Dr. J’s blueprint | Sports Daily Newsletter
Julius Erving’s early business ventures started with a shoe salon in Philly.
Nowadays it’s common for professional athletes to invest their money outside of sports.
Michael Jordan steered that direction as he changed the sneaker game and sports marketing industries forever with the creation of the Air Jordan brand in 1985.
But the NBA legend admired and studied the entrepreneurial skills of Julius Erving, who opened a store, The Doctor’s Shoe Salon, on South 2nd Street in Society Hill in 1980.
The salon did not sell sneakers. The Sixers Hall of Famer decided that it would only offer women’s and men’s fine leather shoes, sizes 8 and up — Erving wore a size 16 and had trouble finding dress shoes that fit him.
Over four decades, Erving got involved in everything from horse racing to cable television to toothpaste: “I always knew that there was going to be a path for me, especially if sports didn’t work out,” said Erving, now 75.
Erving’s salon served as a training ground for his future business ventures, while his journey has been a blueprint for other athletes to expand their careers beyond sports, writes Alex Coffey.
— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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For the first time in his major league career, Edmundo Sosa had an outfield position after his name on the lineup card on Tuesday. The Phillies’ utility infielder started in left field in the series opener against the Atlanta Braves with left-hander Chris Sale on the mound, marking the first outfield start of his career. Sosa, who was hitting .550 entering Tuesday’s game, slotted in for Max Kepler.
Sosa finished Tuesday’s game 0-for-3 as the Phillies dropped the series-opener in Atlanta, 7-5. Both aces on either side, Zack Wheeler and Chris Sale, allowed five runs apiece.
Next: The Phillies continue their series in Atlanta at 7:15 tonight (NBCSP+). Taijuan Walker (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will start against Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (0-1, 7.20).
After C.J. Gardner-Johnson was traded last month to the Houston Texans, the Eagles have a hole alongside Reed Blankenship at safety. One in-house replacement is Sydney Brown. The Eagles could also look to find depth in the NFL Draft.
Here’s a look at the safety class and which players best fit the Eagles’ needs on the back end of their defense.
The Sixers have lost 12 straight and 29 of 33 games. While this may be part of their tanking assignment, the team’s makeshift lineup hopes to take a break from the script in at least one of the remaining three games. “The results are not going our way,” rookie Adem Bona said. “It doesn’t mean we are not trying.”
And speaking of young players, The Inquirer gets a glimpse inside the year-round grind of the Sixers’ player development staff, who has worked closely with the rookie class of Bona, Justin Edwards, and Jared McCain.
Next: The Sixers will face the Washington Wizards tonight (7 p.m., NBCSP), then finish their season with a two-game homestand against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday (7 p.m., NBCSP) and Chicago Bulls on Sunday (1 p.m., NBCSP).
Entering Wednesday’s matchup against the New York Rangers, the Flyers have five more games left in the season.
So Brad Shaw, who is 3-1 as interim head coach, wants the players to have fun, but don’t expect him to be a pushover. He has expectations and a style of play he believes can work.
This is the time for him to audition as the permanent bench boss.
Worth a look
Getting notice: Downingtown West grad Will Howard was featured as the first guest on Jon Gruden’s rebooted QB camp.
A new era: Kevin Willard’s coaching staff is starting to take shape, and Ashley Howard is one who is staying at Villanova.
Sneak peek: Coach K.C. Keeler and his staff look to turn around Temple’s football team. Here’s an inside look at the day-to-day operation.
Speaking of notoriety: Jason Kelce and Jay Wright were nominated for 2025 Sports Emmys in the same category.
🧠 Trivia time answer
Which men’s coach has the most career wins at Big 5 schools?
B) Fran Dunphy with 625 wins. Ashley P. was first with the correct answer.
What you’re saying about the Phillies’ bullpen
We asked: Is this Phillies bullpen as strong as the one they had last season? Among your responses:
Our BP has never been as strong as it should be. Dumping Kimbrel was a great move. Losing Hoffman was a major mistake. And it’s time already to get rid of Romano. Being blunt, he really stinks. Still work to do. — Kathy T.
I think it is way too early to compare last year’s relief corps with this year’s group. They were really good up until the end where they really faltered against the Mets in the playoffs. Estevez was of course a disappointment and glad he has moved on. We will miss Jeff Hoffman, but I think this group will get better as the season moves on. So far Jose has done very well as the closer although he can often put you into a state of great anxiety while doing so. Let’s give these guys a wait and see and hope for the best rating. — Everett S.
No it is not, new addition is a major disappointment. — Bruce F.
How bout no. — Bill M.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Keith Pompey, Jeff Neiburg, Alex Coffey, Johnny Zawislak, Devin Jackson, Ariel Simpson, Gina Mizell, Lochlahn March, and Jackie Spiegel.
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.
As always thanks for reading! Enjoy the sun today, Philly. Kerith will be on the controls for tomorrow’s newsletter. — Bella