🏈 Crash course | Sports Daily Newsletter

Has your morale been down after the Flyers and 76ers both suffered Monday night losses?

It was tough to watch, so let’s change the pace this morning (don’t worry, we have plenty of playoff content to get you ready for tonight’s Sixers game and Thursday’s Flyers game).

Let’s talk about the Eagles. In particular, rookie Uar Bernard. The seventh-round pick and native of Nigeria has never played a down of organized football.

But his 6-foot-4, 306-pound physical abilities — and a 12-week crash course in Fort Myers, Fla. — helped the defensive tackle punch his ticket to the big leagues.

His defensive line trainer says Bernard “caught on very fast” and seems to understand the physicality required to thrive in the NFL.

In just a three-month span, Bernard has been given the tools to construct a football foundation. Now he’ll find out whether the work can land him an NFL job.

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

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❓Will the Flyers or Sixers win a game in their respective series? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The end result was a Flyers loss and a 2-0 series hole. But that didn’t tell the full story of Game 2 from the Flyers’ perspective.

The Flyers heeded their coach’s call for a quick start, jumped out to a 2-0 lead, largely defended well, and then, in overtime, flat-out took it to the Carolina Hurricanes. Ultimately, the Flyers didn’t get a different result, but the performance and process were better, and as Jackie Spiegel writes, they provide some hope as the series shifts to Philly on Thursday.

One thing the Flyers could use beginning in Game 3? How about a boost from the dormant power play, writes Gabriela Carroll.

🚗 Tracking: If you’re heading to the sports complex to see the Phillies, Flyers, or Sixers, make sure to give yourself some time, especially on Thursday.

🎧 Listening: Eagles writers Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner share what they learned from the Eagles rookie camp over the weekend.

🏈 Learning: The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association approved girls’ flag football as a sanctioned sport, beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

In Paul George’s words, the Knicks “shot the [expletive] out of” the Sixers — 63.1% from the floor, 51% from three-point range to be exact. But the Sixers also did not offer much resistance, after defense helped turn their first-round series against the Boston Celtics into a thrilling upset. If they want to make this second-round series more competitive, the Sixers will need to get back to that defensive style.

And Sixers coach Nick Nurse needed to step away from the team on Tuesday to attend the funeral services for his brother, Steve, who died unexpectedly last week.

Tim Mayza is known to his fellow relievers as “The Sheriff.” The nickname is all in good fun, and it’s an example of the Phillies relievers’ tight-knit group. The unit gained a reinforcement on Tuesday when closer Jhoan Duran was activated off the injured list. Newcomer Chase Shugart described the bullpen as “really close.”

Cristopher Sánchez pitched eight scoreless innings and Bryce Harper homered twice in the Phillies’ 9-1 win over the Athletics in the series opener.

The World Cup’s exorbitant ticket prices has been a hot topic among fans from around the country. So, how much money will FIFA make from the biggest World Cup in history and where is it going? While President Gianni Infantino didn’t say it directly, this summer’s World Cup will put so much cash in FIFA’s coffers that the governing body will close the quadrennial cycle with a record $14 billion in revenue.

Also, the U.S. national team centerback Mark McKenzie is getting back into podcasting as the World Cup draws closer.

We have to remember when it comes to the Sixers and Flyers that this is all a bonus. The Sixers never were supposed to get past the first round of the playoffs, especially without their Hall of Fame center, and the Flyers weren’t even supposed to make the playoffs two months ago.

Now, let’s address why these two teams have no business playing the Hurricanes and the Knicks, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.

Who was the first Sixers player to have his jersey retired by the franchise?

C) Hal Greer retired after his 10-time appearance as an NBA All-Star (1961-70).

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jackie Spiegel, Marcus Hayes, Gabriela Carroll, Jeff McLane, Gina Mizell, Lochlahn March, Jonathan Tannenwald, Ryan Mack, Jeff Neiburg, Isabella DiAmore, Nick Vadala.

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 getting your morning started with me. Kerith will be back in your inbox on Thursday. — Bella