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  • Phillies announcers nail Kyle Schwarber’s game-winning ‘Schwarbomb’

    Phillies announcers nail Kyle Schwarber’s game-winning ‘Schwarbomb’

    Were we expecting anything less?

    With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Kyle Schwarber sent a jolt through Citizens Bank Park with the team’s first walk-off home run in more than three years, securing a 6-4 win and a sweep against the St. Louis Cardinals.

    The game-winner capped off an unprecedented comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Phillies losing 4-0 and down to their final out. But Edmundo Sosa’s three-run double and Bryan De La Cruz’s game-tying single set the table for Schwarber’s moment to shine.

    “We have watched hundreds, if not thousands, if not tens of thousands of Phillies games together,” longtime NBC Sports Philadelphia host Michael Barkann said to open Sunday’s postgame show. “That might be the greatest regular-season finish I’ve ever seen.”

    It was October vibes on 94.1 WIP, with longtime play-by-play announcer Scott Franzke reaching “Bedlam at the Bank” levels with his call of the historic “Schwarbomb.”

    “It’s over! It’s over! Kyle Schwarber with a walk-off home run into the hedges of dead center field,” Franzke yelled during the broadcast. “And the Phillies have absolutely stunned the Cardinals!”

    His partner, former Phillies pitcher Larry Andersen, added in joyous disbelief, “Wow! It does not get any better than that.”

    Over on NBC Sports Philadelphia, John Kruk was uncharacteristically silent when Schwarber’s game-winner sailed out of the stadium. But Tom McCarthy, in his 20th season as the TV voice of the Phillies, wound things up when he realized Schawarber’s ball was gone.

    “Back toward the wall. It is … OVER!” McCarthy said as former World Series MVP turned announcer Cole Hamels cheered beside him.

    As McCarthy noted, Schwarber’s home run was hit so hard it went off the top of the batter’s eye in center field, about 460 feet from home plate. According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark, it was the first Phillies home run to travel over the batter’s eye into Ashburn Alley since Darick Hall’s blast in 2022.

    “He’s a strong human being,” Hamels said of Schwarber.

    “Are there any words to capture this?” McCarthy asked Schwarber following the game.

    “That one’s wild,” Schwarber shot back. “That’s why you never quit.”

    Spanish radio announcers Angel Castillo and Bill Kulik had a tremendous call of their own, captured and shared on social media by Phillies clip king Nick Piccone.

    As with most their calls, you don’t have to understand Spanish to feel the energy and excitement of Schwarber’s game-winning blast.

    All the excitement is warranted. The Phillies, who lost 10 straight games in April, have quickly won nine straight and are closing in on the division-leading Atlanta Braves.

    It’s also been a minute since the Phillies have had a similar comeback. The last time they won a game trailing by four or more runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth was more than four decades ago, when Bo Diaz hit a walk-off grand slam to win it against the New York Mets.

    “Unbelievable! beloved Phillies announcer Harry Kalas shouted during the 1983 game in audio unearthed by 97.5 The Fanatic host Ray Dunne.

    More Phillies tidbits

    Phillies players celebrate Kyle Schwarber’s game-winner Sunday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
    • Schwarber’s bomb was the 209th walk-off home run hit by a Phillies player since 1900, according to Larry Shenk, the team’s former public relations guru. In total, 131 Phillies players have hit walk off homers, with Mike Schmidt leading with 10. Sunday’s was Schwarber’s second with the Phillies.
    • Schwarber is also closing in on Babe Ruth. Since having joined the Phillies in 2022, Schwarber has hit 226 homers, second-most in the first five seasons with a team in MLB history. He’s now just nine behind The Bambino’s 235 homers with 29 games remaining.
    • The Phillies have swept three straight series for the first time in 16 years. They’re also 16-5 in August so far, tops in all of MLB.

    Phillies standings

    NL East

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    NL wild card

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    Upcoming Phillies TV schedule

    • Phillies at Mariners
    • Phillies at Angels
    • Phillies at Diamondbacks
    • Braves at Phillies
  • Bryce Harper’s got some new cleats, and he’s far from the only one ahead of MLB Players’ Weekend

    Bryce Harper’s got some new cleats, and he’s far from the only one ahead of MLB Players’ Weekend

    Last month, Bryce Harper debuted his new Under Armour Harper 11 cleats that payed homage to SEPTA and its colorful map for the MLB All-Star festivities at Citizens Bank Park.

    Now, his cleats have a new colorway that has already hit retailers — for $140.

    The low-top cleats have a camouflage base with highlighter-orange lining on the sock collar, along the top and bottom outlines of the cleat, and outlining his “BH” initials, black shoelaces, and with a cream-colored midsole to separate the camouflage base from the bright orange soleplate.

    To pair with his new cleats, which Harper wore on July 20 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Aug. 1 against the Baltimore Orioles, he wore black-and-orange Under Armour gloves and a camouflage sleeve on his right arm.

    Bryce Harper’s new cleats have touches of orange and a camo design.Mitchell Leff

    In a release, Under Armour says Harper’s new cleats are “inspired by Bryce’s tunnel-fit fashion as he’s often been seen rocking camo on the way to the ballpark, combined with his support for the University of Tennessee.”

    Harper’s “All Lines Lead Home” cleats he released last month was part of a Yard Icon collection at Under Armour and released in five colorways representing Philly’s transit lines.

    It’s been a busy year for Harper and Under Armour. Earlier this year, Harper released the “Mad House” colorway of his Under Armour Harper 10s, which referenced the Jersey Shore. He’s also paid homage to Wawa with his “Gottahava Harper” PE cleats, which were released during HoagieFest two years ago. And, of course, he’s continued his love affair with the Phillie Phanatic, rocking fuzzy Harper 3s inspired by the mascot’s colors last year.

    But he’s not the only Phillie with new cleats as Players’ Weekend gets underway.

    Bryson Stott wore custom made “Toy Story” cleats on Friday night.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Animated kids movies come to life

    Ahead of the Phillies’ Field of Dreams game against the Minnesota Twins in Dyersville, Iowa, Downingtown-based NXT LVL Customs produced an iconic design for Bryson Stott that featured late Phillies legends Harry Kalas, Tug McGraw, Roy Halladay, Darren Daulton, Robin Roberts, and Richie Ashburn emerging from a cornfield. After the game, Stott donated the cleats to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Now, NXT LVL Customs, which is run by father and son Ron and Ryan Stevens, has created custom cleats for more Phillies, including Stott, for Players’ Weekend, which allows players to wear custom gear, share personal stories, or otherwise express themselves.

    Stott, for the second straight year, honored his daughter, Braxtyn, after last year’s Elmo-inspired Sesame Street footwear. This time, Stott will sport Nike Toy Story-themed cleats, with the left one rocking a Buzz Lightyear theme, and the right a Woody theme with “Braxtyn’s Story” written on it. He wore the cleats during Friday night’s game.

    Stott also will have Toy Story-themed bats from King of Prussia-based Victus Sports. One of them features Jessie the cowgirl, and the other has a green alien from the movie.

    The third baseman also had cleats made to honor his son, Jaxson. They’re royal blue, light blue, and white with star designs on the upper part; tiny illustrations of bears, trucks, and dinosaurs; and his son’s name on the back of the left cleat along with his birth date on back of the right cleat.

    Cristopher Sánchez, Orion Kerkering, and Edmundo Sosa also received custom cleats from NXT LVL Customs.

    Sánchez, who will pitch Sunday afternoon’s series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, will be wearing Adidas cleats in the Phillies’ colors with the team’s pinstripe design on the heel counter, the numbers of his teammates across both cleats, a white Phillies bell logo near the midsole, and blue shoelaces.

    Kerkering will be sporting Lilo and Stitch-inspired Adidas cleats, with the left cleat representing Lilo’s red dress with cream-colored flowers white laces, and a pink heel counter. The right cleat mimics Stitch with two-toned blue, Stitch’s face on the toe, and fuzzy light blue shoelaces.

    And Sosa, like Stott, payed homage to his daughter, who loves tennis. The base of his New Balance cleat is colored fluorescent yellow with images of tennis balls, a white strap and heel counter, and his daughter’s name, “Naya,” written on the back of the left cleat.

    Plenty of other custom bats are being unveiled this weekend. These include Brandon Marsh’s Victus bat that honors his sister, Erin, who won a gold medal in the heptathlon at this year’s USATF national championship, and Harper’s camouflage custom bat that’s also by Victus.

    Players’ Weekend runs through Sunday.

  • The Eagles teamed up with Philly-based fashion brand Addison Bay to design a collection ‘for the girl on the go’

    The Eagles teamed up with Philly-based fashion brand Addison Bay to design a collection ‘for the girl on the go’

    In less than a month, the South Philadelphia sports complex will be decorated in Eagles green, smoke from the tailgate grills will cover the parking lots, and the sun will beat down on the asphalt canvas as fans prepare for the home opener against the Washington Commanders.

    That means it’s time to break out your favorite game day outfits, whether that’s your lucky Jalen Hurts jersey, your favorite vintage top, a reworked masterpiece — or maybe even a new piece from Addison Bay?

    The Philly-based lifestyle brand is collaborating with the Eagles on an exclusive clothing line curated for women and designed to blend fashion and comfort.

    “It’s really, honestly, such a pinch-me moment,” said Marguerite Adzick, the founder and CEO of Addison Bay. “It definitely feels like a full-circle moment, starting the company eight years ago and then almost eight years to the day, getting to launch this collaboration.”

    The Eagles reached out to Adzick, 37, in September about a potential collaboration. When she received the call, she recalled “nearly falling out of her chair.” The collaboration felt like a dream come true for the Philly native, who grew up a die-hard Eagles fan and was named the 2004 Philadelphia Eagles Fan of the Year at 15 years old.

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    “They sent me to the Super Bowl for free with one of my best friends in high school,” said Adzick, who attended Penn Charter and played lacrosse at the University of Virginia. “I’ve been a die-hard Eagles fan my entire life, and now my company gets to create clothing with the Eagles — like, truly, pinch me. This is so incredibly cool. This has been such a long time coming.”

    The collection features some of Addison Bay’s best-selling styles — including varsity quarter-zips, tanks, leggings, seamed flounce skorts, cardigan sweatshirts, and Panama dresses. Half the items are in kelly green and the other half are in midnight green.

    The collaboration between Addison Bay and the Eagles features designs in midnight green and kelly green.Addison Bay

    “A lot of the time, some of the styles that they dress female fans in, it’s pink or rhinestones, and that’s the way they make it more feminine,” Adzick said. “That’s really where Addison Bay entered the chat. We can make these styles more feminine for the consumer without adding pink and rhinestones. We can make it more feminine with the styles we choose, using the colors in the right way, adding out signature stripes and, of course, having logo detail.”

    The line follows Addison Bay’s mission to show that style and performance can coexist, with everyday pieces that move with women from morning to night.

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    “We designed for the girl on the go,” Adzick said. “We truly are dressing her from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. That doesn’t just go for Monday to Friday. It also goes for Sunday. She wants to support her team, but she also has to go to her kid’s lacrosse practice, get ready for the week, get her house clean, make dinner, watch the game. Like, talk about a multitasking woman. That’s exactly what our consumer is doing. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

    Addison Bay’s apparel is designed for a range of activities.Addison Bay

    The collection will be available on AddisonBay.com, Fanatics.com, and in Eagles Pro Shops on Monday. For a limited time, shoppers will receive a pair of embroidered socks with each Addison Bay purchase at Eagles Pro Shops.

    “We’re super excited,” Adzick said. “I cannot wait for it to launch. I’m truly just so excited to see what the consumer thinks about everything, and I hope she loves it.”

    Fans can attend an Addison Bay event Thursday at the Lincoln Financial Field Pro Shop to celebrate the launch of the collection. There will be photo booths, light refreshments, giveaways, and more.

  • Jason Kelce isn’t actually collecting your pee. Here’s the story behind his viral AI data center ad for Garage Beer.

    Jason Kelce isn’t actually collecting your pee. Here’s the story behind his viral AI data center ad for Garage Beer.

    Jason Kelce wants your pee to cool artificial intelligence data centers.

    Not really. But if you take a recent advertisement from Garage Beer and Liquid Death for its word, you would think so. On Tuesday, the two beverage companies released an ad starring Kelce, a cofounder of Garage Beer, where the former Eagles center takes aim at AI data centers.

    “This one, as soon as we started brainstorming it, was just so topical and a way that we felt like we could both be farcical in a way that relates to both of our brands,” Garage Beer CEO and co-founder Andy Sauer told The Inquirer. “If you drink beers, if you drink energy drinks, you’re going to have to pee. What could you do with pee? I don’t know. Maybe let’s cool some data centers.”

    The ad opens with Kelce urinating in a glass jar, stating, “AI data centers waste millions of gallons of water. That’s why Liquid Death and Garage Beer have decided to team up. We want your pee to cool these data centers.”

    Kelce promptly breaks into song, belting, “We want you pee, please give us your pee.” Kelce is joined by Liquid Death mascot Murder Man and people from all walks of life — including a farmer and a skater. Each appears to be holding a jar of their own urine, taking it to a post office to send to a data center.

    “It was funny to watch,” Sauer said. “It was like a lemonade mix to make the pee, and like the folks who do the prop work were so funny — just making some darker and some lighter.”

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    The construction of data centers has become a hot-button issue. A June poll conducted by Quinnipiac University found that 76% of registered Pennsylvania voters would oppose a data center being built in their community. On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro, who previously championed the projects, signed an executive order that requires local approval for the construction of data centers before they can receive state permits.

    The outrage around data centers is centered on the projects’ environmental impact on the communities they reside in. A typical data center uses 300,000 gallons of water a day, the equivalent of around 1,000 households, according to NPR.

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    “[Garage Beer and Liquid Death] kind of treat both of us, our brands, a little bit like writers’ rooms,” Sauer said. “A little [Saturday Night Live]-esque in a way where we are always brainstorming, ‘What are the things that are topical at the moment that we could, in a relevant brand way, comment on?’ And that was that. It just created a great backdrop. We’re like, ‘Everybody’s talking about AI and data centers and the water surrounding it.’”

    Along with releasing the ad, the two beverage companies sold “Data Center Coolant Collectors” — glass jars similar to the ones shown in the ad. The jars quickly sold out.

    Jason Kelce (right), with Liquid Death mascot Murder Man, are collecting “pee” in this ad.Garage Beer

    With the ad taking on a contentious issue, the reactions to it have varied. Some, who are against the construction of the centers, have celebrated the spot. Others have condemned the ad, claiming Kelce is not “informed on data centers.”

    “It is still funny to me how unserious this is and how serious some of the responses are, which, to me, almost just makes it funnier,” Sauer said. “I saw one comment that said, ‘I think this is taking it a little too far. I don’t think we actually need to send them pee.’ Like, clearly, we’re not actually collecting urine.

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    “[Kelce’s] been equally surprised at the seriousness of the comments. He’s having to hold back from responding with jokes to those things. So he’s getting a kick out of it. I think he thinks it’s just very funny because in his mind, it’s so obviously ridiculous.”

    Jason Kelce is “getting a kick out of” the response to his Garage Beer ad, its CEO says.Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

    Sauer noted that, before this ad, Garage Beer had maintained an “apolitical, always positive tone” in its marketing. The company’s CEO clarified that their trademark style is not going anywhere. Cofounder and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Jason’s younger brother, is starring in a “five-part series” of ads that is “very heartwarming” and more aligned with the company’s usual tone.

    “I think our goal is just to perpetually be entertaining,” Sauer said.

  • Kylie Kelce stars in debut of Ilona Maher’s YouTube show and offers a peek into her marriage to Jason, motherhood, and more

    Kylie Kelce stars in debut of Ilona Maher’s YouTube show and offers a peek into her marriage to Jason, motherhood, and more

    A new fitness show has hit YouTube, and the first episode stars the Philly area’s own Kylie Kelce.

    On Thursday, the debut episode of Power Hour with Ilona Maher dropped, and Maher, one of the stars of the 2024 U.S. Olympic rugby team, brought Kelce, her friend and fellow athlete, into the gym to lift weights, complete challenges, and talk sports.

    “Here we champion three things: strength, pushing boundaries, and looking good while doing it,” Maher said in the episode’s intro.

    Between jokes about what position they could play on the Eagles, the team for which Kelce’s husband, Jason Kelce, played for 13 seasons, and comparing Instagram hate comments, Maher instructed Kelce on how to do an incline bench press and throw medicine balls.

    The duo kept it real, though, as the sometimes adult-themed conversation strayed from gym-related content and they laughed about dating failures and facing sexism as women in sports.

    “Do you objectify [Jason]?” Maher asked.

    “Of course I do,” Kelce responded, jokingly. “It’s all about equality.”

    Maher, who has previously appeared on Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast, is retired from professional rugby, and Kelce played field hockey at Cabrini after graduating from Lower Merion. More recently, they have advocated for women in sports and philanthropic causes.

    The two appeared together earlier this summer at the sixth annual Team 62 fundraiser in Sea Isle City, where Maher was among the celebrity bartenders for the Kelces’ annual event for the Eagles Autism Foundation.

    Kylie Kelce adds some money to the cash register during the Shore Birds celebrity bartending event in Sea Isle.Courtesy of the Philadelphia Eagles

    Kelce has been outspoken about her life as a mother of four and brought that experience into the weight room on Power Hour. The final challenge, dubbed “The Motherhood,” reversed the roles and put Maher to the test, challenging her to grab the kids, pick up the toys, and, at the end of it all, push a classic weighted sled, which represented the expectations society puts on mothers.

    “To put this pressure on moms, have your kid and get right back in shape,” Maher said, stunned.

    “That’s the dumbest part,” Kelce responded. “You just built a human being, and people are like, ‘You gonna bounce back?’”

    New episodes of Power Hour with Ilona Maher drop on Thursdays.

  • LeBron James’ jersey is a hot commodity. But, no, people aren’t stealing them from Dick’s Sporting Goods locations

    LeBron James’ jersey is a hot commodity. But, no, people aren’t stealing them from Dick’s Sporting Goods locations

    LeBron James 76ers jerseys have arrived at Dick’s Sporting Goods across the Philadelphia area, and, despite some reports, officials at the store contend that they’re flying off the shelves — legally.

    On Tuesday, Crossing Broad reported that James jerseys were being kept behind the counter at the Dick’s Sporting Goods location in Cherry Hill “because the store was having trouble with people stealing them.”

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    A store manager who chose to remain anonymous at the Dick’s location in Cherry Hill said the jerseys — there were only a few left — were placed behind the counter to boost sales, not because the store was experiencing thefts.

    A representative from Dick’s corporate offices located in Coraopolis, Pa., confirmed that no jerseys were reported stolen, but that they were kept behind the checkout initially and are in the process of being moved to the floor.

    Multiple locations of Dick’s Sporting Goods across the region noted that they have had no series issues of theft surrounding the arrival of LeBron James’ jersey now in stores. David Paul Morris

    At the Dick’s location in the King of Prussia Mall, another store manager, who also chose to remain anonymous, said the James jerseys at their location are being kept on the floor and not behind the counter.

    Online, Dick’s has shirts available, but only one jersey in stock, the Nike Adult 2024-25 City Edition Philadelphia 76ers LeBron James Swingman Jersey in medium, on preorder for $125.

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    Other outfitters like Fanatics, the NBA Store, and the Sixers Shop have James’ jersey available to be reserved in royal blue in select sizes. They’ll be shipped in September.

    There are also some jerseys available by reservation in red. Both jerseys are selling for $79.99.

  • Former U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens to compete in inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open

    Former U.S. Open champ Sloane Stephens to compete in inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open

    The inaugural Ennoble Care Philly Open is bringing some big names to town, and now that field includes a past Grand Slam champion.

    On Tuesday morning, the tournament, a WTA 125 event, announced that Sloane Stephens will enter the competition as a wild card. The former world No. 3 women’s singles player in the world has been making a comeback following a fractured right foot last year.

    Currently ranked No. 240 in singles, the 33-year-old has a long history as a formidable force on the court. She won the 2017 U.S. Open and was a star for the former Philadelphia Freedoms, the World TeamTennis squad owned by Billie Jean King.

    She reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open the next year and was a finalist at the 2018 French Open. Before that, she was an Australian Open semifinalist and Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2013.

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    Stephens’ last tournament win on tour was at the 2024 Open Capfinances Rouen Métropole, a WTA 250 event on clay in Rouen, France. She has eight career singles titles.

    The Philly Open is Aug. 23-29 at Penn’s Hamlin Tennis Center. Just one week before the U.S. Open in New York, the tournament will feature 32 singles players competing for a $115,000 purse.

    Stephens has been competing around the world this season, often as a wild card. On Sunday at the Cincinnati Open, she upset No. 24 seed Anastasia Potapova in the second round. She will play the No. 10 seed Marta Kostyuk in the round of 32 on Tuesday afternoon.

  • LeBron James has a new YouTube channel, but it’s not about basketball

    LeBron James has a new YouTube channel, but it’s not about basketball

    Philadelphia has had no shortage of major golf tournaments this summer. Aronimink hosted the PGA Championship, Saucon Valley hosted the U.S. Junior Amateur, and Merion is hosting the U.S. Amateur this week. And now, new 76er LeBron James wants in on the fun.

    The four-time NBA champion is taking his growing passion for golf to YouTube and launched a channel dedicated to his “life on and around the course.”

    James’ first video, which dropped Saturday morning, featured him reuniting with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates from the 2016 NBA championship team for a round of golf at Cabot Highlands’ Castle Stuart links in Scotland to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of winning the title.

    “You all loved the 2016 reunion trip so much I thought I’d give [y’all] a little more,” James wrote on X. “Welcome to my [YouTube] channel! My life on and around the course. Let’s go!!!”

    In the 90-minute video, James, alongside Richard Jefferson and Kevin Love, takes on J.R. Smith, Channing Frye, and Tristan Thompson in a three-on-three scramble. The video highlights trash talking, stories about their time as teammates, and lots of wine.

    “Be sure to subscribe to LeBron’s YouTube golf channel for new episodes coming soon,” the description of his first video says. “Follow along as LeBron brings his friends and fans along for the journey as golf takes him to some of the world’s greatest courses. Come for the game, stay for the great local food, wine, and a whole lot of laughs along the way.”

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    James’ passion for the sport has grown ever since his commentary on his October episode of his podcast, Mind The Game, cohosted with Steve Nash.

    “The [golf] bug is real. I’ve heard about the bug for so many years and I was like, ‘Well, it’s not going to get me. I don’t like golf at all. Who wants to be outside all day walking around?’” James said. “Nah, it’s real. I am into it. My algorithm on social media, every other post, every other video, is some type of golf video now.”

    He installed a simulator in his house, stars in a Nike x Beats commercial with PGA Tour professional Tom Kim, and now has the YouTube channel. It’s safe to say James has been bit by the bug.

    James said that he hopes to use his status to make golf more accessible for new audiences during an interview with Rich Kleiman at CNBC x Boardroom Game Plan on July 16 at Fanatics Fest.

    “One of my main goals … is to open doors for kids that look like me growing up in the inner city, to be able to go to country clubs at 7, 8, 9 years old and be able to go out and caddie or be able to go out and rent clubs and be able to be coached and play the game of golf,” James said.

    James’ YouTube channel already has nearly 240,000 followers and new episodes will drop every month on Saturdays.

  • A Philly-area Little League team is one win from Williamsport — and the kids are living ‘every 12-year-old’s dream’

    A Philly-area Little League team is one win from Williamsport — and the kids are living ‘every 12-year-old’s dream’

    East Side Little League, a 12-and-under baseball team based in West Chester, is one win away from stamping its ticket to Williamsport, Pa., for the Little League World Series. The moment is not lost on the team’s players.

    “It’s every 12-year-old’s dream, and we’re living it right now,” said left fielder Paul Cooperthwaite.

    East Side will play in the Little League Mid-Atlantic regional final on Friday in Bristol, Conn. (3.p.m., ESPN). They will face the team from Delaware — Naamans Little League, from Wilmington. Naamans, which beat Capitol Hill Little League (Washington, D.C.), 7-2, on Thursday, is roughly a 30-minute drive (about 15 miles) from East Side. The winner of Friday’s game will represent the Mid-Atlantic Region in the Little League World Series.

    “We’re not looking ahead,” said coach Bob Hennessey, whose son, Ryan, plays on the team. “When we get into a game situation, we tell them, ‘Hey, let’s win every inning.’ That’s been our mantra for the last couple years.”

    Added first baseman Dillon DiGiulio: “I knew we could make it this far. We’ve faced so many challenges, and just to make it here, it’s been great.”

    The kids from East Side Little League in West Chester.Courtesy of Katherine Cowperthwait

    East Side cruised through districts and sectionals before falling in their second matchup of the Pennsylvania State Little League tournament. The state tournament is double-elimination, so Hennessey’s team had to claw out of the losers’ bracket to have a chance at regionals — which they did. By winning each of its next four games, East Side secured a spot in the state title game against Blue Mountain (Schuylkill County).

    In the final inning — the top of the sixth — and with the game tied, East Side third baseman Jack Cassidy hit a grand slam to power a 12-8 win and propel his team to the four-team regional stage.

    “They had the mentality of, ‘Hey, we’re not ready to go home yet,’” Hennessey said. “I think it was just like, ‘Stay focused, go out there, and continue to play your game.’ We made a couple changes in our lineup [after the loss]. That’s also what helped spark the way we started playing after that, and then we started hitting the ball really well and scoring a lot of runs.”

    East Side’s two Mid-Atlantic regional games came with less dramatics. The West Chester side trounced Delaware, 8-1, on Sunday before shutting out Washington, 10-0, on Tuesday. While the team is staying in Bristol, the West Chester community is cheering them on from home. Throughout their run, local restaurants have hosted watch parties.

    “It’s been fun,” Cooperthwaite said. “I’ve heard all about it. Everyone’s telling me about all the watch parties.”

    The team even received a video from recent Phillies Wall of Fame inductee Chase Utley, who wished the squad good luck. Although the players were in diapers when Utley played his last game as a Phillie in 2015, they were thrilled to hear from a baseball legend.

    With so much noise around the team, Hennessey is looking to keep his players focused.

    “Keeping them thinking about baseball,” Hennessey said. “Obviously, they have other interests and stuff, but they bought into ‘we’re here to play baseball. We have an end goal in sight, and we’re one win away.’ They’re right there at the goal.”

    If East Side advances to Williamsport, they’ll join a trio of other Philly-area teams that have represented the Mid-Atlantic at the Little League World Series: Glenmoore Eagle Little League (from Upper Uwchlan Township) last year, Council Rock Newtown Little League in 2024, and Media Little League in 2023.

  • Eagles fans are freaking out after the Eagles posted a video featuring a helmet they haven’t worn since 1973

    Eagles fans are freaking out after the Eagles posted a video featuring a helmet they haven’t worn since 1973

    It’s been a while since Eagles fans last saw white helmets paired with kelly green wings on the field in Philly. The last time came over 50 years ago, in 1973, but after the team posted a seemingly innocent video that featured the retro style, some fans are dreaming of a potential return.

    The video, posted Wednesday afternoon, featured Jalyx Hunt and new defensive back Riq Woolen blindly trying to match up different team helmets, but the comments were all focused on one thing: the white kelly green helmet that was curiously included in the lineup.

    Across platforms, fans speculated. “Give us the white Kelly jerseys!” someone commented on TikTok, and below the video shared on X, someone responded, “Just take my money now if y’all are dropping the white kelly green.”

    So it raises the question: Are the Eagles teasing a return of the vintage look?

    Well, it’s complicated.

    The team cannot just add another uniform or swap elements, like helmets, at random. The NFL imposes strict regulations. Per the league’s last update in 2024, teams are capped at four uniforms and three distinct helmet designs, and must give the league significant advance notice before using them. Of course, for the purposes of this game, the team needed a fourth helmet.

    The Eagles’ current uniform lineup includes the midnight green home jerseys, the white-and-midnight green away uniforms, the all-black set, and the throwback kelly greens. Both the standard home and away uniforms use the midnight green helmet, while the other two uniforms have their own matching helmets. The throwback kelly green alternate uniform, when announced in 2023, sent fans into a frenzy to get their hands on the Harold Carmichael-and Randall Cunningham-era favorites.

    Timeline: Eagles uniform history through the years

    Nostalgia is a powerful tool, and adding white kelly green uniforms and a matching helmet could be an opportunity to have fans lining up to get their hands on the vintage look.

    Quarterback Jalen Hurts is certainly on board. In a video shared in May announcing the 2026 schedule, Hurts said he “needs” the white kelly greens to make a comeback, prompting Saquon Barkley to remind him, “Well, you got the power to change that, Mr. Hurts.”

    Perhaps Hurts, and many fans, will get their wish. Hurts, after all, has a history of seeing those wishes come true. In 2021, he successfully pushed for the team to wear black pants with its white jerseys, so maybe the QB has some sway. But unless this is one of the best-kept secrets in Philly sports, it might take more than a year to see that come to fruition.

    Vic Fangio reveals that Jalen Hurts lost a step in 2025, but he’s back, which is huge for the Eagles | Marcus Hayes

    Another possible path to seeing the retro design return is through the NFL and Nike “Rivalries” program, a community-inspired concept similar to MLB’s “City Connect” series. Over the next few seasons, the partnership plans to bring new uniforms to select teams during home games, alongside specialized merchandise — a possible opportunity for the Eagles to reintroduce the white kelly green look, but that wouldn’t happen until at least the 2027 season. This year’s teams are already locked in, with the eight teams in the NFC North and AFC South set to unveil their new uniforms on Aug. 25.

    Outside of Hurts in May and the match-the-helmet video on Wednesday, the Eagles have not so much as whispered the words “white kelly green” anywhere. And it doesn’t look like they plan to acknowledge the flood of comments speculating over the style the team wore for only for parts of five seasons (1969-73). But if Eagles fans are anything, it’s dedicated and persistent, even, perhaps especially, when it comes to how they look in the stadium.