INDIANAPOLIS — Joel Embiid had 27 points in his return to the lineup after missing five games with right shin soreness and right knee injury management, Tyrese Maxey scored 32 points, and the 76ers beat the Indiana Pacers 135-114 on Tuesday night.
Embiid scored 20 points in the first half, sinking 11 of 17 shots in 26 minutes. VJ Edgecombe chipped in with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the 76ers, who shot 58%.
Andrew Nembhard and Micah Potter each scored 23 for the Pacers. Quenton Jackson had 15 points and rookie Kam Jones added a career-high 13 points.
Pacers leading scorer Pascal Siakam was out with a left wrist sprain. The Pacers also were without Aaron Nesmith, who missed his third consecutive game with right ankle sprain.
Indiana shot 42% from the field and committed 16 turnovers. The Sixers held a 44-41 rebounding edge with Maxey leading the way with nine rebounds. Jarace Walker had 10 rebounds for the Pacers.
The 76ers showed their dominance inside with a 82-52 edge in points in the paint.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey (center) had a game-high 32 points against Indiana.
The Pacers led 38-30 after the first quarter, but the 76ers answered with a 17-0 spurt to open the second quarter and take a 47-38 lead. Philadelphia shot 64% to take a 75-65 lead at halftime.
Maxey scored 13 points in the third quarter as the 76ers took complete control, expanding the lead to 106-85 after three quarters.
The Sixers led by 28 points in the fourth quarter before emptying the bench. They will return to Xfinity Mobile Arena next to face the Miami Heat on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).
After two days of virtual classes, the School District of Philadelphia will return to in-person instruction on Wednesday.
More than a foot of snow was dumped across the city Sunday into Monday morning, prompting widespread closures. However, warmer temperatures on Monday helped to speed up snow removal.
The city offices and courts reopened on Tuesday, but the School District decided to stay virtual one more day.
Philadelphia trash and recycling collections will also resume Wednesday on a two-day delayed schedule, officials said.
The School District of Philadelphia will return to in-person operations tomorrow, February 25.
Why did the little seal pup leave the ocean, wander up the beach path, go one block up Middlesex Avenue, then cross three lanes of Long Beach Boulevard in Harvey Cedars?
Who knows?
Maybe it was just the long slick surface of post-storm snow and ice that urged the seal to keep going until a sunny spot in this beach town’s southbound slow lane invited her to stretch out.
Luckily for the gray seal pup, a landscaper on his way to plowing snow did not mistake her for a chunk of snow, and pulled over to block the roadway and help, Harvey Cedars Police Chief Robert Burnaford said Tuesday.
“At approximately 7 o’clock, an innocent bystander was driving by and saw the seal laying in the Boulevard,” Burnaford said by telephone.
“They called us, and the officers confirmed the seal was kind of just relaxing in the slow lane of Long Beach Boulevard,” the chief said. “Literally it crossed over three lanes of traffic to where it was finally hanging out.”
A member of Public Works wrapped the seal in his jacket and moved her to Middlesex Avenue, out of traffic, Burnaford said. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center responded and carried her to their truck, and then to their hospital in Brigantine.
A gray seal pup wandered off the beach in Harvey Cedars and ended up in the middle of Long Beach Boulevard on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, a day after a snowstorm dropped a foot and a half of snow on the island.
The Stranding Center put it this way on Instagram: “POV: When your nap shuts down a whole street.”
The center said in social media statements that the pup had no injuries but was in “thin overall body condition.”
“She is currently resting comfortably in Pen 2 of the Pool House,” the center wrote.
Seal beachings are not uncommon at the Jersey Shore, but the animals rarely end up off the beach. Burnaford said that a seal once ended up in the driveway of an oceanfront home.
“They beach themselves to sun themselves,“ Burnaford said. ”Maybe she was sick and tired of the weather, trying to find another place.”
A gray seal pup wandered off the beach in Harvey Cedars and ended up in the middle of Long Beach Boulevard on Tuesday, a day after a snowstorm dropped a foot and a half of snow on the island.
Official totals put towns on Long Beach Island at around 18 inches of snow.
“It was icy and maybe [the seal] was able to slip and slide easier,” the chief said.
INDIANAPOLIS — Joel Embiid will return for the 76ers’ Tuesday game at the Indiana Pacers, the team said.
Embiid had missed the Sixers’ previous five games with shin soreness and to manage an injury in his right knee. The shin soreness surfaced during the mid-February All-Star break while participating in a management program for his right knee injury, which first emerged earlier in the season.
Embiid had progressed to 4-on-4 on-court work on Sunday and participated in most of Tuesday’s shootaround, coach Nick Nurse said during his pregame news conference.
Before this absence, Embiid was enjoying a dominant resurgence that put him in consideration to be an All-Star reserve. The former NBA Most Valuable Player had averaged 30 points on 52.7% shooting, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in his last 20 games played from Dec. 23 through Feb. 7.
Prior to this season, Embiid struggled to stay healthy following multiple surgeries on his left knee. He played in only 19 games last season, and missed nearly two months of the 2023-24 season.
Following Tuesday’s game, the Sixers next host the Miami Heat on Thursday before a marquee road matchup at the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.
The Flyers’ season restarts Wednesday in Washington, and Matvei Michkov is ready to go.
“I was training every day. Was not resting,” the winger said through team translator Slava Kuznetsov about how he spent his Olympic break.
Michkov said he did two-a-days off the ice for seven days during the break. One session focused on strength and another on conditioning and stamina while he stayed off the ice. He also posted pictures and videos on Instagram on Feb. 16, showing him working out on vacation in the Dominican Republic, and said he had a trainer with him.
“Last year, the 4 Nations [Face-Off] was not too long a break, so I was just resting,” he said when asked about his impressive stretch after the February 2025 tournament. “This time, I was not planning to rest. I was not happy with the way the game was going, so I was working the entire break.
“My emotions depend on how the hockey goes, so that’s why I decided to work instead of the rest.”
In mid-October, the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast reported that sources said Michkov was “out of shape,“ and coach Rick Tocchet revealed the same day that Michkov had suffered an ankle injury in the offseason that impacted his training. In November, the 21-year-old Russian attributed his slow start — one goal in his first 13 games, and now 13 across 55 — to his failure to train well over the summer.
Over the past several weeks, The Inquirer has spoken with former and current NHL players about the conditioning and strength needed to endure the grind of the 82-game season, especially one as condensed as this one.
They all agreed that while not 100% impossible, it is incredibly difficult to build strength and conditioning during the season. A large part of that is because of the lack of time to recover when players need to be ready to play a physical game at a consistent level. This season, even more so, makes it tough to have an extra day to “run myself into the ground,” as one player put it, because the next day is a game or practice.
In-season programs are built to maintain instead of build, with even maintaining still difficult to achieve. Conditioning and stamina do go up as games build because of the constant stress of the game on the body, but strength goes down for everyone. The work has to be done in the summer, and Michkov, who was “a little bit behind the eight ball” as Tocchet said earlier this season, reiterated Tuesday that he has learned from his mistakes.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet and Matvei Michkov haven’t always agreed on the winger’s role and ice time this season.
“The NHL is hard work,” he said. “If you take a four-month break, it can reflect [in] your game. You have to concentrate on hockey all the time, and you cannot take even a month of [a] break. You have to be smart when you train in the break, don’t take [an] injury, but training must go.”
As for working with Tocchet, another topic that swirls around Michkov due to his current role and ice time, the sophomore forward said they have the “common relationship” between coach and player.
He said he was also unaware of the media chatter before the break, specifically around Tocchet’s comments on the PHLY podcast at the Flyers Charities Carnival regarding Michkov’s minutes and how general manager Danny Brière wanted “to address a little bit of the noise that is going around” while denying a rift between the two.
“I’ll play as much time as I’m [being] given, and I have to do my job. That’s the only thing I care about,” said Michkov, who is averaging more than two minutes fewer this season compared to last.
“The way the [coach] plays me, that’s the way he decides to play, so I’ll play. I’m a player, and I have to concentrate 100% on what I’ve been doing at that moment.”
A left-handed left wing is preferable to many coaches in the defensive zone because it typically pits a lefty against a right-shot defenseman, so they have sticks on the same side — and in the shooting lane — as the defenseman when they try to close them down.
Another aspect of Tocchet’s decision-making that has drawn criticism is his switching of the left-handed Michkov off his preferred position of right wing to the left side. Some traditionalists will tell you that Michkov should be playing on the left side anyway, especially in defensive-zone coverage, as a left-handed stick will be able to use the walls and protect the puck to get it out on the left side.
Tocchet said in January that it’s just to line up and not a big deal in the offensive zone, “but through the neutral zone, for me, the faster you can go on your forehand is the better [side]. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go to the other side.”
Asked about the adjustment, Michkov responded: “I’m always playing [on] the right, I was always happy. Now I’m playing on the left [and] it’s a new role. If the coach sees me there, I have to adapt as quick as I can. But, for me, on the right, I can create a lot more moments. Now I have to switch everything to the left and do the same thing.”
Regardless, Michkov says he is feeling 100% and “very light on the ice.” His focus is not on the noise but the last stretch of games as the Flyers try to make up ground in the Eastern Conference and gain a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I’m sure every single player is looking [to win] those games,” he said.
“Twenty-six games left; it’s hard work. Everybody wants to make the playoffs, and that’s our goal on the ice — for me, for coaches, and for staff as well — everybody’s thinking about the group and how to win those games and make the playoffs.”
Breakaways
Rasmus Ristolainen rejoined the Flyers on Tuesday after an impressive Olympic performance in Milan. He said he roomed with Mikko Rantanen in the Athletes’ Village and is just happy he didn’t lose his bronze medal after the game. … Assistant coach Todd Reirden said Travis Sanheim was at the Flyers Training Center on Tuesday and is expected to play against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday (7 p.m., NBCSP). He took a different route home from Italy than Tocchet, who flew on the charter to Miami and was unable to make it to Philly because of the weather. Tocchet will join the team in Washington.
INDIANAPOLIS — Howie Roseman opened his session with Eagles reporters last week in Philadelphia ahead of the NFL scouting combine by laying out a basic blueprint for building a championship-caliber roster: Draft well, re-sign your best homegrown talent, add here and there in free agency, and hopefully rinse and repeat.
But in setting those parameters, Roseman was also managing expectations for how the Eagles will approach their 19 unrestricted free agents, those who will reach the market next month, and how the general manager will navigate a tightening salary cap after years of pushing cash into future years.
On Tuesday at the combine, Roseman was asked about specific players whose contracts are up, and some still under contract who aren’t guaranteed to return next season — not that the GM would ever promise that any player will be back (see: wide receiver A.J. Brown).
Roseman, conversely, didn’t rule out the return of anyone he was asked about, even though he made clear last week that the Eagles will have to say goodbye to many of their free agents, a group that includes some starters they drafted.
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips would seem to be a priority signing, even if he’s projected to be one of the more sought-after free-agent commodities when the new league year opens on March 11. The Eagles had Phillips for only two-plus months but praised his work.
“You certainly see his fit with Coach [Vic] Fangio in our defense, which a lot of times when you’re talking about free agency is a big part of free agency,” Roseman said. “How is this guy gonna fit into our defense? So you see that there, you’ve been with the guy. He’s got tremendous character, tremendous work ethic.
“And then all the things that you’re doing, you’re trying to balance the other factors that go along with that to try to come down with a value.”
In other words, the Eagles will negotiate, but they might be willing to only go so far. If they can’t bring the 26-year-old Phillips back, they may need to find other avenues at the position. Nolan Smith Jr., Jalyx Hunt, and Jose Ramirez, who signed a futures contract after the season, are the only Eagles edge rushers currently under contract.
“We usually take seven or eight guys to camp. We only have three on the roster right now,” Roseman said. “So definitely think we’ll have to address it. It’s a priority position for us.”
Aside from Phillips, Josh Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Brandon Graham are all slated to become free agents. Roseman didn’t rule out welcoming back the 37-year-old Graham, who came out of retirement in early November, for an unprecedented 17th season in midnight green.
“Brandon Graham is always welcome in Philadelphia,” Roseman said. “Obviously, when I think about what he’s done for us as a player, as a person, and then last year, even when he came back in, the versatility that he showed, coming in in the end of the year and reducing inside and playing defensive tackle, just an all-time Eagles great, future Eagles Hall of Famer.”
Dallas Goedert led the Eagles in touchdowns but might have played his last game with the team.
Roseman speaks on Goedert, Blankenship, other free agents, extension candidates
Roseman had the following to say about the Eagles’ three other free agents who started last season:
On tight end Dallas Goedert:
“Tremendous player and person for the Philadelphia Eagles. Really glad we were able to figure it out and bring him back to Philadelphia this year and for the season and [be] tremendously productive for us. Just a huge asset for our offense to have him on our football team. Again, we got to put the whole puzzle together. To sit here — we got a lot of other free agents, too — and say, ‘Hey, we’re definitely going to get this guy back …’ When we get this late, obviously, the market dictates a lot of that, as well. But we’ll certainly sit down with his agent here over the next couple of days and have a conversation.”
Goedert isn’t the Eagles’ only free agent tight end. Grant Calcaterra and Kyle Granson will be unrestricted in a few weeks. Roseman said last week he needed to do a better job of evaluating the position in prioritizing hybrids who can also block. He has a chance to remake the position, with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion expected to implement the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme.
On safety Reed Blankenship and linebacker Nakobe Dean:
“Really proud of Reed, undrafted free agent, and played in two Super Bowls, four years, four playoff appearances. Was a captain this year for our team, tremendous player, tremendous person.”
Roseman wasn’t asked directly about linebacker Nakobe Dean, but when the topic of 2025 first-rounder Jihaad Campbell stepping back into a starting role was brought up, he brought up Dean.
“Obviously, we have a free agent at that position, a guy that we drafted, a guy that we think is a really good player, and unbelievable character,” Roseman said. “And so, all those decisions here [will be] made in the next couple of weeks.”
Still, it seems unlikely that Dean will be back. Blankenship’s future in Philly seems more dependent upon his leaguewide value or whether the Eagles can afford Phillips.
On potential contract extensions across the defensive line:
The Eagles also have three defensive players available for extensions three years into their rookie deals: defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Moro Ojomo along with linebacker Nolan Smith Jr.
The Eagles picked up the fifth-year option for defensive tackle Jordan Davis last offseason rather than extend him, and their gamble paid off after he took a jump in Year 4. Davis may be the most likely of the quartert to have his contract reworked this offseason.
“That’s another guy, obviously, that you draft, you develop, tremendous character and continues to get better,” Roseman said. “That’s a group of a lot of players that we have, that we have tremendous confidence in, and the puzzle is trying to keep as many of them together as we possibly can.”
Howie Roseman expressed confidence in up-and-down kicker Jake Elliott.
On Jake Elliott:
Kicker Jake Elliott is under contract for three more seasons, but he has become increasingly inconsistent after having a career year in 2023. Elliott has been under 80% in field goal efficiency the last two years. Roseman gave him a strong endorsement, however.
“Jake has been a tremendous kicker for us since we got him off practice squad in Cincinnati in 2017,” Roseman said. “Tremendously clutch. Have a lot of confidence in him as a player, as a kicker, as a person, captain on our team, and continue to believe in him as our place kicker.”
At cornerback, the Eagles have two of the best at their respective positions: outside corner Quinyon Mitchell and nickel corner Cooper DeJean. The third spot was unsettled until veteran Adoree’ Jackson settled into the spot in the second half of the season.
But he is also a free agent and the Eagles are unlikely to spend with Mitchell and DeJean likely to warrant big extensions next offseason.
“When you look at Q and Coop leading that group — two All-Pro players, guys who we want to be part of Philadelphia Eagles for a long time,” Roseman said. “Coop, he can play anything. He can play outside corner, he can play nickel, he could play at an All-Pro level anywhere. So having him gives you some flexibility.
“And so, we’ll go into the offseason looking to add to that position. Adoree’ did a really nice job for us last year and got better throughout the course of the year. … He’s a free agent and we’ll just kind of see how the offseason plays out.”
Five teenagers arrested during a protest in Quakertown last week face charges of aggravated assault and related crimes after a judge ruled Tuesday that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence for the case against them to proceed, according to sources.
The teenagers had been held since Friday, when they were taken into custody after a scuffle with Quakertown police officers — including the department’s chief, Scott McElree.
Officials have released few details about the arrests, but two people with knowledge of the case who asked not to be identified to discuss an ongoing investigation confirmed the charges. The police department and the district attorney’s office have declined to disclose the teens’ names, ages, or charges they face.
After the more than three-hour hearing in Doylestown, which was closed to the public, prosecutors left the courtroom without answering questions. The teenagers’ parents, speaking through intermediaries, also declined to comment Tuesday.
But Ettore Angelo, a lawyer representing one of the teenagers, said his 15-year-old client had been released to her parents and placed on house arrest. He said she faces an aggravated assault charge — a felony offense that, if sustained in juvenile court, can carry a penalty of up to five years in a detention facility.
The teenagers who were arrested had been taking part in a protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that began at Quakertown Community High School and moved off campus to Front Street. Witnesses have said that a confrontation erupted there, in front of Sunday’s Deli and Restaurant.
Students at Quakertown Community High School took part in a protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement that began at the school and moved off campus to Front Street.
McElree, the police chief, who was dressed in plain clothes, grabbed a teenage boy and placed a teenage girl in a chokehold, they said, prompting other students to intervene and a larger scuffle to break out.
Angelo said the central allegation against his client is that she struck McElree during the melee, an accusation she denies. He contended that students reacted in confusion and fear when a man rushed into the crowd.
He said McElree “put himself smack in the middle and created a melee” when he charged up to the teenagers while out of uniform and without announcing who he was. “I think he owes the community and these teenagers an apology,” the lawyer said.
He added that, in his view, some of the teenagers had acted instinctively to protect one another.
Speaking by phone Tuesday afternoon, a 17-year-old girl who participated in the protest but was not among those arrested described what she said had been a peaceful demonstration even as counterprotesters drove past in vehicles, honking and shouting.
The teen, who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation, said teenagers were gathered on the sidewalk and speaking with a uniformed officer when a man pushed through the crowd and “barged onto the sidewalk.”
The man — whom she later learned was McElree — grabbed a teenage boy by the back of the neck, she said. “All the kids thought he was a counter protester,” she said. “So everyone started to protect their friends.”
The girl said she saw McElree throw one student to the ground and place another in a chokehold. At least three students were injured, she said — one with a broken nose and another who required stitches to his chin. McElree, too, was injured, she said, and left the scene bleeding from his head.
She recorded portions of the confrontation and shared the videos with The Inquirer.
“It was really scary, because it was a group of kids versus this really angry man,” the teen said, adding that it took what felt like several minutes for uniformed officers to step in. “It was the kids doing what the police should have.”
The girl said she did not realize that the man at the center of the fight was the police chief until she returned home and showed the footage to her father, who recognized McElree.
Manuel Gamiz, a spokesman for the district attorney’s office, said Monday that the investigation remains ongoing and that no additional information was available.
Police initially said an adult had also been arrested during the confrontation. But the district attorney’s office later said no adults had been charged in the melee.
Outside the courthouse and along the hallway leading to the courtroom of Denise M. Bowman, more than two dozen community members gathered in quiet support Tuesday. Some held handmade signs: “We support Quakertown students” and “Keep families together.”
Among them was Lolly Hopwood, 47, of Doylestown, who held a poster reading, “We stand with you.” She said she and others wanted to counter what she described as harsh online criticism directed at the families.
“There’s a lot of negativity online right now that the parents are seeing,” Ms. Hopwood said. “We wanted to show them the community is really here for them.”
On Monday night, the episode had spilled into borough politics. At a Quakertown council meeting, several residents called for the teenagers’ release and demanded the resignation of McElree, who also serves as the borough manager. After the public session, the council met privately with its attorney. As of Tuesday morning, it was unclear whether any action would be taken against the chief.
Members of the borough council and the borough’s attorney, Peter Nelson, did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
A GoFundMe campaign created to help cover the teenagers’ legal expenses had raised more than $41,000 by Tuesday afternoon. The funds will be divided evenly among the five families, said Heidi Roux, director of immigrant justice at the Welcome Project PA, which organized the drive.
INDIANAPOLIS — A.J. Brown and his future in Philadelphia may be dominating the offseason news cycle, but don’t forget about the other star Eagles receiver under contract in 2026.
Come training camp, all eyes will be on DeVonta Smith and his role in the new-look Eagles offense under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, regardless of whether Brown is back on the team. Despite a relatively down year for the offense as a whole, Smith continued to impress last season, eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards for the third time in his career.
Five seasons into his tenure with the Eagles, does Smith have the potential to take it up another notch in a Mannion-led, Shanahan/McVay-style offense in 2026? Nick Sirianni said Tuesday at his annual news conference at the NFL scouting combine that Smith has not yet reached his ceiling.
“Oh, no,” Sirianni said. “No, I think he continually gets better. I think you saw him have a great year this year. And even when a guy appears not to have as good a year, you’re always looking at it like, ‘Is his arrow on the rise? Is his arrow on the fall?’ And even if a guy doesn’t have his best year, he still can be on the rise. Well, I think we saw DeVonta have a great year, and I think you just continue to see him play better and better.
“And I think that’s a tribute to who he is. Guys that are tough, that love football, that are smart football players and they’re talented, have a tendency to reach their ceiling, God willing. And I think that’s what you’re seeing. You’re seeing him continue to get better. You’re seeing him continue to do these things and make plays only that he can make on the football field. And so I just think you continue to see him on the rise and excited about what he’ll look like in this new offense that we’ll have.”
Could that role expand in 2026? Smith led the Eagles in receiving yards in 2025, accumulating 5 more than Brown. But he was targeted 113 times, eight fewer times than Brown. Smith had 77 receptions in 2025, the third-lowest total of his career.
“Getting DeVonta Smith the ball and getting him targets is always going to be important, as long as he’s an Eagle, to the success of our football team,” Sirianni said. “And so it’s just the way the season goes, the way the flow of a game goes. It’s important that he’s seeing targets every game, because he does good things when he gets those things. So I don’t ever want to say, ‘Hey, this is the number. He needs to have this many targets’. He needs to be able to affect the game each game and that number can change each game, each year based off of that.”
Saquon Barkley struggled at times to find running lanes in 2025. Will changes to O-line techniques yield better results?
Barkley on the rebound?
As Sirianni expressed on Friday, the running game is poised to make a significant shift in philosophy under Mannion. The Shanahan/McVay offense typically features a wide-zone blocking scheme that requires a different technique from the offensive linemen than the scheme they had grown accustomed to under Jeff Stoutland.
Time will tell how the new scheme impacts Barkley’s output on the ground. The running back, now 29, posted historic numbers in 2024 (2,005 rushing yards), only to take a step back last season. Barkley wasn’t his prolific self in Year 2 with the Eagles, although he still eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career (1,140).
While Barkley won’t take the field with the offense until the spring, Sirianni expressed a sense of confidence in the All-Pro running back and his ability to adapt to the new system.
“My experience with great football players is, you come in and you’re like, ‘Hey, Saquon, we’re going to run inside zone.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run gap schemes.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run wide zone.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to run the option.’ He’s going to be really good at it. ‘Hey, we’re going to split you out wide.’ He’s just a great football player. And so guys that are great football players can fit into a lot of different offenses.
“And Saquon, regardless of the scheme, I think you saw that in some of the things that we’ve done, he’s been highly productive in many of the schemes, whether it’s gap schemes, whether it’s inside zones, whether it’s pin-and-pulls, whether it’s toss-cracks, every one of these things, I’m picturing him breaking a big run off on that. And so that’s a common theme with good football players. They can fit into a lot of different schemes. So I believe he’ll be exceptional at that.”
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Hugo Alejandro Pérez was in his house a few miles from the Mexican stadium that is slated to host FIFA World Cup games when gunfire and explosions erupted just outside his door.
The 53-year-old restaurant owner was already skeptical about his city, Guadalajara, hosting the international sporting event.
He saw a government that failed to fix basic things, like water service to his home, along with cartel violence in the surrounding state of Jalisco and shook his head. The surge of bloodshed this week following the Mexican military’s killing of the country’s most powerful cartel boss offered more confirmation of his doubts.
“I don’t think they should host the World Cup here,” Peréz said. “We have so many problems, and they want to invest in the World Cup? With all the violence, it’s not a good idea.”
Peréz joined other people Tuesday in questioning Guadalajara’s capacity to be a host city for the summer soccer competition, even as the Mexican government vowed that the international event — hosted jointly by Mexico, the United States and Canada — will not be affected.
President offers ‘every guarantee’ for World Cup
President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked at her daily news briefing what guarantees there are that World Cup matches will be held in Jalisco. “Every guarantee,” she said, adding that there was “no risk” for fans coming to the tournament.
Jalisco Gov. Jesús Pablo Lemus said he had spoken with local FIFA officials, who have “absolutely no intention of removing any venues from Mexico. The three venues remain completely unchanged.”
The same day, the Portuguese soccer federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation” in Mexico.” Its national team was scheduled to play Mexico’s team in a friendly on March 28 at the newly renovated Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which is scheduled to host the opening World Cup match on June 11.
Jalisco, in western Mexico, was already facing scrutiny. The state has been plagued by some of the starkest examples of cartel violence in recent years, including the discovery of a cartel killing site at a ranch last March and a crisis of disappearances.
The state, with Guadalajara as its capital, is the central hub for the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, whose leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” was killed Sunday in a capture attempt by the military.
The operation and waves of violence killed 70 people. Cartel gunmen set fire to cars to block streets in states across the country, namely Jalisco, and fought with Mexican forces into Monday as the government said the conflict was under control.
The death of Oseguera Cervantes came as Mexico’s government has stepped up its offensive against cartels in an effort to meet demands by U.S. President Donald Trump to crack down on criminal groups. The cartel, also known as CJNG, is one of the fastest-growing criminal networks in Mexico.
The White House confirmed that the U.S. provided intelligence support to capture the cartel leader and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.
Drug lord’s death could lead to more violence
Peréz, the restaurant owner, also commended Sheinbaum’s efforts to go after cartels, saying the government has taken cartel violence more seriously than her predecessors. At the same time, he said, local authorities in Jalisco have fallen short in protecting civilians.
The root concern for many is that the death of “El Mencho” could pave the way for more violence. Killing capos, in what’s become known as the “kingpin strategy,” has been criticized by Sheinbaum herself because it can often spark internal conflict between cartel factions and push rival cartels to make territorial grabs.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, an academic at the Brookings Institution, said she doesn’t see more acts of “revenge” by the cartel as likely, but the future remains uncertain, especially after leading figures in both CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel have been knocked out in recent years.
“If there is no clear line of succession (in CJNG), we might see a lot of fighting within the cartel, its breakup, and there are a lot of scenarios,” she said.
On Sunday, when firefights broke out between the cartel and soldiers, and gunmen began to burn a car just feet in front of Peréz’s house, he let people on the street scramble inside his home to seek cover. The fighting raged for an hour.
Now he says he doesn’t see the point of holding the games, adding that he doubts any of the money from the games will trickle down to businesses in working-class neighborhoods like his, even if they are just a 10-minute drive from the stadium. Similar tensions have simmered in Mexico City.
The World Cup is expected to be a $3 billion economic engine in Mexico, according to the Mexican Soccer Federation.
“It doesn’t help us residents at all, honestly. They should move it to Monterrey or Mexico City. But right now here, we’re not convinced,” he said. “Things aren’t in good enough shape for foreigners to be coming to Jalisco for an event like this.”
On Monday, some foreign tourists trapped in the violence in the city of Puerto Vallarta took to social media to warn of the violence, with a few remarking that they didn’t plan to return.
Hope of snapping back to normal
Despite that, Guadalajara was snapping back to its normal rhythm Tuesday. Many businesses opened their doors for the first time in two days, and streets were packed with traffic.
Workers were busy fixing up the exterior of the soccer stadium that will host World Cup matches. Cyclists zipped around outside the stadium, and parents played with children in parks.
Heavily armed police officers and National Guard members roamed the city, a sign for some that the government had the situation under control.
Juan Carlos Pila, a 55-year-old taxi driver, rolled his eyes at the reports of violence after spending two days waiting with his family for things to calm down. He said social media and local news outlets were overplaying the extent of the violence.
“People should come, man. Everyone is welcome,” he said.
Others, like Maria Dolores Aguirre, simply hoped for the best. Aguirre runs a small corner story in the cobblestoned tourist town of Tapalpa tucked away in Jalisco’s mountains, where Mexico’s military killed “El Mencho.”
Aguirre’s family business of over 50 years depends on the flow of tourists to the normally sleepy town. Now she worries bloodshed will deal a blow to her livelihood and change towns like hers.
“It’s going to affect us. It’s collateral damage,” Aguirre said. “The government is going to have to have a lot of security. … The entire world just saw what happened and, of course, people are going to think twice about coming.”
CLEARWATER, Fla. — After Jhoan Duran finished his throwing program in the BayCare Ballpark outfield, he didn’t head straight for the mound, where he was scheduled to throw live batting practice.
First, he stopped by the empty bullpen.
Duran wanted to reenact the jog he will make every time he comes in to close games for the Phillies this season, to help get in the right head space for facing hitters the first time all spring.
“That’s what I do in the game,” Duran said. “So I wanted to go in live, too.”
It was shortly before noon on a clear Florida day, so Duran wasn’t accompanied by his traditional light show, flames, or crawling spiders on the video board. But it didn’t really matter, because Duran got the results he was looking for on the mound with the 17 pitches he threw.
“I feel good,” he said. “My command is there. I feel it’s there. My breaking ball pitches are moving good. So that’s good.”
The last time Duran had jogged from bullpen to mound, in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, things had not gone so according to plan.
“I feel good,” Jhoan Duran said. “My command is there.”
With the Phillies protecting a 1-0 lead over the Dodgers, manager Rob Thomson called on his closer with two runners on in the seventh inning. He intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani to load the bases for the more advantageous right-on-right matchup against Mookie Betts. But Duran issued his first career bases-loaded walk after Betts held off on an elevated fastball, which tied the game.
After the Phillies were eliminated in extra innings, Duran said he didn’t dwell on the walk or the game at all over the winter. He has learned to have a short memory.
“I don’t think about it too much,” he said. “Because that’s the past. I learned in the minor leagues, if you throw one inning and you do it bad, the next day, you think about that, you don’t throw good that day. So if I do it bad, I forget. I’m ready for the next day. That’s me.”
With 2025 in the rearview, Duran said the number of outings he has each spring can vary, and will depend on how he feels. He doesn’t have the added complication that some of his teammates have, of factoring in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, which will start pool play in less than two weeks.
He was asked to pitch for the Dominican Republic but opted not to participate. He wanted to focus on being ready for the regular season instead.
When he does make that jog for the first time with the lights, it will also mark the Phillies’ first time starting a season with a bona fide closer under Thomson. And having a dedicated ninth-inning pitcher will also impact how the manager deploys the rest of the bullpen this year.
Thomson is leaning toward having designated roles for his other high-leverage arms, rather than just piecing things together based on matchups. Lefty José Alvarado and righty Brad Keller are both potential setup men for Duran.
“When you have a true closer like Duran, that’s the way you should set it up,” Thomson said. “And especially when we have the type of arms that we have. But again, if you give a guy a fifth- or sixth-inning role, and the seventh- and eighth-inning guys aren’t available, well, they’re going to have to pitch in the seventh or eighth.”
“I think it’s probably the best group of arms we’ve had here since I’ve been here,” he said.
Keller signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies this winter after a breakout season as a Cubs reliever last year. He and Duran coincided in the Diamondbacks organization as minor leaguers between 2015 and 2018. At the time, they were also both starters.
Now their careers have taken them to the back end of the Phillies’ bullpen.
“I think that’s what makes a fun bullpen, right?” Keller said on a recent episode of Phillies Extra, the Inquirer’s baseball interview show. “All different backgrounds, all different personalities, and just all come together, just be a bunch of grinders and a bunch of dogs down there. That’s kind of the mentality that a bullpen takes over. And it’s so fun getting to know these guys and watching.”
Duran is excited for the unit that is shaping up. Also in the group are returning lefty Tanner Banks and righty Orion Kerkering, plus newcomer Jonathan Bowlan, a righty acquired from the Royals in exchange for Matt Strahm. There are several contenders in camp for the final two spots, including Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley and sidearmer Kyle Backhus.
“We talk a lot together, we practice together, too, more and more times,” Duran said. “And it’s great, these guys in the bullpen; great arms, great talent. We have everything in the bullpen.”
