Sports Tonight: Flyers home opener deserves early reminder

For the most part, Sports Tonight is self-explanatory, but sometimes there's nothing happening on the local scene on a given weeknight.

On those occasions, the idea is to find two national events for folks to watch on television.

Still, there are moments when a local event that's happening over the weekend will be too big to be ignored at the expense of a college soccer, even if it involves my alma mater (Maryland at Wisconsin at 7 on ESPNU).

Sports Tomorrow Night doesn't sound bad.

After spending the first week of the NHL season on the road, the Flyers finally get to play at the Wells Fargo Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday when they play the Washington Capitals.

Realistically, bringing home four points after playing in California and Tennessee is a positive start to the 2017-18 campaign, but a decision-making brain freeze by coach Dave Hakstol in the closing minutes against Nashville likely cost the Flyers at least one more point.

It's no surprise that Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin is the early league-leader with eight goals, it's nice to see that Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds is tied for fifth with four.

After having to wait a week to see the Orange and Black live at Wells Fargo, Flyers fans get paid back with five home games in the next 11 days.

Considering Clemson lost quarterback DeShaun Watson, wide receiver Mike Williams and four other starters from the 2017 National Champions, it wasn't surprising the Tigers were ranked 5th in the preseason.

Halfway through the season, however, Clemson is up to No. 2 behind Alabama in both major polls.

Under head coach Dabo Swinney, Clemson, which plays ACC rival Syracuse at 7 p.m. on ESPN, has become a self-regenerating program that reloads instead of rebuilding.

Include Clemson with Alabama, Ohio State and Florida State as programs that consistently put players into the NFL only to reach into the bag and pull out high-level replacements.

With the College Football Playoff selection committee releasing its first ranking on Oct. 31, Clemson is set up for a run at a third straight National Championship Game.

Larry Bowa has spent 33 years of his life as an employee of the Philadelphia Phillies. Staff writer Matt Gelb says the Phillies will keep the 71-year-old Bowa around for more.

The Eagles came away with an impressive win at the Carolina Panthers and staff writer Jeff McLane tells us what we learned about the Birds.

If the United States were any other soccer nation, the national federation would clean house after a shameful collapse in World Cup qualification. Staff writer Jonathan Tannewald tells us who is still passing the buck.

If this would have been videotaped at Lincoln Financial Field and involved Eagles fans, the national media would be all over Philadelphia.

Thom Loverro of the Washington Times writes that the collapse of the Nationals in the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs was nothing new.

What the NCAA did not do to the North Carolina basketball proves once again that the results of an investigation are often determined by which school is being investigated.

The Eagles have 10 games remaining but the dominos are falling in ways that make for a strong run into the NFC playoffs.

Foremost, the Birds are 5-1 after winning in Carolina on Thursday. This team has answered any questions about its legitimacy.

The NFC East is there for the taking.

Dallas (2-3) is suddenly facing the prospect of finally losing running back Ezekiel Elliot to the NFL mandated six-game suspension.

Up in New York, the Giants are winless and without their top three receivers for the rest of the season.

Washington, which plays San Francisco on Sunday, is 2-2 but lost their opener to the Eagles.

With 10 games remaining, the Eagles' are 4-0. Atlanta is the only other NFC team with no losses within the conference.

The Birds have six home games remaining – four against teams with losing records.

Obviously, things can change but as of right now the Eagles have just three games remaining against teams presently ranked in the Top 16.

The playoffs are well within reach.