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  • Eagles’ Vic Fangio talks Jonathan Greenard absence, safety battle, and Zack Baun’s green dot

    Eagles’ Vic Fangio talks Jonathan Greenard absence, safety battle, and Zack Baun’s green dot

    Howie Roseman said Wednesday the pectoral strain that landed 29-year-old edge rusher Jonathan Greenard on the Physically Unable to Perform list isn’t a “long-term injury.”

    But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be able to participate in training camp.

    On Thursday morning, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio noted that it “remains to be seen” whether Greenard will return to the practice field before Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. Still, like Roseman, Fangio didn’t express too much concern over Greenard’s absence from practice.

    Eagles practice observations: Tank Bigsby and run game juice; Expendable cornerbacks; Jake Elliott’s pressure

    “He’s a veteran player, so he knows the league, knows how to play,” Fangio said. “But we’re going to be asking him to do some different things that he hadn’t had to do in his career, and that’s really what he’s going to be missing with this time off. He’s going to miss a good bit of camp.”

    Those different tasks include dropping into coverage. Greenard has taken 203 coverage snaps throughout his six-year career, according to Pro Football Focus, but he is new to Fangio’s scheme and the way he coaches the responsibilities at each position.

    A timetable for Jonathan Greenard’s (52) return to football activity has not been set. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Regardless, Fangio said he thinks Greenard is capable of dropping once he is back on the field.

    “But he’s got to learn it,” Fangio added. “And the only way you learn it is to do it. He does a good job in the meetings. He’s paying attention. He’s focused, watching practice. But it’s not the same.“

    The Eagles acquired Greenard this offseason from the Minnesota Vikings and signed him to a four-year extension, identifying their top edge rusher after Jaelan Phillips departed for the Carolina Panthers in free agency.

    Jalen Carter got his money. The Eagles have to hope he has grown up enough to earn it.

    Greenard’s absence in camp will lead to opportunities for other players. Third-year edge rusher Jalyx Hunt had a strong start on Wednesday, winning a handful of reps against Jordan Mailata. Fangio said he thinks Hunt is “very capable” of having a big year after he led the team with 6½ sacks last season.

    Fangio also lauded 27-year-old A.J. Epenesa, whom the Eagles signed in June. While he said it “remains to be seen” how Epenesa can help the depth of the group in the absence of Greenard, he made a strong impression on the first day of camp.

    “For a guy that’s being asked to do a few things that he’s never done before, I thought he did a nice job [on Wednesday] with it,” Fangio said. “He was very encouraging.”

    Eagles safety Marcus Epps (29) works out during training camp at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. A starting job is Epps’ to lose. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Safety competition continues

    Throughout the offseason program and during the first two days of training camp, 30-year-old Marcus Epps has been holding down the starting safety spot alongside Andrew Mukuba in nickel defense.

    Cooper DeJean is still occupying the starting safety spot in base defense, then shifting to the slot in nickel. Despite the continuation of those trends from the offseason program to training camp, Fangio wasn’t ready to anoint Epps the starter in nickel on Thursday.

    “[Michael] Carter [II]’s doing fine, too,” Fangio said. “It’s [a] competition.”

    Saquon Barkley says he loves the challenge of ‘learning a new language’ in Sean Mannion’s offense

    Carter, 27, has rotated in at safety with the starting defense over the last two days. While the competition remains open for that spot in nickel, Fangio seemed to stand firm on keeping DeJean at safety in base instead of outside cornerback, a role he occupied last year.

    Unsurprisingly, Fangio is more inclined to keep Riq Woolen on the field for every down than he was Adoree’ Jackson, who came off in base in 2025.

    “But things can change,” Fangio said. “If we lose guys or guys aren’t playing good.”

    Zack Baun’s leadership was formalized when he was given green-dot responsibility. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Baun to wear green dot

    Zack Baun enters the 2026 season with a new responsibility. Well, a semi-new responsibility.

    Fangio revealed that the 29-year-old inside linebacker will wear the green dot on his helmet as the primary signal-caller for the defense, a responsibility that was previously held by Nakobe Dean.

    The job isn’t totally foreign to Baun. While Dean was sidelined for the first five games of 2025 and didn’t take a defensive snap in the sixth, Baun was tasked with relaying the play calls he received through the radio in his helmet.

    Fangio expressed his confidence in Baun at mastering any challenge within the defense, not just his newest full-time responsibility.

    “Whatever you ask Zack to do, if he’s not good at it right now, he’ll fight through to get good at it,” Fangio said.

    Moro Ojomo (97) is headed into a contract year.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Money matters

    Jalen Carter became the highest-paid defensive tackle in league history when he agreed to terms on a four-year, $152 million ($106 million guaranteed) extension on Tuesday.

    Fangio reiterated Roseman’s remarks on Wednesday, when the general manager emphasized that he paid Carter based on his future performance, not on what he has accomplished in three seasons with the Eagles.

    “Obviously, Howie’s confident that in this case, hopefully, he’ll pick his game up even more,” Fangio said.

    Jalen Hurts has high hopes for the 2026 season. He knows delivering on them requires his teammates sticking together.

    Carter won’t be the only Eagles defensive tackle looking to elevate his game in 2026. Moro Ojomo, who turns 25 in August, is headed into a contract year. With extensions looming in the not-so-distant future for 2024 draft class members such as Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, Fangio made his feelings about Ojomo’s future in Philadelphia clear.

    “Howie needs to save some money for him, too,” Fangio said.

    Ojomo had a breakout season in 2025, finishing second on the team with six sacks. But as the Eagles defense becomes more expensive, it is unclear if Roseman will prioritize keeping the 2023 seventh-round pick out of Texas beyond this season.

  • Neysa Adams, pioneering civic and community leader, scientist, and teacher, has died at 104

    Neysa Adams, pioneering civic and community leader, scientist, and teacher, has died at 104

    Neysa Adams, 104, of Philadelphia, 1971 chair of the local United Fund women’s committee, former president of the Rebecca Gratz Club, onetime vice president of the women’s council for the Federation of Jewish Agencies, former associate trustee at the University of Pennsylvania, scientist, high school teacher, investment adviser, and philanthropist, died Friday, June 26, of heart disease at the Hearth at Drexel.

    Born and reared in Philadelphia, Mrs. Adams graduated from Olney High School and lived over the years in East Oak Lane, Germantown, and Elkins Park. She earned a degree in biochemistry with honors at Penn, did scientific research for a time, and taught English and history for two years at Philadelphia High School for Girls.

    Smart, friendly, and energetic, she joined the Philadelphia United Fund volunteer speakers bureau in 1963, became active with the fund’s public relations committee, schools committee, and women’s committee, and organized many community fundraising campaigns. In 1971, she told The Inquirer she had a “deep feeling for community work.”

    Mrs. Adams also served on the board at what is now Penn’s School of Social Policy and Practice and was active with the Emergency Aid of Pennsylvania Foundation, the National Conference on Social Welfare, and state and federal women’s advisory commissions. In 2003, then-Gov. Ed Rendell recognized her as a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania for her “outstanding service and contributions to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”

    As a philanthropist, Mrs. Adams and her husband, Arlin, were cochairs of Penn’s Harrison Society for fundraising recognition, and they established, among other endowments, the Arlin and Neysa Adams Lectureship and the Neysa and Arlin Adams Prize for excellence in prelaw studies at Temple University. Her husband died in 2015, and she donated his papers to the archives at Penn Carey Law School in 2017 and later funded its Arlin M. Adams Lecture in Law, Religion, and the First Amendment.

    “Everything good in my life came from him,” Mrs. Adams said in a 2024 online profile by the Hearth at Drexel.

    Why did best-selling author Carol Saline email The Inquirer’s obit writer?

    She also established Neysa Adams’ Library Fund at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park. Friends called Mrs. Adams “wonderful,” “outstanding,” and “one of life’s brightest lights” in tributes.

    One friend said: “Neysa was one of the kind.”

    This story about Mrs. Adams appeared in The Inquirer in 1971.Newspapers.com

    Neysa Norma Cristol was born Aug. 7, 1921. She met Arlin Adams in high school, and they married in 1942 while he was on leave from the Navy. They had daughters Carol, Judy, and Jane. Her daughter Jane died in 2017.

    Mrs. Adams and her husband, a state secretary of public welfare and longtime federal judge, traveled the world, mostly through his work, and she met a queen, a pope, several U.S. presidents, and other international notables. “Her resilience, intellectual curiosity, and dedication to serving others stand as a testament to a life well lived,” friends at the Hearth at Drexel said in 2024.

    Survivors give advice about mourning their loved ones, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer

    She was active at Keneseth Israel, enjoyed cooking, and was an avid reader. She also worked as an investment adviser.

    She was featured on 6abc TV last August on her 104th birthday and said: “Get those things that make you happy. Enjoy them while you can.”

    Mrs.Adams and husband, Arlin, married in 1942 while he was on leave from the Navy.Courtesy of the family

    Her daughter Carol said: “She was outgoing and had lots of friends. It seemed like she knew everyone in Philadelphia.”

    In addition to her daughters, Mrs. Adams is survived by four grandchildren, one great-grandson, and other relatives. A sister and a brother died earlier.

    When parents die, even the mundane memories comfort their children. Here are their tales, as told to The Inquirer’s obit writer.

    A celebration of her life is to be at 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Rd., Elkins Park, Pa. 19027.

    Donations in her name may be made to the University of Pennsylvania, Box 71332, Philadelphia, Pa. 19176; and Susquehanna University, 514 University Ave., Selinsgrove, Pa. 17870.

    Mrs. Adams (second from right) doted on her husband and three daughters. Courtesy of the family
    “It seemed like she knew everyone in Philadelphia,” said Mrs. Adams’ daughter Carol (left). Courtesy of the family
  • Disney hits back as Trump administration targets 6abc’s TV license

    Disney hits back as Trump administration targets 6abc’s TV license

    Disney has come out swinging in its defense of 6abc and seven other owned-and-operated ABC TV stations the Trump administration is threatening to take off the air.

    In a new filing Thursday, Disney claims President Donald Trump is using the Federal Communications Commission to go after the local stations’ broadcast licenses in “retaliation” for comments made by ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel.

    “There is no question why the commission is singling out these eight stations: Each is owned by ABC, and the administration has openly and repeatedly called for the revocation of ABC’s licenses, because it dislikes the content and viewpoints expressed on ABC network programs,” Disney wrote.

    The FCC did not address Disney’s criticism, but in a statement a spokesperson said the agency “is going to hold broadcasters accountable to the full extent of the law.”

    In April, the FCC ordered an unprecedented early review of the broadcast license for 6abc and the seven other stations shortly after Trump called for Kimmel to be fired over a joke he made involving first lady Melania Trump. Disney called the early review “extraordinary” and an attempt at censorship.

    “The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” Disney wrote.

    The FCC has said the review stems from an earlier investigation into diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Disney, citing “the agency’s prohibition on unlawful discrimination.” The agency is conducting a similar investigation of Comcast, which owns NBC.

    FCC chairman Brendan Carr also said the agency would include in its review the network’s decision not to air Trump’s prime-time address on election security earlier this month, in which the president repeated the baseless claim he won the 2020 election, despite losing to former President Joe Biden.

    “I think that’s something that broadcasters should be carrying,” Carr said.

    NBC also passed on carrying the speech live, while some local Fox affiliates picked up cable coverage from Fox News. CBS aired Trump’s address, but broadcast networks are not required to preempt their programming when the president addresses the nation.

    Could the Trump administration really take 6abc off the air?

    Rick Williams anchors 6abc’s 11 p.m. edition of “Action News.” 6ABC

    The short answer is yes, but experts say it would be a messy, complicated battle that could take years, a process likely extending beyond the end of Trump’s second term in office.

    6abc’s current broadcast license, renewed in 2023, runs through 2030. The FCC’s next step would be a referral for an official hearing, which could take place as early as next month.

    So far, the FCC has not presented evidence 6abc or the other seven ABC stations owned by Disney have violated any public interest requirements.

    “The FCC has spent the last 18 months searching for some pretext for revoking the Stations’ licenses,” Disney wrote. “The commission has found none, because the Stations easily meet the standard for license renewal — which under the law means that the Commission cannot revoke their licenses or order a hearing on their renewal applications.”

    The last time the FCC revoked a TV station’s broadcast license was in 1987, when RKO General Inc. lost its licenses in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles because of business misconduct.

    If the FCC does move to revoke all eight of ABC’s local broadcast licenses, the case would be decided by an administrative law judge, according to the FCC’s website. Even then, the decision would be subject to appeals to the full commission and federal courts.

    6abc going dark would be ‘a significant loss to the Philadelphia region’

    6abc’s “Action News” has been the city’s most-watched local news program for decades. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer

    Last month, 6abc called on viewers to weigh in on the early review of its broadcast license and support the station. That public comment period ended Wednesday, with over 152,000 people sounding off on the FCC’s move.

    Responders overwhelmingly supported the station, according to an analysis of public comments posted to the FCC’s website, with 6abc widely praised for its local news coverage.

    U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R., Pa.), who represents Bucks County, called on the FCC to give 6abc “full and fair consideration” on its early license renewal, calling the station “an important part of our region’s public safety, cohesion, and civic life.”

    Among the organizations weighing in was the Philadelphia Zoo, which called 6abc a “steady, trusted presence in this community for decades.”

    “The loss of 6ABC would be a significant loss to the Philadelphia region and to organizations like ours that rely on the station’s local news, weather, and community coverage to reach the public,” Jo-Elle Mogerman, the Philadelphia Zoo’s president and CEO, wrote in a letter to the FCC.

    The Philadelphia Police Foundation called 6abc an “indispensable partner” and “vital contributor” to the quality of life across the city, praising the station’s support of police officers, first responders, and Philly children.

    “The loss of 6ABC broadcasting would deeply impact the Philadelphia region, removing a trusted journalistic voice and a critical pillar of support that local nonprofits and public safety organizations rely upon,” the organization wrote.

    Local residents were also overwhelmingly against removing 6abc from the air. Faith Paffett-Lugassy cited 6abc’s coverage of weather events and emergency information, pointing to Action News’ live coverage during severe thunderstorms that swept through the Philadelphia region earlier this month.

    “ABC stayed on the news channel the entire time until a tornado watch was finally canceled,” Paffett-Lugassy wrote. “ABC is my favorite channel to watch, please don’t take it off the air.”

    Bucks County resident Donald O’Keefe is not a cable TV subscriber, and said he relies on 6abc’s broadcast signal for local news and weather updates. According to O’Keefe, taking the station off the air “would directly compromise the public safety and awareness of Lower Makefield Township” and deprive residents of “critical safety warnings.”

    Others, like David DeGrace, looked beyond Action News to all the other programming on ABC that would be unavailable if the FCC followed through on its threat.

    “Don’t take away my Jeopardy!” DeGrace wrote. “This is ridiculous.”

  • ‘Some Like It Hot’ actor J. Harrison Ghee will play Mary Todd Lincoln in the Philadelphia run of ‘Oh, Mary!’

    ‘Some Like It Hot’ actor J. Harrison Ghee will play Mary Todd Lincoln in the Philadelphia run of ‘Oh, Mary!’

    The riotous play Oh, Mary! has found two new leads for its first North American tour kicking off this fall: drag queen Alaska Thunderf— and Broadway darling J. Harrison Ghee. When the show lands in Philadelphia next March, Ghee will take the spotlight as the delightfully mad first lady Mary Todd Lincoln.

    First, though, the titular role will go to Alaska, a winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, who grew up in Erie, Pa., and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. While she stars as Mary, Ghee — a longtime New Yorker originally from Fayetteville, N.C. — will play “Mary’s Husband,” aka President Abraham Lincoln, becoming the first actor to play both roles in the play.

    J. Harrison Ghee will play “Mary’s Husband” opposite Alaska Thunderf-‘s Mary Todd Lincoln in the first part of the North American tour of “Oh, Mary!” before they take the titular role in Jan. 2027.Daniel Rampulla

    The 2026-27 tour starts in Hartford, Conn., in September and runs through May, with stops including Washington, Boston, Los Angeles, and Detroit. Alaska will play Mary through Jan. 17 and Ghee will take over the lead role beginning Jan. 19 in Chicago. They will be the star during the show’s brief Philly run at the Miller Theater from March 9 to 14.

    The camp comedy from actor/comedian Cole Escola follows a miserable, alcoholic Mary Lincoln just before her husband’s assassination in a satirical story that “finally examines the forgotten life and dreams of Mrs. Lincoln through the lens of an idiot.” Following Escola, several stars have put their own stamp on the role, including Tituss Burgess, Maya Rudolph, Jane Krakowski, and Jinkx Monsoon (another breakout star from the RuPaul’s Drag Race universe).

    Drag queen Alaska Thunderf— will play Mary Todd Lincoln in the first part of the “Oh, Mary!” North American tour.Daniel Rampulla

    The play was a massive hit when it landed on Broadway in 2024, becoming a Pulitzer Prize finalist and receiving five Tony Award nominations. Oh, Mary! won two in 2025, including best direction of a play and best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play for Escola — who made Tony Award history as the first nonbinary actor to win in that category.

    So it’s fitting that Ghee — a nonbinary actor who also achieved a historic first at the 2023 Tony Awards when they won best leading actor in a musical for playing Daphne/Jerry in Some Like It Hot — will get a chance to play Mary, too.

    The two actors haven’t yet talked in-depth about the roles, but earlier this year, they crossed paths when Ghee was waiting to hear back on their audition results. “We spoke briefly at the Tony [Awards] after-party at the Carlyle [Hotel], and they had kind of given me a hint,” said Ghee, who’s currently playing Hermes in Hadestown on Broadway.

    “They were like, ‘I feel like I’m gonna see more of you coming up.’”

    Ghee has seen Krakowski, Monsoon, and Hannah Solow play Mary so far and they can’t wait to take up the role. “I’ve seen a spectrum of Marys, and I’m excited to, as Billy Porter would say, ‘steal the good sh—,’ and also just bring myself to it and really have fun.”

    They first auditioned for the role of “Mary’s Husband” but had eyes on the lead, too.

    “It was very much a ‘yes, and’ [situation],” Ghee said. “A lot of my career has been based in duality. I am very that, and I love versatility. I don’t ever want to be pigeonholed … I want to show people the capacity — don’t let other people limit you.”

    J. Harrison Ghee pictured as Mary Todd Lincoln. “Oh, Mary!” lands at Philadelphia’s Miller Theater from March 9 to 14, 2027.Daniel Rampulla

    As for stopping in Philadelphia, Ghee said it’s one of the cities where they’re most eager to perform. They love visiting the city and enjoying the food culture.

    “I love to take an Amtrak down to Philly because you still get city vibes, but it breathes a little easier,” they said. “So I’m even considering, like, is there a world where I live in Philly one day? I don’t know!”

    Tickets are on sale now for “Oh, Mary!,” which runs March 9-14, 2027, at the Miller Theater, 250 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org.

  • Average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate rises to highest level in a year at 6.66%

    Average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate rises to highest level in a year at 6.66%

    The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose for the fourth consecutive week to its highest level in a year, another setback for prospective homebuyers hoping for a break from elevated home loan borrowing costs.

    The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.66% from 6.58% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.72%.

    Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year.

    Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also rose this week. That average rate increased to 6.04% from 5.96% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.85%, Freddie Mac said.

    Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

    Rates have been mostly rising this year as the Iran war has driven crude oil prices sharply higher, fueling expectations of hotter inflation. That’s pushed up long-term bond yields relative to where they were before the conflict began in late February, causing mortgage rates to trend higher.

    The 10-year Treasury yield was 4.66% at midday Thursday on the bond market. It was just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

    The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now the highest it’s been since July 31, 2025, when it was at 6.72%. As recently as late February, the average rate dropped slightly below 6% for the first time since late 2022.

    The latest increase in mortgage rates comes a day after the Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged as it wrestles with how to tame stubbornly high inflation, which has been stuck above the central bank’s 2% target for more than five years.

    During the central bank’s two-day monetary policy meeting this week, three regional Fed bank presidents dissented in favor of higher rates to combat high prices.

    That’s a signal that Fed members are no longer in lockstep on inflation and that their next move is not going to be a rate cut, said Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com.

    “With the Fed signaling that its next move is more likely a hike than a cut, near-term rate relief looks unlikely,” Smith said. “Because oil remains the primary channel through which the Iran conflict feeds inflation, a de-escalation and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains the clearest path back toward lower rates.”

    The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, but its decisions to raise or lower its short-term rate are watched closely by bond investors and can ultimately affect the yield on 10-year Treasurys.

    While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their upward trajectory has weighed on home sales this year. Seasonally adjusted sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were up 0.7% from January to June compared with the same period last year, but they’re still hovering close to a 4-million annual pace far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million.

    The trend has extended the national housing market slump that began in 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

    The latest data on mortgage applications show that the upward trend in mortgage rates has given some would-be homebuyers reason to pause.

    Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, fell 6.4% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

    “While incoming economic data will continue to shape the outlook for interest rates, elevated borrowing costs remain a challenge this summer for many prospective homebuyers,” said MBA CEO Bob Broeksmit.

  • LeBron James chose underdog Philly like Bryce Harper, Pete Rose, and Saquon Barkley. He chose us.

    LeBron James chose underdog Philly like Bryce Harper, Pete Rose, and Saquon Barkley. He chose us.

    To witness the reaction to LeBron James’ decision to play in Philadelphia the next two seasons, you might have thought we’d beaten the Russians to the moon or ended the next world war. Folks drove down Broad Street honking their horns, heads hanging out of their cars. Total strangers standing on subway trains staring at their phones got the notification, looked up, and high-fived. Somewhere, lions lay down with lambs.

    This, for a 41-year-old coming off the worst of his 23 seasons?

    Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes. But why?

    Because Philadelphians won. They won the LeBron Sweepstakes.

    The King chose Philly.

    The King chose us.

    James chose a franchise that hasn’t won an NBA title in 43 years, has only one title in almost 60 years, and hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 25 years. He chose a city with three total championships since James was born in 1984; James himself has won four. He chose a city with a national reputation for abrasiveness, confrontation, and, above all, losing — a reputation resented by the residents of Philadelphia and its region.

    Still: He chose us. He might occasionally commute to Philly from Manhattan, but he’s paying his taxes here.

    If Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe again fall short in the playoffs, LeBron still chose us. He could have joined Steph Curry in San Francisco, Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami, James Harden in Cleveland.

    But no. We won. And we acted like it.

    Phil Martelli, revered basketball coach and lifelong Philadelphian, knows why.

    “I’ve had this in my head forever. People think we’re bad losers. That’s not what we are,” Martelli said. “We are insufferable winners.”

    Validation

    I’ve been a Philadelphian for 31 of my 57 years. Martelli’s been a Philly guy for all 71 of his. I told him that, in my three decades, I’ve observed that Philly has an inferiority complex, a chip on its shoulder, and a healthy sense of pride.

    “No doubt,” Martelli agreed. “No doubt.”

    So, when good things happen, a dam always breaks. From climbing greased streetlights to eating horse manure (this really happened), Philly fans have earned a reputation of, well, overexpression when the rare championship finally lands at their feet.

    It is that rarity, that desperation for validation, that generates euphoria when a big name decides that Philly is good enough for him.

    That’s the key: The decision must belong to the player.

    LeBron James validated Philadelphians when he picked us. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    That’s why Reggie White doesn’t qualify. Eric Lindros, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Roy Halladay, all trades or purchases.

    Bryce Harper, however, already had won an MVP by the spring of 2019. The Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, and White Sox courted him. So did the Padres, until they signed Manny Machado, who, folks might not remember, was the Phillies’ first choice. But the fans always preferred Harp, and, ultimately, Harp preferred them. And he was only 26.

    Similarly, by the 1978 offseason, Pete Rose had been a National League MVP, but he also was the MVP of one of his two World Series titles with Cincinnati. He was a stone-cold winner, and, even though he would be 37 in 1978, he was still the top free agent. The Phillies’ four-year, $3.24 million offer was the worst he received — others included more money, a lifetime $100,000 annual pension, oil and beer investments, and racehorse ownership — but Rose saw a winner in Philly, and Philly utterly rejoiced.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    Compared with Harper and Rose, there was less excitement (and less competition) when Saquon Barkley signed with the Eagles in 2024. The Bengals, Texans, Ravens, and Bears contended but the Eagles won, and Barkley, a Lehigh Valley native, came home, to much rejoicing. That season Barkley produced record-setting numbers and pushed the Eagles to a Super Bowl win, so it’s tempting to recast his choice as being a bigger deal than it was. He’s still never going to have to buy his own beer in Philly.

    Saquon was the centerpiece of a run to the Eagles’ second Lombardi Trophy. Rose pushed the 1980 Phillies to the first World Series win in franchise history. Harper won a second MVP, in 2021, and led the Phillies to the 2022 pennant.

    They delivered on their promise.

    This seldom is the case.

    Unfulfilled promise?

    Age, injury, and Ryan Howard made Jim Thome redundant in the mid-2000s. Cliff Lee rejected the Yankees and took less to return to the Phillies in 2011, but to no good end. Jake Arrieta was a big-time bust, Lance Parrish was a late-80’s disappointment, Al Horford was a bad fit with Embiid, and Nnamdi Asomugha was cooked by the time he became a “Dream Team” Eagle in 2011.

    LeBron never will be classified among Philly’s worst signings, if only because his two-year, $8 million contract earns him 33% less than Anfernee Simons (for casuals, Simons is the new backup shooting guard). LeBron would be a magnificent value at $4 million a year if he was an assistant coach.

    The Sixers now boast LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. How do they stack up in the loaded East?

    Still, there are expectations. After LeBron signed, the Sixers’ aggregate odds to win the NBA title jumped from tied for sixth-best, at 20-1, to third-best, at about 9-1.

    “You know there’s people already staking out spots on Broad Street for the parade,” Martelli said.

    When Rose, Harper, and Saquon signed, everybody got excited. Nobody staked out spots on Broad Street.

    The LeBron-mania is palpable. Ticket and jersey sales have been inflated beyond sanity and availability, with no real end in sight. Don’t expect Knicks fans to take over Xfinity Mobile Arena this season.

    There has been excitement surrounding arrivals before, but never anything like this. The only arrival that might cause a similar disruption would involve a biblical rapture.

    Like that king, this King will be expected to raise his following from the dead.

    And, like that king, this King has chosen us.

  • A LeBron fan’s guide to Sixers fandom: A fun song, weird injuries, and a divisive ‘Process’

    A LeBron fan’s guide to Sixers fandom: A fun song, weird injuries, and a divisive ‘Process’

    When LeBron James signed with the 76ers, he wasn’t just bringing his talent to the roster, he was bringing a whole new fan base to Philadelphia as well.

    As one of the most famous basketball players of all time, James’ fans run deep and wide. So if you’ve spent the past few years rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers after multiple stints as a Cleveland Cavaliers fan and experienced a couple championships while rooting for James on the Miami Heat, here’s what you need to know about being a Sixers fan:

    Here come the Sixers

    There’s a chance you’ll be hearing a lot of the Sixers victory song, “Here Come the Sixers” this season, so be prepared to know every word.

    The tune was commissioned in 1975 by the then-general manager Pat Williams as a way to bring energy into the arena. Randy Childress, Terry Rocap, and Joe Sherwood, better known as the band Fresh Aire, created the song that’s still used today and encourages fans to “clap your hands” and “stomp your feet” for the Sixers.

    In 1986, when Williams left the Sixers, the song became less used until the early 2000s, when WIP host Angelo Cataldi repopularized it on his show.

    If you can remember the hand clapping, the feet stomping, and can count “one, two, three, four, five, Sixers,” you already know the basics of the song.

    How ‘Here Come the Sixers’ became the hit record three Delco friends once dreamed of

    Odd injuries are common

    If you’ve ever watched an episode of The Pitt, Grey’s Anatomy, or any other medical drama and thought that some of the ailments seemed a little far-fetched, then you don’t know the Sixers.

    Shortly after Markelle Fultz returned after a monthslong shoulder injury, he collided with Joel Embiid during a game, breaking Embiid’s orbital bone in 2018. And it wouldn’t be the only time Embiid broke that facial bone. He did so again in 2022 after an elbow to the face in Game 6 of the first round of playoffs against the Toronto Raptors. He also dealt with Bell’s palsy, or facial paralysis, on the left side of his face during the 2024 playoff run. And these are just Embiid’s face-related injuries.

    Sixers center Joel Embiid adjusts his mask during a game against the Charlotte Hornets in 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    But if those aren’t convincing enough, there also is the time in 2018 Zhaire Smith ate a chicken dish during his rookie season and suffered a severe allergic reaction because of sesame in the dish. Fortunately, Smith was OK.

    With Ben Simmons’ fractured foot after rolling over his ankle in training camp as a rookie, or the time Kelly Oubre Jr. reportedly being hit by a car, the injury list goes on and on.

    Don’t say you haven’t been warned.

    Joel Embiid injury tracker

    Franklin the Dog

    The mascot is a dog.

    Yes, on a team with Constitutional-esque branding, the mascot is a dog. Franklin the dog to be exact.

    But there’s still a founding father tie-in there. Franklin gets his name from none other than Ben Franklin, whose legacy lives on in the Constitution, electricity, and a giant dog with blue fur.

    Franklin was introduced in 2015, marketed as a “fan’s best friend,” after the Sixers went four years without a mascot.

    Before Franklin, there was Hip-Hop, the acrobatic rabbit known for slam dunks. Hip-Hop, who reigned as the primary mascot from 1998 to 2011, was brought back as a secondary mascot for the 2025-26 season.

    The first Sixers mascot, however, was Big Shot, a fuzzy blue creature with red hair and big sunglasses, who came from the same creators as the Phillies’ mascot, the Phillie Phanatic. Big Shot was the Sixers’ mascot from 1982 to 1996.

    Sixers fans hated Big Shot. Then a guy from Bridesburg made the mascot come alive. | from 2023

    Trust the Process?

    “Trust the Process” has become a slogan closely associated with the Sixers’ rebuild process, starting in 2013 under former general manager Sam Hinkie.

    During the Hinkie years, “The Process” became synonymous with tanking for draft picks in an attempt to rebuild. Despite some big trades, like trading the team’s only All-Star at the time, Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans for the sixth overall draft pick, some continued to trust.

    Sixers GM Sam Hinkie (left) and coach Brett Brown oversaw the early Process years.Steven Falk

    Others weren’t so sold, and the phrase became divisive among Sixers fans.

    “The Process,” however, has since led to the Sixers acquiring Jaylen Brown and James during this offseason, with James even hinting during Fanatics Fest a few weeks before signing with Philly that he wanted to go somewhere that he could “trust the process.”

    Love it or hate it, “The Process” is part of the Sixers lore.

    Learn the language

    If you’re going to fit in at a Sixers game, or really any Philly sporting event, it’s important to know that it’s OK to boo. It’s even encouraged.

    This doesn’t just apply to opposing teams or bad calls by the refs, it goes for the Sixers own players, too. If a player — or the team at large — isn’t performing well, Philly fans aren’t afraid to let them hear it.

    When the Sixers are playing against the top talent from an opposing team, especially the Knicks or the Celtics, you better let them hear it as well.

    A Phillies fan boos after the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the 2025 NLDS at Citizens Bank Park.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

    And while being a Sixers fan doesn’t automatically mean being a fan of other Philly teams, it’s best to learn the words to the Eagles chant as well. Those aren’t resolved for Lincoln Financial Field, and more often than not, they’ll ring out at any Philly event, sports-related or not.

    It’s especially common after a loss by one of the other big four sports teams, so start studying.

    North Philly’s Dawn Staley rings the Sixers’ bell before Game 4 of a first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks in 2024.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    Fast facts

    Those are some of the big things that make up the basic knowledge of a Sixers fan, but these are some other fun facts to keep in mind as well:

    • Sixers managing partner Josh Harris also owns the NFL’s Washington Commanders and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.
    • The Sixers’ practice facility is in Camden.
    • A major series win in the playoffs, like an Eastern Conference championship, will be celebrated on Broad Street.
    • The Sixers Stixers is the official drumline of the Sixers and performs at games and events.
    • The Sixers share an arena with the Flyers, and a new arena is slated to open in 2030 that will accommodate the WNBA expansion team as well.
    • There is a pregame tradition for home games that includes local celebrities, athletes from other sports, and more ringing a Liberty Bell replica before games to fire up the arena.
  • Hope dwindles for rescue in southwestern Japan quake as death toll climbs to 25

    Hope dwindles for rescue in southwestern Japan quake as death toll climbs to 25

    KUMAMOTO, Japan — Residents in southwestern Japan camped in gyms and vehicles Thursday, stocked up on water, and tried to get back to normal two days after a powerful quake set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney, and flattened homes in a disaster that killed at least 25 people.

    Time was running out to find survivors, as rescuers continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Japan ‘s southern main island of Kyushu, where the magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Tuesday. The number of people missing was unclear.

    Of the deaths given in the latest tally, 25 have been confirmed as related to the disaster, but there were nine more deaths under investigation as likely to be connected, the Kumamoto prefectural government said. The quake left at least 86 people injured, five of them seriously, it said.

    Survivors spoke about desperately pulling family members out of the wreckage. Some had suffered injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

    Thousands of people spent another night at evacuation centers set up throughout the area in gymnasiums and other big spaces. Some homes were still without water or electricity, while other people were simply afraid to go back.

    Nearly 19,000 homes were still without electricity and more than 9,000 people were staying in the roughly 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air-conditioning.

    Concerns were growing about illness, including from the sweltering heat. The Ministry of Environment sent out a heatstroke alert for the Kumamoto area, with temperatures rising above 91 F Thursday.

    Some evacuees sleep in cars

    In the town of Hikawa, one of the hardest-hit areas in Kumamoto, many residents are without water or electricity, or both, and some were staying inside their vehicles in parks, at the town hall parking lot, or outside their homes. More than 800 structures of the town of about 4,500 households were destroyed or damaged, officials said.

    At the front entrance of the town hall, officials delivered bottled water and packaged instant rice, while the Ground Self-Defense Force service members came with a trolley to provide fresh water.

    Hirokazu Sato, a nurse, whose house was destroyed, is staying in his passenger car at the town hall parking lot with his wife and three children, because he worries that his 1-year-old baby could be a nuisance to others if they take shelter at an evacuation center.

    “I can’t sleep sitting in the car, so sometimes I go out for a walk during the night,” Sato says. “I hope the town will provide temporary housing soon.”

    Yoshiaki Nakashima, a 66-year-old resident who came with two bottles and his beloved pet dog to get water, said he is staying in a car because of his reluctance to stay at one of the three evacuation centers in the area. He also said he doesn’t want to sleep at home because aftershocks made him feel uneasy.

    “It’s difficult to turn over while sleeping in a car,” he said, but added that living at a shelter is even more difficult.

    Akiko Inazaki, another resident in her 30s, is living in a tent set up in the yard of her home, which has been without water and electricity since the quake. Inazaki, who also came to get water, said she will use it little by little.

    “Fresh water is so valuable,” she said. Inazaki said she drank so little that she almost had a heatstroke.

    Risks of heatstroke are a major concern among officials.

    Yutaka Kobayashi, a doctor dispatched from central Japan’s Aichi prefecture, said he was touring evacuation centers Thursday to assess the condition of evacuees, especially elderly people and those with injuries as they cope with a harsh environment.

    “We have to make sure elderly people are not developing heatstrokes or dehydration,” he said in Hikawa.

    While the town parking lot was nearly packed the first night, some residents have moved to three public schools where air-conditioning is running, Hikawa officials said.

    A town official, Yuzuru Tamura, said they are starting to run out of emergency food supplies, such as canned bread and instant rice.

    Emergency personnel search for missing people

    The most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake struck in the late afternoon.

    The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before the explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people.

    On Thursday, seven people were confirmed to have died at the mall site among the 12 people pulled out of the wreckage, according to Kumamoto authorities.

    In the Yatsushiro area, where a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory, 10 people were rescued, but eight others died, and one remained missing, the Kumamoto prefectural disaster team said.

    Footage provided by the Japanese government and military showed rescue workers drilling through the collapsed parts of the building in an attempt to get to anyone who may still be trapped inside.

    Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the central government will take a lead role in coordinating the various rescue efforts. Restoring electricity, gas, and water to stricken areas while providing a supply of fresh water is key, she said.

    “The needs on the ground are constantly changing. To put to rest the people’s feelings of uncertainty, we will do all that needs to be done,” she said.

  • East Whiteland officials allow work to resume on data center planned for Superfund site

    East Whiteland officials allow work to resume on data center planned for Superfund site

    Work has resumed on a 1.5 million-square-foot data center in East Whiteland after developers were told to stop early construction this month while the township reviewed its soil and health safety plans.

    Township officials issued a permit that includes “many conditions related to soil monitoring and reporting, dust control, and protection of the remedy for the Superfund site,” they said in a statement Wednesday.

    Development began again on Wednesday, said Lou Colagreco, an attorney representing the developers, Green Fig LLC and Sentinel Data Centers.

    Earlier this month, township officials told the developer to stop work “until greater clarity is provided with respect to the ongoing review” of the soil and health and safety plans. The stoppage came amid increased scrutiny from residents, who have fears about the impact of the data center being built upon the former Cyprus Foote Mineral Co., which contaminated the land with chemicals such as lithium, arsenic, and hexavalent chromium.

    On Wednesday, the township said in a statement posted online that it had issued a permit regarding erosion and sedimentation control.

    “The Township and its inspectors will also be maintaining a regular presence at the site to oversee implementation of the permit conditions,” the township’s statement said.

    The permit allows for “earth-moving activities.” The developers will still need to secure construction permits for things like pouring concrete for footings, or foundations. But they can move dirt and dig via these permits, East Whiteland Township Manager Steve Brown said.

    But there’s still an open question of the scope of the project. After months of seeking to change the proposal earlier this year — an effort that sparked renewed and resounding community opposition — the developers had said they would move ahead with previously approved plans which would be composed of two buildings roughly 772,000 square feet each and use 3 million gallons of water daily to cool it.

    The developers came back before the township this month, intending to change the design again, saying the revised proposal would use less water. It could also possibly scale down the overall footprint of the data center, from 1.5 million square feet to a total of 536,000 square feet.

    The township’s three elected officials ultimately tabled the matter at their July 8 meeting, saying they needed more information. The board’s next scheduled meeting is Aug. 19.

    “The only issue before the Supervisors is whether the data center will use air chilled coolers to conserve water or whether water chilled units will be utilized,” Colagreco said in an email. “In either event, Sentinel is proceeding with development.”

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Angels trade former Phillies prospect Logan O’Hoppe to Rangers

    Angels trade former Phillies prospect Logan O’Hoppe to Rangers

    Former Phillies catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe was traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday along with reliever Chase Silseth for third base prospect Angel Arredondo.

    The Angels acquired O’Hoppe, 26, from the Phillies in exchange for outfielder Brandon Marsh just before the 2022 trade deadline. At the time, O’Hoppe was the Phillies’ fifth-ranked organizational prospect. Marsh was named a starter in his first All-Star Game appearance earlier this month.

    O’Hoppe had his best season with Los Angeles in 2024, when he hit 20 home runs and had a career-high 2.7 wins above replacement. He is batting .209 with a .565 OPS in 256 plate appearances this season.

    The Phillies do ‘need some help’ by trades. But they also need some from Bryce Harper and his teammates.

    Out of the 20 catchers with 250 plate appearances, O’Hoppe ranks 18th in on-base percentage, 19th in batting average, and tied for last in home runs. Texas plans to option him to triple A, according to the Dallas Morning News.

    Silseth, 26, was an 11th-round pick by the Angels in 2021 and is having a breakout season. He led the Angels with 47 appearances and had a 2.72 ERA.

    Arredondo is a 19-year-old third baseman who has spent all of 2026 with single-A Hickory. He is slashing .247/.372/.397 in 361 plate appearances. Arredondo wasn’t ranked among Texas’s top 30 prospects, per MLB.com, although pipeline rankings have not been updated since the start of the season.