⚾ Phillies’ calm amid chaos | Morning Newsletter
And taste-testing fancy cheesesteaks.
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s set to be a beautiful Friday, Philly, with sun and temps in the 70s.
Kelly Davis has worked as an undercover cop and as Dennis Rodman’s security guard amid the circus of the 1990s Bulls. Now, he keeps the Phillies safe, but they lean on him for much more than that. Read on to meet one of the pros who makes the team go behind the scenes — and to take a trip back to some wild moments in sports history.
And adding luxurious touches to Philly’s signature working-class delicacy has garnered mixed results. Do we really need to “elevate” the cheesesteak?
— Julie Zeglen ([email protected])
P.S. Friday means trivia. Our latest news quiz includes questions on Peeps peers, Philly’s “best-kept dinner secret,” and more.
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There’s the time he escorted a mobbed, wedding dress-clad NBA star to a New York City book signing. Or the “multiple times” he dodged bullets as a narcotics cop. Or the front-row seat he had for almost the entirety of the Chicago Bulls’ championship three-peat.
⚾ Kelly Davis brings decades of wild work stories to his current role as the Phillies’ manager of team security, where he is in charge of keeping players, coaches, and their families safe, at home and on the road.
⚾ Those experiences inform the type of professional he is now — one who not only has eyes on the field, but mentors stressed-out hitters with a calm “Phil Jackson” vibe, as his boss says, referring to the former Bulls head coach.
⚾ Phillies fans might even have Davis to thank for Trea Turner’s famous turnaround in 2023.
In other sports news:
After his fourth denial, a former football playmaker has renewed his quest to be paid by the NFL’s concussion settlement program.
Truist is covering dog adoption fees at a Philly animal shelter ahead of its local PGA Tour event next month.
And Matt Strahm, pitcher and Nicolas Cage look-alike, “stole” the Declaration of Independence and turned it into a glove.
Picture the ideal cheesesteak. What’s on it? Probably some version of tender meat and melted cheese on a chewy roll, right?
It’s probably not filet and black truffle cheese sauce topped with pieces of literal gold. And it probably doesn’t cost $65.
The cheesesteak is historically a working-class sandwich, as The Inquirer’s official cheesesteak correspondent, Tommy Rowan, explains in the latest edition of his new Raising the Steaks column. But in recent years, certain dining establishments have taken it upon themselves to create expensive, zhuzhed-up versions, with mixed results.
“When we enrobe this type of food in luxury,” Rowan asks, “what are we trying to get out of it? And who is supposed to eat it?”
You can just taste his review of three of the fanciest cheesesteaks in Philly.
What you should know today
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called on the Department of Justice to investigate whether the Sunday arson attempt at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s official residence was a hate crime. Shapiro and his family shared new details about the attack Thursday while at a luncheon thanking first responders.
A Kensington man who operated a sprawling gun ring was sentenced Thursday to decades in state prison.
Two international students at a Pennsylvania college have sued the Trump administration over its cancellation of their ability to study in this country.
Amtrak trains struck people and occupied vehicles on the tracks about 800 times over a recent four-year period, causing 594 deaths, a new audit found.
A British metal recycler will pay $6.7 million toward improvements to Camden’s Waterfront South neighborhood after a February fire at its facility led to the voluntary evacuation of 100 families.
Taking on Donald Trump has become a requirement in the Democratic primary for New Jersey governor. Here’s how campaigns are managing the messaging.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s budget proposal includes a bill that not only cuts the business tax rates for next year, but bakes in 13 years of reductions. Here’s why Parker is looking to 2038.
Sheetz is looking to build a store on Wawa’s turf, at the site of a former Rite Aid in Chester County.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from 2018 on Suburban Station, the 20-story, art deco-style transportation hub based not in a suburban area, but at 16th Street and JFK Boulevard in Center City.
When it opened in 1930, Suburban was named for where the trains came from — in this case, the Main Line and other ‘burbs — not where they ended up. And while the station didn’t yet connect to other transit hubs underground, it was high-tech for its time. Here’s the full explanation.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠 Trivia time
New Jersey is suing which popular app after a string of incidents involving children across the state?
A) WhatsApp
B) TikTok
C) Discord
D) Instagram
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
🗝️ Remembering: When Ben Franklin died — and most Philadelphians attended his funeral — on this week in Philly history.
🍲 Heeding: These tips for visiting the Southeast Asian Market.
⛳ Golfing: For $5 (if you’re a kiddo) at over 20 local courses.
🏀 Cringing over: The results of our Sixers “Stay or Go” poll.
🗳️ Considering: The SAVE Act’s potential impact on voters.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Chestnut Hill arts organization
AMUSE WORM UDOMETER
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Calista Cleary, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Land Bank. Philadelphia City Council this week grilled the agency’s leader on why only 1,017 vacant properties have been redeveloped in over a decade.
Photo of the day
Prancing right into the weekend. Wishing you a pleasant one. I’ll be back with you Monday.
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