Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has quickly become a fan favorite in New York, leading the Giants to a 34-17 win over the Eagles in Week 6 and flashing potential for the future.
But he will get his first experience with the environment in Philadelphia on Sunday. Here’s what the Giants are saying about their second matchup in three weeks with the Birds:
Dart and the Giants are 2-1 at home, including that win over the Eagles, but haven’t won a road game this season (0-4).
Lincoln Financial Field is one of the toughest stadiums for a road team to play at in the NFL — especially for division rivals.
“It’s going to be intense, for sure,” said Dart, a first-round pick out of Mississippi. “I can’t wait to go out there and compete and feel the hostility in the air and the rivalry between the two organizations. I kind of compare it to an SEC rivalry.”
Former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is anticipating the environment at Lincoln Financial Field being similar to an SEC rivalry game.
‘Stick close to your brothers’
Dart’s teammates are trying to prepare him for the environment at the Linc. Eagles fans certainly will be out to give Dart and fellow rookie Cam Skattebo a warm Philly welcome.
“I mean, if he didn’t have any haters, he’ll find out where they all live,” Giants receiver Darius Slayton said Wednesday. “He’s about to get introduced to all of them.”
“You’ve got to stick close to your brothers in the locker room, just stay tight as one group, because that team and that fan base, they’re going to get a little gritty on the sidelines,” tight end Daniel Bellinger told the New York Post. “I would tell him, ‘Listen, focus on you, focus on the team, and stick together and not worry about the outside noise.’”
Facing Dart again
The Eagles and Giants played just two weeks ago. Before that Thursday night showdown, Dart had started just two games, so the Birds had minimal NFL tape on which to evaluate him.
The Eagles and Vic Fangio now have firsthand experience. Dart said this is the first time in his career that he’s played the same team twice in such a small window of time. How will the Giants respond to that challenge?
“[Fangio’s] done a great job in this league for a long time,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “I can’t answer what he would do or what he wouldn’t do. You watch your game, you see how they played you. [Jalen] Carter’s back. Does that make a difference relative to the scheme and what they want to do? I don’t know.
“I just know that Vic’s a challenging coordinator to game plan against. Again, Jaxson’s played a good amount of football in his career. These last four weeks, he’s got a routine down, and we do everything we can do to get him ready to play.”
One University of Pennsylvania faculty member was called into a university office to answer for assigning “a pedagogically-relevant reading about conflict in Palestine,” others for political posts on personal social media accounts.
One faced questions for wearing a stole with the Palestinian flag at an off-campus event.
These are among “unfounded accusations of antisemitism” that Penn’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors said faculty and students have endured in the last year. Chapter representatives accompanied faculty to meetings at Penn’s Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests, which called the faculty in for questioning, according to a statement the group released Wednesday.
The religious and ethnic interests office oversees the implementation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, or shared ancestry. It was formed following accusations of antisemitism on campus in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when Penn was roiled by dueling complaints of unfairly treating Jewish and pro-Palestinian members of its community.
Then-Penn president Liz Magill resigned in December 2023 following a bipartisan backlash over her congressional committee testimony regarding antisemitism complaints, and the following spring, pro-Palestinian protesters erected an encampment on the College Green that ultimately was dismantled by police.
Since January, President Donald Trump’s administration has targeted universities that it asserts have failed to respond adequately to antisemitism complaints, and the group of Penn professors said they are worried that the university is following the president’s lead.
“We are concerned that Penn’s own Title VI office may be responding to these external pressures in a manner that risks chilling faculty speech and potentially discriminating against faculty in violation of the law,” the group asserted in a statement published on its website Wednesday. “… Faculty members, who in some cases had already been subject to targeted harassment, felt that they were expected to take unsubstantiated accusations of antisemitism at face value and to express contrition or offer some concession to their unidentified accuser, or face the possibility of disciplinary action.”
Penn did not respond to a request for comment. Neither did the religious and ethnic interests office.
Penn announced the creation of the office in September 2024, noting it was the first of its kind nationally and saying it would ensure a consistent response across all of its schools.
“Over the past year, our campus and our country witnessed a disquieting surge in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of religious and ethnic intolerance,” J. Larry Jameson, who was then interim president and was named president six months later, said at the time. “The Office of Religious and Ethnic Inclusion (Title VI) is being formed to confront this deeply troubling trend, and to serve as a stand-alone center for education and complaint resolution.”
The office formally opened in December with the foundational goals of educating, investigating, mediating, and evaluating. Its codirectors are Steve Ginsburg, who had served over a decade as an executive of the Anti-Defamation League, and Majid Alsayegh, founder of Alta Management Services LLC, which helped clients with criminal justice reform. The office’s chief investigator is Deborah Frey, who previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, working on discrimination complaints.
“Because of our own lived experiences as targets of bigotry, we know this work is not going to be easy,” Ginsburg had told Penn Today. “These issues are complex and require deep thought and sensitivity for those who are impacted.”
Faculty and students were not named in Wednesday’s statement and declined to comment through an AAUP executive committee member out of fear of retribution or harassment. The AAUP did not disclose the number of faculty and students involved.
But the reports “come almost exclusively from faculty who are Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and/or Black,” the group said, giving rise to concerns about potential discrimination.
The faculty and students referred to in the letter were not sanctioned or punished for their activities, but the mere act of being called in and questioned has “a chilling effect” on research, teaching, and speech, said the AAUP executive committee member, who asked not to be identified because the chapter wanted to speak with one voice.
“For instance, in one meeting, a faculty member whose peer-reviewed research was subject to a complaint was pressured to make a modification to the presentation of that research, although their work had the support of their colleagues and dean,” the AAUP chapter said.
In that case, the faculty member had been called in because the research “referenced a third-party resource that a complainant claimed, without evidence, promoted hatred of Israel and of Jews in the United States,” the letter stated.
The chapter called on the office to “clarify and modify its procedures to ensure the transparency, consistency, and fairness essential to carrying out the office’s mission.”
And it asked the office to respond to a series of questions, including about the criteria it uses to decide whether to pursue a complaint.
More than 300,000 Pennsylvanians who struggle to pay their heating bills will need to wait longer for assistance from the state government due to funding stoppages caused by the federal government shutdown.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services said in a news release Wednesday that Pennsylvania will delay the opening of this year’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) untilat least Dec. 3 because of a pause in federal funding due to the shutdown.The program was originally scheduled to open on Nov. 3.
The opening date for the program will be reassessed once the shutdown ends and is contingent on the state receiving the delayed federal funds, Brandon Cwalina, DHS press secretary, said in a statement Thursday.
LIHEAP distributes benefits to utility companies or home heating fuel providers for Pennsylvanians who need assistance paying their heating bills. The state has received more than $200 million each of the last two years from the federal government to carry out the program.
Pennsylvania Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh said in the news release that the program “is especially critical for older adults and low-income families” as colder months approach.
Once DHS receives federal funding after the shutdown ends, the department will begin accepting LIHEAP applications and will continue processing applications that had been received during the shutdown.
This announcement comes the same week that DHS said nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians will not receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) next month if the shutdown continues. The food assistance program provides $366 million a month to low-income people in Pennsylvania,including roughly 500,000 in Philadelphia.
Joline Price, an attorney in the energy unit at Community Legal Services who works with clients to advocate for their access to water, heat, and electricity, said many of the same households could be affected by a lack of SNAP benefits and assistance in paying their heating bills, creating a “huge and devastating impact.” The program assisted 56,000 Philadelphia households last season, she noted.
“Even if some of these benefits become available later in November, they’re gonna be making really serious choices between food and utilities,” Price said. “It’s gonna be — I don’t even know that I have the words — it’s going to be bad.”
Other resources are available in the meantime — for instance, some electric and gas companies offer assistance programs — but there are gaps that remain with LIHEAP help beginning later than expected. For instance, Pennsylvania has an annual winter utility shut-off moratorium for qualified residents from Dec. 1 through March 31, though it does not eliminate any outstanding home heating bills, DHS said.
Prior to Dec. 1, low-income Pennsylvanians who are already “drowning” in utility costs could see their electric or gas shut off, Price said.
“Until then, folks are vulnerable to having their electric or their gas shut off, which would then bring them into the winter without safe heating sources,” Price said.
Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and members of his administration are arguing that impacts to crucial services are on the shoulders of Republicans in Washington, who hold both chambers of Congress and the White House. Meanwhile, Republicansare blaming the shutdown on Democrats because the majority party cannot pass funding legislation in the Senate without at least seven Democrats crossing the aisle.
Arkoosh echoed Shapiro’s messaging Wednesday, saying of LIHEAP: “Inaction from the Republican-controlled Congress now threatens access to this assistance.”
“I urge Congress and the White House to recognize the serious consequences that limiting heating assistance will have on the health and safety of people in Pennsylvania. Congress must come together for a solution that protects people most at risk,” she said.
A portion of the popular Schuylkill River Trail in Center City has been closed and fenced off indefinitely after a “chasm”-sized sinkhole formed under the asphalt.
The trail is closed between Race Street and JFK Boulevard, just north of the SEPTA Bridge, according to the Schuylkill River Development Corp. (SRDC), a nonprofit that has helped revitalize the section of the trail known as Schuylkill Banks.
The SRDC said that it is working with Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, the Philadelphia Water Department, and engineers “to figure out what caused the large cavity to form and what is needed to make the necessary repairs.”
It has posted a map of a detour that can be used until repairs are made.
A map of a detour for the Schuylkill River Trail closure between Race Street and JFK Boulevard, which closed for emergency repairs after a sinkhole appeared Oct. 23, 2025
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Joseph Syrnick, president and CEO of the SRDC, said the hole first came to the attention of his staff when a trail user reported it last week. At first, it appeared to be only a small hole, Syrnick said.
“By the time we got to it, it was about the size of a cantaloupe,” he said. “And then within a short time, it opened up the size of a small pumpkin. We immediately barricaded it off and made it safe.”
Syrnick said the hole was covered with plywood and cones were placed around it to block access by trail users. Crews began to explore the hole more thoroughly.
“We stuck our heads down there through the hole the size of the pumpkin, and saw a huge void. It’s like 8 by 10 [feet]. You could park a car down there — almost. So this has obviously been going on for a long time and luckily we caught it before it collapsed.”
Syrnick called it a “chasm” under the asphalt.
On Friday, SRDC hired an engineer, and then brought in the water department. The decision was made to block off the trail completely.
Although part of the trail remained covered, it took until Monday to put fencing and signs in place, completely sealing off any access.
“Theoretically, it could have collapsed,” Syrnick said.
Syrnick did not have a time frame for when the trail would reopen. He said his team needs to find the cause first. A repair could mean minor or major construction.
A sign warning people that part of the Schuylkill trail is closed for repairs between JFK Boulevard and Race Street after a sinkhole was discovered.
“I think we’re lucky finding this in the middle of fall, heading in the winter,” Syrnick said, “which is way better than finding it in the middle of spring, heading in the summer.”
Brian Rademaekers, a spokesperson for the water department, said it is working with SRDC to investigate the cave-in along the trail at Arch Street.
Rademaekers said crews will use dye to trace the source in an effort to determine a possible cause. He said that the nontoxic dye may cause discolored water in the Schuylkill, but that it is not a threat to people or wildlife.
“Once the results from this testing are evaluated,” Rademaekers said, “the PWD will work with SRDC to determine next steps needed to reopen the trail. Trail users should follow signage and advisories issued by the SRDC.
Rademaekers said the water department would not likely have an update on the situation until at least Friday.
Sure, Philly’s the birthplace of the nation. But we’re also the site of the first hot-air balloon ride (1793), the first selfie (1839), and the first pencil with an attached eraser (1858). So why not celebrate these Philly firsts and many more?
That’s the idea behind the Philadelphia Historic District 250th Committee’s “52 Weeks of Firsts” in 2026. Every week, all year, there will be a party somewhere in the city honoring a different “Philly-born” first, replete with a “first-ival,” storytelling, giveaways, scavenger hunts, and an oversized #1 sculpture made of foam to mark the exact spot, or closest thing to it, of the milestone.
On Thursday, during a festive gathering at the Constitution Center featuring circus performers, Mummers, Once Upon A Nation storytellers, and ice cream sodas from Franklin Fountain, officials announced the complete schedule for “52 Weeks of Firsts.”
“Philadelphia has always been a city of firsts — from the founding of our nation to innovations that shaped everyday life,” said Amy Needle, president and CEO of Historic Philadelphia Inc. “It’s an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to go and explore and find these firsts and learn about all the amazing history and innovation that has happened in Philadelphia in the last 250 years.”
Fitting with planners’ promise to bring the 250th celebration to the neighborhoods, the 52 Weeks festivities will take place across at least 16 different sections of the city, Needle said. In compiling the list, a partnership of representatives from 22 Philly museums and cultural institutions adhered to a strict definition of first from Merriam Webster: “preceding all others in time, order, or importance.”
Some Philly firsts are known to every schoolchild. Like the first American flag (thanks, Betsy: 1777). And first naming of the United States (1776.) Others may stump even the most ardent Philly booster. Like the country’s first public showing of a motion picture (1870), first U.S. weather bureau office (also 1870), and first electronic computer (1945).
The 52 Weeks of First aims to capture all that has made Philly first in the nation throughout the years, Needle said.
“There are so many things that Philadelphia has to be excited about,” she said.
Here is the full list, with the schedule for the whole year.
52 Weeks of Firsts: Week by week
First Hot Air Balloon Flight in America: 1793
The Athenaeum, Jan. 3, 2026
First Folk Parade: 1901
Mummers Museum, Jan. 10, 2026
First Volunteer Fire Company: 1736
Fireman’s Hall Museum, Jan. 17, 2026
First Professional Basketball League: 1898
Location TBD, Jan. 24, 2026
First Public Girl Scout Cookie Sale: 1932
Location TBD, Jan. 31, 2026
First African Methodist Episcopal Congregation: 1794
Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, Feb. 7, 2026
First Abolitionist Society in America: 1775
The African American Museum in Philadelphia, Feb. 14, 2026
First Authentic Chinese Gate Built in America: 1984
Syracuse coach Fran Brown and defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson played football together at Camden High School. The two also overlapped at Temple and Baylor as assistant coaches from 2014 to 2017.
From a young age, they shared a dream to eventually work on the same sideline.
“We’ve talked about it for a long time, early in our careers, about one of us having the opportunity to become a head coach at some point, and that we would love to build a program together,” Robinson said. “I’m grateful for him wanting me to come and join him on his path.”
One of Robinson’s greatest coaching success story came while serving as Temple’s defensive line coach from 2014-16. Former Eagles defensive end Haason Reddick, now with the Buccaneers, joined the Owls as a walk-on in 2012. Robinson coached Reddick during his three of five years as an Owl, helping the future two-time Pro Bowler go from an unrecruited prospect to an early first-round draft pick.
New Head Coach Fran Brown(@FranBrownCuse) & New Defensive Coordinator Elijah Robinson(@CoachE_TAMU) w/ Syracuse Orange Football Alumni talking & breaking bread together. This is what I love to see.
“[Hasson’s] somebody that everyone can look up to,” Robinson said. “He went about his day as a pro — the way he prepared, the way he practiced, and he just continued to develop. He’s a guy that had to fight, pay his own way, and he didn’t get a scholarship until his senior year in college.”
After three seasons at Temple and one at Baylor, Robinson was hired as Texas A&M’s defensive line coach, where he helped starters DeMarvin Leal (Steelers), Micheal Clemons (Jets), McKinnley Jackson (Bengals), and Jayden Peevy (Saints) earn NFL contracts.
Before the 2022 season, Robinson added assistant head coach and run game coordinator to his job titles. The following year, after Texas A&M fired head coach Jimbo Fisher with just two games remaining, Robinson got the job on an interim basis.
“I was just honored to be chosen to lead that group of young men for the remainder of that time,” Robinson said. “They needed some leadership; they needed someone that cared about them, that was going to stick with them through it all.”
On Nov. 28, 2023, Fran Brown was hired as Syracuse’s head coach, and Robinson was announced as his defensive coordinator just days later.
Elijah Robinson was interim head coach at Texas A&M in 2023.
At that point, Texas A&M had about a month left of practices and a bowl game remaining.
“When Coach Fran got the job [at Syracuse], there only would’ve been one way that kept me from coming to join him,” said Robinson. “That was [being] the head coach at Texas.”
The reason that Robinson accepted the defensive coordinator job at Syracuse was because the Aggies had already found his replacement. On Nov. 27, 2023, Texas A&M hired Mike Elko to be its next head coach, though he wouldn’t take over his new role until after the 2023 season.
“I appreciate [Syracuse] for allowing me to finish it out with those guys [at A&M] until their head coach came and took over,” Robinson said.
While Robinson was a big addition for Syracuse in terms of player development, he may have been even more valuable for his recruiting. In 2022, the Penn State alum won 247 Sports’ recruiter of the year award, an honor Brown received two years later.
But when Robinson arrived at Syracuse, he took a firm stance against recruiting players from his old job.
“[Texas A&M] treated my family and I really well, and I built a lot of great relationships there,” said Robinson. “So, I wanted nothing but that program to have success, and for me to tell players or encourage players to leave, I wasn’t going to do that.”
Now in his second season at Syracuse, Robinson isn’t closing the door on becoming a head coach. Last November, Brown was asked about the possibility of both Robinson and offensive coordinator Jeff Nixon, who also has Temple ties, potentially taking what was a vacant head coaching job with the Owls.
“When we continue to win the way that we’ll continue to win, I think there’ll be opportunities that open up that’ll put them in the same Power Four level, instead of trying to have to go down a level to coach,” Brown said.
But as of now, Robinson has his focus elsewhere.
“At the end of the day, you got to be where your feet are, something I learned as a player,” Robinson said. “I think if I start looking at opportunities too far ahead, they’ll never show up.”
Keon King was charged with murder and related crimes Wednesday in the death of Kada Scott, the 23-year-old Mount Airy woman police say he kidnapped, then killed, before burying her body in a shallow grave.
The district attorney’s office approved the charges shortly after police announced that the Medical Examiner’s Office had ruled her death a homicide. Officials said Thursday that Scott died by a gunshot wound to the head.
In addition to murder, King was charged with illegal gun possession, abuse of corpse, robbery, theft, tampering with evidence, and additional crimes.
The announcement came as investigators said they believe at least one other person helped King, 21, move Scott’s body and bury it behind a closed East Germantown school in the days after she was killed, and detectives are working to identify those involved.
New court records, made public Wednesday, offered the most detailed look yet inside the investigation into Scott’s disappearance and death, including her texts with King in the days before she went missing, the police search for her body, and how others may have helped King try to conceal her killing.
A review of Scott’s cell phone records showed that on Oct. 2, a number believed to belong to King texted Scott: “Yo Kada this my new number.”
“Who dis,” Scott asked, and he responded “Kel,” according to the affidavit of probable cause for King’s arrest.
Kada Scott, 23, went missing Oct. 4.
Law enforcement sources said King appeared to use various aliases when communicating with people, including “Elliot” and “Kel.”
On the morning of Oct. 4, the document says, Scott texted King saying, “kidnap me again.”
King replied, “better be up too,” according to the filing.
What Scott meant in that text continues to perplex investigators, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. It’s not clear, the sources said, whether Scott was joking or being sarcastic, or if King had, in fact, abducted her before.
In any case, the affidavit says, the pair made plans to meet up later that night. Scott worked the overnight shift at the Terrace Hill nursing home in Chestnut Hill, and at 10:09 p.m., the records say, she texted King to call her when he arrived outside.
According to the affidavit, Scott received 12 calls from the number believed to belong to King between 9:25 p.m. and 10:12 p.m., ending with a 43-second call.
Around that time, a coworker later told police, she overheard Scott on the phone say, “I can’t believe you’re calling me about this,” before walking toward a dark-colored car.
At 10:24 p.m., Scott’s phone line went dead, the document shows.
The rear of Ada H.H. Lewis Middle School, where Kada Scott’s body was found buried in the wooded area.
By 10:28 p.m., the affidavit says, surveillance cameras showed King, driving a black Hyundai Accent, pull into the parking lot of the Awbury Recreation Center. King got out of the car and left the area, the filing says.
The next day, around 11:39 p.m., two people in a gold Toyota Camry believed to belong to King went back to the recreation center, the records show. They walked toward the playground area, then returned to the car around 3:56 a.m.
The two people then opened up the Hyundai Accent and appeared to “remove a heavy object, consistent with a human body,” from the passenger side of the car. They carried the object toward the playground and returned to the vehicle a half-hour later, the records said.
On Oct. 7 at 2:48 a.m., police believe King returned to the recreation center to retrieve the Hyundai. They said the car — which had been reported stolen a few days earlier from the 6600 block of Sprague Street — was set on fire near 74th Street and Ogontz Avenue a short time later.
Community members attend a candlelight vigil by flowers and balloons left at a memorial for Kada Scott near the abandoned Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School on Monday.
King turned himself in to police last week to be charged with kidnapping Scott. He was held on $2.5 million bail.
Earlier this week, prosecutors also charged King with arson and related crimes for the burning of the car. Now that he is charged with murder, he is expected to be held without bail.
King’s lawyer, Shaka Johnson, could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.
On Wednesday evening, city leaders headed to a church in the Northwest Philadelphia community where Scott’s body was recovered, addressing a crowd of about 200 residents concerned about public safety.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker and Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, among other officials, offered condolences to Scott’s family and commended police for recovering her body. Residents, too, appeared relieved, breaking into applause when Bethel said murder charges had been filed against King.
Bethel, a father of three daughters, said that as the search for Scott wore on, he felt at times as if he were searching for his own child. And Councilmember Cindy Bass told the crowd that Scott “could have been your niece, she could have been your friend.”
The commissioner said the investigation was continuing as police search for those who might have assisted King. And addressing concerns over safety at the city’s abandoned buildings — including Ada H.H. Lewis Middle School — officials said the city was in the process of reviewing vacant properties.
The Flyers, Sixers, and Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday announced a new partnership with Bank of America, which will serve as the arena and teams’ banking partner this season. In addition to naming rights for the Club Level, the deal includes community efforts aimed at benefiting small businesses and youth sports.
“It just is historic on many levels, in that we’re three iconic brands coming together,” said Comcast Spectator chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty. “We’re focused on being key players in Xfinity Mobile Arena, and Bank of America will partner with us on doing some really, really fun things in the community.” Comcast Spectacor owns both the arena and the Flyers.
The deal, for which financial details were not disclosed, is “the most significant partnership” Bank of America has undertaken in its 20-plus years in the Philadelphia market, said Bank of America Greater Philadelphia president Jim Dever. Among its focuses is serving as a presenting partner in the Sixers’ small-business initiatives, such as the Spirit of Small Business Program and the Enrich Program, which benefit independent local businesses with aid and promotion.
“This is an area that’s a prime focus to us, to be able to drive further economic mobility through small business and amplify their mission, and draw more patronage their way,” Dever said.
The company will also head a youth-hockey-focused initiative in which it plans to donate up to $250,000 worth of hockey equipment to Philadelphia-area schools. Additional programs aimed at youth development and small business support will also be established, the organizations said in a statement, but details remain forthcoming.
Tad Brown, CEO of the Sixers and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, said the partnership would allow the organizations to come together to “amplify all of our resources to benefit our fans and the region.”
Despite its new banking partner, however, Xfinity Mobile Arena will likely remain cashless, and Dever said the organizations were not envisioning ATMs on the premises. Though, the partnership may create a small change for Hilferty.
“I’m going to have to go elsewhere to get my cash,” he joked. “But that’s OK.”
BOSTON — VJ Edgecombe was unflappable 10 hours before making his NBA debut.
There were no jitters, butterflies, or even a restless night before he faced the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
“I slept great,” Edgecombe said Wednesday morning. “I ain’t going to lie. Yeah, I got more than eight hours of sleep. I ain’t antsy or nothing. I’m just looking at it as a regular game.
“Obviously, the environment won’t be the same. But it’s still basketball, at the end of the day.”
It turns out that the 76ers rookie’s quiet confidence was warranted.
It was the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 on Nov. 30, 1954. Edgecombe’s 14 first-quarter points set a record for the most in the opening period of an NBA debut, surpassing James’ 12 points on Oct. 29, 2003.
“From a team standpoint, we got the win, which matters the most,” a smiling Edgecombe said of his performance. “Like I said, it’s going to come. It’s basketball at the end of the day, like I’ve been saying. Just trying not to overthink it.
“I’ve been putting in the reps, been putting in the work. My teammates trust me. I trust my teammates. I was blessed to be in this position on this big stage. Blessed to perform.”
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe postgame, talking about being mentioned in the same breath as Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James and more: pic.twitter.com/Pc6HA31rqJ
Yeah, it’s great to have a high-scoring night that enabled the Sixers to start a season 1-0 for the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. But how does he process being mentioned in the same breath as Chamberlain and James, two of the greatest to play the game?
“It’s amazing,” Edgecombe said, smiling again. “I must say, it’s amazing. But, I mean, hopefully I have a long career ahead of me. That’s what matters most. Longevity. Knowing ’Bron, who’s been here 20-plus years, I’m hoping I can do that one day. But just putting in work … it’s great having my name mentioned with LeBron’s name, but credit to ’Bron and credit to my teammates for passing me the ball.”
The 20-year-old began to put his imprint on the game midway through the first quarter, scoring 10 consecutive points.
His first basket from the floor came on a cutting dunk with 6 minutes, 22 seconds left in the quarter. Then he drained a 25-foot three-pointer before scoring on a driving layup. He capped the run with another 25-foot three-pointer to knot the score at 20 with 4:09 remaining in the quarter.
Then, after Jabari Walker’s putback layup, Edgecombe drained his third three-pointer to knot the score, 25-25, at the 1:14 mark. He scored 13 of the Sixers’ final 16 points in the opening quarter.
“I was just having fun, to be honest,” Edgecombe said of the first-quarter stretch. “The ball was moving. I was getting good looks, capitalizing on them. That was the main thing, just capitalizing on the looks we had. And I was able to knock down some shots, get to the rim, finish, and my teammates were creating for me.
“That’s why I got those wide-open catch-and-shoot [three-point] shots because my teammates were creating for me.”
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (77) drives to the basket against Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons (4).
After Edgecombe’s stellar debut, several of his teammates recalled their first NBA games.
“My debut, I played 10 minutes,” said Dominick Barlow of his debut, a 119-97 loss by his San Antonio Spurs to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 19, 2022. “I was tired as hell. I was like 1-for-3 [shooting]. I didn’t do nothing. He is just so composed, so calm. You don’t see that. That was special. I’ve been around two No. 1 picks [Victor Wembanyama in 2023 with the Spurs and Zaccharie Risacher in 2024 with the Atlanta Hawks], and to see how he carries himself and how good he was in clutch situations and how aggressive he was with All-Star-level guards playing against him [in Jaylen Brown], it’s special.”
Tyrese Maxey, who scored a game-high 40 points on Wednesday, also rolled down memory lane.
The All-Star in 2023-24 finished with six points in 10:51 off the bench in a 113-107 win over the Washington Wizards on Dec. 23, 2020.
“I remember from my debut. I was confident,” Maxey said. “I remember the first thing I did was step out of bounds, and [coach] Doc [Rivers] said, ‘If you do that again, you are coming out.’
“But this guy, I’m proud of him. He played well.”
Maxey raved about Edgecombe’s composure and the shots he took without batting an eye. Not known as a three-point shooter, Edgecombe was left open on catch-and-shoot attempts by the Celtics (0-1). He responded by burying 5 of 13 three-pointers.
“Seventy-seven definitely got scared at the free-throw line, though,” Maxey said jokingly of Edgecombe missing a pair of foul shots with 8.5 seconds remaining.
The Sixers’ Vj Edgecombe helped the Sixers secure a 117-116 win to kick off their season.
But Maxey’s good-natured ribbing ended there, as he switched back to explaining how proud he was of his backcourt mate.
“He was comfortable,” Maxey said of Edgecombe hoisting up the double-digit three-point attempts. “… They tried to close out to him a couple of times, and he shot it. We know what he does when he gets downhill and what he does on defense. But that’s what I was most proud of, man. He shot those threes and shot them with confidence and made them, too.”
Kelly Oubre Jr. wasn’t shocked by Edgecombe’s historic night. When he asked the rookie how he felt before the game, “He was like, ‘Chillin’ bro,’” Oubre said.
“Right then, I’m like, ‘All right, you’re not nervous,’” Oubre said. “No jitters for a very even-keeled individual. And he puts the work in. So that was just a testament to the work he puts in.”
The entrance to Lincoln High School’s football field was locked last Saturday morning for the Railsplitters’ regular-season finale against defending Philadelphia Public League champion Imhotep Charter.
Spectators had to be preapproved for entrance into the gates, then checked by a Philadelphia police officer on a list. There were three camera crews there, too, taking sporadic shots of the field and video of the 50 or so parents scattered in the concrete stands.
Lincoln hasn’t played a game since Oct. 4, after the team received a three-game suspension — which would have ended its season — following a brawl that broke out after its game against Northeast High School. However, last week, the School District of Philadelphia overturned Lincoln’s suspension after video evidence revealed players, parents, and coaches from both schools were involved in an altercation as Lincoln’s team attempted to leave the Northeast Supersite.
The Railsplitters forfeited two games, including their 39-8 victory over Northeast, before the suspension was amended. But none of that mattered against Imhotep. Lincoln just wanted another chance to play.
In a 26-25 thriller, the Railsplitters snapped the powerhouse Panthers’ 35-game league winning streak and became the first Public League team to beat Imhotep in six years.
If the Railsplitters (5-4) had lost, their season was over. Lincoln persevered, despite having 12 players suspended due to the altercation, and will advance to the Public League quarterfinal round of the playoffs. They will play Central at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Germantown Supersite.
Another chance
As the game was winding down on Oct. 4, Lincoln coach Hakeem Cooper and Northeast coach Nick Lincoln agreed to skip the traditional postgame handshake down the middle of the field, Cooper said, due to the in-game chatter that was stirring between the teams.
Instead, Northeast went back to its locker rooms, located up a ramp and behind the stadium field house. Cooper gathered his team in the far end zone to address the group for 15 minutes after the game. Cooper said he sent assistant coach Joe DiGrazio to get the Lincoln team buses over to the visitor’s side of the field.
DiGrazio then went up the steps on the Northeast home side, where a verbal altercation ensued, Cooper said.
DiGrazio, who is shown on a video from the incident, had his back to the steps and extended his arms trying to hold back Lincoln’s players from going up the steps. The video also showed shoving and jostling before the altercation was settled.
Lincoln High School plays against Imhotep Charter on Oct. 18.
Northeast interim principal Peggy DeNaples, Northeast athletic director Phil Gormley, and Vikings coach Nick Lincoln could not comment about the matter.
The school district wrote in a statement: “After an additional review of video footage, statements from coaches, parents and OSS (Office of School Safety) officers on-site and reports from PPD (Philadelphia Police Department), the PPL (Philadelphia Public League)’s investigation concluded that student-athletes and coaches from the Abraham Lincoln high school football team engaged in unsportsmanlike conduct after the conclusion of the game … . Individuals who were not directly involved in the altercation from Lincoln were eligible to return to play for their final regular season game on Oct. 18.”
On Oct. 8, Lincoln principal Jack Nelson was informed by the district that the Railsplitters’ season would be canceled. Cooper gathered his team in a study hall to tell them the news, which was greeted with a swell of emotion.
“Yep, it was not a good birthday present, because it was highly emotional,” said Cooper, who is in his fifth season as the Railsplitters’ head coach and guided Lincoln to a 2023 PPL Class 6A championship, its first league title since 1979. “It’s probably one of the hardest things I ever had to do as a coach. I got emotional, seeing all my boys breaking down after we lost a championship that we should have won [last November to Imhotep on a blocked punt in the Public League championship].
“It’s been a roller coaster these last two weeks. I was holding out hope that we would be able to salvage the season. I just wanted the kids to have one more chance. We appealed the suspension when more video came out, and the school district gave us our season back.”
‘Never gave up hope’
A week later, in the same room that Lincoln thought its season was over, Cooper told his 47 players to grab their helmets and shoulder pads and get ready for practice. They had a 90- minute session last Wednesday and a two-hour practice on Thursday, before finishing the week with a Friday walk-through.
It was not an ideal way to prepare for a team like Imhotep, which beat Lincoln 35-6 last year during the regular season. The Panthers also squeezed by the Railsplitters, 28-26, for the Public League Class 6A title on a blocked punt with less than a minute left in regulation and a touchdown by Jabree Wallace-Coleman (who’s now at Penn State) on the final play of the game.
Last Saturday, Lincoln’s 6-foot-1, 193-pound senior quarterback KJ Moore was brilliant. He extended plays. He found sophomore Nazir Holley in the corner of the end zone for a 20-19 lead with 1:48 to play.
It looked like the Railsplitters would seal the win when defensive end Koi Muse took an interception 35 yards and added a 26-19 lead. But Imhotep kept coming.
On the ensuing kickoff, Imhotep scored a touchdown on a fumbled return and had Cooper feeling cursed by the football gods that another odd special team’s breakdown would end Lincoln’s season. But the Railsplitters held, as Imhotep’s two-point conversion was stopped.
Cooper’s lower lip quivered after the game. The whole experience seems to have galvanized the Railsplitters. The suspension made a tight team a tighter team.
“I never gave up hope that we would play again, and I never felt so happy going to practice last Wednesday,” Moore said. “I was angry. We had to play behind a locked gate. Me, Jamir Duncan, and Nymir Marable, the team captains, called a players-only meeting the day after we were told our season was over. We were determined to get our season back. … On the outside, we had a lot of ignorance coming at us.
“We’re going to be tough to beat. We are getting our guys back, and Alvin Yates is eligible to play. I saw the cameras there. I also saw that they left. They didn’t stick around. They covered their story. They missed the story: us beating a team no one thought we could beat. This adversity has made us closer. … I learned how this coaching staff cares about us. They are always there for us. It’s why we push, because our coaches push.”
Marable, a senior receiver who is getting attention from West Chester, Delaware State, Gettysburg, and West Virginia State, added: “We had to prove everyone wrong. We were supposed to lose 50-0. I think we all got a gift in this — we had something taken away and then given back. We learned not to take anything for granted. Everyone was ready to play. No one was going to stop us.”
When Cooper showed up at Lincoln at 8 a.m. Saturday, he was greeted by 20 of his players waiting in front of the locker room door.
Yates, a 6-5, 260-pound defensive lineman and cousin of former St. Joe’s Prep star Samaj Jones and Imhotep’s Zahir Mathis, had to wait 21 days before his eligibility kicked in after transferring into Lincoln from Imhotep.
“I can’t wait to play after being on the sideline,” said Yates, who is getting attention from Syracuse, Temple, Monmouth, and Penn State. “We have some dogs on this team. The mindset of this team is to win everything, especially with everything we have been through.”
If Lincoln and Northeast win this weekend, the two teams will advance to the Public League semifinals, which will be played at the South Philadelphia Supersite on Nov. 1 at 11 a.m. According to sources from Lincoln and Northeast, there will likely be no fans permitted to attend.
“I won’t forget my son coming home [on Oct. 8] crying like he lost an aunt and I knew something was not right,” said Kareem Moore Sr., KJ Moore’s father. “I was there when the fight broke out. The animosity was high between the two teams. These were adults acting poorly. It’s too bad this was taken out on these kids. It will feel real good when Lincoln wins the Public League title. These kids are filled with a lot of energy. They can do it.”
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