Sports Tonight: Ugly loss in Nashville might help Flyers
Here is what's happening in sports on Thursday, Oct. 19, including tonight's TV schedule.
If the 2017-18 season turns into a special one, the Flyers might look back at their crushing loss in Nashville last week as one of the more important things that happened.
There's no doubt that the Flyers will lose more games this season, but it's hard to believe that any defeat will be as numbing as the one in which they gave up two goals in the final 1 ½ minutes. Dumb penalties and an even dumber coaching decision were to blame for a loss that could've produced an extended demoralizing hangover.
That didn't happen.
When the Flyers have the rematch with Nashville at 7 tonight at the Wells Fargo Center (TV: NBCSP; radio: 97.5 the Fanatic), they'll come in having crushed the Washington Capitals and Florida Panthers by an aggregate score of 13-3.
That's what you call bouncing back in a positive way.
It's also the kind of response that late Flyers owner and founder Ed Snider would've loved. In a ceremony at 4:30, the Flyers will unveil a statue of "Mr. Snider" that will stand outside of the Wells Fargo – which Snider built as a new home for the Flyers and Sixers.
Snider was the type of person who would not let a setback keep him from moving forward. We'll see if this Flyers team has the same attribute.
Chiefs will play last game in Oakland again, maybe
Back on Oct. 25, 1981, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Raiders at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium. With the Raiders slated to move to Los Angeles for the 1982 season, it looked like the last time the rivals played each other in Oakland.
The Raiders, of course, moved back to Oakland in 1995, and the Chiefs played there on Dec. 3.
Tonight when Kansas City plays the Raiders (8:25 on CBS), the Chiefs could again be saying adieu to Oakland. The Raiders are scheduled to relocate to Las Vegas, possibly in 2018 if the new stadium is completed.
Whenever the Raiders leave Oakland, it will take something away from one of the most volatile rivalries in NFL/AFL history. Since both the Chiefs and Raiders came into existence in 1960 as part of the American Football League, the municipalities of Kansas City and Oakland have bitterly despised each other.
Whenever the Raiders move to Las Vegas, the rivalry will lose some of its edginess. Does anyone truly hate Vegas?
What I’m reading
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley wasn't born to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. Staff writer Frank Fitzpatrick goes to Barkley's hometown and tells how Barkley made himself into one.
A lot of Eagles fans were mad about the officiating in last week's game against Carolina and used social media to get their word out. The NFL Referees Association hit back.
Ben Simmons has always talked the talk, but staff writer Keith Pompey writes that the Sixers rookie started walking the walk in his NBA debut.
Columnist Marcus Hayes writes that the Eagles' tumble from the high horse last year has them better prepared to deal with success this season.
I don't like to feed the idiot factor, but Washington running back Chris Thompson won't let his family come to games in Philly because a fan yelled "God won't help you" as he prayed. Really? Dude, toughen up.
The FBI investigation is going to hover over college basketball all season. Gary Parrish at cbssports.com writes that some coaches might be on the hot seat for more than the typical reasons.
The riff
OK, I get it that Jahlil Okafor is not in the long-term plans for the Sixers. That's been made that clear.
Still, until the Sixers find that unicorn named "equal value" for Okafor, the third-year center is on their roster. So, use him, especially when his minutes off the bench could mean the difference between winning and losing.
The Sixers lost their opener to the Washington Wizards by five points. Joel Embiid played restricted minutes. Those times when Embiid sat were ideal to use Okafor.
Nope, he didn't play a minute. Not one minute.
The Sixers turned to 6-9 forward Amir Johnson as Embiid's primary backup against 6-11 Wizards centers Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi, who combined for 19 points and 21 rebounds.
In five career games against Washington, Okafor has averaged 17.7 points.
Didn't the analytics scream "use him against the Wizards"?
If Okafor is not long for South Philly, that's fine, but until he's gone, use him when he can help you win games.
Tonight’s schedule
TV/Radio
Baseball Playoffs
Dodgers at Cubs, 8 p.m. (TBS)
NFL
Chiefs at Raiders, 8:25 p.m. (CBS3, NFL Network)
NHL
Predators at Flyers, 7 p.m. (NBCSP; WPEN-FM 97.5)
NBA
Knicks at Thunder, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Clippers at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College Football
Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
Memphis at Houston, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Golf on Golf Channel
PGA: CJ Cup, 10 p.m.
European PGA: Valderrama Masters, 6 a.m. Friday
Boxing
Gabriel Rosado vs. Glen Tapie, middleweights, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
Soccer
Women's friendly: United States vs. South Korea, 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
High School Football
Dalton (Ga.) vs. Harrison (Ga.), 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Local Events
NHL
Flyers vs. Predators, 7 p.m., Wells Fargo Center
Changes in listings: Comcast SportsNet has changed its name to NBC Sports Philadelphia (NBCSP). The Comcast Network is now NBC Sports Philadelphia+ (NBCSP+).