As a kid, Labaron Philon Jr. mostly played with Steph Curry and the Warriors, or the Wizards, with John Wall and Bradley Beal, on NBA 2K’s video games.
But on Tuesday, he was all Sixers, taking on the challenge of beating 100 fans at NBA 2K27 while locked in a truck outside Geno’s Steaks for an episode of NBAT2’s Stuck in the Truck series.
“I was kind of good back then, but I’m better now,” the Sixers rookie said of his 2K prowess.
So, did he have any trouble beating the fans in the truck?
“Haven’t lost yet,” Philon said.
Only a few of the fans were competitive. Philon took on everyone from seasoned veterans to a 7-year-old in a Jaylen Brown jersey. But it takes time to defeat 100 fans. Philon spent over four hours in the truck.
It was one of Philon’s first opportunities to get out in the community and meet fans since the Sixers selected him No. 22 overall in June’s NBA draft. He has spent time at the Sixers’ facility this summer, but he’s finally getting out and seeing more of the city as the season nears.
“It’s been good just to see all the things happen, but even before that, me being drafted to a team that I feel like is a really good contender, and then just adding on all the other stuff that’s been coming with it, I feel like it was meant to happen, really,” Philon said. “I’m blessed that I’m in the situation that I am, to play with one of the best teams probably in the NBA right now.”
Labaron Philon Jr. had to defeat 100 fans in “NBA 2K27” on Tuesday. It took him over four hours.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
He hasn’t matched up against any of his new teammates in 2K yet, but it was a “surreal” moment to see himself in the game for the first time when he fired it up on Monday to practice.
Ahead of his rookie season, Philon earned a 71 overall, with his highest skill score an 82 for playmaking. NBA 2K27 releases globally on Friday.
“Most people don’t feel like it’s fair, but I feel like it’s fair,” Philon said. “Just because you’re a rookie. You’ve got to climb your way up. I think it should be like that.”
All of Nike’s tennis kits for the U.S. Open are basketball-inspired, after the New York Knicks’ NBA championship earlier this year. Carlos Alcaraz is wearing a jersey-style top, and the women’s kits prominently feature mesh similar to netting.
Naomi Osaka paid homage to Sixers icon Allen Iverson with her walk-on outfit for her first-round match at the U.S. Open.
Osaka, known for taking big swings with her on-court fashion, walked out in a gray dress, covered in news headlines written about her, before taking the hood off to reveal a headband over her braids, her tribute to Iverson’s iconic look.
“It’s my, I guess, my tribute to Iverson. I really like him a lot,” Osaka said following her first-round victory over Anastasia Zakharova. “I mean, Nike said basketball, so I said, ‘OK, you want basketball, I’ll give you basketball.’”
In her post-match news conference, Osaka wore an Iverson T-shirt, and also posted the look on social media with the caption “The Answer.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion and current world No. 14 praised Iverson for being a “trailblazer” in NBA fashion. Iverson’s street style famously was a driving reason then-NBA commissioner David Stern instituted a dress code, mandating players to wear business casual to the arena.
“I think he’s also someone that I look up to a lot, because he’s … done a lot in fashion, whether it’s on purpose or not, but he’s shifted the way that NBA players dress,” Osaka said. “I also think the whole conversation around clothes in sports and also just expressing yourself through style, I feel like he’s someone that I look up to in that regard.”
Naomi Osaka on her appreciation for Allen Iverson, who inspired her fit at the US Open 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8ln3lkzxJf
Osaka said she and Iverson had “zero” communication before she put the look together, but she hoped he would see it. Iverson reposted her tribute on his Instagram with the caption: “Wow what an honor! Big fan, can’t wait to meet you!”
Osaka’s next match is Wednesday against Kateřina Siniaková.
Saturday afternoon featured belly flops, cannonballs, and face-plants into the Delaware River as 120 contestants tried — and mostly failed — to retrieve a flag at the end of a 30-foot greased-up telephone pole angled up over the water.
Competitors in the third annual Philadelphia Red Bull Championship Run soon found the challenge was harder than it looked. But with family, friends, and onlookers gathered Saturday at Penn’s Landing, each athlete had cheers and groans egging them on as they stretched, slid, and dove for the flag.
The event was peppered with wacky surprises, including an appearance by Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean, Red Bull’s newest ambassador, who found his doppelgänger at a look-alike contest held amid the pole runners. DeJean even aided in the ceremonial greasing of the pole with a long paint roller dipped in Crisco.
“I think I’d have a good chance at grabbing the flag,” DeJean said. “I don’t know if I’d be able to do it on the first go, but maybe give me a couple tries. I’d just go full speed, probably.”
The competitors, who entered the competition in early August after Red Bull posted it on social media, had different strategies while waiting their turn. Some tried to go slow and steady, while others pranced on their toes, but in the end, those who got the farthest cited luck as the biggest help.
Three of the 120 contestants emerged with a flag in hand. The trio got a second shot to be the ultimate winner, and Keilan Barber from Havertown secured the flag on both of his runs to take home the glory and the Red Bull Run trophy.
“I actually blew my quads out on the first run,” Barber said. “So they hurt, but I have a long car ride home with my dad, so I didn’t want to do it in silence. Shout-out to my family.”
Mike Kablack of Philadelphia was one of three contestants to capture the flag during the Red Bull Run on Saturday at Spruce Street Harbor Park.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“He must have the Red Bull angle on his side,” said Everett Jackson (aka Mr. Hollywood DJ), one of the emcees, after Barber flipped off the pole, second flag in hand.
Other competitors weren’t so lucky, even if they were repeat entrants.
“I got farther than I did last year,” said Luke Cheslock. “I had a graceful fall, but, yeah, I’m getting the flag next year, for sure.”
Amid DeJean’s presence and with football season dawning, many had opinions on which Eagles could make it to the end of the pole and grab the flag.
“I think DeVonta Smith would do the best,” DeJean said. “He’s got good balance, tall, quick, fast, so he’d definitely get up there.”
Contestant No. 34 Devin Gual is introduced by Cooper DeJean and Mr. Hollywood DJ (right) during the Red Bull Run.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Many competitors agreed with DeJean’s answer as they strapped into their life jackets and Red Bull helmets. Other popular names thrown out were Saquon Barkley, DeJean himself, and, of course, Jalen Hurts.
As for who on the Eagles would do the worst?
“The worst? I think that would have to be Quinyon Mitchell,” DeJean said of his fellow star in the secondary. “He’d get a little scared. He might just bail out.”
If you’re looking for some on-theme drinks to bring to an Eagles tailgate this season, Bird Gang Spirits has you covered.
In partnership with BOTLD, which works with distilleries nationwide, Bird Gang Spirits released a “tailgate pack” of canned cocktails. The eight-pack’s flavors are Tailgate Tea, Orange Crush, and Green Machine Margarita — which have an ABV of 7% — and Jawn Island Iced Tea, which boasts an ABV of 12%. The latest addition to the seltzer aisle isn’t just for a good time, however, said BOTLD president Andrew Auwerda.
“We thought it would be kind of a fun, new twist to do good by doing some can cocktails, with the proceeds benefiting Eagles Autism Foundation.” he said. “ It’s supposed to be kitschy, fun, and perfect for the tailgate and in time for the Eagles’ season. It’s been great working with the Eagles Autism Foundation. They’re just a real pro organization and great cause.”
Bird Gang Spirits released a line of canned cocktails. Part of the proceeds from the cocktails will benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation.BOTLD
Since the Eagles Autism Foundation was created in 2019, the team has raised millions for research, accessibility resources, and community programs. A portion of the tailgate pack’s sales will go to the foundation, and Bird Gang Spirits itself is a collaboration with the Eagles.
The team’s partnership with BOTLD began in 2023 alongside the return of the beloved kelly green uniforms. Since then, Bird Gang has released a line of liquors, from Bird Gang Spicy Tequila to “Bird Gang World Championship 2024 Irish Whiskey.”
The tailgate pack is $24 and available online at BOTLD’s website; in person at grocers like Acme, Giant, and Weis; or brick-and-mortar BOTLD locations in King of Prussia and Rittenhouse. Bird Gang Spirits is taking advantage of the booming seltzer market that has emerged in the past few years, joining brands like Surfside that have become nationwide hits as well as Philly stadium favorites.
“I mean, they’ve only been in the stores maybe a week, and it’s still rolling out to more stores, but we’re already seeing some reorders,” Auwerda said. “We’re really grateful for a great start from the retail partners.”
As for his favorite flavor?
“I think the margarita right now, for the time of the year. It’s the end of summer, but it’s still marg season.” he said. “The Jawn Island Iced Tea has a bit more alcohol, so I will save that for a game day.”
Za’Darius Smith played his last game with the Eagles on Oct. 9, 2025, before announcing his retirement four days later after 11 seasons in the NFL. The former edge rusher posted a message on Instagram just six games into the regular season.
Now, Smith has found his way back into the league, signing a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons last week. In his latest news conference, the three-time Pro Bowler revealed a deeply personal reason for his decision to retire from the Eagles.
“Got a phone call from my mom’s doctor telling me that she doesn’t have much longer to be on this Earth,” Smith said. “So, I let the team know. Obviously, they weren’t trying to let me leave but that was the only thing I had left, to retire. So, I retired. Dealt with that. After losing my mom, I lost my grandma. Then after my grandma, I just lost my dad. So, y’all obviously know what I’ve been through.”
“I was in a dark place”
🙏 Za'Darius Smith emotional Revealing the Heartbreaking Reason he abruptly Retired from the Eagles & NFL last October
Smith says he got a call saying his mom was dying and then his grandma and dad also passed awayhttps://t.co/Ddnpmau1tb
The three-time Pro Bowler signed with the Eagles on Sept. 5, one day after their season-opening victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Smith was brought in to help an Eagles pass rush that was missing Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham, who previously announced his own retirement. The veteran was fitting in well “bringing that BG energy,” before announcing his departure.
Smith spent the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns and the Detroit Lions. Following his retirement, and entering the 2026 season, Smith got a call from Browns general manager Andrew Berry.
“Shoutout to AB for just calling me and seeing where I was at mentally,” Smith said. “He was just asking me, ‘Do I want to play football again? Did I still love the game?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I love it, man. I need to come back because I’m at my lowest right now.’
“So, he told me to come in and do a workout and we’ll go from there. Got to Cleveland, went through the workout. Everything went well, but we couldn’t get the numbers right. So, I told them, ‘Just call me back when you figure it out.’ And I guess after working out, Coach [Kevin] Stefanski saw me in the end and they were like, ‘All right, yeah, we need another end.’ Because I guess our guys went down. So, they needed a veteran in the room. So, when he called me, I was like, man, this is perfect because it’s close to home for me. … So, I’m just happy to be back and happy to get back started.”
The Alabama native is reunited with his former Cleveland coach Stefanski, bringing a veteran presence to the locker room after the Falcons lost edge rushers Jalon Walker for the season with an ACL injury and James Pearce Jr., who is suspended for eight games for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.
After getting emotional and taking a few moments to compose himself, Smith expressed how happy he is to be back playing.
“This is my happy place, man,” Smith said. “Come back, play football. I was in a dark place. But you know, coming out, running out on the field, the fans, not only just the fans, but the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks, you know.
“I started late in high school, my senior year in high school. I didn’t know how to play football. My coach always told me just to go get the quarterback. Ever since he told me that, I’ve been good at it. When I retired, I think I had 70 sacks. So, now I’m trying to reach 100. Anyway I can get to it would be good.”
Friendship bracelets have become a concert tradition for Taylor Swift fans. During concerts, Swifties arrive with stacks of beaded bracelets decorating their wrists to trade with other fans in attendance. The bracelets themselves feature colorful beads, different song titles, and other personal touches.
It’s a movement that has been going on since March 2023 when the Eras Tour began. And now, Caitlin Clark is bringing that tradition to the basketball court with her new Swift-inspired “Friendship Bracelet” colorway.
Clark debuted the sneakers during Indiana Fever practice, giving fans a closer look at the newest colorway for her Nike Caitlin 1 signature shoe.
The sneaker features colorful beads worked into the fuzzy rope laces that spell out “CC 22,” a beads graphic is printed in the insole, and there’s an off-white upper with pastel color undertones completing the look.
Earlier this month, the three-time WNBA All-Star already teased that she had a “couple of versions” that Swift may like. It should come as no surprise that Clark would pay homage to the music star, being the ultimate Swiftie herself and becoming close friends with the pop star. She’s even been spotted hanging out with the Berks Co. native, who married Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce earlier this summer, at Kelce’s games.
Clark debuted her signature sneaker this season and has already revealed over 10 different colorways, including the “Racer Blue,” “Yellow Zest,” and “University of Iowa.”
Connecticut women’s basketball in the 21st century has been synonymous with dominance, and the central figure to it all has been Norristown native Geno Auriemma.
The 72-year-old coach, who took his current job ahead of the 1985 season, has spent more than four decades on the sideline and built the Huskies into one of the most dominant and storied programs in college basketball history.
On Aug. 21, a three-episode documentary called The Dynasty: UConn Huskies aired on Apple TV, giving insight into Auriemma’s brash coaching style that has often received criticism but was a driving force to his 12 national titles.
And while it featured many players past and present, from Swin Cash and Sue Bird to Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart, and even Paige Bueckers, Auriemma’s Philly roots were another theme of the coach’s historic run in women’s college basketball.
Here were some ways Philly was involved in Auriemma’s journey:
Auriemma’s motivation to coach girls’ basketball
The documentary tells the story of Auriemma and UConn chronologically, but stopped in both the first and second episodes to detail some of his backstory. Auriemma described how he first got involved with women’s basketball.
“When I was in school and playing basketball, coaching women would have been last on my list,” Auriemma says. “But my buddy, he comes up to me one day and he says, ‘Hey, I started coaching girls’ high school basketball. I need an assistant coach.’ I said, ‘Who the hell would coach girls?’”
Geno Auriemma is carried off the floor by his players after UConn won the 2010 NCAA championship, defeating Stanford.ERIC GAY, Filoe / Associated Press
Auriemma later obliged, and while he didn’t say it on camera, that start came at Bishop McDevitt High School as the girls’ basketball junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach. When he went to practice, he noted his own reluctance to provide hard coaching.
“It kind of dawned on me. They’re not going to crack. They’re not fragile,” said Auriemma. “That you can demand a lot from them. … But everything [in my career] just took off from there.”
He later took assistant coaching jobs at St. Joseph’s and Virginia, with Norristown’s Kennedy Kenrick Catholic High School (which closed in 1993) sandwiched in between. Auriemma took the UConn job in 1985 and has been there since.
Auriemma discussed his family moving from Montella, a small village in southern Italy, to Norristown when he was 7 years old. He recalled that his “mother can’t read or write, my father barely went to school,” and cited the challenges of not being able to “speak any English.”
The differences in the clothes he wore and food he ate, compared to other kids, Auriemma said, made him “desperately wanting to be like an American kid.” It ultimately informed his approach as a coach.
“As I got older, I always felt like, ‘I’m not that guy.’ … You get reminded, but there was this part of me where if I can be really, really, really good and be better than you, then I can, I can prove that I belong in your group,” said Auriemma. “It’s just a little kid’s mentality, and unfortunately, it stayed with me 40 years into coaching that I have to prove that I’m better than anybody else at doing what I do, but I need to be better than you.”
UConn-Tennessee rivalry
Auriemma’s breakthrough as a coach was beating Pat Summitt and her Tennessee squad in the national championship game in 1995. But afterward, Summitt won three national titles in a row and reclaimed the Lady Vols’ status as women’s basketball’s elite program.
That all changed in the 2000 NCAA Tournament championship game, though. After a disappointing Sweet 16 loss with their hyped freshman recruiting class that included Bird, Cash, Asjha Jones, and Tamika Williams, UConn came roaring back and was set to face Tennessee in Philadelphia at the First Union Center (now called Xfinity Mobile Arena).
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt (left) shakes hands with Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma before a 2006 game.Wade Payne
Auriemma also further ignited his rivalry with Summitt with some of his pregame comments about cheesesteaks.
“Geno was doing an interview about cheesesteak, obviously Geno’s, and one is Pat’s across the street in Philly, and he made a comparison. Geno’s was new and forthcoming. Pat’s was old and dilapidated,” recalled Mickie DeMoss, a longtime assistant under Summit at Tennessee. “I mean, at that point we had won six, and he’d won one. So I’m not sure where he got Pat was old and dilapidated.”
The interaction underscored the heated and competitive relationship between Summit and Auriemma, and the rivalry that had been brewing for five years. Auriemma wanted to ensure his team came out on top in his hometown that season.
“Lots of people are great. But that night in Philly, I wanted to make sure that everybody knew we’re the best in the country. I mean, everyone,” said Auriemma. “They’re all people I grew up with. They’re all kids I grew up with. So being surrounded by all that and family, yeah, the desire to win, I want that so bad. I’ll do anything to get it.”
And he did, emphatically. UConn rolled Tennessee, 71-52, for Auriemma’s second title and what set off a dominant 17-year stretch in which the Huskies won 10 national titles before Philly’s Dawn Staley and South Carolina took center stage in the current era of women’s college basketball.
Auriemma’s latest title in 2025 was featured to close the documentary, with Bueckers’ difficult journey and rocky relationship with the longtime coach culminating in a win over Staley’s South Carolina.
This season, which will be the 41st for Auriemma, UConn will face Staley’s Gamecocks on Nov. 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena, home of the Connecticut Sun, for the first time since Auriemma’s outburst in the final seconds of their Final Four matchup last season. The game is part of a doubleheader for the Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase. St. John’s will face UCLA in the other game.
It’s been over a month since LeBron James announced he was coming to Philly to finish his career with the 76ers, and the fanfare has not slowed down.
The Sixers team store at Xfinity Mobile Arena opened on Tuesday (and will be open again on Wednesday), giving fans another opportunity to get their hands on fresh gear ahead of the season, including newly-minted James and Jaylen Brown jerseys.
Fans who lined up outside the store before it opened to secure the new jerseys were greeted by members of the Sixers entertainment team and music as they entered the store.
Victoria Isley, the team’s vice president of partnership solutions, said that while the store is normally open only on game days, the Sixers wanted to do something special to help fans gear up for the season given the hype surrounding the team — and the demand for James jerseys.
“Fans have been so excited since this entire offseason, [with] multiple acquisitions,” Isley said. “So I think we’re ready to have the season start, and I think fans are showing it by lining up early to get their gear and their jerseys ahead of the season.”
Evelina Capelli, 12, and her brother Anthony Capelli, 10, of South Philadelphia, are greeted by the Sixers Entertainment Squad as they enter the team store at Xfinity Mobile Arena.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Turning the team store into an event, Isley said, was the Sixers organization’s way of showing what it expects the vibes to be like all season. Isley believes the excitement will continue into media day and the start of preseason, carrying all the way into the season opener.
And most fans at the store on Tuesday — like 21-year-old Cam Johnson, from Oak Ridge, N.J. — expect the excitement of the season to culminate with a parade down Broad Street.
“The hype is definitely going to continue,” Johnson said. “Anytime you got LeBron James on your team, you’re going to get heightened media attention, fan attention, all that. But we got the GOAT on our team, in my opinion, two GOATs on our team, and I expect to win a championship because this team made it to the second round last year.
“Now you’re inserting the greatest player of all time with this team — and I think he fits seamlessly — and now you got Jaylen Brown too. I got high expectations.”
Stacy Romeo, of South Philly, looks over some Sixers gear while Antoine Mapp, leader of the Sixers Stixers drum line, brings the energy.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
While Johnson believes James, 41, to be the best player ever, he thinks that this season, Brown, 29, will make the bigger on-court impact for the Sixers and average more points than James due to the different stages of their careers.
Still, it was James’ jersey that was the main event on Tuesday.
Stephanie Hannum, 36, drove from Cape May to buy her son a James jersey ahead of his 14th birthday on Wednesday. Hannum used to have to buy her son James merchandise in yellow and purple when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, with James on the Sixers, Hannum said she hopes to take her son to more games while wearing red and blue to support his favorite team and favorite player.
“He’s a huge LeBron fan and a 76ers fan,” Hannum said. “As soon as [James] got signed, it was like all he could talk about, so I was like, I need to drive up here to get this today.”
Fortunately, Hannum was able to find one that fit her son. Some fans had complained about a lack of available youth jerseys, but a Sixers representative noted that was due to the demand, and they restocked later in the afternoon.
Noah Hammad, 12, wears the jersey of one Philly great while shopping for merchandise of the city’s newest superstar, LeBron James. Hammad had to settle for a T-shirt due to a lack of jerseys in youth sizes.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
The combination of Philly fans, known for being an impassioned group, and hard core James’ supporters, who follow him from team to team, has caused the future Hall of Famer’s Sixers jerseys to become a hot commodity. James quickly passed Shohei Ohtani for the most jersey sales after switching teams, according to Fanatics.
At the team store in South Philly on Tuesday, the turnout was just the latest display of the fan base’s passion and excitement for the season, which Isley said stems from “nothing but love.”
“The fans have been waiting, and I think they’re just so excited to rep the gear, to get LeBron’s jersey, to get Jaylen’s jersey, to get [Tyrese] Maxey’s jersey,” Isley said. “So, it’s incredible to see everyone come out and bring everyone together.”
Dom DiSandro, the Eagles chief of security started off as the guest star on Friday’s episode of The Pete Davidson Show on Netflix.
In his standard uniform of a track suit and hat, DiSandro and Davidson spent the 23-minute episode discussing everything from players retiring to his relationship with other security guards in the league, and finished with a FaceTime call to Mike Tyson.
In his longest — and, as far as we can tell, only — extended on-camera interview, the normally reserved DiSandro spoke about his relationships with players throughout his years with the Eagles and how he tries to learn everything about the player when recruiting, something that continues after they’re signed. He shared how that translates into helping players once they’re part of the organization, whether it’s on the mental side of the game or helping them manage their contracts.
Despite being a behind the scenes guy, Big Dom gained notoriety around the city — and the country — following his suspension stemming from a sideline altercation with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dre Greenlaw in Week 13 of the 2023 season. During the Eagles’ visit to the White House last year, President Donald Trump even shouted out DiSandro and offered him the chance to speak.
Although Big Dom’s cultlike following extends beyond the city limits, the South Philly native has no plans on leaving.
“I’ve been offered jobs in the past to go to other teams, but I don’t even think about it,” DiSandro said. “Philly’s just always gonna be home for me.”
While it was the first time DiSandro opened up on camera, it wasn’t the first time the pair has been connected. In December 2024, Davidson was spotted at a Sixers game wearing a Big Dom hoodie with a photo of the security guard on it in a spoof of The Godfather movie poster.
“Big Dom” DiSandro shows off his new Italian flag sock collection, a collaboration with comedian Pete Davidson.Courtesy of Tim O'Connell
A few months later, in February 2025, Davidson told NBC Sports Philadelphia about how he loves Big Dom, calling him the “real life Tony Soprano.” That summer, the pair teamed up for a limited edition sock collaboration through Davidson’s brand, DoubleSoul. The socks were a nod to DiSandro’s Italian heritage.
DiSandro’s heritage came up multiple times throughout the episode with Davidson, including when he shared one of his pregame superstitions: eating “at least four, five, six cannolis” from Termini Brothers Bakery before every game.
On Saturday, ahead of the Eagles preseason game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium, DiSandro shared this tradition with another Italian figure in the NFL.
Sean Stellato, agent of noted Italian and current Patriots quarterback Tommy DeVito, shared cannolis from Mike’s Pastry, a famous bakery in Boston’s North End, with Big Dom on the field ahead of the game.
Stellato even added a “Go Birds” to the end of the video — but followed it up with a “Go Patriots.”
TRENDING: #Patriots quarterback Tommy DeVito’s agent Sean Stellato and #Eagles security chief Big Dom went viral after sharing cannolis together on the field before the game.
Eagles center Cam Jurgens kept himself busy growing up in Pickrell, Neb., whether he was harvesting on the family farm or making deer jerky with his father’s homemade smoker.
That’s why it should come as no surprise that Jurgens would enter the beef jerky business.
“If I told myself as a little kid that, ‘Hey, not only are you going to have your own beef jerky brand, but you’re going to play in the NFL and be a Super Bowl champ,’ I would be like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have to go do chores,’” Jurgens said.
Jurgy is a farm-raised beef jerky line founded by Jurgens and his family. The brand features five flavors: original, hot honey, teriyaki, cracked pepper, and Jurgens’ favorite — mango habanero.
And now Jurgy is introducing a new flavor to the lineup in its first flavor and bag collaboration. Its partnering with Oceans Casino Resort to launch a limited-edition blueberry BBQ flavor. The flavor is a nod to the region’s roots, with Atlantic County being one of the largest blueberry-producing areas in the country.
“It’s been in the works for a while, and we’re happy that it’s finally at the point where we can talk about it and get this new stuff out there,” Jurgens said.
Ocean Casino Resort has partnered with Cam Jurgens’ beef jerky line, Jurgy, to release a blueberry BBQ flavor.Jurgy
Jurgy, a reference to Jurgens’ college nickname “Beef Jurgy,” was created when he was a senior at Nebraska.
It started with his mom, Beth, making T-shirts and hats on a Cricut machine and shipping them out from their family farm. Eventually, Jurgens’ best friend, Matt Sichterman, set up an online store to expand their reach.
“I saw Cam and his mom building this T-shirt and hat brand, and Cam’s mom was staying up all night shipping orders from the farm, taking orders, like pen-and-paper type of deal,” Sichterman said. “I was like, ‘I think I can add some technology in the loop.’ So, that’s always what I’ve done. I’ve always worked at technology companies and built websites. So it helped us get digital, and then we’ve continued to expand the brand.”
They entered the jerky game by finding a meat locker in Nebraska that was willing to work with them. Jurgy fully launched in 2024. Since then, Jurgens and Sichterman have been working to build the brand.
But with Jurgens preparing for the Eagles’ season and Sichterman running Flamel.ai, Jurgy will have to take a backseat.
“This is like our side job that we’re trying to build up and grow and have fun with it,” Jurgens said. “When we started Jurgy, the main thing was to stay connected with Matt, he’s one of my best friends. … And then also the No. 1 thing is just to make my mom a little bit of money through the business. It’s us three that own the LLC together.
“I try not to worry about balancing it because my No. 1 job is playing for the Eagles and taking care of that side of things. And then this is the fun side of the job. … So it’s really helpful when we get a partner like Ocean and meet all these new people and grow along the way.”
Though Cam Jurgens has been working to grow Jurgy, his “No. 1 job is playing for the Eagles.”David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
The Ocean Casino Resort flavor is available at Bottled in Ocean Casino Resort, on the resort’s website, and at Jurgy.co.
“I’ve been down to Ocean and see how passionate they are in Atlantic City and just how many Eagles fans flock down there,” Jurgens said. “So I’m excited. I mean, I saw their partnership with Hanks and how that grew and just how neat it looked. I’m really excited about our product and this packaging and how it benefits both of us.”
The release comes less than three weeks before the Eagles’ season opener against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field. Jurgens says he’s ready to compete. That confidence comes from the “harvesting” the team has done leading into game day.
“The harvest is the fun part of the season,” Jurgens said. “You do your planting and taking care of the weeds throughout the year and making sure the crops grow. And then when you get a harvest, the whole family comes together, and you’re spending all the time together. It’s kind of similar to football.
“You work so hard in the offseason, and then you finally get to the season, you get to play a game, and it’s like you’re harvesting your own crop every Sunday, and then you get to the postseason. It’s like even more of the whole family coming together.”
