DENVER — A federal court dealt a perhaps chaos-inducing blow to the NCAA’s new eligibility rule Friday when it ruled that all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted their fourth season of college eligibility this spring are eligible for a fifth season this school year.
The ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney in Denver, expected to be appealed, undercuts the NCAA’s plan to have the so-called “five for five” rule go into play starting with athletes who enroll in college in fall 2027.
It also has potential to wreak havoc on rosters across the country — for instance, opening the possibility that an undrafted player in an NFL training camp could decide to try to head back to college for a fifth year this upcoming season.
In granting the preliminary injunction, Sweeney said the players “will suffer irreparable harm without” it. She did not sign onto the governing body’s argument that applying the new rule retroactively would create “roster chaos.”
But NCAA President Charlie Baker said it would in responding to the rulings while referencing a bill in Congress designed to provide the NCAA antitrust protection on the eligibility issues.
“Today’s rulings and the chaos they bring to college sports are exactly why it’s time to pass this bill,” Baker said.
The Colorado ruling came hours after a Tennessee court granted Jalen Washington, who most recently played at Vanderbilt, and 18 other basketball players a fifth season of eligibility.
In June, the NCAA approved its new eligibility model for Division I athletes that will allow five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment or the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever occurs first.
While the ruling in Tennessee applied to those 19 basketball players, the one in Colorado cast a wider net, granting the class certification the plaintiffs sought. It means the ruling applies to all Division I players who started their college careers in the 2022-23 season, not just a select list.
The day after Landon Dickerson underwent meniscus surgery during training camp last year, he walked out to the field in street clothes following a joint practice with the Cleveland Browns with a cooler in tow.
Dickerson proceeded to distribute cans of Miller Lite to his buddies on the offensive line from both teams. But forget the booze — the three-time Pro Bowl left guard was standing on his feet roughly 24 hours removed from having his right knee cut open.
He returned to practice approximately two weeks later. Less than a month after his surgery, Dickerson started in the Eagles’ season opener at home against the Dallas Cowboys.
One year later, though, Dickerson may not take pride in that superlative.
Dickerson, who turns 28 in September, said on Saturday that he believed his return to action last year following meniscus surgery was premature.
“Probably shouldn’t have gone out there and played, but you live and you learn,” Dickerson said after the third practice of Eagles training camp. “You do stupid stuff when you’re young. I learned that mistake.”
Landon Dickerson struggled with injury during 2025, as did multiple of his teammates along the offensive line. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
That mistake, in addition to his lengthy injury history, will factor into how he will approach playing through future ailments, he said.
“I don’t think there’s any reason to be tough and work through it if it’s just going to wear you down, because they don’t pay you to be hurt,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson ought to know how it feels to be worn down by injuries. In the Super Bowl in 2025, he played through a left knee injury that required offseason surgery. In addition to the meniscus injury last season, he dealt with a back issue, plus an ankle injury that sidelined him in Week 6 against the New York Giants.
He had injury concerns coming out of Alabama, too. His pair of ACL tears and ankle injuries caused him to fall to the second round of the 2021 draft, when the Eagles selected him with the No. 37-overall pick.
Still, Dickerson said that he is “not really” worried about any potential cumulative effects of the injuries on his body. He said he never considered retirement this offseason and emphasized that he feels good after three days of training camp practice.
“Not having surgery is very nice,” Dickerson said.
With a full offseason to recover, Dickerson also traveled to Colombia to receive stem cell therapy to manage his pain. Jurgens went to the same clinic to address his back pain that lingered from his 2024 postseason surgery through 2025.
Dickerson said he spoke to other veterans across the league to learn what they do to stay healthy.
“This is my job, after all,” Dickerson said. “So exploring all avenues to try and feel good.”
So far, so good, and not just for Dickerson. Jurgens and Lane Johnson, who played 10 games last season before suffering a Lisfranc foot injury in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions, are also back in action in training camp.
Jordan Mailata (left), Lane Johnson (center) and Landon Dickerson are among those adjusting to the new scheme. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Their presence is particularly meaningful as the offensive line acclimates to a new blocking scheme under offensive coordinator Sean Mannion.
“Any time we can maintain the main group of guys in there, get the reps, especially with this new offense, the better we’re going to be,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I think with us staying on the field and not missing practice and taking those reps, it builds confidence knowing that we can endure and we can last, man. Lot of people depending on us. So we need to be out there.”
Dickerson called the new offense and blocking scheme a “tremendous change” from what the Eagles ran previously. The wide-zone blocking scheme is new to Dickerson, aside from what he had watched on tape in years past. He is learning that scheme from new Eagles offensive line coach Chris Kuper, whom Dickerson lauded for his wealth of knowledge from his playing and coaching careers.
Dickerson said the new scheme is a “great fit” for the personnel. With Mannion implementing the foundation for the offense, the offensive line is placing an emphasis on “eliminating the slow play,” Dickerson said, getting to the line quickly, making a call, and executing their play.
“I’m sure you guys see that Vic [Fangio] and his defense, they like to move around and do all this other stuff,” Dickerson said. “So, if you can get up there quick and just run your plays and not rely on what they’re doing, then [it] makes everybody’s life a little easier.”
Has Dickerson’s role within the scheme changed? No, he said, and neither has his blunt sense of humor.
“I’m still playing left guard for the Philadelphia Eagles, so yeah,” Dickerson said. “As of right now, that’s still my job.”
His teammates are just as grateful to have him continue in his post for a sixth season.
“It’s actually amazing that they get to be out here right now, given what they’ve gone through in the past year,” Jordan Mailata said of Dickerson and Jurgens on Thursday. “What they’ve been fighting through and for them to be healthy to participate in training camp is obviously a great sign.
“Hopefully we can continue to keep those guys fresh and have them available for the season.”
GENEVA — Successfully stopping Gianni Infantino’s FIFA plan to sell World Cup profits to private investors was the first half of a high-stakes game in global soccer politics.
The second half kicked off Saturday with what seemed a clear aim of ending Infantino’s decade-long presidency.
“No option should be off the table,” said European soccer body UEFA, whose president Aleksander Čeferin has led the fight against Infantino in a seismic week for FIFA.
“The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family.”
Later Saturday, the governing body for North and Central American and Caribbean soccer (Concacaf) called for accountability, saying: “A (World Cup) proposal of this magnitude does not reach that stage by accident. It is a symptom of leadership that has stopped putting football first. This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behavior. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative.”
Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations welcome the withdrawal of the proposed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).https://t.co/H2KdBi1jJG
Infantino had proposed creating a $20 billion company to run the World Cup with private investors but drew backlash that grew every day since Tuesday’s announcement.
“We cannot keep going on like this with secret schemes on fast-track timescales, cooked up by faceless individuals and of dubious benefit to the game,” UEFA said. “We must identify those responsible and hold them to account.
“It is right that, in the coming days and weeks, UEFA will work with its associations and in close cooperation with other confederations to reflect on how this happened and devise a plan to make sure that it cannot occur again.”
Norwegian soccer federation president Lise Klaveness, an elected member of the UEFA executive committee, said steps must be taken to protect the integrity of the sport.
“The entire framework of international football cooperation was unnecessarily put at risk in pursuit of individual interests rather than the best interests of the game,” Klaveness said Saturday. ”This has been visible to many for a long time, including those of us elected to positions intended to safeguard checks and balances and provide ongoing oversight. We have to recognize that these mechanisms have not worked well enough.”
UEFA welcomes FIFA’s withdrawal of plans to sell a stake in the World Cup
The president of the Asian soccer confederation, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, said “the future of global football must always be shaped through proper consultation, collective dialogue and respect for the established governance structures of our game.”
Infantino’s audacious bid fell apart after UEFA’s 55-member nations agreed Thursday to boycott the World Cup and all other FIFA competitions. CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation also said they opposed the plan.
CONCACAF’s statement added that FIFA leaders have “a duty of service over power. Where that duty is not upheld, accountability cannot be optional.”
There was also an internal revolt.
Infantino’s senior adviser, Carlos Cordeiro, a former U.S. Soccer federation president and Goldman Sachs banker who represented FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned on Friday and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.
Hours later, FIFA chief operating officer Kevin Lamour issued a statement to The Associated Press, saying FIFA staff were deceived by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months and that the project must not continue.
“It is the project of one person,” wrote Lamour, a longtime colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”
Infantino had proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.
The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm launched by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
This is not Infantino’s first big plan to flop
A tumultuous week in international soccer is at least the third time Infantino has rocked it with an ambitious plan many in the sport saw as reckless.
But the fallout from FIFA’s Kushner-backed plan is the first time UEFA has acted quickly to create momentum for removing the man who was its former longtime employee.
Carlos Cordeiro (right) was a frequent presence when Gianni Infantino (second from left) visited the White House.Jacquelyn Martin
In 2018, Infantino pushed a secretive offer of $25 billion from Japan’s SoftBank to create new competitions, that posed a long-term risk to continental events for clubs and national teams.
In 2021, Infantino proposed playing World Cups every two years instead of four — an idea that also angered the International Olympic Committee where he is an elected member.
Both plans created big rifts in the sport and were eventually dropped by FIFA.
Despite the turmoil, Infantino was reelected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
The third time shapes to be different.
Here is the calendar for the FIFA presidency
Nov. 18 is the deadline for candidates to enter the next presidential contest, exactly four months ahead of the vote in Rabat, Morocco, where FIFA has its African headquarters.
FIFA statutes allow Infantino one more four-year term in office. The failed spinoff venture seemed like a way to create a commissioner-like role for Infantino beyond 2031, likely paying much more than his current annual salary and a bonus deal of more than $6 million.
It would take 106 votes to ensure a majority in a contested election. Continents surely do not vote uniformly en bloc, but most of Europe’s 55, plus Asia’s 46 and CONCACAF’s 35 FIFA members would be a solid base.
The Qatar FA issued a statement in support of Infantino on Saturday.
Its president, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Thani, said: “We welcome FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s decision to withdraw the FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal in the interest of the global football community.
“While the proposal had merit, we applaud the wisdom behind prioritizing unity among Member Associations. The Qatar Football Association fully supports President Infantino’s efforts to continue growing and strengthening the game globally.”
Inquirer staff writer Jonathan Tannenwald contributed to this article. Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson contributed from Barcelona, Spain.
Marcus Epps knew what he was getting into when he returned to the Eagles this offseason.
His resumé is strong — Epps was a key starter during their 2022 Super Bowl run — but he never expected the starting safety job to be handed to him. The 30-year-old knew he’d have to grind it out against his main competition, Michael Carter II, plus seventh-round pick Cole Wisniewski, veteran special teamer J.T. Gray, and long shots like Andre Sam, Kapena Gushiken, and Maximus Pulley.
Through three days of camp, the battle has been as intense as advertised.
“It’s open competition,” Epps said. “They made that clear. That’s where my focus is. I’ve always had to earn everything my whole career anyway. So we’re all pushing each other. We’re all encouraging each other.”
That’s the right mindset to have given the competitive nature of the safety battle. Safety is currently the Eagles’ only position not set in stone. Cooper DeJean, who plays slot in nickel, holds the starting safety spot in the team’s base defense, but the Eagles, like most NFL defenses, use nickel and dime packages much more often than base. That leaves the spot next to Andrew Mukuba — the other starting safety — wide open.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is letting his safeties battle it out on the field.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who previously indicated that Epps was in the pole position, was mum on who the current leader was when asked on Thursday.
The first-team snaps at camp seem to confirm Fangio’s comments, as Carter and Epps have rotated in at safety with the first-team defense over the three days. How has this battle affected morale in the room?
“It’s been great,” said Epps. “We’re all encouraging each other. We’re all helping each other out. But at the same time, we’re all bringing it each day. And I feel like we’re all taking the same day-to-day mindset and just trying to get better and do whatever it takes to help the team.”
On paper, Epps’ resumé is much more impressive than Carter’s. Epps has 49 starts in 94 career games with 3 interceptions and 315 career tackles. Carter, meanwhile, has 26 starts in 73 games with 2 interceptions and 233 tackles.
The Eagles acquired Michael Carter II from the Jets last season ahead of the trade deadline.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
What’s it going to take for Epps to win the job once and for all?
“I’m just going to go out there and be me, man,” he said. “I’m just taking it one day at a time, trying to be consistent, trying to stack days. That’s where my focus is, doing anything it takes to help the team, man.”
Asked about the battle from an outside perspective, Mukuba took a diplomatic approach, opting to instead shout out his teammates.
“We’ve got a lot of good guys in the room that’s doing good,” Mukuba said. “Epps, Mike Carter. We’ve got the young guys doing good as well, I mean, it’s a good group of guys that’s coming in, working and competing every day.
LeBron James is going to take his talent to South Philly, and a portion of his salary to City Hall.
The newly signed Sixer — that feels so good to write — is being rumored to live in New York City and commute to games and practices by helicopter, according to ESPN.
Commuters who live elsewhere but work in Philly are required to pay the city’s wage tax on a portion of their salary. And there is no exemption in the tax code for a King.
Main Liners, rejoice. Next time you look at the withholdings on your pay stub, you are allowed to proclaim: LeBron, he’s just like us, amirite?
In fact, James has likely paid the Philadelphia wage tax throughout his career for games he played here against the Sixers.
But how much of James’ $8 million salary over two years counts toward the wage tax will depend on how, and where, No. 23 spends his time from training camp to the final day of the season.
Let’s break it down.
What is Philly’s wage tax, and does it apply to athletes?
Philadelphia levies a 3.735% tax on the entire income of its residents, and 3.425% on the income nonresidents earned working in the city.
The wage tax is one of the city’s three major revenue sources, alongside property and business taxes, and has brought in more than $2 billion annually in recent years. A third of the taxes collected comes from commuters.
Philly’s tax on earnings is among the highest in the country, and the city led the charge in the 1990s to ensure professional athletes paid their share. It is now common practice for cities to impose a so-called jock tax on players — home and visiting — but athletes are taxed in the City of Brotherly Love under the same wage tax as everyone else.
What counts as a Philly workday for LeBron James?
Calculating the wage tax for commuters can get tricky, especially since remote work has become common.
Every day of work that requires a nonresident to be in Philadelphia counts toward the tax.
The question for James, and other athletes, is what counts as a working day — and how many of those days he spends in Philly vs. the Sixers’ training facility in Camden.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James, left, shares a laugh with Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, right, during an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Philadelphia.Chris Szagola / AP
Practice, film review, rehab, and games could all count as workdays, said Stephen Kidder, a tax attorney who specializes in professional sports.
“Every single one of those days is a duty day for a professional athlete,” Kidder said.
A spokesperson for the city said, “Philadelphia welcomes LeBron James with open arms,” but did not respond to a request for comment about any special guidance for athletes.
How much will LeBron James pay in wage taxes?
If James ends up living in Philly, the calculation is simple. He would have to pay 3.735% of his annual salary of $4 million — roughly $150,000 — regardless of where he spends his time.
But if he lives outside the city, it comes down to counting days.
Without knowing James’ overall number of workdays in the year, and how much of that time is spent in Philadelphia, it is impossible to estimate his tax bill.
The number of duty days for an NBA player can vary widely, depending on practice schedule, depth of playoff run, and other activities, such as promotions.
An often-cited number to get a sense of the size of the tax bill for NBA players is 200 workdays.
If his only Philadelphia workdays were the Sixers’ 41 home games, and if, as seemingly the youngest 41-year-old in history, he played in all of them, roughly 20% of King James’ income would be earned in Philly.
In this scenario, the city would tax 20% of James’ annual income at the 3.425% rate for nonresidents, for a hypothetical tax bill of around $28,000. That number would decrease if he missed some home games, or increase if he attended other team activities in Philadelphia.
(This writer refuses to make any calculation related to the playoffs that could constitute a jinx but suffice to say: See you on Broad Street next summer.)
Do taxes affect players’ decisions?
Professional athletes and the associations representing them care a lot about state and local taxes, and are fighting against them.
The MLB, NHL, and NFL players associations, alongside three former professional athletes, sued Pittsburgh over its 3% jock tax for visiting players. And last year the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck the tax down because it was higher for nonresidents than for residents.
City and state taxes are part of the package when athletes choose where to play, according to Kidder, who represented the associations in the state Supreme Court case. A professional athlete in Florida owes the state no tax, for example, while California has a jock tax of up to 13.3%.
“Some athletes may be in a point in their career where it doesn’t matter that much,” Kidder said. “But for other athletes it may be a big difference playing for a team based in Florida compared to a team based in New York.”
Ed Wasielewski, a Philadelphia-based NFL agent and founder of EMG Sports, says tax considerations come up often in free agency deals. The difference between no tax, Philly’s 3.735% tax on residents, and California’s 13.3% jock tax amounts to millions of dollars in take-home pay.
“A player is well advised to have a good accountant, a good attorney, and a good agent team to correctly analyze the tax consequences,” Wasielewski said. “It definitely comes into play in contract negotiations, especially in free agency.”
If James chooses to live in NYC and commute to practices in Camden and games in Philly by helicopter, taxes might not be high on his list of concerns.
Jalen Carter said something very sweet and very incorrect during a news conference Wednesday. In answering questions about his new contract extension with the Eagles — an extension that reportedly guarantees him $106 million — Carter paused while answering a question and mentioned all the people to whom he was grateful.
“Wanna slow it down,” he said. “First, I want to say I’m thankful to God for putting me on this earth. Thankful for the coaches, the players, Mr. Lurie.”
Then he nodded toward the media members gathered in front of him.
“Thankful for you guys, too,” he said. “You guys put out some good information, some good facts about me, stuff like that. We’re all one family.”
Now, some of the people in the media tent at that time definitely were. Members of Carter’s actual family were on hand, as were several Eagles staff members and his friend and teammate Jordan Davis. And some other people there either don’t mind thinking of themselves as members of the Eagles’ family or have bosses who would like them to be thought of that way.
But a fair number of us weren’t there to congratulate Carter for his newly attained wealth or share in the optimism that he will fulfill his potential and become a Hall of Fame-caliber defensive tackle. We were there to listen to what he said, to listen to what Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni and Carter’s teammates said, to listen to other people in and around the Eagles’ organization said about the signing, and to explain what happened and what it might all mean. We might even point out that Carter has made some pretty big mistakes in his life and football career, and those mistakes raise the possibility that he won’t live up to such a lucrative contract, and he and the Eagles ought to be held to account for such decisions and mistakes.
We were there to tell people what’s really happening or what we really think. We’re not going to sit on information or a story because it might embarrass or anger a coach or player or make things more difficult for the franchise. We were there to report, not to support. There’s a difference, and when you note that difference nowadays, you risk coming off like a scold, a jerk, an egomaniac, or all of those things at once. You face the inevitable barrage of complaints from those who want to be told only what they want to hear; who presume that you root for the athletes and teams that you cover and, when they find out that you don’t, insist that you should; and who can’t comprehend how someone could report or write something in good faith that was critical of those hometown heroes. Which is OK. That complaining, even the nastiest of it, comes with the job, and you have to be able to take it.
Put simply, we’re there to be as fair and accurate and honest as we can be, but we’re not part of the team. We’re not part of the family. We’re not supposed to be.
Quick hitters
Wilt Chamberlain lived in Manhattan while he played for the Philadelphia Warriors. JJ Redick lived in Brooklyn while he played for the 76ers. If you are genuinely dismayed that LeBron James might not live in Philadelphia or any of its surrounding towns and suburbs during his (brief) career with the Sixers, please get in your car, drive it north on I-95, and, for perhaps the first time in your life, continue past the Street Road exit. There’s a whole world up there. …
Kudos to Tom McCarthy: Phillies TV play-by-play man, former radio voice of the St. Joseph’s Hawks, all-around gem of a human being. During Tuesday’s Phillies-Marlins telecast on NBC Sports Philadelphia, he delivered a brief and beautiful eulogy for Chris DiJulia, the son of longtime St. Joe’s athletic director Don DiJulia and as familiar a presence as anyone connected to the school’s athletic program. Chris, who had cerebral palsy, died Monday night. Tom even mentioned the moving tribute that former Inquirer staffer Mike Jensen wrote to Chris on Mike’s Facebook page. …
Riq Woolen stopped in his tracks. Following Thursday’s practice, the newest Eagles defensive back was sprinting off the field when he was waved down by one of his all-time favorite players: Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins.
Woolen — who is the second tallest cornerback in the league — was enamored by the Eagles legend’s build at 52 years old.
“He’s big as hell,” Woolen said with a laugh. “I didn’t expect him to be that big, bro.”
People inside the building have been saying similar things about Woolen since he signed with the Eagles. Woolen, 27, is not your typical corner. Whereas other defensive backs stand at an average height of 5-foot-11 according to Joker Mag, Woolen has an impressive 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame. This physical advantage made him a Pro Bowler in 2022 and a key cog in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run last season.
These traits are the reason why general manager Howie Roseman handed him a one-year deal worth up to $15 million in March. With Woolen, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean in the defensive backfield, the Eagles now have three Pro Bowl cornerbacks for the first time in team history.
Riq Woolen has an atypical build for an NFL cornerback. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
So, how are things going with this potentially dominant trio so far?
“It’s pretty cool because it’s just learning how to fit in with these guys,” Woolen said Thursday. “I know my personality, I get along well with everybody. So just being able to become close with these guys, that’s all I really care about.
“I’ve got to be the best version of myself, and for me to do that, I’ve got to be comfortable with them, and they’ve got to be comfortable with me, and they’ve got to get to know me, and I’ve got to know them.”
Woolen has had an excellent start to his NFL career, collecting Super Bowl hardware and 12 total interceptions. He could have signed with plenty of teams in free agency, but he said team culture brought him to the Eagles.
“Honestly, just the culture here is just an amazing culture,” Woolen said. “They preach to us we got to work hard. It’s a hard working team. Everybody in this organization works hard. So just being able to be coached by them, I feel like it’s going to help me as a player and it’s going to push me to be a great person.”
Riq Woolen reached a Pro Bowl and won a Super Bowl in four seasons with the Seahawks. Kyusung Gong
It might not be a long-term marriage. The Eagles still need to pay Mitchell and DeJean, so Woolen could possibly serve as a one-year mercenary. But if he can replicate his elite production from Seattle with the Eagles, Roseman certainly won’t complain. Since his rookie season, Woolen has limited quarterbacks to a 54.2 completion percentage, which ranks 14th of the 139 corners (with at least 100 targets). He recorded his fourth consecutive season with 10-plus passes defended last year.
Woolen’s new defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, is thrilled about what he can do in the Eagles’ defense.
“Well, he’s a rare guy in that you don’t see many corners in the league that are 6-foot-4,” Fangio said in May. “You don’t see many that are 6-foot-2 or even 6-foot-1 and there’s a reason for that. It’s hard to find guys at those heights that can move and mirror receivers that are hard to cover. He can do that for a guy his height. He can get in and out of breaks. He obviously has good downfield speed and his length is more of an asset than a detriment in his case.
“I’m excited to have him. He’s been here since we started the offseason. Seems to be a great guy. He’s into being here and really looking forward to working with him.”
If you watch the popular “Welcome to Wrexham” TV show, you might think you’ve gotten to know the Welsh soccer team’s players. And if you’re in Philadelphia, local favorite Rob Mac’s role as part-owner offers another reason to watch.
But the scenes that unfold are real life, with real players in a real English soccer league. They actually live through everything others watch from their couches.
What’s life in the fishbowl actually like? Centerback Max Cleworth knows better than most. Though he’s just 23, he has been with Wrexham since his youth days and has been with the first team since 2019 — a span in which the Red Dragons have earned historic promotions from the fifth-tier National League to the second-tier Championship.
Max Cleworth celebrates with teammates and fans after Wrexham earned promotion from England’s third-tier League One to the second-tier Championship in 2025.Jon Super
“It’s been pretty surreal, to be fair,” Cleworth told The Inquirer. “When I first heard of it, it was probably just over six years ago now, it was a bit like I didn’t believe it, wasn’t sure. And then, obviously, the cameras come in, and I remember the lads at the time were a bit unsure of the whole thing.”
But they are rarer abroad. Locker rooms traditionally aren’t open to the media in the world’s game the way they are in many U.S. sports (including MLS), and that’s especially true in Europe. So it took some convincing to make this show happen.
These days, Cleworth said, Wrexham’s players are used to having cameras around all the time.
A mural advertising the “Welcome to Wrexham” TV show on the wall of a house in the Welsh city in 2024.Jon Super
“At first it was a bit strange, especially because of the level we were at — it’s [the] National League, not much coverage of that sort of league at all,” he said. “It’s gotten better over the years, but it was really a small amount of coverage. And then as you go up the leagues, the cameras become more and more, and the publicity becomes even bigger. So it’s something I’ve gotten used to, certainly, and something I’ve quite enjoyed, to be fair.”
This season will be Wrexham’s second straight in the Championship, a level they hadn’t previously reached since 2004. Last year, they finished a remarkable seventh in the 24-team standings, just two points short of the playoffs for promotion to the Premier League.
“I think we surprised a few people coming into last year,” Cleworth said. “The people we signed, the squad we had, we knew we’d always have a good chance, and the success we’ve had, we had that momentum that we just wanted to keep pushing and we knew how high we could finish. Obviously, everyone was a bit down after the last game of the season, but that’s past us now, and I think we’re certainly looking to be up near the top again going into this season.”
It’s a wild rise for sure, even though cynics have pointed at the big sums of money (and, of course, publicity) offered by Mac, fellow celebrity co-owner Ryan Reynolds, and the sponsors they’ve attracted.
Rob Mac (center) waving to fans at a Wrexham game in 2025.Getty Images
This has led to a lot of roster turnover along the way, though that isn’t as much of a surprise. No one would expect too many fifth-tier players to be as good many levels higher.
So it’s a compliment to Cleworth that he has made it all the way. He played 45 games last season, chipping in three goals along with his defensive work.
“There’s been kind of an unwritten policy here that the gaffer only signs good people first,” he said, using England’s slang term for manager in referring to Phil Parkinson. “So, in that sense, it’s made easier because I’ve never had to share the changing room with what would be considered a bad lad or anything. … I’ve just tried to work hard every day and see it as a challenge to stay within a big part of the group, and I’d like to think I’ve done that over the last few years.”
As for Mac and Reynolds, Cleworth said he has met them “a lot of times,” including at parties to celebrate promotions.
Rob Mac (front) and Ryan Reynolds embrace after Wrexham scored a goal during an FA Cup home game against traditional Premier League power Chelsea in March.Nick Potts
“They have the fame that comes with them, but they’re two really down-to-earth and humble people that do anything they can to help not only us as individuals, but as a collective,” he said. “I have a really good relationship with both of them, and am looking forward to seeing them.”
And yes, he knows about Mac’s rabid Eagles fandom.
“He hasn’t complained too much to me, to be fair,” Cleworth said. “I know a bit about the NBA — my NFL knowledge is a bit worse.”
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Though the World Cup only just reached the rearview mirror, the soccer world is already speeding toward the new European club season.
Brenden Aaronson is proof.
After taking the three-week break that FIFA’s rules allow for players after major tournaments, the Medford native returned to work at his club, Leeds United of the English Premier League, on Monday. Conveniently, that was right as his teammates arrived in North Jersey amid Leeds’ first preseason tour of the U.S. in nearly 30 years.
“Just great to get home, spend some time in Jersey,” he told The Inquirer. “I just needed to just get home and see family. I hadn’t been home since last September. That’s been probably the longest time I’ve been away from home.”
Leeds fell to Wrexham of the second-tier Championship last Saturday in Tampa, 3-2, then beat fellow Premier League club Sunderland 1-0 on Thursday in Harrison, N.J. The finale is Sunday against powerhouse Liverpool in Chicago (4 p.m., ESPN Deportes), the same day Wrexham and Sunderland meet at Subaru Park (noon, ESPN).
Alas, Aaronson wasn’t in the game squad Thursday, as much as he wanted to play being close to home. He had a lot of friends and family in attendance, and a busload of fans from the Leeds supporters’ group in Philadelphia made the trip. (Their viewing parties at the Black Taxi in Fairmount are lively occasions.)
But if his absence disappointed the box office, it wasn’t too surprising since he’d only just returned. No one begrudged him the time to rest, having gone just about nonstop since the last preseason started.
Not for nothing, too, he was also able to finally enjoy being a husband after his whirlwind wedding that briefly took him out of U.S. camp in late May.
That was just one early turn in a roller-coaster ride through the World Cup.
Brenden Aaronson (left) in action during the U.S.-Turkey group stage game, the only game of the World Cup he played in.Gregory Bull
“It’s a shame that our worst game was in the round of 16,” he said. “I don’t think that we were at our best that game — I don’t think it’s anything to blame this or that, I just think we weren’t at our best. And sometimes you have to put your hands up, because they were also very good on the day, Belgium.”
He added that “it did feel like an opportunity lost” for a group of players who “felt very, very confident” heading into the biggest game of their lives.
A dejected Matt Freese (right) amid Belgium players celebrating one of their goals against the U.S.Ted S. Warren
“I felt like we knew what we could do and what we could have accomplished, and we knew we could have went farther in the tournament,” Aaronson said. “So I think that’s the thing that hurt the most. … It’s not fun when you lose that type of game, but also, I think we were upset with the way that we played, too.”
The emotions were particularly strong around U.S. centerback and captain Tim Ream, whom Aaronson said “was really upset after the game, knowing that maybe this [was] his last one — it was difficult to see.”
There was never any doubt about how the Balogun scandal affected Belgium’s team, especially President Donald Trump’s intervention with FIFA president Gianni Infantino to get Balogun reinstated. But there hasn’t been too much clarity about how it all affected U.S. players.
Folarin Balogun’s reinstatement might have ended up hurting the U.S. against Belgium more than it helped.Ted S. Warren
Aaronson came down on the latter side.
“I wouldn’t say it affected us,” he said. “I think we did a good job the whole time of kind of just staying in our little bubble and not really paying attention to the outside noise. We know in those moments, of course there’s media, it’s the World Cup, everybody’s going to be talking and stuff like this. But I didn’t really think much of it, to be honest, myself.”
He didn’t hesitate to add, though, “that it gave [Belgium] maybe a little more fire under their belly.”
On to a new season
As the next World Cup cycle begins, it’s natural that some players will move on, and newcomers will be welcomed. That’s likely to start in the fall, when the new FIFA calendar takes effect with a four-game national team window from Sept. 18-Oct. 3. And it will be no surprise if some of the players who’ve succeeded Aaronson at the Union get invitations, such as Cavan Sullivan, Frankie Westfield, and perhaps Quinn Sullivan too.
A lot of U.S. fans want to see Union midfielder Cavan Sullivan (left) get a shot with the senior team this fall.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“There’s a time period where you can test things out and try things,” Aaronson said. “So it’ll be interesting to see what goes on the next four years, but I’m excited for it. I think it’s an exciting time for the national team, and we need to keep getting better and better.”
Aaronson hasn’t gotten a ton of playing time from Mauricio Pochettino, who from all indications seems headed toward a new four-year contract as U.S. manager. But it’s hard to believe that a 25-year-old who plays regularly in the Premier League, the world’s top domestic circuit, will be cast off entirely.
He certainly intends to do his part to stay on the radar.
“My aspiration, of course, is to play every game for the club, be a big player at the club and score goals and get assists, and then ultimately transfer that to the national team,” he said. “I want to play every game for the national team — I think that’s what everybody wants to do. That’s just been my aspiration, my goals. I’ve always been hungry like that.”
Brenden Aaronson (right) signing autographs for fans during the U.S. team’s World Cup training camp.Jonathan Tannenawld
And he was pleased by the news that Pochettino is likely to return.
“I think it’s something that we can continue to grow on,” Aaronson said. “I mean, he’s coached the best players in the world [over his career]. Being able to study under him and learn from him is massive for me.”
This will be Aaronson’s fourth season at Leeds, one of England’s most passionately supported clubs, and his third in the Premier League. As with last year, when the Peacocks returned to the top flight, the first goal is to stay up. But now Leeds can aim a little higher, with new signings bankrolled by an ownership group tied to the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers.
“I swear, Leeds fans are everywhere,” Aaronson said. “It’s got such a big fan base, and it will continue to grow. Because what we want to do is put this club in the right spot, and that’s being in the top of the Premier League. So that’s the goal.”
Brenden Aaronson at work during one of Leeds’ practice sessions leading up to Thursday’s game in North Jersey.Jonathan Tannenwald
He has his share of critics in England, largely for the same reason he has them over here: for all his industrious work on the field, he’s an attacking midfielder who doesn’t score a lot of goals. But Leeds manager Daniel Farke has been one of Aaronson’s biggest backers, and intends to stay that way.
“The task is more or less keep going exactly in the same way and develop exactly in the same way that he’s done since I’ve really worked with him,” Farke said. “I’m pleased for him that he was called up to the U.S. team — didn’t play perhaps as many minutes as he was hoping for, but he’s also a player full of potential, and he’s still in an age where he can develop and hopefully make the next steps. He is, in addition to that, also a great human being, and it’s a pleasure to work with him.”
Forward Lukas Nmecha, who scored the winner Thursday, also gave a nice endorsement.
“Firstly, on a personal level, he’s a lovely guy, works really hard,” he said. “On the football side, I think we all know what he brings. He’s very active in the game, he runs a lot, he creates a lot, and he’s just a good guy to have around.”
When Mo’ne Davis heard that there was going to be a professional women’s baseball league, she couldn’t believe it.
“I thought it was fake at first,” Davis said. “I just thought it was a fan’s idea of wanting to see a women’s baseball league.”
Then she saw Kelsie Whitmore (the first woman to play in a MLB partner league) sign on as a player and former baseball and softball standout Alex Hugo sign on as an adviser and thought, “OK, this might actually be a thing.” After confirming that the Women’s Pro Baseball League was actually happening and being encouraged to think about it, the Philadelphia native and Springside Chestnut Hill Academy graduate joined the 600-plus women trying out August 2025 to be considered for the draft that fall. From there, she was drafted 10th overall by the Los Angeles Queens.
Now preparing for the sold-out opening day on Saturday in Springfield, Ill., Davis, a center fielder, is ready to pave the way for what she hopes is years of pro women’s baseball to come.
The league currently has four teams: the Los Angeles Queens, the Boston Hunters, the New York Heights, and the San Francisco Firebells. The season consists of 30 games, running through Sept. 6, followed by two weeks of playoffs to determine the inaugural champion. Players from 11 countries and territories ranging from ages 18-40 are ready to take the field at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, which will host every game this season.
Though the league is all-new, the players share a love for a sport that often lacked opportunities for women.
Davis has been a pioneer in the sport since her legendary Little League World Series game in 2014, when, with the Taney Dragons, she became the first girl to win and pitch a shutout. More recently, she took her skills to Banana Ball with the Indianapolis Clowns, where she’s spent the summer throwing trick pitches and dancing on the field, and she’s ready to bring what she’s learned to the WPBL.
“In Banana Ball, we’re so used to just keeping people entertained,” Davis said. “But it’s all the same sport, and, at the end of the day, it’s all about still being able to have fun.”
There has been growing interest in women’s baseball. MLB hosts annual girls’ baseball training camps, such as the Trailblazer Series and the Elite Development Invitational, that are growing in numbers every year.
Davis says it’s important to remember that as the sport grows, they are following in the footsteps of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which ran from 1943 to 1954.
One of the AAGPBL players was Jeneane “Lefty” DesCombes Lesko, who pitched for the Grand Rapids Chicks in 1953 and 1954. Like many of the women in the WPBL, DesCombes grew up learning baseball and loving the game without many opportunities to play. Now 91 years old, she is cautiously optimistic about the future of the sport.
“I’m just really anxious to see how many people actually attend,” Lesko said.
Lesko and Davis want to see more publicity for the WPBL and its players. Davis believes that having the games in a central location will help build a community around the sport, and that the Queens can become a “fan favorite” by showing off their personalities on the field and on social media.
“I think that’s the biggest thing, is having someone relate to you that can allow this to grow and want more people to watch because they’re like, ‘Oh my God, that person — I agree with what they’re saying, I agree with their lifestyle,’ whatever the case may be.” Davis said.
Mo’ne Davis believes her team, the Los Angeles Queens, can become a “fan favorite.”Women's Pro Baseball League
Lesko also emphasized the importance of supporting young girls in baseball to continue to propel interest and opportunities at the professional level.
“My real dream has always been that every girl has the opportunity to play baseball, that they have that option,” Lesko said. “We haven’t even begun to tip the iceberg to really concentrate on finding all these girls who were brought up that way and can play baseball.”
It’s been over 70 years since the nation has had a professional women’s baseball league, but Lesko and Davis show that there are great opportunities for girls and women in the sport.
“When you finish and you’ve done the very best you could in sports — just like the men, you have friends forever.” Lesko said, reflecting on her pro career. “It’s been the greatest thing in my life, actually. I have a family, and I have another family, and that’s the baseball family.”
