Someone said ‘Wawa subs,’ they renamed Harry the K’s, and Philly took it personally | Weekly Report Card

The Phillies replaced Harry the K’s with the Ghost Energy Deck, and it hit a nerve. Not because everyone loved that spot, but because Philly loves its traditions.

Even the ones you don’t actually celebrate.

Nobody was texting “meet me at Harry the K’s” in their group chat on game day. But it was there. It was part of the ballpark. And it sounded right, like something that belonged.

And now it doesn’t.

And it’s not just this. The old scoreboard is gone. The clock is gone. Ads keep creeping in. Bit by bit, the place starts to feel a little less like the park people fell in love with and a little more like… everything else.

Fans know the deal. You want a $300 million roster, you’re going to sell stuff. Fine.

But at what point does selling space become selling identity?

One fan summed up the other side of it pretty well: “This place wasn’t even in anyone’s mind until they decided to change the name.”

True! But that’s Philly. We will absolutely get nostalgic about something the second you take it away.

And yeah, “Ghost Energy Deck” isn’t exactly helping.

A romance novel set in Baltimore sparked one of the more predictable regional debates imaginable this week: What do you call a sandwich from Wawa?

The answer, according to one line in B.K. Borison’s new book, is “sub.”

And just like that, the Philly internet lost its mind.

Because here’s the thing: The book is set in Baltimore where people do say “sub.” Even at Wawa.

However, none of that matters to Philadelphians. But the author doubled down. She meant it AND said it was accurate. Which, again, it is … technically.

Still, there’s something funny about how fast this escalated.

And now, it’s showing up in Goodreads reviews, and Wawa is just watching this all unfold, quietly thriving.

Tyrese Maxey went on The Tonight Show this week, shouted out Philly, talked about his recovery — and then admitted he’s a Cowboys fan.

Sort of.

“My dad wouldn’t let me back in his house if I was a full-on Eagles fan,” Maxey said, before adding that he roots for the Eagles when they’re not playing in Dallas. CRITICAL TO NOTE.

Which raises an important question: Is that acceptable?

Philly has a long history of adopting athletes as one of our own… We’re forgiving. We’re loyal. We will ride for you. But there are limits.

Rooting for another team when they’re not playing the Eagles? Fine. Normal, even.

Actively claiming the Cowboys? That’s where things get … complicated.

Because this isn’t just any other team. This is the Cowboys.

To be fair, Maxey gets some leeway. He is from Dallas. And more importantly, he’s one of the few bright spots on this Sixers team right now.

But let’s be clear about the terms.

You can have a Cowboys past. But we’re keeping an eye on this.

It happens every year.

The sun comes out for a few days, temperatures creep higher, and suddenly Philadelphia starts acting like winter is over for good.

Patios fill up. Lines form at water ice stands. Someone, always the same guy, commits to shorts like it’s legally binding.

We know better. This is fool’s spring, the place where deception creeps in. You start to feel like a person again just in time to get hit with a 42-degree rain on a Tuesday.

And yet, here we are.

Bok Bar is coming back. The Southeast Asian Market is almost open. Cherry blossoms are getting ready to do their thing. The Phillies are about to take over everyone’s schedule whether you like it or not.

And everyone starts to believe that maybe — just maybe — we’re done with winter.

Philadelphia is about to find out who it really is after 2 a.m.

A bill moving through Harrisburg will let some bars stay open until 4 a.m. this summer for the World Cup and the city’s 250th celebrations.

Which sounds fun… until you remember what Philly is like at 1:47 a.m.

This is not a city known for pacing itself. We are not a “one more drink and head home” kind of place.

Now, give that two more hours. Sure, there will be nights where it’s great — packed bars, people from everywhere, real energy in the city.

But there will also be nights where it is… not that.

Philly can absolutely stay out until 4 a.m. The question is what will it look like when it does?

A Philadelphia guy is now a professional pickleball player thanks to a reality show.

So, we ask: What, exactly, is a pro pickleball player?

Is there a jersey? Are we buying it? Is Xfinity Live! — excuse us, Stateside Live! — streaming the games (matches?)

Because right now, the path to “going pro” is … unconventional. The show filmed in 2023, aired in 2025, and the original winners couldn’t accept the contracts — so two and a half years later, the opportunity circled back around to Philly’s Brandon Fritze.

Good for him, though.

However, it still feels like pickleball is making this up as it goes. And maybe that’s fine. Not everything needs to rise to the Eagles or Phillies level of fandom.