Hollywood Brown did not see the field during the Eagles’ season-opening win over the Commanders on Sunday.
The veteran wide receiver, who signed a one-year, $6.5 million contract as a free agent this offseason, said he was “surprised” by the decision and mostly offered short responses when asked about it after Wednesday’s practice.
“No conversations [about his workload] leading up to it, but, I don’t know, I just come to work and when my opportunity come, be ready for it,” Brown said.
“That I don’t know,” Brown said. “I just got to come to work. If it do, it do. If it don’t, it don’t.”
Coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Brown’s snap count on Monday and said it will change moving forward. The Eagles coach knows the 29-year-old can create space with his speed and playmaking skills and acknowledged he’s been a decent fit in Mannion’s offense.
Jalen Hurts and Hollywood Brown (right) shown in training camp on Aug 7.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
“So, with [Sunday’s game], we have our rotations that we’re doing, you know, Hollywood could obviously help us,” Sirianni said. “We obviously want to get him into the football game because his speed is real. It just didn’t work out that way [Sunday]. … But we know that Hollywood can help us win football games, and his speed is real, and, quite frankly, just from my end, we want to get him into the football game, right?”
Does it make Brown feel any better that Sirianni made those comments one day after the game?
“Nah, no, it don’t,” he said. “But I’m not dwelling on it. I’m ready for next week.”
Brown has bounced around the NFL after a strong start to his career. The No. 25 overall pick by Baltimore in the 2019 draft peaked in 2021 when he finished with 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six of his 33 career touchdowns.
He was traded in April 2022 to the Arizona Cardinals, where he played two seasons, then spent two years with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he battled injuries.
He had an up-and-down preseason with the Eagles, but said he feels comfortable in Mannion’s offense.
WASHINGTON — Two months ago, Brandon Marsh was the starting right fielder for the National League in the All-Star Game.
Really. That happened.
Since then, Marsh has been among the worst hitters in the league. Benched against left-handed pitchers, the long-haired, bushy-bearded Phillies’ outfielder batted eighth here Wednesday night after playing every day and hitting cleanup for much of June and early July.
“I just think [teams] have made an adjustment to him, and then we’ve got to make it back,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “And we haven’t been able to do that.”
Consider this: After a two-hit game July 1 against the Pirates, Marsh was batting .319 with an .881 OPS. He dragged a .176 average and .470 OPS since then into the series finale against Nationals lefty opener Jared Simpson.
Marsh’s success has always been rooted in his batting average on balls in play. Among all players with at least 2,000 career plate appearances, Marsh ranks sixth all-time with a .360 average on balls in play. Three of the top five are Hall of Famers (Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, and Billy Hamilton); a fourth in Joe Jackson.
But as Marsh’s profile rose, teams began attacking him differently. In particular, Mattingly noted that Marsh has seen fewer pitches in the strike zone in the second half, especially early in counts.
The two months since his start in the All-Star Game have been a struggle for Brandon Marsh.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Not coincidentally, his batting average on balls in play plummeted from .396 through July 1 to .221 since then.
“Marsh is sitting back there at some point, and they’re probably not doing a ton of homework on him,” Mattingly said. “They’re attacking him. Whatever. He starts being aggressive early. He’s doing damage. He’s getting his hits. All of a sudden, he’s hitting .330 and he’s on the All-Star team, and it’s like, ‘Maybe we ought to do a little more work on this guy.’ Right?
“At some point, he’s aggressive, [so] they’re going to be less likely to throw you strikes and get you to chase a little more. And then we’ve got to make the adjustment to back down maybe the aggression. Be aggressive when you swing, but it doesn’t mean you’re swinging at everything.
“You see adjustments all the time, and I think that’s what’s happened basically.”
In any case, after assisting Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in carrying the offense for much of the first half, Marsh’s production has all but disappeared at a time when the Phillies need it.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly plans to deploy a bullpen game Friday or Saturday in New York.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Where’s the depth?
Rather than recalling triple-A starter Alan Rangel to fill the rotation vacancy created by Jesús Luzardo’s sore left shoulder, the Phillies will opt for a bullpen game Friday (or maybe Saturday) in New York and then likely again next week at home.
“It’s nice to have, say, a bulk guy, which probably is 45 to 60 pitches,” Mattingly said. “If you’re able to do that, you’re not using one guy to get [each of] those innings for you instead of three [pitchers total], which leaves you in a better shape the next day. I’m not sure.”
In that case, why not call up Rangel, effectively the No. 6 starter?
“I’m sure we’re probably more comfortable with the guys that we have,” Mattingly said.
Rangel, who started Wednesday night in triple A, was 0-3 with a 5.88 ERA in seven games (three starts) earlier this season. He had a 10.23 ERA in his last five triple-A starts.
Andrew Painter threw a between-starts bullpen session and likely will start Saturday with an extra day of rest. But if the Phillies need to use several relievers Thursday night, Painter could start Friday on regular rest.
Mattingly noted that the Phillies have 10 relievers in the bullpen because of expanded rosters. So, although they lack a true bulk reliever, they can piece together a game.
When the Phillies scratched Luzardo last Saturday night in Atlanta, lefty Tim Mayza completed three innings in only 31 pitches. He could be the choice to start against the Mets.
Mattingly seemed to rule out veteran left-hander Nestor Cortes, who gave up two runs on three hits and struck out three batters on 32 pitches in 1⅔ innings Tuesday night in triple A. Cortes, 32, signed with the Phillies last month after biceps tendon surgery after last season.
“Everything is a possibility, right?” Mattingly said. “But he’s not really built at this point.”
Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller made his first career start at third base Tuesday night in a playoff game for double-A Reading.George Youngs/Reading Fightin Phils
Extra bases
Reading won 21-4 (you read that right) in the opener of the double-A Eastern League semifinal, with the best-of-three series moving to Hartford on Thursday night. Top prospect Aidan Miller made his first career start at third base and went 1-for-5 with three strikeouts; 22-year-old shortstop Bryan Rincon finished with two hits and five RBIs. … Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.69 ERA) is slated to start at 7:15 p.m. Thursday in New York against Mets righty Nolan McLean (11-9, 3.24).
After hearing more horror stories about a dilapidated rental property that was condemned in April, Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan said this week that his office has filed an amended civil complaint against the landlords and is demanding their business and financial records dating back to 2013.
In April, the property on the 100 block of South Main Street in Dublin Borough was declared unsafe and six tenants were effectively evicted, though they received county assistance to secure replacement housing.
Since then, a total of 13 former tenants — including a mother and her 11-year-old child — have complained about the conditions they endured, including years of not having a functional heating system for the building, Khan said.
The 35-page amended complaint names Richard Goetter, Ronald Goetter, and their fictitious business entity, R & R Enterprises, as defendants.
Richard Goetter could not be reached for comment on Wednesday. A person answering a phone number listed for Ronald Goetter in Arizona said he had died recently and declined to comment further.
Richard Goetter, who was described in the amended complaint as going to the property every Friday to collect rent payments, “has made no effort to make these affected tenants whole” since the district attorney’s office filed its lawsuit in April, the complaint said.
Additional tenants have come forward, “each sharing the same or similar descriptions of the disrepair, dangerous conditions, and lack of heat” going back to at least 2020, the complaint said.
“Defendants demanded rent and tenants unfairly paid full rent for a property that did not meet the most basic standards of habitability week after week, month after month, year after year,” the complaint said.
Khan said his office filed the civil complaint in Bucks County Court using the Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to hold the landlords accountable.
The former tenants included a 63-year-old with an amputated leg who lived on the second floor with a roommate and required daily assistance.
The tenant had to provide their own space heater, and paid $230 a week for rent to Richard Goetter when he showed up on Fridays, the complaint said.
“Defendants’ business model profits by forcing vulnerable, low-income tenants to make an impossible choice between staying in an unsafe and unsanitary building today or risking imminent eviction and homelessness tomorrow,” the complaint said.
The alleged violations at the property date back to at least 2013, when a building inspection report said the property had no building-wide heat, the complaint said.
In 2024, Richard Goetter pleaded guilty after the Bucks County Health Department allegedly documented a rodent problem at the property, the complaint said. In 2016 and 2018, the agency received reports of alleged problems about a mice infestation and a toilet.
The building allegedly had black mold in the community bathroom, a large piece of plywood covering a hole in the floor of one of the bathrooms, rodent and cockroach infestations, and the overwhelming odor of human waste.
Khan said on Monday that his office is now pursuing the business and financial records of the defendants dating back to 2013.
Prosecutors are demanding “ownership documents, tax returns, insurance policies, rent payment records, and evidence of any taxpayer-funded emergency rent relief or nonprofit aid the business received since 2013,” the district attorney’s office said.
Prosecutors also are demanding “all written messages between the business partners regarding broken equipment, needed repairs, tenant evictions, and local code violations,” the district attorney’s office said.
“In the more than five months since we filed our action in court, R & R Enterprises has done nothing to make these tenants whole,” Khan said in a statement Monday.
“It’s now time to open up this business’ financial records to show where the money is so that we can help these victims recover and move on with their lives,” Khan said.
On Wednesday, former Eagles center Jason Kelce said “You never want to overreact to Week 1.”
Still, Jason’s warning about reading too much into things too soon didn’t stop him and his brother, Travis, from dissecting all of the ins and outs of the NFL’s opening week on the latest episode of their podcast, New Heights.
‘Find the tight end’
He might be biased, but Travis had some advice for quarterbacks, including the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.
While Jason acknowledged that most people were curious to see what the offense would look like under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, he said his biggest takeaway was how good Hurts looked.
Both brothers credited Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert for helping with what Jason called “awesome plays,” resulting in four catches for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
“This offense I think will fit [Goedert] pretty well,” Jason said. “All this misdirection and stuff, they scheme things up, and it stresses those linebackers.”
He also acknowledged the struggles for the Eagles offensive line, including left guard Landon Dickerson, who was placed on injured reserve with a bone bruise on Monday.
“You could tell he wasn’t redirecting as well as he needs to or has,” Jason said. “And it’s a shame because when he is healthy, he is one of the best guards in the league. So he struggled a little bit in the game, and then I think Cam Jurgens had a couple holding calls. I don’t think he played as bad as I think what Twitter maybe seemed to say.”
Neither Kelce thinks there’s reason to worry just yet as the Eagles settle into this season and the new offense with a 1-0 record, which Travis said it “doesn’t get much better” than.
During a dominant 31-10 Monday Night Football win over the Denver Broncos, Travis became second all-time in receiving yards for a tight end. He currently has 13,073 career yards and passed Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten (13,046) with a 59-yard catch in the third quarter.
But don’t get it twisted. Travis was adamant that it wasn’t a record, despite his brother’s protests that he “broke Jason Witten’s record.” Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez remains the all-time leader with 15,127 career receiving yards.
Just being in conversations with players like Gonzalez, Witten, and other tight end stars from his childhood is a big deal for Travis.
“To be in the same talks as these guys at this point in my career, Jason [Witten], it’s an absolute honor to be in the same conversation as you,” Travis said. “I’ll have to just play another five years to catch Tony.”
Travis also gave credit to the rest of the Chiefs, including Patrick Mahomes, who returned from knee surgeryi and “did what he needed to do,” and running back Kenneth Walker III who, in his first game with the Chiefs, had 173 rushing yards on 23 carries, including a 60-yard touchdown. Walker, the Super Bowl MVP with the Seattle Seahawks last season, added a receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“You can’t say enough about what Kenneth Walker is and what he’s going to be for this, this team and this organization and this city,” Travis said. “He’s one of those Kansas City guys, and you guys in Kansas City that don’t know him yet, to the core of who that guy is. He’s, he’s an A1 person.”
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce climbed the all-time leaderboard for tight end receiving yards on Monday.Charlie Riedel
Down to a science?
The brothers discussed how other teams fared during Week 1. They took a look at how offenses seem to be trending upward with 10 teams scoring 30 or more points on Sunday, which is more than any Week 1 since the stat first started being recorded.
On the topic of firsts, they reviewed the first NFL Australia game, which the San Francisco 49ers won, 27-7, over the Los Angeles Rams.
The brothers focused on the teams’ travel. The Rams made the 15-hour flight one day before the game; the 49ers flew out a week in advance. Jason grew impassioned while not giving these studies much weight.
“To me, all these science, whatever they put in front of the team to sell you on the reason they’re doing it is you can find the science to say whatever … you want to do,” Jason said. “You can pick and pull. They made a whole study out of saying chocolate’s healthy for you because it has, like, antioxidants in it.”
On a rainy May morning, pedestrians and cars passed Liza Ridley on Kensington’s Allegheny Avenue as she stood with a suitcase by her side.
Those passersby, prosecutors said, were unaware that the decomposing and dismembered remains of Ridley’s longtime boyfriend, Vincent Good, were arranged inside.
Those horrific details emerged during Ridley’s preliminary hearing on Wednesday in Common Pleas Court, where prosecutors said Ridley, 54, admitted to shooting Good in the head and leaving his body in their Northeast Philadelphia apartment this spring before moving his remains using a Lyft rideshare.
Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope said Ridley shot Good, 53, seven times in the head and left his body on the couple’s mattress in their Mayfair apartment, sleeping next to the corpse as it decomposed in their room.
The body was likely there for two weeks or longer, prosecutors said. They also accused three people living in Ridley’s home of being complicit in the crime, saying it would have been impossible to ignore that something nefarious had happened to Good.
For example, Pope said, the smell of Good’s decomposition on bedsheets that had been thrown in the trash was so severe, homicide detectives could not bring them inside a police station for evidence processing.
And Pope presented Judge Gregory O. Yorgey-Girdy with additional evidence she said demonstrated Ridley’s culpability in the case.
That included surveillance footage captured at the intersection of F Street and Allegheny Avenue, where, prosecutors said, Ridley got out of a black Toyota and waited with Good’s remains while speaking on the phone.
She had traveled there using Lyft, accessing the rideshare app from an account registered to her daughter Liza Robinson, who lived with the couple, Pope said, citing cell phone data. Ridley eventually abandoned the suitcase in an alley a block away on East Hilton Street and left in another rideshare.
The suitcase was discovered the next day by a passerby who alerted authorities.
“I opened it up, I think it’s a body,” the man told 911 operators on a recorded call played during the hearing. “Oh, my God.”
Liza Ridley wore denim overalls over a white T-shirt as Pope presented those findings.
Prosecutors said Ridley, who was being paid by a contractor to be Good’s home health aide, told investigators that she and Good, who had struggled with alcoholism, had gotten into a fight in April that had turned physical before she shot him once.
Police recovered a six-shot revolver from her apartment, Pope said. Prosecutors say they will show that Ridley fired multiple times.
After hearing that evidence, Yorgey-Girdy held Ridley for trial on charges of murder and nine additional crimes, including abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence.
Meanwhile, the remaining residents of Ridley’s apartment — Ridley’s sister, Bernadette Ridley, Robinson, and Robinson’s boyfriend, Gnaeus Daniels — appeared as codefendants.
Pope said Bernadette Ridley, who had recently moved in with Liza Ridley after returning home from being incarcerated, helped her sister carry Good’s remains down a flight of stairs and load the suitcase into the Lyft.
When homicide detectives interviewed Bernadette Ridley, they testified, she initially denied knowing about Good’s corpse, saying Liza Ridley had told her the foul smell coming from her bedroom was from a nearby sewer.
After being presented with evidence of her involvement, Bernadette Ridley admitted to assisting her sister, prosecutors said.
“‘I know it’s over for me,’” homicide detectives said she told them.
Yorgey-Girdy held Bernadette Ridley for trial on charges of obstructing the law, conspiracy, abuse of a corpse, and related crimes.
But the judge said prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to charge Robinson and Daniels with conspiracy and tampering with evidence, and he dismissed those charges.
Good’s mother, Deborah Good, said in an interview after the hearing that she and other family members were pleased that Liza and Bernadette Ridley’s cases were moving forward, even if the cases against Robinson and Daniels did not stand.
“She did a good job on the case,” Good said of Pope.
Voters in Clementon this week overwhelmingly rejected a $13.5 million school bond question that would have raised property taxes, while a $76 million referendum in Cinnaminson was too close to call.
If approved, the Clementon bond would have been used to build an early childhood center for preschoolers. The measure, according to officials, would have added about $243 annually to the tax bill for a home assessed at the borough average of $115,178.
Meanwhile, the outcome of Tuesday’s special election in Cinnaminson — the largest bond referendum in the district’s history — was too close to call, Burlington County election officials said.
Preliminary results indicate the school bond issue appears to be heading for defeat, officials said. There were 1,632 votes against the proposal and 1,610 in favor, with mail ballots and provisional ballots still being verified and counted, elections officials said. A final count is expected at the end of the month.
The Cinnaminson proposal, which included two questions, would add about $560 annually on a home assessed at the township average of $236,538, according to officials. The funds would be used for improvement projects, classroom additions, HVAC upgrades, new water fountains, and renovated bathrooms.
The first question had to pass for voters to consider a second question. However, the second question was defeated, 1,808-1,491.
Cinnaminson Township Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Cappello has said the district would regroup and figure out next steps if voters rejected the bond questions. Taxpayers are still paying down a 2014 referendum that added about $238 annually to local property taxes.
“The election numbers and the voter response will ultimately drive whether the Board seeks a future referendum,” Cappello said in a statement.
Tuesday was one of five times during the year that school boards may ask voters to approve a bond issue or special question. They are typically used to pay for projects districts cannot readily fund through their annual general operating budgets.
A renovation project to a beloved library should be easy win for a local politician. But plans to rehab the Cecil B. Moore Library have been anything but a win for Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr.
Young and representatives from the Philadelphia Capital Program Office and the Free Library of Philadelphia gave further details on the $2 million in renovations planned for the North Philly library at a community meeting Tuesday. An additional $8 million previously raised and allocated for the project will remain unused for now.
Construction is expected to begin in October on what city officials are calling phase one of a larger project. The initial phasewill include a new accessible building entrance, restrooms, and elevator; HVAC replacement; a new fire-alarm system and water heater; and safety improvements to building exits, they said.
The building at 2320 Cecil B. Moore Ave. will be closed during construction, which is expected to last about six months. During the closure, some limited programming will be available at the nearby MLK Recreation Center at 2101 Cecil B. Moore Ave., according to the Free Library’s neighborhood library services division chief, Joel Nichols.
Other library programming at MLK or elsewhere is under consideration, he said, but it remains unclear whether Cecil B. Moore will have a dedicated satellite branch.
The plan did not go over well with the roughly 100 community members who came for Tuesday’s meeting at MLK Recreation Center. They and other supporters of the library have long been frustrated by how Young has wielded his power of councilmanic prerogative to delay the project for years while pursuing alternative ideas for the site, and has resisted spending the full $10 million that has been raised.
Councilman Jeffery Young Jr. responds to a question from a member of the public during a community meeting, hosted by the councilman and capital projects, at the MLK Recreation Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The meeting centered on the councilmember’s plans for renovating the Cecil B. Moore library.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Young’s responses to their questions did not ease that frustration, as he and capital program office representatives could not provide details about future project phases, citing the need for more community feedback. Throughout the event, residents chanted at Young to release the full funds and yelled back and shook musical instruments while he gave answers. Some held up signs referencing his forthcoming reelection campaign, which spelled out “one term.”
“At what point have you received enough community engagement that you can listen to the community?” asked Allyce Estremera, a Brewerytown resident.
Lack of community input
In a presentation, officials highlighted the library’saging infrastructure and the urgent need for the foundational and safety improvements in their plan. The Cecil B. Moore Library, which opened in 1962, still has its original restrooms and an HVAC system from 1994, they said. The building has been “plagued by deferred maintenance,” said the library system’s deputy director of property management, Ty Dupass.
In his opening remarks, Young acknowledged the role the library has played in the community for generations, and said the renovations would “bring this building back to life.”
Community members have not voiced opposition to renovations included in the first phase. However, residents have been asking Young and the city to proceed with a more comprehensive $5.3 million renovation plan put forth through the city’s Rebuild initiative, which was slated to begin construction in 2024 and could have been completed by now had it begun on schedule. The Rebuild plan would have included the phase one renovations, as well as a dedicated teen space, new flooring, additional computers, exterior upgrades, and more.
Catherine Martin, a AFSCME DC47 Local 2186 member and library worker holds her “Where’s the $8 million” sign during a community meeting, hosted by Councilman Jeffery Young Jr and capital projects, at the MLK Recreation Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The meeting centered on the councilmember’s plans for renovating the Cecil B. Moore library.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
But once Young replaced outgoing Council President Darrell L. Clarke in 2024, he secured an additional $5 million from the city’s capital budget and paused the project. At various points, Young has offered larger development proposals for the library, including a new building or a hybrid space that includes a library and affordable housing. While the housing proposal has been dropped, Young said Tuesday the current library footprint was too small to accommodate the 21st-century features the community deserves.
Young’s spokesperson, Yumeno Young, and Philadelphia Capital Program Office representatives said the remaining $8 million raised for the project remains committed to the library in its current location.
“Leadership is built on trust. And where is the trust? Because they’re not earning it,” said Emily Dumas, 38, who said she does not trust the $8 million would actually go to the current library building.
Nikol Ligon, 56, said she believed Young and the city ought to release the full funding for a wider renovation, and does not like that the Council member seems to have first and last say on a project that means so much to the community.
And Neferteri Raynor, 24, signed up this summer for a community advisory group Young’s office organized to gather feedback, but the group has held no meetings so far.
“We would love to have a level of certainty and transparency,” she said.
Neferteri Raynor asks questions during a community meeting, hosted by Councilman Jeffery Young Jr and capital projects, at the MLK Recreation Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The meeting centered on the councilmember’s plans for renovating the Cecil B. Moore library.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Election preview
Yumeno Young said an assessment may be conducted to determine what additional amenities and renovations could be constructed in the future, given the library’s current footprint, but it is unclear if or when that would happen.
The convoluted planning and decision-making confused State Sen. Sharif Street (D., Philadelphia), who spoke at the meeting in support of the residents.
“I don’t understand any of the process that was said today. … We need to come back with a better plan,” he said.
Members of the public line up for a chance to speak at the community meeting, hosted by Councilman Jeffery Young Jr and capital projects, at the MLK Recreation Center in Philadelphia on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The meeting centered on the councilmember’s plans for renovating the Cecil B. Moore library.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Young largely deferred questions to his spokesperson or the capital program office representatives, and said “we are working on this as a team” when residents implored him to speak more.
Andcommunity members said they were often left more confused by his answers. Siobhan Neitzel, the Brewerytown Sharswood Neighborhood Coalition colead of youth and education, said it felt as if Young was passing accountability onto others.
Some residents brought up the timing of the initial renovations, which are scheduled to be completed shortly before Young, considered the most vulnerable Council member, is on the primary ballot for reelection in May. The residents swore to use the library saga against Young.
While library staff have said they were told by capital program staff the renovation timing was related to Young’s reelection, Young denied there was any connection.
At points during the meeting, Young appeared to get frustrated. He said his goal is to find the best uses for taxpayer money.
“Your voices will be included in the process. … I’m not going to do anything just to do it,” Young said.
“I’m just honored,” Cord said. “The way the fans reached out to me, it’s humbling.”
Cord had no intention to come back, even though his final game — a 30-point loss to the New York Knicks on Mother’s Day that swept the Sixers out of the playoffs — was unsatisfying. Cord was so ready for retirement he and his family booked a trip to Ireland in October to attend the wedding of a friend’s daughter.
Then the Sixers signed James and traded for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, and suddenly Cord was getting calls to reconsider his decision to walk away.
One influential text came from Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
“He wrote, ‘I think you’ve got one more chapter left. I understand if you don’t want to. I’ll always have your back,’” Cord said. ”That was crazy. … I didn’t even know he had my number.”
Iverson was among those to celebrate Cord’s return Wednesday, along with current Sixers Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
“You should’ve never left,” Embiid said in a video shared by the Sixers. “But it’s good to have you back.”
Another factor was the Sixers hadn’t yet announced a replacement, no doubt due to the team’s desire for Cord to reconsider his decision. Just last month, Cord said he ran into Sixers owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris at a Tyrese Maxey Foundation event, where they asked Cord why he retired in the first place.
“Josh and David were like, ‘Are you coming back?’” Cord said. “That kind of made it like, ‘OK, I think I should now.’”
It will be Cord’s 29th season as PA announcer, where his voice has served as the in-game soundtrack for the Sixers dating to the Iverson era.
“A. Six. Foot. Guaaarrrrdddd frooom Georgetown. Number three. Allllleeeeen I-verson,” Cord beamed as he introduced Iverson’s return to the Sixers in 2009. But Cord’s favorite introduction has always been for Jumaine Jones, the former first-round pick who spent only two seasons in Philly (1999-2001).
Cord said his introductions “evolve over the season.” While his calls for Maxey and Embiid are set, he did have to switch gears midway through last season when it came to introducing rookie VJ Edgecombe.
“We all thought his name was pronounced ‘Edge-comb’ for half the season, and Kate Scott came to me … and said it’s really ‘Edge-come,’” Cord said. “The Knicks announcers were calling him that during the playoffs and I was like, ‘Who can I call to let them know they’re saying it wrong?’”
Cord said returning to the Sixers won’t impact his day job on 93.3 WMMR, where he hosts the late Pierre Robert’s former midday slot. It’s Cord’s third stint at the rock station dating to the 1990s. Prior to that, he hosted the morning show on 102.9 WMGK, a slot he filled in 2023 following the retirement of John DeBella.
As for how he’ll introduce James when he takes the court next month, Cord previewed what it might sound like during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic last month.
“At six-nine, from St. Vincent–St. Mary’s. Number twenty three, LeBrooooonnnnnn JAMES! JAMES! JAMES!”
For nearly 40 years, Keith Haring’s We the Youth has been a highlight in Philadelphia’s Point Breeze neighborhood.
The vibrant figures dancing across the facade of a three-bedroom rowhouse at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets is the only collaborative Haring mural that remains intact in its original location.
Now it’s one step closer to being added to the city’s Register of Historic Places. On Wednesday, an advisory group of the Philadelphia Historical Commission unanimously approved its nomination to be included.
If approved at next month’s Philadelphia Historical Commission meeting, the mural will be added to the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. That would make it the first outdoor mural to be an officially designated and protected landmark in the city’s history. It’ll be only the fifth mural to be designated as such, after The Dream Garden inside the Curtis Center, the New Deal-era murals inside the Family Court building, the frescoed ceiling at Old City’s St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church, and Iron Plantation Near Southwark inside the Southwark Station Post Office in South Philly.
Keith Haring, who died in 1990, with his painted carousel. MUST CREDIT: Sabina Sarnitz/Luna Luna/Keith Haring Foundation/Artestar
Haring, the Reading, Pa., native, whose bold drawings and vivacious paintings meld the worlds of graffiti and contemporary art, became one of the defining artists of his generation. He died in 1990, at age 31, due to AIDS-related complications.
In 1987, Haring and a group of 14 Philly and New York students collaborated on We the Youth to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.
In 2013, Mural Arts Philadelphia undertook a massive restoration of the Haring mural, located on a shared party wall at 2147 and 2149 Ellsworth Streets. In recent months, organizations have advocated for the designation of the pop artist’s mural.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the nomination was presented by Alex Till, a historic preservation planner for the City of Philadelphia, who referenced designation criteria A and E because of the mural’s artistic and cultural significance.
“We the Youth” sits at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets, with a small park next to it. Photo from 2013.Steve Weinik / Mural Arts Philadelphia
According to the City of Philadelphia website, criteria A is considered for “significant character, interest, or value as part of the development, heritage, or cultural characteristics of the City, Commonwealth, or Nation or be associated with the life of a person significant in the past.” Criteria E is for the work of a “designer, architect, landscape architect or designer, or engineer whose work has significantly influenced the historical, architectural, economic, social, or cultural development of the City, Commonwealth, or Nation,” according to the website.
Till was joined by Mural Arts Philadelphia founder and former leader Jane Golden; Jenny Greenberg, executive director of the Neighborhood Gardens Trust; and Simon Castets, executive director of the Keith Haring Foundation.
Golden said the mural is a part of the “unique fabric of Philadelphia.”
“There are few opportunities to preserve history while it is still physically present and still connected to our city and our community. This is the moment,” Golden said.
Erica Bryant mimics a Keith Haring figure. “We the Youth,” a Keith Haring mural created in 1987 at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets, has been restored by artists from the Mural Arts Program. Photo from 2013. ( MICHAEL S. WIRTZ / Staff Photographer )Michael S. Wirtz / Staff Photographer
Greenberg said amid the ongoing threat of development and gentrification in this city, it is almost rare to find a mural that has been at the same site for 40 years. And this is why historical designation is necessary.
“The mural’s location reflects Haring’s commitment to making art accessible to the public, regardless of socioeconomic status, and to engaging young people as creative partners,” she said.
The advisory group, comprising architects, historians, and preservation experts, agreed that the mural meets the criteria. After nearly an hour of deliberation, including comments from Philadelphia residents who tuned into the Zoom meeting, the group approved the nomination and recommended it to the commission for next month’s meeting.
The commission will vote Oct. 9. If approved, We the Youth would be the city’s first designated mural in over four years.
A potential historic designation will not affect the larger property and will be restricted to the mural and the wall it is painted on. The building’s owner will be required to maintain the structural integrity of the wall and commit to set obligations, with Mural Arts making any necessary restorations to the mural itself.
If the mural is designated, the building’s owner, listed as “2147 Ellsworth LLC” in city records, will not be allowed to remove or alter the appearance of the mural without the Historic Commission’s review.
While speakers were impassioned by the possibility of historical designation, 2147 Ellsworth LLC manager Ori Feibush, serving as a representative at Wednesday’s committee meeting, opposed the nomination.
Kutztown, Pa., native Keith Haring came back to Philadelphia at the height of his worldwide popularity in 1987 and painted a mural at 22nd & Ellsworth Streets with the help of neighborhood kids from the Brandywine Workshop. This photo, from May 27, 1999, shows the mural before restoration. (Tom Gralish/Staff photographer)
Feibush warned that the designation would impede the building’s renovation efforts, which may require the demolition of the rowhouse’s interior, based on analysis from engineers. Since purchasing the property eight years ago, Feibush said his company has worked diligently to reduce water infiltration and minimize movement to “preserve the mural.”
Despite years of efforts, he said, the mural has delaminated from the underlying salmon brick and is in a fragile condition.
“The removal and, ultimately, reinstallation of the mural here is the only path to create something that can be here long term,” Feibush said.
By gaining historical designation, he said, there will be temporary plans made to preserve the site, rather than long-term fixes that will ensure the mural lasts “another 100 years,” rather than the five to seven he projects.
“We the Youth,” a Keith Haring mural painted in 1987 at 22nd and Ellsworth Streets, was restored to its original vibrancy in 2013 by the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. [File Photo]Michael S. Wirtz / Staff Photographer
“This mural we hope will forever be at this location, but the only way this location could have a mural is without a designation,” he said.
Committee member Jeff Cohen was one of several who questioned whether historical designation and preservation could happen simultaneously. He and his fellow member Elizabeth Milroy agreed that both methods should be carefully studied and explored before next month’s commission meeting, ensuring that all scenarios are properly vetted and that all attendees’ views are considered.
The committee then opened the meeting to the public. Several Point Breeze residents, many of whom live within walking distance of the mural, supported the historical designation.
An earlier version of the article misstated the murals included in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. It has been updated to include the frescoed ceiling at St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic Church in Old City.
William Johnson Jr., 95, of Philadelphia, a former Army dentist in France who later practiced for more than 40 years in Northwest Philadelphia, and a star distance runner at Norristown Area High School, the Penn Relays, and elsewhere, died Wednesday, Aug. 26, of congestive heart failure at his home near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Dr. Johnson grew up in Norristown, was part of his high school’s meet-winning mile and two-mile relay teams, and enlisted in the Army after graduating from New York University in the 1950s. His mother, Mary, wanted him to be a doctor. So, after she died when he was 6, he went on to earn a dental degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.
He spent five years as an Army dentist in France in the 1960s, reveled in the sophisticated social and cultural atmosphere in Paris at the time, and set up his own practice in the 1970s for what he saw were underserved communities around Chew Avenue and Slocum Street. He and his family lived above the first-floor office, and his son, Bill, and daughter, Jacqueline, both worked with him for a time.
“When we were young, he would tell us to stop running when he had patients,” his daughter said. His son processed X-rays and did other chores in the back room. “On Saturdays,” he said, “the office would be full of people of color. That’s how much he was needed.”
Dr. Johnson was an Army dentist in France. Courtesy of the family
Dr. Johnson finally retired in 2014, at 83. Even then, his wife, Liz, said, “his loyal patients were reluctant to see him retire.”
Away from his patients, Dr. Johnson was a dedicated runner who rarely missed a daily workout. Wednesdays were half days at the office, so he saved his most grueling runs of the week for then.
“He wore a ski mask sometimes when it was cold,” his son said, “and when he was done it would be covered with ice.”
He won mile relay, two-mile relay, and other long distance races in high school in the 1940s, ran for the college team at NYU, and later finished first in masters division races at the Penn Relays. He was a longtime member of the Freedom Striders running club and most often ran in the lead pack in the Broad Street Run and other big road races.
Dr. Johnson (right) doted on his daughter, Jacqueline, and son, Bill.Courtesy of the family
He was also an amateur historian who loved to hash over stories about the old days in Philadelphia and Norristown. “He was analytical and liked to laugh,” his son said. “He was a model for me about the value of hard work and being humble.”
William Johnson Jr. was born Feb. 24, 1931, in Norristown. He lived with his father, William Sr., sister Jean, and brother Eddie after his mother died, and developed what his children called a “deep sense of family, independence, and faith.”
He played football as well as track in high school, joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity at NYU, and worked in the New York garment district to make money. He enlisted in the Army after graduation to attend dental school.
He met Susie Jeffries in Tennessee while at Meharry, and they married, lived in Orléans, France, and moved to Philadelphia after he left the Army. They had two children. They divorced later.
Dr. Johnson and his wife, Liz, were both dedicated runners. Courtesy of the family
In the 1990s, Dr. Johnson moved to the Art Museum area and married Liz Goldberg, also a dedicated runner. He and his wife traveled the world together, and she called him “an exuberant and colorful spirit” who “brought energy and joy to those around him.”
Dr. Johnson was interested in fashion, especially Ralph Lauren, and he and his daughter shopped together frequently. He liked music, French food, art shows, and gardening.
His son said: “A lot of people have told me: ‘Your dad was the best.’”
In addition to his wife, children, and former wife, Dr. Johnson is survived by four grandchildren and other relatives. His sister and brother died earlier.
Private services were held earlier.
Donations in his name may be made to Meharry Medical College, 1005 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd., Nashville, Tenn. 37208.
Dr. Johnson, right above and below, enjoyed time with his family. Courtesy of the family
