Missy Dougherty

[Empire State Building Observation Deck @EmpireStateBldg]

Tonight, the Empire State Building tower lights will turn to a pink sparkle at 9:25 to honor the late Dolly Parton.

Dolly was a global cultural icon whose seven-decade career reached generations of fans. Beyond entertainment, Dolly leaves a significant philanthropic legacy through the Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, which has provided hundreds of millions of books to children worldwide.

At Nine-Two-Five tonight, we celebrate her and her legacy 💖

[the Sports ON Tap @thesportsontap]

Malcolm Mitchell caught six passes in a Super Bowl.

He says he's prouder of learning to read.

When he arrived at the University of Georgia as one of the top recruits in the country, he could only read at about a junior high level.

He'd grown up in Valdosta, Georgia, in what he calls an under-resourced community, where the idea that education could take you somewhere felt far-fetched. Sports was the only path anybody talked about.

Then he got to campus and realized he'd been wrong about that.

In 2013 he tore his ACL and missed almost the entire season. Stuck and looking for something to do, he started reading.

His words: "I've always searched for ways to be creative. And when I got injured in 2013, reading picked up."

He worked his way through children's books. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Giving Tree. He was a Division I wide receiver in a Barnes and Noble in Athens, Georgia, teaching himself with picture books.

And then he did something most 20 year old athletes would never do.

He walked up to a stranger near the bestseller rack and asked for a recommendation.

Her name was Kathy Rackley. She was picking up the next book for her book club. She had no idea he played football.

They started talking, and she mentioned the club.

Mitchell had been looking for one to join, so he asked if she'd put in a word for him.

Her response, in her own telling: "I don't know if you want to join ours. We're all 40, 50, 60 year old women."

His response: "I don't care. I just like to read."

He thought they'd say no.

Instead they took him in completely. His words about it: "I've been adopted into their family."

A star SEC wide receiver spent his junior year of college in a suburban book club full of middle-aged women in Athens, Georgia, working through the same novels they were.

And then he started going to elementary schools to read with kids.

That became Read With Malcolm, which became the Share the Magic Foundation, dedicated to getting print books into the hands of children and building their reading skills.

In 2015, while still in college, he wrote and self-published a children's book called The Magician's Hat, about a magician whose power comes from books.

His reaction to that: "Being a published author never crossed my mind."

The Patriots drafted him in the fourth round in 2016. He caught 32 passes as a rookie, then six more in Super Bowl LI, the game New England came back from 28-3 to beat Atlanta.

That same year he was named Georgia's Children's Author of the Year, and Scholastic gave him a three book deal.

Knee injuries ended his NFL career in 2019. He was 25.

It didn't slow the other thing down at all. He's a full-time literacy advocate now, writing children's books and speaking to educators and kids across the country.

And he has said it plainly, more than once.

He is more proud of learning to read than he is of winning a Super Bowl.

For more stories like this, follow us on any platform @thesportsontap

[The Style Scout @stylescout1]

Bryson Stott will pay tribute to Phillies legends with these custom cleats for next Thursday’s Field of Dreams game.

[Glen Macnow @RealGlenMacnow]

Great gesture toward modern-day Moonlight Grahams.

[LeKing Is A Sixer @TiaNoTamara1]

I had to pretend Furkan Korkmaz was an NBA player, I had to cheer for Tobias Harris, I had to watch them draft Markelle Fultz instead of Jayson Tatum & him forget how to play basketball… I promise I deserve this

[Kris76 @KlutchKris76]

Day 1 of me trying to get Marc Zumoff out of retirement @marczumoff 😅

[97.5 The Fanatic @975TheFanatic]

I bet you want to hear Matt Cord Introduce LeBron James…

Well your wish is granted🔥🔥🔥

@RayDunne975 @Sean_Brace @933WMMR @MattyCord

[Paul Hudrick @PaulHudrick]

Look, they still have to play the games, but what an insanely incredible first offseason running things for Mike Gansey.

[Marc Zumoff @marczumoff]

Hang on @sixers fans. We are comin’ in for a landing…!

[Radio Media Sports News @UrbnRadioNation]

@JDumasReports This is what happens when you hire basketball people to run your organization instead of dudes that haven't played the game and rely strictly on analytics. Lebron James signs with the Sixers.

Mike Gansey and Bob Myers>Daryl Morey and Sam Hinkie.

[Jason Dumas @JDumasReports]

Bob Myers/Mike Gansey turned Paul George and some picks into Jaylen Brown and LeBron James this offseason. Unreal.

[Fliff @fliff]

@ShamsCharania SIXERS FANS IT'S HAPPENING

[David Murphy @ByDavidMurphy]

Last night’s All-Star Game was the perfect showcase for Citizens Bank Park and its fans. Freddie Freeman said the Bank has been his favorite place to play since he was young. Great event, and I usually hate big events.

Non-paywall link to my column: https://t.co/sZajRpnsBq

[Kevin Cooney @KevinCooney]

Take a bow, Philadelphia. This month has been awesome in this city

[O.J. Spivey @OJPhilly]

I did not see this intro last night and it is brilliant. 💯

[Cindy Webster @CindyWeb94]

Congratulations @Phillies @PhilliesCBP & all of the wonderful local fans and those who came into town. It was an incredible week for the City of Philadelphia. This one’s for you, David Montgomery ❤️❤️🫶🏻⚾️

[Missy Dougherty @Missyingyou]

This was awesome!

[John Foley @2008Philz]

My city’s ballpark is more beautiful than yours.

[Tim Kelly @TimKellySports]

Bobby Abreu and Ryan Howard have delivered the championship trophy.

[Jack Fritz @JackFritzWIP]

Zack Wheeler not making the All-Star team might have been the best thing for this baseball team.

Man on a mission.