For his fourth restaurant on Rittenhouse Square, Stephen Starr said he wants to evoke the jet-set fantasy of Greece of the Onassis era: yacht-club luxury, island sensuality, cosmopolitan polish.
That explains the photos of Jackie O and Aristotle Onassis on the window posters that went up last week on the former Devon Seafood Grill at 18th and Chancellor Streets.
Devon Seafood Grill at 18th and Chancellor Streets, with Stephen Starr’s Parc at rear, on June 8, 2023.
Starr told The Inquirer that the new restaurant, to be called the Pelican Club, is expected to open in October. It will be his ninth restaurant in the neighborhood, his 19th restaurant in Philadelphia, and his 41st in an empire that stretches from New York to Miami.
The Pelican Club will be across the lobby of the Parc Rittenhouse apartment building from his Paris-style brasserie Parc (which opened in 2008), a half-block up the street from steakhouse Barclay Prime (2004), and across the square from Italian powerhouse Borromini (2025). Starr also owns the nearby Continental Mid-town (2004), Butcher & Singer (2008), the Dandelion (2010), El Rey/Ranstead Room (2010), and The Love (2017).
The Pelican Club will occupy nearly 9,000 square feet — slightly smaller than Parc but larger than Barclay Prime. Like its neighbors, it will have outdoor seating facing 18th Street.
The Pelican Club’s concept took shape after Starr reconsidered several possibilities for the high-profile corner space, empty since December 2024 and owned by Starr business partner Allan Domb, the former Council member and mayoral candidate.
“I walked in and started wondering what it should be,” Starr said in a call from Miami Beach, where his steakhouse Slim’s opens Tuesday. “I kicked around several different ideas, but none of them really felt correct for that room. It needed to be something that made sense there.”
Starr said he had considered Middle Eastern and Japanese concepts, but his mind kept returning to Greece. “I know Greek concepts have been done here before, but not in the way I thought it should have been,” Starr said.
To shape the project, he turned to Ken Fulk, who also designed Starr’s old-school revival of the Occidental in Washington, D.C., which opened in March 2025.
A dining room at the Occidental in Washington, D.C., designed by Ken Fulk, as seen in March 2025.
Starr said Fulk “just fell in love with the space and came up with a great idea for how it should look.”
Though Starr wants to keep most details about the Pelican Club close to the vest for now, he said the bar area in front would evoke the living area of a yacht. The back of the restaurant, he added, will feature “very sexy booths.”
The bar at the Occidental in Washington, D.C., designed by Ken Fulk, as seen in March 2025.
Starr said he came across the story of Petros the pelican, long associated with Mykonos, and was drawn to both the image and the symbolism. “It’s this mythical, legendary figure, kind of a protector of the island,” he said. “I thought the name was awesome, and we loved the pelican imagery.”
But he decided against using a plainly Greek name for the restaurant.
“‘Pelican’ kept sticking in my head, and Ken loved the image too,” Starr said. “The Pelican Club gave us the imagery we were looking for, plus something a little more intriguing. You don’t quite know what it is right away.”
Starr said the Pelican Club would be rooted in Greek cooking, with touches extending into the Mediterranean. He said he has been auditioning chefs from Greece — several have already flown in for tastings, and another is due from Athens this week — as he looks for “something authentic” from someone who “really grew up with the food.”
The Transportation Security Administration temporarily closed the Terminal C security checkpoint at Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday morning.
“Due to staffing constraints related to the government shutdown, the TSA, in collaboration with the airport, is temporarily closing the Terminal C checkpoint,” said PHL spokesperson Heather Redfern.
All other security checkpoints remain open, and TSA PreCheck passengers can use the designated lanes at the Terminal A-East and D/E checkpoints. There is no timeline for when Terminal C will be back up and running.
“We encourage you to check the MyTSA app or the airport’s website to find current wait times and to arrive early to the airport,” said an American Airlines spokesperson. “We are grateful for our federal partners at TSA who continue to ensure safe travel for our customers.”
The scene at the TSA checkpoint line in Terminal B at Philadelphia International Airport on Sunday morning, Nov. 9, 2025.
The TSA is experiencing a lapse in funding, alongside other Department of Homeland Security agencies, because its budget has not been passed by Congress.
In January, federal lawmakers narrowly avoided another full government shutdown by approving budgets for all federal agencies except the Department of Homeland Security. Republicans and President Donald Trump agreed to carve out the DHS budget for further negotiations as Democrats want to put more guardrails on federal immigration enforcement.
There have been a couple of attempts at passing the DHS budget, but neither side has budged on its demands. The only Senate Democrat to support funding DHS is Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.
At this point, there is no end in sight to the DHS shutdown and, by proxy, the lapse in TSA funding that is leading to staff shortages across the country, including Philadelphia’s airport.
Good morning. Saturday’s forecast calls for clouds, a chance of showers, and a high of 58.
We spring forward this weekend, an occasion that some look forward to, and others dread. Before clocks change, Tony Wood gathered some figures for our consideration, and explains why the sun may be setting on year-round daylight saving.
Philadelphia City Council next month will consider legislation to place some limits on immigration enforcement in the city and is planning a daylong hearing to parse the proposals.
A fire at Savita Naturals in Logan Township, N.J., was extinguished late Thursday, marking a step forward in the investigation into the massive explosion that rocked the region. Three employees remain in critical condition.
The mother of the 20-year-old man killed during a shooting at Lincoln University’s homecoming last October has sued the school and others, alleging that Lincoln prioritized the “college experience” over safety.
Philly’s oldest wine school says it’s under threat from a competitor’s cyberbullying that’s confusing customers and trying to erase its existence from the internet. An Instagram name was just the start.
Philadelphia Museum of Art director and CEO Daniel H. Weiss has hired a longtime associate to be the museum’s new executive vice president and chief financial and operating officer.
Swarthmore Borough manager Sean Halbom was terminated after just six months, the latest in a string of short employment stints he has held in recent years.
Chon Tong Thai Kitchen, one of Chinatown’s most promising Thai restaurants, abruptly closed late last month. And just a year after appearing on a Gordon Ramsay show, the owners of an Upper Darby restaurant are reportedly closing and selling the building.
A reader asked: My neighbor and I don’t get along. A tree from her yard is starting to brush up against my house. I know I’m allowed to trim it, but how do I go about doing it without starting another feud?
To help, Inquirer editor Evan Weiss called up features columnist Elizabeth Wellington and life and culture reporter Abigail Covington. They debated the most neighborly approaches, and questioned the end goal — for instance, are we snipping for purely aesthetic purposes, or is this foliage causing quality-of-life issues?
“Having an actively angry neighbor is more unpleasant than a tree branch dangling in your yard,” Abigail said.
Along with considering a brazen clip in broad daylight vs. going incognito, the group also brought up a good point: Pennsylvania law allows you to trim shrubs that cross your property line, but there are some fine print details to know.
In this week’s Shackamaxon, Inquirer columnist Daniel Pearson unpacks the role historic districts play in preserving Philly’s history, as well as the city’s incoming fiscal windfall.
He also covers an “unproductive conversation” about public transit in Harrisburg.
“When it comes to SEPTA, Harrisburg Republicans don’t know what they’re talking about,” Pearson writes.
Every Saturday, we’ll show you a photo taken in the Philly-area, and you drop a pin where you think it was taken. Closer to the location results in a better score. This year’s Flower Show theme, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening,” inspired this week’s quiz. Good luck!
Where can you catch this reflective view? Our weekly game puts your knowledge of Philly places to the test. Check your answer.
Cheers to Ginny Katsourides, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Stoop Pigeon. The women’s sports hub and cafe from Watch Party PHL has a new location with plans to open in June.
When will this enormous snow pile at PATCO’s Haddonfield station melt? The transit agency is taking bets, with plans to award a $20 Freedom Card to winning guessers.
Staff photographer Tom Gralish stopped by to check on where the mountain stands. He aptly described the scene: “Kind of like watching a glacier move … or watching grass grow … or watching paint dry … or rewinding a VHS tape.”
And one @thrashertv’s latest viral reels captures the reality of driving through a “fresh winter pothole” in the city. My favorite comment: “in england, they drive on the left. in philly, we drive on what’s left.”
👋🏽 Thanks for reading. Have a good day, and I’ll catch up with you again tomorrow.
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.
Chester County, home to one of the largest numbers of electric vehicles in the state, hopes to grow its footprint of public charging stations.
Through the federally funded National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the county is looking to build up its community-based public EV charging stations for people who have or want an electric vehicle but do not have a charging station installed at home.
Funding from the program flows directly to municipalities or other applicants for EV chargers. PennDot expects to fund more than 100 projects through the grant.
It builds on an initial federally funded project under the same program, which sought to place charging stations every 50 miles along the major travel corridors to address long drives across the state. Through that program, Chester County projects received $3.2 million.
Chester County’s proposal would increase the number of public chargers speckled around the county, from workplaces to businesses, giving drivers a place to charge their cars as part of their day-to-day routines.
Chester County, which has both densely packed development and rolling agricultural pockets, saw its rates of EV ownership double between 2022 and 2024, with more than 9,000 EVs registered in the county in the state’s most recent data. The county is behind only Montgomery in overall EV registrations in the southeastern part of the state.
“Things are pretty spread out, and with the infrastructure that we have in place right now, other modes of transportation that are carbon-free or less carbon intensive than single-occupancy vehicles are not as viable here as they are in other places that are more dense,” said Rachael Griffith, sustainability director for the Chester County Planning Commission. “If we’re looking at a lower carbon future for our transportation network, EVs are really a great option for that here in our land-use setting. Building out the network of EV chargers is really the way that we incentivize that.”
EVs are expensive, but Chester County has the highest median income in the state, so it makes sense it would see the higher ownership rates, Griffith said.
Despite the policy shifts, “it’s very clear that the future of transportation is electric,” Griffith said.
“The more that we can do to plan for that future, I think the better prepared we will be in the long term,” she said.
The county’s planning commission is reaching out to municipalities and chambers of commerce to drive applications for the program, Griffith said. Applications are open until Aug. 21; any business registered in Pennsylvania is eligible for funds.
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Luke Gabrysh has been to Citizens Bank Park dozens, maybe hundreds, of times. Growing up in Wilmington, Del., his father Gary was a Phillies season ticket holder.
He was raised on the teams of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, but living 30 minutes away, games were more of an occasional treat. That changed in 2022, when Gabrysh enrolled at St. Joseph’s University to play baseball.
All of a sudden, the right-handed pitcher was a train and subway ride from his favorite squad. He and his Hawks teammates took advantage of it.
After practice, they’d head to Overbrook Station, transfer to Suburban Station, and catch the Broad Street Line until the very last stop. They’d buy the cheapest ticket they could find — usually $30 — and roam around the upper deck, searching for the best vantage point.
“You can watch from anywhere,” Gabrysh said. “You don’t even need to sit down.”
The pitcher and his St. Joe’s cohorts were constantly at the ballpark. They didn’t need a reason. They’d go when they had nothing better to do, because in their minds, there was no better place to be.
But July 23, 2024, was a different kind of trip. Instead of walking through the first or third base gate, Gabrysh and his family were escorted into an employee entrance.
A Phillies scout, Jeff Zona, and other executives were waiting in a conference room.
“That was when it hit,” Gabrysh said. “I went there not to watch a baseball game. I went there to be part of the organization.”
Luke Gabrysh, shown pitching for St. Joe’s in 2024, was drafted by the Phillies in the 15th round of the 2024 MLB draft.
The 6-foot-3 right-handed reliever was selected by the Phillies in the 15th round of the 2024 MLB draft. He’s not a top prospect, but has piqued some interest internally.
Most pitchers who transition roles switch from the rotation to the bullpen. But with Gabrysh, the Phillies proposed the opposite. They liked his stuff, and his arsenal, and his ability to throw strikes.
And while the peripheral numbers in his first minor league season were average — a 3.33 ERA across low A and high A — he is trending in a promising direction.
Gabrysh’s fastball averaged 94 mph last year. It’s already jumped up to 96 this spring, occasionally touching 98. He throws five pitches: a four-seam fastball with carry, a sinker, a hard slider, a sweeper, and a changeup.
“Tons of strikes,” said director of pitching development Travis Hergert. “He can really spin the ball. And he can hold his [velocity] over the course of multiple innings, as well.”
Of course, there’s a chance Gabrysh ends up being a nice local story. But he could also be something more. And what a story that would be.
‘Just had a conversation with Nola’
The last time Gabrysh started regularly was on the Concord High School baseball team.
When he got to St. Joe’s, they needed bullpen help, so he began pitching in long relief. His surface-level numbers, again, were unremarkable: an 8.13 ERA across 68⅔ innings over three seasons.
But in 2024, he played summer ball with the Trenton Thunder, and quickly got on a few scouts’ radars. Gabrysh, who was being used as a closer, threw to a 1.42 ERA across 12⅔ innings with 23 strikeouts and only five walks.
His transition to a starting role in pro ball was difficult. Gabrysh liked showing up to the ballpark not knowing if he would pitch or not. He now needed a pregame routine, and a mindset better suited for long stints.
And the initial outings were ugly, to put it mildly. He allowed five earned runs through 1⅔ innings in his first start last April, and three earned runs through two innings in his second.
Luke Gabrysh had a 3.33 ERA across low A and high A in the Phillies’ minor league system last year.
But eventually, things got easier. The Clearwater Threshers coaching staff helped him plan a routine, down to the minute, and added a hard slider to his arsenal.
The pitch gave him a weapon againstleft-handed hitting, allowing him to induce moreweak contact and more swing and miss
“This year, it’s one of my bigger pitches,” he said. “It’s helped a lot.”
Despite the positive impression he’s already made within the organization, none of this feels even remotely normal to Gabrysh.
Four years ago, he was at Game 5 of the National League championship series, mere feet from catching Bryce Harper’s iconic home run. This spring, he’s seen the two-time MVP walking around the Carpenter Complex.
“It’s crazy,” he said.
In late January, Gabrysh was throwing a bullpen at BayCare Ballpark.
The minor leaguer looked to the outfield and saw someone playing catch. A couple of minutes later, Aaron Nola walked over to introduce himself.
(For a lifelong Phillies fan, this wasn’t necessary).
“Of course, I knew who he was,” Gabrysh said.
The two pitchers talked about where they went to school, and where they grew up. After Gabrysh got back to his locker, he texted his friends from home.
“I was like, ‘Just had a full blown conversation with Nola,’” he recalled. “And they were all jealous.”
Because Gabrysh is still on the minor league side, interactions with big leaguers are few and far between. But he has tried to savor these moments, and enjoy this experience, wherever it takes him.
Not so long ago, the right-handed pitcher was tailgating Eagles games, and buying cheesesteaks at Dalessandro’s. He was spending his summers not at the shore, but at the beach (an important distinction for a Delaware kid).
Now, he’s a few feet away from his baseball heroes. He hopes that one day, he can join them.
The pitch is familiar: plenty of hotel rooms, an arena in South Philly, SEPTA ready to move thousands of delegates around, and a city that knows how to handle the logistical chaos of a major convention. We did it in 2016, after all. And these days, we’re basically hosting everything. World Cup matches. The MLB All-Star Game. The country’s 250th birthday.
But the real strategy is the soft sell. When the selection committee visits, they’ll get the full Philly treatment: Reading Terminal, skyline views, maybe a rooftop party, definitely a cheesesteak.
Because every big event bid in this city eventually comes down to the same argument: Look how fun we are.
And clearly, it’s been working.
Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas takes the field before the game against the Washington Nationals at BayCare Ballpark on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026 in Clearwater, Fla. The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Washington Nationals 7 to 3.
Rojas isn’t exactly an offensive powerhouse, but he plays defense in a spot where the roster is otherwise thin. Take him out of the mix and the Phillies are left juggling a few spring-training options and hoping someone looks like a center fielder by opening day.
That’s the baseball problem.
The smaller but still tragic loss is the walk-up song. Every time Rojas stepped to the plate, Citizens Bank Park got “Oh Oh Oh (Veo Veo),”which was extremely fun and made you want to shimmy on a random Tuesday night.
The Phillies will figure out center field eventually, but the stadium is at risk of losing one of its best vibes.
Jeffrey Epstein vs. the Penn vs. Penn State mix-up: A
Newly released emails show the disgraced financier repeatedly claimed he funded a “Quantum Gravity Program” at Penn. The problem: The research program he actually helped fund was at Penn State.
To outsiders, that might sound like a harmless mix-up. Technically both are universities, sure. But socially it lands closer to mixing up Wawa and Sheetz. People will notice.
Few things irritate University of Pennsylvania alumni more than being mistaken for Penn State. The Ivy League school has spent decades correcting people on this, to the point that alumni sell novelty shirts that read, “Not Penn State.”
Reddit planning a Philly itinerary for a Midwesterner: B+
A visitor from Columbus popped into Reddit after a first trip to Philadelphia to rave about the walkability, Chinatown food, and an Angelo’s cheesesteak — and ask locals what to do next time.
Naturally, the internet responded by assembling a pretty respectable itinerary.
One commenter suggested the Barnes: Another recommended the Schuylkill River Trail and neighborhood hopping through Fishtown, Manayunk, and the Italian Market. A third pushed the visitor farther west for food: “Some great Ethiopian and other African restaurants.”
There was also the very Philly observation that the tourist somehow skipped the city’s most predictable cheesesteak stop. “It is so rare when a tourist does not stop at a Pats or Genos. They can’t help themselves.”
The thread is mostly right. But if you want the full Philly experience, we’d add a few more essentials: a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, a wander down the Italian Market, and a long, aimless walk through one of the city’s rowhouse neighborhoods where every block looks a little different.
Also, credit where it’s due. The guy went to Angelo’s on his first trip. Some visitors take years to figure that one out.
Johnny Garbarino hitting his opponent Apostle Spencer with an overhand right at the Wells Fargo Center during BKFC’s KnuckleMania V event.
A Flyers fight coach starting a fight outside Barstool: F
The Flyers once brought Johnny “Cannoli” Garbarino, an undefeated bare-knuckle boxer, in to teach players how to handle themselves in hockey fights.
Video shows Garbarino punching the bar’s plexiglass vestibule, threatening onlookers, and setting off a multiperson street fight after destroying someone’s phone. Police are investigating an assault complaint.
Hiring a professional fighter to teach hockey players how to fight makes a certain kind of sense. Being surprised when that same fighter gets into a fight outside a bar at 2 a.m. makes a little less.
Not exactly the kind of player development the Flyers had in mind.
One of the newly-installed signs for the recent old/new name change at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.
Considering a full-price ticket can run up to $30, that’s not a small change. Museums love to talk about accessibility but removing the price barrier is one of the few ways to actually make that happen.
The timing is also convenient. After months of headlines about leadership drama, rebrands, and legal disputes, the museum seems eager to remind people that the actual point of the place is, you know, art.
And if letting people decide what to pay gets more Philadelphians wandering the galleries on a Friday night, that’s probably a pretty good reset.
Ivan, a drug-sniffing K-9 dog working for the Pennsylvania State Police, made a 40-pound drug bust in Delaware County last month.
From a law enforcement perspective, that’s a pretty significant drug bust.
From a public relations perspective, it’s also a reminder that every police department should have at least one extremely good dog on staff.
Ivan alerted troopers to the scent of narcotics in the vehicle, leading to a search warrant and the eventual discovery of boxes and buckets full of marijuana.
Which means somewhere in Delaware County, a very good boy probably got a treat and a lot of praise — as he should.
This week’s question is… My neighbor and I don’t get along. A tree from her yard is starting to brush up against my house. I know I’m allowed to trim it, but how do I go about doing it without starting another feud?
Elizabeth Wellington, Features Columnist
Start with asking her. Politely, of course.
Abigail Covington, Life & Culture Reporter
But what if she says you can’t? As a non-confrontational person, I would simply melt.
Elizabeth Wellington
I would melt, too. But she can’t tell me that I can’t. Right? Because it is on my property. If she says that I can’t, I guess it’s time to play hard ball. I’d have to break out the law that says, “I can.”
Abigail Covington
Evidently, under Pennsylvania law, you can trim any part of a neighbor’s tree or shrub that crosses your property line. But you must stay on your side of the property line and trimming must not kill the tree or bush, or you could be liable for damages.
Evan Weiss, Deputy Features Editor
So are you asking the neighbor or telling?
Elizabeth Wellington
I’d start by asking if they minded. And then I’d have to tell them what’s happening as nicely as I could, of course.
Abigail Covington
Would you ask them to trim it or would you offer to do it for them?
Elizabeth Wellington
So maybe we ask them if they can trim their tree back first. And if they say no, then perhaps we offer to do it for them?
Evan Weiss
And if they say they don’t want it either way, you just do it anyway, right?
Elizabeth Wellington
I guess so. But also I need to know how much this foliage is disrupting my life. Like, is it messing up my view? Is it ruining my swimming pool activity? Are me and my kids brushing up against it and it’s scratching me? Or is this just a run-of-the-mill aesthetic thing?
I would need to weigh these things and then figure or not whether it’s worth raising heck. Having an angry neighbor can ruin a homeowning experience. But if Pennsylvania law is on my side and this is really working my nerves, I’ll just have to snip, snip, snip.
Abigail Covington
I’m with you. Having an actively angry neighbor is more unpleasant than a tree branch dangling in your yard. At some point, the city will step in if it gets to be too much.
But if it’s really bothering you, the law is on your side.
Elizabeth Wellington
The question is, do we do the hacking in the middle of the night? Or boldly in broad open daylight?
Abigail Covington
Dressed in all black. Middle of the night. Like it never happened. Repeat after me: You were never there.
Elizabeth Wellington
Hahaha. You mean like, “Oops… How did this ever happen?”
Evan Weiss
“Wow, I can’t believe someone did that! I loved that tree!”
Elizabeth Wellington
Hahaha. Right.
That’s kind of taking a punk’s way out. We should say it with our chest. (Sheepishly…)
Abigail Covington
100%. “Must’ve been that darn barn owl I’ve seen flying around here!”
Elizabeth Wellington
An owl, Abigail? Really.
Go with a raccoon. Blame everything on raccoons.
Evan Weiss
Start by being straightforward.
“This tree is hitting my house and I don’t like it because of XYZ, so I’m going to trim it. Thank you for understanding.”
Abigail Covington
“Thank you for understanding” is what you say when you know someone is mad, but you don’t want them to be mad. I get it.
Elizabeth Wellington
Would bringing a tiny gift make things better? Like a bottle of wine, a gift card to Starbucks? Sweeten the deal. Let them know it’s not personal?
Abigail Covington
Tiny little treats make everything better. Something for their garden? A small plant?
Evan Weiss
A bouquet of freshly-cut branches.
Abigail Covington
Hahahaha.
“Thank you for understanding.”
Elizabeth Wellington
Now, Evan. You are cruising for a bruising.
Evan Weiss
I kid, I kid.
I don’t think a gift is necessary, but it wouldn’t hurt if that eases the asker’s anxiety.
Elizabeth Wellington
It’s kind of like you have to ask them, and already know what you plan to do anyway.
Evan Weiss
Any last words of advice for the asker?
Elizabeth Wellington
Be sheepish on the outside. But know what you are going to do on the inside. It’s easy to be swayed in these situations. Stand your ground. With a gift.
Abigail Covington
Be polite but bold. You got this.
Have a question of your own about a relationship? Philly life? Annoying neighbors? Or an opinion? Email me.
Johnson tweeted an eyes-alerted emoji and tagged Crosby, who was on the trade block. It was a clear indication of what Johnson thought Howie Roseman should do.
The general manager should’ve heeded his best player’s advice, especially because it might be his best player’s last season. The Eagles have a one-year Lane Johnson window, and they would be foolish to not take advantage of it. When Johnson quits, the offensive line will implode. It no longer will mask the shortcomings of quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni.
As things stand, assuming their offensive line returns healthier — left guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens have injury issues as well — and assuming they don’t do something stupid, like trade star receiver A.J. Brown, then the Eagles will be the best team in the NFC East, again.
If they’d somehow managed to land Crosby, then they might have been able to offset the talent deficit left by trading Brown. As it stands, Brown remains as precious as ever.
The move also seems to take one of the most likely suitors for Brown off the table. The Ravens just spent their trade capital on Crosby, which leaves the Patriots and Broncos as the Eagles’ most likely trade partners.
Nobody who’s been around Johnson for more than a minute believed that he was seriously considering retirement after the 2025 season. Johnson will be 36 when the season starts, he remains a superior right tackle, and, despite missing eight games with a foot injury last season (including playoffs), he has been remarkably durable. Also, he absolutely loves being Lane Johnson.
Beyond next season? That’s a different story.
A team source told me last month that he believes Johnson’s career beyond 2026 depends on how 2026 goes. It depends on how much Johnson likes new offensive line coach Chris Kuper, who replaced legendary Jeff Stoutland, who quit. It depends on how much Johnson likes new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who will replace foundations of Sirianni’s basic offensive tenets. And, more than anything, it will depend on how much success the Eagles have after their massive Super Bowl hangover season of frustration and malcontent.
Johnson wants to go out on top. He knew that Crosby would immediately have made the Eagles the league’s top dog.
Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson dons a dog mask as he walks off the field following the team’s 15-10 playoff win over the Atlanta Falcons on Jan. 13, 2018.
Crosby also makes about $30 million each of the next two seasons.
It would have been worth it. If they’re considering giving Jaelan Phillips $25 million per season — they shouldn’t, but they are — then they shouldn’t have blinked at Crosby’s price tag.
The disappointment resonates louder because the Birds considered adding costly edge talent before.
They pursued Micah Parsons last offseason, but the Cowboys, wary of reinforcing their chief rival, refused to trade him to the Eagles. They instead traded Parsons to the Packers, who sent Dallas two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark.
Why fret over a deal that didn’t get done? Because Crosby is great.
Since 2022, only five players have more than his 44½ sacks. No one has more than his 90 tackles for loss, and he led all edge players with 186 solo tackles.
He is great, and he would make the D-Line great again. Don’t forget that it was a monster D-line that took the Birds to their second title two years ago.
Saquon Barkley might have set a rushing record, but the Eagles’ top-ranked defense was the top-ranked defense because it had the top-ranked pass defense, and that was predicated on a dominant defensive line. Free agency cost that line Josh Sweat and Milton Williams. Injury cost Carter three games and diminished him for several others. The defense dipped from No. 1 to No. 13.
A deal for Maxx Crosby (98), now a Raven, might have helped Lane Johnson land his third Super Bowl title as an Eagle.
Too good to be gone
There is no argument that Johnson is an all-time Eagles great, and by far the best Bird during the current nine-year Golden Era. In fact, considering his consistent excellence over these nine seasons, there’s an argument that Johnson might be the best Eagle ever. Johnson might at least be the third-best Eagle in history, after Chuck Bednarik and Reggie White.
A third Super Bowl title would cement Johnson’s status as an all-timer not just in Philadelphia but in the NFL. It would help folks forget his two PED suspensions. It would help ease his path to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the best player on a dynastic team that won three Super Bowls in 10 years.
But, as Johnson knows, he can’t do it by himself. As Johnson knows, there may be no tomorrow. That’s why he wanted Crosby.
It’s why the Eagles must retain Brown, warts and all.
Brown has complained about the passing game’s inefficiency in each of the past two seasons. Last season, Brown even reportedly asked to be traded, multiple times.
In his four seasons as an Eagle, Brown ranks fifth in the NFL in total yards, and his 14.8 yards-per-catch average is better than any of the four players ahead of him. He’s also sixth in touchdown catches. This, despite ranking 10th among wide receivers in total catches — a byproduct of Hurts’ reluctance to pass in general, and his reluctance to pass into the tight windows of coverage Brown’s excellence attracts.
Brown already is the best receiver in franchise history. He’s an all-timer, just like Johnson.
If the Eagles had added Crosby, 2026 would have been theirs.
Now that he’s gone, they cannot afford to lose what they’ve got.
Flyers management has long said that the players would dictate how the organization approached the NHL trade deadline and whether the Flyers would be sellers or buyers.
Well, when the clock struck 3 p.m. on yet another deadline for president Keith Jones and general manager Danny Brière, the Flyers were a seller of sorts as Bobby Brink was traded home to Minnesota, and Nic Deslauriers was moved to chase a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Moving Brink from a top-nine spot was necessary to create space on the wing, as the players in the system, notably Porter Martone and Alex Bump — Brière said he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the latter gets called up before the end of the season, although reading the tea leaves, it could come sooner than later — are close to being NHL-ready.
But while they added David Jiříček as the return for Brink, and have Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Carter Amico in the system — all big, right-shot defensemen — Brière did not move his most exploitable trade piece, veteran right-shot defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.
“You guys [the media] made a big story. I didn’t know I was trying to sell him,” Brière said on Friday after the deadline. “You guys made it sound like we were dumping Risto for next to nothing.
“Look, at the end of the day, Risto has a lot of value to our team. I wasn’t trying to dump Risto. I wasn’t trying to get rid of him. I think the media turned it into a little bit of a circus, to be honest. And that’s OK. I get it. It’s part of my job to deal with that. But the reality is, Risto is an important part of our defense.”
Unlike the winger position, Brière doesn’t think his defensemen-in-waiting are ready to slot into the top four and play the big minutes that Ristolainen has played; he played more than more than 27 minutes on Monday and 22 more on Thursday. “We need to protect them a little bit,” Brière said.
Sources have told The Inquirer that the Flyers wanted a first-round pick for Ristolainen, the physical defenseman who just had an impressive run for the bronze-medal-winning Finnish squad at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and has been a standout since.
But while several teams did check in on the 6-foot-4 blueliner with term (he has one more year on his contract), no one matched the Flyers’ ask. And Brière would not confirm if a first-round pick was ever on the table, stating, “All I can tell you is, the value wasn’t as high as we needed for us to move forward.”
“I did get a lot of calls, and we took them seriously,” he added. “We went through all the teams that were serious, but at the end of the day, it just did not make sense value-wise. … We listened, but it made more sense to have Risto with us.”
Here are three other questions the general manager addressed.
Why did the Flyers want Jiříček?
The Flyers were in the mix to get the 6-4, 204-pound defenseman when the Columbus Blue Jackets were shopping him a year and a half ago. And Brière was a bit shocked he was available now, but Minnesota recently added Quinn Hughes, which changed the Czech native’s outlook in the State of Hockey.
Although he hasn’t had the track many expected when the 22-year-old was drafted one slot after Cutter Gauthier in 2022, the Flyers see high potential in Jiříček. Patience was asked by Brière, and while he is a different style of player from Jamie Drysdale, the GM sees similarities when it comes to their development arc.
“They both came in at 18 years old, probably a little too early to turn pro yet,” he said. “They go through some ups and downs, probably lose their confidence along the way. So he’s going to need some love. He’s going to need some reps. Especially, he needs time. He needs to play a lot of minutes and build his confidence.”
Jiříček will head to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League to start. The GM said he didn’t make any promises but said that at some point, if they have a chance, they’d like to give him a look with the big club. Jiříček has played 84 NHL games across four seasons with Columbus and Minnesota.
Why did the Flyers not trade for a center?
Another season and trade deadline came and went, and the Flyers are still without a No. 1 center. Sure, these types of players do not grow on trees, and yes, several who were expected to be available as free agents this summer have since signed extensions.
But if the Flyers want to take the next step, they need to upgrade down the middle.
“A few of the high-end centers that were in the trade market, or their name, we checked on that,” Brière said. “We had some discussions right now. It’s been tabled to closer to the draft [and then] we’ll look back into that. But we looked into it.
“We are aware; we know that it’s an area we’d like to improve. It’s all about timing, value, and when is the best time that you can get the best value for it. But, yeah, we’re aware. We’ve never hid from the fact that we’d like to improve that position.”
So the door isn’t shut, and there is some expectation that the Flyers could be busy around the draft. As Brière reiterated on Friday, it took almost two years to acquire Trevor Zegras.
Speaking of Zegras, he came to Philly excited for the opportunity to play center again, but has primarily played on the wing. The door isn’t closed on him pivoting, but it’s not as wide-open as before.
“He’s been at his best when he played the wing this year — that’s just the reality. I wish I could say the opposite,” Brière said. “I wish I could say he’s much better when he plays center, but the reality is, he’s been at his best when he plays with [Travis Konecny] and [Christian] Dvorak. So, that line has been our best line for a while now, so that’s why … when I mentioned the wingers, that [I] put his name on there, because he’s been mostly on the wing.”
What does the future now hold for the Flyers?
With the Flyers selling, the writing is all but permanently inked on the wall that they will miss the postseason for the sixth straight season. They entered Friday six points back of the Boston Bruins for the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference and eight points back of the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins for second and third in the Metropolitan Division.
“I think what’s unfortunate about the trade deadline is the moment you start trading players away, is the realization that, unfortunately, you’ve missed your goal in a sense,” forward Garnet Hathaway told The Inquirer on Friday. “In no way am I saying that we’re not in a position to get in, but it changes things. But we were in a spot that we put ourselves in, and I think that’s what’s frustrating, and it kind of adds on to the fact that you’re sending friends, teammates to a different organization.”
The Flyers decided to keep defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen at the trade deadline.
So what happens now?
In the short term, the general manager wants to see his team continue to play the right way, stay competitive, and play hard. Long-term, the Flyers are still a work in progress, and “the plan never changed as far as looking for the future.”
Brière thinks the difference now is that the Flyers can change that.
“Three years ago, we almost had nothing to work with as far as good young players coming,” Brière said. “So it wasn’t enticing for other teams to trade guys to us, but more and more, the way our young guys are coming along and a lot of centers, those are always a lot of value.
“We have more and more assets that are going to hopefully give us the chance to get in on a player. Or sometimes one of those players [in the organization already] is going to come and take it, kind of like [Denver] Barkey did this year.”
News and notes
Barkey and defenseman Adam Ginning were sent down to the Phantoms before 3 p.m. to make them eligible to compete in the Calder Cup playoffs. According to the AHL transactions page, Barkey has already been recalled. The new collective bargaining agreement says players must play one AHL game before being recalled but there is an exception on deadline day.
Brière said they weren’t trying to trade Deslauriers, “but if you want to have the chance to go chase a Cup, we would give you that opportunity.” Deslauriers was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for a conditional seventh-round pick in 2027.
Veteran forward Luke Glendening, 36, was picked up on waivers from the New Jersey Devils to stabilize the fourth line and win face-offs. He has a 55.6% career winning percentage in the circle.
Tyson Foerster is on track with his rehab after surgery to repair an upper-body injury (Brière would not disclose what the injury was). The winger has started skating and shooting pucks, and the GM said, “I know he’s going to start knocking on my door soon to get back in the lineup.” But he is not expected to play again this season unless the Flyers make the postseason.
Defenseman Nick Seeler is day to day with a lower-body injury and is not expected to play on Saturday against the Penguins (5:30 p.m., NBCSP).
John Schaeffer was at a crosswalk on Main Street in Manayunk a few years ago when the walk sign illuminated and a prerecorded audio announcement told him it was safe to cross the street.
But what he heard, instead, stopped him dead in his tracks.
“All of a sudden it just goes, ‘Main. Wawk sign is awn ta crawss Main,’” Schaeffer said. “I was like, ‘Does this crosswalk have a Philly accent? Did I hit my head? Am I losing my mind?’”
Audible Pedestrian Signals on Philly crosswalk signs, in Philadelphia, PA, March 2, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
He pulled out his phone, took a video, and sent it to a friend in Canada, who confirmed Schaeffer’s suspicions that the crosswalk indeed hadhoagiemouth.
“It feels like one of those many only-in-Philly things, of course even our crosswalks have a thick Philly accent,” Schaeffer said. “It’s mind-blowing and insanely cool. Obviously cool enough that I’ve been holding onto it for years and when you came along I thought I needed someone to get on the case and get to the bottom of this.”
Mawrket, wawk sign is awn ta crawss Mawrket.
00:00
I met Schaeffer while covering the opening of the Philly Phlush standalone public bathroom in Clark Park last year. He was the inaugural user and aftermy story published he reached out with some kind words (I’m flushed with honor that his partner got him a framed copy of the story that now hangs in his own bathroom) and with the tip about the crosswalks.
Somehow, my ears hadn’t registered the Philly accent at our crosswalks before, but that’s not a surprise. Just last weekend I asked my husband to push a button on a crosswalk sign on the Parkway only to have him tell me that it was not a button, but rather, a well-placed googly eyed sticker.
View on Threads
Once Schaeffer brought the accent to my attention though, I couldn’t stop myself from hitting the crosswalk buttons at every intersection to hear it more, like a kid on an elevator lighting up every floor.
Sampson, wawk sign is awn ta crawss Sampson.
00:00
Of course, there is no ‘p’ in Sansom Street (unless drunken revelers are celebrating an Eagles Super Bowl win), but that doesn’t stop the Philly accent from adding one because just like the people who speak it, it does whatever it wants.
I can differentiate at least two different male voices narrating these announcements, possibly three, but the enthusiasm level of all of them is like “some guy shows up at 5 a.m. with a Wawa coffee, plugs the mic in, and is like ‘Keep it moving,’” as Schaeffer so aptly put it.
No auditions
The purpose of the announcements, which are part of the city’s Audible Pedestrian Signal (APS) systems, is to let people with visual impairments know when it’s safe to cross the street.
The APS systems are administered by the Philadelphia Streets Department, whose director of operations, Thomas Buck, answered questions for me via email through a spokesperson.
Chestnut, wawk sign is awn ta crawss Chestnut.
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Citywide there are 135 APS systems, but questions about exact intersections or the neighborhoods where they are located were not answered. According to Buck, intersections are chosen to receive APS systems based on upgrades, reconstruction, or “a need for enhanced pedestrian safety.”
I’m sad to report there are no tryouts to be the voice of Philadelphia’s crosswalks. The dulcet, Philly-accented audio announcements are voiced either by Streets Department employees or by staffers with the department’s equipment suppliers who are responsible for programming and assembling the APS units.
Stephanie Farr
“The individuals providing the messaging are either Philadelphia residents or in the case of the equipment suppliers, may be residents in the surrounding areas,” Buck said.
The announcements are either recorded in the traffic engineering division’s signal and sign shop in Juniata Park or in the assembly shops of the Streets Department’s respective suppliers, according to Buck.
Audible Pedestrian Signals on Philly crosswalk signs, in Philadelphia, PA, March 2, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
While the intent of the message is clear, “The Philly accent was completely unintentional,” he said.
Isn’t it always.
Wooder the odds
I’ll never forget when I first heard myself say “wooder” a few years after moving here. I was so shocked I turned around to see who said it. Now, I don’t even notice when the accent comes out of me.
I was interviewed for a documentary last year and my husband’s proudest moment was when I said “mewvement” instead of “movement.” I didn’t even catch it until he pointed it out.
“You’re one of us now!” he said.
To be honest, I was proud too. The Philadelphia accent is one of the many things that gives this city such a wonderful sense of place. I never set out to procure one, it just happened through sheer osmosis of the culture over time, like becoming a Philly sports fan or bringing pretzel nugget trays to parties.
Stephanie Farr
University of Pennsylvania researchers even found that thePhiladelphia accent appears in American Sign Language , with different signs for words like ice cream, squirrel, and river being used in this region than in standard ASL.
Interestingly enough, the voice of the first APS system in the city had no Philly accent at all. In 1997, a recorded announcement telling people it was safe to cross Broad Street at Montgomery Avenue in North Philly wasvoiced by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Over the years, Philly APS systems have also usedautomated voices and “chirping” sounds.
Earned addytood
I asked users onBluesky andThreads whose voice they’d want to convey messages to the people of Philadelphia. The clear favorite was retired 6ABC anchor Jim Gardner (no surprise there), followed closely by Eagles broadcaster Merrill Reese. Other nominees included Patti LaBelle, Terry Gross, Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Quinta Brunson, Jason Kelce, Gillie da King, Tina Fey, Leslie Odom Jr., Patti Jackson, Ukee Washington, Lady B, and John Kruk.
While any of them would be great, the regular Fulladulfya guys they have voicing the systems now possess a perfect mixture of Philly apathy and annoyance that I’m not sure any celebrity could duplicate — and one that certainly could never be duplicated by AI. Such an addytood can only be earned by dealing with jabronis on the streets of Philly every day.
Thurd, wawk sign is awn ta crawss Thurd.
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But if the Streets Department wants to make the announcements even more beeyoodeeful, which they should, I suggest they have those who voice them start the messages off with “Gah-head” and end them with “havagudwun.”
Gah-head awn Sampson. Wawk sign is awn ta crawss Sampson. Havagudwun.
Audible Pedestrian Signals on Philly crosswalk signs, in Philadelphia, PA, March 2, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Today, looking for the Philly-accented APS systems has become “like a treasure hunt” for Schaeffer when he walks the city’s streets and he takes joy in pointing the accent out to others, all of whom think “it’s absolutely wild.”
“There’s not been a single person I’ve talked to that’s like ‘Oh yeah, that makes complete sense,’” he said.
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