Join us for our 121st PSWA Banquet on Jan. 21 at the DoubleTree in Cherry Hill
Join us on January 21, 2026 for the 121st edition of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet. Another historic night comes your way from the ballroom at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cherry Hill, NJ. Cocktails and our silent auction will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner beginning at 6 p.m. For tickets click here. When you make your ticket purchase, let us know by tagging us on your social media and use the hashtag #121on121.
Here’s some of our honorees and guests, with more to be added, so stay tuned:
GOOD GUY AND TEAMS OF THE YEAR JUST ANNOUNCED (12/29/25): Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, fresh off signing a contract extension that puts him at the helm of the team through the 2027 campaign, is slated to appear, discuss the upcoming season and also accept the PSWA’s Good Guy Award. Thomson, who took over as the Phils skipper in June of 2022, owns the second-most wins (346) and has the second-best winning percentage (.580) in club history. His straight forward approach, availability and cooperation with the media have earned him the Good Guy Award.
The year that passed was bookended by two great performances on the gridiron and two teams (one pro and one college) are being recognized as co-Teams of the Year. Of course, back in February 2025, the Philadelphia Eagles captured the second Super Bowl title in franchise history, dominating the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Lombardi Trophy and gain thePSWA’s Professional Team of the Year.
And, just recently, Villanova University’s football team put on a tremendous run, advancing to the national semifinals in FCS play. The Wildcats, under the guidance of head coach Mark Ferrante, have earned recognition as the PSWA’s College Team of the Year. Villanova won 12 games in a season for the first time since 2009 when they won the national title.
Our Professional Athlete of the Year is Phillies left-hander and 2025 NL Cy Young Award runner-up, CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ. He followed up a 2024 All-Star season with a dominant year in 2025 that included a 13-5 record, 212 strikeouts and a 2.50 ERA. The Dominican Republic native will pitch for his country in the World Baseball Classic in March. But before he cranks things up for the spring, he’ll be picking up his hardware.
Most Courageous Sportsperson of the Year: JUAN NAMNUN, head baseball coach at Frankford High School. Namnun, a Delran, NJ, resident, is a male breast cancer survivor and has taken it upon himself to help generate awareness of the disease He serves as an American Cancer Society ambassador and has started the Philadelphia Public League Coaches vs. Cancer High School Baseball Fest. After surgery, he returned to the dugout and is the owner of a record, seven Philadelphia Public League titles.
Bill Campbell Award (Excellence in Broadcasting): KEVIN NEGANDHI, a Temple University graduate and Phoenixville, PA, native has carved out a great career at ESPN where he will be entering his third decade at the Bristol, CT-based sports network. Over the years, you’ve seen him anchor SportsCenter and serve as a studio host for ESPN’s college football pregame and halftime shows.
Amateur Athlete of the Year: McKENZIE BLAKE, Princeton University women’s lacrosse player and Haddonfield, NJ, native, who set a school and Ivy League record with 89 goals in 2025. She was the Ivy League Attacker of the Year and a second-team All-American in her senior year. She also owns the Princeton career record for goals scored.
Native Son: FRAN McCAFFERY, a Philadelphia native who has returned to the City of Brotherly Love this season to coach at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. It is his 30th season as a college head coach and he owned a 548-384 record entering the 2025-26 campaign. Prior to Penn, he spent 15 highly successful seasons at the University of Iowa where he won 297 games. McCaffery was a city high school star during his scholastic playing days at LaSalle College High School and played three seasons for the Quakers after a year at Wake Forest.
Stan Hochman, Excellence in Journalism: JACK McCAFFERY, the long-time sportswriter from the Delaware County Times.
Living Legend: DAVE SCHULTZ, known as “The Hammer” during his playing days, no one personified the Broad Street Bullies during the Philadelphia Flyers’ back-to-back Stanley Cup-winning seasons than the rugged left winger. Schultz, who recently released an autobiography entitled “Hammered: The Fight of My Life,” will spend some time during the cocktail hour signing his books, which will be on sale.
Career Achievement: LOU SCHEINFELD, a resident of Radnor, PA, will receive a Special Career Achievement Award for his career as a sports and entertainment executive which includes being the founding Vice-President of the Flyers hockey franchise and President of the Spectrum, Scheinfeld is credited with fathering innovative sports marketing concepts and establishing the Flyers and Spectrum as North American brands. He’s the author of the book, “Blades, Bands, and Ballers.“
Special Achievement: MEL GREENBERG, known as the “Women’s Hoops Guru.” As a sports reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Mel was the driving force behind getting the Associated Press Women’s Basketball Top 25 Poll originated in 1976. This is the 50th season of the rankings that he humbly started first in the Inquirer and two years later it was picked up by the AP and distributed across the country. There has been no greater champion of the women’s game than the Temple University graduate and former Temple men’s hoops manager.
Living Legend Team: THE 2000-01 76ERS captured the imagination of the city and when Allen Iverson nailed a 3-pointer from the corner and stepped over fallen defender Tyrone Lue, in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals, Sixers fans dreamt of the impossible. Although Larry Brown’s team didn’t win the Larry O’Brien Trophy, they are one of the most beloved teams in Philly sports history. Confirmed to appear: JUMAINE JONES.