The mastermind 🧠 | Sports Daily Newsletter

Good morning, Philly!

In the spirit of training camp being less than a week away, I wanted to highlight an intriguing story from the Inquirer’s Devin Jackson, who traveled to The Colony in Texas to meet with Duke Manyweather and Lane Johnson last week.

For background: a few years ago, Manyweather, an offensive line guru, and the Eagles right tackle came up with an idea to bring the top offensive linemen together to share tricks of the trade. It ended up being a success. This year marked the eighth annual OL Masterminds conference where about 200 players from rising high school seniors to Hall of Famers came to the Cosm for the summit.

Current stars like Bills tackle Dion Dawkins, a former Temple Owl, to former greats, including offensive linemen Mitchell Schwartz, Joe Thomas, and Will Shields, shared some insight on their success.

The two-day session gives a wealth of knowledge to the next generation of O-linemen, which current and former NFL players take great pride in. Johnson, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, created the event because it was something he was missing in the early years of his NFL career.

Now, the 35-year-old is leaving his legacy off the field, too, and in many ways, it has become bigger than football.

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓Who is your all-time favorite Eagles offensive lineman and why? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Jacob Misiorowski was the center of attention in Atlanta after being named last week to the National League roster as a replacement. The 23-year-old Brewers rookie sensation got called up only last month and has made all of five starts. The addition of Misiorowski bothered several Phillies players, who thought Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez were overlooked. However, Sánchez and Suárez declined invitations to pitch in the All-Star Game. But upon arriving in the NL clubhouse, Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber introduced himself to Misiorowski and said on behalf of his teammates that their criticism wasn’t personal.

Schwarber was the lone Phillies representative in the All-Star Game. He was hitless in three at-bats during the game, but was the star of the first-ever swing-off when the game was tied at 6 after nine innings. He hit three homers on three swings to give the NL the win and the game’s MVP award.

And in case you missed it, the Phillies’ 16th-round draft pick, Logan Dawson, is a diehard Philly fan who grew up in Voorhees and attended Eastern Regional High School.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson has a reputation for being a bit of a wild card. After he was traded to Houston, quotes surfaced from Gardner-Johnson that the Eagles “won’t see a ring” without him. However, on Tuesday, the safety retracted those comments, saying, “I got nothing against them. And if they win six more rings without me, they deserve it.” Looks like Gardner-Johnson had a change of heart.

Paul George was signed by the Sixers with the idea of being a late-game performer who closes out games. Instead, he missed 41 games this past season. He then reemphasized in April that he could play at high-level “when I am healthy.” However, he hasn’t been able to remain healthy. On Monday, the team announced that George underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after he suffered an injury during a workout. Even before he was a Sixer, the 35-year-old struggled to stay away from the injury bug. Will history continue to repeat itself this season? Keith Pompey weighs in on the situation.

The Sixers hope their offseason additions will help the team withstand George’s latest injury. If there’s one lesson Daryl Morey said he learned from last season’s conundrum, it’s that the Sixers needed to add more frontcourt depth and versatility.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association recently ratified a new collective bargaining agreement that will ensure labor peace through the 2029-30 season. What changes are coming, and what concessions did each side make?

We combed over the fine print and looked at 10 important things that will be coming beginning with the 2026-27 season, including more games, a new dress code, and changes to the controversial long-term injured reserve rules.

Who was the catcher for Jim Bunning’s perfect game against the Mets on June 21, 1964?

A) Gus Triandos — Alan P. was first with the correct answer.

We asked: Who is the most injury-plagued Philadelphia athlete of all time? Among your responses:

Trying to remember Philly athletes known for being injured and of course the most notable would be our current always injured Joel Embeed and his teammate George, and maybe Allen Iverson. I could be wrong but I think Aaron Nola seems to spend much time on the inured list. All time players I remember Mickey Mantle, Joe Namath, Kirk Gibson, Tiger, and Bill Walton. The famous L.A.. sports commentator Jim Healy used to call Walton “Bone Spur Bill.” — Everett P.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Gustav Elvin, Ariel Simpson, Jonathan Tannenwald, Devin Jackson, Matt Breen, Scott Lauber, Gabriela Carroll, and Gina Mizell.

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 for reading! Have a wonderful Wednesday. Kerith will be in your inbox tomorrow. — Bella