The Specialist

Terps, Tar Heels, Sixers/Phillies/Eagles/Flyers, Big 5 Hoops Enthusiast , Ivy League Hoops Purist

[The Players’ Tribune @PlayersTribune]

Aaron Nola in 2019: “Where I come from, people don’t really honk their horns much.

In Baton Rouge we sit around a fire and talk life. Hot or cold. It doesn’t matter. It’s a sportsman’s paradise in Louisiana.

So the first time I was able to really experience the city of Philadelphia, in 2014 after my season in Double A ended, it was kind of funny and stressful at the same time.

Cars parked in the middle of the street. Horns honking every 10 seconds. People crossing at every light and corner. Street vendors and people traffic everywhere. And….

Me.

A kid from Louisiana, fresh out of college. Far from home. Wearing some faded, broken-in jeans and an old hoodie. Standing in the middle of all that, laughing at myself and this place of chaos. I had never spent time in a large city before. I remember saying to myself: ‘This has got to be the biggest city in the world.’

Then at one point I started walking around trying to find something to eat, obviously having no idea where I am. It was raining and about 35°. Not knowing any better, I was walking close to the curb when a bus passed and hit a pothole.

I got soaked.

That was a great start to the day.

Welcome to Philly, bud!....

I came to Philadelphia as a kid from Baton Rouge who’d never experienced life in a big city. And for a minute, when I was standing on that sidewalk, wet from getting splashed by a bus, it looked like a lot for me. But I can now say that I’m a better person because of Philadelphia, my teammates, and the people I have surrounded myself with.

With the grace of God, it turned out I landed in the right place.” https://t.co/EJi045ZLk9

@Phillies | @MLB

[UK Phillies @UKPhillies]

1am start for us here.

[John Clark @JClarkNBCS]

Bryce Harper went deep about his mistake in rightfield and how he came back from it and how kids can learn from that, especially his son

“I'll tell you what, I was thinking about Krew, my son, what I would say to him in that situation. I think it's a learning situation not for myself but everybody else as well.
I think you try to flush it as quick as possible. I grew up playing in a lot of big games. I've said it in the past about the postseason. Playing huge games that people are counting on you from the time you are 10 years old all the way until now, I don't think people understand what that feels like or looks like. Because when you guys were 10 years old, you probably weren't playing in front of 3,000 people yelling and screaming at you, wondering why you're not the player you want to be or anything else. I've been through a lot of situations to get me to this point. You make a play like that, and I'm hearing it out there, obviously.
But how quickly can I turn the page and just get past that moment, knowing that I'm still coming up to the plate to hit and knowing that in the postseason, it doesn't matter what you did the at-bat before, the inning before. It's what you do in that moment.
For me, everybody is going to make mistakes at some point, but it's how you come through in the next situation. It's not that serious, to tell you the truth. I think people take it very seriously -- and don't get me wrong, I take it serious. But I think there's a mindset, especially for kids nowadays, is parents and coaches put so much on kids these days to have to come through and be great.
But for me, it's how can you learn from each situation that you're in to come out great in the next one.”

https://t.co/21oJRmCx57

[Brenden Deeg @BrendenDeeg_]

Inspired by a Reddit thread, I gathered some stats on how Vic Fangio's defenses from 2023 to the present day have fared from before the Phillies were eliminated from the playoffs to after:

Before:

EPA/drive: -0.41
Yards per play: 5.5
Success rate: 54.07%

After:

EPA/drive: 0.59
Yards per play: 4.71
Success rate: 58.01%

For context, here's how those stats would've ranked among all teams in 2025:

Before:

EPA/drive: 28th
Yards per play: 21st
Success rate: 17th

After:

EPA/drive: 4th
Yards per play: 3rd
Success rate: 4th

[NBC Sports Philadelphia @NBCSPhilly]

"We've been through a lot of stuff here."

Joel Embiid explains why bringing a championship to Philadelphia remains his ultimate goal.

[Jimmy Silvanio @jimmysilvanio]

Win or lose tonight, Aaron Nola will always have my respect. 12 years with this team through all the highs and lows, and he’s going out there on two days rest. That’s a guy who cares. That’s a Phillie.

[StatMuse @statmuse]

Most points in a game vs a Wemby defense:

70 — Embiid
61 — Brunson
55 — Ant
52 — Maxey

The only players with 50+

[John Fanta @John_Fanta]

Maryland football fans, let it out. The Fanta in 60 voicemail box is open.

203-832-5748

[dhwani @dhwanisaraiya_]

I literally cannot believe my life

[CBain @cbain100]

START THE SEASON👑🔥

[97.5 The Fanatic @975TheFanatic]

"One of the most important is the Big Fella. The only thing he has not done is win a championship. I want to try and help him get that first one."

- LeBron James on Joel Embiid (Via Mind the Game)👀

📸Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

[SleeperWizards @SleeperWizards]

REPORT: Former Wizards big man Juju Reese is signing a two-way deal with the Pelicans, per @KeithSmithNBA (h/t @TheSteinLine)

DQ AND JUJU BACK TOGETHER OMG 🦀🐢

[Inside Maryland Sports @Terrapins247]

NEWS: Per Maryland athletic director Jim Smith, Maryland will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Maryland basketball’s national championship against Indiana on February 13th.

[The Specialist @secretagent49]

Insane this tournament isn’t at Palestra every year. Such a missed opportunity

[Richard Kent @Richard37215662]

The Ivy League picked a 3 year permanent site for Ivy Madness. Looks like the most likely choices on the table were:

1. Home of the higher seeds, men and women.
2. Bridgeport.
3. Westchester.
4. The Cathedral- The Palestra.
5. Fairfield University Mahoney Arena.
6. Some strange place.

6 was the winner. Allentown, PA. 5 hours from Boston, 3 from New Haven and 2 from NYC.

[Inside the Black & Gold @Insideblackgold]

Maryland men’s basketball’s 2026-27 conference schedule is officially set 🐢

[Jake Milkshake @bagmonsta]

Dudes start 0-1 in fantasy and be thinking “maybe I don’t deserve to live”

[Thomas R. Petersen @thomasrp93]

Hurts:

"Yall ready? Let's give the people what they want"

Eagles 2026 hype video 🔥

#Eagles 🎥 @Eagles

[Front Office Sports @FOS]

Netflix dropped a Friday Night Lights-inspired trailer for 49ers-Rams, narrated by Kyle Chandler.

It was directed by FNL director Peter Berg.

[derik queen @derikqueen1]

@DylanMckneely Does it have to do w me being fat & slow?

[Ryan Hammer🔨 @ryanhammer09]

College basketball in Philadelphia is a massive part of college basketball culture & deserves the best representation 🤝

Joes & La salle are so different in the best ways, those 2 have ton of personality in them well captured in the videos fs