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Marcus Mariota to start for Titans vs. Eagles on Sunday

Getty Images

Marcus Mariota is back.

Titans coach Mike Vrabel announced today that Mariota will start for Tennessee on Sunday against Philadelphia. Last week Mariota was suffering with an elbow injury and didn’t start, although he did enter the game after starter Blaine Gabbert suffered a concussion. This week, Gabbert may be out and the newly signed Austin Davis may be No. 2 behind Mariota.

“Blaine’s still in the protocol, we’re getting Austin ready to back up and Marcus will be the starter. We’re getting excited about that because he’s getting better,” Vrabel said.

Neither Mariota nor Gabbert has played well this season: Gabbert has a passer rating of 68.9, while Mariota has a passer rating of 53.9. The Titans will need better than that from the quarterback position if they’re going to beat the Eagles.

Source: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/09/26/marcus-mariota-to-start-for-titans-vs-eagles-on-sunday/

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Eight Philly locales likely to be off limits for medical marijuana dispensaries

Philadelphia Councilman Curtis Jones doesn’t want City Line Avenue to become “the Atlantic City of recreational and medical marijuana.”

That’s why he introduced a bill last year to ban medical marijuana dispensaries from City Line between the Schuylkill Expressway and the city’s boundary, as well as from seven other stretches of roadway in his district. This week it passed City Council and — given that Mayor Jim Kenney prides himself on never having vetoed a piece of legislation — it’s expected to become law.

“I am for medical marijuana, but I am not for the overproliferation of those types of dispensaries in one neighborhood,” said Jones.

Cure Pennsylvania on City Line is one of the five dispensaries currently operating within city limits, according to Pennsylvania’s Department of Health’s website.

But there is a pending permit for a proposed dispensary location less than a mile away on the Philly side of the street, and another pending application for a dispensary on the Lower Merion side.

“If you have too many bars in one location, you become a location destination for alcohol,” said Jones. “This is the same. We don’t want to be known for that,”

At least one other council member, Brian O’Neill, is preparing similar legislation for commercial areas in his Far Northeast district.  

Jones’ bill bans medical cannabis facilities from eight locations in neighborhoods in his district including Overbrook Farms and Roxborough. It also requires those seeking a license to open such a facility to meet with their local registered community organization, even if they don’t need zoning relief.

Jones said he fears that medical marijuana dispensaries could rapidly turn into recreational weed shops if Pennsylvania should  legalize the drug.

“It is pretty disappointing that City Council and Philadelphia are laying out the unwelcome mat for medical cannabis dispensaries and future cannabis industry in Philadelphia,” said Chris Goldstein, an organizer with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. “There shouldn’t be any neighborhood that bans medical cannabis dispensaries or makes it more difficult for them to open. They should be limited only by the patient population in Philadelphia, which is growing every day.”

Although Kenney is not likely to veto the legislation, the city Planning Commission opposed the bill because of the citywide requirements that those seeking to open a medical marijuana facility alert neighbors of their intentions.

“Creating one use in the entire Zoning Code that has special notification requirements may prove to be exclusionary and possibly conflict with state law,” said Marty Gregorski of the Planning Commission at a City Council hearing on the bill last month. “There are a number of other uses where medicine can be obtained where there is no such notification requirement, such as pharmacies, doctor’s offices and clinics. This could create a dangerous precedent.”

Jones highlighted one dispensary on Main Street in Manayunk in his district as an example of a well-situated location. Although he was fine with one dispensary on City Line, Jones said he grew concerned when a concentration of them started to develop.

In 2017, Councilwoman Cherelle Parker led West Oak Lane residents to defeat an effort to establish a medical marijuana dispensary in her district, even paying for buses to drive supporters to the Zoning Board of Adjustment hearings.

Both Jones and Goldstein cited her successful campaign to stop TerraVida Holistic Centers from opening up shop. The marijuana advocate said that was another example of City Council chilling the nascent industry, whereas Jones called Parker as inspiration for his bill.

“Parker is the pioneer who beat down an attempt to come into her neighborhood where it was also a location issue,” said Jones, before turning philosophical.  

“Quite frankly, I have glaucoma, someday I may be a customer — you never know,” said Jones. “But where I go and get it, and what traffic it creates, and what type of traffic it creates, is a problem.”

Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/05/03/eight-philly-locales-likely-to-be-off-limits-for-medical-marijuana-dispensaries

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Eagles Draft Profile: Six things to know about Clayton Thorson

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson with the No. 167 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

In order to learn more about Thorson, I reached out to SB Nation’s Northwestern blog: Inside NU. Wildcats writer Noah Coffman was kind enough to answer my questions. Here we go.

1) Can you sum up what Thorson’s college career was like?

Clayton Thorson’s career was, well, up and down. His best individual season was as a sophomore, when he put up 6.7 adjusted yards per attempt along with 27 total touchdowns and just 9 interceptions. That was also the only season that he had a solid supporting cast, featuring slot receiver Austin Carr (who is now a depth piece for the Saints) and Justin Jackson, now a running back for the Chargers. His junior year featured a bit of backslide statistically, and in his final season starting, coming back from an ACL tear, he was clearly hobbled early in the year and was constrained to a more game manager-like role.

2) What are his strengths?

Thorson can make all the throws. His arm strength is definitely there, to go along with his physique, and during his time at Northwestern he hit some gorgeous deep balls and tough throws. He also has the arm strength to get the ball into small windows. His mechanics are solid and he doesn’t take too long to get the ball out. When you just look at his throwing ability, Clayton Thorson is pretty much the ideal passer. Despite being constrained by a pretty vanilla playbook offensively, Thorson also showed the makings of a clutch gene in Evanston, engineering key drives with important throws time and again. He suffered from a bland offense that constrained him in a lot of ways, but for the most part, when Clayton Thorson had to make big plays, he made them.

3) What are his weaknesses?

During his time in college, Thorson was pretty inconsistent throwing the ball down the field. Northwestern has never really had a consistent deep threat during his time on the team, but Thorson also didn’t show the ability to replicate great throws over the top, and was a bit more mistake (read: turnover)-prone than one would like. He also really struggled to avoid sacks, despite being relatively mobile, holding onto the ball for too long. The ACL tear made him a bit cautious last year when it came to scrambling, but hopefully with a year of recovery that can return to the strength it was at times pre-injury.

4) Are you surprised where he was drafted? Higher or lower than expected? Just right?

This is about where I expected Thorson to go. He profiles as a reliable back-up who can make the throws NFL teams need him to in a pinch, but needs some time and hard work to be consistent enough to earn a starting look. Some experts had him going at the end of the third round, but most agreed he was an early Day 3 guy. The buzz about him pre-draft was coming from the Panthers and Patriots, two teams looking primarily for a backup with some ability to develop beneath an established starter. That obviously applies to the Eagles, too (although Wentz is a bit younger than Newton and especially Brady) so the pick and placement makes all kinds of sense.

5) How do you see his NFL career playing out?

It would take a couple of breaks and some really good development for Thorson to become a reliable NFL starter, though I don’t think it’s impossible. For a rookie, he’s a relatively high-floor guy who knows the game, and I think he will be a reliable NFL backup for a long time. Thorson doesn’t profile developmentally as a franchise quarterback, at least not developmentally, but I do think that whatever team he is on will be happy to have him around. As a Bears fan, I’d certainly be happy with a developing Thorson as my team’s backup, and I think Eagles fans should largely feel the same if he earns that spot.

6) Anything to know about him off the field?

Thorson is one of the best interviews I’ve had during my time at Northwestern. Just a great guy who doesn’t really get on anyone’s bad side, will crack jokes with the media, and generally an impressive all-around man. He is also a devout Christian, who references his faith a decent amount, and was married at the end of his redshirt-junior season (right after he graduated). He and his wife Audrey will celebrate their one-year anniversary in about a month.

Highlights:

Spider graph:

More reading:

The dizzying highs and terrifying lows of Clayton Thorson

Clayton Thorson 2019 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/5/17/18629004/eagles-draft-profile-clayton-thorson-six-things-know-big-plays-made-them-quarterback-northwestern-qb

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Flyers Hire Alain Vigneault As Head Coach

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said his head coaching search wouldn’t last long, and it didn’t. The Flyers have their new bench boss. The Flyers on Monday hired Alain Vigneault as their head coach.

Vigneault comes to the Flyers with a strong track record, having previously coached the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers both to the Stanley Cup Final. He last coached the Rangers for five seasons.

“It is an honor to be selected as the next head coach of the Flyers,” Vigneault said in a statement. “The history they have established and the passionate fan base has made this a first-class franchise. I am excited to work with Chuck, the talented group of players and prospects coming up through the system, in order to return Philadelphia to the top of the NHL landscape.”

The ‘Bias For Action’ Begins Now For Chuck Fletcher, Flyers

Vigneault has a career winning percentage of .588 over 16 years as an NHL head coach. His teams have made the playoffs 11 times and produced 100-point seasons in eight of his last 11 seasons.

“We are extremely excited to have Alain join this franchise and lead our team behind the bench for many years to come,” Fletcher said. “He brings a tremendous amount of success over an extended period of time that will prove valuable to our team to take the next steps in returning the winning culture to the Philadelphia Flyers organization.”

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/04/15/philadelphia-flyers-hire-alain-vigneault-head-coach/

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Rantanen Scores Twice, Leads Avalanche Past Flyers 4-1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had two goals, Matt Nieto and Gabriel Landeskog also scored, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Monday night.

The Avalanche continued their early-season hot streak and finished 3-0-1 on their four-game road trip. Landeskog had a hat trick on the trip against New Jersey and clinched this one with his eighth goal of the season early in the third period.

Semyon Varlamov was solid in net and stopped 37 shots.

The Flyers continued to push their rookie mascot Gritty, giving out T-shirts and running fun facts (“Gritty has been known to use the express lane at the grocery story even when he buys more than 15 items”) on the big screen of the furry fan favorite. But the frivolity can’t mask the problems for a Flyers’ team that suffered its third home loss of the season and continued to struggle in the defensive zone.

Rantanen needed only 3:23 to beat Brian Elliott for his third goal of the season and the quick lead. Nathan MacKinnon set up Rantanen for the power-play score, and they became the first players in franchise history with concurrent nine-game point streaks to start the season.

Nieto was left open on the left side to score his first goal of the season in the second.

Flyers captain Claude Giroux lost the puck in the offensive zone and Landeskog capitalized with a breakaway goal for a 3-0 lead.

The fans chanted for Gritty.

The best they got was a slapper from Nolan Patrick to cut it to 3-1.

The Avalanche continued to get production from perhaps the best top line in the NHL. MacKinnon has a goal in seven of nine games, and his eight even-strength goals lead the NHL. Rantanen is in the top-five in scoring, and Landeskog has been a dominant goal scorer. Rantanen added an unassisted empty-netter in the final 90 seconds to squash any thought of a Flyers’ comeback.

NOTES: Flyers F Michael Raffl left with an unspecified lower-body injury. … Flyers D Shayne Gostisbehere seemed in pain and was down on the ice for a bit after a collision in the third with Landeskog. … Joe Sakic and Anton Stastny each had a point in eight straight games to open the 1988-89 season when the franchise was still in Quebec. … The Flyers have yet to win consecutive games this season. … Landeskog was named the NHL first star of the week.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: Return home Wednesday to play Tampa Bay.

Flyers: Thursday at Boston.

(Copyright 2018 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/10/22/rantanen-scores-twice-leads-avalanche-past-flyers-4-1/

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76ers Team With NBA Veteran Jason Collins To Host Pride Discussion & Clinic For LGBTQ Youth

The word pride is defined as “the quality or state of being proud,” and that was the atmosphere fostered for all of the participants in the Philadelphia 76ers’ Pride Community Conversation & Basketball Clinic on June 28.

In partnership with 13-year NBA veteran and NBA Cares ambassador Jason Collins, and in conjunction with the NBA Voices platform, the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the event at Mastery Cramer Hill School for 30 youth from Camden’s LUCY Outreach.

LUCY Outreach serves members of the LGBT community, as well as its allies, and aims to empower Camden youth to become socially responsible adults, who make a positive difference throughout their community.

During this community gathering, youth participants had the opportunity to engage in a panel discussion focused on the Coming Out journey, current issues facing LGBT youth, and much more. The panel was moderated by University of Pennsylvania Chaplain Chaz Howard and featured Collins, along with Executive Director of Social Responsibility for the Philadelphia 76ers Amy Hever, Program Coordinator at the Rutgers University-Camden Office of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Cameron Whitley, and lead organizer of Valley Youth Houses’ Pride Task Force Pedro Santiago.

The event was held on the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City. Police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, which sparked a riot among bar patrons and neighborhood residents as police roughly hauled employees and patrons out of the bar, leading to six days of protest and violent clashes with law enforcement. The series of events served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world.

“Today will leave an impact on our youth for a long time to come,” said Kristin Prinn, Founder and Executive Director of LUCY Outreach. “The youth hung on every word each panelist shared. They carried heavy hearts hearing the stories about each panelists’ journey, which were all too relatable — stories of losing friends and family and the feeling of rejection and not being good enough.”

Following the interactive, in-depth conversation, all 30 youth took to the court for a signature 76ers youth basketball clinic led by Collins, Jr. Sixers coaches, and members of the Sixers Dunk Squad, presented by Dunkin’ Donuts. The youth were taught basic fundamentals of the sport, along with the importance of positive social-emotional characteristics such as teamwork and leadership. This unifying day closed with the youth of LUCY Outreach presenting Collins with a custom 76ers No. 98 jersey. Throughout his tenure in the NBA, Collins wore the number to honor and remember Matthew Shepard, a Wyoming teen who had his life taken away from him due to his sexual orientation in 1998.

As part of Pride Month, the 76ers continued their strong commitment to diversity and inclusion by participating in the annual Philly Pride Parade. Earlier this month, more than 50 76ers staff members, including team President Chris Heck, represented the organization during the parade.

This month, and every month, the 76ers are dedicated to celebrating all of the fans who make up their widely-diverse fan base. To stay up to date on all of the 76ers work throughout their local communities, follow @SIXERSSTRONG.

Source: https://www.nba.com/sixers/76ers-team-nba-veteran-jason-collins-host-pride-discussion-clinic-lgbtq-youth

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Five Questions You Should Ask Candidates Before Signing Their Petitions

Opinion

Candidates running in Philly’s May primary have until March 12th to gather enough signatures to get on the ballot. Here’s how to make your brief interaction count.

Petition season is here. Photograph by pink_cotton_candy/Getty Images

Next Tuesday, March 12th, is the final deadline for candidates running in Philadelphia’s May 21st primary election to submit their petition signatures to get on the ballot. There are more than two dozen individuals who have voiced interest in running for City Council, with other challengers vying for mayor, city commissioner, sheriff, and judge. By now, you may have already had someone come up to you and ask you to sign to support a particular candidate’s bid. If not, expect that to change as candidates and their surrogates enter the home stretch.

For candidates, getting on the ballot is often one of the most challenging moments of the campaign. But for voters, it can be an opportunity to ask political hopefuls legitimate questions that can help you (and, ideally, them) decide if they’re the best person for the job.

Remember: You can’t necessarily sign every petition that’s put in front of you, so choose responsibly. First, you can only sign petitions for candidates whose party matches your voter registration — so a registered Republican cannot sign a Democrat’s nominating petition, and vice versa. You’re also limited to the number of open seats for that particular office. Since there are five at-large City Council seats open for Democratic candidates, you can only sign the petitions of up to five Democratic candidates; for mayor, however, you can sign only one petition. And if you’re a registered independent, you’ll have to wait until independents are allowed to start circulating their petitions for the general election, which begins on March 13th.

Here are five questions to ask candidates and their surrogates on the campaign trail:

What makes you stand out from other candidates?

Every candidate should have a good answer for what makes them unique in a field that often contains people with similar platform issues or ties to similar racial, political, and cultural groups. For example, although Sherrie Cohen and Adrian Rivera-Reyes are both LGBTQ City Council at-large candidates, they have different approaches for achieving victory: Cohen is running with a grassroots “movement,” while Rivera-Reyes is hoping to appeal to millennial progressives. Asking this question helps you, the voter, remember them and see how they envision their campaign.

What’s the one major issue you plan to address?

Candidates run on a mass of issues to try to appeal to a wide swath of people, but deep down they generally have one issue they want to tackle head-on. Whether it’s poverty or criminal justice reform, nail them down to one thing that will help you decide whether you’re interested in their bid. While City Council candidate Erika Almirón is running on a myriad of campaign issues, one central tenet of her platform is immigration reform. Having this kind of focused information could be especially helpful in selecting among all those at-large Council candidates.

Who’s already backing you?

What coalitions are already supporting a candidate says a lot about them. The difference between having the backing of corporations or grassroots community activists speaks volumes. For example, Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez isn’t backed by the Democratic party, and she has also made it a point to be critical of the role that the Local 98 has played in her contested race. Knowing who has ties to a candidate also gives you the head’s up on what agenda they’re likely to favor.

What’s the last job you succeeded in?

Seeing where and how a candidate defines success lets you know their priorities. Were they a successful attorney, activist, or corporate magnate? For City Council at Large candidate Katherine Gilmore Richardson, it comes from her previous work with Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown. For City Council district challenger Jamie Gauthier, it was serving as the former executive director of the Fairmount Park Conservatory. All of these various job titles can help you decide whether you care for the values/skills these candidates learned from previous work.

What will you do if you lose?

All candidates believe that they will win, but knowing how they will continue to lead if they unfortunately don’t is crucial. Will they end up continuing down the corporate track like 2015 mayoral hopeful Doug Oliver, or will they run again like third-time City Council candidate Isaiah Thomas? Knowing how these candidates plan to contribute to the city if defeated can help you decide whether their overall motivation deserves support.

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2019/03/06/elections-city-council-ballot-pettion/

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Joel Embiid, Sixers Embarrass Raptors, 116-95, To Take Series Lead

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid refused to get tripped up back home in the postseason, scoring 33 points and playing to the “MVP!” chants to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 116-95 victory over Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.

Philadelphia took a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Embiid also had 10 rebounds, shaking off a pair of passive games and became the driving force on offense the Sixers needed as they chase their first NBA championship since 1983.

He made the game his own in the third quarter and helped the Sixers put away a Raptors team badly overmatched outside of Kawhi Leonard’s one-man gang performance.

Embiid struck a chord when he buried a 3 in the third that stretched Philadelphia’s lead to 12. That was start of a string of plays that got Toronto’s attention. Embiid chased a loose ball and was tripped when Pascal Siakam intentionally stuck out his right leg and sent Philly’s All-Star tumbling to the court. The crowd went wild and Siakam was hit with a flagrant foul. Embiid made both free throws as fans — including some of Philadelphia’s biggest sports stars — serenaded him with chants of “MVP! MVP!”

Jimmy Butler, the Game 2 star, dunked off his own steal and the Sixers had quickly put the game out of reach. Butler had 22 points.

Embiid scored another layup and waved his arms and pointed with a smile as wide as the hoop. Embiid went 9 of 18 from the floor and made 12 of 13 free throws.

It was moments like this why the 76ers endured the painful Process — the years of tanking seasons for high draft picks, like in 2014 when they drafted Embiid with the No. 3 overall pick.

Hall of Famer Allen Iverson and rapper Meek Mill engaged in a lengthy embrace from the courtside seats and the Sixers are two wins away from their Eastern Conference final appearance since 2001.

The Sixers just had to survive Leonard.

Leonard toyed with Ben Simmons in the third to lead Toronto’s charge back into the game. The Raptors ran Simmons through screens to give Leonard the space he needed to create and bury open jumpers. And when there was no space, Leonard simply bullied his way to the basket. He shoved a right elbow into James Ennis III and spun around him for a two-handed jam. Leonard made all six baskets and scored 14 points in the quarter to cut the deficit to eight points.

Leonard scored 33 points for the Raptors, and Siakam had 20.

The Sixers were grateful with a series split against the Raptors after suffering a losing streak in Toronto that dated to 2012. They returned home to a delirious crowd amped for one of the most crucial games of the Process era.

Embiid averaged only 14 points and shot 28 percent (7 of 25) from the floor in the first two games and was tied up by Marc Gasol in frustrating fashion.

Not in Game 3. Embiid buried a 3 and followed with a sweet spin move on Gasol the next time down that got the Sixers rolling. The franchise center’s sweetest play came when he blocked Leonard’s layup in the lane, hustled back and got the ball in his hands, and connected with Tobias Harris in the corner for a 3. Embiid scored 18 points in the half and pushed the Sixers to a 64-53 lead at the break.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Serge Ibaka was hit with a flagrant foul on JJ Redick in the first quarter.

76ers: Simmons, an Australian, smacked Kyle Lowry right in the land down under and sent the Raptors guard down and smacking the court in pain. … Greg Monroe (sprained left ankle) and Mike Scott (right foot) played … Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins, Flyers star James van Riemsdyk and Eagles QB Carson Wentz rang the ceremonial Liberty Bell to start the game.

UP NEXT

Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia.

(©Copyright 2019 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/05/02/joel-embiid-sixers-raptors-series-lead-nba-playoffs/

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Johnny Mañana’s Goes All in on Day of the Dead Decor in Callowhill

Johnny Mañana’s, which closed in East Falls in 2016 after almost 15 years, is getting a second life in Callowhill. Owner Tim Bonnie revives his Mexican-American eatery this week in its new home in the Goldtex apartment building at 315 N. 12th Street, in what was previously Brick & Mortar. It’s open now.

Bonnie and co-owner Bianca DeSantis went kitschy for the look — it’s almost a caricature of what Mexican restaurants in the U.S. often look like, with a sombrero and mustache on the logo, Day of the Dead decor, and an Aztec-style design on the wall.

They’re calling the food Mexican and Southwestern. Look for tacos, fajitas, burritos, wings, and nachos. The signature drink here is a $5 classic margarita (also available in a 32-ounce version for $10).

The restaurant will start with dinner and add lunch hours later this month. Next door is coffee shop Elixir, which opened in the building last year.

Take a spin, and scroll down for the menu:

Briana Sposato/In Between Rivers

Briana Sposato/In Between Rivers

Briana Sposato/In Between Rivers

Briana Sposato/In Between Rivers

Briana Sposato/In Between Rivers

Briana Sposato/In Between Rivers

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Source: https://philly.eater.com/2019/2/12/18222097/johnny-mananas-mexican-restaurant-philadelphia-opening-menu-hours

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Comparing Eagles players to characters from the Avengers Endgame

Since it’s a Friday in the middle of May, I thought we could do something a little different. With the new Avengers movie fresh on everyone’s mind, I wanted to take a stab at seeing which Eagles players would best fit the role for each Avengers character. Please note, and I hope I don’t even need to say this, that the genders and races of each of the characters has not been considered in this exercise. Instead, the abilities of the superheros as well as the demeanor of each character has been. Also, NO SPOILERS ARE IN THIS ARTICLE BECAUSE I’M NOT A MONSTER!!! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Captain America - Carson Wentz

Oh Captain, my Captain. Just as Captain America metaphorically represents the great country of The United States of America, Carson Wentz represents everything Philadelphia. The man scored a TD with a torn ACL for Heaven’s sake. In addition to this, Captain America is known for being a militarily trained expert field tactician, while Wentz is a trained football field tactician.

Iron Man - Chris Long

From the day Chris Long signed with the Eagles, he has been a fan favorite, just as Tony Stark is with Marvel fans. Like Stark, Long is known for his witty sense of humor and his affinity for nerd culture (aka the finer things in life). Long even has enough money that he is content donating his entire salary for a year to charity while still giving his best day in and day out. Finally, like Iron Man, Long’s days with the Eagles could potentially be numbered.

Thor - Lane Johnson

When I think of Thor, I think of a strong, likable guy with a quick sense of humor and a slight accent. Who better fits this mold than our guy, Lane Johnson? Not to mention, who else would be able to pick up that hammer?

Hulk - Jason Peters

JP, like Dr. Bruce Banner, is wise beyond his years. He known for being the largest man in the room, and his loyalty is unquestioned. In the newest film, Hulk even does his best to grow a cute little beard, which would only make him an even better fit.

Spider-man - Nelson Agholor

Peter Parker and Nelson Agholor are both known for their friendly demeanor and seemingly innocent persona, yet when the daylight fades, both have been known to find themselves smack dab in the middle of some trouble. Jokes aside, Nelson is a small, quick player who can easily be underestimated, just as a teenager from NYC who doubles a super hero could be.

Star-Lord - Jason Kelce

Seriously, which other player could you envision walking across the surface of a foreign planet singing “Come and get your love” by Redbone? Peter Quill has become known for his silly sense of humor, and if giving an all-time great speech in a Mummers costume isn’t silly, I don’t know what is.

Drax the Destroyer - Fletcher Cox

Straight from Drax’s Wikipedia page: “[Drax’s] powers included superhuman strength, stamina and resistance to physical injury as well the ability to project concussive blasts [of energy]. Tell me that’s not our boy, Cox? I’m not sure how literal Fletcher takes things, but I am sure that I wouldn’t want to find out.

Rocket Raccoon - Ronald Darby

No one would be intimidated — or at least that intimidated — by a lone raccoon, right? However if that raccoon has armor, a pistol, a jet pack, and a group of super-power-possessing friends, like Rocket does, it’s a completely different story. That’s kind of how Darby is. He’s really not that big of a threat by himself, but when paired with a menacing defensive line and a strong safety net (see what I did there?) behind him, Darby is capable of being a solid player.

Groot - Brandon Brooks

While I must admit, BB has a tremendous Twitter presence, but I can’t honestly say that I’ve heard him say a word in real life. All I’m saying is that I can’t rule out the possibility that he can say anything other than “I am Brandon.”

Nebula - Zach Ertz

We are currently experiencing what is likely Nebula’s cinematic climax, and similarly Zach Ertz has probably peaked out. This isn’t a bad thing, however, as Zach Ertz is one of the most dangerous players at his position in the game, just as Nebula is one B.A.M.F.

Black Panther - Malcolm Jenkins

Named after the large cat of the same name, the Black Panther is known for his ability to hunt down his enemies, rarely letting one slip by. Jenkins dominates the field and is often found “hunting down enemies” himself. In addition to this, the Black Panther is the leader of a massive army, a stylish man, and regularly demonstrates his value off of the “battlefield”. Malcolm Jenkins is known as a community leader who is constantly thinking of ways to make change for the better.

Black Widow - Nigel Bradham

Black Widow is among the best athletes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Bradham is certainly a monster of an athlete himself. Black Widow also has a bio-enhanced body that prevents aging and injury. Maybe Bradham, who has missed just two games over his three seasons with the Eagles, should be tested for that...

Captain Marvel - Jordan Howard

In both cases, the newest addition to the team, but also one not to be feared. If their pasts are any indication of their future, the opposing forces better watch out.

Hawkeye - Jake Elliott

All I’m gonna say is, which Avenger would YOU trust from 61 yards out?

Doctor Strange - Jalen Mills

75% chance Jalen Mills owns a cape

Hard to specifically say why you need either of them on the team, but its undeniable that you do.

Ant-Man - DeSean Jackson

Both Ant-Man and DeSean Jackson are tiny little terrors that you’d rather not face. Both are also capable of blowing up BIG TIME when the enemy is least expecting it. Also, Ant-Man and the Wasp are kind of like a gang, right, Chip?

War Machine - Brandon Graham

War Machine is to Iron Man as Brandon Graham is to Chris Long. Iron Man gets all of the credit but War Machine is the hero I’d rather have if you made me choose.

Falcon - Alshon Jeffery

Sometimes it seems like Alshon can infact fly.

Bucky Barnes - Sidney Jones

Bucky Brooks, or the Winter Soldier, is known for having a bionic arm. He also proudly rocks his long hair and is seemingly going to do something great soon. Sidney Jones, however, is known for having a bionic Achilles Tendon. He proudly rocks his dreads, and is surely going to break out this year. Or next. Or maybe the one after that.

Okoye - Rodney McLeod

Black Panthers right hand man woman. If you mess with Malcolm, you mess with Rodney.

Mantis - Isaac Seumalo

I’m not really sure what either of them are ever doing, but usually when you do see them, you see them in a big way.

Scarlet Witch - Kamu Grugier-Hill

The Scarlet Witch is rarely seen, but when she is, she’s expelling all kinds of energy. KGH has been a monster on special teams and has earned more playing time, just as Scarlet Witch should probably just get her own movie.

Wasp - Derek Barnett

Barnett, like the Wasp, has a fairly new story line that I’m looking forward to seeing through. The potential is there, but what does the future have in store?

Malik Jackson - Korg

I honestly don’t know that much about either, but they’re both pretty damn intimidating and I’m just happy they’re on our side.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/5/10/18535500/comparing-eagles-players-characters-avengers-endgame-carson-wentz-captain-america-marvel-movie-nfl

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Headed back home: Vinny Curry reportedly returning to Eagles

Vinny Curry is reportedly returning to the Eagles.

Zach Berman of philly.com reported on Thursday morning that Philadelphia is “nearing a deal” to bring Curry back into the fold.

It will be a one-year deal for $2.25 million plus incentives.

A second-round draft pick of the Eagles in 2012, Curry was released last March in a cost-cutting move and signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But Curry only played in 12 games for the Buccaneers; he struggled with a high-ankle sprain, and tried to come back too soon, which affected his play. He had 2.5 sacks.

Vinny Curry is reportedly returning to the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year deal. (AP)

More

The Eagles and Brandon Graham agreed on a three-year extension, but there are questions about other pass rushers from last season: Chris Long is undecided on whether he’ll return for another season, and Derek Barnett underwent shoulder surgery.

Philadelphia traded Michael Bennett to the New England Patriots earlier this month.

More from Yahoo Sports:

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/headed-back-home-vinny-curry-reportedly-returning-to-the-eagles-153106256.html?src=rss

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ICYMI in NFL Week 10: Bowles' Jets bad; Norman knocks fans

Time to start the ''Which coaches are on the way out?'' watch in the NFL, and all eyes are on Todd Bowles of the New York Jets at the moment.

How quickly it all fell apart for them.

After going 10-6 in his first season there, the Jets are 13-29, a .310 winning percentage.

How soon could Bowles be gone? Consider that the Jets now head into a bye week. So that might make sense as a time to make a change for a club that had zero fight in it during a 41-10 loss Sunday against the visiting Buffalo Bills and quarterback Matt Barkley, of all people.

''We stunk it up as coaches,'' Bowles said. ''We stunk it up as players.''

All true.

Here's another comment that was rather telling: ''That's the first time I felt like somebody really smacked us,'' Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne said, ''and we didn't do nothing about it.''

Keep in mind that the Bills are nothing special. Barkley is worse than that - a has-been who never was, nearly two years removed from his most recent NFL start. But defensive guru Bowles couldn't come up with anything to stop the guy.

Now the Jets are 3-7 and heading in the wrong direction, losers of four straight games.

Bowles shouldn't stand alone in terms of questions about how much longer he will - or should - last in his current job.

As embarrassing as the Jets suddenly are, Bowles is hardly the only coach whose club is looking unprepared and unable to compete lately:

- Doug Marrone's Jacksonville Jaguars somehow immediately went from AFC runners-up to also-rans, dropping five consecutive games to fall to 3-6 after a 29-26 loss to the Indianapolis Colts;

- Dirk Koetter's Tampa Bay Buccaneers somehow beat the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 1 and 2 but have lost six of seven games since to sit at 3-6 after a 16-3 setback against the visiting Washington Redskins;

- Jon Gruden is not going anywhere anytime soon, of course, but his Oakland Raiders are as bad as it gets right now, going to 1-8 after losing five games in a row by at least 14 points each, the latest a 20-6 defeat at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

''This will be a year that a lot of us will never forget,'' Gruden said. ''It's painful.''

Jets fans probably feel the same way about their season.

In case you missed it, here are other top topics after the NFL season's 10th Sunday:

ROAD, SWEET ROAD

Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman celebrated a road victory by blasting the NFC East leaders' home fans, saying it seems like they ''just don't really care; they just boo everything and aren't really behind us.'' Washington is 3-1 in away games, 3-2 at home. ''We can play all the games on the road, if you ask me,'' said Norman, who had an acrobatic interception early, one of four turnovers forced by Washington's defense against the Bucs. Later, Norman sent out a tweet encouraging spectators to be more supportive and enthusiastic at home. After all, with a 6-3 record, a two-game division lead over the surprisingly so-so Super Bowl champion Eagles and the Cowboys (both 4-5 after Dallas beat Philadelphia 27-20 with the help of a hurdle by Ezekiel Elliott) and an easy schedule the rest of the way, the Redskins would host a playoff game if they avoid a collapse.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

This week's most original TD celebration - remember when the league tried to discourage all of those with penalties and fines? - came courtesy of Kansas City Chiefs speedster Tyreek Hill. After catching one of Patrick Mahomes' two TD passes in KC's 26-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Hill hopped into the stands and grabbed ahold of a TV camera, managing to record images of some teammates whooping it up, as well as the flag he earned for unsportsmanlike conduct. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was not exactly thrilled by that aspect of the charade. ''That was too much,'' Reid said. ''I'm all into the 'personality' thing, but he was ... out of character there.''

BETTER THAN OMAHA

Give Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff credit for directing a potent offense that's helped his team get off to a 9-1 start. Give him credit, too, for quite an audible in LA's 36-31 victory against the Seattle Seahawks, name-checking Oscar winner Halle Berry.

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AP Pro Football Writers Dennis Waszak Jr. in East Rutherford, N.J., and Josh Dubow in Oakland, Calif., contributed to this report.

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Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/icymi-nfl-week-10-bowles-jets-bad-norman-075336351--nfl.html?src=rss

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Horford to Help Launch First Jr. NBA Camp in Dominican Republic

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and five-time NBA All-Star Al Horford of the Philadelphia 76ers announced today the launch of the first Jr. NBA camp in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The three-day camp will host 108 local boys and girls (ages 14-16) from under-served communities across the Dominican Republic selected by Horford’s non-profit organization, La Tribu de Quisqueya.

The Jr. NBA camp will be held at the Carol Morgan School (CMS) – an international school which empowers students to become leaders of a multicultural, global society and will be supported by NBA partners Altice, Banco Popular, Gatorade and Spalding.

The camp format, led by the NBA and Horford, will feature on-court drills, competitions and scrimmages, along with life skills sessions run by NBA coaches, trainers and staff to instill core values consistent with Jr. NBA principles. Joining Horford at the camp will be 76ers player development coach Drew Jones, who joined the organization from the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer. He played collegiately at Penn State University and then professionally overseas in Ukraine, Greece and Slovakia.

“The first Jr. NBA camp in the Dominican Republic continues to build on our efforts and commitment to growing basketball throughout Latin America,” said NBA Sr. Vice President & Managing Director, Latin America Arnon de Mello. “Along with Al Horford and our partners we are very proud to bring this event to Santo Domingo and look forward to providing an exciting and fun environment for youth to learn and play the game.”

“It is a great honor for me to be able to team up with the Jr. NBA to help continue develop basketball talent in my native Dominican Republic,” said Horford. “I look forward to providing a fun, competitive and engaging three days for these youngsters.”

“We are honored to open our doors for the Jr. NBA camp in the Dominican Republic,” said CMS Head of School, Nicolaas Mostert. “We strongly believe in the benefit of sports and youth development.”

The Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game – teamwork, respect, determination and community – at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. During the 2018-19 season, the NBA and its teams are reaching more than 51M youth in 75 countries through league play, in-school programming, clinics, skills challenges, and other outreach events.

For more information on the Jr. NBA, please visit http://jr.nba.com/.

Source: https://www.nba.com/sixers/news/horford-help-launch-first-jr-nba-camp-dominican-republic

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Dallas sports team accidentally proves that Eagles fans are the best

A man sitting in the pouring rain to watch a Dallas Stars playoff game on a big screen outside the team’s stadium recently gained a lot of attention. The Stars even praised this man’s dedication on their official Twitter account:

Pretty cool, right?

Well, I mean, I guess. I don’t really care about the Stars.

But wait. That umbrella ...

... is that ...

... it is!

It’s a Philadelphia Eagles umbrella.

As it turns out, this man is a South Jersey native who moved down to Texas.

So, just to recap, a professional sports team in Dallas is using an Eagles fan as proof that they have “the best fans around.”

That’s perfect.

It’d be even better if Stars fans actually also rooted for the Cowboys. But we all know Cowboys fans are probably rooting for ... hold on, let me google the NHL’s version of a bandwagon team ... the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Anyway, shout out to Mr. Friant for repping the Eagles down in Dallas.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/5/5/18530216/dallas-stars-celebrate-eagles-fan-philadelphia-nfl-umbrella-dave-friant-nhl-playoffs-hockey-jersey

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Termini Bros. Giving Out 2,500 Free Cupcakes For Fourth Of July At Independence Visitor Center

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – An iconic Philadelphia bakery is in the spotlight for celebrating the Fourth of July in style. The Termini Brothers Bakery is giving away 2,500 cupcakes and making America’s birthday cake for the holiday’s celebrations at the Independence Visitor Center.

At 9 a.m. on Thursday, as the U.S. celebrates its 243rd birthday, Termini Bros. will hand out cupcakes to the first 2,500 visitors at the Independence Visitor Center.

It’s the eighth year that Termini Bros. is the official baker, but it comes as no surprise because it’s pride that’s been baked into the bakery for 98 years starting with Vincent and Joseph Termini’s grandfather.

‘Restaurant Capital Of The World These Days’: Dinner Time In Collingswood Is Where You Want To Be

Giuseppe and Gaetano Termini were two immigrants from Sicily, Italy, when they came to America with dreams of running their own bakery. In 1921, the brothers first opened Termini Brothers Bakery in South Philadelphia.

The bakery has stayed in the family for decades from generation to generation, establishing itself as one of the most iconic culinary treasures in Philadelphia.

For years, Termini Bros. has been responsible for making America’s birthday cake for the Independence Visitor Center Birthday Party.

Watch the video above for more information on Termini Brothers Bakery.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/07/03/termini-brothers-bakery-cupcakes-fourth-of-july-independence-visitor-center/

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Hooray! Philly Is Finally Getting Its Long-Delayed Board Game Cafe

Owner Matt Hendricks swears that Thirsty Dice will probably, almost certainly, hopefully open on October 19th.

Image via iStockPhoto

I don’t know about you, but I love board games. Not virtual board games that you play on your iPad. Hate those. I’m talking about actual, physical board games that you take out of a box and stick on a table. So when, back in January, I heard that Philadelphia was getting a board game bar and cafe called Thirsty Dice and that it would be opening in the spring — meaning months ago — I was super psyched. But here it is officially fall, and I’m still waiting for Thirsty Dice to open.

“All of the stories that you hear about the difficulty of getting a liquor license in Philadelphia — that stuff is certainly true,” says Thirsty Dice owner and La Salle grad Matt Hendricks in explaining one of the many reasons for the many delays. But Hendricks says that he’s almost ready to open Thirsty Dice, and he’s set October 19th as the opening date.

The Fairmount Avenue building that houses Philadelphia board game bar Thirsty Dice. (Photo via MM Partners/Facebook)

Once Thirsty Dice opens in this building at 1642 Fairmount Avenue, the 2,700 square foot space will house 800 board games, plenty of tables to play them on, and a bar and cafe setup.

“Every year, about 3,000 games come out,” says Hendricks. “I think the value we bring is in finding the best ones and curating a great library of games. Cards Against Humanity is one kind of fun, Battleship is another kind of fun, and Catan and Reef are another kind of fun, and we’ll cater to all of those tastes.”

Hendricks tells Philly Mag that he got the idea for Thirsty Dice about seven years ago, when he and his wife were in Toronto and popped into Snakes and Lattes, a board game cafe. They expected to just grab a cup of coffee but then wound up staying for hours.

At Thirsty Dice, customers will pay $7 each to access the board game library for as long as they want. If you don’t have a clue what you want to play, the staff will make suggestions, explain the rules to you once you’ve made a selection, and they’ll even referee when there’s a dispute. Who says I can’t use an abbreviation in Scrabble?!

Though Thirsty Dice will have a bar, Hendricks says that it’s going to be a family friendly environment and that he expects more of a family vibe during the day, especially on weekends, and maybe more of an adult, Cards Against Humanity, Manhattan-drinking vibe in the evenings.

Of course, all of that’s once Thirsty Dice actually, you know, opens, and we’ve been hearing about this for a long time. I congratulated Hendricks on finally getting a real opening date on the calendar and told him I’d see him there that day.

“Well, fingers crossed,” Hendricks replied. “It’s like pitching a no-hitter. There’s no congrats before it actually happens.”

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/news/2018/10/05/board-game-bar-philadelphia-thirsty-dice/

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Netflix Now Lets Users Share What They’re Watching On Their Instagram Story

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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — You can now share your Netflix recommendations with friends at the tap of a button. In a new app update for IOS, Netflix users now have the ability to post what they’re watching to their Instagram Story.

Just click the “share” button and a list of options comes up. Now on that list — alongside Facebook and Twitter — is an option to post directly to your Instagram Story.

After selecting Instagram Story, users can customize the show or movie’s artwork and write captions.

Anyone who views the story can click on a link that will automatically take them to the title in Netflix.

The feature is already available on IOS, while an Android version is still in the works, according to The Verge. 

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2019/01/27/netflix-now-lets-users-share-what-theyre-watching-on-their-instagram-story/