🏈 ALL the football | Sports Daily Newsletter

For the last 48 hours, the sports news cycle in Philly has revolved around Brandon Graham’s decision to retire (again) from the game of football.

Rightfully so, when you look back at his remarkable 16-year NFL career that included a pair of Super Bowl titles. On Wednesday, he sat down with Inquirer journalist Rob Tornoe to talk his ride and why he jumped the gun on his own news a day earlier.

Later in the day, he went even a bit deeper on his weekly podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked, to discuss what’s next when it comes to a transition into media and spending more time with family.

Switching gears but sticking with the Eagles …

Yes, summer is winding down, but not today. Expect a carbon copy of yesterday, as sunny skies are expected with temps in the mid-80s.

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

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On West Chester University’s campus, there’s a statue of a quarterback looking to throw a ball into the heavens. Which is ironic when you realize who the player is and the lengths a pair of his former Golden Rams teammates went to make sure he’d be immortalized.

The man was Michael Horrocks, Class of 1985. He and teammate Tom Schafer overlapped on the football team for just two seasons, but it was long enough to recall Horrocks’ infectious personality.

So when Schafer discovered that Horrocks was the copilot for Flight 175, the plane that hit the South Tower on that fateful morning of Sept. 11, 2001, he and a few others knew something needed to be done to honor their teammate, and it’s how the statue was born. And as Inquirer writer Alex Coffey explains, it’s become a symbol within the program.

🙌🏾 Praising: The Union’s ascent up MLS’ Eastern Conference standings, highlighted by a massive win last night against FC Cincinnati.

🎧 Listening: The 200th episode of the Kelce brothers’ popular pod New Heights, which dropped Wednesday.

🏈 Remembering: A 1999 matchup between K.C. Keeler’s Rowan and Matt Campbell’s Mount Union as a precursor to Temple hosting Penn State this weekend.

🤔 Wondering: What’s behind Ron Jaworski’s abrupt end at NBC Sports Philadelphia?

A back injury derailed Aidan Miller’s 2026 season before it even got started. But he returned to the playing field at single-A Clearwater exactly 352 days after his last game on Sept. 18, 2025.

“It’s all I’ve really known. Growing up playing baseball every day, I never had that long of a break,” Miller said Wednesday. “Early on, I think it was a big mental battle, and then learning how to deal with the day-to-day, trying to take a positive wave from every single day and take it day by day and go from there.”

Miller, 22, said he now “feels 100%” with two games under his belt.

Edmundo Sosa took ownership of the base-running mistake he made in the ninth inning of a loss to the Astros on Tuesday. He called it “a lack of focus.”

And if you missed the Phillies’ beat down of the Astros, here’s two words and three syllables: Kyle Schwarber.

Next: The Phillies wrap up their series against Houston at 1:05 p.m. today (NBCSP).

While the Eagles kick off their season on Sunday, in just over a week, the Flyers will return to the ice for training camp in Voorhees.

Fresh off a surprising run to the second round of the playoffs last spring, the Flyers enter 2026-27 with their highest expectations in years. Here’s a look at the team’s full training camp schedule and which players will be participating in the lead-up to the season opener on Sept. 30.

Rejoice, the Eagles return this weekend to fill that football-sized void in your life. But that’s not the only place where the sport — or in this case, a literal football — is missing. We went back through Eagles training camp and the preseason, and removed the actual football from several photos. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to find where the footballs belong … and be more accurate than other Inquirer readers. Sounds easy, right? It’s harder than you think.

Sept. 10, 2024: Kyle Schwarber smashed the MLB record for leadoff home runs in a season with 14 that fueled a 9-4 Phillies win against Tampa Bay inside Citizens Bank Park.

The natural trajectory of a dual-threat quarterback is to see a year-to-year decline in rushing production. It has happened to virtually every quarterback who has done the things Hurts did early in his career. The league adjusts quickly. — In his latest column, David Murphy looks at the numbers that stand out as the Eagles are just days away from the start of the 2026-27 season.

“To build our future where Ed Snider and the Spectrum made history makes this project truly special.”— Comcast chairman Brian Roberts said in a statement after unveiling the plans for the new arena home for the Sixers, Flyers, and the city’s new WNBA team, set to open in 2030.

We asked: Who is your favorite sports voice, and why?

While he is an announcer, John Kruk is the most enjoyable to listen to. However, Scott Franzke is the faceless radio announcer who adds much value to listeners. His calling of the game and his enthusiasm are electrifying to those who cannot be there. — Nick S.

Former Phillies announcer Harry the K [Kalas] was the greatest sports announcer ever. He put his heart and soul into every call. When he passed on, it was like losing a family member. Harry is buried at a local Philadelphia suburban cemetery. — Ronald R.

Over my 78 years as a Phillies & Eagles fan, I have enjoyed all the announcers, starting with Gene Kelly and then so many more, including Bill Campbell, Andy Musser, Merrill Reese, and the Phillies team of the great Harry Kalas, By Saam, and Richie Ashburn. But Vin Scully, who lived across the street from my boss in Pacific Palisades, was the best. He was also the first to take the time to correctly pronounce the names of all the Hispanic players. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Rob Tornoe, Conor Smith, Ariel Simpson, Alex Coffey, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Jonathan Tannenwald, Charmaine Runes, Garland Fordice, Becca O’Reilly, Jackie Spiegel, David Murphy, Lochlahn March, and Mia Messina.

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That’s your Thursday. Have a great day; we’ll catch you all tomorrow, Philly. — Kerith