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BALA CYNWYD, Pa. (WPVI) — A former police officer wanted on child rape charges was killed during a shootout with police near the campus of Saint Joseph’s University, authorities said.
Investigators said the former part-time officer opened fire when police approached him while serving a warrant in Bala Cynwyd on Wednesday morning.
The shooting happened on the unit block of Old Lancaster Road.
The man was identified as 38-year-old Francis Collier, who had most recently served as a part-time officer with the Morton Borough Police Department.
Officials said he had been on leave while under investigation and resigned from the department in December.
According to the district attorney’s office, officers observed Collier getting into his car around 3:48 a.m. near Old Lancaster and Edge Hill roads, and confronted him.
Investigators said Collier fired at officers, who returned fire, fatally wounding him.
Police remained at the scene throughout the morning, searching for shell casings and towing a Jeep Grand Cherokee that Collier was in at the time of the confrontation.
Morton Borough police said Collier was placed on leave immediately after the investigation into him began.
Police in Montgomery County are investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place in Bala Cynwyd early Wednesday morning.
Sources said the investigation started in December, when an adult female family member reported to Upper Darby police that Collier had raped her as a child between 15 and 20 years ago.
The case was later turned over to the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office, which charged Collier with rape on Tuesday.
Sources also said that while serving in law enforcement, Collier had been assigned to the Delaware County Child Abuse and Exploitation Task Force.
The Montgomery County Detective Bureau is handling the investigation into the fatal shooting.
From Old City to the Main Line, mahjong is drawing all ages together for strategic thrills and screen-free connection.
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Mahjong is all the rage right now, especially in Philly. Here’s why. / Photograph courtesy of Philly Mah-Jawn
Listen to the audio edition:
Around a small, square table, four sets of hands move quickly — sorting, swiping, racking, and discarding the stylized game tiles of mahjong (or mah jongg, as it’s sometimes spelled). Players’ eyes are locked in, their breathing seemingly suspended. Everyone is fully present — there’s no multitasking, no reaching to check text messages, no snapping of selfies to flaunt what they’re doing offline.
I’ve never watched mahjong being played before — let alone played it myself — and the experience is entrancing, the strategy, the tension, the rhythm of play. No wonder mahjong is becoming the hottest game in town.
How much are Americans loving this age-old game? According to Eventbrite, there was a 179-percent increase in mahjong events from 2023 to 2024 in the U.S. And it’s only getting more popular. The game is the new excuse to get together with friends, the modern moms’ night out, and even a helpful brain game for people living with dementia.
Mahjong dates back to 19th-century China, with Chinese, American, Hong Kong, and Riichi styles that all differ when it comes to tiles, game play, and ability to win. But they share a fundamental goal of completing a “hand” by drawing and discarding tiles, and calculating points based on the hand’s complexity. Its resurgence in popularity can likely be attributed to the notion that people are increasingly seeking ways to get off their devices and spend more time with others, IRL. The current chatter around analog bags and “grandma hobbies” — think needlepointing, birding, and yes, mahjong — has helped reintroduce cozy, hands-on, and screen-free activities into our cultural zeitgeist.
“In an age of doom-scrolling and political polarization, mahjong provides a gateway to unwind that actively engages your mind — what I call authentic cognitive leisure — while rebuilding the in-person community we’ve been craving,” says Jenny Li, a Philly Mah-Jawn club officer. “When you are learning the game or playing the game, you don’t want to be — and realistically can’t be — on your phone scrolling the entire time. You’re learning the rules, reading the table, engaging in lighthearted banter with three other people, and sharing in the collective drama of every tile drawn and discarded.”
A player’s active involvement — knowing the rules and nuances of the game, especially its different versions and ways to outsmart opponents — becomes part of the thrill, says Wynnewood resident Anabelle Clebaner, who plays with her friends every week or so. For Phil Viglione, another Philly Mah-Jawn club officer, the excitement comes from seeing players rush to complete their hands faster than anyone else. “Mahjong is a game of social deduction,” he says. “Every action from your opponent gives you information: What tiles might they need? What tiles do they not need? Are they ready to win? How can I avoid dealing in?”
And then there’s the aesthetics, which only add to the appeal. “Some tile sets are like works of art — so much so that people leave them out like statement decor or even design entire game rooms around them,” says Jadi Boyle, a Devon-based realtor who started playing American mahjong last year. For those who prefer to wear their love of the game, there’s even this hand-engraved tile charm made by Philly’s own Sisterfriend Jewelry.
For many, mahjong feels nostalgic yet fresh — accessible and fun. It’s part of what’s driving younger people to the game, while also keeping older players engaged. “Mahjong is no longer only your grandmother’s game,” Li says (or even your great-grandmother’s; it was first introduced in the U.S. in the 1920s). “Gen Z and millennials alike are drawn by mahjong’s layers of statistical probability, pattern recognition, and strategic decision-making. It’s a satisfying mental workout where players in their early 20s and players in their 70s are equally engrossed.”
(It’s true: When I stopped by Philly Mah-Jawn’s space inside the Corn Exchange Building in Old City on a recent Saturday afternoon, players of all skill levels and ages filled the room. Not a single table was unoccupied!)
For Teddi Lightman, who lives in Graduate Hospital and started playing mahjong in January, this intergenerational aspect was one of her favorite discoveries. “I’m not typically a big game person, but I was drawn to mahjong because of how it brings people together,” she says. “My friends and I have been learning from our moms and our moms’ friends — shout out to Nancy Cutler and Gail Kardon! It’s been such a special experience” to have generations playing together.
At its core, that’s what mahjong seems to be all about: connection. Curiosity often drives people to the game, but being together keeps them coming back. (Consider the tables themselves: They are quite small, drawing players closer together and contributing to the intimacy of the shared experience.)
“The game itself becomes the common ground, where no shared background or life stage is required,” Li says. In that context, everyone wins, not just the one who victoriously yells “Mahjong!” and ends the round.
Honoring your country is second to none. Especially in baseball, a game that captivates nations worldwide.
When players put on their country’s colors with a chance to win it all, the competitive instinct kicks in on a different level.
Just ask the Phillies’ starting rotation.
Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker will all compete in this spring’s World Baseball Classic. Sanchez represents the Dominican Republic, Nola suits up for Italy and Walker returns to Mexico for the second consecutive tournament.
It’s exciting to see Philadelphia represented on that stage before the season kicks off. There’s also concern. The Phillies send more Major League starters to the Classic than any other club in the league.
Who will stay back? Jesús Luzardo, Andrew Painter and Zack Wheeler.
Luzardo, currently on Team Venezuela’s reserve list, called it a “tough” decision via MLB Network, but coming off a career-high 183.2 innings and entering his final year before free agency, he opted out. Venezuela’s ace Pablo López recently tore his UCL, but the club elevated another arm rather than turning to Luzardo.
If Venezuela makes it beyond the first round, the lefty could be in play, though.
Jesus Luzardo and Brandon Marsh spoke on how Luzardo looked in his first live batting practice session of spring training.
Painter is a rookie making a push for a rotation spot. Wheeler will return from thoracic outlet syndrome, likely missing the first month of the season.
The rotation has been a strength of this club for years. In 2026, the bullpen may carry more weight — mainstay Ranger Suárez signed a five-year deal with the Red Sox this winter, leaving a void in the starting staff.
How much Sánchez, Nola and Walker actually pitch in the Classic remains to be seen.
Worth noting: up until the 2023 WBC, no Phillies starter who made more than 10 starts that respective season had ever appeared in the tournament, across four editions in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2017.
Nobody wants to speculate about injuries. But the Phillies, champing at a World Series bit, can’t afford one. These pitchers want to win for their countries. The club just needs them healthy in late March.
Rob Thomson has been clear that he considers representing one’s country an honor, but the length of the leash for each of his starters in the tournament will become clear soon enough.
He’s also noted that an earlier ramp-up that the WBC provides could benefit a pitcher like Nola. There are positives and negatives to weigh.
On the bullpen side, the representation is thinner. Brad Keller, who signed to a two-year, $22 million deal this offseason, will pitch for Team USA. José Alvarado had his insurance denied.
Closer Jhoan Duran will not participate at all. He’s their most important late-inning arm, and there’s no appetite for preseason risk there. Think Edwin Díaz’s knee injury in the WBC four seasons ago.
Mets closer Edwin Díaz is expected to miss the entire 2023 MLB season after suffering a right knee injury while celebrating Puerto Rico’s WBC win. Here are some other athletes who have injured themselves celebrating.
NEED DEPTH?
Before Spring Training opened, Dave Dombrowski said the club would still consider adding starting pitching depth, whether through free agency or a trade.
The remaining free agent market isn’t appealing. The Phillies are already paying a 110% luxury tax on every dollar over the threshold, which tightens the financial calculus considerably. Nestor Cortes, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Anderson and Tony Gonsolin are affordable options, but none project into a legitimate rotation role.
Could Dombrowski revisit his own playbook?
Last December, he sent the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect Starlyn Caba and No. 23 prospect Emaarion Boyd to Miami for Luzardo, carrying two years of team control during the Marlins’ annual rebuild.
Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; American League pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) of the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park (Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images)
A comparable target this winter could be Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen. The 30-year-old made his first All-Star team in 2025, going 10-5 with a 2.76 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP across 31 starts. Despite reaching that workload, he threw just 150 innings. Tampa Bay’s outlook for 2026 is bleak, which could open the door.
The financial fit is hard to overlook. Rasmussen is owed $4.25 million this season with a club option for another $4.25 million. With the luxury tax factored in, his total cost lands at $8.925 million — well below what free agent arms like Lucas Giolito or Zack Littell would command once the tax is applied.
The Phillies want to get through Spring Training clean. But a case can be made that this rotation needs not just depth, but talent. The WBC questions are present, and they may be exactly what pushes the front office to act.
POCONO PINES, Pa. (WPVI) — Pocono Mountain Regional Police are searching for a man accused of setting multiple fires inside his townhome in an effort to kill spiders, sparking a blaze that spread to several neighboring units.
Officers responded around 6 p.m. Monday to a fire on the 600 block of Uncus Lane. The flames damaged the suspect’s home and three connected townhomes, police said.
According to investigators, a witness reported seeing the resident, identified as Sean McDermott, repeatedly lighting small fires inside his home throughout the day.
McDermott allegedly told the witness he was trying to kill spiders.
Police say McDermott had a smoldering fire burning on the floor and then placed a loveseat on top of it. The witness told officers he attempted several times to extinguish the fires, but McDermott continued to relight them.
Both men reportedly left the area, and when they returned, the townhome was fully engulfed.
McDermott fled the scene in a U-Haul truck and is now wanted on charges including arson, aggravated arson and other related offenses, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Pocono Mountain Regional Police.
Team USA finally beat Canada to win gold. It was monumental, and the celebration and medal ceremony was beautiful. Then they got into the locker room, and just had to bring politics into it.
President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address in history Tuesday night, touting his administration’s economic policies and immigration enforcement, while condemning Democrats and the previous administration.
Trump also made a series of exaggerated, misleading and false claims throughout the course of the evening on topics ranging from the economy to crime to elections.
Here’s what the president got right — and wrong — in his address.
Did Trump lift millions off food stamps?
“We have lifted 2.4 million Americans — a record — off of food stamps,” Trump said.
Verdict
This needs context.
Analysis
Nearly 42 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, informally known as food stamps.
Around 2.4 million people are expected to lose eligibility for the program because of new work requirements passed in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, according to the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, a nonpartisan think tank.
But the timeline for making sure that people meet those requirements varies by state, so some of the cuts haven’t happened yet. And there is no proposed federal program to supplement the loss of food assistance.
Under the new work requirements, adults ages 55 to 64 and parents whose youngest children are at least 14 years old must document 80 hours per month of work, education or volunteering to maintain SNAP benefits. Without such documentation, they are eligible for food stamps for only three months within a three-year period. The law also gets rid of exemptions for veterans and people experiencing homelessness.
Did the ‘Warrior Dividend’ money come from tariffs?
“Every service member recently received a Warrior Dividend of $1,776. They put it on my desk. We got the money from tariffs and other things. A lot of money we have,” Trump said.
Verdict
The claim that “Warrior Dividend” payments came from tariffs is false.
Analysis
According to a Pentagon release in December, the money to pay 1.28 million active-duty service members and 174,000 reserve members $1,776 each came from a supplemental housing fund that Congress appropriated as part of Trump’s massive domestic spending bill last summer.
The funds were delivered to recipients “as a nontaxable supplement to their regular monthly housing allowance,” the internal Pentagon News Service reported in December.
As part of the announcement, Jules W. Hurst III, the acting comptroller for the Defense Department, said at the time, “We are grateful to President Trump, Chairman [Roger] Wicker, Chairman [Mike] Rogers and the other members of Congress who have made this Warrior Dividend possible through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Trump says there’s almost ‘no crime anymore’ in D.C.
“[W]e have almost no crime anymore in Washington, D.C. How did that happen? In fact, crime in Washington is now at the lowest level ever recorded, and murders in D.C. this January were down close to 100% from a year ago,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is exaggerated.
Analysis
Crime in Washington has fallen in all but one category in 2026 so far, according to data published by the Metropolitan Police Department. (Assault with a dangerous weapon is the only category that has increased in 2026.) That data also showed declines in 2025 from 2024 in all violent crime and property crime categories.
But it is not accurate to say there is “almost no crime” in Washington.
Since Jan. 1, there have been nine homicides, 126 assaults with a dangerous weapon and 322 motor vehicle thefts in the city. Year-to-date, homicides are down 67%.
Trump claims other presidents failed to lower drug prices
“I am also ending the wildly inflated cost of prescription drugs. Other presidents tried to do it, but they never could. They didn’t even come close,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is false.
Analysis
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, capping insulin at $35 a month for people on Medicare, placing a $2,000 annual cap on out-of-pocket drug costs for people on Medicare and, for the first time, allowing Medicare to negotiate the prices of some of its most expensive medications. On Jan. 1, the first negotiated prices took effect, including for the blockbuster blood thinner Eliquis and the cancer drug Imbruvica. After the law capped insulin costs for Medicare patients, drugmakers also extended $35 monthly caps to privately insured patients.
By contrast, Trump has stuck voluntary deals with at least 16 drugmakers in exchange for tariff relief. He launched the self-pay platform TrumpRx, which so far offers cash prices on 43 medications. Most of those deals, however, don’t change what people with private insurance or Medicare pay at the pharmacy counter. Medicaid patients already tend to pay little or nothing for prescriptions. And many of the drugs listed on TrumpRx have generic versions that cost less than the advertised prices.
Was inflation at record levels when Trump assumed office?
“The Biden administration and its allies in Congress gave us the worst inflation in history of our country. But in 12 months, my administration has driven core inflation down to the lowest level in more than five years, and in the last three months of 2025 it was down to 1.7%,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is false.
Analysis
Inflation is not typically measured in just three-month periods. The consumer-price index, the most cited inflation metric, includes food and energy. While energy prices have been dropping, food prices have been on the rise over the last year.
On an annual basis, inflation when Trump took office was 2.9%, which is not a record high level.
Inflation fell as low as 2.3% in April before it spiked again after his sweeping worldwide tariffs were introduced.
Recent record inflation was experienced in 2022 when it hit 8.9%. The highest inflation ever experienced happened in the 1980s, when it reached as high as around 14%.
Trump said more Americans are working now than ever before
“More Americans are working today than at any time in the history of our country.” Trump said.
Verdict
This is true.
Analysis
The statement is correct, though the labor market’s rate of growth has slowed sharply since Trump took office, and 2025 was the worst year for job creation since 2020. Excluding recessions, 2025 was actually the worst year for job creation since 2003.
A total of 584,000 jobs were created last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s down significantly from more than 2 million in both 2024 and 2023. In 2022, as the economy bounced back from the pandemic, more than 4.5 million jobs were created. The pace of job creation is also slower than it was in each of the first three years of Trump’s first term.
President Donald Trump delivered his State of the Union address on Tuesday, touting his administration’s policies on immigration and trade.
Did Trump secure $18 trillion in investments in U.S.?
“I secured commitments for more than $18 trillion, pouring in from all over the globe,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is false.
Analysis
While a number of companies, such as tech firms, semiconductor companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, have made public commitments to invest in the U.S., many of those commitments are either only slight increases from previous announcements or in line with previous plans. In addition, the commitments and investments the White House touted on its own website total $9.7 trillion.
A review of the White House list also found the $9.7 trillion figure to be misleading. More than $2.5 trillion of that is not investments, Bloomberg Economics found in November. About $3.5 trillion of that comes from opaque sovereign pledges, and another $3.5 trillion is corporate investments. Of those corporate investments, $2.9 trillion is planned for data centers.
“More than $250 billion of the White House pledges were announced or planned before Trump retook office in January,” Bloomberg Economics researchers also found.
Many of the commitments are also over the long term and are likely to be subject to change. For example, it recently took drugmaker Fujifilm Biotechnologies five years to open one factory in North Carolina.
Did Trump eliminate taxes on tips, overtime and Social Security?
“We held strong, and with the Great Big Beautiful Bill, we gave you no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors,” Trump said.
Verdict
This needs context.
Analysis
It’s true that Trump cut taxes for seniors and hourly workers with the bill he signed into law last year, but he didn’t eliminate all the taxes he mentioned here. Some workers can now deduct overtime and tips, though there are income caps and maximum deduction limits. While some seniors may pay less in tax thanks to a new deduction, Social Security income is still taxed.
Trump says the murder rate is the lowest it’s been in 125 years
“Last year, the murder rate saw its single largest decline in recorded history. This is the biggest decline, think of it, in recorded history, the lowest number in over 125 years,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is true.
Analysis
This is true, according to an analysis of crime data published last month by the Council on Criminal Justice, an independent, nonpartisan group.
The group’s January analysis predicted that “when nationwide data for jurisdictions of all sizes is reported by the FBI later this year, there is a strong possibility” that the homicide level “would be the lowest rate ever recorded in law enforcement or public health data going back to 1900, and would mark the largest single-year percentage drop in the homicide rate on record.”
Trump says the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ was the largest tax cut in history
“Last year, I urged this Congress to begin the mission by passing the largest tax cut in American history, and our Republican majority delivered so beautifully,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is false.
Analysis
Trump is referring in this statement to his “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which he signed into law in July. The law cut taxes for many people and businesses while also significantly cutting an array of federal programs.
Trump says 70,000 new construction jobs have been added
“We have added 70,000 new construction jobs in just a very short period of time,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is exaggerated.
Analysis
From January 2025 to January 2026, 44,000 construction jobs were added, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, far fewer than the 70,000 Trump touted.
Did Biden allow millions of migrants, including murderers, into the U.S.?
“They poured in by the millions and millions — from prisons, from mental institutions. There were murders — 11,888 murders. They came into our country. You allowed that to happen,” Trump said, in reference to Biden.
Verdict
This needs context.
Analysis
It’s true that 10 million people entered the U.S. illegally under the Biden administration, but there’s no evidence that millions of migrants were coming from prisons and mental institutions, as Trump claims.
As for the claim about 11,888 murders, there are more than 13,000 convicted murderers without legal status who are not in ICE custody, but that figure can’t be blamed exclusively on Biden. It’s not clear when those migrants arrived in the U.S. — they could have entered at any point over the last four decades or even earlier, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The 13,000 number also includes noncitizens in state and federal prisons.
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota shouted in dissent at President Trump as he urged the House to prohibit sanctuary cities.
Trump claims $19 billion in fraud committed in Minnesota
“When it comes to the corruption that is plundering, it really is plundering, America, there’s been no more stunning example than Minnesota, where members of the Somali community have pillaged an estimated $19 billion dollars from the American taxpayer. We have all the information, and in actuality, the number is much higher than that,” Trump said.
Verdict
This lacks evidence.
Analysis
The figure far exceeds estimates from the Justice Department, which has so far charged 98 people in Minnesota, 85 of whom are Somali, with $1 billion of fraud. The House Oversight Committee has estimated the fraud “could exceed $9 billion” as investigations continue.
Federal prosecutors, who began investigating the fraud allegations during the Biden administration, have also indicated that the total amount of federal taxpayer money that was misused could be as much as about $9 billion. That number stems from a federal prosecutor’s public statement that estimated that half of the $18 billion in federal funds paid out to 14 programs in the state may have been fraudulent.
Trump says egg and beef prices are declining
“The price of eggs is down 60%,” Trump said. “And even beef, which was very high, is starting to come down significantly.”
Verdict
This needs context.
Analysis
Egg prices came down over the last year — dipping around 48% from January 2025 to January 2026, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meanwhile, beef prices keep hitting all-time highs — with ground beef reaching a fresh record at $6.75 per pound last month, up nearly 22% from the year before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Has Trump ended 8 wars?
“I ended eight wars,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is exaggerated.
Analysis
There is no consensus about how many wars or potential wars Trump has ended. And where peace has prevailed, Trump’s impact as a mediator is up for debate.
Trump has claimed credit for ending conflicts between Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, Thailand and Cambodia, Serbia and Kosovo, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and India and Pakistan.
In some cases, fighting has resumed after declarations of peace or ceasefires, including between Thailand and Cambodia and Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. And in other cases, there was no shooting war in the first place, as with Egypt and Ethiopia, but Trump’s envoys sought to defuse tensions that could trigger a conflict over a dam project.
Trump has claimed that in his first term, a U.S.-brokered economic secured peace between Serbia and Kosovo. The two sides have not been in a shooting war since the 1990s, but deep political tensions persist, despite the deal agreed upon during Trump’s first term.
Some of the countries’ leaders have said Trump helped end the fighting, including between Israel and Iran, Thailand and Cambodia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Pakistan and India. Pakistan has described Trump as having played an instrumental role in ending a war with India. But India’s government has denied that the U.S. played a role in negotiating the ceasefire, saying the fighting ended as a result of direct talks between the two countries.
Israel and regional experts have credited Trump with helping end a 12-day war between Israel and Iran after he ordered airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear sites. Trump is now threatening another U.S. air attack on Iran depending on the outcome of diplomatic talks with Iranian officials Thursday.
Even some of Trump’s critics have praised his role in helping broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, though the ceasefire remains fragile.
Will the SAVE America Act get rid of mail voting?
“I’m asking you to approve the SAVE America Act,” Trump said. “It’s very simple. All voters must show voter ID. All voters must show proof of citizenship. No more crooked mail-in ballots, except for illness, disability, military or travel.”
Verdict
Trump’s comments about mail-in ballots are false.
Analysis
The SAVE America Act, which was approved by the House but has not passed the Senate, proposes adding significant new proof of citizenship and voter ID requirements, but it wouldn’t eliminate mail voting.
Trump claims cheating in elections is ‘rampant’
“Cheating is rampant in our elections. It’s rampant,” Trump said.
Verdict
This is false.
Analysis
There is no evidence of widespread fraud in American elections. The conservative Heritage Foundation has collected only dozens of cases of fraud in key swing states amid tens of millions of ballots cast over decades.
Aria Bendix , Dan De Luce, Kayla Steinberg, Julia Ainsley, Berkeley Lovelace Jr. , Steve Kopack and Christina Wilkie contributed.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivered the Democratic rebuttal to President Trump’s State of the Union address, slamming the White House over cost of living concerns.
Believe it or not but the Philadelphia Eagles have not always been a juggernaut with a team able to compete for a Super Bowl. Who would’ve guessed that the last team to win a Super Bowl in the NFC East had some rocky years. Here we’ll take a look back at some of the most catastrophic teams in their long history. Before you think this will be too negative enjoy this highlight. By the way, buckle in it’s the longest article yet.
There’s plenty of different metrics to use when debating the worst team. You can go by something simple like win loss ratio, point differential, or expectations going into the season. I’ll give some examples of each and then you can make a choice yourself. This isn’t a cop out I’ll give my thoughts but it’s incredibly bias, as most sports media is even if they don’t admit it.
1933 Eagles: picture this, you’re living in Philadelphia three years after the cheesesteak came out. You spent all day Saturday smoking cigs indoors and getting your child’s bed ready with the most leaded paint you can imagine. It’s Sunday and you’re about to sit down and watch the newly created Philadelphia Eagles play this new confusing sport called football. Turns out, like most expansion teams, you stink. You lose to the New York Giants 0-56 in your very first game. Yup by inflation numbers you lost by around 200 points. Hey at least next week you only lose by 25, but still score 0 points.
Now why would I say this is one of the worst teams? Because of the hope, that’s what kills you. A brand new team begins and anything could happen. That includes going 3-5-1 with a -81 point differential. You begin to wonder if this sets the tone for your franchise. Sadly, this team doesn’t have a winning record for a full decade. In other words, that child you painted the bedroom for (assuming they didn’t die of lead poisoning) hit double digits. They were ready for a career in the mines before a winning season. Lucky for the kid, they win two championships before they’re tenured at the mines by sixteen. Guess it is darkest before the dawn.
1972 Eagles: Are you wondering how I’m going to talk about 1972? Well if you are I can skip a prelude and just jump straight in. It’s very fitting that The Exorcist came out this year. It must have felt like the Eagles were possessed given how bad the team played that year.
This team can be summarized quickly by mentioning the -207 point differential and a 2-11-1 record. The lowlights include starting 0-5, losing 10-62 to the Giants, and tying the St. Louis Cardinals 6-6. Looking at the team, you see Harold Carmichael but he only started two games. You also see they had three (3) different quarterbacks. This never leads to much success.
2012 Eagles: imagine this scenario, it’s 2012 and you survived the Mayan calendar predictions. Yeah turns out relying on data thousands of year old doesn’t pan out. Fill out the comments about a round earth being wrong (Please don’t). Unfortunately, you learn it may have been about the Eagles. The most successful team run of the Super Bowl era. They won zero Super Bowls during this run while all of your divisional rivals have at least two. Just a sad ending to a team that made four straight conference finals and walked away with nothing. We’ll analyze why it’s one of the worst teams.
It represents an end of an era that coincides with my childhood innocence. Growing up I always had hope the Eagles and Andy Reid would one day complete the seemingly impossible. It’s also completely anecdotal so let’s get some real facts. Still it was the worst season for a coach that’s easily a hall of famer. But at the same time, it ended up working out for both teams. Analytically, it’s the third worst point differential in Eagles history at -164 and a 4-12 record.
2015 Eagles: Think back to 2015. Everywhere you go, you hear Uptown Funk and it hasn’t started to get annoying yet. Harambe is still alive and well for at least the year. We’re also close to finding out what finally happened with the Malaysian flight. Spoiler but we did not learn anything of substance. Things aren’t all great, Chip Kelly obtained full executive power and immediately removed fan-favorite Desean Jackson the previous year. Howie Roseman had been relegated to just a figurehead.
You may wonder why I would include this team. They finished second in the division and one game below .500 (7-9) and didn’t have a horrendous point differential (-53). The problem was learning that Chip Kelly’s offense was not sustainable. The Eagles made a lot of risky moves going into this season so it was a make or break season. The biggest move was trading Lesean McCoy for Kiko Alonso. They replaced McCoy with Demarco Murray who was a horrendous fit. This can be easily proven by this highlight of Demarco Murray sliding for the first down. The move that shocked me more was when they released (no trade or contract issue just released) Evan Mathis. If you forgot, Mathis was a back to back first team All-Pro. For a city that always prides themselves on strong trench play, I think this is the worst move made by Kelly.
What do I think was the worst team? I already said it but it was the Andy Reid 2012 team. The whole year felt like things had to change but there were no good options. The franchise was about to embark on a tumultuous journey into uncertainty. Still if they had managed to win one Super Bowl, imagine how different things would have been. Let me know your thoughts and if you think I missed a team. As always, go birds!
Hello, I’m a greater Philadelphia native writing mostly about the Eagles and the rest of the NFL. Articles aren’t … More about Kyle Lavin
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The host of WHYY’s The Pulse reveals her embarrassing beverage and how much weight she can deadlift.
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Maiken Scott, host of The Pulse on WHYY / Photograph by Stevie Chris
The host of WHYY’s science show, The Pulse, which airs on 132 NPR stations, talks regrowing teeth, headbanging to Motörhead, and her Tilt-A-Whirl fears.
My first name is pronounced … “Miken.” A lot of people see my first name and pronounce it “Makin” like “I am makin’ eggs for breakfast.” But I’m German, so that “ai” doesn’t work the way some people expect it to.
I was born in … Karlsruhe, Germany, a planned city that has a castle — and the main streets sort of go towards the castle in a fan. It is said that Washington, D.C., is modeled after it, because Jefferson visited Karlsruhe and liked the design.
I came to Philadelphia … in 1996 because I got married very young and he was from outside of Philadelphia. It was a short-lived thing, and we divorced. I went to Temple for journalism and remarried when I was 35.
When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be … an actress. But in Germany, where school is free, you have to try out to get into acting school. I tried three or four times but didn’t get in. I was heartbroken! And I just can’t handle rejection.
These days, I live in … Ridley Park. I lived in the city for a long time. When I was at Temple, I lived around the corner from McGlinchey’s (RIP), which was the place to be. The waitresses were mean. But it was so cheap. And we were all broke! Plus, you could smoke. I used to smoke a lot.
I wish that scientists would figure out a way to … regrow teeth.
One of my favorite episodes we did of late … was about the crazy behind-the-scenes race to decode the human genome.
The first concert I went to in life was … Motörhead, in Frankfurt, when I was a teenager. I partially lost my hearing for a week after that. Nobody wore ear protection back then. You would have been laughed out of the arena.
(photo courtesy Maiken Scott)
I would describe the state of the world as … interesting. Very interesting.
One thing most people would be surprised to know about me is … that for 10 years, I owned the popular Port Richmond rehearsal space Surreal Sound Studios. We had so many bands come through there.
I am deathly afraid of … amusement park rides. All of them. I don’t like heights. I don’t like spinning. And I don’t like sudden movements. We took our kids to Hersheypark and I literally didn’t get on one thing.
One non-WHYY podcast everyone should listen to is …Blink. It’s the story of Jake Haendel, who was diagnosed with a terminal brain disease and seemed to slip into a coma for more than a year. But he wasn’t actually in a coma. He was aware of what was going on around him.
My kids are always telling me to … relax. They are 15 and 17.
If I could have dinner with one scientist from history … it would have to be Darwin. I’d love to know what he thinks about how evolution has actually played out, and where he was right and where he was wrong.
One of the most frequently misunderstood things about science is that … it is a process and changes all the time, and, sometimes, it can be wrong.
Something about me that embarrasses my friends … is that my beer of choice is Miller Lite. I mean, I’m from Germany! But it’s true.
My secret talent is … lifting weights. My best event is deadlift: 155 pounds.
One unhealthy food I can’t get enough of is … nachos. Loaded. Put everything on them. Oh, and tater tots!
My voice is … something I don’t love listening to. I was teased relentlessly for it when I was a kid. Sometimes when I listen to my show in the car, I realize that my face hurts after a while because I’ve been cringing the whole time.
Published as “One of Us: Maiken Scott” in the March 2026 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
Atop the mound of a sport men, largely white men, have dominated for going on 180 years, she, a Black girl from South Philly, represented a change, something bigger than herself.
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Back then, it was clear that there was something special about Davis. On the cover of the August 25, 2014, issue of Sports Illustrated (she was also the first Little Leaguer to earn that honor), she’s a skinny kid with a thick, low ponytail of braids, wearing her team’s retro blue and burgundy Mid-Atlantic uniform. Her cheeks puff as she exhales and delivers a fastball.
“Remember her name” the cover says, and readers — and anyone who saw that ball come in at 70 mph — complied. Clearly, this kid was confident. Strong. A standout. Atop the mound of a sport men, largely white men, have dominated for going on 180 years, she, a Black girl from South Philly, represented a change, something bigger than herself. Something revolutionary, you might say.
She belonged to Philly, for sure, but she also belonged to something bigger: a movement to make the sport more inclusive, the unfulfilled promise of women’s sports, and something else, too.
Davis’s team performed well in Williamsport, exiting after falling to and then throwing their support behind the eventual winners of the whole thing, Jackie Robinson West, representing Washington Heights, Chicago. All the while, kids, baseball fans, Mike Trout, Kevin Durant, and Michelle Obama cheered on Mo’ne — by then a one-name star. She belonged to Philly, for sure, but she also belonged to something bigger: a movement to make the sport more inclusive, the unfulfilled promise of women’s sports, and something else, too.
Davis had her own story, and we gobbled it up. How, at age seven, she caught the eye of coach Steve Bandura. He was dragging the infield at the Marian Anderson Rec Center at 17th and Fitzwater; she was throwing a football in the outfield.
How she wasn’t just a natural athlete but also whip-smart — “brilliant,” Bandura says now. Bandura believed in her so much that he helped her enroll in Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and then welcomed her into his family’s home, so she didn’t have to spend four hours riding the bus to and from school every day.
But it was also the story of the Anderson Monarchs themselves, named for the neighborhood’s Black opera diva and civil rights crusader and the Negro League team Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson played on. Bandura, a Parks and Rec employee, founded the team in 1993 to give kids nearby (this was pre-gentrification Graduate Hospital) the opportunity to play not just baseball, but also soccer and basketball, like he did growing up at Frankford and Cottman.
He knew (and knows) about the financial and logistical inaccessibility of travel sports, and wanted to give kids chances to play — and to absorb the lessons that preparing for and playing team sports impart. The team bought a 1947 bus, and Bandura took them on a “barnstorming” tour of Negro League sites, and, one year, the Civil Rights Trail. (He’s now trying to raise $100,000 to fix the bus in order to resume these trips.) Most of all, he said, the team provided opportunities — especially for Davis, an outlier among boys.
These were “opportunities to explore and develop her talents in sports and academically,” he said. “It hurts me to know that there are thousands of other girls out there that will never get the opportunity to find their talent. Like they always say: How many Beethovens were out there that never got a chance to sit down at a piano? Every kid should have those opportunities. What they do with them is on them. Mo’ne just took hers to the next level.”
So did her teammates, who went to college and graduate school. Three play pro ball, including Bandura’s son, Scott, Davis’s catcher. And, as of this fall, Davis herself.
After the Sports Illustrated cover, late-night talk shows, Christmas with the Obamas, an ESPY, and a memoir, Davis went to Hampton University, where she played middle infield for the HBCU’s softball team. She later interned for the Dodgers (while in L.A., she stayed with the deeply Philadelphia-rooted Robinson-Peete family) and earned her master’s in sports management from Columbia. She has also worked as a broadcaster for Little League games on ESPN and thrown out baseballs at major-league stadiums. Davis could, says Bandura, do almost anything she wants in sports: work in the MLB, the WNBA, even the MLS. He admires her for keeping her options open.
Last summer, Davis announced her next big move.
With a gentle push from her old coach, she began to lift weights, take batting practice, field balls. Davis was jogging her muscle memory to try out for a spot in the Women’s Professional Baseball League, which launches this August in Springfield, Illinois. Doesn’t matter that she’s been out of the game for five years. Ever the striver, Davis figured she’d give it a try. She returned to Anderson’s Ryan Howard Training Center, where, in her spare time, she coaches youth softball and basketball.
Davis entered the draft on November 20th. Out of 600 players, she went 10th overall, to the team repping Los Angeles. This time, Mo’ne Davis would like to play center field.
For the second consecutive offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles will almost certainly lose a few starters via free agency, and they aren’t likely to spend big money free agents from other teams. The silver lining is that they will also likely gain a few compensatory picks.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding will visit the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host a roundtable with poultry producers and industry leaders regarding the ongoing surge of bird flu. The discussion will be streamed live at 11:30 a.m. in the player above.
The fight against highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as bird flu or avian flu, is ramping up in Pennsylvania.
Governor Josh Shapiro has expanded the state’s response by deploying more personnel, increasing testing capacity, and coordinating with the USDA and industry partners to limit the spread of the virus to protect the state’s $7.1 billion poultry industry.
Since the outbreak began in February 2022, officials said more than 14.3 million birds in Pennsylvania have died.
State officials also report that since early 2026, 7.2 million birds have been affected by the virus.
Last week, Shapiro deployed 42 USDA employees and six Commonwealth workers to support veterinarians, Penn State Extension experts, and National Guard members in containing the virus.
“I know farmers are worried given the recent increase in cases, but I want them to know that my Administration is standing with them and continuing our aggressive response to protect Pennsylvania flocks,” Shapiro said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, Shapiro, along with Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, will visit the Lancaster County Rapid Response Center to host a roundtable discussion with poultry producers and industry leaders on the ongoing surge. You can watch the discussion live at 11:30 a.m. in the player above.
To learn more about how Pennsylvania is handling the bird flu, visit www.pa.gov/agencies/pda.
HOCKESSIN, Del. (WPVI) — Within hours of the final snowflakes falling from Sunday’s Nor’easter, residents across New Castle County were out clearing away what Old Man Winter delivered.
Many of the people interviewed said the storm that struck in January was worse, largely because of the brutal cold that followed.
Kevin Best, also of Hockessin, said the frozen ground during the earlier storm made conditions more difficult.
“The last one was bitter cold. The ground was frozen and everything. I didn’t have my truck on the street last time because we parked it out on the lawn. I wouldn’t do that this time, the ground is too soggy,” Best said.
This time, with temperatures hovering near the freezing mark, road crews were able to get a strong start on cleanup efforts.
Nearly all of the major roads traveled in New Castle County were free of snow or slush, despite most of the county receiving between 7 and 12 inches of snow overnight and into the morning.
Still, the region was not left unscathed.
Video from North Wilmington showed toppled trees, and lingering power outages were reported across the area.
Even so, the aftermath provided a moment of levity for Sammi Best of Hockessin, who built a “snow dog” in honor of a neighbor’s pet she often looks after.
“I defy anybody on the news who tells me I’m too old to make a snowman at 26 years old,” Best said. “If I can have fun for as long as you can, I think that’s the key to being happy in life.”
Meanwhile, conditions in Kent and Sussex Counties were significantly worse. Snow totals across the southern part of Delaware nearly doubled the totals from New Castle County. There were also many more reports of downed trees and power outages.
Officials released new information Monday detailing the heroic efforts of three skiers who managed to save several of their companions after the fatal avalanche near Northern California’s Lake Tahoe.
Jeremy Charles, 39, was struck and killed by a train while working on tracks in Lancaster County on Monday. Amtrak suspended Keystone service for the day.
MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (WPVI) — Snow piles returned across parts of Burlington County after a nor’easter dumped around 20 inches of snow in Mount Holly, forcing residents to dig out once again and creating hazardous travel and widespread power outages.
Residents spent the day shoveling heavy, wet snow from driveways and sidewalks.
“Shoveled my mom’s house. Started shoveling my house, my neighbors. Still out here doing more shoveling,” said Sam Watson of Mount Holly.
While some people enjoyed the snowfall, the weight and moisture of the snow made cleanup difficult, even for snowblowers.
“The apron is pretty bad with all the water and stuff. But other than that, it’s not too bad,” said Ashton Pogorzelski of Mount Holly.
Road conditions were challenging early in the day, prompting drivers to exercise caution. A statewide travel ban expired at 12 p.m. Monday.
“It’s kind of dangerous, especially for people who don’t know how to drive,” said Robert Nichols of Lumberton.
High winds added to the problems, bringing down tree branches and power lines. Fallen branches blocked part of the Mount Holly bypass, and thousands of power outages were reported across the Garden State.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said crews have been working to restore service but acknowledged that challenges remain.
“We’ve had over 250,000 people restored to service. We still have a lot to go, but we’re hoping to get everybody back up online within the next 24-48 hours,” Sherrill said.
In Burlington County, about 70 trucks were on the roads clearing snow at the peak of the storm.
County Commissioner Allison Eckel said the storm’s intensity and the weight of the snow complicated response efforts and could delay some plowing while utility crews work.
“What sets this apart from last month’s snowstorm is the weight. This is a heavier snow, and it came down a lot faster. So we’re seeing a lot of tree limbs that are down, power lines, so we’re seeing power outages that have actually increased through the day,” Eckel said.
As of Monday afternoon, about 12,000 customers in Burlington County were without power.
Some towns have opened shelters for residents without power and heat for an extended time. Officials advise residents to contact their local police departments for more information about available shelters.
