Veterans Day hits home | Sports Daily Newsletter

Growing up in Mississippi, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean was raised by his mother, Neketta, who served in the Army. As a child, Dean would accompany her to work at nursing homes and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, where Dean had the opportunity to interact with veterans.

It wound up shaping the person Dean would become. “Going to the VA, going to the nursing home, Nakobe came in and he made a difference,” his mother says. “It’s very important to help others who are less fortunate than you. ... He saw the impact of what comes from the heart reaches the heart.”

“Veterans Day means so much to me,” he says. Dean wound up majoring in mechanical engineering at Georgia, with a goal of designing prosthetics for veterans. That goal is on hold for now as he pursues his NFL career, but Dean continues to give back with his student wellness initiative in Philadelphia.

— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com

Nick Sirianni is keeping his focus on Monday’s game against Washington — the Eagles are expected to win — but the head coach acknowledged he was thinking about his friend and mentor Frank Reich, who was fired this week by the Indianapolis Colts. Sirianni was the offensive coordinator in Indy before taking the Eagles coaching job.

“... As you know, what I think about Frank and how much I respect Frank as a person, how much I respect him as a football coach, you can probably imagine how I feel,” Sirianni said.

Sirianni didn’t rule out the possibility of Reich eventually joining the Eagles staff.

Next: The Eagles host the Washington Commanders at 8:15 p.m. Monday (ESPN).

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 10 game against the Washington Commanders. Watch Monday at 7 p.m. at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday

The Flyers will welcome back one of their greatest-ever players on Saturday, as Claude Giroux returns to Philadelphia for the first time since being traded last March.

Giroux, now with the Ottawa Senators, played 15 seasons for the Orange and Black, serving nine as captain, and ranks second in franchise history in games played, assists, and points. Olivia Reiner and Giana Han recently caught up with “G” in Ottawa to gauge his emotions ahead of his Philadelphia homecoming.

The first of the Flyers’ back-to-back homecomings did not go well, as they dropped a 5-2 decision in John Tortorella’s return to Columbus after six seasons as the Blue Jackets’ head coach. Salem County’s Johnny Gaudreau was a thorn in the Flyers’ side, scoring a goal and adding two assists for Columbus.

Next: The Flyers will host Giroux and the Ottawa Senators for a Saturday matinee (1 p.m., NHL Network).

Rob Thomson stood in a quiet Phillies clubhouse last Saturday night and told his players to be proud of their pennant-winning accomplishment, even though they were two wins short of achieving the ultimate goal. But the end of an unexpected World Series run also brought a swift return to reality. That’s how Nick Castellanos reconciled being “excited for spring training” with a candid admission about his first season with the Phillies. “Personally,” he said, “this was one of the hardest baseball years that I’ve had.” And understanding why Castellanos struggled so profoundly — and figuring out how to avoid a repeat in 2023 — will rank among the Phillies’ highest priorities.

Phillies Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto were rewarded with NL Silver Slugger awards.

Bryce Harper expects the Phillies to be active in the free-agent market, and so does David Murphy.

The 76ers defense was vaunted entering the season, with P.J. Tucker, Danuel House Jr., and De’Anthony Melton joining the team in the summer and being paired with Joel Embiid. In fact, Doc Rivers was salivating at the chance to make tweaks that utilized switching, trapping and picking up full-court.

Things didn’t work out quite like that to start the season. Embiid missed time with the flu and knee soreness, Tucker started slowly as he recovered from a knee procedure, and the guards couldn’t keep players in front of them. But now they feel as if they’re gaining “clarity” and could soon meet those lofty expectations.

Joel Embiid finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds, but the Hawks came out on top Thursday night in Atlanta.

Next: The Sixers play the second half of their home-and-home series at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center (NBCSP).

There are certain words, once heard, that change one’s life forever. “You’re playing in the World Cup.”

For the Medford Messi, as Brenden Aaronson is affectionately known by fans who have tracked his progress since he was a teenager in the Union academy, hearing those words was a delight.

Moreover, he got to share the good news directly with family, since his grandparents were visiting him in England, where he now plays for Leeds. Inquirer soccer writer Jonathan Tannenwald recaps the scene as Aaronson’s place on the United States men’s national team World Cup roster was confirmed.

Meanwhile, the USWNT made history, but not quite the delightful kind.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Josh Tolentino, EJ Smith, David Murphy, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Gina Mizell, Devin Jackson, Colin Beazley, Meghann Morhardt, Ed Barkowitz, Giana Han, and Olivia Reiner.