The puck club 🏒| Sports Daily Newsletter

It may have been a myth you heard before: The Flyers once inducted fans into a secret club if they got hit by a puck. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s true.

In the early 1970s, pucks flew into the stands at the Spectrum. So the Flyers created an exclusive club, the “Loyal Order of the Unducked Puck,” partly as a way to dissuade fans from suing them if they were hit by a puck.

Though, this club wasn’t for everyone. You could not purchase a membership. You had to earn it.

The pucks were sent to fans for years, easing the pain of being hit by a frozen piece of rubber and making a bruise feel like initiation. The Flyers later created plaques for members. They also sent a letter signed by a player.

In 2002, the NHL mandated teams to install protective netting, which has since stopped most pucks from entering the stands. It also eliminated the need for a Loyal Order.

But it meant so much to fans that some had the honor in their obituaries. Matt Breen spoke with those families about how the club made them “feel special.”

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓Let’s hear your Eagles vs. Cowboys predictions. Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

There is a thought process out there in the ether that A.J. Brown is not the same player he was just last year or the season prior. What would he say to those who believe that? “I guess Saquon [Barkley] ain’t the same player either then.” Brown expressed optimism in the offense’s progress and made it clear that what he cares about is winning.

After the defense carried the Eagles to wins over the Packers and Lions, how do our writers feel about the possibility of an Eagles sweep in Dallas? Here’s their Week 12 predictions.

🏀 Learning: In Villanova’s victory over La Salle, the Wildcats showed the allure of Kevin Willard’s small-ball lineup.

🤔 Wondering: What are the Cowboys saying about the Eagles ahead of their matchup this Sunday?

📖 Following: The status of Cam Jurgens, who returned to practice after missing Wednesday’s with a concussion.

🏈 Reading: How Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton is playing the long game to “get better.”

Nick Nurse jokingly proclaimed that maybe the Sixers would play better in the third quarter if they spent halftime regrouping on the bench, instead of the locker room. However, the ongoing problem doomed the Sixers in a 121-112 loss to the Raptors on Wednesday night, where the Sixers were outscored 44-26 in the third quarter. Nurse attempted to make a lineup tweak, but it didn’t solve this issue. How do they plan to address this?

And Joel Embiid missed his sixth straight game with a knee injury on Thursday against the Bucks, meanwhile Paul George played his second game of the season.

Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 54 points lift the Sixers to an overtime win in Milwaukee. George scored 21 points in his second game of the season.

The Flyers held their annual Hockey Fights Cancer night against the Blues on Thursday night. Prior to puck drop, the celebration featured tributes, special guests, lavender jerseys, and some custom equipment collaborations between players and local survivors. Coach Rick Tocchet shared, “You’re in the day-to-day [as a] hockey coach, and you forget about what’s really more important in life.”

Travis Sanheim scored the game-winning goal to give the Flyers their ninth comeback victory of the season in a 3-2 overtime win vs. the Blues.

Brett Gordon‘s memories of his dad have become more vivid, especially these last couple of weeks. His late father Drew, a Hall of Fame football coach at La Salle College High who died in 2023, led the program to its first state title in 2009 with his son on staff. Now, with Brett at the helm, the two could become the first father-son duo to win a PIAA crown as head coaches. The Explorers face District 11 champion Easton on Friday in the PIAA Class 6A quarterfinals.

Speaking of playoffs, Belmont Charter is the smallest Public League school with a football team, and it is one of only 10 teams from the city or suburbs among 48 teams still alive for six state championships. Despite lack of players and facilities, Belmont has a chance to make school history in the 1A quarterfinals.

Debating Jalen Hurts is like locking yourself in a clothes dryer. You spin around in circles a bunch of times and then walk away hot. But what are we arguing about? It’s a question everybody should be asking themselves. Any time an offense plays the way the Eagles offense has for most of this season, the quarterback will help matters by playing better — so yes, Hurts deserves criticism. Beyond that, there is little to say, writes columnist David Murphy.

Tune in with reporters Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner on Sunday at 2:55 p.m., as they discuss insider insights before the Eagles take on the Cowboys.

We asked: Is there a sports scandal you won’t soon forget? Among your responses:

Being a lover of the game of baseball, the use of steroids is a scandal that I will never forget. It has forever changed how people like myself study and follow the game in many aspects including comparing individual player stats. No longer can one have a serious discussion on players careers based on stats as we always did in the past. No longer can we compare the overall abilities of players from the past with those of the steroid era and later without the cloud of steroids being part of the discussion. Barry Bonds vs. Hank Aaron? No-one can really be sure due to the steroids. It’s a terrible terrible thing for a stats/box score reading fan such as myself. — Bob A.

The Houston Astros sign stealing scandal was number one for me. That entire team should have been suspended without pay and the Astros should have had to bring their AAA team up to fill in, but of course MLB will deal out punishments, but only up until the punishments would hurt the bottom line. And then Covid prevented them from being strongly rejected by the fans in visiting ballparks. Once loved Altuve but for me he is unforgiven along with the rest of the team and management. — Everett S.

The 2007 NBA referee “the fix was in” scandal. They weren’t actually fixing the out come games, they were controlling the spread. I’ve never had much confidence in any of the sports that the games were on a level playing field. Especially with some of the egregious calls in the NFL. I stopped betting a couple years ago when that phantom holding call against the Eagles in the 2023 Super Bowl with Kansas City happened. There were only about two minutes to play and the call led to Kansas City winning the game on a field goal. I distinctly remember me yelling at the TV that Vegas made a call. My wife agreed. That was the end of my fun and games. Never again! — Ronald R.

There are many but the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal is top on my list. They won the World Series in 2017 with help from a camera and a trash can. How low can you get? The worst thing about it is very few were held accountable with all the players basically getting off scott free. That team will always be a disgrace to me. — Kathy T.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Matt Breen, David Murphy, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Jackie Spiegel, Devin Jackson, Kerith Gabriel, Ariel Simpson, Joseph Santoliquito, Dave Caldwell, Greg Finberg, and Ryan Mack.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for finishing the week with me. Have a wonderful weekend, and Jim will be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella