Ever since he emerged from the rubble of the Wells Fargo arena construction site in 2018, the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Gritty, has been busy wreaking havoc across Philadelphia. One moment he’s dumping popcorn on Flyers fans in the Chaos Corner, the next he’s mooning the goalkeeper for the Boston Bruins. More often than not, he’s behaving recklessly with a T-shirt cannon.
Gritty shows his rear end to the Boston goal keeper during the Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers NHL pre-season game at xfinity mobile ARENA in Philadelphia on Sept. 27, 2025.
Despite being famous for his game day antics, Gritty arguably gets into even more mischief off the ice. Who can forget his infamous Kim Kardashian impression?
Or that time he crashed Stephen Colbert’s Super Bowl party. Or how about when he tore through the streets of Philadelphia on a motorcycle to celebrate his third birthday. What did he do on his fourth birthday? Get divorced and start smoking Marlboro Reds?
Does Gritty like being so busy? If he could spend his day doing anything he wanted, would he really spend it throwing sheet cake at people and making celebrity appearances everywhere? To find out, we asked the bright orange, googly-eyed mascot to walk us through his perfect Philly day, and he responded in his perfect Gritty way.
4:55 a.m.
I roll out of bed just so I can tell people that I get up before them. I’m no hero, so I go back to bed. I sleep naked on a concrete floor, no covers, with a memory foam pillow.
8:30 a.m.
By this point in the morning, I’ve hit snooze a fistful of times. Time to start my lil day. First things first, coffee. I like my coffee like I like myself: gritty. I make it with no filter because I like the pulp. I drink it outside so I can bask in the sweet sounds of I-95 rush hour traffic.
10 a.m.
I’m a pretty busy Gritty. I make appearances at events all over the city. I’m also incredibly photogenic, as you know. I reserve my midmornings for events and photoshoots. My favorite thing to do is the 2026 Gritty calendar. It’s for charity, NBD. I’ll do anything for the perfect shot, like squeezing my nude body into one of those skinny rowboats at Boathouse Row and laboring my way down the Schuylkill.
Gritty likes to spend the afternoon bouncing around Philadelphia, posing for photos and popping up at special events.
Noon
I’ll do a little lunch at one of my favorite Philly spots. There’s a dumpster on Broad Street that serves the most delicious half-eaten burritos. I’m gatekeeping the location because I don’t want to see my favorite burrito spot overrun with tourists. But trust me, they’re decent.
2 p.m.
I usually eat until I feel sick, so I like to take a nap after lunch. I’ll sneak onto one of those ships at the Navy Yard and go down for about an hour. Hopefully my upset tum tum settles.
I’ve got people to see and places to be. But instead I do neither. The afternoon is my moment of zen. Maybe a quiet walk, maybe a light jog, maybe a full sprint after a group of strangers just to keep them on edge. There’s not a bad place in the city to chase strangers. Head on a swivel, Philly.
6 p.m.
Time for dinner. I’m a bit of a health nut, so I’m having a salad with a steak on the side. Maybe my steak is slathered in cheese. Maybe I eat it on a roll. OK, maybe it’s a cheesesteak. It could be from anywhere. I don’t judge a cheesesteak on taste. Only on girth. Maybe I don’t stop at just one. Maybe I didn’t want to talk about it because I thought you’d judge me. Maybe get off my case about it. Maybe cheesesteaks are the state fruit of Philadelphia, and I’m a supportive citizen.
Maybe you wouldn’t be so quick to judge if you relaxed a little bit and had a cheesesteak for yourself. Maybe I’m just built different and my body craves protein, and this is the only way to maintain my perfect fazeek. Maybe you’re just jealous that you’re counting calories while I’m counting empty wrappers. Anyway, yeah cheesesteak dinner.
Maybe Gritty eats a cheesesteak from John’s Roast Pork.
7 p.m.
It’s game time. I’m spending the next few hours at Xfinity Mobile Arena getting the people going! My favorite place, my home. I like to keep it out of pocket at Flyers games. Make some people laugh, throw some cake at people. No perfect day of mine would be complete without hurling a sheet cake through the air at a stranger’s face. Highly recommend if you’ve never tried. I live for chaos and chaos lives for me.
11 p.m.
Time to sleep. Naked. Airing out the follicles is a very important part of my fur care routine.
Philly’s first competitive congressional primary in more than a decade is officially underway.
On Thursday night in a standing-room-only auditorium in Mount Airy, State Sen. Sharif Street, State Reps. Morgan Cephas and Chris Rabb, and doctors Ala Stanford and David Oxman made their opening pitches to voters for why they should represent the 3rdCongressional District, which stretches from Northwest Philadelphia to parts of South Philly.
The candidates are vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in a district that is among the most Democratic in the nation. Thursday’s packed forum, hosted by the 9th Ward Democratic Committee, was largely an opportunity for candidates to introduce themselves to a heavily engaged community more than five months before the May primary.
The five candidates represent only a fraction of nearly a dozen declared in the race. They were invited based on fundraising and endorsements, wardchair Jeff Duncan said in opening remarks.
Here are some takeaways from the evening.
Candidates (from left) State Reps. Morgan Cephas, and Chris Rabb; and physician David Oxman appear at a forum hosted by the 9th Ward Democratic Committee in Mt. Airy Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025.
Why are they running for Congress?
It’s tough to run for office without a compelling “why,” and each candidate made a personal pitch to the crowd.
Cephastalked about being a toddler in a stroller while her mom picketed with American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees District Council 47, the union representing many of Philly’s city workers, back in 1986. She said she wants to bring a family history of activism andher experience in Harrisburg, where she has championed maternal health, to Washington.
Oxman, a medical professor and intensive-care doctor, said Philadelphians are in the midst of a health crisis — not just because of deteriorating physical wellness, but also from mental and financial strain. He talked about building trust with patients and colleagues and taking an outsider approach in Congress, where there are only a handful of doctors serving.
Rabb, on friendly turf in Mount Airy, an area he represents in the state House, separated himself from the Democrats sitting beside him by arguing he is the only true progressive in the race who would bring needed energy to Washington, “not another establishment ally.” Throughout the forum, he called out Democrats who take money from corporations and who he argued have been unwilling to fight for progressive causes.
Stanford gave a compelling rundown of her personal backstory: born to a young mother in poverty and going on to be the first Black female pediatric surgeon trained in the United States. Stanford played a key role in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak in Black and brown communities in Philadelphia and now operates a health center in North Philadelphia. “I’m running because I lived it and I understand it, and I won’t wait for permission in Washington,” she said.
On the topic of immigration, candidates were unanimous that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement needs to be reined in, if not totally abolished.
Street called the agency “corrupt to its core” and one that recruits “racists and neo-Nazis,” a reference to scrutiny over the imagery used in ICE’s recent campaign.
Cephas said there needs to be better oversight of immigrant detention centers. Democratic lawmakers have been turned away from facilities in recent months when they have attempted to review conditions.
Rabb thinks those centers should be dismantled altogether and took the opportunity to contrast the moment with Trump’s first administration. “Yes, ‘abolish ICE’ is popular these days,” he said. “But when I was leading families into sanctuary in 2017, people weren’t talking then. We have a bigger villain now.”
Oxman said he didn’t know if ICE was “salvageable.”
“If you have to wear a mask at work to hide your identity, maybe you should be asking a few questions,” he said.
Rabb and Oxman vow not to take pharmaceutical, insurance PAC money
Only Rabb and Oxman said they would commit to refusing corporate donations from pharmaceutical or insurance firms.
Rabb said he has never, since his first election in 2015, taken corporate PAC money.
Oxman told a story about colleagues at the hospital getting wined and dined by pharmaceutical companies and insisting they were unaffected by the gifts. “I asked them, ‘Why do you think they do it?’” Oxman said. “Because it works.” He added he’s a “hell, no” on taking pharma and insurance PAC money.
Cephas, Street, and Stanford all promised to work to hold those industries accountable without committing to forgo their money on the trail.
Rabb comes out strongly against sending arms to Israel
Candidates were given one minute to say whether they would support a bill that would prohibit sending more weapons to Israel, two years after the start of its war in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Street said it was an insufficient amount of time to cover an exceedingly complex topic.
He said violence is correlated with poverty — noting the disproportionately high homicide rate in his neighborhood, where people are struggling to afford groceries — and stressed the need to get humanitarian aid flowing in Gaza.
Cephas said she would want to have conversations about the proposal. Oxman said that the enemy is “extremism on both sides” and that any country receiving arms from the United States has to live up to certain standards.
Stanford said that as a mother and a surgeon who cares for children, she believes there is “no justifiable reason for a child to lose her life,” but did not weigh in on the bill.
Only Rabb answered definitively, saying he would support the bill to block weaponry to Israel. “There are no two sides in this when we see the devastation,” he said of Gaza, where the death toll has surpassed 70,000 since Israel launched its military campaign.
It was standing room-only at the United Lutheran Seminary in Mt. Airy when the 9th Ward Democratic Committee hosted a candidates forum five months before the Democratic primary.
Abortion question prompts some personal stories
Asked how they would protect women’s reproductive rights, several candidates shared personal stories of grief or hardship.
Stanford said there is a need for more doctors in Congress with lived experience and talked about having had a miscarriage.
“Unfortunately, I am one of those Black women who was treated with racism and bias, and it impacted the livelihood of a child I did not carry to term,” she said. “I will fight for reproductive rights, and that also includes the right to choose.”
She noted she had worked closely with Vice President Kamala Harris on postpartum-care initiatives for women.
Street said reproductive rights have to extend to expanded in vitro fertilization protections and access. He said that he and his wife, who had children from previous marriages but wanted to have another, went through IVF.
“It didn’t work, but we did try it, and everyone should have that option,” he said, adding there is power in people telling their stories.
Boosting their party beyond Philadelphia
May’s Democratic primary winner in the extremely blue district is all but guaranteed to become Philadelphia’s newest congressperson next fall. All five candidates vowed to help Democrats win in congressional races around the state following the May election.
Cephas said it’s not “enough to be safe here in Philadelphia” without a Democratic majority in the House.
Street made a case for his experience campaigning as a past state party chair.
Rabb argued a progressive voice is the way to motivate voters around the state. “Are we gonna have a status quo person or a transformational leader?” he asked. “And if that person’s a transformational leader, they can help reach beyond the traditional base around the state. The Democratic Party has been sleeping on folks.”
Ultimately, the direction the 3rd District goes will likely get national attention for what it says about the preferences of Democratic voters in urban areas like Philadelphia. Oxman argued that means selecting the right messenger.
“Whoever represents it has to think about how their message is heard around Pennsylvania. We need a message that can rally the whole state. What happens here has national import.”
Chris Emmanouilides, 63, of Rutledge, Delaware County, digital media director, award-winning filmmaker, TV executive producer, cameraman, teacher, and mentor, died Saturday, April 26, of a heart attack at his home.
Born in Philadelphia and reared in Los Angeles, Mr. Emmanouilides followed his then-girlfriend back to the city in the 1980s, earned a master’s degree in radio, TV, and film at Temple University, and crafted a 36-year career as an independent filmmaker, vice president of programming for Banyan Productions, cofounder and chief content officer of the VuNeex video marketing platform, and director of digital media at the King of Prussia-based American College of Financial Services.
He specialized in independent documentary films, commercials, and early forms of reality TV, and cofounded Parallax Pictures in the 1990s. His films were screened at the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, the Sundance Film Festival, and elsewhere around the world.
His 40-minute film Archive premiered at the Los Angeles Greek Film Festival in 2013 and earned the Audience Choice Orpheus Award. His 1989 film Suelto! earned first prize at the 1990 Sundance Slice of Life Film Festival.
In 1994, Inquirer movie critic Desmond Ryan called Mr. Emmanouilides’ film Remains “especially noteworthy.” In 1997, The Ad and the Egoearned the top prize at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
In 2001, critic Damon C. Williams reviewed TalkFast for the Daily News. Mr. Emmanouilides was the film’s director of photography. Williams said: “It does an incredible job in detailing the desire, dedication and heartbreak that go with pursuing a dream. It also shows that some do indeed find success in chasing their dreams.”
From 1997 to 2014, Mr. Emmanouilides was an executive producer, director of special projects, and vice president of programing at Philadelphia-based Banyan Productions. Working with the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel, the Food Network, TLC, Lifetime, and other TV outlets, he and his colleagues created thousands of hours of popular award-winning programming. Among his series credits are Travelers, Reunion, Trading Spaces, Deliver Me, Cruises We Love, and A Wedding Story.
“What we pull off in four days — the emotions and the intimacy — is extremely rare on television,” he told The Inquirer in a 1998 story about the Reunion series. “It’s a constant push, trying to make a high-quality show on a limited budget, with limited time. And the question is, will it find an audience?”
He worked with Reader’s Digest and Hope Paige Designs on video marketing projects at VuNeex in 2015, and spent the last 10 years as a senior producer and director of digital media at the American College of Financial Services. “Chris was relentless in the pursuit of quality,” Jared Trexler, senior vice president at American College, said in an online tribute. “He was inquisitive, introspective, and always learning. Most importantly, he was kind, caring, and funny.”
Mr. Emmanouilides won the 2013 Audience Choice Orpheus Award in Los Angeles.
In tributes, colleagues called him “an amazing man and incredible coworker” and “very passionate about our field.” One said: “He always brought genuine fun and energy to whatever we were doing.”
Gregarious and energetic, Mr. Emmanouilides taught film and production courses at Temple, the University of Toledo, the Scribe Video Center, and the old University of the Arts. He lectured at Drexel and Villanova Universities, spoke at conferences and seminars, and taught English-language classes in Greece and Spain.
He was a longtime member and onetime board president of the Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association, and he mentored production novices at Scribe Video in Center City and elsewhere. “These newcomers don’t respect the conventions of film that much,” he told The Inquirer in 1993. “They’re trying to find their own voice. So they’re finding new ways to tell stories.”
Christopher George Emmanouilides was born Aug. 31, 1961. His family moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles when he was young, and he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Colorado College in 1983 and a master’s degree at Temple in 1992.
Mr. Emmanouilides was a talented cameraman and photographer.
He met Sandra Enck at an independent film event in Philadelphia, and they married in 2004 and had a daughter, Isabella. He doted on his family, and especially enjoyed seeing films with his wife and decorating his daughter’s breakfast pancakes with eyes, nose, and mouth cut from fresh fruit.
“We took their pictures, and we eventually had hundreds of faces from countless mornings together,” his daughter said on her website facethemorning.com. “None were the same, and each seemed to have something to say.”
His wife said: “We’d see a film and then talk about it for three days.”
Mr. Emmanouilides was an avid reader and photographer. He liked to fly-fish, ski, hike, and cook.
This article about Mr. Emmanouilides (left) appeared in the Daily News in 1997.
He had an infectious laugh, performed magic tricks, listened to the Grateful Dead, and followed the Eagles and Phillies. “He was a big thinker,” his wife said. “He was buoyant and a powerful life force. You never forgot that you met him.”
In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Emmanouilides is survived by three sisters, a brother, and other relatives.
Celebrations of his life were held earlier.
Donations in his name may be made to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute, 824 W. Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010.
Friday morning at Stateside Live! felt like a fever dream for Philadelphia sports fans.
Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro stood above guests on the second floor of the entertainment venue surrounded by Phang, Gritty, Swoop, and the Phanatic as they prepared for the Philadelphia Soccer 2026 World Cup final draw watch party.
“We won this bid to host the FIFA World Cup next year because we’ve got the greatest fans on the face of the earth,” Shapiro said. “The eyes of the world are going to be on Philly next year when we celebrate USA 250. … FIFA World Cup is going to be great. And let’s pray for a USA-Mexico matchup on July 4th right here in Philly.”
Josh Shapiro at the Philadelphia Soccer 2026 World Cup final draw watch party pic.twitter.com/xn7c7ImeCq
“I’ve only been able to see the World Cup one other time and that was when we lived in Orlando and it was amazing,” Gary said. “But again, it’s our hometown now and our hometown team, so it just makes it even more special that it’s going to be here. It’s Philadelphia, it’s the birthplace of our country … and it’s our country’s 250th birthday.”
The final draw was a pivotal moment for fans, as it sets the stage for what is expected to be an unforgettable summer of soccer, with the U.S. joining Canada and Mexico as host nations, and Philly being one of 11 American cities to host games.
To witness history, Jim House, 45, and his son Maxwell, 13, made the trip from Atlantic City.
“We really wanted to check out what’s happening with the World Cup,” Jim said. “It’s a once in a lifetime experience for my son and myself to hang out together and get to see all this.”
Maxwell added: “I’m really excited for the World Cup. I’ll be watching a lot of the games.”
During Friday’s draw, qualified teams — with a few spots left to be decided — were placed into 12 groups of four to make up the 48-team World Cup field. The United States was placed in Group D, alongside Paraguay, Australia, and the winner of a March 2026 UEFA playoff between Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo.
Gabriel Luzbet of Harrison, N.J., juggles a soccer ball during the FIFA World Cup draw watch party at Stateside Live! on Friday.
After seeing their grouping, Chester native Jared Micklos believes the United States has a good chance to advance to the knockout rounds.
“The World Cup is a tricky tournament,” Micklos said. “It’s as much about the teams as it is the order you’re playing in. I think there’s a team we know well. We just played Paraguay and obviously that was a good result for the U.S. The play-in game, if that’s Turkey, I think it gets a lot trickier. That’s a difficult team. So, if they win the playoff, our group probably gets a little bit tougher.”
Philadelphia will host six matches, including five Group Stage games and a round-of-16 match on the Fourth of July. Some fans, like 65-year-old Vorhees native George Flunt, don’t plan on missing a minute. Flunt already has his tickets for all six games, and spent a total of $11,000 to attend.
“It’s a splurge, a little,” Flunt said. “Well worth it. It’s a true world event. We don’t get too many of those here in Philly. To bring in all the different countries together and showcase how good this city is, it really means a lot.”
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The Villanova women’s basketball team had vengeance in mind as it beat Temple to open Big 5 play on Nov. 22.
While the teams’ history spans decades, anticipation of the annual Big 5 Classic tripleheader has added a new layer to the competition.
And for some Villanova players, the 30-point win was personal. Temple beat Villanova by 14 to win last year’s inaugural women’s Big 5 Classic championship.
“[The Big 5 championship] was a tough loss last year,” Villanova senior guard Ryanne Allen, a Bucks County native and Archbishop Wood graduate said. “That was a huge impetus for us, especially losing on our home floor. We didn’t want it to happen again, so it was nice to get that win back for us.”
Three days after the Wildcats’ 88-58 win, they secured a return to the Big 5 championship game with a win over La Salle. In the other “pod,” St. Joseph’s (6-2, 0-1 Atlantic 10) came out on top with wins over Penn and Drexel. The Wildcats (7-2, 1-0 Big East) will face the Hawks on Sunday at Finneran Pavilion (4:30 p.m., NBCSP).
After back-to-back years at Finneran Pavilion, the Big 5 Classic will change locations next season, Villanova confirmed. The Palestra, a focal point of Philadelphia basketball history, would be a fitting host as the venue prepares for its its 100th birthday.
Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe goes up for a layup as Temple’s Tristen Taylor defends on Nov. 22.
“It’s a great rivalry,” said Cindy Griffin, who is in her 25th season coaching the Hawks. “We’ve been battling [with Villanova] for the last couple of years, and we’re ready to come on top of this battle … I think our players are hungry to not only compete, but to win. It’s going to be a great game.”
Villanova will install the Big 5 logo on its court at the Finneran Pavilion as it prepares to host the tripleheader for the second consecutive year.
“I’m hoping this young crew recognizes how [the home court] can work in your favor, and just feed off that energy,” Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. “Our atmosphere here at the Finn is tremendous. We’ve got to feel it and know that it can give us a little bit of an edge in a tough battle against our city rival.”
The Wildcats will ride the high of a five-game winning streak — including wins over No. 25 West Virginia and Georgetown in their Big East opener — into the championship game.
Since 2004, Villanova has a 15-4 record against the Hawks.
“We had a couple disappointing losses to start the season, but you can just see this group figuring out who they are and what they’re doing. … Getting that tough La Salle win at their place to put ourselves in position was the first step,” Dillon said. “We’ll focus all of our attention on Saint Joe’s, hopefully redeeming ourselves and getting that win on Sunday in front of our fans.”
The Hawks are led by homegrown talent in returning junior guards Gabby Casey and Aleah Snead.
Casey, who attended Lansdale Catholic, and Snead, a graduate of Penn Charter, will bring an extra level of intensity to the Big 5 matchup. Casey currently leads St. Joe’s with 15.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
“Gabby [Casey] and Aleah [Snead] are the ultimate competitors and Philadelphia kids,” Griffin said. “ … they understand what [the Big 5] is. They understand the pride and the value of playing in Philadelphia and representing St. Joe’s.”
St. Joseph’s guard Aleah Snead (left) celebrates with teammates Talya Brugler and Gabby Casey after a game last season.
As dynamics between Big 5 schools shift entering the 2025 Classic, the tripleheader will serve as a platform for each school to promote its program.
“There’s a lot of different brands of basketball in the Big 5,” Griffin said. “I think just with the growth of women’s basketball, the more we promote women’s basketball in our area, the better off all these young women are going to be.”
Tony Lupien drove to Philadelphia in February of 1946, just a few weeks before the Phillies were scheduled to begin spring training. Lupien missed most of the previous season after being drafted into the Navy during World War II and still didn’t have a contract for the new season.
There was a good reason: Phillies general manager Herb Pennock told Lupien he was being traded to the Hollywood Stars, a minor-league team.
Lupien was livid. He believed his job in the majors was guaranteed to him for a year after returning from the service and hired a lawyer to challenge the team’s decision.
“Who the hell are you to think that you’re above the federal government?” Lupien told Pennock.
Lupien’s grandson would become one of the biggest stars in professional wrestling before embarking on a Hollywood career. But John Cena’s grandfather didn’t want to be a Hollywood Star. He wanted to play first base for the Phillies.
“Lupien, guaranteed a year’s job with Phils under selective service law, gets kick in pants instead,” wrote a headline in The Boston Globe.
Ulysses “Tony” Lupien graduated from Harvard and joined the Phillies in 1944 after being waived by the Red Sox. He hit .283 in 1944 before being sworn into the Navy in March of 1945. Lupien spent six months on a Naval base in New York before returning to the Phillies in September, just in time for the final stretch of a 108-loss season.
The Phillies were so bad in 1945 that their manager quit in June. Lupien, a smooth fielder, was a bright spot when he returned at the end of the season, hitting .315 over 15 games.
Tony Lupien played six major league seasons, including two with the Phillies.
The Phils ranked last that season in nearly every statistical category, even attendance. The Phils wanted to clean house, declaring that any player who was in the lineup for the final game of 1945 would not be in the lineup for the first game of 1946. So that meant Lupien was gone.
“The G.I. Bill was designed to protect for at least one year the jobs of men who entered the service. Now that bill either applies to ballplayers or it doesn’t,” Lupien told The Sporting News. “That’s what I am trying to find out, and if it means that I am the goat or the ball carrier, I am perfectly willing to assume that role. If the G.I. Bill does apply, then I may help many other veterans in the months to come by following through with my action.”
The Phillies disagreed with Lupien as Pennock said the G.I. Bill didn’t apply to baseball. They had signed Frank McCormick, a 35-year-old power hitter, to play first base and the 29-year-old Lupien had a minor-league gig waiting in California.
“I think the least the Phils might have done is give me a chance to show what I have,” Lupien said.
Lupien wrote a letter to the National League commissioner. He hoped to become a free agent or at least get invited to spring training. Lupien already played three years in the minors and didn’t want to go back.
His letter was returned unopened. Lupien’s lawyer, a former Harvard classmate, said he had a case. The Massachusetts Selective Service Board said the case would have to be heard in Philadelphia since it involved the Phillies.
The Hollywood Stars sent him a contract for $8,000, which made him the highest-paid player in the minor leagues. He learned the Phillies were kicking in $3,000. The Phillies, Lupien believed, were circumventing the G.I. Bill by making sure he still earned his prewar salary despite not giving him his old job.
John Cena has said next Saturday night will be the final wrestling match of his career.
Lupien already had two children and knew it would be too expensive to travel back and forth to Philadelphia to fight his case. He reported to Hollywood at the end of spring training and became a Star.
Lupien played two seasons with the Stars before returning to the majors in 1948 with the White Sox. He then bounced around the minors as a player/manager and coached basketball at Middlebury College before being hired in 1956 to coach Dartmouth College. He managed the team to the College World Series in 1970 and co-wrote a book in 1980 about the history of baseball’s labor movement. Lupien remained outspoken about labor, believing the sport’s contract structure railroaded his career.
He died in 2004, two years after Cena debuted in the WWE. Cena, whose mother, Carol, is Lupien’s daughter, said next Saturday night will be the final match of his career.
Cena, 48, once wore a Phillies jersey to the ring and is one of the most popular performers in wrestling history. His celebrity has long crossed over into popular culture as he’s starred in movies and TV shows.
He spent the last year balancing his WWE farewell with the filming of a new movie. After wrestling, Cena is expected to fully become a Hollywood star. His grandfather, begrudgingly, was one first.
Unlike Mike’s Hot Honey, the unsubtle chili-fired condiment whose bold heat has become a sticky fixture in local pizzerias, there’s a sneakier, more natural spice to Don’s All Philly Hot Honey. That Don would be Don Shump, who’s not only the city’s most fearless bee beard model, but also the talented apiarist behind the Philadelphia Bee Co., whose locally harvested honey is in the midst of a brick-and-mortar pop-up run through the holidays in the Old City storefront annex to the Franklin Fountain. I’ve enjoyed this hot honey because it’s infused with fresh habaneros, whose fruity heat swarms more than stings, with a warm afterglow that doesn’t obscure the high quality of the honey itself. It’s just one of several unique products harvested from hives across the city for sale at Don and Amanda Shump’s new store.
There’s earthy “Doom Bloom” honey that’s smoky from contact with spotted lantern flies, as well as complex and distinctive honeys harvested from specific neighborhoods, including a newly released Old City edition gathered from wildflowers within buzzing distance of the Franklin Fountain’s rooftop apiary. In addition, there are hive-shaped candles, T-shirt merch, a honey soap collaboration with Vellum Street for various bars in tempting scents like hot toddy or “smoker fuel,” and even bee-themed dog toys that our pooch is obsessed with. When it comes sweet local food gifts, this is indeed, as the Shumps like to say, your “hive for the holidays.” Philadelphia Bee Co., 112 Market St. or online at philadelphiabee.com
— Craig LaBan
Sticky bun with amari gelato from Paffuto
Sticky bun with amari gelato from Paffuto
A spontaneous Friday date night led my partner and me to Paffuto for a last-minute chef’s counter reservation we nabbed. The entire meal, from the bright eggplant parm with fresh basil to the tuna crudo with Granny Smith apples, was just what we were looking for. But the unexpected star was a new dessert Paffuto is workshopping: their dayside pillowy sticky bun, warmed and topped with a heaping scoop of amari gelato made specially for the restaurant by Philly-based Cocco’s Gelato. The result is yeasty, boozy, herbal, and rich with a kiss of Fernet-Branca. I can’t wait to eat it again. Paffuto, 1009 S. Eighth St., 215-282-7262, paffutophl.com
— Emily Bloch
Turmeric chicken curry with rice and garlic naan at Turmeric Indian Kitchen, 1240 Spring Garden St., on Nov. 15, 2025.
Turmeric chicken curry at Turmeric Indian Kitchen
Handry Carvalho, who last worked at Saffron Indian Cuisine in Bala Cynwyd, is from Mumbai. Saurabh Kedwadkar, who last worked at Thanal near Logan Square, is from Karnataka, so there’s a bit of a north-south thing going at their new, casually elegant Turmeric Indian Kitchen at 13th and Spring Garden Streets (the former Satay Bistro). On these chilly days, I defy you to find a more belly-warming dish than the signature Turmeric chicken curry, reminiscent of spicy Mangalorean gassi, with cubed chicken in a rich gravy of onion, tomato, curry leaves, and mustard seed. Just as hearty is the dal makhani, the creamy Punjabi specialty of whole black lentils and red kidney beans cooked with spices, butter, and cream. Order both, spoon them over basmati rice, and get a side of garlic naan to swipe up any remaining sauce. Turmeric Indian Kitchen, 1240 Spring Garden St., 215-933-0430, turmericphilly.com
— Michael Klein
The celebratory sardine parcel special at American Sardine Bar.
Sardine parcel from American Sardine Bar
If there’s one thing American Sardine Bar doesn’t mess around with, it’s a party. And they especially love a theme party. So it was only sensible to order the entire menu of specials for their Night of the Sardine 14th anniversary and Thanksgiving eve block party. Chef Andrew Douglas’ sardine escabeche and sardine-stuffed peppers featured bright bites of pickled sardines, Castelvetrano olives, and piquillo peppers. But the star of the show was the sardine parcel: an envelope of flaky phyllo dough stuffed with artichokes and spinach, parmesan, ricotta salata, and — you guessed it — more sardines. The grown-up spanakopita prompted me to text my Greek bestie and her sister about it. They’d like a bite, so hopefully Douglas runs this one back. American Sardine Bar, 1800 Federal St., 215-334-2337, americansardinebar.com
The house: a 1,254-square-foot rowhouse in Port Richmond with 3 bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms, built in 1925.
The price: listed for $315,000; purchased for $325,000
The agent: Rachel Shaw, Philly Home Girls
The ask: The first time Sindhu Nair tried to buy a house, the deal collapsed the day of closing. A lender told her last minute that he couldn’t approve the loan after all. The experience left such a sour taste that she stepped away from the market for years. But by 2025, she felt ready to try again, especially after seeing how much money she had sent her landlord on Cash App in the past two years. She was done giving her money to someone else, she said.
Sindhu Nair loved the light and the “good vibes” in the house’s living room.
Nair had been looking for a house for years and knew what she wanted. “I trusted my gut instincts,” she said. She needed at least two bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor. She also wanted a small backyard for her dog and access to easy street parking. She limited her search to the Port Richmond area. “My dog walker lives in this area,” Nair said, “so I’ve been in the neighborhood a lot, and it’s just so cute.” Her budget was $350,000.
The search: Nair began her search in July. The first place she toured had two private parking spaces but needed a gut renovation. “I didn’t want to take on that financial burden,” she said. She visited two other open houses that afternoon. Both appealed to her, and she hoped to make an offer on the less expensive one, but it already had two bids. She would have had to offer well over the $250,000 asking price to be competitive.
Meanwhile, the pricier home — the one she actually preferred — had no competing offers. After running the numbers and realizing the difference in cost was smaller than she expected because of the competing offers, she shifted course. “I decided just to go for the house that I wanted,” Nair said.
Sindhu Nair’s dog, Scotty, approves of her purchase.
The appeal: Nair says she knew she had found the one as soon as she stepped inside. “I think the universe was ready to provide me with this house,” Nair said. The light looked amazing, the space had a “good vibe,” and the backyard was the perfect size for her dog, Scotty. She loved that it was move-in ready. “Whoever rehabbed it did a beautiful job,” Nair said.
The deal: The seller’s agent told Nair at the open house that the seller was motivated and willing to offer a seller’s assist, which is when the seller agrees to cover a portion of the buyer’s closing costs. Nair and her agent asked for enough to covernearly all of Nair’s closing costs.
In return, Nair offered $325,000 — $10,000 over the asking price — even though there weren’t any other offers. “We wanted to make sure that with the seller’s assist, she was still going to make a profit,” Nair said. She views the seller’s assist as a tool she used to keep more money in her bank account after she purchased the home. “It has nothing to do with financial stability,” Nair said. “It’s a financial tool that people should take advantage of.”
There are three bedrooms in Nair’s home. Scotty sleeps in the bedroom with Nair. Nair’s foster cat has her own room.
The seller accepted Nair’s offer and agreed to the amount for the seller’s assist.
The money: Nair began the year with about $60,000 in savings, but she used roughly half to pay off her private student loans. “They’d been the bane of my existence,” she said. “I imagined being 70 or 80 years old with debt collectors still calling me.” Paying off that balance left her with about $30,000, money she had saved gradually over the years. She didn’t want to use all of it for a down payment, though. “I wanted to have a cushion for anything that came up after I bought the house,” she said.
The back patio is the perfect size for Scotty, Nair says.
To keep more cash on hand, she worked with her lender to take out an FHA mortgage, which requires as little as 3.5% down and allows sellers to contribute to closing costs. With a seller’s assist, her out-of-pocket contribution dropped to around $10,000. Without it, she would have paid closer to $20,000. “It’s my first home,” Nair said, “and I’m proud of the strategies I used to get it.”
The move: Nair closed on the house on Aug. 25, a few days earlier than planned. The original closing date was Aug. 28, but she asked to move it up so she could leave her apartment before Sept. 1 and avoid paying another month of rent. She admits she was nervous while she waited for her mortgage to be approved. “I was sweating because of my first experience,” she said. “But my lender kept telling me, ‘Nope, you’re good. I would have told you if there was an issue.’”
The kitchen and living room in Sindhu Nair’s home.
Once her approval came through, she began lining up help. She hired someone to assist with packing and brought in movers for the actual move, but the two-step arrangement proved more frustrating than she expected. “I realized I didn’t save any money, and I just gave myself a headache,” she said. Next time, she plans to hire a company that handles everything — packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking — in one coordinated sweep.
Any reservations? Nair says she doesn’t have any regrets about the purchase. “I think I got lucky, and I feel very proud of myself for having this accomplishment,” she said. She’s thrilled to have paid off her student loans and bought a home in the same year, and she hopes her experience sends a message to others. “I want people to know, especially single women, that you can do this,” she said. “It’s not easy; it’s very hard, but it’s doable.”
Life after close: A Halloween housewarming party forced Nair to get the main parts of her house unpacked and organized, but there is still work to be done. She just started unpacking her basement and is getting ready to set up her office in the smallest bedroom. She’s not sure what she’ll do with the other bedroom. It currently houses an animal. “I have a cat that I’m fostering,” Nair said, “and that’s her bedroom.”
They don’t go “down the Shore” on the other side of the Delaware Bay. First Staters go to the beach — or, more geographically correct, to the Delaware Beaches: the neighboring Atlantic towns of Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, and Fenwick Island, familiar to most Philadelphians even if they’ve never been.
The Delaware Beaches and Lewes, their historic bayside gateway, are charming and festive during the holidays. Come for the tax-free shopping and craft-beer icons, stay for the smart indie restaurants and pristine nature. It’s a quick trip across the bay on the ferry. Margate, Ocean City, and Wildwood will still be there when you get back.
Getting to Coastal Delaware is half the fun when you take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. It takes about the same amount of time to drive directly from Philly to Lewes as it does to drive to Cape May and board the boat for the 85-minute crossing, but only one option gives you cinematic views of the Delaware Bay — historically the most important waterway in the region. (No bay for Billy Penn to sail up, no founding of Philadelphia.) It’s also a key environment for marine life, from oysters and mussels to dolphins and seals. You might even catch a migrating humpback whale on the 17-mile crossing.
📍 1200 Lincoln Blvd., North Cape May, N.J. 08204
Stay: Dogfish Inn
One of the original craft-beer brands, Dogfish Head is maybe the most famous Delaware resident who wasn’t also POTUS. Sam Calagione founded the Milton brewery — more on that in a minute — in 1995, and it became such a tourist magnet that a hotel was a natural expansion.
The friendly, 16-room Dogfish Inn opened in 2014 and sits along the Lewes–Rehoboth Canal, walking distance to both the ferry and downtown. Rooms are simply furnished and stylish, with branded swag and pops of olive and teal. Outside, beer pilgrims, holiday shoppers, and their dogs (the inn is pet-friendly) gather around the Cowboy Cauldron, the nickname for the communal firepit.
Fig-tahini danish, pumpkin-cheesecake conchas, and sugared doughnuts plumped with chai-spiced cream gleam in the pastry case at the Station on Kings, a charming café with arboreal décor and a greenhouse dining room that feels sunny even when winter clouds cover the coast. Grab a table and settle in for a leisurely brunch of those excellent baked goods, a creamy French omelet, maybe the calendar-correct Mistletoe Matcha, Station’s matcha latte sweetened with white chocolate-peppermint syrup. After, browse the selection of candles, soaps, ornaments, and other local and artisan gifts.
📍 720 Kings Hwy., Lewes, Del. 19958
Shop: Tanger Outlets
Continue making your list and checking it twice at the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth. Bargain hunters come year-round, but the holiday sales are especially enticing. The complex is divided into three clusters (Surfside, Seaside, Bayside) along Route 1, with more than 100 brands, including Nike, North Face, and Le Creuset.
📍 Route 1 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth Beach, Del. 19971
There’s a windswept solitude to the beach in December that, for anyone raised on towel-to-towel summer crowds, is narcotically surreal. Encompassing more than 5,000 acres of sandy shores, reedy wetlands, and maritime forest, Cape Henlopen State Park is the place to get centered in nature at the Delaware Beaches. Walking trails lace the preserve, winding through historical sites like Fort Miles, which played a critical coastal defense role in WWII, and around Gordon’s Pond. Head to the Point, near the hooked tip of Cape Henlopen, for views of the 140-year-old Delaware Breakwater Lighthouse.
📍 15099 Cape Henlopen Dr., Lewes, Del. 19958
Sip: Dogfish Head Brewery
Despite being bought by the Boston Beer Company in 2019, Dogfish remains a Delaware darling. The brand offers multiple touchpoints throughout the beaches, but it’s worth the 15-minute drive west of Lewes to the Milton brewery. Tours run three times daily, seven days a week, and include a pour of 60 Minute IPA. For an extra $8, enjoy a tasting flight in the on-site taproom.
📍 6 Cannery Village Center, Milton, Del. 19968
Eat: the Blue Hen
Located a block and a half from the beach, on the ground floor of the Avenue Inn & Spa, the Blue Hen gives cozy coastal tavern vibes with pewter-blue paint, carved woodwork, and a gallery wall of framed photographs. The cooking, from chef Julia Robinson, elevates the genre: gingered lobster toast with dashi aioli, mezze rigatoni with pistachio pesto and confit chicken, Iberico pork Milanese.
Robinson bought the Blue Hen with her wife, sommelier and GM Heather Sharp, in 2022 after moving from Philly in 2017. Walking the Rehoboth boardwalk after dinner, it’s easy to see the appeal.
It has been a few weeks since A.J. Brown has been a major topic of consternation and conversation around the Eagles. The easy explanation for the relative quiet is that Brown hasn’t posted anything on social media lately that would get people to raise their eyebrows. The even easier explanation — and maybe so easy that it’s a cheap shot against Brown — is that he caught 18 passes for 242 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears and the Cowboys, and even though the Eagles lost both of those games, Brown must be content that he’s finally getting his numbers again.
That narrative — that Brown is only about Brown, and his selfishness damages the Eagles — has never held up under much scrutiny. Should he stay off social media more? Of course he should. But they have a 53-18 record (in regular-season and postseason games), have won a Super Bowl, and reached another since acquiring him. At least 29 other teams in the NFL would sign up for that level of damage.
What’s more, there’s nothing inherently wrong with Brown wanting the ball more in the name of benefiting himself and benefiting the Eagles. The two goals aren’t mutually exclusive, and it’s understandable that Brown would raise a stink with Jalen Hurts, Kevin Patullo, or both if he didn’t believe he was being used properly or frequently enough.
Think of it like this: Brown is to the Eagles’ offense as an outstanding reporter or writer is to a news organization, and Patullo and Hurts are his editors. If the editors relegated that reporter to the least important and relevant assignments — when he has produced and is capable of producing well-read, Pulitzer-caliber journalism — he would be within his rights to tell them, Hey, you aren’t maximizing my skills, and it’s hurting the whole news operation, too.
Would that make him selfish? Maybe. Would it make him self-interested? Yeah. Would it make him right? Absolutely.
Maybe tap the brakes on the Trevor Zegras anointment?
Have you forgotten Andrew MacDonald?
Trevor Zegras has been terrific so far, but before anyone starts thinking about making him a Flyer for life, can he get through half a season here first?
Kyle and the cash register
The very simple reason to be optimistic that the Phillies will re-sign Kyle Schwarber comes down to three words.
Butts in seats.
Yes, Schwarber has improved as a hitter over the last two years, putting the ball in play more often and raising his batting average without sacrificing any of his power. Yes, he’s an outstanding clubhouse leader. And yes, his presence is necessary if the Phillies are to get over their October bugaboos, get back to the World Series, and win it. Those factors make him vital to the franchise.
But a baseball season, despite the attention and excitement that the playoffs generate, is not the playoffs alone. The 162-game march to the postseason matters too. It matters a lot. And Schwarber has overtaken Bryce Harper as the player on the Phillies roster whose at-bats are true can’t-miss theater. If you’re at Citizens Bank Park on a chilly night in early May, waiting to get your hot dog and beer, the chance to see Schwarber blast one 450 feet is probably one of the reasons you’re at the ballpark in the first place. And if he comes up and you’re still waiting, you might just hop out of that long line to make sure you don’t miss one of his lighting bolts. He’s the guy who makes you stop and watch.
Sports is still first and foremost an entertainment product, and Schwarber provides more entertainment night to night than any other Phillies player. John Middleton isn’t likely to let someone steal such an asset away, for any price. He’d be a fool if he did.
Allen Iverson was a 40-plus-minute man before the term “load management” entered the NBA vernacular.
Maxey and A.I. as iron men
Ahead of the 76ers’ matchup in Milwaukee against the Bucks on Friday night, Tyrese Maxey was leading the NBA in minutes played per game. His average: 40.0.
All kudos to Maxey for bringing it every night for as long as he does. But just for some perspective, it’s worth noting that for a 10-year period, from the 1998-99 season through the 2007-08 season, Allen Iverson never averaged fewer than 40.8 minutes. And over his six seasons from 2001 through 2007, he averaged 42.5 minutes and led the league in minutes five times. When the man said he played every game like it was his last, he meant it.
