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  • Scott Bandura’s MLB debut marked a full-circle moment that began with his dad in Philly

    Scott Bandura’s MLB debut marked a full-circle moment that began with his dad in Philly

    Growing up, Scott Bandura and his father Steve would chat about some of the ballparks they wanted to visit together one day. Scott was 10-years-old at the time, and Steve said Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., was near the top of that list.

    Fifteen years later, they finally got to see the stadium together. But both were realizing even bigger dreams. Scott was making his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 13, and his parents were in the stands.

    “Just amazing that the first game I went to Oracle, he was playing in it,” Steve said. “It was an amazing experience to see. It’s just weird, you see the lineup come up on the board, and you see all these stars’ names, and his name’s on there too.”

    Taking the field in San Francisco, the outfielder played his father’s words in his head: “Don’t let the pressure exceed the pleasure.

    “He sent that quote to me when I left and went to college [at Princeton], and when I was in college and I moved on to pro ball, and that exactly what it is,” Scott said. “There’s definitely some pressure to perform and things like that, but this was the dream and this is what I wanted to do my whole life.”

    He has four hits through 10 appearances since his promotion from triple A. Steve’s other piece of advice to his 25-year-old son was to think about what his 12-year-old self would say now.

    Around that age, Scott was a part of the 2014 Taney Dragons Little League World Series team, alongside Mo’ne Davis, the first girl to pitch a shutout in the tournament. Scott was the catcher. The team was comprised of members of the Taney Youth Baseball Association and Anderson Monarchs, which Steve founded and directed.

    Davis, who lived with the Banduras while the two attended Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, “was like literal family” to Scott, and was in attendance in St. Louis on Sept. 15 to watch him play.

    “With all my Monarchs teammates, it’s like having a second family,” Scott said. “They’re just an extension of my family, and it’s great to still have that support from everybody. … I’m still keeping up with them. I know what they’re up to. I’m supporting them too, so it’s just a great all around relationship.”

    Over a decade removed from her Little League World Series moment, Mo’ne Davis is poised to make history again

    Scott was coached by his father since he started t-ball at 2 years old. Per the Monarchs’ three-sport requirement for athletes, Steve also coached Scott in basketball and soccer.

    The admirable qualities he learned from the Monarchs and his father, Scott still carries with him.

    Steve said his son did most of his character building from soccer and basketball, where Scott wasn’t a standout player. But he figured out how to build a role.

    “When I was growing up, the last thing he would say to me before getting out of the car to go to school [was], ‘Be a leader,’ and so I always had that instilled in me,” Scott said. “But also, he put a lot of emphasis into not just being a talented player, but knowing the ins and outs of the games and wanting to be the smartest team on the field from a baseball IQ standpoint.”

    Mon’ne Davis (left ) and Scott Bandura (right) during a Taney Little League game in August 2014.

    But Scott said this whole process is a lot larger than him, and it is a testament to the work his father put in for every child who has come through the Monarchs’ program.

    “For him, it’s a lot bigger than than just me,” Scott said. “He’s been doing it for hundreds of kids for almost 40 years now, so I’m just appreciative.”

    But there’s some differences that come with having the coach as your father.

    After a game, Steve will send his son a note of pointers and they’ll discuss them. Scott said he appreciates the feedback because he isn’t “going through it alone.”

    With every new level from high school to college, throughout the minors, and into the majors, Scott said there are new intricacies and nuances introduced. Steve understands that.

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    “Especially as you get towards the higher levels of the game, a lot of guys, their parents don’t know a whole lot about the sport and the intricacies of everything, and how those expand and compound the higher you go in in the game,” Scott said. “Having somebody that understands that and I can talk about it with is awesome.”

    Scott said his father’s intricate understanding of the game was clear during his first MLB hit in his debut, which was “a perfect example of why it’s great to have you know people in [his] life that know baseball.”

    During the bottom o the sixth inning of the Giants’ 6-4 loss to the Padres, Scott hit an infield single, which the broadcast showed his parents reacting to. He said as the play unfolded, you could see his father’s hesitation to see if the play would be scored as a hit or an error before he joined his mother, Robin, in celebrating.

    Robin, a physical therapist, has also instilled her expertise in Scott throughout his baseball journey, helping him through injuries, in addition to driving him and friends from school in Chestnut Hill to practice in South Philly, multiple nights a week.

    Scott said she played the role of mom for him and every other kid that Steve coached throughout the years.

    Now, his parents share the title as Scott’s biggest fans.

    “I’m just a fan now, and as a dad, he needs someone to lean on and talk to him,” Steve said. “That’s what I do now.”

  • The deaths of two young athletes, and a mother’s words, must start a difficult conversation

    The deaths of two young athletes, and a mother’s words, must start a difficult conversation

    Before the soccer game, teenagers draped their arms over each other’s shoulders and let tears wash down their faces and parents listened in silence as a mother stood in the middle of a stadium to tell everyone there about her boy.

    “I’d do anything,” Megan Hanson said into a microphone, “to have my beautiful son back.”

    Sam Hanson was 16 years old when he died by suicide on April 5. A sophomore at Central Bucks High School East, a catcher on its baseball team, he was the second student-athlete at the school to take his own life in less than four months. The first — Frankie Pacitti, who was 17 and a standout lacrosse player, a self-described ladies’ man who could get guys guffawing and girls giggling just by being himself, the kid in school everyone knew — had died in December.

    A few members of CB East’s girls’ soccer team, among them Mia Forney, a senior forward and perhaps the best female high school soccer player in Pennsylvania, arranged to hold a mental-health awareness night in the aftermath of Sam and Frankie’s deaths. “Once Sam passed,” Forney said, “we realized this is not normal.” When the players asked Megan Hanson if she would speak at the event, she wasn’t certain she was ready. Still, she wanted to try to prevent something like this from happening to someone else. So she wrote a brief speech, and she delivered it Tuesday night, just before the CB East girls’ team beat CB West, 4-0, and she hoped that the people in the bleachers and on the field were listening.

    “Parents,” she said, “I’m not here to scare you but to share some insights I’ve learned … I won’t insult you by telling you to ‘talk to your kids.’ We all talk to our kids, and most of us are highly invested in their lives. What I will tell you to do is to talk to your kids directly about their mental health. Don’t be afraid to ask them hard questions, like, ‘Have you thought about suicide?’”

    Megan Hanson, whose son Sam died by suicide in April, speaks during a pregame mental health awareness presentation on Sept. 22. William Thomas Cain / For The Inquirer

    It was her most important, urgent, and accurate message. It aligned perfectly with what Derrick Gordon, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale University, described as “the myth we have out there is that, if we suspect somebody is suicidal, we shouldn’t raise this with them because we don’t want to put the idea in their head.

    “The reality is, you can’t put an idea in their head that’s already there,” Gordon told me in an interview last year. “Actually, the best course of action is to ask the question of the individual, then talk about it and address it. It’s been my experience, and I think other professionals would say this, that if you raise the issue of suicidality with people who are contemplating it, they feel relieved. ‘Oh, Jesus, I can now finally say it out loud.’ You can talk to them about the possibility that if they’re going to hurt themselves, it would impact you. Oftentimes, they get lost in their own experience of what they’re going through, and you want to get them outside of that space.”

    Megan Hanson had no idea that her son was considering harming himself, how dark his world could get. How could she have an idea? Sam was pulling A’s and B’s in a roster of advanced-placement and honors courses at CB East. As a fourth grader, he had constructed a gift for his Connie Mack coach, Mike McCardle — a pen-and-pencil holder with a photo of the two of them set into it, a gift that McCardle still keeps on his desk. He died on the day before Easter, and it had been a full and wonderful day. Sam had practiced parallel parking in a middle-school lot in the morning, then passed his driver’s test and earned his license and was proud that he had.

    CB East soccer players Mia Forney (left) and Rylie Leedy make remarks about their late friend, Frankie Pacitti, before the start of their game with CB West on Sept. 22. William Thomas Cain / For The Inquirer

    He and Megan had gone out to lunch to celebrate. He had worked a few hours at the local pub and restaurant where he was a familiar and welcome face to the owners and patrons. Megan allowed him to borrow his car to drive to a friend’s house that night, and when he returned they talked about their plans for Easter. They would go to church in the morning and head to her parents’ house in the afternoon, and when she said good night to him she could never have thought, even in her most dismal nightmares, that he would get out of his bed and go downstairs into the basement and never come up again.

    “It’s hard with teenagers because they’re moody and they don’t talk,” Megan said in a private moment Tuesday, “and I felt like we were getting to a better place where he was being more open with me, and I felt like we were getting to another level in our relationship. The hardest part is just looking back and saying, ‘Maybe this was a warning sign or a cry for help.’ I truly don’t believe it was something he planned out. I wish whatever went on in his brain, if he had just woken me up …”

    She could not finish the sentence, and she did not need to. Home from the soccer game, I called my sons, who are 15 and 12, into the living room. Our family lives in the same school district that Sam Hanson and Frankie Pacitti did. My older son is a sophomore and has a class this semester with Sam’s sister. The boys paused the baseball video game they were playing and plopped on the couch. My wife and I wanted to talk to them directly about something.

  • Eagles fans can watch DeSean Jackson’s football journey unfold, thanks to 35 years of footage: ‘A greater purpose’

    Eagles fans can watch DeSean Jackson’s football journey unfold, thanks to 35 years of footage: ‘A greater purpose’

    The NFL did not work out for DeSean Jackson’s older brother, Byron.

    In 1992, the San Jose State wide receiver signed with the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad but was cut two seasons later. Afterward, he moved home to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. His father, Bill Jackson, did not approve of Byron ditching football. Bill tirelessly trained Bryon for the NFL, and anything short of the league was considered a failure.

    The two had a major fight and fell out of contact for years. Byron wanted to change that.

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    “I wasn’t speaking to my dad,” Byron told The Inquirer. “He started doing the same thing to DeSean, like putting him in Pop Warner football, two teams at the same time. Just really taking it overboard.

    “And I was like, ‘You know what? I’m going to get back in my dad’s life and my brother’s life.’ Not only am I getting back here to kind of shield my brother from my dad’s overbearing ways, I’m going to document everything, and I’m going to be able to give my brother everything that I learned.”

    Byron started filming his little brother and never stopped. On Thursday, Go Deep: The DeSean Jackson Story released on Prime Video. The documentary, 35 years in the making, follows the former Eagles wideout through his football career. It also features a nuanced perspective on Bill, who is a major focus in the film.

    “I’m excited for the world to see just the grand scheme of things when you talk about a father’s love and passion,” DeSean told The Inquirer. “His dad didn’t allow him to play sports, and then he has kids and he pushes his kids to make it, and one of them actually makes it big time.”

    Moderator Marshall Mitchell (left), producer Scott Kaplan, DeSean Jackson, Mandon Lovett, and Byron Jackson participate in a panel discussing “Go Deep,” a movie about DeSean Jackson’s career.Conor Smith

    On Tuesday, a private screening of the film and a Q&A with DeSean and the filmmakers was held at the Landmark Ritz Five theater in Old City. The theater was filled with friends of the Jackson family, local youth football players, and Birds fans.

    Multiple Eagles chants broke out before the film even began.

    “I obviously feel like Philly’s my second home,” DeSean said. “It’s good to be able to show the documentary a few days before it comes out. I’m really excited, man. The process leading up to this, and what better way is to come here to where I consider my home and let them see it.”

    35 years in the making

    Word of Byron’s footage spread through Hollywood for years. However, some potential filmmakers did not understand how Byron’s tapes differed from a typical sports documentary.

    “Filming all 35 years, I’m really, really attached to the footage, almost like married to it,” Byron said. “I tried to complete the documentary a while ago, and it didn’t get no distribution, and it didn’t really go nowhere. And I think one reason was I’m so tied to the footage and I was so protective of it. And it’s my family’s life, you know what I mean? I filmed a lot of stuff, and a lot of stuff was controversial.”

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    Mandon Lovett spent about four months sifting through the footage before signing on as the film’s director. He was shocked by Byron’s “incredible intimate access” to DeSean’s life. The next step for Lovett was expressing to Byron why more controversial moments — like an intense argument over DeSean’s rookie paycheck — were important to include in the documentary.

    “Once his family could understand what I was trying to say, and I would never do anything to undermine them or to make them look bad or embarrass them,” Lovett said, “but there was a greater purpose involved with it, then I got their full support.”

    Added DeSean: “That’s why you got these types of big-time producers and directors. The footage was taken from us, and they paid for it and they made it this great story. So for us, I mean, we kind of sat back and we had input on it, but it was really a merge of what we wanted and what they wanted. It was a happy medium.”

    DeSean Jackson’s father, Bill, is a central figure in the documentary.Amazon MGM Studios

    The film’s portrayal of Bill, who died in 2009 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer, was especially important for Lovett. The director wanted to portray the Jackson patriarch as a “a full human being.”

    “Sometimes in sports documentaries, it’s easy to just give the highlight reel and give the best quotables and all the highlights,” Lovett said. “For me, you just want to tell the truth. I think that there’s a lot of beauty in truth, and there’s a lot of beauty in imperfection. And Bill, by no means, is a perfect father.

    “He is a flawed individual in so many ways, but I think that’s what actually draws people to him. They can see a little bit of their own fathers or their own selves in him.”

    The documentary sheds light on the conclusion of DeSean’s first stint in Philadelphia. Following his best statistical season, the Eagles released the deep threat in 2014. The announcement came just one hour after NJ.com released an article detailing DeSean’s alleged association with gang members in Los Angeles. Eagles coach Chip Kelly later told reporters that DeSean was cut for “purely football reasons.”

    LeSean McCoy and fellow former Eagle DeSean Jackson discussed their experiences with Chip Kelly on their podcast

    “After he got released by Chip Kelly, I think a lot of people kind of started wondering, ‘Dang, is DeSean really a bad dude?’” Byron said. “I think as his career went on and he kept having success, people learned a little bit more about his off-the-field side. I think people started appreciating him more and realizing that the controversy he got into with Chip Kelly and all of that, it wasn’t really true.”

    The film has its fair share of highlights for football fans. Bryon filmed DeSean’s entire college recruitment, so eagle-eyed viewers will spot familiar faces like then-Southern Cal assistant Ed Orgeron or Jimbo Fisher, who was the offensive coordinator at LSU when DeSean was in high school.

    The documentary also includes DeSean’s draft day. The Cal receiver was expected to be selected in the first round, but he ultimately fell to the Eagles in the second. The film shows DeSean becoming visibly frustrated as he waited to hear his name. During the Q&A on Tuesday, a teenager in the audience asked how DeSean looks back on the day now.

    “I made every team that passed on me pay for it,” Jackson said with a laugh.

  • Angelo Cataldi is back talking about the Eagles, mostly because of his former WIP producer

    Angelo Cataldi is back talking about the Eagles, mostly because of his former WIP producer

    Angelo Cataldi is back. Sort of.

    The former morning show host, who retired in February 2023 after more than three decades with 94.1 WIP, is back this season offering his opinions about the Eagles on the newly launched BirdBrains podcast for OnPattison, hosted by longtime Birds reporter Derrick Gunn and ex-97.5 The Fanatic host and former Daily News reporter Bob Cooney.

    It’s not a regular thing — he appeared after Week 1 and plans to join the show about once a month, depending how angry the Eagles make him. And the only reason he agreed to it was because of the involvement of his former producer, Joe Weachter, who was all but forced to retire from WIP in 2025.

    “I wanted to do right by him, so I said I would do the first one and sprinkle a couple more in during the course of the season,” Cataldi said, bristling at the idea of being locked into a regular gig talking about Philly sports.

    “I’m too old for that crap. I did it for so long,” Cataldi said. “People really need to hear me anymore? I don’t think so.”

    In a way, he never left. After retiring he wrote columns a few times a week he shares on his website, shades of his previous career as a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist with The Inquirer. He’s also made appearances on a handful of podcasts, and even stoked controversy by harshly criticizing longtime NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter Reuben Frank.

    Angelo Cataldi and Tom Brookshier during WIP’s morning show in 1991.

    He still has strong and sometimes head-scratching opinions — Jalen Hurts is underrated, Nick Sirianni is overrated (“Love Hurts, hate Sirianni, I’m done.”), and Andy Reid is a fraud — but what’s changed in retirement is the need to spew them to the largest audience possible. Cataldi credits the therapy he received from Philly sports psychologist Joel Fish after sliding into a retirement-induced depression with shaping his newfound perspective.

    “He said, ‘Look up at the scoreboard. The game is over. You won. Now just enjoy every day you have left,’” Cataldi said. “It connected with me and totally changed the way I looked at competition, scrounging for more listeners and trying to get more people to read my stuff.”

    That also meant shedding “Radio Guy,” which is what his wife, Gail, dubbed his loud and cantankerous on-air persona. Off the air, he remains a self-described “shy nerd from Providence” who turned his dream of becoming a TV critic into The TV Show, a weekly podcast he’s co-hosted for more than three years alongside longtime WIP co-host Rhea Hughes and Philadelphia comedian Jay Black.

    “The radio guy now may not be dead, but he’s on life support,” Cataldi said. “I get defibrillated like maybe 10 times a year, and the rest of the time he’s going away slowly … I’m just trying to be a regular human being for whatever time I have left.”

    Current WIP morning show hosts Joe DeCamara (left) and Jon Ritchie.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    As for the state of sports talk radio in Philly, Cataldi doesn’t have an opinion, because he doesn’t listen. Not even to his former show, which still features Hughes alongside Joe DeCamara and former Eagles fullback Jon Ritchie.

    Jalen ‘Jedi’ Hurts

    Has Jalen Hurts become the Luke Skywalker of Philadelphia?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Cataldi’s tenure on WIP included a number of WIP callers who turned into household names among Philly sports fans — “Big Rube” Harley, “Arson Arnie,” “Cowboy Dave,” “Eagles Shirley,” Levi in Overbrook Park.

    It’s a trend that continues, for better or worse. On WIP’s midday show Tuesday, it was Mark in Jersey who stole the show by offering a cosmic analogy to Hurts’ evolution into a more complete quarterback, a “2.0 version” which carried the Eagles to a 2-0 start.

    “You’re looking at a man that has now achieved Jedi status,” Mark said, immediately catching the attention of co-host and former Eagles defender Hugh Douglas.

    “Oh, talk to me,” Douglas shot back.

    “Early on, in Star Wars one, Mark Hamill … He was good, up and coming, but he had Han Solo, Chewbacca. He had like a team around him,” Mark said. “By the time Return of the Jedi showed up, and he want to Jabba’s cave with that hoodie on, he was the man. He could do everything”

    In Mark’s analogy, new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has been Hurts’ Yoda, offering him an Empire Strikes Back level of training. There’s also Jabba the Hutt, the loud villain helpfully played in Week 2 by Tennessee Titans defender and Hurts trash talker Jeffery Simmons.

    “He told Jabba, ‘Look man, you’d better give up Han Solo and Chewbacca. Bring them to me, or I’m going to burn this whole place down,” Mark continued. “Jabba laughed … and [Hurts] burned the place down.”

    “Love the analogy,” co-host Joe Giglio said. “That one of the better ones we’ve had.”

    Quick hits

    Is the NFL media world ready for even more Kelce?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
  • Eagles vs. Bears in Week 3: Here are the numbers that matter

    Eagles vs. Bears in Week 3: Here are the numbers that matter

    The Eagles are 2-0, though maybe not in the manner you envisioned.

    Their third game of the season is a Monday Night Football showdown on the road at the Chicago Bears, a game that may lose some of its luster should Caleb Williams miss the game for the Bears with a hamstring injury.

    Williams’ status is a major storyline, but there are other factors and trends at play.

    Here are some numbers worth paying attention to.

    Sean Mannion’s offense has struggled on first down but has thrived on third down.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    32nd

    That’s where the Eagles rank in success rate on first and second downs, according to Sportradar. As a reminder, there are 32 NFL teams.

    The Eagles average a league-worst 2.6 yards per play on first down. The Dolphins rank 31st at 3.2 yards. The Eagles have survived, however, because they have been one of the best teams in the NFL on third and fourth downs.

    In fact, according to SumerSports, the Eagles have the largest difference in success rates between early downs and late downs to start a season since 2022.

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    That is not a sustainable way to run an offense.

    “We’re really close on a lot of our things on first and second down,” offensive coordinator Sean Mannion said on Wednesday.

    Mannion has called a running play on 65% of first downs through two games. The Eagles currently rank 28th in yards per carry. Saquon Barkley’s status is uncertain after the running back suffered a stinger Sunday in Nashville. It won’t matter who is running if the Eagles don’t block better.

    Another sluggish performance from the offense could allow a team starting a backup quarterback to stay in the game.

    Zach Ertz scored all 11 of his Commanders touchdowns over the last two seasons on plays that started inside the 20-yard line.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    71%

    Zach Ertz caught 71% of his targets over the last two seasons with the Washington Commanders, a number that is higher than his career catch rate of 67%.

    He may soon be 36, but that’s not the sign of a declining player. What might be? Ertz’s average separation per target was 2.7 yards in his 13 games last season, his lowest since 2019.

    Does Zach Ertz still have the juice to contribute to the Eagles? Here’s what the film — and history — says

    It’s hard to imagine Ertz being a much better separator after recovering from a major knee injury, but he has been a reliable target over the middle of the field in recent years. That’s what the Eagles need out of him if he indeed makes his return to the field Monday night as the team deals with Dallas Goedert’s absence.

    Ertz, who is 11 catches from becoming the team’s all-time receptions leader, has done a lot of his damage in the red zone — all 11 of his Commanders touchdowns over the last two seasons came on plays that started inside the 20-yard line — and the Eagles will need that type of big-body target with Goedert sidelined.

    The Eagles missed 12 tackles in Sunday’s win over the Titans.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    12

    The Eagles missed a whopping 12 tackles against the Titans.

    Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said his unit has to “close space a little bit better.”

    Well, here comes the team that ran all over the Eagles in 2025. The Bears rushed for 281 yards in a Black Friday drubbing of the Eagles last November. And if Williams is out, the running game will be even more critical to Chicago’s success.

    The two-headed running game for the Bears has already caused some damage through two games. According to Next Gen Stats, the Bears have rushed outside the tackles 28 times for 279 yards and six touchdowns.

    Eagles’ Vic Fangio says safety starters are staying put, won’t increase Cooper DeJean’s snaps at the position

    They are the only team since at least 2018 with more than nine yards per carry or more than four touchdowns on outside runs over the first two weeks of a season. Kyle Monangai has racked up 119 yards on eight outside carries and has forced seven missed tackles on those runs.

    The Eagles will need to clean up their tackling in a major way, especially if Monangai and D’Andre Swift make their way to the back line of the defense. The safeties, Andrew Mukuba and Marcus Epps, were charged with three missed tackles apiece vs. Tennessee, according to Pro Football Focus.

    Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was not happy with the missed tackles last week.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    5

    Perhaps the Eagles are trying too hard to create a turnover and are missing tackles because of it.

    “We have to tackle and not miss tackles because we’re trying to go for the ball,” Fangio said. “That bugs me.”

    The Eagles haven’t created a turnover yet. It’s only been two games, but they’ve done something pretty rare.

    What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 3 vs. the Bears

    A tip of the hat to NBC Sports’ Reuben Frank for this stat: The Eagles are only the fifth team in NFL history to start a season 2-0 despite not creating a turnover. Two other teams haven’t created a turnover yet this season: Houston and Washington. They are both winless.

    “We’re due,” Fangio said.

    Ben Johnson (right) has never had a backup quarterback play for him as an offensive coordinator or head coach.Eric Hartline, Imagn Images

    0

    That’s how many games Ben Johnson has had to start a backup quarterback in his time as a head coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL, according to Next Gen. Jared Goff started all 51 games under Johnson when the coach was the coordinator in Detroit. Williams hasn’t missed a start since Johnson took over as Bears head coach last season.

    Johnson has said that he wants to have the highest-scoring offense in NFL history. That goal becomes a little more difficult to attain if Johnson is forced to turn to either Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum — neither of whom has started a game since 2023 — on Monday night or beyond.

  • 🦅 A fan’s plea | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 A fan’s plea | Sports Daily Newsletter

    In just a few short weeks, the tradition of tailgating before Eagles games could be over as we know it.

    Oversized vehicles will be limited to Lot D near Xfinity Mobile Arena and the upper portion of Lot N. Parking locations will be assigned and cannot be saved.

    Oh, and vehicles in the oversized areas are limited to a maximum of six spots — after forking over $100 each for two more than the standard four.

    But one Birds fan decided to do something about it. Carmen “Big Carm” Conti, a 38-year-old from South Jersey, has been setting up in the same spot for a decade. And he recently took to Facebook with a post titled “Save Philadelphia Tailgating.” It went viral, and he held a news conference with several other fans in South Philly, where they asked for “a seat at the table.”

    — Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    ❓Share your favorite tailgating memory with us! Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Safety first

    Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and Philadelphia Eagles safety Marcus Epps defend as Titans running back Tyjae Spears rushes for a first down on Sunday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    Pro Football Focus’ numbers weren’t kind to the Eagles’ starting safety tandem of Marcus Epps and Andrew Mukuba. The database tagged them with three missed tackles apiece and also charged Epps with conceding Elic Ayomanor’s 29-yard reception on third-and-13 in the second quarter.

    But don’t expect to see Cooper DeJean reprising his role at safety on a full-time basis. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio is confident Epps will bounce back and pointed to other options at safety if needed.

    Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Sean Mannion sheds some light on Zach Ertz’s potential role.

    Next: The Eagles are back on the road to face the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m., 6abc, ESPN).

    What we’re …

    👀 Learning: How Cavan Sullivan earned his spot at his first USMNT camp.

    📚 Reading: About how Gracie Sullivan (yes, Cavan’s cousin) is making an impact as Drexel’s goalkeeper.

    👟Anticipating: The release of Tyrese Maxey’s signature with New Balance next week, which he promoted at three local spots on Wednesday.

    Ranking the Sixers

    The Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown were ranked as top 15 players by ESPN.Yong Kim

    New 76ers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey had a big offseason. He brought in LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, adding them to a roster that already included Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.

    The star power was on display in ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 NBA players, which included every member of the presumptive starting five. While no player made the top 10, three were included in the top 20, and they all made the top 75.

    Next: Training camp begins Tuesday in Camden.

    ‘Dodged a bullet’

    Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař left Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    There was a lot of doomscrolling across Flyers Twitter on Tuesday night.

    That’s because team MVP and starting goaltender Dan Vladař left the Flyers’ preseason game against the Boston Bruins because of an upper-body injury. If the upstart Flyers could ill afford to lose a player, it was their backbone Vladař.

    But Wednesday afternoon brought a collective sigh of relief as Rick Tocchet eased worries by saying, “I think we dodged a bullet,” regarding his goaltender’s health. While Vladař’s status for the opener is unknown, it sounds like the Flyers avoided the worst-case scenario.

    Vladař isn’t the only Czechia native who could prove integral to the Flyers’ success this season. Defenseman David Jiříček, who was acquired at last year’s trade deadline, is looking to rediscover the potential that made him a top 10 pick in 2022.

    Next: The Flyers will take the ice in Philly for the first time this preseason tomorrow, when they host the Boston Bruins (7 p.m., NBCSP+).

    Painting on the wall

    Could Andrew Painter be an option out of the bullpen in the postseason for the Phillies?Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The decision to start Andrew Painter on Thursday night vs. the Brewers was telling.

    By keeping the rookie on normal rest, the Phillies could be preparing him for a bullpen role if and when they clinch a spot in the postseason.

    The 23-year-old hasn’t pitched as a reliever in his brief career, though he has twice followed an opener. But the Phillies need all the help they can get in fortifying the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran.

    But first, the Phillies have to get to the postseason. And they’ll have to wait a bit longer after dropping Wednesday night’s game, 4-1, to Milwaukee.

    Next: Another day, another opportunity to clinch a postseason berth. The Phillies close out their series vs. the Brewers tonight (6:05 p.m., NBCSP). Andrew Painter (3-10, 5.59 ERA) will face a Brewers starter to be determined.

    On this date

    Kyle Schwarber watches a solo home run in the third inning against the Marlins on Sept. 24, 2026, at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies bashed a franchise-record eight homers in the 11-1 win over Miami.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    This time last year, Red October was locked in — as was a first-round bye. We don’t need to think too hard about how that National League Division Series went, but the win that clinched an NLDS berth sure was a fun one. The Phillies beat the Miami Marlins, 11-1, at home and hit a franchise-record eight home runs in the process. Slugger Kyle Schwarber hit Nos. 55 and 56, and Edmundo Sosa (three), Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Otto Kemp got in on the fun, too.

    Mike Sielski’s take

    Megan Hanson lost her son Sam, 16, to suicide in April. William Thomas Cain / For The Inquirer

    After two Central Bucks High School East student-athletes died by suicide in a span of less than four months, a group of the school’s girls’ soccer decided something had to be done. They arranged a mental health awareness night in the wake of the deaths and invited the mom of one of the late athletes to speak.

    Megan Hanson’s son, Sam, died the day before Easter. She wasn’t sure she was ready yet to speak, but she offered her insights to those assembled before a soccer game between CB East and CB West. Mike Sielski was there to capture the scene and share some insights of his own.

    What you’re saying about former Eagles

    We asked: Which active former Eagle would you like to bring back and why?

    Given the woes of the offensive line, I would welcome back Mekhi Becton. While he was a bust with the Jets and the Chargers, he flourished with Eagles during their last Super Bowl run. Howie, I believe Mekhi is a free agent — let’s make a call! — Bob C.

    I have to say that of all of the active players that I would want back in midnight green — Mekhi Becton is at the top of my list. He may not be that glamorous skill-position player racking up stats week after week. But when he played for the Eagles — he was a difference maker.

    Becton’s only season with the Eagles led to a Super Bowl championship. He helped to open up huge running lanes for Saquon Barkley — and kept Jalen Hurts’ jersey clean throughout the game each week. And did I mention that he’s currently a free agent? — Michael L.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Ariel Simpson, Conor Smith, Olivia Reiner, Ryan Novozinsky, Lauren Jones, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mike Livingston, Gabriela Carroll, Jackie Spiegel, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, and Mike Sielski.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thanks for reading along! Kerith will be back in your inboxes to close out the week. — Maria

  • Meet Gracie Sullivan, Drexel’s starting keeper who’s making an impact as a sophomore

    Meet Gracie Sullivan, Drexel’s starting keeper who’s making an impact as a sophomore

    At the end of Gracie Sullivan’s freshman year at Drexel, the women’s soccer coaching staff approached her with a message: the starting goalkeeper position for next season was “up for grabs.”

    Sammy Widnick was transferring and Zara Wickert was graduating, leaving an opening at goalie.

    “That just pushed me because I felt like I knew I could do it,” Sullivan said. “It was just whether I wanted to do it or not.”

    Sullivan did not see the field during her freshman season, but that is common for a first-year student adjusting to the collegiate level.

    She used the season to learn from the goalkeepers ahead of her and spent the offseason working for her opportunity.

    “You can always say, ‘Do you want this?’ And they’ll say, ‘Yes.’ But then in training, you need to see the want and desire to develop,” said Mike Paznokas, Drexel’s assistant women’s soccer coach. “It was awesome because in the one-on-one sessions we did, you got to see that. You saw [Sullivan] asking questions, you saw her working her butt off in those sessions to make sure that she’s getting better and understanding the concepts we went over.”

    Sullivan is now the starting goalie for the Dragons and had a career-best 10 saves against La Salle on Aug. 28, which is the most saves by an individual Drexel keeper since 2017. Entering Thursday’s match against Hampton, Sullivan has 42 saves so far this season.

    The sophomore’s accomplishment has come as no surprise to Paznokas.

    “She is very level-headed and when she’s in the game and her brain’s turned off, she can perform amazing things as a goalkeeper,” Paznokas said. “So, not a shock to me she was able to achieve this in the slightest.”

    The relationship she built with the other goalies fueled her desire to get better even though she wasn’t seeing playing time as a freshman.

    “I really did look up to [Widnick], the starter goalie who was in front of me,” Sullivan said. “I really think she taught me and I just looked up to her during the sessions. There’s always a feeling of tension between goalies and last year there was three of us and there was no tension at all. Without them, I don’t think my freshman year would have been as enjoyable not playing as it was. But we were just so supportive of each other.”

    Villanova women’s soccer ‘reset our standard’ to become one of the nation’s best defensive teams

    During spring training, Sullivan had extensive one-on-one training with Paznokas, he said, where she improved her feet in possession, long distance distribution, and communication skills.

    Soccer runs deep in the Sullivan family. Her grandfather and father played soccer at Holy Family and her second cousins, Cavan and Quinn, play for the Union. Cavan, 16, earned an invitation to the U.S. men’s national team last week.

    “I would say that all of the Sullivans, no matter first or second cousins, we’re all very close,” she said. “It’s really exciting to see the different places soccer takes our family.”

    Gracie Sullivan started playing soccer at 7 years old for Coppa at the Philadelphia Soccer Club. During her freshman year at Nazareth Academy, she started playing for FC Bucks, now HEX FC.

    She originally started as a midfielder in youth soccer. But when she played in the Beach Blast soccer tournament at the Jersey Shore, it sparked her love at goalkeeper.

    “I was crazy as a kid, so when we would play Beach Blast, I would be like no I want to play the whole game because I love diving around in the sand,” she said. “So ever since I was 10, I stuck to goalie.”

    Gracie Sullivan (right) walks out to the field with teammate Riley Lukach (12).Drexel Athletics

    This is Shannon Grogan’s first season at the helm for the 4-4-1 Dragons. Sullivan believes the culture shift has driven Drexel’s success.

    “This year with the new coaching staff, [Grogan] just brought so much energy and really believes in us, which I think shines down on us and then we believe in ourselves,” Sullivan said. “The team culture has just been so much different and I think on and off the field we have been such close friends and I can really see that on the field and that’s helping us win games honestly.”

    Playing goalkeeper comes with a unique pressure, Sullivan said. One little mistake can alter the outcome of the game.

    Drexel grad Jeffrey Cunningham is making his mark in golf and pushing for diversity

    “The hardest part of being a goalie is that we have to be turned on at all times because if we make one mistake that could lose us the game,” she said. “It’s different if a forward were to make a mistake because the ball wouldn’t go in the back of the net. So it’s really important that we have to be our best at all times because if we’re not, then we sometimes could cost our team the game. It just sinks in more to you than it does to anybody else because you feel like you let your team down.”

    Though, the Dragons don’t dwell on individual mistakes, she added.

    “We all take accountability whether you’re on the bench or you’re playing,” Sullivan said. “We can’t point fingers because that’s not how you’re going to win a game.”

  • Phillies Extra: Larry Andersen on the big question for a long playoff run

    Phillies Extra: Larry Andersen on the big question for a long playoff run

    Let’s talk about the Phillies’ bullpen. Larry Andersen happens to be an expert on the subject. The popular Phillies radio analyst had a 17-year major-league career in which he appeared in 699 games — all but one in relief. He joins Phillies Extra to break down the biggest question standing between the Phillies and a long run through October: How will they bridge the gap to closer Jhoan Duran? Watch here.

    You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

  • Eagles fans calling to ‘save Philadelphia tailgating’ after new guidelines proposed for sports complex

    Eagles fans calling to ‘save Philadelphia tailgating’ after new guidelines proposed for sports complex

    South Jersey native Carmen “Big Carm” Conti has been tailgating Eagles games for 10 years. And every year, the 38-year-old has set up in the exact same spot in F Lot. Just this past season opener, Conti’s tailgate welcomed about 75 to 100 people with a wing competition and a rotating DJ set — but that may have been the tailgate’s big send-off.

    Last Monday, Conti took to social media to express concerns about the tradition’s future. In a post that read “Save Philadelphia Tailgating,” Conti explained the changes that could be coming to the South Philadelphia sports complex.

    “Increased restrictions in the parking lots threaten the larger tailgates that have become part of the Eagles game-day experience,” Conti wrote on Facebook. “We are being told that tailgating should be limited to the space directly in front of or behind a vehicle. But larger, organized tailgates often require four to six parking spaces for tents, tables, grills, food preparation, entertainment, equipment, and most importantly, room for people to safely gather.

    “And now there is another major concern: hand parking. Under this system, parking attendants would direct vehicles into specific spaces instead of allowing fans to park in the locations they have used for years. That might sound like a small change to someone who simply arrives, parks, and walks into the stadium. For established tailgates, it is anything but small.”

    Inside the tailgates for the Eagles’ home opener

    Conti first learned about the news when security guards approached him at his tailgate during Week 1 vs. the Washington Commanders.

    “They try to do this like every three years,” Conti said. “They try to implement something where it cracks down on the tailgate. It’s a Philly tradition, you know, it’s something my family has been doing since before I was born. Tailgating brings people together. It doesn’t matter what team you’re on. … It’s our way of standing behind our team and bringing everybody together.”

    Sights and sounds from the tailgate scene at the Eagles season opener
    Video: Sights and sounds from the tailgate scene at the Eagles season opener

    The new rules would crack down on the bigger tailgates, adding new restrictions on oversized vehicles.

    Sports Complex Parking Venture made an announcement on new guidelines, sent via email, that would be enforced “in an effort to provide a smoother, more convenient parking experience for guests.”

    Here’s what it said:

    The designated parking for oversized vehicles will be in Lot D in the Xfinity Mobile Arena and the upper section of Lot N. Parking locations will be assigned and cannot be saved by guests. All equipment and vehicles must stay within the purchased space, and companion standard-sized cars and trucks will not be permitted to park in the areas designated for oversized vehicles.

    “I don’t think it’s terribly surprising, although it does stink for the bigger tailgates that rely on being grouped together,” said Dylan Marck, a self-taught chef who has been serving high-end cuisines at tailgates since 2022. “But getting in and out has always been a mess, even with permits, so it’s not really surprising that they’re trying to change it up and maximize that space.”

    Changes will be enforced for the next home game scheduled for Oct. 4 vs. the Los Angeles Rams — leaving some tailgaters worried about the communities that have been built in the parking lots of the South Philadelphia sports complex.

    “I do think it could effectively end a lot of the bigger tailgates and little micro communities that developed,” Marck said. “Personally, not looking forward to potentially being whisked to a random spot and then having to figure it out from there, but we will adapt. We always do.”

    Dylan Marck hands out slices of a T-bone steak he just prepared while tailgating in Lot M before an Eagles game in 2024.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    ‘Ready to fight’

    On Wednesday, Conti and other tailgaters affected by the change held a news conference at South Philly Boxing Gym in South Philadelphia.

    “Where are we at? A boxing gym,” said Louis Jordan, a member of Hungry Dawgs tailgate. “We’re ready to fight for what we believe in and what we love.”

    Conti emphasized that the tailgaters wanted a “seat at the table” to discuss the upcoming changes. To do so, the tailgaters moved to organize.

    “We are starting a committee so we can actually sit down on the board,” Conti said. “That’s going to be chosen right after here, after we get done. It’s going to be called the Philadelphia Tailgaters Association for Tailgate. We have to do something. We have to stand together.”

    Eagles fans gather at the South Philly Boxing Gym for a “Save Eagles Tailgating” news conference.Conor Smith

    Affordability was a major topic of the news conference. Multiple tailgaters emphasized that tailgating offers a low-cost alternative for families who cannot afford to attend an Eagles game. One noted he regularly gets “heartfelt messages” of gratitude from mothers who take their children to tailgates to get a game day experience.

    This September, a single ticket to an Eagles game cost an average of $523.

    “Yeah, there’s a lot of kids that come to the tailgates and the parents bring them just because they know it’s safe,” Kellie Berrios, a tailgate DJ, said. ”They can walk around. There’s food everywhere. Everyone’s having good time. It makes you feel welcome.”

    Vic Fangio says safety starters are staying put, won’t increase Cooper DeJean’s snaps at the position

    Multiple tailgaters present also pointed out that FIFA bent its rules to allow tailgates outside of Lincoln Financial Field for the World Cup this summer. At the time, a spokesperson for Philadelphia’s local organizing committee told The Inquirer that it was “committed to delivering a World Cup that is authentically Philadelphia.”

    “We told FIFA we wouldn’t change our tailgate culture for them,” Jeremy Smith, a tailgate chef, said. “So why are you actually changing it for us? We don’t understand. We like have a seat at the table.”

  • Phillies’ chances of clinching a wild card put on hold with 4-1 loss to the Brewers

    Phillies’ chances of clinching a wild card put on hold with 4-1 loss to the Brewers

    The cans of beer and bottles of champagne will remain unopened for now, and the protective plastic lining the ceiling of the Phillies clubhouse will have to stay rolled up for at least another day.

    Because following their 4-1 loss to the Brewers on Wednesday, the Phillies were unable to clinch a playoff spot, regardless of what happened on the other side of the country with the Diamondbacks or Padres. So their celebrations will have to wait.

    The Phillies’ magic number for a playoff spot remained at two after victories by the Diamondbacks and Padres later Wednesday night. They can clinch a spot in the postseason with a victory over the Brewers on Thursday and a loss by the Padres. The Diamondbacks defeated the Rockies earlier on Thursday.

    Phillies may be preparing Andrew Painter for a bullpen role by keeping him on normal rest for his next start

    “We know what we have to do. We have to go out there and keep playing,” said Kyle Schwarber. “Obviously we want to lock this thing down as soon as we can. But just wasn’t our night tonight, and got to move forward.”

    They trailed the entire game. Starter Aaron Nola allowed four runs, though they came on just four hits.

    Brice Turang and Christian Yelich hit solo homers. The Brewers added two more runs in the third inning, as a leadoff walk to nine-hole hitter David Hamilton came back to haunt Nola. Turang doubled, before a single from William Contreras got past a diving Bryson Stott to score two more.

    “The Turang one, just left over the plate a little bit too much, and then the Yelich one didn’t really bite like I wanted it to, that cutter,” Nola said. “And Contreras capped the ball in the right spot, right there. Tough team, they battled me hard. They always do. Tough one tonight.”

    Aaron Nola allowed four runs on four hits.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    That was all the damage Nola allowed, as he retired the final 10 Milwaukee hitters he faced and struck out eight over six innings. But it proved too much to overcome for the offense, despite the best efforts from Stott, who reached base three times with two doubles and a walk.

    With Wednesday marking his final start of the regular season, Nola finished with a 3.03 ERA in the second half. The veteran right-hander’s resurgence — his first-half ERA was 5.75 — has been key for the Phillies.

    “I know what I’m capable of, to make better pitches than I was in the first half,” Nola said. “Felt like I was giving up a lot of home runs, and I gave up a lot of home runs this year anyway, but felt like more solos in the second half, rather than the first.”

    NL wild-card standings

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    It would be hard to imagine the Nola from before the All-Star break making a postseason appearance, let alone starting a game. But his comeback has changed the calculus. Although the Phillies have not yet determined their rotation for a potential wild-card series, it’s possible Nola could take the ball for one of the three games.

    Nola said the Phillies have not yet discussed their postseason plan with him, adding that it doesn’t matter. He intends to go about his routine as normal and ensure his body is ready for whatever he’s asked to do.

    “Aaron’s been huge for us,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “A lot of talk early, coming off last year into this year, and [he] struggled early. But what he’s been able to do for us, it’s turned that spot in the rotation to [where] you feel like he’s going to give you a good game every time out.”

    Trea Turner and the Phillies finished 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The offense missed plenty of opportunities to pick Nola up. Collectively, the Phillies finished 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. The Brewers, on the other hand, were 1-for-1.

    “I think the biggest thing is, we gave ourselves some chances,” Mattingly said. “Just really weren’t able to to cash in on enough opportunities.”

    The Phillies scratched across their only run in the second inning on a groundout from J.T. Realmuto that scored Alec Bohm from third. Though Realmuto picked up the RBI, the catcher’s slump stretched on, reaching a career-high 0-for-26 by the end of the night.

    Twice, Bryce Harper and Luis Arraez each came up representing the tying run, and twice, they had nothing to show for it. In the fifth, Harper and Arraez flied out to strand Justin Crawford on third and Kyle Schwarber on first. In the seventh, Harper and Arraez grounded out to strand Schwarber and Trea Turner.

    ‘Phillies Extra’ Q&A: Former GM Matt Klentak on acquiring two aces, and missing out on another

    Both times, Harper swung at the first pitch. It’s become a trend of late for the right fielder, who has a 53.1% first-pitch swing rate in September, up from 42.5% in August.

    “I really don’t worry about anything with Bryce,” Mattingly said before the game. “Honestly, he’s one of those guys that he’s going to be aggressive. We want him to be aggressive. … So yeah, we trust Bryce to do his thing.”

    Out of the bullpen, Tanner Banks pitched two scoreless innings while Max Lazar delivered a scoreless ninth to give the offense one more chance. But Derek Hill, Turner, and Schwarber went down in order.

    Phillies Bryson Stott celebrates after hitting a double in the fourth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Phillies Brandon Marsh after striking out in the fourth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Phillies pitcher Tanner Banks gets high fives in the dugout after pitching in the eighth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Phils Bryson Stott tries to throw out Brewers # 11 Jackson Chourio in the eighth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Chourio was quick and beat the throw to first base.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Phils Trea Turner strikes out to end the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The Phillies were defeated by the Brewers 4-1.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    After Trea Turner struck out to end the game he went directly to the tablets in the dugout, presumably to review his at bat in the ninrth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The. Phils lost to the Brewers 4-1.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Phils pitcher Aaron Nola looks down as Brewers # 22 Christian Yelich rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the second inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
    Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola watches the homerun ball hit by Brewers # 2 Brice Turang in the first inning of the Milwaukee Brewers vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB baseball game at Citzens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The Phillies will get another opportunity to shrink the magic number further — and perhaps even unfurl the plastic — in Thursday’s series finale against the Brewers, with right-hander Andrew Painter on the mound.

    “Obviously we’re all frustrated, and we wanted to go out there and we wanted to get this done tonight, lock this thing up,” Schwarber said. “But we got to move on. We got a game tomorrow, and there’s an opportunity for us tomorrow.”