Let’s hear it for Underdogs & the Eagles

A look at the week that was, the issues and people who made headlines, and a few darts and laurels for those who deserve them.

LAUREL: To Underdogs. Yes, we’re reveling in our newfound status as the lovable underdogs as the Eagles continue their march to Minneapolis. Rocky would be proud.

DART: To the national media, who insist on perpetuating the myth of the ugly Eagles fans. Do we have a few dunderheads? Absolutely. Do we have any more than any other city? We think not. We also think we continue to pay the price for once having the temerity to boo Santa Claus. I got your Merry Christmas right here, pal.

LAUREL: To the Eagles. And Nick Foles. And Doug Pederson. Everyone was expecting a nail-biter against the Vikings. It turned into a rout. Now it’s on to the Super Bowl.

DART: To waiting through two weeks of hype before we actually to play the damn game. That’s an awful lot of renditions of “Fly, Eagles Fly.”

DART: To Pat Meehan. The incumbent Republican congressman was named in a sexual harassment complaint by a former member staff. Meehan denied any hanky-panky with the aide, several decades his junior. But he used taxpayer money to settle the case. And he did so while sitting on the Ethics Committee, judging other complaints against other members of Congress all while he had this little item sitting in his closet. After several days of furor and protests outside his district office, Meehan announced he would not seek re-election. It’s the right call.

LAUREL: To what is shaping up as a barn-burner of a race in the 7th Congressional District. Meehan’s exit means the race is wide open. Republicans already were expecting a tougher re-election contest than Meehan faced the past few elections in part because of the anti-Trump fervor that swept Democrats into office in Delaware County last November. Then this week the state Supreme Court tossed out the state’s Congressional map, saying the blatant gerrymandering violated the constitution. Republicans now are looking for a new face in what is now a tossup election.

LAUREL: To the state Supreme Court. A Commonwealth Court judge already had found the redrawing of the state’s congressional districts was done in a blatantly partisan fashion. But the judge still ruled it was constitutional. The high court disagreed, tossed out the maps, and ordered the Legislature to draw new ones. And they must do so in time for the May primaries. Bravo!

DART: To state Republicans. Here’s a stunner. They’re appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court. They believe the Pa. high court overstepped its authority in ordering the maps be redrawn because that is a task usually handled by the Legislature. And they do such a bang-up job.

LAUREL: To Katayoun ‘Kat’ Copeland. Who says you can’t go home again? The one-time first deputy in the Delaware County District Attorney’s office was sworn in to the top spot last week. The return comes after a sterling stint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia. Copeland’s family story, and arrival in this country from Iran, speaks volumes about the American Dream.

LAUREL: To Jesse Hartnett. The Delco native, Monsignor Bonner grad and Philadelphia officer has been waiting nearly two years for justice. He’s finally getting it this week when the Yeadon man charged with shooting him at point-blank range in an ambush attack while he sat in his cruiser in southwest Philly goes on trial. Hartnett recovered from serious injuries and is back on the job.

DART: To a huge loss in the Delco legal community. We join those in mourning the death of Delaware County Common Pleas Court Judge James F. Nilon. The former longtime magisterial district judge was a beloved member of the Delco bench. He served in Middletown for 16 years before winning election to the county bench. He will be greatly missed.

LAUREL: To the critics of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project. They racked up another big win this week when Delaware County Council agreed to their request for a risk assessment study of the project. It’s something those concerned about running this pipeline – carrying these volatile materials – through densely populated neighborhoods and next to schools, have been seeking for months.

LAUREL: Likewise, rack up another win for those fighting to preserve the Beaver Valley out in Concord. The township planners rejected the latest development proposal for the tract, a 63-acre parcel that abuts another 230 acres that will be preserved as open space. Developers are eyeing the site for 29 townhouses in six groupings, and another 166 apartments in three five-story buildings. The development would take only 17 acres of the parcel.

DART: To the end of a relatively peaceful start of the year in Chester. It took three weeks, but the city recorded its first 2 homicides in a matter of hours this week.

DART: To the flu. It doesn’t just seem like everyone is sick. A whole lot of people actually are sick. Dr. George Avetian, Delaware County’s senior medical adviser, recently reported to County Council that 385 cases of flu have been reported in the county since October. And the number is growing daily. Nationwide, flu is being blamed for the deaths of 20 children.

LAUREL: To Nick Moncilovich. The Drexel Hill resident and student at The Haverford School has been named a national Point of Light. The award is given to those who “spark change and improve the world.” Moncilovich established a teen group called Voluntweens and has spent years working with a number of community organizations ranging from senior homes, to veterans, to cancer groups. Well done.

LAUREL: To Dominic Squillace. The retired law enforcement worker started growing his hair long on the day he retired back in 2014. Last weekend he had his 14-inch ponytail cut off and donated it to Wigs for Kids, an organization that helps kids who lose their hair during cancer treatment or other medical reasons. Great move, Dom.

DART: To a totally unnecessary shutdown of the federal government. No one looks good in this thing. The Republicans control the White House, Senate and House, but could not reach a deal. Democrats held out on immigration, only to “cave” just a few days later. The great dealmaker President Trump was nowhere to be found. In the meantime, it was government workers who had to fret, and a lot of visitors who got turned away from national parks and other attractions. No wonder people want to drain the swamp.

LAUREL: To the Sixers Joel Embiid. Congratulations on being voted as a starter on the NBA AllStar team. Now about those minutes restrictions …