🏀 The Sixers. So far. | Sports Daily Newsletter

We are only five games into the 82 regular-season matchups the Sixers will play this season, and while it might seem too early to assess the quality of this current roster — know that it’s not.

We know, because the season has begun to take form and writers Gina Mizell and Chris Hine have collectively been to every shootaround, practice, and game so far, and provided an accurate assessment of what they’re seeing and what it could mean long term.

From watching the team’s Big Five develop cohesion in real-time to watching the minutes of players like LeBron James and Joel Embiid, the duo delivered this early assessment that we think you might find to be a fair one.

Speaking of fair, do you think the Eagles opening as 5.5-point dogs to the lowly Washington Commanders is fair? Yeesh.

Expect today to be a carbon copy of yesterday, with another day expected to reach the 70s under sunny skies.

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

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Terrance Smith is one of the top offensive linemen prospects in the country. That’s great for Lansdale Catholic, which has reaped the benefits, and for LSU, which he committed to earlier this year.

But what the 6-foot-7, 290-pounder is not known for is being a close cousin of one of the best players to ever wear a Sixers uniform, NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.

He was too young to see his second cousin in his prime but knows he’s tied to greatness. Smith explains to Inquirer writer Alex Coffey that the conversations he has with “The Answer” about being the solution for teams in his budding football career have aided his success to this point.

📖 Reading: What the moment is going to feel like for several Philly-based players on Lincoln’s football team to take part in this year’s HBCU Classic at Lincoln Financial Field.

👀 Watching: MLB pitcher Tim Mayza on the opportunity to be in Phillies pinstripes as a local product, yet again next season.

⚽ Sharing: Major League Soccer’s shortened 2027 season will begin on Feb. 19, with the Union opening against the Chicago Fire on Feb. 20.

⚾ Analyzing: Since it’s never too early for Hot Stove chatter, we examine what the catcher situation is looking like with the Phillies.

Like the ice cream version, the Flyers might be on ice, but they’re “soft.” Those are not our words but those of team captain Sean Couturier, who is searching for the team to find some heart as they wallowed in just three wins in their first 15 games this season.

“At times this year, we’re soft, I would say,” Couturier said. “Not hard on battles, and lose battles easily. It’s one thing to make mistakes and not win a battle, but if you’re in there trying hard and stuff, that’s different. But we definitely need to pick up our physicality. It goes into competing as well, I think.”

The thing is, as Inquirer writer Jackie Spiegel explains, their head coach Rick Tocchet agrees.

Also, the Flyers dropped another nugget of what their “Remix” sweaters, set to drop on Tuesday, might look like.

It’s impossible to know the outcome of a Union match this season, so don’t even try. In a game in which anyone with an interest assumed would be a loss, the Union earned a scoreless draw with league-leaders Nashville SC, the only team this season to have done so.

Making it even more remarkable is who they did it with, as injuries and infractions forced interim manager Ryan Richter to reshuffle his deck, making moves — that worked.

They’ll look to do it again when they travel to FC Cincinnati for a matinee start tomorrow (2 p.m., Apple TV).

College basketball is right around the corner, and between what transpired last week between an Inquirer reporter and Villanova’s head men’s coach, the sparks were already flying before the first regular-season game.

It just so happens that both coach and reporter are in Rome this week as the Wildcats men’s and women’s basketball programs are set to start the season against Notre Dame. Here’s a sampling of our early reports before both teams tip off this weekend.

Oct. 30, 1974: One of the most memorable boxing matches to ever take place was the epic heavyweight fight between boxing greats Muhammad Ali and George Foreman when the duo squared off in Kinshasa, Zaire, for the famed “Rumble in the Jungle.”

We’re almost at the end of spooky season — and that might be a good thing for Philly sports fans. It’s been quite an October. The Phillies were bounced from the playoffs on the first day of the month. After a week, Lane Johnson had retired, and Cam Jurgens was traded. The Eagles still haven’t won a game this month, and Jalen Hurts is a loss for the season.

But the good news is that there’s no shortage of things to capture as our photo team once again conveys in this week’s Big Picture the best of Inquirer sports photography over the last seven days. Enjoy.

Even if the Colts considered retaining Shane Steichen for a fifth season, why would he want to stay? It’s a question the Eagles would be wise to consider as they formulate their own strategy for making the most of the ashes of 2026. The agenda is obvious only from the broadest of views. The current season is a sunk cost. Their top priority is to position themselves to compete in 2027 and beyond. — The latest from Murphy examines the fire sale of a year the Colts are having and what it might mean for wooing their coach Steichen back in some capacity.

We asked: What questions do you have for this Eagles season?

The team should look long and hard at both the medical staff and the trainers. Supposedly, with professional trainers, we are having way too many injuries. [Stuff] just doesn’t happen! Something is wrong somewhere! I’ve had blood clots and a stroke & have to use a cane to walk to prevent a fall and a bleed-out. I was also travel restricted. To have any kind of blood clot anywhere in one’s body, especially a football player, and to be allowed to actually play in a game and travel is totally egregious. Just hit 87 and Mary 80. We still have our season tickets for the Eagles, Phillies, and 76ers. Living the life! — Ronald and Mary R.

It will be interesting to see what Eagles questions are answered over the next several months. Will the Eagles divest key acquisitions before the early November trade deadline? Will they make significant changes before the end of the 2026 NFL season? Who will play hard until the end of this season and who has surrendered? All of this will lead us to what the beginning of the 2027 season will look like. — Michael L.

Twenty months ago, [the Eagles were the] Kings of the World, or at least of the NFL. Lots of injuries of course, but even before Hurts and Barkley went down, the team was on a downward slide. Who is responsible? Is Sirianni really as good as we thought? Did he take the Eagles to the Super Bowl and win it or did the Eagles take him? — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Gina Mizell, Chris Hine, Ariel Simpson, Alex Coffey, Jeff Neiburg, Jonathan Tannenwald, Kerith Gabriel, David Murphy, Mike Sielski, Jackie Spiegel, Gus Elvin, Devin Jackson, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, and The Inquirer’s photography team.

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.

OK, that’s your week. Thanks for riding with me and Bella. She’ll be back on Monday to get your week started, while I’ll be in the background recovering from Sunday night like the rest of us, win or lose. — Kerith