Earned respect | Sports Daily Newsletter

Jalen Hurts and Carson Wentz apparently share a mutual respect, even as the two mutually try to assure destruction on their respective squads, the Eagles and the Commanders.

But there’s no doubt that perhaps Wentz’s ire of Hurts getting drafted by the Eagles foreshadowed what was to come, in terms of the younger quarterback’s potential. Hurts has indeed, especially in the most recent game for the Eagles, proven his worth as a starting NFL quarterback.

Meanwhile, Wentz has become something of a wanderer since forcing his way out of Philadelphia. With the Commanders, he has a chance to re-establish himself. Yes, it’s team versus team, offense versus defense, but, in other ways, the comparisons of quality are inevitable when the world sees the two perform side-by-side.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓What does Hurts offer as a player that Wentz does not, and vice versa? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane, even if Wentz wasn’t willing to do so in his comments to reporters Wednesday.

Columnist Marcus Hayes goes through what Wentz cost the Eagles when he forced his way out and how it impacted the team. His former teammates might seem rather indifferent about it now. And Wentz and the Eagles might be better off apart.

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 3 game against the Washington Commanders and Carson Wentz. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday

Ready to exhale yet, Phillies fans? Some might hold their breath all the way to the playoffs because nothing comes easy for this team. It took 10 innings and a 5-for-5 outing from Matt Vierling, but the Phillies finally broke their losing streak at five games.

After bruising his knee in center field, Brandon Marsh was out of the lineup, and Sam Coonrod was sent down to make room for Zack Wheeler.

Scott Lauber offers 12 thoughts about a Phillies team that is making it hard on itself to finally end that postseason drought.

Next: The Phillies open up a four-game home series against the Braves at 6:45 p.m. Thursday (FOX). Ranger Suárez (9-5, 3.53) will start against Braves left-hander Max Fried (13-6, 2.52).

The Flyers will open up what promises to be the hardest training camp of their lives today under new coach John Tortorella.

In that vein, we had Olivia Reiner and Giana Han tackle four pressing questions before the Flyers hit the ice for Day 1 at the team’s training center in Voorhees.

With camp around the corner, the team made a trio of hires and announced that two employees who have an ongoing suit against Comcast Spectacor are staying with the team.

“We care about the communities that we live and work in.”

That was the key takeaway from Inquirer reporter Gina Mizell’s conversations with 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and former NBA player Shane Battier, who created Take Charge Foundation and hosted an event at the Sixers practice facility with Camden Academy Charter High School students.

For Battier and Morey, the night was about an opportunity to provide “life prep” for college-bound students.

Philadelphia sports legends have won the Wanamaker Award in the past, so it’s entirely fitting that Union goalkeeper Andre Blake became the latest sportsperson so honored.

Blake has helped the Union reach the MLS playoffs again, but guess what, the Union II (yes, that’s the name of the reserve league team) also made the MLS Next league playoffs.

Longtime soccer fans often turned to Univision for big games, but now, the TV giant is going all-in on a streaming platform.

The World Cup is coming to Philadelphia in 2026! OK, you probably already knew that, but Jonathan Tannenwald has details on some new plans the city has to welcome the world.

He’s committed: Temple basketball has its first commitment of the Aaron McKie era.

United they play: Drexel women’s soccer is facing all opponents with a united front.

Golden memory: In honor of her twin, one field hockey player takes on raising money for cancer-fighting funds.

Tell us who you think we missed who should have cracked the top 50 list.

Excellent job - hard to find fault with most of this list. That being said...

If you have Ross Lonsberry, then how can you not have Mel Bridgeman?

They were both Flyers for 6+ years, Bridgeman has a slightly higher avg. number of points during his full 6 years and he was captain for some of those years. True, he was not on a cup winning team - but Lonsberry is not the reason why the Flyers won the two cups.

Bob Kelly? I realize the goons were part of the Flyers identity back then, but I think Schultz is a good placeholder for all of them (and Schultz was on the ice when Clarke scored the 1974 game 2 overtime winner vs. Boston - arguably the most important goal in Flyers history). And Kelly’s points stats are nothing to get excited about.

I realize he was only on the team for a few years (and had injuries), but I would love to see a place for Sami Kapanen. He was a great defensive forward (no, we’re not talking Dave Poilin). Two images stand out: (1) Sami crawling off the ice game 6 vs. Toronto 2004, so that a line change could complete and JR could score the series ending overtime goal. (2) In those same playoffs, Sami playing defense because there were so many injuries. How many forwards can play defense? Can Bob Kelly even skate backwards?

Honorable mention:

Ian Laperriere - I realize he only played one year, but how can you not like a guy who blocks a puck with face, comes back later in the playoffs and immediately starts blocking pucks again. I remember game 5 against Montreal, the fans going crazy everytime Lappy blocked a shot. He didn’t care about goals, stats, ... He just wanted to win. — Eddie G.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, EJ Smith, Marcus Hayes, Giana Han, Olivia Reiner, Isabella DiAmore, Matt Ryan, Melanie Heller, Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, and Gina Mizell, and Gustav Elvin.