On Tuesday evening, a few days ahead of the Eagles’ wild-card round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, Center City bar Ladder 15 received an email, with a group of 100-200 people looking to book out the space over the weekend.
The only problem? It was a large group of Niners fans, looking for a place to take over on Friday night in preparation for Sunday’s game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Manager Steve Dowling, who handles event bookings at the bar, sent the email to fellow manager Joe Chilutti, who was at Tuesday’s Flyers game against Anaheim. The two lifelong Eagles fans quickly agreed they could not betray the city in a time like this.
“After very little consideration, we cannot in good conscience host anything that has to do with the 49ers,” the bar wrote back in response, in an email they shared on Instagram. “We’re Birds fans til the end. We Bleed Green. We Back our team even when it comes at a cost. Only reason I wish you luck, is because the 49ers are going to need it.”
“Was there a little part of me that felt bad sending that email? Somewhat, but minuscule,” Dowling said. “But what I felt better about was that we were backing our city.”
That said, turning down a large group did mean turning down a fair amount of money. Chilutti knew they couldn’t sell out by taking in a big group of opposing fans on playoff weekend, and Ladder 15 happily made that sacrifice — but he decided to post it on Instagram in hopes of making a funny moment out of it, and maybe attracting a little more attention to the bar.
The post quickly went viral on social media, and Chilutti’s phone has been blowing up ever since. Even if it hadn’t, though, no regrets.
“Obviously money’s green to us, and we love it and we need it in order to survive as a business,” Dowling said. “But in a weekend like this, going into the playoffs, the only green we really want to see is Birds green.”
Homegrown midfielder Ben Bender has reached an agreement on a new contract with the Union that could see him remain with the club through 2028, the team announced Wednesday.
Bender, 24, who was in the club’s academy system and was a first-round MLS SuperDraft selection in 2022 by Charlotte FC, agreed to a deal that retains him through the June 2027 transfer window, with an option to remain until the June international transfer window in 2028.
Bender appeared in seven league matches after joining the club in May of last season. Manager Bradley Carnell lauded his “work ethic” in addition to the “positive contributions” he made on the field.
Ben is back 🐍
Philadelphia Union has reached an agreement on a new contract with midfielder Ben Bender.
“Ben has been a positive addition and has made meaningful contributions since returning to the Union last May,” Carnell said in a statement. “When given opportunities, he’s consistently made the most of them, bringing a high level of competitiveness and a strong work ethic to the pitch every day. We’re confident in his continued development and future impact with the team.”
Bender will remain in what looks to be a crowded yet versatile attacking midfield corps. He’ll primarily compete with midfielders Milan Iloski, Indiana Vassilev, and brothers Quinn and Cavan Sullivan, the latter of whom is heading into his third season of a five-year deal before departing for Manchester City of the English Premier League.
With Tai Baribo’s departure, Iloski could move into an attacking role, much like he did when he was paired with Baribo in a two-man attacking formation. This would create more opportunities for a player like Bender, who can work effectively in a supporting role for the forward units or play as a more box-to-box midfielder.
The Union will begin the first phase of a two-part preseason on Jan. 17 in Marbella, Spain, before returning at the end of the month to prepare for their second camp in Clearwater, Fla. The club’s first official match will be in the Concacaf Champions Cup against host Defence Force in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on Feb. 18, followed by a return leg at Subaru Park on Feb. 26.
The club will open MLS play on the road against D.C. United on Feb. 21 (7:30 p.m., Apple TV).
With a dearth of centers on the market, the pivot-needy Flyers acted quickly to retain one of their own, signing Christian Dvorak to a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension on Monday night.
The deal, which kicks in next season, carries a reasonable $5.15 million average annual value but will pay the soon-to-be 30-year-old Dvorak through the age of 35. It also contains some player trade protection, including a full no-move clause in the first two seasons.
But was general manager Danny Brière right to lock in a player who is having a career year but doesn’t necessarily fit the team’s age profile? We asked our writers to grade the deal from a Flyers perspective.
Jackie Spiegel: B
Why did the Flyers sign Dvorak to an extension? Just take a look at Trevor Zegras’ first goal in the Flyers’ statement win Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks.
There is no denying the chemistry the two friends have on the ice. According to Natural Stat Trick, when they are on the ice together at five-on-five, the Flyers have scored 27 goals. When it’s Zegras without Dvorak? Seven. When it’s Dvorak without Zegras? Five.
But while their connection has not only fueled a possible career year for Zegras, it has done the same for Dvorak. At 29 years old, he is on pace for 18 goals and 53 points, which would demolish his career high of 38 set in 70 games during the COVID-19-impacted 2019-20 season. And his coach that year? Rick Tocchet.
Dvorak has an established bond with Tocchet and Zegras, and while both appreciate his smart 200-foot play and his propensity to drive the net — something this team has long missed — Dvorak also brings stability and versatility. He can play up and down the lineup at wing or center, and at any strength.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak is on pace to tie his career high of 18 goals and shatter his career high of 38 points.
This is something to keep in mind when asking the question about him standing in the way of future centers like Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, and Jack Nesbitt. Although no one knows what the roster will look like in one to three years, knowing the veteran forward can slide over or down when those guys are ready is key.
And there has been some chatter that maybe, just maybe, because the Flyers have an abundance of high-end talent on the wing in Porter Martone, Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Alex Bump, and, for argument’s sake, Zegras, the need is just for solid centers who can complement these guys. Why not have a responsible two-way guy like Dvorak fill one of those slots?
Plus, it needs to be noted how much the Montreal Canadiens and their reporters have said that Dvorak is missed in the locker room and on the ice.
Now, it is only 41 games into Dvorak’s tenure in Philly, so it’s interesting that Dvorak is being handed a long-term deal; he did say on Tuesday that term was important to him. But Brière continues to stress that he likes guys who bet on themselves, like Ryan Poehling, like Noah Juulsen, like Dan Vladař, and like Dvorak did when he signed over the summer and did again on Monday.
Will there be the same motivation going forward? Dvorak seems like a guy who is determined to keep the pedal to the floor.
“We wanted to get to know him a little better, and since he arrived, total pro,” the GM said. “What he’s done on the ice, he’s a good example for our players and for all our young guys that are coming up; that’s the part that I love.
“His play speaks for itself, obviously. But I’m excited about what he’s bringing to the rest of the team, and eventually all our good young prospects, being able to play both ends of the ice, win faceoffs, smart hockey. I’m excited that he wanted to stay here. I think for us, it’s a good sign [that] someone who bet on himself chose us and then wants to stay here. It’s very exciting.”
There’s a lot to read between the lines on that quote, but the biggest is “chose us.” Philly hasn’t been a destination for a while, and it’s fair to say that with the free-agent market for centers shrinking by the day, Dvorak would have been paid handsomely. But he chose the Flyers because he believes in what is happening here.
The Flyers are doing so well in part because of a good vibe in the locker room. It happened for a long chunk of the 2023-24 season before the wheels fell off. Locker room chemistry is vital to on-ice production. Teams have fallen apart when players have been traded. It’s why a team makes, let’s say, the Stanley Cup Final, and, for lack of a better term, a glue guy is allowed to walk or is traded, and it quickly falls apart.
Could this deal age poorly? Sure. But could it also work out and pay off? Yes. And why not take a gamble when you know things are going well now, things should get better for the team in the future, and well, there’s not much else out there?
Trevor Zegras has thrived alongside Christian Dvorak and was thrilled to see his close friend sign a long-term deal in Philly.
Gustav Elvin: C
I’ve been largely a Brière defender to this point, as I think he’s done an underrated job of clearing bad contracts or fits from the previous regime like Ivan Provorov, Kevin Hayes, Tony DeAngelo, and Joel Farabee, while patiently stockpiling assets and making some shrewd additions like Sean Walker, Zegras, and Vladař. But I simply can’t wrap my head around this one for the Flyers.
Dvorak is a good player, and $5.15 million is fair monetary value for a player who plays a position of need and seems to have some untapped offensive skill and chemistry alongside Zegras. But giving an oft-injured, soon-to-be 30-year-old center, not to mention one who has primarily been a third- and fourth-liner until this season, five years is a major risk and potentially a costly misstep as the rebuilding Flyers inch closer to their window of contention. A three-year deal with a higher $6 million or $6.5 million AAV would have made more sense to me from a Flyers perspective.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere is taking a risk signing a nearly 30-year-old center to a five-year contract.
To borrow a 2024 line from former coach John Tortorella, whom I did not expect to be channeling here, the Flyers “can’t fall in love” with players who don’t fit the timeline or plan. Signing Dvorak — someone the team prioritized signing to a one-year deal so much so that it overpaid him just six months ago — to a contract with this long a term is doing exactly that. It’s a rash response to a barren center market and an overreaction to a player on pace for a career year while attached to a really good creator in Zegras.
To me, this screams: We don’t have a No. 1 center and none are available, so let’s sign the closest thing we’ve got, even though he’s ideally a third-line center. To make matters worse, the Flyers already have two of these guys signed long-term in Sean Couturier and Noah Cates.
From a 30,000-foot view, the move appears to be a signal that the Flyers are done rebuilding in earnest and now are ready to push for the playoffs. It will be a popular deal with the players in the locker room and surely will add juice for them to try and get over the line this spring. But might it have lasting consequences?
While I don’t think this move alone completely kiboshes the team’s future, it sets a worrying precedent. The mantras of “patience” and “threading the needle” that Brière and president Keith Jones have constantly preached suddenly seem to be taking a backseat to winning. This will remind many of the panic moves from the Flyers’ past, when general managers and ownership prioritized sneaking into the playoffs rather than looking in the mirror, tearing it down, and trying to build a sustainable Stanley Cup contender from the studs up.
It also seems like a bit of an indictment of the center prospects in the system like Luchanko, Nesbitt, and Berglund, and their potential timelines to becoming NHL contributors. The Flyers are no closer to having a bona fide No. 1 center or No. 1 center prospect after this deal, and no matter how good their wingers are or how hard they work collectively, they won’t be legitimate Cup contenders until they unearth or acquire at least one. Dvorak is a solid player, not a great one, and the Flyers already have plenty of those. While he might help the Flyers reach the playoffs this season, he isn’t the type of needle-mover that will help them truly contend in a top-six role.
At best, Brière’s big bet pays off and Dvorak stays healthy and continues to produce at this season’s level. But I’ve seen this story countless times before with aging centermen with a lot of tread on the tires. It usually doesn’t end well.
Tuesday’s Flyers-Ducks game was always going to have extra emotion and intensity given the connections and bad blood between the teams after Cutter Gauthier demanded a trade from Philadelphia two years ago.
That bad blood quickly ratcheted up another level when two Flyers were injured by blindsided hits. Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale each left the game and did not return.
“Still getting evaluated, type of thing,” coach Rick Tocchet said on Wednesday. “I don’t want to say it’s a day-to-day. I don’t know yet. So it’s kind of one of those things. … I really don’t know. I talked to them today; they’re in a half-decent mood. Still being evaluated, so we’ll see.”
Brink was blindsided by a Jansen Harkins hit just 2 minutes, 38 seconds into the first period.
Off the rush, the Flyers winger received a pass from Nikita Grebenkin and was skating toward the slot when Harkins cut across the slot and clipped Brink up high. The Flyers winger did not return to the bench in the first period and was later ruled out with an upper-body injury.
Noah Cates went right after Harkins, and the two dropped their gloves. Both players received five-minute majors for fighting, and Cates was handed an extra two minutes for instigating. Harkins was not assessed a penalty for the initial hit.
According to Hockeyfights.com, it is Cates’ first pro hockey fight. The site says he logged one fight when he was with Omaha of the United States Hockey League in 2018, dropping the gloves with Paul Cotter, who now plays for the New Jersey Devils.
Injury struck for the Flyers again in the second period, as Drysdale went down after a cheap hit well away from the puck by Ducks forward Ross Johnston.
Johnston was skating into the zone and ran over an unsuspecting Drysdale, who was curling up top near the blue line. The puck was deep in the Ducks’ zone at the time. Johnston appeared to be pleading that the hit was incidental and just a collision between two players who didn’t see one another. On replay, it appeared that Johnson had enough to see and avoid Drysdale and that he even stuck out an arm and threw it into Drysdale. The two seemed to bang knee-to-knee, with Drysdale also absorbing a blow up high.
Garnet Hathaway steamrolled Owen Zellweger.
Ross Johnston retaliated with a cheap shot on Jamie Drysdale. The stretcher came out for Drysdale who refused to get on it then went down the tunnel with Tommy Alva. Johnston got a game misconduct for the hit. pic.twitter.com/abzrsLQqPn
Johnston was handed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. The play by Johnston came after Garnet Hathaway drilled Olen Zellweger — cleanly — in the offensive zone. The Flyers failed to score on the five-minute power play.
Drysdale, who was acquired in the deal for Gauthier almost two years ago to the day, laid on the ice and did not move for a considerable amount of time. The stretcher did come out, and the doctors came out of the stands, but Drysdale sat up and skated off the ice with help.
He did not return and was officially ruled out at the start of the third period with an undisclosed injury.
There was no supplemental discipline handed out by the NHL on any of the hits.
Wild-card weekend is on the horizon, and a crucial contest awaits the Eagles as they prepare to host the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday.
After succumbing to the Washington Commanders, 24-17, in their regular-season finale, the Eagles (11-6) received the NFC’s No. 3 seed. The sixth-seeded 49ers (12-5) are coming off a 14-3 loss to the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks. As a result, an NFC playoff rivalry between San Francisco and Philadelphia will reignite.
On the latest episode of New Heights, former Eagles center Jason Kelce expressed his optimism surrounding the Birds’ upcoming matchup. Meanwhile, Travis Kelce addressed the question of whether he will return for another season with the Kansas City Chiefs, or join his brother in retirement.
Resting up
The Eagles elected to give most of their starters a break in Week 18, but suffered a disappointing loss to the Commanders with mostly backups on the field.
Jason Kelce defended Nick Sirianni’s decision to rest his starters, despite the Eagles missing the opportunity to enter the playoffs as a No. 2 seed. Detroit’s win over Chicago, along with an Eagles victory last week, would have improved Philadelphia’s standing.
“To be honest with you, I felt pretty confident that the Eagles backups would beat the Commanders, and I think that they should’ve,” Kelce said. “They didn’t finish the game well. They started off pretty good. … But it looks bad in hindsight. Because of the Chicago loss, we got the egg on our face because we didn’t play our starters, and we could’ve had the two seed, most likely.”
Drawing from his own experience, Kelce emphasized the advantage of having a well-rested squad to face the 49ers, who are a bit banged up after playing their starters in Week 18. The Eagles’ 2023 season, Kelce’s last before retirement, ended with the battered Birds suffering a 32-9 defeat to Tampa Bay in the wild-card round.
“The last time we played our guys in a game like this [in 2023], it ended up costing us some meaningful people,” Kelce said. “At this point in the season, when you have the opportunity to avoid somebody getting hurt, and you don’t know for certain that playing guys is going to help you, I don’t know that it benefits you that much. At the end of the day, you still have to go through good teams to win the Super Bowl. … Now, we get a week of rest. Our whole offensive line has been so banged up, and a lot of those guys got the opportunity to get healthier.”
In the end, Kelce doesn’t believe the fate of this year’s Eagles will come down to whether or not they beat the Commanders, even if the loss did potentially cost them an extra home playoff game.
“I don’t think that the Week 18 [loss] is going to determine the outcome of this team,” Kelce said. “When we play up to our potential, with the defense we have and the offensive firepower we have, I think we can beat anybody.”
Was Sunday’s loss to the Raiders Travis Kelce’s final NFL game?
Travis shares postseason thoughts
Also on Wednesday’s episode, Travis Kelce admitted to ending the 2025 campaign with an “embarrassing feeling” as the Chiefs failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
But it was far from a lackluster season for the Kansas City tight end on an individual scale. Jason congratulated his brother for putting his name into NFL record books, including becoming only the third tight end to surpass 13,000 career receiving yards.
When it came to whether he will retire, Travis, 36, said that he had not yet made up his mind.
“I’ve talked to a few people in the [Chiefs] facility already in my exit meetings, and they know where I stand now,” the younger Kelce brother said. “There’s a lot of love for the game, and I don’t think I’ll ever lose that. It’s a tough thing to navigate. But at the same time, if my body can heal up and rest up, and I can feel confident that I can go out there and give it another 21-week run — I would do it in a heartbeat.
“So right now, it’s just finding that answer, and seeing how my body feels after this game, when it all settles down.”
For the first time all season, the 76ers had all of their main players available heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards.
Kelly Oubre Jr.and Trendon Watford were both cleared to play after being upgraded from questionable and probable earlier in the day. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid, who’s dealing left knee injury management and right ankle soreness, will play after being listed as questionable on Tuesday.
Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford were on hand at the #Sixers’ Wednesday morning shootaround. Jabari Walker talked about the possible of having a full squad for the first time this season Wednesday night vs. the Wizards at Xfinity Mobile Arena. pic.twitter.com/huFE5s0SfC
Oubre has been sidelined since he suffered a sprained left knee ligament against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 14. Watford has not played since he suffered a strained left thigh muscle against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 25.
“Especially after coming back from the loss that we just had, I think it adds more energy,” Jabari Walker said of the possibility of finally having a full roster. “Now we are playing for something bigger. We are playing for everybody. You know, games like that naturally boost everyone’s energy.
“So I’m excited for tonight. We have literally everything we need. It’s a matter of us coming together and jelling as a group.”
Meanwhile, the Wizards (10-25) will be without the injured Kyshawn George (left hip), CJ McCollum (right quadriceps), Khris Middleton (right knee), and former Villanova standout Cam Whitmore (right shoulder).
Dwindling days
Walker and Dominick Barlow aren’t your traditional two-way players. These contracts are usually reserved for seldom-used players, but Barlow is the Sixers’ starting power forward and Walker serves as his dependable backup.
Their availability is beginning to dwindle, though.
Barlow, who missed 10 games this season with an injury, has 26 games left on his two-way deal. Walker has only 16 left.
But since the Sixers have a standard-contract roster spot available, their remaining available games are lower. The team has only 20 games remaining among Barlow, Walker, and MarJon Beauchamp, their third two-way player. Beauchamp has spent most of his time with the Delaware Blue Coats after signing with the Sixers on Dec. 26.
So, in theory, if Barlow and Walker played in 10 straight games, the Sixers would be without two-way contracts until they signed an extra player. One way to briefly fill the 15th standard roster spot is to sign someone to a 10-day contract.
#Sixers reserve power Jabari Walker talks about he and Dom Barlow being on two-way contracts, how they can impact the team and thoughts on the dwindling days left of his contract. pic.twitter.com/PJLgqT8Tm8
But the Sixers could convert Barlow or Walker’s contract to a standard deal. Then they could convert the remaining two-way power forward after trading or waiving one of their current teammates on a standard deal.
“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 of the dwindling days. “And just 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.”
Walker has averaged 4.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 13.0 minutes in 32 games. Meanwhile, Barlow has averaged career highs of 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 24.0 minutes through 24 games, with a career-high 21 starts.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow averaged career highs of 8.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 24.0 minutes through 24 games, with a career-high 21 starts.
Right now, the two aren’t letting the two-way contracts define them, given the unique situation.
Walker spent the last three seasons on a standard contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. Barlow’s previous two-way deals with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks were converted to standard deals.
“We’re both big pieces, and we have similar styles sometimes with our energy,” Walker said. “So we just talk about how we can be effective with the team, how we can both bring more energy.”
Two defensive players from the Philadelphia area will be in the spotlight for Miami when it takes on Mississippi in a College Football Playoff semifinal on Thursday (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
The Hurricanes will face the Rebels in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz. In the other semifinal, Indiana will face Oregon in Atlanta’s Peach Bowl on Friday (7:30 p.m., ESPN). The winners will advance to the national championship on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.
There are several local connections on the rosters and coaching staffs in both games. Here’s a look at some of the Philadelphia-area ties in the national semifinals:
The Hurricanes’ defense features two players with local connections, with David Blay on the defensive line and Mohamed Toure at linebacker.
Toure, who hails from Pleasantville in Atlantic County, leads the Hurricanes defense with 69 tackles in 14 games. Toure was a three-star recruit out of Pleasantville High School, where he starred as a running back and linebacker.
After graduating from Pleasantville in 2019, Toure spent six years at Rutgers. He missed the 2022 season after a preseason ACL tear but returned in 2023 to lead the Scarlet Knights in sacks and tackles for loss. Toure was on the preseason watch list for the 2024 Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker, but suffered another ACL tear in training camp and missed Rutgers’ 2024 campaign.
Toure transferred to Miami as a graduate student this offseason and has emerged as a crucial part of a defense that is limiting opponents to 13.1 points per game, ranking fourth in the FBS. He recorded eight tackles in a 10-3 win over Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff and seven more in Miami’s 24-14 upset of Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl quarterfinal.
Mohamed Toure recorded eight tackles in a 10-3 win over Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Blay also is in his first season with the Hurricanes. The fifth-year senior is from Levittown. Blay was a standout defensive tackle at Harry S. Truman High School but went nearly unnoticed in recruiting. He spent the first two seasons of his college career at West Chester before transferring to Louisiana Tech in 2023, where he was named to the All-Conference USA first team in 2024.
Blay transferred to Miami for his fifth season of college football. In 11 games, Blay has recorded 27 tackles, including 2½ for loss.
Indiana
Coach Curt Cignetti’s roster features Jah Jah Boyd, who was a three-star recruit out of Roman Catholic in 2024. Boyd has appeared in five games at defensive back for the Hoosiers this year. He was the MVP of the Catholic League in 2023 after setting Roman’s single-season reception record as a senior, catching 38 passes for 769 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Cignetti also has ties to the city. The back-to-back AP Coach of the Year was the quarterbacks coach at Temple from 1989 to 1992 under coach Jerry Berndt. Cignetti also was a head coach at Division II Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti was the quarterbacks coach at Temple from 1989 to 1992.
Ola Adams, who coaches safeties and defensive backs for Indiana, spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Villanova. Adams served as the Wildcats’ running backs coach in 2015 and 2016 under Andy Talley, then was promoted to special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach when Mark Ferrante succeeded Talley in 2017.
Adams was promoted to Villanova’s defensive coordinator in 2019, a role he held for three seasons before joining the Denver Broncos as an assistant defensive backs coach in 2022. Adams made a stop as a defensive analyst at Penn State in 2023 before joining Cignetti’s staff in Bloomington, Ind.
Oregon
Jovon McRae II is the only Oregon player with a Philadelphia-area connection. The freshman wide receiver is from Camden, although he played his high school football at Mojave High School in North Las Vegas, Nev.
McRae, who also played basketball and ran track at Mojave, has yet to appear in a game for Dan Lanning’s Ducks.
Eagles fans may remember Joe Judge from an unsuccessful two-season stint as the head coach of the New York Giants in 2020 and 2021. More recently, he has been on the sidelines for Ole Miss. He joined Lane Kiffin’s staff as a senior analyst in 2024 and was promoted to quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2025 season.
Judge grew up in Doylestown and graduated from Lansdale Catholic in 2000. He played quarterback for Mississippi State from 2000 to 2004 and joined the Bulldogs’ staff as a graduate assistant in 2005. Judge spent time on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama and with Bill Belichick’s Patriots before becoming the head coach of the Giants.
Joe Judge was head coach of the New York Giants for two seasons.
Despite Kiffin’s departure for LSU ahead of the College Football Playoff, Judge will remain on staff at Ole Miss. He’s expected to return as an assistant during Pete Golding’s first full season as head coach.
Penn State fans tuning in for the Fiesta Bowl will recognize Harrison Wallace III, who spent four seasons at State College. The receiver joined Ole Miss as a redshirt senior after the Nittany Lions’ run to the College Football Playoff semifinal last season. Wallace led Penn State’s wideouts in receptions and yardage in 2024, although he trailed former tight end Tyler Warren in both categories. Wallace has emerged as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ top target this season, leading Ole Miss with 57 receptions for 894 yards.
It’s hard to miss Brynn McCurry when she takes the floor at the Finneran Pavilion. The Villanova forward has two large, bulky braces on the right side of her body. One brace supports her knee, where she tore her anterior cruciate ligament before last season. The other is on her elbow, protecting a torn ulnar collateral ligament, an injury typically associated with baseball.
After McCurry missed all of last season with the ACL injury, she suffered the torn UCL just before this season started. But she knew she was not going to sit out another full year.
So McCurry strapped on the braces and embraced a look she calls “bionic.” Despite the injuries, McCurry, who’s averaging 11.8 points in 11 games this season, has blossomed into an integral part of the Wildcats’ roster, helping them to a 12-3 record as their second-leading scorer and leading rebounder.
Despite mobility being limited due to braces on her elbow and knee, Villanova’s Brynn McCurry (left) has emerged as the leading rebounder and second-leading scorer for the Wildcats.
“It’s a great feeling just to be out there in itself, but also being on a team that’s been so successful,” McCurry said. “… And just being able to be back playing with people that I’ve never gotten to play with. So it’s a great feeling to be out there, and an even better feeling to be winning.”
Injury issues first popped up for McCurry during her senior season at Sparta (N.J.) High School in 2022-23, when she suffered a torn left ACL in mid-December, ending her high school career.
McCurry enrolled at Villanova but spent most of her freshman year playing sparingly off the bench. However, her role increased near the end of the season. She played double-digit minutes in seven of the Wildcats’ final nine games, which helped her confidence grow.
That confidence continued to rise when the team traveled to Italy for exhibition games in the summer of 2024. McCurry looked like the best player on a team full of newcomers to coach Denise Dillon, and her sophomore leap seemed inevitable.
“A lot of our team had left in [the] transfer portal or graduated, so that was a great experience,” McCurry said. “[But] the momentum kind of just stopped once I tore my ACL.”
Brynn McCurry battles St. Joseph’s forward Faith Stinson during the clash in the Big 5 women’s basketball championship in December.
Just as the team began ramping up its preseason in September 2024, McCurry suffered a torn right ACL.
The injury set up another nine-month recovery period as she was finding her role on the court. However, with the help of her support system, McCurry attacked her rehab to return to the court as soon as possible.
“Once you have surgery, it’s done; you’ve got to start rehabbing again,” McCurry said. “So just having a good support system around me, my family came down and was with me for the first week after surgery because you can’t do a lot by yourself. But after that, Villanova, my teammates, and the coaches took great care of me.”
That setback meant McCurry had to spend another season watching from the sidelines. She remained positive in her year off, motivated to get back to the court and compete.
She was healthy for Villanova’s preseason this fall, albeit supported by a large knee brace. Then, more bad news struck following a seemingly normal practice.
Brynn McCurry’s brace protects what she discovered was a torn ligament in her right elbow. She’ll look to undergo Tommy John surgery in the offseason.
McCurry was playing defense and had her right arm caught in a screen, leaving a tingly feeling in her arm, almost as if she hit her funny bone. Initially, she wasn’t too concerned, but she discovered the next day she could not turn doorknobs with her right hand. Scans revealed a torn UCL. She’ll need to undergo Tommy John surgery, but she has put that off.
“I’m just trying to push through this season without having to get that done, and wearing that big brace is how I can do it,” McCurry said. “So I look a little bit bionic out there on my right side, but whatever keeps me out there, as long as the doctors say I can just wear the brace, that’s what I’ll do.”
The elbow brace has affected McCurry’s shooting ability, but she has still developed into one of the Wildcats’ crucial players this season — braces and all.
She came off the bench in the first four games and didn’t score more than seven points. McCurry entered the starting lineup against James Madison on Nov. 16 and scored a then-career-high 18 points with seven assists.
McCurry has been on a tear since that breakout performance. She scored in double figures in the next five games, including three straight games with 20 or more points. McCurry put up 21 points in an 81-59 upset of then-No. 25 West Virginia on Dec. 1. She scored another 21 points six days later to beat St. Joseph’s, 76-70, in the Big 5 Classic championship on Dec. 7.
“She picked up right where she had left off [in freshman year],” Dillon said. “She’s a consistent worker, and she understands the game so well. She knows what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and I’m super proud of her for continuing. Her resilience is amazing, and she’s getting results that are working in favor of this team’s success.”
McCurry’s first start coincided with the beginning of a 10-game winning streak, Villanova’s longest since the 2017-18 season. McCurry’s impact does not just come from scoring. She takes pride in being an all-around player, averaging 5.6 rebounds, and is second on the Wildcats with 58 assists.
Villanova’s winning streak ended against Marquette on Sunday, but it is in the NCAA Tournament conversation with two months to play. McCurry has been critical to the Wildcats’ success, despite playing with two big braces and a torn UCL. She is aiming to remain confident to end the season and to help her team continue to pick up wins.
“Being out, I got to see what some great players are,” McCurry said. “There are so many people out there, and Maddy Siegrist is a big one that everyone from Villanova knows, but just modeling myself after other great players.
“Confidence is a huge thing. So just continuing to be confident in myself and my teammates. I think we can be really successful.”
Local fans have become used to traveling up to northern New Jersey to watch the U.S. women’s soccer team, and in a few months, they’ll get to do it again.
The Americans will play Colombia on March 7 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison as part of the annual SheBelieves Cup tournament. Canada and Argentina are the other teams in this year’s field, and they’ll play at 12:30 p.m. before the U.S.-Colombia game at 3:30 p.m.
It will be the last day of the round-robin, with Nashville hosting the opening doubleheader on March 1 and Columbus, Ohio, hosting the middle games on March 4. The day also will feature the retirement tribute for U.S. legend Tobin Heath, a North Jersey native who earned first-ballot induction into this year’s National Soccer Hall of Fame class.
The U.S. women have played nine times at the 25,000-seat venue formerly known as Red Bull Arena. Their last seven games there have drawn sellout crowds.
Tobin Heath playing in Philadelphia in 2019. She won two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals, and two NWSL championships in her career.
Unfortunately, the U.S. kickoff time means that fans here who also follow the Union will have to choose between going north and going down to Chester for the Union’s 7:30 p.m. game against the San Jose Earthquakes.
In theory, they could try to race out of Harrison to get on the New Jersey Turnpike, but traffic up there is almost certain to make that impossible.
As for the teams in the SheBelieves field, Canada is the best of them on paper at No. 10 in FIFA’s global rankings. But the Canucks have lost five straight games, a streak that started with a 3-0 rout by the U.S. in June. Since then, they have faced Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Japan twice.
Colombia is the most intriguing team of the bunch. Las Cafeteras are ranked No. 20, but have three superstars in their attack: the Washington Spirit’s Leicy Santos, Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, and Chelsea’s Mayra Ramírez. Colombia made the final of last year’s Copa América and lost on penalty kicks to Brazil after a wild 4-4 tie.
U.S. Soccer tends to put the best game for the U.S. on the tournament’s last day, so it says something that Colombia got the honor this time.
Argentina is ranked No. 30, and finished third at last year’s Copa. Forward Paulina Gramaglia used to play for the Houston Dash, and is now with Spain’s Tenerife.
These games will be the first of a year that builds up to Concacaf’s women’s championship in November. The tournament will serve as qualifying for the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympics, though the U.S. doesn’t have to worry about the latter as the host.
“These are three teams that will likely be in the World Cup in 2027 and of course we’ll likely see Canada in World Cup qualifying at the end of the year, so when focusing on our continued preparations and growth as a team, the SheBelieves Cup is of great value,” U.S. manager Emma Hayes said in a statement. “Each team brings different strengths and will challenge us to find success in all parts of the field, which is exactly what we need as we continue our process to build toward the big events on the horizon.”
Ticket presales for U.S. Soccer members start on Thursday, and the general public sale starts on Monday.
U.S. manager Emma Hayes overseeing a practice in Chester in October.
SheBelieves Cup schedule
Sunday, March 1: Canada vs. Colombia (2 p.m., truTV and Universo) and United States vs. Argentina (5 p.m., TNT, truTV, Universo) in Nashville.
Wednesday, March 4: Argentina vs. Colombia (3:30 p.m., truTV and Universo) and United States vs. Canada (6:45 p.m., TNT, truTV, Universo) in Columbus, Ohio
Saturday, March 7: Canada vs. Argentina, 12:30 p.m. (truTV, Universo) and United States vs. Colombia (3:30 p.m., TBS, truTV, Telemundo 62, Universo) in Harrison, N.J.
All games also are available via online streaming on HBO Max in English and Peacock in Spanish.
Hard Knocks ushered in the new year on Tuesday, with the HBO documentary series showcasing the Eagles’ preparations for both their Week 18 matchup against the Washington Commanders and the playoffs.
The sixth episode focused on Nick Sirianni’s field goal superstitions, Jordan Davis’ impact on the team, DeVonta Smith securing another 1,000-yard season, and more.
Here’s what you may have missed from this week’s episode of Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East …
Just like us
Many fans have their game-day traditions, especially when it comes to field goals. If you have ever been mocked for blowing on the screen in an attempt to disrupt an opposing player’s kick, don’t be ashamed — even Sirianni has his rituals.
The Eagles coach revealed that he asked special teams coordinator Michael Clay the same question before Davis’ game-winning field goal block against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3 and Jalen Carter’s consequential extra point block against the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.
“The last time I was superstitious was during the [expletive] Rams game,” Sirianni said. “I go, ‘Clay, can we block this?’ And that was actually the first time we blocked a kick … because we needed a big play right there. I did it again in the Buffalo game. And that’s why superstitions are stupid, because that had nothing to do with why we blocked the kick.”
Whether or not the question “Can we block this?” joins the pantheon of Eagles’ fans’ game-day superstitions is yet to be seen, but don’t be surprised if you hear them asking one another the same question this weekend.
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (left) and safety Reed Blankenship warm up before Sunday’s game against the Commanders, but neither saw the field.
Some rest for the weary
The talk of the town following Sunday’s loss was Sirianni’s decision to rest most of the Eagles’ starters against the Commanders — despite still having a chance to capture the NFC’s second seed by securing a win (thanks to the Chicago Bears’ loss).
While fans were able to see Sirianni’s explanation to the media before the game, Hard Knocks provided a glimpse into how the Eagles coach broke the news to his players. Sirianni said that some players would be fully off — like Jalaen Phillips, who hadn’t yet had a bye week after his in-season trade from the Miami Dolphins — while some might dress and play a little, or dress and be ready just in case. Others, however, would get a chance to shine in their place.
“Some guys are going to have a great opportunity to play more than you have,” Sirianni said. “And make no mistake about it, we are going out there to win this [expletive] game. We are going out there to win this [expletive] game.”
Several resting starters decided to flip to the other side of the ball while not getting their normal first-team reps in practice, including Jordan Mailata and Cooper DeJean, who were shown joining the Eagles’ scout team as a pass rusher and wide receiver, respectively.
“Look at all our guys that are on scout team,” Sirianni said to a smiling Connor Barwin. “It’s helping on defense. Look, the whole defense is in on it. [It’s] a sign of a good team.”
However, without their starters, the Birds lost to the Commanders, 24-17, forfeiting their shot at the No. 2 seed, which would have guaranteed a second home playoff game if they survive their first-round matchup against the Brock Purdy-led San Francisco 49ers.
The episode ends with Davis and right guard Tyler Steen walking off the field together while discussing the team’s next steps.
“We’ve got to make this run now,” Davis said following the game. “Its crunch time now, boy.”
“We would’ve had the two seed,” Steen said.
“As long as we get in and win every single one, that’s all that matters, bro,” Davis said. “Don’t matter if it be home or away.”
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis got in much better shape this offseason.
Davis in the spotlight
Davis has had a stellar year at defensive tackle for the Eagles, ranking fourth in the league in combined tackles by a defensive lineman.
In the latest episode, the 6-foot-6 former Georgia star was open about his difficult first few years in the NFL, specifically his struggles with his weight and attitude.
“I want to genuinely be the best person I can be,” Davis said. “And that’s why I’m going so hard in terms of how my body is changing, and my weightlifting and my conditioning and stuff like that, because I want to do this for me. I want to look sexy. I want to be skinny, selfishly, but, at the same time, the more that I do that, and the more that I see progress and I see results, I’m even more motivated.”
Defensive line coach Clint Hurtt — who in a previous episode referred to Davis as a “big [expletive] Care Bear” — believes the 25-year-old lineman started this path to improvement during the team’s Super Bowl run last year, focusing on his sleep patterns, extra conditioning, including a healthy Peloton habit, and cutting out sweets. Davis went as far as saying that the biggest difference between the player he was two years ago in comparison to now is that he “learned how to say no.”
“You can’t be entitled,” Davis said. “Entitlement is like going through life thinking that you can do no wrong. Not that I was ever entitled, but there are definitely traits that I reflected a little bit and looked upon myself like, ‘Damn, that kind of sounds entitled.’ It’s just little small stuff like that that I want to change.”
Davis also plays an important role off the field for the Eagles, as he believes it’s his role to “keep things light.”
“JD is bigger than life, man,” edge rusher Nolan Smith said. “I call him the giant dancing bear. JD is just amazing. He’s fun, he’s energetic, he always makes you laugh, man. He’s one of those guys that just has a big presence.”
Pun intended or not, Davis’ cultural impact on the team can’t be overstated, from his joyful rendition of Rod Wave’s “Street Runner” during practice to inviting his fellow defensive linemen to South Philly restaurant Aliceto celebrate the new year.
Eagles edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (right) made sure to show off photos of his cats during the defensive line’s New Year’s dinner.
During dinner, the players were in high spirits, discussing everything from whether cats have souls to the questionable origins of Phillips’ favorite quote, before Davis officially rang in the new year for his teammates.
”To whom much is given, much is required,” Phillips said.
“Shout out, Uncle Ben,” Jaylx Hunt replied, in reference to the character from Marvel’s Spider-Man.
“Is that the Uncle Ben quote?” Phillips responded. “I thought Jesus said that, [expletive]. I’ve been telling my girl — I swear to God, I thought the bible said that [expletive].”
For those wondering, that is an actual bible quote — Luke 12:48 — and the Uncle Ben quote in question is just a little different, but it sends a similar message: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
“Man, Stan Lee was dropping bombs,” Phillips joked.
On Sunday, there was one major offensive starter still on the field for the Eagles: DeVonta Smith.
Smith, who reached 1,000 receiving yards in each of his previous two seasons with the Birds, entered the regular-season finale 44 yards away from reaching the mark for a third straight year.
The star receiver only needed the first quarter to get his yards, and finished the game with 52 total. Sirianni pulled the former Heisman Trophy winner early to help keep him ready for the playoffs — but not before jokingly criticizing Smith’s on field decision-making.
“You didn’t run out of bounds,” Sirianni said to Smith after being pulled from the game. “You took a hit and didn’t run out of bounds.”
“When?” Smith responded.
“On that first play,” Sirianni said. “You lying son of a …”
