Philly Pressbox Radio

A first for Philly Pressbox Radio: an interview with the mom of a big-league ballplayer! Stephanie Brogdon, mother of Phillies reliever Connor Brogdon, joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to talk about her son's background and his rise to becoming a Major Leaguer, the emotional rollercoaster that a ballplayer's parent goes through ... and whether it might be time for baseball to go with a robo-ump behind home plate. Expect some Eagles talk, too, course ... and we have another visit from the great singer-songwriter Willie Nile, who has just released a terrific new album called "The Day the Earth Stood Still." 

Bill and Chet get to talk about a first-place Phillies team and the start of what should be an interesting Eagles preseason on this edition of Philly Pressbox Radio! TOM KELLY of our Edge of Philly Sports Network cousin Pattison Ave. Phanatics makes his first visit to this show to talk all-things Philly sports. Plus, we have a conversation with the Washington Post's TRAVIS ANDREWS about how some college athletes are taking advantage of the new Name-Image-Likeness rules. Other potential topics: Why is Ben Simmons still a Sixer? What's Bobby Bowden's legacy? Why does beer taste so good on a hot day? (*Please follow Philly Pressbox Radio on YouTube if you haven't already.)

Eagles legend Bill Bradley joins Bill and Chet to reflect on 1970s-era Birds football and his excitement about Harold Carmichael's Hall of Fame induction this weekend. (Expect some great stories from "Super Bill"!) Plus, Jack Fritz of SportsRadio WIP and a co-host of the "High Hopes" podcast visits to talk about this year's up-and-down Phillies season and their trade-deadline moves.

This week, there's lots of talk about the Phillies ahead of the trade deadline, plus the latest news on the Eagles and Flyers ... and Bill and Chet visit with former CSN reporter Leslie Gudel ... discussing the N-I-L mess, and next month's Kendall's Crusade One-Armed Golf Challenge. (Technical issues forced us to scrap a planned visit with former Eagles All-Pro safety Bill Bradley.)

The Phillies are an even .500 at the All-Star break, but are they legitimate contenders? Should teams mandae players to be vaccinated against Covid-19? The Eagles are two weeks away from training camp and the 76ers have a slew of off-season decisions to make. Philly Pressbox Radio talks about those issues and many others as WIP's JAMES SELTZER makes a return visit to the show. (Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko have co-hosted this weekly podcast since 2014. Please subscribe!)

Inquirer.com sports columnist Mike Sielski makes a return visit to Philly Pressbox Radio to talk about the Philadelphia sports scene -- the good, the bad and the ugly. Plus, a preview of Mike's next book, "The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality," and Bill and "Chet" give their midseason grades for this year's Phillies and much more.

Always plenty to talk about regarding the Philly sports scene, and this week we cover as much of it as we can with long-time sports writer and reporter ED BARKOWITZ -- some sports-betting talk with Ed, also. Plus, Phillies talk with the team's "director of fun and games," JOHN BRAZER; the Phils have some cool events and promotions coming up! Also, some talk about Marc Zumoff's surprising decision to retire, the news John Facenda will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and --- oh, some beer talk as well!

Well, the 76ers' season ended far sooner than we had been hoping, and a certain 6'10" point guard is getting the bulk of the blame ... but he wasn't the only issue. Now what? We'll talk about all of it with Inquirer.com Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey. Also on this week's show, Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko discuss the still-struggling Phillies and give a few summer thoughts about the Eagles. Oh -- another Random Chet segment is on the agenda, too!

Coming off a great homestand, the Phillies are now on a challenging West Coast trip and dealing with more injuries, and Phils TV voice Tom McCarthy joins us to talk about the team. Is Joe Girardi's club a contender or just a pretender? Plus, we're joined by sports columnist Frank Fitzpatrick who just announced his retirement after 41 years at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Expect some great stories from Fitz! Of course, there will be lots of 76ers talk, too, as the Sixers try to get past the Hawks in their second-round playoff series.Oh -- another "Random Chet" segment, too!

The Sixers' second-round playoff series is all even and the Phillies' season continues to have fewer ups than downs. We talk about that and much more with former Philly sports anchor Neil Hartman, who these days runs Rowan University's Center for Sports Communication. Plus, we welcome 79-year-old Ray Loewe, a U.S. Masters All-American swimmer, aka "The Luckiest Guy in the World" and host of the weekly podcast "Changing the Rules." And we'll squeeze in another "Random Chet" segment, too.

Can the 76ers end their series against the Wizards in front of a sellout crowd in Philly? Bucks County Courier Times sports columnist Tom Moore visits to talk all-things Sixers (and a little Eagles, too). Plus, making her first visit to the show is Sam Wilson, who is hosting a new, weekly baseball show with former Phillies legends Charlie Manuel and Larry Bowa, "Down the Line With Charlie & Bo," on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko are now in their 8th year of co-hosting the Philly Pressbox Radio Roundtable; thanks for finding us!

The 76ers' postseason run got off to a winning start, but some fans are still not thrilled. Meanwhile, the Phillies continue to confound us with subpar hitting, inconsistent pitching and terrible defense. Joining us to talk all-things Phils on this week's show: former longtime color analyst CHRIS WHEELER. (*Some audio difficulties -- sorry!)  A "Random Chet" segment, some Eagles talk, and whatever else we get to on the show, too!

The Sixers are getting ready for the postseason and the Phillies are ... well, as inconsistent and frustrating as ever yet somehow contending for the top spot in the NL East. Expect lots of Phils and Sixers talk on this week's Philly Pressbox Radio show as TIM KELLY of Phillies Nation and TYRONE JOHNSON of Sixers Outsiders and 97.5 The Fanatic visit. Bill and Chet also discuss the Eagles' signing of Ryan Kerrigan and the election of Villanova Coach Jay Wright to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Expect some great baseball talk on this week as Phillies Nation's BRIAN MICHAEL visits Philly Pressbox Radio --we cover all the bases with Brian. Plus, Freddy Burns of Edge of Philly Sports stops by for some Sixers and Eagles talk -- the Birds' 2021 schedule is out! Now that the Flyers' season has mercifully ended, I guess we need to do an autopsy of that Orange and Black mess! And, yes, you'll get another Random Chet segment, too.

The NFL's 2021 draft is in the books, so ... how did the Eagles do? That's a main topic for this week's Philly Pressbox Radio show as Hall of Fame sports writer RAY DIDINGER joins Bill and Chet.to give his take on the nine guys selected by the Birds over the three-day draft and what it all means for the outlook for next season. Plus, Ray gives us a preview of his new memoir Finished Business about his 50 years covering the Philly sports scene. The book will be available later this month. Of course, you'll get some Phillies and 76ers talk and a new "Random Chet" segment, too.

In a Draft Night Eve chat, former long-time Eagles beat reporter Mark Eckel visits Philly Pressbox Radio to help Bill and Chet preview the 2021 draft. Will the Birds get it right this year? Plus, there's some Phillies and Sixers talk, and WMMR's Brent Porche stops by to discuss being a Philly sports fan and his 15 years at 93.3 MMR.

The NFL Draft is next week -- what will the Eagles do? -- and the 76ers continue to cling to 1st place in the NBA's Eastern Conference. Joining Bill and Chet to talk about the Birds and the Sixers is Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton. Yes, you can expect some Phillies and Flyers talk, too, and ... heck, maybe even a little discussion about this Sunday's Academy Awards. (One of the hosts is a big movie guy!)

WIth the NFL draft fast approaching, what will the Eagles do in trying to fill their many needs? Inquirer.com's Paul Domowitch joins Bill and Chet  to talk all-things Eagles. Plus, former Flyer Chris Therien stops by to talk about the Orange and Black's disappointing season. "Bundy"also discusses his struggles with alcoholism and his new role at Limitless Recovery, an intensive outpatient facility in Fishtown. There will of course be some Phillies and Sixers talk along the way, too ... and our memories of Veterans Stadium, which opened in April 1971.

This week's Philly Pressbox Radio show is a full one, as Bill and Chet talk about the Phillies' impressive start to the 2021 baseball season and also welcome some terrific guests: Krystle Rich, of 76ers Outsiders, visits to talk all-things Sixers ... and then we talk Flyers hockey and more with Kim Parent and Corey Favell (you may have heard of their dads!). Kim and Corey this week are debuting their "Parent/Favell Generation X Hockey Podcast." Hopefully there'll be time left for a "Random Chet" segment!

With the 2021 baseball season about to get started, longtime Phillies reporter PAUL HAGEN joins Bill Furman and Jim "Chet" Chesko to preview the Phils' campaign. Can they compete in the tough NL East? Also, we chat with Delaware Blue Coats radio voice KAYLA SANTIAGO. The Rowan University junior is making a name for herself as a play-by-play broadcaster. Plus, we talk about the 1st-place 76ers, the struggling Flyers ... and there's another "Random Chet" segment, too.