Sports Tonight: Odubel Herrera changing my mind - slowly

Considering the way Odubel Herrera has performed for the Phillies since being selected in the 2014 Rule 5 draft, I'm not sure why I haven't warmed up to the 25-year-old centerfielder as a major part of this rebuilding project.

Herrera won the starting job in 2015, and in 2016, he was the Phillies' lone representative on the NL All-Star team. In June, Herrera set a franchise record by hitting 14 doubles in a month.

On Thursday, Herrera came back from missing three weeks of action because of a strained hamstring and went 2 for 3 with a double.

Tonight when the Phillies play at the Washington Nationals at 7:05 (TV: CSN; radio: 94 WIP), Herrera will look to extend his MLB season-best hitting streak to 21 games.

Hmm, maybe I just don't appreciate Rule 5 picks enough because initially I wasn't impressed when Shane Victorino was drafted in 2004.

Once there was a gentlemen's agreement between the NFL and college football that Friday nights were off limits. Even when the number of televised games grew with the growth of cable and satellite television, Friday nights were left to high school football.

It was protecting the sport. Without high school football, there would be no future college football and, without college football, there would be no future NFL.

Still, with ESPN alone having four channels plus live streaming, programming demands were inevitably going to overcome any long-standing tradition. ESPN began College Football Friday Prime Time in 2004, and the genie was out of the bottle.

Tonight at 8 on ESPN2, Oklahoma State will play South Alabama, while over on FS1, Purdue will face Ohio. Those aren't the kind of matchups that will bring in significant viewership outside of frat parties at the selected universities, but those are the type you'll get on Friday nights.

High school football is more than just a game.

As hokey as it might sound in 2017, the local high school games are still the social event that starts the weekend in thousands of communities across the country.

Friday Night Lights are still about high school football even if television tries to say they aren't.

Staff writer Jason Nark traveled around the state and found out that Pennsylvania belongs to the E-A-G-L — make that the Steelers.

Staff writer Zach Berman writes that former Eagles long snapper John Dorenbos has an aortic aneurysm that will require open heart surgery. The New Orleans Saints want back the draft pick they traded the Eagles for Dorenbos. Who cares about that, because the follow-up physical he took probably helped save his life.

Cole Hamels was a major part of the building of the Phillies "golden era" that brought a World Series title. In 2015, the pitcher was traded to acquire players for another rebuild. Staff writer Matt Breen talks to Hamels about how he thinks the Phillies are doing.

Columnist Bob Ford writes that the Eagles want to win now but not at the expense of damaging their plan to build a championship team for the future.

Staff writer Mike Jensen examines the crazy lifestyle of a top basketball recruit by talking to Cam Reddish, a senior at Westtown School who has committed to Duke.

At Texags.com,  Billy Liucci writes that criticism comes with the job for Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin but sending racist hate letters to the coach's home goes too far.

Former Sixers president/general manager Sam Hinkie has not worked in the NBA since 2016, but his legacy lives on. At ESPN.com, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski writes that the league is again exploring draft-lottery reforms to discourage tanking.

Unlike some Eagles fans, I don't think Jeffrey Lurie was sent up from the fourth level of Hades to torment them. I think he honestly wants to win the multiple Super Bowls he's talked about since he purchased the franchise in 1994.

The numbers, however, speak for themselves. Lurie has no Vince Lombardi Trophies in 23 seasons.

Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 and won his first of three Super Bowls in 1992. In 1994, Bob Kraft bought the New England Patriots, and he won the first of five titles in 2001. Pat Bowlen went to three Super Bowls and won two within 15 seasons of buying the Denver Broncos in 1984.

Those owners hired the right people to get the job done. In more than two decades thus far, Lurie has not.

A bad general manager, coach, quarterback, wide receivers or cornerbacks is the fault of the owner because he has final say over bringing in all of them.

Success or failure falls on ownership.

If you think differently, just wait and see who will receive the Super Bowl trophy from the NFL commissioner if the Eagles ever win it during Lurie's stewardship.

Baseball
Phillies at Nationals, 7 p.m. (CSN; WIP-FM 94.1)
Orioles at Indians, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)

Basketball
Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony, 7:30 p.m. (NBA TV)

College Football
Oklahoma State at South Alabama, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Ohio at Purdue, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Golf on Golf Channel
LPGA: Indy Women Championship, 3 p.m.
Champions Tour: Japan Airlines Championship, 12:30 a.m.

Tennis
U.S. Open, 4 p.m. (ESPN)

Boxing
David Benavidez vs. Ronald Gavril, super-middleweights; J'Leon Love vs. Abraham Han, super-middleweights, 10:05 p.m. (SHOW)

High School Football
North Penn at Pennsbury, 7 p.m. (WNPV-AM 1440)

Auto Racing
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup: Federated 400 qualifying, 5:30 p.m. (NBC-SN)
NASCAR Xfinity: Virginia 529 250 qualifying, 4 p.m.; race at 7:30 p.m. (NBC-SN)

Minor League Playoffs
Lehigh Valley IronPigs vs. Scranton-W.B. RailRiders, 7:05 p.m., Coca-Cola Park, Allentown

Harness Racing
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, 6:30 p.m., Chester

Baseball
Brewers at Cubs, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)
Phillies at Nationals, 7 p.m. (CSN; WIP-FM 94.1)
Rays at Red Sox, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)
Rockies at Dodgers (joined in progress), 10 p.m. (MLB Network)

College Football
South Florida at Connecticut, 10:30 a.m. (ESPNEWS)
Cincinnati at Michigan, noon (6ABC)
Louisville at North Carolina, noon (ESPN)
Iowa at Iowa State, noon (ESPN2)
Buffalo at Army, noon (CBS-SN)
Northwestern at Duke, noon (ESPNU)
Pittsburgh at Penn State, 3:30 p.m. (6ABC; WNTP-AM 990, WNPV-AM 1440)
Villanova at Temple, 3:30 p.m. (WPEN-FM 97.5)
TCU at Arkansas, 3:30 p.m. (CBS3)
Tulane at Navy, 3:30 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Fresno State at Alabama, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Indiana at Virginia, 3:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Nebraska at Oregon, 4:30 p.m. (Fox29)
Auburn at Clemson, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
South Carolina at Missouri, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Nicholls State at Texas A&M, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Oklahoma at Ohio State, 7:30 p.m. (6ABC)
Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech, 7:30 p.m. (CBS-SN)
Georgia at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. (NBC10)
Stanford at USC, 8:30 p.m. (Fox29)
Minnesota at Oregon State, 10 p.m. (FS1)
Utah at BYU, 10:15 p.m. (ESPN2)
Boise State at Washington State, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Houston at Arizona, 10:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

Golf
European PGA: European Masters, 7:30 a.m., 6 a.m. Sunday (Golf Channel)
Walker Cup, noon, 5 p.m. (FS1)
LPGA: Indy Women Championship, 12:30 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Champions Tour: Japan Airlines Championship, 12:30 a.m. Sunday (Golf Channel)

Tennis
U.S. Open, 4 p.m. (ESPN)

Boxing
Srisaket Sor Rungvisal vs. Roman Gonzalez, junior-bantamweights; Naoya Inoue vs. Antonio Nieves, junior-bantamweights; Carlos Cuadras vs. Juan Francisco Estrada, junior-bantamweights, 10:15 p.m. (HBO)

Soccer
Premier League: Manchester City vs. Liverpool, 7:30 a.m. (NBC-SN)
Bundesliga: Freiburg vs. Borussia Dortmund, 9:30 a.m. (FS1)
Premier League: Everton vs. Tottenham, 10 a.m. (CNBC)
Premier League: Arsenal vs. Bournemouth, 10 a.m. (NBC-SN)
Premier League: Stoke City vs. Manchester United, 12:30 p.m. (NBC10)
NWSL: Chicago Red Stars at FC Kansas City, 3:30 p.m. (LIFE)
MLS: Union at Minnesota United FC, 8 p.m. (TCN)

Auto Racing
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup: Federated 400, 7:30 p.m. (NBC-SN; WNPV-AM 1440)

College Football
Temple vs. Villanova, 3:30 p.m., Lincoln Financial Field

Horse Racing
Parx Racing, 12:55 p.m., Bensalem

NFL
Eagles at Redskins, 1 p.m. (Fox29; WIP-FM 94.1, WNPV-!M 1440)
Colts at Rams, 4 p.m. (CBS3)
Seahawks at Packers, 4:25 p.m. (Fox29)
Giants at Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. (NBC10)

Baseball
Phillies at Nationals, 1:30 p.m. (CSN; WPHT-AM 1210)
Rockies at Dodgers, 4 p.m. (TBS)
Orioles at Indians, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Golf
Walker Cup, noon, 6 p.m. (FS1)
European PGA: European Masters, noon (Golf Channel)

Tennis
U.S. Open, 1 p.m. (ESPN2); 4 p.m. (ESPN)

Soccer
Premier League: Crystal Palace vs. Burnley, 8:30 a.m. (NBC-SN)
Bundesliga: Hertha BSC vs. Werder Bremen, 9:30 a.m. (FS1)
Premier League: Swansea City vs. Newcastle, 11 a.m. (NBC-SN)
MLS: Sporting Kansas City at Columbus Crew SC, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
MLS: FC Dallas at Atlanta United FC, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)
MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC, 9 p.m. (FS1)

Running
5th Avenue Mile, 1:30 p.m. (NBC10)

Cycling
Vuelta a Espana, 7 p.m. (NBC-SN)

WNBA Playoffs
Phoenix Mercury at Connecticut Sun, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
Washington Mystics at New York Liberty, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)

Rugby
English Premiership: London vs. Worcester, 2 p.m. (NBC-SN)

Horse Racing
Parx Racing, 12:55 p.m., Bensalem

Harness Racing
Harrah's Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, 12:40 p.m., Chester