🏀 Benefit of the doubt | Sports Daily Newsletter

Anyone who has played a sport at a high level knows that honing the mental side of your game is equally as important as perfecting the physical side. To be successful, you have to envision yourself as the best — or you’re already behind the eight-ball.

It’s the only thing I can imagine that goes through the mind of Sixers center Andre Drummond when he referred to himself publicly as the “best rebounder to ever play the game.” The suggestion, while audacious — especially when you think of players like Dennis Rodman, Kevin Garnett (and for you way-back machinists) Philly’s own Wilt Chamberlain — makes a lot of sense.

He’s the guy behind Joel Embiid and has been a journeyman in his NBA career. Statistically, his numbers don’t come close to the top 25 rebounders in history, but you know what? None of that matters. That statement, however asinine one might consider it, may prove Drummond isn’t taking this second stint with the Sixers lightly and to do so you need to have a little confidence in yourself.

Judging by the comments in our article by Keith Pompey, clearly, no one is carrying the confidence torch for him.

It’s going to be another mild October day, Philly, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 70s. Hope you get to enjoy it. 👊🏾

— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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It’s no secret that the secret to the Phillies’ success this postseason will be just how dynamic they are on the mound. The Phillies are back in the postseason for a third year in a row, and while there are many explanations for why, the two biggest are Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, thoroughbreds at the front of a strong starting rotation.

Together, the pair are the head of a rotational snake that knows what to expect. This time last year, the duo was dominant in the wild-card series against the Marlins, with Wheeler giving up just one run in 6⅔ innings of the opening game before Nola shut out the Marlins for seven innings in Game 2. Ahead of this weekend’s wild-card series opener, Inquirer writer Scott Lauber takes a look at both and how they stack up against other strong pitching duos playing October baseball.

Also, we have the times ahead of this weekend’s start of Red October in addition to a complete rundown of our latest Phillies coverage.

In this week’s episode of unCovering the Birds, Jeff McLane breaks down the Eagles’ tough 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sparking renewed speculation about the relationship between head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts. With the team sitting at an uneven 2-2, Jeff examines where the blame lies and what it means for the Eagles moving forward. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the challenges ahead! Listen now.

Eagles team captain Darius Slay apologized to fans after responding to negative comments with a list of his NFL achievements. “That was kind of a selfish act a little bit,” Slay said on his podcast. “That’s not me, that’s not my character.”

Nick Sirianni and Brandon Graham were among those weighing in on Devin White’s retweet of Jalen Hurts’ strip sack by White’s former Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammate. White later posted on X that he had meant to like the post.

Which begs the question: Don’t the Eagles have bigger problems?

Despite being only 23 years old, Tyrese Maxey is the second-longest tenured member of the 76ers. He also entered training camp with a four-year, $204 million contract. With both distinctions comes the expectation of leadership. For his part, Maxey feels prepared for this new role as a leader on a team full of veterans.

“Besides Joel [Embiid], I think I’ve been around here the longest,” said Maxey, who is entering his fifth season. “I lead by example now. I get up early and work out early in the morning before practice. And I like to win. I want to win. I know how things work around here.”

Noah Cates has been primarily known for his defensive work since joining the Flyers in 2021-22.

But John Tortorella wants to see the 25-year-old take more chances this season offensively. Cates entered 2023-24 with a similar goal, but his season was quickly derailed due to a broken foot. Can Cates deliver the goods this time around? A little more offense could go a long way for the Minnesotan, who is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Tortorella acknowledged Wednesday that he has even tinkered with the idea of moving Cates back to center, which may not be a bad idea given the ongoing struggles of one of the Flyers’ key players down the middle.

Next: The Flyers play their preseason finale tonight at 7 at the Wells Fargo Center against the New Jersey Devils (NBCSP).

Fans of U.S. Soccer eagerly awaited yesterday as it offered a first look inside the mind of new men’s coach Mauricio Pochettino. In advance of a pair of international exhibition games coming later this month, Pochettino released his 23-man roster, which also reveals whom he plans to evaluate ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Among the group, a crop of Philadelphia-area players cracked the list, including a fresh look in quite some time for names like Downingtown’s Zack Steffen and Media’s Auston Trusty, the latter who came up the ranks of the Union’s youth academy but had been overlooked under former USMNT leadership. Inquirer soccer writer Jonathan Tannenwald analyzes Pochettino’s selections and the upside of giving a few hometown guys a second look.

Oct. 3, 1995: Former NFL running back, actor, and broadcaster O.J. Simpson was acquitted on all charges in the murder of his wife, Nicole Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. Flash forward to the same date, 13 years later, in 2008, Simpson was found guilty of charges of kidnapping and armed robbery stemming from a botched heist of his own memorabilia in a Las Vegas hotel room.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real-time.

STAN RUJHLE

This guy was the main topic of discussion in the minds of Eagles fans in our latest Inquirer Reddit AMA. Think you know? Take a guess and click here to see if you’re right.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Keith Pompey, Gabriela Carroll, Jeff McLane, Lochlahn March, Jackie Spiegel, Kerith Gabriel, Ariel Simpson, Gina Mizell, Paulie Loscalzo, and Gustav Elvin.

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.

That’s all for today. Jim returns to your inbox tomorrow to close out the week — Kerith