S. men’s national team, and is about three months into fatherhood, welcoming a baby boy in October.

    McKenzie is doing all of this under the backdrop of hoping to be on U.S. men’s manager Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup roster in a few months. It’s a lot to juggle, but he catches up with The Inquirer to explain how he’s keeping “control” of it all.

    In the women’s side, The Inquirer’s Jonathan Tannenwald has the details on the U.S. women’s national team convening in north Jersey in March for a game against Colombia as part of the SheBelieves Cup tournament.

    On this date

    Jan. 8, 1995: Phillies slugger and 12-time All-Star Mike Schmidt gets into the Hall of Fame. How about two more? On this date in 1972, the NCAA allowed freshmen to compete in college athletics. Fast forward 12 years to 1984, and the NCAA Tournament expanded to a 64-team field.

    Standings, stats, and more

    Looking for detailed stats coming off last night’s Sixers game? Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

    What you’re saying about the World Cup

    We asked: Which matchups are you most looking forward to in the World Cup?

    Nothing turns me off more than price gouging. $60,000 for a pair of tickets for a soccer game? Some games are selling for over $100,000 a pair! Seriously now. I could buy two high-end cars and have a little left over for lunch money. — Ronald R.

    I’m looking forward to France and Mbappe, England and Harry Kane. But mostly, I’m looking forward to our USA boys, to see if they can stay healthy and live up to their potential as the strongest USA team ever. Go Brenden! — Joel G.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Devin Jackson, Jackie Spiegel, Gustav Elvin, Keith Pompey, Colin Schofield, Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Katie Lewis, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Kerith Gabriel.

    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.

    That’s my time, Philly. Have a good one, we’ll catch you tomorrow. — Kerith