Fanatics Fest will make its return to the Javits Center in New York City from July 16-19, and with its return comes another year of the Fanatics Games.
The high-stakes, fan-inclusive sports competition debuted last year, featuring 50 professional athletes, creators, celebrities, and 50 fans competing head-to-head in different sports-themed skills challenges.
The top 10 finishers from last year are expected to compete once again in this year’s competitions, including the inaugural winner, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, UFC fighter, and runner-up, Justin Gaethje, and the third-place finisher — and reigning “fan champion,” — Matt Dennish, a health teacher and basketball coach at Red Lion High School in York County, Pa.
“When the offer was there, I couldn’t pass it up,” Dennish, an avid Philly sports fan, said. “It was an experience worth going back for. The first time around, I didn’t know what to expect, and I far exceeded expectations. So, when I go back for the challenge, whether it goes well or not, I’m just happy to be able to go back.”
Dennish, 40, competed in multiple events, including an NBA shooting competition, a FIFA goal-scoring shootout, an NHL slapshot accuracy competition, an NFL passing skills test, a UFC striking challenge, a golf challenge, an MLB pitching accuracy competition, and a WWE entrance challenge.
Fanatics co-founder and Sixers minority owner Michael Rubin (right) at Fanatics Fest 2024 at the Javits Center in New York City.
In the overall competition, Dennish finished in third place, earning a LeBron James rookie card. Meanwhile, Brady placed first and won the $1 million grand prize. And Gaethje placed second, winning a red Ferrari 296 GTB. However, Dennish didn’t walk out with the card. Brady offered him the $250,000 in market value for the card, a signed Brady jersey, and his trading card.
Dennish gladly accepted.
“When I came back, because I’m part of a small town here in Red Lion, my life was very chaotic,” Dennish said. “For a couple [of] months afterwards, a day didn’t go by that somebody wouldn’t bring it up. At the grocery store, I was pretty recognizable, being taller, I couldn’t hide away. So, it was a weird feeling. … And I get a lot of questions coming up for this next year.”
Some of those questions were answered by a video message Brady sent to Red Lion High School.
“What’s up, Red Lion?” Brady said in the video. “I had to send this because I got a message for one of your teachers, Mr. Dennish. Matt, remember me? Your Fanatics Games rival, Tom Brady. Yeah, last year at Fanatics Fest, I was very fortunate to beat 100 great athletes and fans to win the inaugural Fanatics Games. But, Matt, you were incredible.
“So, I hear Fanatics Games is back this July in New York City. I’m going to be there, so I’m calling for a rematch. Winning feels best when you beat the best. So, Matt I sent you something with Fanatics. If you accept, put it on.”
Accepting Brady’s challenge, Dennish put on a custom Fanatics jersey as students chanted “Beat Tom Brady!” Now, as the 6-foot-6 teacher from Red Lion prepares to compete for the second year in a row, he’ll be taking on a different role from the first competition.
“I was a no-name last year and flew under the radar,” Dennish said. “And of course, this year, there’s going to be a target on my back. But I’m okay with that. I think it just leads to a new challenge and more attention. We’ll see how it goes.”
Michael Rubin (second from left), with the top three finishers in the 2025 Fanatics Games: Tom Brady, Matt Dennish, and Justin Gaethje.
This year’s competition will introduce new and improved competition formats and a $2 million total prize pool.
There will be more opportunities for fans to qualify through a partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, introducing in-person qualifiers by visiting select Dick’s House of Sport locations across the country — including Knoxville (May 9), Kennesaw, Ga. (May 30), Houston (June 13), and Boston (June 28).
The top three performers from each event will earn a chance to compete.
Last summer, she said it. This winter, she proved it. And now she gets to share it with her kids.
Full circle. 💛🥇
Get ready for more athlete stories like this live at Fanatics Fest this summer. pic.twitter.com/Yp9rBXLrz8
“What made Fanatics Games special in year one was seeing fans and world-class athletes compete side by side, feeding off each other’s energy in real time,” said Lance Fensterman, the chief executive officer of Fanatics Events. “That level of passion and participation inspired us to expand the Games in 2026, and partnering with Dick’s Sporting Goods allows us to make the experience even bigger and better, creating new ways that make it even more interactive for fans across the country to earn their spot in the competition.”
Fans who can’t compete in the in-person qualifiers can send a video application to the Fanatics Games website or post to social media using #FanaticsGames.
Rob Gronkowski, James Harden, and WWE superstars Rhea Ripley, Liv Morgan, Cody Rhodes, and Jey Uso will be some of the other athletes competing this year. Additional participants will be announced in the coming months.
Nick Sirianni praises new Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker
Christian Parker during a news conference last week with the Cowboys.
Former Eagles defensive assistant coach Christian Parker reportedly beat out eight other contenders to land the Dallas Cowboys’ vacant defensive coordinator position.
“Every impression we had with CP just left us wanting more,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters at a news conference last week. “The conviction that he has, but curious, his calm demeanor, just the way he carries himself, is awesome … It became very clear he was the guy for the job.”
Speaking to reporters at the NFL scouting combine Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called Parker “a phenomenal football coach,” crediting him with “a lot” of the team’s player development success.
“I think the world of him and wish him the best,” Sirianni said, “with the exception of two games each year.”
Howie Roseman: Brandon Graham ‘always welcome in Philadelphia’
Brandon Graham un-retired to play for the Eagles last season.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman praised veteran defender Brandon Graham, who unretired to rejoin the Birds for a 16th season.
But Roseman didn’t say whether Graham, 37, would be back with the squad this season.
“Brandon Graham is always welcome in Philadelphia, obviously,” Roseman told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday. “When I think about what he’s done for us as a player, as a person, and then last year when he came back, the versatility he showed … future Eagles Hall of Famer.”
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni shared Roseman’s sentiment when asked about Graham at the combine Tuesday.
“I’m not going to say it’s a ridiculous question, but of course, you want guys back like that,” Sirianni said.
Maxx Crosby said he loved playing in the hostile environment of Lincoln Financial Field.
The Las Vegas Raiders are planning to keep star edge rusher Maxx Crosby despite the trade talk around the five-time Pro Bowl pick, general manager John Spytek said Tuesday.
“Maxx is an elite player. I’ve been very upfront from the start since I got here, that we’re in the business of having really good players on the team, and we need a lot more of them,” Spytek said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
Crosby has been rehabilitating from left knee surgery he underwent three days after the regular season ended, as speculation about his status has persisted following an NFL-worst 3-14 record for the Raiders and the firing of coach Pete Carroll after just one year on the job.
Crosby said earlier this month he doesn’t want out and that the unsubstantiated reports suggesting he does make him laugh. His future with the club that drafted him in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan in 2019 became a subject when he was placed on injured reserve with two games left against his wish, preferring to play out the season. Crosby, who has 69½ sacks in seven years, had a career-high 28 tackles for loss in 2025.
— Associated Press
// Pinned
// Timestamp 02/24/26 2:33pm
Watch: Nick Sirianni, Howie Roseman speak at the NFL scouting combine
// Timestamp 02/24/26 2:03pm
New UFL rules include a four-point field goal and Tush Push ban
Andre Mintze, a Philly native and former Imhotep standout, plays for the DC Defenders.
While all eyes are on the NFL scouting combine, don’t forget about the United Football League.
In case you’d forgotten, the upstart, eight-team spring football league is the re-branded result of a merger between the XFL and USFL in 2023.
Ahead of its third season, the UFL announced some interesting new rules Tuesday, including a ban of the Tush Push, something the NFL hasn’t been able to get through.
It doesn’t look like this will be the year, either. NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said on ESPN Sunday he’s not anticipating any challenges to the Tush Bush this offseason.
“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay said. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
Here is a full rundown of the UFL’s new rules. Their season begins March 27, and will feature three new teams — the Columbus Aviators, Louisville Kings, and Orlando Storm.
Four-point field goal: Any successful field goal from 60 yards or farther will now be worth four points. Regular fields goals will remain three points.
No punting rule: Punts will no longer be allowed from anyone inside an opponent’s 50-yard-line. The only exception is with less than two minutes remaining before halftime or the end of the game.
Elimination of the Tush Push: No more pushing quarterbacks from behind in the UFL.
New overtime rules: Teams will have three alternating attempts to score from the five-yard line. If the score remains tied, teams will continue to alternate attempts until a winner is determined.
‘He’s going to be a huge asset’: Dolphins head coach praises Kevin Patullo
Former Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
Following a Zoom interview with Kevin Patullo, new Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley was so impressed he knew he wanted to bring the former Eagles offensive coordinator down to Miami.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the NFL scouting combine, Hafley said Patullo’s knowledge goes beyond just the offense and extends to “game management” and “situational football”
“I got off the Zoom and I said to [Dolphins offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik], ‘We’ve got to try and hire this guy,’” Hafley said. “He had other opportunities and other options.”
The Dolphins indeed landed Patullo, whose brief tenure with the Eagles saw both the passing and running game regress. The Eagles’ offense finished the season ranked No. 19 in scoring and No. 24 in yards, down from No. 7 and No. 8 in those respective categories in 2024.
How long will the scouting combine remain in Indianapolis?
Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will host the NFL scouting combine through 2028.
That’s the perennial question.
Indianapolis, which has hosted the combine since 1987, will continue as the event’s home through at least 2028, the NFL announced last month.
Despite other cities placing bids to host the event, the NFL has continued to stick with the combine’s roots. The league has also placed the desires of scouts and coaches — who enjoy the convenience of the Circle City’s downtown setup — over expanding the combine into a TV event the way the league has done with the NFL draft.
“For more than three decades, Indy has proven to be the best host city, efficiently moving prospects, team owners, coaching staff, medical personnel, and national media seamlessly through the city,” Colts Chief Operating Officer Pete Ward said in a statement.
How does this year’s draft class stack up with the Eagles’ needs?
The NFL world is descending on Indianapolis again this week for the NFL scouting combine.
This week, 319 college football prospects will descend on Indianapolis for the annual NFL scouting combine, where they will be tested physically, mentally, and medically, interviewed by NFL front office personnel, and will speak with hundreds of media members.
This latest step in the 2026 NFL draft process allows teams to home in on the next crop of players who will fill their franchises. All 32 teams will have 45 “formal interviews,” which last just under 20 minutes, can include watching film or any questions teams want to ask a prospect, and typically take place in the Lucas Oil Stadium suites.
The first direct touch point with prospects happened at last month’s Shrine and Senior Bowl games. NFL teams will utilize this next piece of the puzzle to identify which prospects match their team needs.
Here is how we’re ranking the combine position groups from strongest to weakest. Click through to read how they could help the Eagles address some roster needs:
‘We’ll continue to move on’: What’s next after Jeff Stoutland’s surprising exit?
Jeff Stoutland announced his departure from the Eagles earlier this month.
Two months after the Eagles hired Jeff Stoutland, they drafted Lane Johnson with the fourth overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. Howie Roseman had his cornerstone offensive lineman, one whom Stoutland helped develop into a future Hall of Fame right tackle.
Stoutland was in the room with — and in the ear of — Roseman in the years that followed, even after the coach who hired Stoutland, Chip Kelly, left town. Stoutland survived 13 seasons and three coaching staffs in large part because he was arguably the best offensive line coach in football, but he also shared similar philosophies with Roseman.
“In 13 years, I probably couldn’t get on one hand our disagreements,” Roseman said during a session with Eagles beat writers on Friday, a few weeks after Stoutland announced his departure from the Eagles. “We looked at offensive line play very similarly.”
The offensive line, which took a step back in 2025 thanks to multiple injuries, has quickly gone from a position of strength and certainty to one that may soon need to be overhauled. The Eagles have been due to draft and develop Johnson’s eventual replacement, but now they may have big holes in the interior sooner than they anticipated.
It’s a crucial offseason for Roseman to address multiple spots on the depth chart, not just the offensive line, and retooling the offensive front now comes without the help of Stoutland.
“I probably could have 50 stories on our draft process and how we went through them,” Roseman said. “I miss him. … We’ll continue to move on. I feel like we have a really good group of people here. I feel confident in our ability to evaluate, but at the same time understanding how important he was to the process of adding good players and then developing those good players.”
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham told 92.9 The Game in Atlanta that the team plans to release Kirk Cousins on the first day of the league year, Wednesday, March 11.
Ertz, 35, turned around his career as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels, but the tight end’s contract with the Commanders is up this season. It remains unclear whether he’ll remain in Washington or become a free agent.
The Birds have marketing rights in Brazil and played there two seasons ago, but the NFL generally avoids scheduling divisional matchups in international games (though it’s already bucking that trend with 49ers-Rams in Australia, plus the Chiefs have played the Chargers, an AFC West foe, twice on foreign soil).
There’s also London, but even though the Birds are scheduled to play a road game against the Jaguars, it seems unlikely the NFL would want to waste the ratings potential of the Eagles on a game with a 9:30 a.m. Philly kickoff.
Nick Sirianni, Howie Roseman to speak more ahead of NFL scouting combine
Howie Roseman (left) and Nick Sirianni will speak to reporters Tuesday.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman will speak to reporters Tuesday afternoon ahead of the scouting combine.
Roseman is slated to take the podium at 2:45 p.m., followed by Sirianni at 3 p.m.
While most of the focus will likely be on whom the Eagles might take in the upcoming NFL draft, Sirianni and Roseman will undoubtedly face questions about a host of issues, including the future of A.J. Brown.
Sirianni and Roseman spoke to Eagles reporters Friday. Here’s what they learned.
Sean Mannion will be calling plays for the first time under intense scrutiny in Philadelphia.
Nick Sirianni sat perched back in a chair with his feet up in UGG slippers. The Eagles coach looked as relaxed as he has in over a year, and certainly since a tumultuous 2025 season ended with him having to oust consigliere Kevin Patullo as offensive coordinator last month.
Sirianni met with reporters at the newly named Jefferson Health Training Complex on the Friday before the NFL combine. He and general manager Howie Roseman normally answer questions with locals in Indianapolis before they hit the combine podium. But with so much change already — and more to come — the Eagles opted for the more familiar setting of their draft room to address pertinent matters about the team.
Sirianni and the more upright Roseman spoke separately, each for around 40 minutes. They tackled subjects ranging from wide receiver A.J. Brown’s uncertain future to longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s departure. But a significant portion of their availability — especially the coach’s — was spent on new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
Why did Sirianni hire the inexperienced former Packers quarterbacks coach? Why was the search drawn out? How much did wanting the Shanahan-McVay offense factor into the decision? What did Sirianni like about the scheme? How much autonomy will Mannion have? How will quarterback Jalen Hurts and other returning players adapt to the new system? And how will the changes affect evaluations of Brown and future Eagles?
Sirianni was light on details — how could he not be with so many unknowns — but he and Roseman did provide enough information to allow for informed perspective on Mannion, the new scheme and what could be an inflection point for the coach, his quarterback, and the Eagles overall.
Here are 10 takeaways about the offense from Friday’s interviews:
Four players the Eagles could be watching at the NFL Scouting Combine
Will the Eagles be in position to fill a need with Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq (left) or Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor?
When evaluating NFL prospects, a player’s past performance is often the best predictor of future performance. The same can be said for the act of scouting itself.
Howie Roseman, who began serving as Eagles general manager in 2010, has an extensive draft history that can be used to project his future prospect preferences. Roseman has had personnel control during 15 draft cycles, not including 2015 when Chip Kelly was in charge of those decisions. Those 15 draft classes offer windows into Roseman’s valued traits and abilities at each position.
For years, the Eagles’ player personnel department has been gathering information about the 2026 draft class. At the scouting combine next week, Roseman and his staff will continue to learn about the scores of NFL hopefuls and determine their prospective fit within the organization.
What can the Eagles’ draft history tell us about the questions they will seek to answer about some of the top prospects at three positions of need next week?
Offensive line
Kadyn Proctor, Alabama: The 6-7, 366-pound tackle stands out for his movement skills at his hulking size. Proctor has the skill set to line up at guard, too, giving the Eagles another interior option with Lane Johnson returning for a 14th season.
Max Iheanachor, Arizona State: The 6-6, 330-pound tackle is a rawer prospect than Proctor, beginning his football career in junior college only five years ago. Iheanachor has the requisite size and quickness at the position, though, and he could continue to improve his draft stock with eye-catching numbers at the combine.
Tight end
Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon: The 20-year-old is the consensus top tight end in this year’s draft class who could come off the board within the Eagles’ range (potentially earlier) at No. 23 overall. His speed and athleticism are his strengths, and excels at making plays with the ball in his hands, which could be a benefit to the Eagles in the screen game.
Cornerback
Avieon Terrell, Clemson: The 5-11, 180-pound cornerback is relatively undersized at the position, but regardless of his size, Terrell has solidified himself among the top cornerbacks in this year’s draft class with his smart instincts and competitive spirit. He also has inside-outside versatility if the Eagles ever decide to move Cooper DeJean outside full-time. If Terrell tests well at the combine, he could get his foot in the door of the late first round.
NFL salary cap getting another big increase. Here’s where the Eagles stand.
The Eagles will have to make a decision on pending free agent Dallas Goedert.
The NFL salary cap just keeps going up and up.
The 2026 NFL salary cap is projected to land somewhere between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team, a big jump from last season. At a minimum, it’s an increase of $22 million compared to 2025’s cap of $279.2 million, offering Howie Roseman and the Eagles some much-needed breathing room.
The Eagles have 21 pending free agents, including tight end Dallas Goedert, safety Reed Blankenship, linebacker Nakobe Dean, and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
“As for which players the Eagles will prioritize, it’s not hard to imagine them wanting to rework something with Goedert before they look elsewhere for a tight end,” Eagles beat writers Olivia Reiner and Jeff Neiburg wrote last month. Phillips will be at or near the top of the priority list, too. The Eagles are thin at edge rusher and could use an impact player like Phillips at the top of the depth chart to pair with Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith.
Princely Umanmielen (left) and Bradyn Swinson at last year’s NFL scouting combine.
Tomorrow’s potential draft picks will be on display this week in Indianapolis as the NFL scouting combine gets underway.
What once was a scouting event held far away from television cameras has morphed into one of the NFL’s tentpoles, drawing multiple days of live coverage on the NFL Network.
Compensatory picks have not yet been finalized, but the Eagles know where they’ll be picking in the first three rounds.
Currently, the Eagles have five total picks in the draft, which is slated to begin April 23 in Pittsburgh.
The Birds are also expected to receive three compensatory picks, awarded for high-profile free agency losses that include Milton Williams (Patriots), Josh Sweat (Cardinals), and Mekhi Becton (Chargers).
Over the Cap projects the Eagles will land one third-round pick (for Williams), one fourth-round pick (for Sweat), and one fifth-round pick (for Becton).
The Tush Push was thetopic of discussion last offseason. Will the Eagles’ signature play get banned or will it live to see another season?
The play seemed destined to be outlawed — of course, we know how that ended, thanks at least in part to an impassioned speech from Jason Kelce at the NFL owners meetings. But the drama continued into the regular season, as referees officiated the play differently, sparking new controversies that had little to do with the “player safety” concerns that almost eliminated the Birds’ quarterback sneak from the game.
But now, for a variety of reasons, the discourse around the play has seemingly died down. And nobody is attempting to ban the play — at least not yet.
Over the last several years, the Tush Push faced criticism from other teams around the league, but last year was the first time a formal proposal was made to ban the play. That proposal came from the Green Bay Packers, who mentioned player safety and pace of play as their reasons behind the attempted rule change.
The proposal needed at least 24 votes from the 32 owners to ban the play, but it fell two votes short. Despite how close the vote came last season, NFL competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said he’s not anticipating another team to pick up where Green Bay left off.
“There’s no team proposal that I’ve seen from it,” McKay told ESPN. “So, I wouldn’t envision it. But you never know.”
The Eagles ran the Tush Push half a dozen times against the Chiefs in their 20-17 win in Kansas City.
Of course, there’s still time to file a proposal ahead of this year’s annual league meeting, which will take place at the end of March. But as of now, there has been no movement surrounding the play.
“The reason no one’s talking about it is because the play wasn’t as successful this year,” Jason McCourty said Monday on ESPN’s Get Up. “Defenses caught up. They figured out ways to stop it. We watched Jalen Hurts lose a fumble on the Tush Push. So now going forward, there’s multiple teams that do it now, but defenses and teams, they aren’t as passionate about it because they’re like, ‘You know what? We’ve gone back, we’ve watched the film, and we’ve figured out different avenues to stop this play.’
“So it no longer is all the nonsense that we’ve seen over the last few years where the Eagles were absolutely dominant at scoring with.”
While the Eagles mastered the Tush Push for its first three years, making it look nearly unstoppable, they took a major step back in 2025.
In 2022, with opposing defenses never having seen the play before, the Tush Push debuted to a 92.3% success rate. The following season, teams started to adjust, and the play’s success dipped to 83.3% as the Eagles rode it to a Super Bowl berth. That conversion rate stayed relatively consistent the following year, even without Kelce under center, with the play remaining successful 79.6% of the time, according to tushpush.fyi, a Tush Push tracking site run by an Eagles fan.
However, the Eagles struggled with the Tush Push last season, converting 21 of their 33 attempts for a 63.6% success rate. That was well below the league average of 73.8%. And while the Eagles attempted the play more than any other team — they accounted for nearly 25% of all attempts last season — they converted at a lower rate than each of the other four teams that ran the Tush Push at least 10 times, all of which had voted to ban the play.
* — Ran the play with a tight end, not a quarterback
One of the reasons the Eagles converted at a lower rate in 2025 was that league officials raised their level of scrutiny on the play, calling more penalties against the Birds after slow-motion clips of the play appeared to show the Eagles offensive line moving before the ball was snapped.
With the Eagles’ Tush Push no longer as dominant as it once was, and after years of offseason debate, it looks like the discussion surrounding the play is finally dead — for now.
Wilt Chamberlain isn’t just a legendary name in Philadelphia sports history — he’s a legendary name throughout all of sports history.
So it’s no surprise that a uniform bearing Chamberlain’s No. 13, from the season he shot to NBA stardom, is among the most sought after collectors’ items in sports. Chamberlain’s 1959-60 Philadelphia Warriors uniform, which he wore during his historic rookie season, is headlining Heritage Auctions’ “Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction.” Bidding was at $862,500 as of late Friday afternoon — and is expected to go much higher.
During the 1959-60 season, the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain set the NBA’s single-season scoring and rebounding records, which were surpassed by Chamberlain later in his career. In his debut NBA campaign, he recorded 2,104 total points and 2,149 total rebounds — or 37.6 points and 27 rebounds per game — and became the first of just two players to win league MVP and rookie of the year in the same season.
According to Chris Ivy, the Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage, bidding for his uniform is estimated to exceed $3 million. The auction will close Feb. 28.
The Wilt Chamberlain rookie uniform up for auction at Heritage Auctions has been photo-matched to six games from the 1959-60 season.
The Warriors uniform was photo-matched to six games from Chamberlain’s rookie season. The item’s age and its notability as Chamberlain’s first uniform make it of significant interest to collectors. It’s also exceedingly rare to have full uniforms from that era.
“At the time, these uniforms didn’t have any intrinsic value,” Ivy said. “Most of them were just worn until they were tossed or donated to another team. So this uniform was able to survive the decades. It was in Wilt Chamberlain’s personal collection, and he eventually sold it to a collector several decades ago. Now, we’re happy to have the opportunity to present it to the collecting community.”
Ivy compared the sale of Chamberlain’s jersey to that of current Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg, which Sotheby’s privately sold this month for $1 million. While Flagg’s career is just getting started, Chamberlain’s enduring presence in NBA record books increases the value of his uniform to collectors.
“Cooper Flagg has the potential to be an NBA great, but Wilt’s career is over,” Ivy said. “We know that he had the best rookie season of all time. We know that he was one of the greatest players that ever stepped foot on court. And so, if you extrapolate from that Cooper Flagg price, this uniform should be worth $10 million. I don’t think it’s going to hit that, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did eventually.”
Chamberlain’s uniform isn’t the only item with Philly ties at Heritage’s Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction. The event also features a LeRoy Neiman painting of Joe Frazier taking on Muhammad Ali in the “Thrilla in Manilla” and a rare 1909 baseball card featuring Hall of Fame Philadelphia Athletics pitcher Eddie Plank.
Under the boardwalk, down by the sea. That’s where Bryce Harper wants to be, apparently.
Harper’s newest cleats — the Under Armour Harper 10 “Mad House” — pay homage to the Jersey Shore, and unlike his previous colorful, locally-inspired cleats, these are not player exclusives (PE), meaning anyone can buy the $130 cleats.
With a hyper violet base and slime-green studs that resemble a boardwalk funhouse, the cleats are “inspired by Bryce’s love for spending time at the Jersey Shore during the offseason early on in his career,” Under Armour said.
On Thursday, Harper posted a short promotional video for the new kicks. Inside the funhouse’s skull entrance, the Harper 10s are displayed in the middle of a spiraling, mirror maze — akin to one that can be found on the Wildwood boardwalk.
The latest edition of Bryce Harper 10s, “Mad House,” are a nod to boardwalk funhouses.
Harper has not gone on the record to claim one shore town in particular. In July 2022, while rehabbing his broken thumb, he spent time in Stone Harbor, taking photos with fans in a Wawa. That same month, he posed with restaurant workers at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Ocean City.
The release of the “Mad House” cleats comes after Harper and Under Armour reached a contract extension on Jan. 13. Under Armour initially signed Harper in 2011. In 2016, they awarded him with what was then the largest endorsement deal in MLB history.
Previously, Harper has made his love for the Phanatic known through apparel. Last year, Harper and Under Armour released a pair of green, fuzzy Harper 3s inspired by the Phillies mascot, equipped with insoles displaying caricatures of Harper and the Phanatic. But that was hardly the first time Harper’s cleats have paid tribute to the Phanatic — he also wore custom Phanatic cleats during his first game as a Phillie in 2019, and again during the team’s home opener in 2020, this time featuring Swarovski crystals.
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper’s Wawa themed spikes against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, June 21, 2024 in Philadelphia.
Ever since Jason Kelce belted out “No one likes us, we don’t care” at the Eagles’ 2018 Super Bowl parade, the chant, with its origins in soccer, has become a staple of Philadelphia sports fandom. Whether they are liked or not, there appears to be a respect for Eagles fans, and recently, opposing players like Maxx Crosby and George Kittle have come out and praised them. The latest? NFC East rival Jayden Daniels.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated earlier this month, Daniels, the Washington Commanders quarterback, compared games at Lincoln Financial Field to a college football-like atmosphere.
“I love Eagles fans,” Daniels, an LSU alumnus, told SI. “I mean, they just embody what Philly brings, and to be able to go out there and play against them, it’s kind of just that their environment is the closest thing you can get to a college environment.”
Daniels has played two seasons in the NFL, and has faced the Eagles twice at the Linc. His first was a 36-33 victory in December 2024, but just over a month later, Daniels and the Commanders were routed by the Eagles, 55-23, in the NFC championship game. He missed this past season’s game at the Linc due to injury, but his backup, Josh Johnson, was also excited to play in front of Eagles fans — even if he suffered some past trauma in South Philly.
“It’s awesome,” Johnson, who was knocked out of the 2023 NFC championship game against the Eagles with a serious concussion that forced a hospital stay, told reporters before this year’s regular-season finale. “We get to go into the lion’s den. I love it. I wouldn’t change it.”
Jayden Daniels was sacked three times in the Eagles’ NFC championship win over the Commanders.
Some players don’t just like the environment, they use it for extra motivation. Daniels is one of them.
“Yeah, for sure,” Daniels said when asked if Eagles fans bring him extra motivation. “If you can go out there and beat Philly in Philly — that is a different type — but their fans bring it, man, especially as we’re rivals with them in the NFC, in the East, so I love playing against them.”
‘Exactly what you dream of’
As trade rumors swirl around Crosby, the Raiders star edge rusher’s past comments about the Eagles and their fans have resurfaced.
On a December episode of his podcast, “The Rush With Maxx Crosby,” the 28-year-old defensive end spoke about the fan base following the Raiders game against the Eagles, his first at the Linc.
“Cities that really have substance to them and true fan bases, and love for their city and the game — and going to Philly, you can feel that energy when you go there,” Crosby said on his podcast. “There were people everywhere downtown. We stayed right downtown in the thick of it. You know how Philly is. They’re rowdy, they are crazy, they’re flipping off the [team] buses. They didn’t give a damn about anything.”
Maxx Crosby said he remembers the snow-covered trees outside the Linc as fans prepped for the Eagles-Raiders game in December.
Crosby also got a taste of what the fan base brings not just on game day, but every day.
“I low-key never do this, but I was driving into Philly, and this is the first time I’ve ever played in Philly, so that’s why I took some pictures,” Crosby said. “[I] was driving in there, trees just all white (snow) and fans everywhere in the tailgate. You can see the stadium behind it. I took a couple dope-ass pictures because this is my first time ever playing there.
“If you love football, that’s what you dream of as a kid, playing in Philadelphia in December in a grimy-ass environment. That is exactly what you dream of, so I loved it.”
If Crosby indeed hits the Raiders trading block, could Philly be a potential destination for the five-time Pro Bowler?
‘They hate all of us equally’
Kittle has also embraced the city’s fans after several battles with the Eagles. Ahead of San Francisco’s wild-card playoff game at the Linc, his fifth appearance in Philly, Kittle told reporters about the respect he has for the fan base.
“The one thing that’s really unique about Philly is that they don’t really — I mean, maybe like a division rival is different, but any other road team that comes in there, they hate all of us equally, and I just appreciate that,” Kittle said. “It’s incredibly loud, they flip you off, they moon you on your bus ride in.
“But, they do that to everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re the 49ers, if you’re the Jacksonville Jaguars. It doesn’t matter. They just give you that no matter what, and I appreciate that because you can tell how much they love their team.”
Eagles fans didn’t get the ending they hoped for last season, with the Birds falling to the Niners in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Kittle and Crosby aren’t the only ones to see the positive in Eagles’ fans antics, which can sometimes cross the line, like when fans egged then-offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s house after the team’s Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears.
Before his team’s game in Philly this season, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said the city was “probably the most hostile place to play” and recalled a time when he was playing for the Giants and a fan at Veterans Stadium dumped a cup of tobacco spit on Michael Strahan. Despite that, Campbell still loves the Philly faithful.
“You go on the road and it’s you against everybody else,” Campbell said. “And it’s very clear that it’s you against everybody else there. You go some places and they wave at you like, ‘Man, we’re so happy you’re here to play against us.’ This is not one of those places. It’s as far from that as you can possibly get. I love playing in atmospheres like that.”
Even players who have had serious beef with Eagles fans have changed their tune.
“I hate Eagles fans,” Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse repeatedly told the L.A. Times before the teams’ divisional round matchup in 2025. “They’re so annoying.”
The Eagles went on to win that game in the snow, and fans pelted Verse with snowballs on his way out after his quote was displayed on the video board for the crowd to see. But after the game, Verse said he has grown to respect Philly fans.
“I like that they stand on it,” Verse said. “They don’t shy away from it.”
Following his Rising Stars MVP, VJ Edgecombe joined former NBA star Jeff Teague and co-hosts DJ Wells and Brandon Hendricks on the Club 520 Podcast. But if listeners didn’t know any better, they might have thought they accidentally tuned into an episode of Kylie Kelce’s podcast, as Edgecombe repeatedly made it clear that he was “not gonna lie.”
The Sixers guard candidly discussed his pre-draft workouts, the intensity of Sixers practices, his relationships with his teammates, and his “Welcome to the NBA” moment. Here’s everything you missed from Edgecombe’s appearance on the Club 520 Podcast …
“At the beginning of the year, I’m not going to lie, I thought I wasn’t going nowhere,” said Edgecombe, who averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists at Baylor. “I thought I had to stay another year. And then conference [games] came around and I started hooping for real, for real.
“You know the people that be doing all the little rankings and stuff? You know, you pay attention to that. Freshman year, they got me in like honorable mentions. I’m not even in the top 10. I’m like, it’s quiet, bro. I’m like, I’m going to have to run it back. And then conference came around and I just started hooping.”
Once Edgecombe declared for the draft, he participated in the NBA combine and decided to conduct a private workout with only one team: the Sixers.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse (right) talks to Edgecombe during a December game against the Pacers. Edgecombe won MVP of the NBA Rising Stars game over All-Star Weekend.
“I only worked out for one team. I took my chances, I ain’t going to lie,” Edgecombe said. “And that was Philly. I only worked out in Philly. I went in there, I’m not gonna lie, [and] shot four air balls. I was nervous as [expletive].
“But then I was like if they draft me or not, it’s whatever at this point. I wasn’t even trying to trip about it. But, I’m not going to lie, I’ve never been so nervous, bro. Because you got the owners, you got everybody on the sideline just watching you.”
That risk ended up paying off. Edgecombe was drafted third overall by the Sixers and has been one of the league’s top rookies, averaging similar numbers to his lone season in Waco: 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
Edgecombe joined a team with veteran players like Maxey, Paul George, Joel Embiid, and Kelly Oubre Jr. When asked about the intensity of Sixers practices, Edgecombe responded: “I ain’t going to lie, [expletive] about to throw hands in there at practice.”
However, Edgecombe believes that those high-energy practices — along with his one-on-one battles with Maxey — have helped the team when it comes time to compete.
“I feel like that helps us a lot though,” Edgecombe added. “Me and [Maxey] play ones. That’s the first time, I’m going to be honest, the first time I’m like I’m really losing ones, for real. That [expletive] can hoop. I ain’t going to lie. I didn’t know he was that fast, bro. And he can shoot.”
Edgecombe said he’s continually impressed by Sixers center Joel Embiid (left).
‘They be dropping gems all the time’
When they’re not getting ready to “throw hands,” Edgecombe is learning from some of the vets on the team, including George, a nine-time NBA All-Star.
“They be dropping gems all the time, bro,” Edgecombe said. “Teaching me off-the-court stuff, on-the-court stuff. I ain’t going to lie, I been working with [George] too with ball-handling and all that, just trying to get in that bag, just trying to activate a different part of my game, bro. I mean, I’m able to just run by [guys] sometimes, but you know just trying to be able to break [them] down. … I feel like it will just make it a lot easier for me, if I’m able to get to my spot and be able to break down.”
And when it comes to Embiid, Edgecombe is still impressed by the former MVP’s presence on the court.
“He cool as [expletive],” Edgecombe said. “He just chill. Be in his own little world. I swear, I’ve never seen someone really that good. I ain’t going to lie. He good, bro. I sit there and just watch him. He just be going at people. I told him, ‘Bro, if I was like 7-foot, I probably would have been able to guard him.’ But, he being drawing fouls and all type of different stuff going on, bro.”
‘That’s my welcome to the NBA moment’
When Edgecombe first made the transition to the NBA, he immediately recognized the difference in pace from college. But his true “Welcome to the NBA” moment came on the defensive end.
“I had to guard Luka [Doncic], Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], D-Book [Devin Booker], [Jalen] Brunson,” Edgecombe said. “I got to guard all of them. That’s my ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment. I’m not going to lie.”
When asked who was the toughest player to guard in the league, he responded: “I ain’t going to lie to you, it was Ja Morant. He had 40 [points].”
For the first time in over two years, Major League Wrestling will return to Philadelphia to host two nights of action at the 2300 Arena as part of the promotion’s 24th anniversary.
“With it being our anniversary this June, we felt like there’s no better place to host it than Philadelphia,” said Court Bauer, the CEO of MLW. “And since fans have been asking for two-and-a-half years for us to come back, we’re like, let’s give them a double shot. Two nights of MLW. Let’s make this as big as we can.”
MLW will visit on June 12 and 13, filming a national television taping of the new season of MLW Fusion and showcasing the promotion’s signature event, Summer of the Beasts.
Fans can expect appearances from MLW world heavyweight champion Killer Cross, Shotzi Blackheart, Matt Riddle, CONTRA Unit, and Don Gato.
“From a matchmaking perspective, as a promoter, it really scratches that itch and gets me thinking creatively in ways that challenges me because you know the bar is going to be high,” Bauer said. “There might be some extreme wrestling. There might be some hard core wrestling. There might be some lucha.”
Although the 2300 Arena has given fans plenty of iconic Extreme Championship Wrestling memories, MLW has its own history at the venue.
Major League Wrestling CEO Court Bauer (center) shown at 2300 Arena in 2021.
The company’s debut event, Genesis, was held at the 2300 Arena in June 2002. Since then, it has operated in major markets, including New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
“There’s just something special that you can’t really find in another city, that intensity that Philly has for pro wrestling,” Bauer said. “And the 2300 Arena is kind of like the cathedral of pro wrestling in America. There’s no other place that’s held as many great matches and has shed as much blood.”
The last time the promotion was at the 2300 Arena was in February 2024 for MLW’s SuperFight card, which featured an MLW world heavyweight title match between Satoshi Kojima and Alex Kane.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith will host his fifth celebrity softball game in Allentown on May 2, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs announced Monday. The event will take place at Coca-Cola Park, the IronPigs’ home stadium.
Smith had another successful campaign for the Eagles, recording 1,008 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 77 receptions. It was the third time Smith has topped 1,000 yards in a season.
The softball game will feature some of Smith’s teammates, friends, and other NFL players. A home run derby will take place at 1:30 p.m. followed by the softball game at 3 p.m.
Darius Slay (left) and A.J. Brown at DeVonta Smith’s celebrity softball game in 2024.
Smith’s game has provided fireworks for fans in the past. Running back Saquon Barkley, defensive end Brandon Graham, tight end Dallas Goedert, and cornerbacks Darius Slay and Cooper DeJean participated last year, along with former Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens. DeJean earned last year’s game MVP.
Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons built his own team in 2022 to face Smith’s team. That year, Smith had wide receiver A.J. Brown on his team. Brown beat Parsons in the home run derby, then hit the walk-off home run to beat Team Parsons, which featured Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and former Eagles running back Boston Scott.
Participants for this year’s game will be announced at a later date.
Kelly Oubre Jr. appears to be spending his All-Star break in the recording studio.
On Monday, the Sixers forward posted a clip of his newest single, “Fast & Furious,” on Instagram under the stage name t$unami, which he has been using since 2020 on Soundcloud. Oubre also uploaded the song to Spotify and Apple Music.
The rap song is the first Oubre has released since “A prayer for you” in 2023. He also released “Flipped the Game” in 2022, which is currently his most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 300,000 streams.
Oubre is just the latest in a series of Philly athletes who have tried their hands at music, including Allen Iverson, Brett Myers, Lou Williams, DeSean Jackson, and more recently Terrell Edmunds. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata — better known as The Philly Specials — also released a few original songs on their three Eagles Christmas albums.
The Sixers return from the All-Star break on Feb. 19, against the Miami Heat.
