📍Weekend sports guide | Sports Daily Newsletter

Three of Philadelphia’s five professional sport teams are not in season yet, but there’s still plenty of sports action happening around the area this weekend.

First, let’s talk about UFC 330. On Saturday night, Xfinity Mobile Arena will host the city’s first numbered event since 2011. The 12-fight slate includes two title bouts, with the main event featuring Russia’s Islam Makhachev and Irish challenger Ian Machado Garry in the men’s welterweight championship.

Ariel Simpson tells us more about those fighters, plus other names to know. The main card begins at 8 p.m., you’ll need a Paramount+ account to watch from home.

Earlier that day, the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League championship is in town at Subaru Park (2 p.m., ESPN). Becca O’Reilly chatted with Rachael DeCecco, a Delco native who is the senior vice president of the Premier Lacrosse League and WLL, about paving the way for more opportunities in the sport.

And it’s that time of the year again. The Little League World Series starts next Wednesday. If this team from West Chester wins on Friday, they’ll advance to Williamsport.

Oh! The Eagles preseason opener is also Saturday night in Baltimore — after Thursday’s heated fight in training camp, the Birds could use some time playing a different team.

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

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Preseason games are generally meaningless from the standpoint that they don’t count toward a team’s regular-season record, but when the Eagles face the Ravens on Saturday, some players will be fighting to make the initial 53-man roster or the practice squad. Here’s 12 who will have the most on the line.

And Andrew Mukuba is ready to move on after a fractured fibula ruined his rookie season. His resurgence would be crucial to the Eagles finding success in the safety room.

🏀 Learning: Archbishop Wood’s Caleb Lundy is staying home to play basketball at Drexel. He’s the Dragons’ first verbal pledge in the 2027 class.

👕 Donning: The Union unveiled a third new kit, which pays tribute to the rest of Philly’s sports scene. They’ll debut it next Wednesday.

🏈 Watching: Eagles fans are freaking out after the team posted a video with a helmet they haven’t worn since 1973.

📖 Reading: While ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson is known for ‘Field of Dreams’ and the Black Sox, his career started in Philly.

Long before he was a major league manager, Don Mattingly was a kid playing baseball in Indiana.

One of the ballparks he played in with his brothers, growing up in Evansville, was down a dirt road surrounded by cornfields. And he couldn’t help but be reminded of it as the Phillies filed off their bus Thursday afternoon in Dyersville, Iowa, at the site of their Field of Dreams game.

The team explored Field of Dreams site like fans pregame, and even played a game of catch with their families.

“Just kind of seeing the house and making sure when I crossed over the chalk line, I didn’t turn into a normal human being,” Bryce Harper said pregame. “Seeing just all of it. Just really cool to be able to be part of it, and be here, and enjoy it.”

An excursion to Iowa seemed to be the cure for the Phillies’ recent woes as they delivered a much-needed 7-1 win against the Twins, led by two homers from Kyle Schwarber.

The NBA schedule dropped Thursday, and there are several marquee games to look out for this season. The Sixers are viewed as preseason championship contenders, thanks to the addition of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

The pair will come across their former teams during the season. The Sixers will go to Boston on Jan. 21, and they’ll travel to Cleveland on Nov. 6 and March 1, and Miami on Jan. 30 and April 8.

Gina Mizell further details the highlights from the remaining slate of games.

One parent after another stepped to a lectern at a Cheltenham school board meeting Tuesday night, each of them bemoaning the district’s handling of either the recent hazing incident within the high school’s football program or a string of student-on-student assaults at Cheltenham Elementary.

In youth and high school athletics, certain patterns, even the worst kind, tend to repeat themselves, especially without proper oversight from the adults who are supposed to be in charge, writes columnist Mike Sielski.

We asked: What is your favorite sports movie? Among your responses:

Without a doubt “The Natural.” Followed by: “Hoosiers,” “Bad News Bears,” “Fear Strikes Out,” and “Rocky.” — Bob A.

Field of Dreams with James Earl Jones and Kevin Costner is hard to beat, but when you asked this question previously my daughter Lisa reminded me to not forget the classic Brian’s Song, the story of the cancer stricken Chicago Bear’s player Brian Piccolo and his devoted super star friend Gale Sayers. This is the movie that Howard Cosell said allowed men to know it was ok to cry. — Everett S.

My favorite sports movie was about Shoeless Joe and the Black Sox, “Eight Men Out”. It didn’t excuse their actions but showed how the mostly uneducated players were treated and underpaid was one of the reasons they gave in to gamblers. A close second would be “The Natural”. The ending was a little silly but uplifting just the same - a very entertaining movie. — Tom E.

It has to be “The Natural”. I get chills when I remember Roy Hobbs saying something like “When I walk down the street I want people to say There goes Roy Hobbs – The best there ever was in the game.” Somebody did a youtube post using Randy Newman’s musical theme with Matt Stairs 2008 bomb at Dodger Stadium. If you don’t get chills watching that you’re dead! — Jerry Miller

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, Matt Breen, Scott Lauber, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, Ariel Simpson, Conor Smith, Becca O’Reilly, Owen Hewitt, and Jonathan Tannenwald.

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 closing out the week with me. Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella