Cherry and chaos | Sports Daily Newsletter

Every day, it seems like we’re seeing another headline on conference realignment — some big-name program is jumping ship, sights set on greener pastures.

That UCLA-Rutgers rivalry is sure to be a classic, after all.

But what about those programs that aren’t quite as high profile? For Temple, right here in our backyard, chaos is best, our Mike Jensen writes.

A conference from sea to shining sea would just be a temporary fix. What the Owls need is a league made up of fellow East Coast schools, Jensen writes.

— Maria McIlwain, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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Following their one-point loss in the preseason opener, the Eagles return home to host the Cleveland Browns in their second exhibition game of the summer. Join Eagles beat reporters Josh Tolentino and Olivia Reiner as they dissect the hottest story lines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.

Sergei Zherdev, a Ukrainian refugee, arrived in the Philadelphia area in January unfamiliar with the language, the area’s culture, and American football. But a member of the 46-year-old’s welcome circle took him around Philly, and taught him to use the phrase, “Go Birds!” When he tried it after a visit to the stadium, the response was, “Yeah! Go Birds!” An Eagles fan was born, and while Zherdev doesn’t know the players and is new to following the game, the emotion of the sports experience resonates with him.

For Eagles fans who do know the players, we have Josh Tolentino’s roster projection 2.0 that follows the preseason opener and the injury aftermath. Which Eagles players are headed toward making the initial 53?

Next: The Eagles in a preseason game face the Browns tonight at Lincoln Financial Field (7:30 p.m., NBC10).

When Seranthony Domínguez plunked Cavan Biggio with the bases loaded Tuesday night, he coughed up the winning run.

It wasn’t his finest moment, and it was emblematic of how things have gone lately for a bullpen that has a 5.14 ERA over the last week.

So what is the root of Domínguez’s issues?

“It’s probably just his delivery,” manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s not in line with the catcher and kind of yanking pitches quite a bit. So we’ve got to get him back in line, get him comfortable on the mound.”

And pitching coach Caleb Cotham, for one, is confident he will return to form.

Bryce Harper was back on Wednesday — back playing first base for the first time in almost a week and back hitting monster home runs.

Two of them helped propel the Phillies to a win over the Blue Jays.

Next: Michael Lorenzen is back on the bump for the Phillies, who will face a Nationals pitcher to be determined on Friday (7:05 p.m., NBCSP). Remember the last time he took the mound against the Nats?

It’s undeniable that James Harden’s name has been in the news a lot lately, and not much of it positive if you have a large, famous beard and are looking for a change of scenery.

Harden says he wants to be traded, won’t report to training camp, and called president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a liar.

But now, other NBA players, including a former Sixer, are standing up for the veteran guard. Keith Pompey has all the details of what they’ve said.

The Flyers had high hopes when they drafted an 18-year-old Jay O’Brien with the No. 19 overall pick in 2018.

But Wednesday, over five years after he was drafted out of a Massachusetts prep school, marked the end of O’Brien’s time with the organization. O’Brien officially became a free agent, after the Flyers elected not to sign him ahead of the Aug. 15 deadline. The center never played a professional game for the organization and will go down as one of a number of draft missteps that have plagued the organization over the last decade.

The one positive for the Flyers is that by not signing O’Brien they will recoup a second-round pick (No. 51) in next year’s draft.

Fans shelled out big money to see Lionel Messi play at Subaru Park Wednesday. But in the end was it worth it?

Kerith Gabriel talked to several fans about the significance of seeing Messi in person and why they don’t regret ponying up the dough to see the G.O.A.T. Not everyone was happy with the result, though, including one former Eagle who stopped by to see what all the Messi fuss was about.

In women’s soccer news, Vlatko Andonovski has resigned as the manager of the U.S. national team, according to reports.

Next: The Union will play the third-place match of the Leagues Cup on Saturday against Monterrey (6 p.m., Apple TV). A win would assure them a place in next season’s Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly League).

The ‘perfect spot’: WrestleMania is coming to the Linc next year, and one of the WWE’s stars is excited about it.

Media falters: The Delco squad had a tight game in the Little League World Series against Needville and a costly error was the difference.

We asked you: Did you watch Messi play in Chester? Thoughts? Among your responses:

Effortless — Denise G.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Jensen, Alex Coffey, Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Gustav Elvin, Kerith Gabriel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Sapna Bansil, Isabella DiAmore, and John Leuzzi.