Friday Night is the start of a Big Weekend for Philly Sports Fans

Friday Night will be a very exciting night for Philly sports fans with the Philadelphia Eagles opening up their 2022 Preseason schedule with their annual "play-date" against the New York Jets at Lincoln Financial Field (You can hear the game with Merrill Reece and Mike Quick calling all the action on 97.3 FM ESPN Radio!).  It’s been seven months since the Eagles last took the field and the excitement is palatable for fans in the region.  It's the time of year when the Eagles are the main focus of so many people who wait months for any games and we know football reigns supreme in our area.  The preseason doesn’t mean as much as it once did, with the starters only playing one or two series.  But the fans get to see their beloved Birds on the field for the first time this year and that is always a joy.

There is another reason that this Friday night is important to the Philly fans: the Philadelphia Phillies, who have been playing great and inspired baseball, have won twelve of their last 14 games, they are starting a three-game series against the National League East First Place New York Mets.  Despite the fact that they will face two of the best pitchers in baseball (Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom) without two of their best sluggers in the lineup (Kyle Schwarber is Day-To-Day with a Calf Strain and Bryce Harper is still weeks away from his return), the Phillies can use this series as a true measuring stick for their down-the-stretch run to reach the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

At the Jersey Shore, there is one more event that generates excitement on a Friday night in August: The South Jersey Lifeguard Championships are a South Jersey Tradition that dates back to the early 1900’s.  "The Jersey’s" competition is being hosted in Longport tonight on the 34th Street beach.  Make sure you tune into the Beach Patrol Report on Saturday Morning at 11:30am as we review the Lifeguard Racing Season each week sponsored by Ground Hogs Moving Company! 

The only negative thing I have to report this weekend is that I won’t be able to participate in all the fun talking about Friday night's action this weekend in The Locker Room.  Yes, I, Billy Schweim, am recovering from testing positive for COVID and I’m quarantining at home until I feel better.  However, you are in good hands this weekend:

On Saturday’s Show, Josh Hennig will be filling in for me and he will be joined in the studio by 3-time All-Big Ten Linebacker and former NFL LB Brad Quast.  Brad will be at the Eagles game Friday Night and we will hear his reaction to the Birds' first preseason game.  The Sports Book Consigliere Dave Sharapan Checks in from Las Vegas with his thoughts on the start of the 2022 NFL season.  In Hour Two, the guys will discuss the Phillies/ Mets results from game one and look ahead to the weekend games.  Then it’s the Beach Patrol Report brought to you by the GroundHogs Moving Company.  Former Chief of the Longport Beach Patrol Dan Adams will call in with his report on the South Jersey Lifeguard Championships.

On Sunday’s Show, Pete Thompson takes the reins of the show and Mike Carlin joins him in the studio.  They will talk Phillies Baseball and go “On the Mound with Tommy Greene” brought to you by Aaron Bada’s GSF Golf & Performance Center. This week, Tommy is on vacation and former 2008 Phillies Relief Pitcher Scott Eyre will come out of the bullpen to talk Phillies-Mets weekend series.  The PT and Mike Carlin will also talk Eagles and more.

That's this weekend in The Locker Room with Billy Schweim, every Saturday and Sunday from 10am to Noon on 97.3 ESPN radio.