Philly Pressbox Radio

A fun Philly Pressbox Rado Roundtable this week: Carl Henderson, owner of Carl's Cards & Collectibles, and Bill Mattis, founder and CEO of AllStar Inc., join Bill Furman to discuss sports memorabilia and collecting and the state of the Philly sports scene. Carl's store in Havertown, PA, frequently welcomes active and retired pro athletes for signings, and Bill M. is a sports agent who has worked with legends like Jim Bunning, Paul Hornung and Gale Sayers. Be sure to check out Philly Pressbox Radio's sponsors, including the Irish Rover Station House in Langhorne, PA, and Bob Sullivan's LikeYourAge.com.

With another round of OTAs wrapping up, Philly Pressbox Radio welcomes Kevin Reilly back to the show to talk about the state of the Eagles. Kevin, the former Birds and Patriots special teamer and ex Eagles Radio pre- and post-game co-host, joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about the Birds' off-season additions, the decision by a few Eagles to not show up for OTAs, and Kevin's planned book. Also on the show, Bill and Chet remember Hall of Famer Jim Bunning, and player representative Steve Cwitkowitz stops by for a little hockey talk and to offer details about upcoming appearances for the former Philly pro athletes he works with.

She covered the Phillies for Comcast SportsNet for several years, and now Leslie Gudel makes a return visit to Philly Pressbox Radio. Leslie, who these days writes columns for CrossingBroad.com and co-hosts a weekly podcast with Glen Macnow called "Inside Corner," joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about the struggling Phillies and whether it's time to bring up any of the prospects from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. She'll also talk about this summer's 2nd Annual Kendall's Crusade Comedy Classic featuring comedian Craig Shoemaker, benefitting AVM research and patient care. (Details at KendallsCrusade.org.) Bill and Chet also have some Eagles and Sixers talk on the agenda!

He's the Philadelphia Flyers' all-time leading goal scorer, a Hockey Hall of Famer, former coach of the Orange & Black, and now Bill Barber visits the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable. Bill joins Jim "Chet" Chesko and Bill Furman to talk about his great career, the Flyers' 50th anniversary, those two Stanley Cup championships and the state of the current Flyers. Also, we'll hear from Calkins Media's Tom Moore to discuss what Tuesday night's NBA Draft Lottery means for the 76ers. We'll have a little Phillies talk too, plus Chet reviews the new movie "Chuck," a biopic about the real-life Rocky, Chuck Wepner.

On this Philly Pressbox Radio episode, we welcome a key member of the 2008 World Champion Phillies: Pitcher Brett Myers will talk about his 12-year major-league career (eight season with the Phils), his former teammates and his new career as a country singer! Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko have plenty of questions for Brett, including his relationship with catcher Carlos Ruiz, and what advice he might have for the Phils' beleaguered bullpen. Also on the program, Chet chats with singer-songwriter Willie Nile about his love of baseball, Philly fans and his new album, "Positively Bob: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan." Expect a little Eagles and Flyers talk, too!

The 2017 NFL Draft is in the books, so... how did the Eagles do? Delaware County Daily Times columnist Jack McCaffery joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to discuss the Birds' selections and what it means for the team going forward. Jack will also weigh in on the Phillies and 76ers. Speaking of the Sixers, hear what LibertyBallers.com Managing Editor Jake Pavorsky has to say about the state of the team less than two weeks away from the NBA Draft Lottery. That and more on this week's show!

On Draft Night Eve, we welcome Eagles beat writer Mark Eckel of NJ.com back to the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable to preview the draft, including whom the Birds might select with the 14th overall pick, why so many guys have "character issues," and Mark's 30-plus years of covering the Birds. Also on the show: Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko analyze the Eagles' 2017 schedule, discuss the massive layoffs at ESPN and the suddenly streaking Phillies. Plus, it's the final week of our "Random Q2" segment.

A Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable episode that pro football fans won't want to miss: Philadelphia Eagles video-content manager Fran Duffy joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about players the Birds might consider selecting with the 14th overall pick in the NFL draft and offers up names to listen for in later rounds of the draft. Plus, what does Fran think of Joe Mixon and this year's quarterback class? Also on the show: our recollections of Mike Schmidt's 500th home run (30 years ago this week) and Week 9 of our Random Q2 series.  

With the NFL Draft just a couple of weeks away, Hall of Fame football writer Ray Didinger makes a return visit to the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable to provide insight into guys who might be on the Eagles' radar and what else might happen this offseason. Also on the show: Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko resume their discussion about whether the Phillies might eventually retire the numbers of stars Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, and give their thoughts on the Flyers and Sixers, with no playoffs on the horizon. Plus, it's Week 8 of our fun Random Q2 segment!

Every Philly sports fan's favorite Anthem singer, Lauren Hart, makes her first-ever visit to the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable. Lauren talks with Bill Furman and Jim 'Chet' Chesko about her singing career, her love of the Flyers, her dad (the late, great Gene Hart) and much more. Also on the show, hear Chet's interview with Phillies play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy, previewing the Phils' 2017 season. In addition, there's NCAA hoops talk, another fun Random Q2 segment and more!

College basketball and Phillies talk highlight this Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable episode. Joining Bill Furman and Jim `Chet' Chesko for the first half of the program is Overbrook H.S. Hall of Famer Andre McCarter, a starting guard on John Wooden's final UCLA championship team. Andre will assess this year’s Final Four and tell us which team he believes will cut down the nets, why Villanova didn't get very far in its bid to repeat, and he'll offer up more stories about playing for the legendary Coach Wooden. Also, hear Chet's Clearwater interview with long-time Phillies broadcaster Chris Wheeler, Bill and Chet make their 2017 Phils predictions and discuss why there likely won't be any playoffs for this year's Flyers. In addition, we'll have a Philly sports trivia and question and prize, courtesy Carl’s Cards and Collectibles; an autographed picture of legendary Broad Street Bully Dave Schultz!

This week's episode: ESPN.com senior baseball writer JAYSON STARK joins Jim Chet Chesko to talk about the impact of last fall’s terrific World Series on the sport, his take on the 2017 Phillies and their top prospects, and Jimmy Rollins' Hall of Fame chances. We’ll also ask Jayson about his upcoming induction into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports hall of Fame. Plus, Bleeding Green Nation’s BRANDON LEE GOWTON stops by to assess last week’s free-agent additions and roster cuts made by the Eagles, and what the Birds are likely to do in the draft. Some March Madness talk, too, of course. (Go Nova!) Hey, feel better, Bill Furman!

On this episode of the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable, our guest is a legendary Philadelphia Flyer, who happens to be their third leading scorer of all-time. Brian Propp joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about the state of the Flyers, and to give an update on his health. Brian suffered a serious stroke in September 2015. Also on the show: Phillies spring-training talk, Eagles rumors and what the heck is going on with the 76ers. Plus, our "Random Q2" series hits the halfway point.  

Something different on this episode of the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable as Bill Simmons, aka "El Wingador," joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about being a five-time Wing Bowl champion and his new book, "Snow on the Barb Wire," co-authored with Joe Vallee. The memoir goes into great detail about Bill's journey down a devastating and destructive road that led to his arrest and two years in prison. It's quite a story, and Bill will tell us all about it. Also on the show: Liberty Ballers Managing Editor Jake Pavorsky tells us what the trades of Nerlens Noel and Ersan Ilyasova mean for the 76ers' future, another fun "Random Q2" segment, and there's some Flyers and Phillies talk, too! Plus, we welcome a terrific new sponsor to the program: the Irish Rover Station House, a family-friendly bar and restaurant in Langhorne, PA.

If you're a fan of the Philadelphia sports scene and haven't yet sampled Philly Pressbox Radio, here's a great way to check us out. This rebroadcast is a fun, fast-paced overview of our first 98 shows (April 2014 to August 2016), with highlights of our chats with guests including Merrill Reese, Tom McCarthy, Ray Didinger, Fred Barnett, Bill Bradley, Barrett Brooks, Vince Papale, Dennis Franks, Brian Propp, Larry Christenson, Glenn Wilson, Andre McCarter, Mark Eckel, Kevin Cooney, Frank Fitzpatrick, Mike Sielski, Brandon Lee Gowton, Fran Duffy, Dei Lynam, Leslie Gudel, Judy Arnold, John Brazer, David Raymond and Dr. Joel FIsh. Enjoy, and come back for future shows! We'll be back with a new, live show next Wednesday at 7pm ET. Thanks much from both of us - Jim "Chet" Chesko and Bill Furman.

It's spring-training time, so ... we welcome long-time Phillies broadcaster Chris Wheeler to Philly Pressbox Radio! "Wheels" will talk about the 37 years (1977-2013) he spent broadcasting Phils games, the 1980 and 2008 World Series championship seasons, his expectations for the 2017 Phils, and the news that Pete Rose is now eligible for the Phillies' Wall of Fame. Also on the show: Fred Hugo joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about the pro football offseason and what's happening with the Sixers (a "train wreck," says Bill). Oh yeah -- there's another fun "Random Q2" segment, too!

Mike Barnes, executive director of the Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation and a die-hard Philadelphia Eagles fan, makes a return visit to Philly Pressbox Radio to talk about what went right and wrong with the Birds' 2016 season and to preview the upcoming (Feb. 11) Barkann Foundation Back to the 80s Party. Also on the show: another edition of "Random Q2" (huh?), plus Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko discuss the Patriots' amazing overtime Super Bowl win over the Falcons, and Chet will recap his Friday excursions to Wing Bowl 25 and the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association's 113th Annual Dinner. And, what's the deal with B-Dawk and T.O. not making the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Boooooo.

A busy Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable this week! Calkins Media's Tom Moore returns to the show to talk about both the 76ers and Eagles, and former Eagle and long-time Atlanta Falcon Brian Finneran visits to preview the Falcons-Patriots Super Bowl LI matchup. In addition, Fred Hugo joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko for the final 2016-17 "Fred & Butter Time" segment as the guys make their predictions for the big game, you'll get our take on the "NHL 100" ... and we introduce a new segment on the show called "Random Q2." Hmmmm. And we'll once again have our Philly sports trivia question and prize giveaway courtesy Carl's Cards & Collectibles.

Join Philly Pressbox Radio as we welcome Kevin Reilly back to the show. Kevin, the ex Eagles and Patriots special teamer and former Eagles Radio pre- and post-game co-host, joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about the Birds' off-season needs, his relationship with Dick Vermeil, his prediction for Super Bowl LI and much more. Also on the show, some talk about those dud Conference Championship games ... and the ongoing debate about "the process" in the wake of the 76ers' recent resurgence. In addition, there will be another Philly sports trivia question and prize giveaway courtesy Carl's Cards & Collectibles.  

A highly entertaining Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable this week! Phillies Director of Fun & Games John Brazer makes a return visit to talk baseball and beyond, and HockeyBuzz.com's Bill Meltzer stops by to recap last Saturday's Flyers-Penguins Alumni Game and to discuss the slumping 2016-17 Flyers. Plus, Fred Hugo again joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to preview this weekend's NFL Conference Championship games. As usual, we'll also have our Philly sports trivia question and prize giveaway courtesy Carl's Cards & Collectibles.