🏆 Who took gold from Philly’s first food awards

🍲 Philly Celebrates Its Culinary Community

On today’s episode of City Cast Philly, the team takes you into “The Tasties,” the first food awards ceremony hosted by the Delicious City Philly podcast. Hear from Philly’s hottest chefs and learn who went home with the grand prize. If you’re already feeling hungry, grab a pen and jot down what you should be checking out from Philly’s food scene. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

🏈 Local Eagles Want To Bring The Trophy Home

While players on the team come from all over (and outside) the country, there are a few current Eagles with ties to the Philly area. To go from growing up watching the Eagles to playing for them in the Super Bowl is a dream come true. As Jeremiah Trotter Jr. said: “Being a fan of the team already, it’s pretty great.” [Billy Penn]

⚖️ Krasner Advocating for Top Philly Lawyer Who Shot Someone

Leonard Hill, a personal injury lawyer whose face you’ve probably seen in billboards around the city, is charged with aggravated assault after being accused of shooting someone twice back in 2023. In an unusual move, District Attorney Larry Krasner is recommending Hill for a diversionary program that defendants who face similar charges are rarely offered. [🔒The Inquirer]

🦺 Tri-State Braces For FEMA Cuts

In recent years the Philadelphia area has seen record hot temperatures, tornadoes, and hurricanes. As Delaware Valley’s climate grows more unpredictable, leaders and researchers fear how states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware will be able to respond to disasters after budget cuts to FEMA. Pennsylvania saw as many major weather disasters in 2024 alone as it did in the entire 1980s. [Inside Climate News]

If you’re finally tuning into the Eagles just as the Super Bowl approaches, you may have a lot to catch up on. What do their chances of winning look like? Why is Saquon Barkley the one to watch? Who’s that guy with the big-ass hat that I keep seeing in my social feeds? Whether you’re new to the city or just not well-versed in football, if you want to understand the chatter at your Super Bowl party, then we have you covered with some of the key storylines from this season.

Where Do the Birds Stand?

The Eagles are in pretty good shape if they’ve made it all the way to the Super Bowl. They ended the regular season 14-3 and won the NFC Championship two weeks ago. This is a stark difference from the 2023 team that went 11-6 and didn’t make it far into the postseason after a pathetic 32-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The front office had to make some drastic changes after going from a team that almost won the Super Bowl … that. Key changes included replacing the offensive coordinator with Kellen Moore and the defensive coordinator with Vic Fangio (whose addition was a homecoming of sorts, as he's from the Scranton area). Player changes that paid off included the addition of running back Barkley, linebackers Zack Baun and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts continued to dominate on the field. Despite outsiders trying to insinuate a rift, their synergy is unmatched.

NFL’s Biggest Loser: New York Giants

Hindsight is 20/20 and the Giants organization certainly wishes they had the foresight to keep Barkley.

After failing to secure a deal with their former player, the Giants front office was displeased to learn that Barkley found a new home with the Philadelphia Eagles, a division rival. Giants fans were quick to burn their Barkley merch, but Barkley had the last laugh as he’s been an unstoppable force rushing and doing an insane backwards hurdle in the process. Now he’s headed to the Super Bowl in his first year with the Eagles while the Giants ended their season 3-14. LOL.