Is Pennsylvania Really the Most All-American State in the Land?
Plus: Dave McCormick thinks he can beat a bear in a fight and the latest, ahem, blow in the wind farm wars
Pennsylvania has been named the most all-American state by … some list you’ve not heard of! Illustration via Getty Images.
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Pennsylvania Is One Great State
Remember how just the other day, our colleague Victor was bemoaning the proliferation of lists of every type, shape and size generated by who knows who? Well, suck it, Victor (we mean that lovingly, of course), since this new list (from something called Viator, which is one letter off from Victor, FWIW) has declared Pennsylvania to be the most “All-American” state! Among the factors considered: number of historic landmarks, number of national parks, number of sports venues, and … number of fast-food restaurants? Alrighty, then: We’re number one!
Eagles Christmas Album, the Sequel
If you couldn’t snag a copy of last year’s hottest Christmas gift, don’t worry: Jason Kelce, Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson are back again. Plus this year’s version comes with a 50-piece puzzle! And who doesn’t love puzzles when you’re trying to avoid your relatives over the holidays? A Philly Special Christmas Special goes on sale tomorrow at 9 a.m.; our colleague Laura Swartz has all the details.
Dave McCormick Believes He Can Fight a Bear and Win
Connecticut resident and somehow U.S. Senate candidate for Pennsylvania Dave McCormick went on the conservative podcast Ruthless recently and was asked a fairly innocuous question: What is the biggest animal you think you could take? For those unfamiliar with how men think, this is an exceptionally common debate and one that likely originated sometime right after Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden. My answer is a medium-sized mutt, though after a few drinks my answer will shift to something more esoteric, like “one of those mean goats.” McCormick went another route.
“I think a good medium-sized bear,” said the man who couldn’t even defeat Dr. Oz. “First of all, they’re lazy. They don’t look like they’re in shape, so I think you can go the long game with them. And their claws and their teeth are big, but not that big. They’re not like a lion or anything.”
Blowing in the Wind?
In October, we told you about the battle brewing over the wind farms in development off the Jersey Shore. Yesterday, Orsted, the Danish company behind the controversial Ocean Wind 1 and 2, announced it was scrapping those plans. While other projects remain in development, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy is none too pleased. We suspect this isn’t the last we’ll hear about any of this.
By the Numbers
80: North American bird species whose names are expected to be changed by the American Ornithological Society, many because they honor humans who, like local birder John James Audubon, were enslavers, white supremacists, and/or despoilers of Indigenous gravesites. The new monikers will focus on describing the birds.
$17 Million: Money shelled out by the usual semi-anonymous collection of hedge-fund billionaires, labor unions and the like for this Tuesday’s Pennsylvania Supreme Court election race between Dan McCaffery, the Dem, and Carolyn Carluccio, the R. Yes, yes, that (of course) includes Yass. Ain’t politics grand?
4: Current New York Knicks who played together on Villanova’s 2016 NCAA championship team. That would be Josh Hart, Ryan Arcidiacono, Donte DiVincenzo and Jalen Brunson. I wonder who recently retired Wildcats coach Jay Wright roots for when they come to town?
And from the Game’s-On Sports Desk …
Finally, something to live for! The Sixers host the Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center tonight, with tip-off at 7 p.m. By the way, Phils fans: Let it warm your hearts to know that the Rangers/Diamondbacks World Series was the least-watched ever. (Spoiler: The Rangers won last night, 5-0, with four of those runs coming in the ninth.) It would have been the most-watched ever if Bryce & Co. were there. In Tuesday night’s game, the D’backs were down 10-0 in the third inning. The Wall Street Journal had a whole feature story on how Arizona fans were walking out of the stadium in Phoenix, where they’d shelled out hundreds of dollars for seats, and strolling a block away to instead watch Victor Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs take on the Phoenix Suns. (And the Suns lost the game.)
And speaking of the Sixers, if you’re a Twitter — sorry, X — user, you’ll be sorry to know that the dude behind the @DidTheSixersWin account that’s kept fans amused for the past 10 seasons has hung up his hat.
https://twitter.com/DidTheSixersWin/status/1717963909871587703
Granted, it’s for the happiest of reasons: He’s a new dad, and life is suddenly real busy. Congrats! (The thread that recounts his accidental career is a hoot.)
Oh — last night, the Flyers played.
