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Nick Sirianni addressed the media in Glendale, Arizona after the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. The emotion of a devastating loss was raw.

When asked about the effort of his defense in the 38-35 heartbreaker, the second-year head coach spoke positively.

“We’re playing a really good offense, and we gave up 24 points at the end of the day,” he said.

Sirianni is an offensive coach. His ability to delegate responsibilities to coordinators and other assistants is an excellent mark of his leadership abilities. Jonathan Gannon was the defensive coordinator making the schematic decisions on defense, but Sirianni has repeatedly emphasized that he signs off on everything as the head coach of the team.

In this case, he was entirely off base giving his defense credit for allowing only 24 points to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Flawed Logic

“I just felt like a couple times we put the defense in tough spot,” Sirianni told the media.

He wasn’t wrong. Jalen Hurts dropped the football on a regrettable play in the second quarter that Nick Bolton took for the scoop and score. Kadarius Toney returned a bad punt from Arryn Siposs for 65 yards to set the Chiefs up at the Philadelphia 4-yard line for another touchdown.

However, subtracting two touchdowns from 38 and landing on a final answer of 24 is oversimplified, flawed logic that shouldn’t play into the evaluation of the Eagles on defense in their Super Bowl loss.

To begin with, 24 is above the league average of 21.9 for the season. Only eight NFL teams averaged more than 24 points, and the Eagles only allowed 19.8 points per game in 2022.

Secondly, Sirianni should not absolve the Philadelphia defense for allowing the 4-yard touchdown set up by the long punt return. The pass to Skyy Moore for the score was the second time in as many drives that a Kansas City wide receiver walked into the end zone untouched on a blown coverage.

“We knew they played man (coverage) down in the red zone like that, so it was heavy man coverage at that point of the field. Coach (Joe) Bleymaier had been harping on it all week. Throughout the week, we knew we were going to get that look,” Moore said about the touchdown.

Andy Reid outmaneuvered Gannon in the Super Bowl, and the image of Moore strolling into the end zone is consistent with the narrative of a defensive unit that was helpless against its competition.

Most importantly, the flawed logic essentially ignores the fact that the Chiefs would’ve had two additional possessions if the fumble and the punt return hadn’t occurred. Mahomes didn’t need to orchestrate long drives because of the big plays made on defense and special teams.

Because of the quick score on the fumble return, the Eagles actually held the ball for nearly 22 out of 30 minutes in the first half. The play meant seven points for Kansas City, but it also meant one less time that the defense faced Mahomes and the high-powered attack.

Kansas City put on an offensive clinic in the second half, and they looked perfectly capable of going the length of the field if the punt return hadn’t occurred.

Would the defense have gotten two stops on two extra possessions if the Chiefs got the ball in reasonable field position both times? The notion of a 24-point effort assumes they would have.

The Eagles also forced a field goal on the final possession of the game when a touchdown actually would’ve been a better outcome. Jerick McKinnon intentionally slid at the 1-yard line to allow the Chiefs to get three points and keep the Philadelphia offense off the field instead of taking the easy touchdown.

Eagles Defense Came Up Small

The Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII because their defense had no answers for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense. Their vaunted pass rush became a non-factor for the entire game. An NFL-best 70 sacks translated to nothing on the biggest stage.

They recorded no sacks and forced no turnovers for the first time all season.

Gannon passed every test he faced on the way to becoming an NFC Champion, but he failed the final exam against the best quarterback in the NFL and missed an opportunity to cement his greatness in Philadelphia history in his last game with the Eagles.

The Eagles won the Super Bowl five years ago despite allowing 505 passing yards and 33 points to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. However, they made enough key plays to put the team in position to win.

The legendary strip sack from Brandon Graham will go down as the most important play in franchise history. The defense benefited from Brady dropping a fourth-down pass in Super Bowl LII, and they forced three field goal attempts by Steven Gostkowski.

The defense on Sunday came up with no stops in the second half. Their only hope was for the officials to ignore a ticky-tack penalty on the only clutch play they made all night, and they didn’t get that stroke of good luck.

Hurts and the offense weren’t innocent, but they moved the ball consistently and scored 35 points. Their defense allowed 38 and failed to put the ball back in the hands of a red-hot quarterback for a chance to win.

The credit of holding the Chiefs to 24 points simply isn’t a realistic evaluation.

Nick Sirianni in 2022

Professional head coaches have a difficult time gripping their emotions in press conferences under normal circumstances, and this circumstance was anything but normal.

Nick Sirianni has the backs of his players and his staff. A few lines of coach speak at the end of an excellent season don’t spoil anything as long as the notion doesn’t contribute to any offseason strategy based on the evaluation of a strong defensive effort in the Super Bowl.

Sirianni avoided blaming the officials as a weak excuse like the ones the San Francisco came up with after a loss in the NFC Championship Game. He remained positive in a difficult spot and took accountability for some of the mistakes the Eagles made. He took the same attitude in the only other game the Eagles lost with Jalen Hurts on the field this season.

After a poorly-officiated loss to Washington in Week 10, Sirianni said, “Whether the calls were bad or whether the calls were good or whatever it was, I think when you play the way we did tonight, and you play the way we did on all three phases, offense, defense, special teams, coaching… It seems like everything is going against you. You create your own luck, and we played like crap,” he said.

He wasn’t as harsh on Sunday night after a disappointing loss of such high magnitude, and the Eagles didn’t play like crap in Super Bowl LVII. However, his attitude reflected the same mentality of making your own luck and controlling the things you can control.

He coached an excellent team to an excellent season and fell barely short of the sport’s ultimate prize.

“We’ll use this pain. We’ll use this failure to motivate us,” Sirianni said to the media in Glendale.

The Philadelphia fan base will have to wait to see the product of that motivation in September.

Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

Colin Newby is a freelance journalist from Delaware County, PA covering the Philadelphia Eagles for Philly Sports Network. He is an encyclopedia of useless sports knowledge with an uncanny ability to rattle off Eagles defensive stats from 2004 or the entire roster of the 2008 Phillies. He also covers the NHL and the Philadelphia Flyers and works for 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia.

If The Boss injures a crew member during a live show, does he get extra special worker’s comp?

That might be the question Bruce Springsteen’s guitar tech Kevin Buell is asking after the live show assistant got struck in the head with Springsteen’s electric guitar at a recent show.

During a concert on February 3 at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, Springsteen threw his sunburst Telecaster to his tech, but missed or misjudged the toss. The electric guitar hit the tech squarely in the head. See a video of the mishap below captured by Darrin Lightner.

Springsteen then went to check on Buell, who had already headed backstage.

At numerous past concerts, the guitar throw went as planned, as can be seen below during a 2016 show in Seattle and at another concert in 2009 in Munich.

Springsteen has plenty of time to perfect his guitar-slinging this summer when he brings his 2023 international tour back to North America. Springsteen and The E Street Band will visit 18 cities in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to the previously announced dates. The new leg begins on August 9 at the historic Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street BandNew 2023 North American Tour Dates

August 9 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley FieldAugust 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank ParkAugust 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citizens Bank ParkAugust 24 – Foxborough, MA @ Gillette StadiumAugust 28 – Washington, DC @ Nationals ParkAugust 30 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife StadiumSeptember 1 – East Rutherford, NJ @ MetLife StadiumSeptember 7 – Syracuse, NY @ JMA Wireless DomeSeptember 9 – Baltimore, MD @ Oriole Park at Camden YardsSeptember 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints ArenaNovember 3 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers ArenaNovember 6 – Edmonton, AB @ Rogers PlaceNovember 8 – Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank SaddledomeNovember 10 – Winnipeg, MB @ Canada Life CentreNovember 14 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank ArenaVNovember 16 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank ArenaNovember 18 – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire CentreNovember 20 – Montreal, QC @ Centre BellVerifiedNovember 30 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint CenterDecember 4 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia ForumDecember 6 – Inglewood, CA @ Kia ForumDecember 8 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center

Photo by Octavio Jones/Getty Images

Brad Holmes wants to build a winner with the Detroit Lions.

Entering his third season as the team’s general manager, he has a chance to keep the team moving in the right direction. Holmes is armed with plenty of draft capital, including two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Currently, those spots are slated to be No. 6 and No. 18 overall. It’s similar to the slate that the Lions had last season, where Holmes and company entered the 2022 NFL Draft with the No. 2 and No. 32 overall picks.

“It’s exciting to have the capital that we have,” Holmes said at his end-of-season press conference. “Obviously, made some moves, probably some that weren’t popular among people outside this building. But, just like I say all the time, we do every single thing for a reason. Every single thing is well thought out, every single thing is well planned.”

In that instance, Holmes stood pat with the second selection, but swung big with the No. 32 overall pick, trading it to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for the No. 12 pick. He selected wide receiver Jameson Williams with the pick, signaling a desire to have the speedy receiver in offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s system.

With his previous decisions in mind, it’s worth pondering whether Holmes will be active on draft night in 2023. Both selections are in interesting places, meaning he certainly could strike a deal to alter Detroit’s draft placement.

Several teams outside the top five of the draft have needs at the quarterback position, which is widely considered to be the most desired spot on the field. With teams such as Las Vegas and Carolina drafting behind the Lions, Holmes could capitalize on the value and trade back from the sixth overall selection.

The Lions have their starting quarterback in place heading into 2023. Jared Goff was superb in the second half of the season, and demonstrated his ability to lead the Lions to wins over the season’s final 10 games.

Because Detroit is stable under center, Holmes and company could be more willing to listen to another franchise looking to move up and select a quarterback as its next leader.

Detroit’s general manager has previously stated, though, that he won’t rule out selecting a quarterback, should the opportunity present itself. With his background in scouting, Holmes could still do his due diligence in evaluating some of the top signal-callers on the market.

“I think it’s a lot easier to get worse at quarterback than it is to get better at quarterback in this league,” Holmes said. “I think what Jared has done this year, he captained the ship of a top-three offense and I want to say he was top-10 statistically in most of the passing categories. We have to watch the draft, because we’re never going to turn down a good football player. So, if there’s a football player we really love, we’re gonna make sure no stone is unturned. But, I do think Jared has proven to everybody that he is the starting quarterback for us.”

While trading out of the No. 6 pick could be a likely option, don’t discount Holmes and the potential of moving up from either of his first-round picks.

The Lions could also elect to move from the 18th overall pick. Having the two first-rounders creates the opportunity for Holmes and company to do a plethora of things.

As evidenced by last year, Holmes won’t hesitate to move up to select a player he desires. He fell in love with Williams, despite an injury, and subsequently made the move to go get him.

In 2021, Holmes’ first draft as Lions GM, the Lions stood pat and got Penei Sewell seventh overall. That demonstrated his desire to be patient, which was ultimately rewarded as the Lions got the player they wanted.

With so much time remaining in the draft process, Holmes’ final decision remains to be seen. He has the capital to make moves, but it will still be some time before we see what he decides to do.

This article was produced by the staff at Sports Illustrated/All Lions. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions.

Garden State Legislators, Franchisees and Franchisors Came Together to Brainstorm Ways to Leverage FIFA’s Quadrennial Event

The International Franchise Association’s (IFA) Open for Opportunity Roadshow came to the Garden State this week, marking its 10th official stop around the country. Officially launched at IFA’s Annual Convention last year, Open for Opportunity was created to help people better understand franchising and its value to communities. “Franchisees are small-business owners, each with their own story. They are not a brand name,” said Jeff Hanscom, vice president of state and local government at IFA. “Our goal is to reshape the narrative about the franchise industry.”

The New Jersey Roadshow kicked off Thursday morning with a lively roundtable discussion at the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association in Trenton. The topic centered around the 2026 World Cup and the possibilities it presents to franchise business owners. The final match will be at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, N.J. The meeting allowed franchisors and franchisees to talk with local legislators and share their struggles and stories.

The World Cup presents “an opportunity of great reward and risk for franchise owners,” said moderator Mark Bonamo, a New Jersey resident and editor of TAPInto Newark/NJ. “$500 million is projected to come into the economy from the World Cup. What can we do to take advantage?” he asked the group.

With an influx of people coming to the Garden State to experience the World Cup, community leaders and franchise business owners have a lot to think about. The group discussed staffing issues, transportation challenges and ways to entice visitors to stay (and spend) in New Jersey during the global soccer event. “Let’s make sure we don’t lose them to New York,” said NJ State Assemblymember Marilyn Piperno, who suggested creating packages to make it easy and desirable for visitors to patronize New Jersey’s franchised small businesses and tourist attractions while in the state.

Several New Jersey franchise owners participated in the roundtable discussion and shared their stories. Third-generation McDonald’s franchisee Kevin Smolar recalled how his grandfather started as a McDonald’s franchisee in 1960 and was recruited by founder Ray Kroc. His dad followed in his grandfather’s footsteps as a McDonald’s franchisee, and Smolar took the same path, initially working as a crew member when he was a teenager. Now leading the family business with his sister, he takes pride in making a difference for his employees and community.

“Smolar’s story is exactly the kind of narrative we want to share,” said Hanscom. “When people pass by a McDonald’s, they think big business and Golden Arches. They don’t think of small business owners or say to themselves ‘I wonder if that’s a third-generation family business,‘” he said.

FASTSIGNS franchisee Charles King also told his story at the roundtable. King, an immigrant from West Africa who came to the U.S. to escape civil unrest, spent years in corporate America before deciding to venture into franchise ownership. What King loves most about being a franchisee is the support and collaboration he receives from his franchisor. “During Covid, the FASTSIGNS system came together on a weekly video call to strategize ways to help local communities and each other through the pandemic. The ideas that came out of it were amazing. Being a franchisee has been an eye-opener. That collaboration and support is something mom-and-pops don’t get,” he said.

King told the group that his biggest challenge as a franchise owner has been staffing, and he wants to get ahead of it before the 2026 World Cup. “Franchise small businesses need more programs to obtain working capital so they can attract and retain good employees. When we put money into local businesses, we put money into communities. As local franchise businesses grow, so will New Jersey.”

State Rep. John DiMaio, Republican minority leader in the legislature, reinforced the impact of franchising on local economies and the state’s as a whole. “Small-business owners and entrepreneurs are proof that success can come from anywhere. If we improve New Jersey’s business climate by lowering taxes and cutting regulations, they will have more money and time to invest and grow businesses in New Jersey.”

Nearly 20,000 local franchise establishments in New Jersey provide more than 203,000 local jobs. In 2022, the sector provided $7.2 billion in payroll, generated more than $19 billion in economic output, and contributed $11.9 billion to New Jersey’s gross state product.

The Open for Opportunity Roadshow idea was a collaborative brainchild of IFA staffers who wanted to tell the world about the value of franchising. Each trip features franchise owners who share their stories, roundtable discussions with community leaders, and tours of franchise locations. “But they have all been different in some way and have touched on different topics,” says Erica Farage, vice president at IFA.

For example, in March 2022, the first Open for Opportunity Roadshow focused on diversity, with discussions on encouraging minority franchise ownership. In January 2023, the Roadshow visited the Twin Cities, where Courtney Henry, a local McDonald’s owner, highlighted upward mobility in franchising. The next stop will be in Las Vegas, preceding the IFA’s Annual Convention.

Farage says Open for Opportunity has been great for all involved. “We learn something new from every visit and keep improving on these trips each time. It has been amazing,” she said.

Hidden Grounds, Hoboken | Hidden-Grounds, New-Brunswick | Ronnie’s Hot Bagels | Seymours Bakery and Deli | Skyviews of America, LLC.

Newark – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that four businesses throughout the state have been issued notices of violation for either not accepting cash or for charging a credit card surcharge without properly notifying consumers. Merchants in New Jersey must give consumers the option to pay cash. Merchants must also disclose total selling price—including any surcharges for using credit cards, debit cards, or pre-paid cards.

In recent months the Division of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Consumer Protection (“the Division”) received and investigated dozens of complaints from Garden State residents regarding businesses that either charged consumers fees for using credit cards, debit cards, or pre-paid cards without clearly disclosing such fees or that did not accept cash offered by consumers as payment. The New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act (“CFA”) states: “a person selling or offering for sale goods or services at retail shall not require a buyer to pay using credit or prohibit cash as payment in order to purchase the goods or services.” N.J.S.A. 56:8-2.33(a).

Businesses are allowed to charge card surcharges, but the CFA requires establishments to disclose that they are passing the fees, and the amount, to consumers (which can be stated as a percentage) before the customer is charged. The CFA prohibits the sale of “any merchandise at retail unless the total selling price of such merchandise is plainly marked by a stamp, tag, label or sign either affixed to the merchandise or located at the point where the merchandise is offered for sale.” N.J.S.A. 56:8-2.5.

“New Jersey consumers deserve to know exactly how much they will be paying when they go to a store and be able to pay however they can,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Many consumers from underrepresented communities do not have access to bank accounts or credit cards. Laws requiring businesses to accept cash protect those consumers and ensure social equity in stores throughout the state.”

“While the law permits businesses to charge card surcharges, it also requires businesses to be transparent with consumers and disclose those fees prior to purchase,” said Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Cari Fais. “The law also protects consumers’ right to pay for goods and services with cash. The enforcement actions the Division has recently taken will make sure store owners do not forget their responsibilities to consumers under the law.”

A Notice of Violation for not accepting cash as a payment was issued to Skyviews of America, LLC which operates the Dream Wheel at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ, for requiring customers wishing to pay cash to ride the Dream Wheel to purchase gift cards from another merchant, which included a surcharge, in order to use cash. The NOV they were issued included a $1,000 civil penalty.

Two NOVs for not accepting cash were also issued to Hidden Grounds Coffee which settled with the Division to resolve its alleged CFA violation. The business agreed to pay a civil penalty of $2,000 and, among other things, to accept cash as a method of payment and minimize any inconvenience for cash-paying customers. Hidden Grounds Coffee also agreed to distribute a summary of the Consent Order to management responsible for oversight and training of employees at its retail locations within the State.

Notices of Violation for not disclosing card surcharges were issued to Ronnie’s Hot Bagels in Hillsdale, and Seymour’s Café in Clifton. Both businesses were alleged to be in violation of the CFA by failing to disclose card surcharges before consumers ordered, instead, the businesses disclosed the charge on a receipt after accepting payment. Each NOV includes a $500 civil penalty.

Each instance of failing to notify a consumer of a card surcharge or charging more for merchandise than the displayed price may constitute a separate violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act. Violators are subject to a maximum penalty of $10,000 for the first violation and $20,000 for each subsequent violation, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 56:8-13. Not accepting cash as a payment is subject to a maximum penalty of $2,500 for the first violation.

How Consumers Can Protect Their Pockets:

Consumers who believe that a business is in violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, are encouraged to file an online complaint. Consumers can also call 1-800-242-5846 to receive a complaint form by mail.

The mission of the Division of Consumer Affairs, within the Department of Law and Public Safety, is to protect the public from fraud, deceit, misrepresentation and professional misconduct in the sale of goods and services in New Jersey through education, advocacy, regulation and enforcement. The Division pursues its mission through its 51 professional and occupational boards that oversee 720,000 licensees in the state, its Regulated Business section that oversees 60,000 NJ registered businesses, as well as through its Office of Consumer Protection, Bureau of Securities, Charities Registration section, Office of Weights and Measures, and Legalized Games of Chance section.