🏀 They’re No. 3! | Sports Daily Newsletter

The 76ers did not land the No. 1 draft pick and Duke’s Cooper Flagg on Monday night, but they did come up with a bit of lottery luck. We’ll see what they do with it.

They came out of the NBA draft lottery with the No. 3 pick, avoiding a scenario in which they would have shipped their first-round selection to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Dallas Mavericks won the lottery while the San Antonio Spurs finished second.

The Sixers have landed a top-three pick in five of their last six lottery appearances — but they don’t have a lot to show for it. They tanked to get this opportunity. Among the top players available to the Sixers at No. 3: Ace Bailey (Rutgers), VJ Edgecombe (Baylor), Tre Johnson (Texas), and Kon Knueppel (Duke).

Whichever player the Sixers select, their fans have to be praying he does not become the next Markelle Fultz, Jahlil Okafor, or Ben Simmons.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, [email protected].

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The Eagles are undefeated in season openers under Nick Sirianni and their fans have to be licking their chops about their opponent this September. It’s the Dallas Cowboys, fresh off a 7-10 finish in 2024 that resulted in the firing of coach Mike McCarthy.

In the first step of the NFL’s schedule unveiling, we learned that the Super Bowl champs will open the 2025 campaign with a Thursday night game against Dallas on Sept. 4 at the Linc.

One of the Eagles’ NFC championship game rematches with the Washington Commanders is scheduled for a Saturday, Dec. 20, in Landover, Md.

On Black Friday, the Birds will host the Chicago Bears.

Kyle Schwarber has always slugged, with tales of legendary tape-measure blasts in college at Indiana preceding him to the majors 10 years ago. But did you notice that he reached base in 46 consecutive games entering Monday night, the fourth-longest streak in Phillies history? Or that he was 16-for-50 (.320) with a 1.252 OPS against left-handed pitchers, validating his left-on-left .300 average and .898 OPS last season?

It’s almost hard to believe it’s the same Schwarber who was lost against lefties early in his career, got let go by the Cubs in 2020, and batted .197 while leading the majors with 215 strikeouts for the Phillies two years ago. Said manager Rob Thomson: “I see him now as a complete hitter.”

Johan Rojas continues to work on his bunting and maybe the speedy outfielder has turned a corner. The Phillies don’t necessarily need Rojas to bunt for a hit on a regular basis, but they do need him to be able to put the ball down when the situation calls for it.

The Phillies lost their series-opener to the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-2. Masyn Winn’s solo homer in the seventh inning was the difference.

Next: The Phillies continue their home series against St. Louis at 6:45 tonight (NBCSP). Jesús Luzardo (3-0, 2.11 ERA) will start against Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (4-1, 3.50).

There are no base paths or pitcher’s mound. The players don’t wear gloves but they do wear wool jerseys and hand-sewn caps. The pitches are thrown underhand. This is the sport in its purest form: The Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia plays the game throughout the summer the same way they did in the 1800s.

“We want to take history to the max,” says one of the players, Matt Albertson. “We want to represent what baseball was like in 1864 to the best of our ability.”

Matt Breen tells the story.

Folks might have noticed a dirigible in the skies over the last few days in the area. The Goodyear blimp was on hand for the Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club, but it wasn’t just any old blimp.

In honor of the 100th anniversary of its blimp, Goodyear debuted Wingfoot One, a replica of its first airship that launched in 1925. This might not be the last time the blimp could be spotted in Philly this year, either.

Which Hall of Famer was drafted in the second round by the Sixers? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Billy Cunningham

B) Bobby Jones

C) Doug Collins

D) Maurice Cheeks

We asked you: Are you a fan of drafts and do you tune in? Among your responses:

Draft ranks aren’t a good indicator of future success. Folks who watch need to get a life. — D.W.S.

Not really a big fan of any drafts except maybe the NFL and that’ll be for maybe 20 minutes when the Eagles are on the clock. Like who in their right mind cares in Philadelphia who the Arizona Cardinals or Chicago Bears are going to pick? Yet watch for THREE nights! Obviously the networks know well in advance. As soon as the players names are called, within seconds the highlight films hit the airways. — Ronald R.

I have been a fan since my youth, but never have I watched or really followed the draft. I always read the Inquirer’s opinion pieces on the potential Eagle picks, but I leave all that ecstasy and agony to the GM, coach, and owner. And thinking of that reminds me that Vince McNally was the longest GM in Eagles history holding that job for 14 years. Vince was finally gone in 1964 when Jerry Wolman bought the team and made Joe Kuharich the coach and GM. That was the beginning of the dark years for our Eagles. Howie Roseman will break that record when he starts this season — his 15th. — Everett S.

Not a fan. And don’t tune in. — Bill M.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Olivia Reiner, Matt Breen, Kerith Gabriel, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Owen Hewitt, and Gabriela Carroll.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks as always for reading Sports Daily. Bella will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim