News

The Eagles May Be Winners, but This New Tide Commercial Is One Big Loser

Plus, Philly journalist fired after making pro-Palestine tweet.


jason kelce, as see in the new eagles players tide commercial

Jason Kelce, as see in the new Eagles players Tide commercial (via Tide video)

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The Eagles May Be Winners, But This New Tide Commercial Is One Big Loser

It’s hard to hate on anything Eagles-related these days. The last year has been big. Eagles players delivered us a wondrous Christmas album, and we’re gearing up for a second. The team brought us to the Super Bowl. We’re one of only two teams in the NFL with a 5-0 record. Oh, and there’s the Eagles-adjacent matter of the Taylor-Travis affair, which, granted, some of you hate, but sometimes you need some good ol’ tabloid romance fun.

All that said, if we are going to be true Eagles fans, we have to call the misses when there are misses. And so, I simply must call attention to a new Tide commercial featuring Eagles players Jason Kelce, Fletcher Cox, and Jordan Mailata. Yes, Tide. As in the laundry detergent.

It appears that the new Eagles Tide commercial just popped up this week. I saw it late last night when my colleague forwarded me a tweet from earlier in the day from 6ABC sports reporter Jamie Apody:

“This is disgusting,” wrote my colleague. “I respected them so much for their musical talent, their drive, their good humor. And they throw it away for a goddamn mass-production LAUNDRY DETERGENT?!?!”

I couldn’t agree more.

The Eagles Tide commercial is part of a campaign that launched in early September. And the original ad from that campaign is even worse, if you can believe that.

It turns out it’s not the first time that Eagles players have made terrible Tide commercials. I give you this one from 2018:

Some choice critiques from 2018:

“I’m calling for a national boycott of Tide until they promise never to show those horrific ads again,” wrote one fan on Twitter.

Local sports talk guy Mike Missanelli had this to say: “What ad wizard thought that Tide ad was a good idea?”

Of course, Tide is clearly trolling us all with these unforgivable Eagles commercials. And why not? It’s not like we’d be talking about Tide commercials that were actually good, right?

Meanwhile, in non-sucky Eagles player endorsement news, this new Jalen Hurts commercial for Beats by Dre is quite good. I feel it.

Ironically, though, I religiously buy Tide but will never spend $200 on a pair of headphones.

[Ed. Note: We feel obliged to state that while Victor and this colleague of his loathe the Eagles Tide ad, two of his other colleagues enjoy it. We are truly a staff divided.]

But, Hey, Jeffrey Lurie Is Twice as Rich as He Was in 2018

The latest Forbes list of really rich people just came out, the “400 Richest People in America.”

Among them: Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, who is, according to Forbes, worth $4.4 billion. That means he’s more than twice as rich as when the Eagles last won the Super Bowl. And he’s four times as rich as he was in 2012, when Andy Reid was on the sidelines and our record was, ugh, 4-12.

Also on the list is tobacco mogul/Phillies owner John Middleton. His worth? $3.7 billion. Holding steady at that since 2021.

But controversial Main Line financial wizard and election influencer Jeff Yass could buy both of them and have enough money left over to buy them both again and then one more time and still be left with $4 billion, which would still get him onto the “400 Richest People in America” list.

You can see all of the richest of the rich here.

In Somber News

Unlike most local media outlets in Philadelphia, we really don’t cover national news, let alone world news. We kind of employ an all-Philly-all-the-time mantra. But obviously, everyone is concerned about the Israel-Hamas war.

Last night in Wynnewood, hundreds gathered in support of Israel. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, was one of the speakers. “This is truly an international time of mourning,” he said. “These unprovoked attacks on innocent civilians warrant condemnation here in America and all across our globe. This is a moment not to retreat who we are, but to embrace who we are.”

And 6ABC has the story of one South Jersey woman who was vacationing in Israel at the time of the attacks.

An Unexpected Sports-Israel Hybrid Story

A couple of months ago, local media outlet Philly Voice hired a guy named Jackson Frank as their Sixers beat writer. But as of Monday, Philly Voice no longer employed Frank, according to the New York Post. Why? On Sunday, the Sixers wrote the following on Twitter: “We stand with the people of Israel and join them in mourning the hundreds of innocent lives lost to terrorism at the hands of Hamas #StandWithIsrael.” And what did Frank write as a reply? “This post sucks! Solidarity with Palestine always.” Frank’s Twitter account is now gone. And he has yet to publicly comment on the mess.

Local Talent

The Philadelphia Orchestra might be best known for its Rachmaninoff and collaborations with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma. But 2024 will bring us a much different type of Philadelphia Orchestra concert. Our world class symphony is performing with none other than Sting. Should be quite the evening! The presale for the April 8th and 9th shows begins on Wednesday.

The new Exorcist sequel starring Masterman/CAPA alum Leslie Odom Jr. may stink as badly as the Eagles Tide ad, if the critics are to be believed. But one thing is for sure: It’s dominating the box office. And Halloween is still weeks away!

Jenna Pastuszek

Jenna Pastuszek (photo by Stephanie Cowan)

And a warm welcome home to Swarthmore native Jenna Pastuszek. She grew up going to shows at the Walnut Street Theatre. And now she’s back to co-star in one. Pastuszek plays Priscilla Presley and serves as dance captain in the WST’s ELVIS – A Musical Revolution, which opens on Wednesday. This is the North American premiere of the show.

By the Numbers

$300,000: Price Wawa just paid at auction for a PLCB license in Delco. That’s a lot of money! In fact, it’s more than double the average bid in the auction. (For more context on the liquor license situation in Pennsylvania, be sure to read our feature from earlier this year.)

0: Forecasted daytime time hours without full sun at the Jersey Shore on Thursday, when temperatures are predicted to inch above 70 degrees. You never know: This could be your last day for beach hooky. Get there if you can.

2nd: Rank of this new Hindu temple in New Jersey on the list of the world’s largest Hindu temples. That’s right. The world’s second biggest Hindu temple is less than an hour from Philadelphia.

And from the Oh-No Sports Desk …

Holy hot start, batmen! In last night’s NLDS playoff game vs. the Braves, the Phillies sprang out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a double by Trea Turner and a single (finally!) by Alec Bohm off Atlanta lefty Max Fried. That was followed by two-out singles from J.T. Realmuto and Nick Castellanos, but Bryson Stott uncharacteristically ended the frame. Zack Wheeler took the mound for us and struck out the freakin’ side. In the third, after Bryce Harper singled, Realmuto whaled one out of the park: 3-0!

And Wheels in the third? Three up, three down. Schwarbs and Bohm walked in the fourth between outs by Johan Rojas and Turner, but Harper grounded out. Zack’s fourth was … one-two-three. What’s that you say, Blooper? Kirby Yates came on for the fifth and struck J.T. out, but Castellanos singled, stole second (!), and reached third when the pickoff throw sailed into center. Stott lined out, but Casty tagged and scored. Cristian Pache then walked and stole second (barely), but Yates struck Rojas out. And Wheels? Three up, three down. To say the Atlanta fan base was unhappy with their team would be understating it.

The Braves brought on Joe Jimenez; it was like a house-of-horrors-mirror image of Rob Thomson’s masterful bullpen use in Game 1. Schwarber led off with a single, Turner struck out, Bohm walked, and Harper hit a foul fly that Austin Riley caught. Realmuto up! But he popped up foul, too. And then, with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Wheeler walked Ron Acuña Jr., and he scored on an Ozzie Albies single — the Braves’ first hit of the night — and a second error by Turner. But Wheels got the third out on a called strike to Riley.

Matt Olson led off the Braves’ seventh with a single, Ozuna struck out — and damn, a two-run homer to left by Travis d’Arnaud: 4-3 Phils. In came José Alvarado, with the crowd finally starting to feel it, and ended the frame by striking out Kevin Pilar and Orlando Arcia. A.J. Minter did the one-two-three thing to the Phils in the top of the eighth, and in the bottom, Jeff Hoffman got Michael Harris Jr. on a line-out, hit Acuña with a pitch, got Albies on a ground-out, and … unbelievable: Austin Riley homered to make it 5-4. That sound you heard was Philadelphia’s collective gasp. Gregory Soto came in for Hoffman and got the final out.

Last chance for the Phils, with Bryce at bat. He walked, and we got a new pitcher, closer Raisel Iglesias. Oh, heartbreak: Realmuto flew out, and Castellanos put one all the way to the wall that Harris caught — and then caught Harper, who didn’t think he’d get it, on a double play. Watch it and weep.

Back to Philly they’ll come, for one at CBP at 5:07 on Wednesday.

All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.