The Lazy Athlete

Why the Flyers suck right now

2009-01-28T19:17:00.005-05:00

Ok, so they don't suck. But there is a lot of trepidation that they will duplicate their 10 game winless streak from last year coming out of the All-Star break.

There seems to be a consensus that the main reason the Flyers are struggling (Or possibly will be struggling) is a lack of effort/energy/enthusiasm/hard work/etc. And while, at times, I can see that as a problem, I see something much more concrete. And perhaps cliche.

The Flyers struggle because they don't execute. Passes are off the mark - most often into a teammates skates; pucks are sliding off a player's stick as they go to shoot or pass; pucks bounce away from players. To put it simply, they just aren't as sharp as they were when they were winning consistently. It's a hard thing to notice to the untrained eye (Yeah, the guy who's never worn a pair of ice skates has a "trained" eye), but at the NHL level, being a "tad off" is often the difference between winning and losing.

I find it hard to believe that this team isn't working hard enough. In hockey, a team follows their captain more than any other sport. And Mike Richards is shaping up to be a fantastic captain. Based on how hard he works, the team follows suit. It also helps that he has a handful of teammates who are natural leaders and hard workers. Work ethic is not the issue with this team.

There is one area that they do appear to be getting lazy in; decision making. I think that because of the success they've had earlier this season, certain players have become a little too comfortable with the puck. Jeff Carter's line is a prime example. I could see around the turn of the calendar year that, despite their amazing success together, a slump was coming. How could I tell? They were getting too cute with the puck. They were trying to make the pretty play. At the time, it was still working. But now it's not. That line needs to get back to the basics by just getting the puck to the net.

While they have not played terribly lately, they are losing games they shouldn't lose. And, quite frankly, they can't afford to lose out on these points with the competition the way it is in the East. The Flyers need to break out of this mini-funk they're in before it turns into a season altering funk. Despite the streak last year, they still made the playoffs, and made a nice run in the playoffs. But they lost out on home ice advantage. And judging by how well some of the teams in the East are playing at home this year, they will need it this time around.

There Is No Fate in Sports

2009-01-19T17:06:00.003-05:00

The Eagles can't keep the fans' feelings of invincibility, from the Phillies' title, alive.

Fate. Destiny. Meant to be. These, along with countless other cliches, seem to be used to describe at least one team's success every year in every sport. Unfortunately none of it exists. As was proven in the NFC Championship on Sunday, the better team that day will win. Period.

Philadelphia fans saw something extraordinary this fall. By now the Phillies' story is well known. Throughout the month of October, fans invested more and more emotion into their sports team. And for the first time in 25 years, they weren't let down. First the first time in my life (Coincidentally, I'm 25 years old), I now knew I wasn't always going to be doomed to the "Close, but no cigar."

And then when everything line up perfectly for the Eagles on the final day of the regular season, in order for them to make the playoffs, things seemed destined. Things seemed even more destined when we found out that the only thing between the Birds and the Super Bowl were the Arizona Cardinals; the same Cardinals the Eagles crushed on Thanksgiving Night; the same Cardinals who's championship drought dwarfs that of the Eagles.

Before the Phillies' breaking through in October, I'd view this past Eagles game with a certain degree of trepidation. But things are different now. I went all out, emotionally, on this one. Because of the Phillies, this Eagles team appeared destined to do something special as well. Lesson learned; games, and championships especially, are won on the field (or ice or court), not in the "heavens."

Another Reason to Lose Respect for Malkin (And ESPN)

2009-01-15T22:20:00.005-05:00

Apparently the two Russian stars' friendship is on the ropes. And ESPN thinks this is something we should all know.

That's right; according to this ESPN article NHL stars, and Russian natives, Evgeni Malkin and Alexander Ovechkin are feuding. To summarize (and to not subject anyone to actually having to read ESPN's article), the friendship is being strained because Malkin does not like how physical Ovechkin plays against him when their two teams meet.

Get ready for the worst quote by a hockey player ever. "Ovechkin is a great player, but every time he hits me -- I don't know why," Malkin said. Hey Geno (A nickname his teammates gave him), hockey is a physical game. Hitting is part of the game. And for Ovechkin, hitting hard is part of his game. That is what makes him the most dominant player in the world (That, and the enormous amount of talent he's been gifted with). He's not afraid to throw his weight around.

Now, Malkin is either necessarily. I've seen him throw a number of solid hits that lead to scoring chances. So, Malkin is apparently fine with the physical part of the game except when it's done to him, especially by his friends. I wonder if he expects Ovechkin to take it easy on him when their teams play each other.

For all the talent that Malkin has, he continues to show me he doesn't have the toughness to be an all-time great. From his running away from Russia to play in the NHL, we saw his selfishness. From his increasingly shrinking role in the playoffs last year, we saw that he doesn't have the desire to win as much as his teammate Sidney Crosby (Or Ovechkin for that matter). And from this story, we know he expects certain opponents to take it easy on him. Granted, being barely old enough to drink, maybe Malkin has yet grow into the great leader that his talent suggests he should be. But the two other players mentioned above, both similar ages, have already shown their ability to be complete players and leaders.

Playoff Beards

2009-01-08T19:48:00.005-05:00

The Eagles may be succeeding right now on the football field, but they are failing when it comes to instituting the playoff beard.

When I look back on my posts (which won't take that long considering my lack of activity over the past year), and I see a post labeled "Playoff Beards," I will no doubt think the post is about hockey. And I'm sure I'll get a couple of poor Google users to waste a minute of their time. But this issue is bugging me.

When the Eagles began their improbable (and unfinished) run to, and through, the playoffs, the players and coaches started growing facial hair in an effort to create some team unity. As dumb as that might sound to some, it's been done for years; most notably in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And I think it is one of the coolest things about hockey.

The Eagles are doing it wrong.
- First, defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, who I really respect, shaved after the Birds' week 16 loss to the Redskins. I know all appeared lost at that point, but when you start something like this, you don't stop until your season is over (Officially).
- Second, some players aren't doing it. What?! I don't care if you can't grow a beard. You try. That is part of the fun of it; making fun of the baby faces.
- Don't trim the beard; too many players have goatees, chin straps, and generally well groomed facial hair. This tradition is not about style or looks. In fact, it is almost totally about the opposite. Everyone looks like crap. But everyone looks like crap together, as a team.
- I heard someone call WIP today and suggest that everyone in the City start their beards. No. You can't start two weeks into the playoffs, and even worse, over a month after the official start.

It was a nice attempt by the Eagles, and some have done it very nicely (*clears throat* Andy Reid). And in the end, it appears to have had the desired effect. But maybe a crazy tradition like this should be left to the experts of crazy traditions (Hockey players, for those not following).

Game 3: Are you confident?

2008-10-25T11:41:00.002-04:00

So the World Series is coming back to Philly tied at a game a piece. This was the goal right? To get a split in Tampa? Then why do feel so uncomfortable about where this series is going? Maybe it's because I'm used to seeing Philly teams come up oh so short. Maybe it's something much more tangible; like the pitching (mis)matchup for game three. However, I think it's because the Phils appear to be in one of their offensive ruts that have plagued them this season, and it couldn't have come at a worse time.
I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority in thinking that Jamie Moyer will have a strong bounce back performance tonight in game 3. But the Rays have arguably their best pitcher, in Matt Garza, going against him. Garza, like the Phillies best pitcher Hamels, was the LCS MVP for the Rays. And that is not good news for an offense that has been absoluetly atrocious at hitting with runners in scoring position. 1 for 28 is not just bad, it's epic-ly bad. And it's not just hitting with runners in scoring position. It's simply putting the ball in play with runners at third and less than two outs. Game 1 was a 3-2 win by the Phils, but it easily could have 5 or 6 to 2 without getting a single extra hit. Same situation in game 2. With the score 3 or 4 to nothing, the Phillies had a runner on third with less than two outs in 3 straight innings. They failed to get the man home every time. You put the ball in play in those situations, and it's very conceivable that it's completely different game. And this without improving that RISP stat one bit.
Now back to Moyer. There's no way getting around it; Moyer has not looked good in his two playoff starts. But for some reason, I'm strangely oppomistic he'll have a strong start. Let's not forget Moyer won 16 games this year and was the Phils most consistent pitcher at times this year. He's been in the league forever, and the only way you stay in the league as long as he has is by being able to bounce back from tough starts. But there is a bigger reason for opptimism: the matchup. I look at the Rays, and I see a lot of similarities to the Florida Marlins; a team that is young, aggresive, and can hit the ball with the best of them. But the downside to that is that they are young and aggresive. What?! Moyer has dominated the Marlins in his career because he has been able to use that aggressiveness against them. His array of breaking and offspeed pitches are especially effective when the hitters are looking to pound the ball, and will expand the strike zone in order to do it. Granted, the Rays are not the Marlins. They are more patient, and can score without hitting the homerun. But I think there are more than enough similarities to be confident.
As good as Moyer could potentially be tonight, the key to game 3 lies in the bats of the Philadelphia hitters. They've gotten guys on base, and in scoring position, a lot during this series so far. They "simply" haven't been able to hit them in. At all. There are two ways to look at this. Either they are bound to start connecting, because no team can this futile for too long. Or this is an example of the offensive problems that have haunted this supposedly vaunted offense all season. This weekend, all eyes should be on the offense, as has been the case all season.

A Sacrifice to the Philly Sports God....William Penn (UPDATE)

2008-10-21T20:42:00.002-04:00

Original posted last summer (7/27/2007):

1983 was a very good year. Hell, it was the year that I was brought onto the planet. But also, it was the last time a pro sports team from Philadelphia won a championship. That team was the 76ers, and they did it by sweeping the LA Lakers in four games. Shorty there after, a new skyscraper was announced who's height would top the hat of the William Penn statue atop City Hall. And in 1987, the building, known as One Liberty Place, opened; effectively ending the Gentleman's Agreement within the city to never build a building taller than that William Penn statue. No major sports team in the city has since won a championship, and in fact many have dramatically fallen just short a number of times since then. The reason "The Curse of William Penn" has been brought back into the news (besides continued failure by the sports teams, accentuated by the Phillies accumulating their 10,000th loss last week) is because there has been an attempt to break the curse. The new Comcast building in Philadelphia, scheduled to open late 2007, early 2008, will be the new tallest building in the city. And in an effort to appease the city's founder, William Penn, a miniature statue of Billy has been placed atop the new skyscraper; giving him the best view in town, once again.
An outsider would probably view the curse as silly superstition. But to those of us entrenched in sports lore, especially here in Philadelphia, this superstition is eerily believable. Let's take a look at the "coincidences."
- Right around the time the announcement was made to break the Gentleman's Agreement, Flyer's goaltender, Pelle Lindbergh, was tradegically killed in a car accident. The Flyers would go on to a number of successful seasons in following his death in the 1980's, but were never able to get over the hump. Would having a goalie as talented as Pelle have made the difference?
- Let's stick with the Flyers. A mere two months after One Liberty Place's opening, the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup Finals and ran into the Wayne Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers; perhaps one of the best teams assembled in the NHL. The Flyers fought valiantly but eventually fell to the Oilers in seven games. A similar situation happened again in 1997. After cruising through the Eastern Conference, they ran into a dynasty in the making; the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings went on to sweep the Flyers, followed by another championship the following year and yet another in 2001-2002.
- Still sticking with the Flyers, the 2000 and 2004 playoff runs stick out in memory. In 2000, the Flyers, leading three games to one in the Eastern Conference Finals, dropped three straight to the New Jersey Devils to lose the series. The Devils went on to beat a very beatable Dallas Stars team for the Stanley Cup. 2004 also saw the Flyers make it to the conference finals. But injuries proved to be the difference in a seven game series loss to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Instead of building on that success, the following season was canceled due to a labor dispute. Since the lockout ended, the Flyers have yet to regain that level of performance, winning just two playoff game total.
- The Philadelphia 76ers, as stated above, were the last team to win a championship. And since that moment, they have done very little. However, in 2001, they made it to the NBA finals where, like the Flyers, they ran into a dynasty in the making. The LA Lakers took them out in five games.
- The Philadelphia Phillies are well known for their losing ways. But the late 70's and early 80's saw a team that won a World Series (1980) and won four other division titles and another pennant in 1983. Since that moment (which just happens to be in close proximity to the announcement of One Liberty Place), they have made the playoffs only once. That was 1993 when they came out of nowhere to win the NL pennant only to lose the World Series in six games on a heartbreaking walk-off homerun by Joe Carter.
- The Philadelphia Eagles first Super Bowl appearance was in 1980. The next 20 years saw very little success (except for a few teams led by one of the best, and most underrated, defenses ever). Once Andy Reid took over as coach in 1999, the team has had as many close calls and depressing losses as any team in sports over such a short period. Starting in 2001, the Eagles went to four straight NFC championship games, losing all but the last. The first appearance in 2001 was considered a pleasant surprise by many, as the team was young and on the upswing. But still, they came within five points of beating the "Greatest Show on Turf," the St. Louis Rams. The next year was perhaps the most depressing Eagles game in history. The Eagles were facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team they dominated in recent memory, at Veterans Stadium (which would be the final game they ever played there, as they moved to the "Link" across the street the following season). When all was said and done, the Eagles had lost a heartbreaker, and the Bucs went on beat a hopeless Oakland Raiders team in the Super Bowl. The 2003 Eagles got of to a slow start before eventually becoming one of the hottest teams in the league and winning home field advantage for the NFC championship game for the second straight year. This time they lost to the Carolina Panthers. They finally got over the hump in 2004, beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championship game. But, like the Flyers and Sixers before them, they ran into another dynasty in the making. The New England Patriots had won the previous year as well as in 2001. The heavy underdog Eagles lost by only a field goal.
Philadelphia sports history is full of stories of about the agony of defeat, much like most cities. However, the concentration of those stories in the years following the construction of One Liberty Place, and the ending of William Penn's reign atop the city, is hard to fathom. The Curse of William Penn has taken such hold in this championship starved city, that even Comcast Spectacor (the owners of the new Comcast Building as well as the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers) has given into superstition by giving William Penn a new throne, albeit a mini one, at the tallest point in the city. And if the curse shall be broken shortly after the opening of the Comcast building's opening, there will be those people who say it is all a coincidence. But, like the song "Grandma got run over by a reindeer," as for me and Grandpa, we believe.

Update (T-minus 1 day until the Phillies open the World Series in Tampa, Florida):
Still don't believe in the curse of William Penn? Well, the first team with a chance to end Philadelphia's championship drought since the Comcast people did there part to end the curse, is only four wins away from doing so. Now, granted, the Phillies have not won yet. But it's an awfully amazing coincidence, don't you think? As much as I have given into the curse of William Penn, I must admit that if the Phillies finish off this season with a title, I will be more than a little freaked out. Of course, that little celebration on Broad Street might make up for that.

Warning Received by Flyers

2007-12-06T18:10:00.000-05:00

In the Flyers' first action after they were hit with their fifth suspension of the young season, and received a stern warning from the league regarding further indiscretions, they skated to a 3-1 win over the home Minnesota Wild. And in the process, they perhaps learned what the league meant by "warning." The door to their penalty box is going to open much more frequently than the opponents for the remainder of this season.

Within the first minute of Wednesday's game, the Danny Briere was sent to the box after being pushed into the Wild goalie. Within the first two minutes of the game, the Wild had their first two man advantage when Mike Richards was caught for "slashing" when his stoke broke on the ice within a crowd of players. In all, the Wild had eight power plays, including two man advantage time totaling 3:24, to only two power plays for the Flyers.

Ok, granted; sometimes this happens. Sometimes one team is forcing the play and that is causing the other team to "chase" and the penalties are soon to follow. However, that was not the case on Wednesday. Despite three power plays to none in the first period, the Flyers entered the dressing room with a 2-0 lead, only being outshot 10-9 in the process. The Wild were not forcing the play.

And it wasn't just what was being called against the Flyers. Sometimes games are called tight. I'm fine with that. But this was not an example of that. The Wild, while they didn't get away with murder, they got away with much more than the Flyers. Thankfully for the Flyers, Nittymaki was on his game and they held the Wild to just 1-8 on the PP.

Maybe it's a bit of conspiracy theorist in me when I say this game was the result of the league bringing the hammer down against the Flyers. Maybe it's the referee's taking matters into their own hands, and keeping an extra close eye on the Flyers (at the expense of an eye on the other team). Whatever the reason for the clearly uneven officiating, the Flyers need to be prepared for it the rest of the season. Whether it's fair or not, they have gained a reputation of being dirty, and that is something that is not easily ignored by officiating crews. So far, the Flyers have dealt with that in the right way....by winning.

Flyers earn more than just two points with win

2007-11-08T18:55:00.000-05:00

So far this young season, the Flyers have exorcised a number of demons that remained from last year's effort (I use that word effort loosely). But there was one that remained - until last night. The Flyers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1, on the strength of two quick goals, earning them their first victory over the Penguins since April 11....in 2006. And by doing so, not only did they earn two more points and add a little space between them and the second best team in the Atlantic division thus far, but they proved to themselves that they can compete, and beat, their cross-state rivals

The "Oh-fer" against the Pens last year epitomized most things that were wrong with the team. They were too slow, they got poor goaltending, and their offense was non-existent when their top line wasn't on. All three of those things happened all eight times they faced off against Pittsburgh. The story of the Flyers early season turn around has been well documented (even if the growing suspension total has been arguably more well documented), but they still hadn't proved they could compete with young, fast, and aggressive teams. That changed Wednesday night.

The Flyers turned the tables on Pittsburgh on the first shift of the game. They forced Sidney Crosby, who has owned the Flyers in his young career, into a turnover in his own zone which the Flyers converted into a Joffrey Lupol goal. About five minutes later, Jeff Carter converted another Pittsburgh turnover into another goal and a 2-0 lead. Pittsburgh fought back the whole game, but they could never recover from the poor start.

The Flyers move on to play the Devils on Thursday, but you can be sure that their Saturday rematch with the Pens will be on their mind at least a little bit. In fact, the Devils will probably be thinking about the Pens too; they got throttled by Pittsburgh 5-0 in their previous game. With a win over the Devils, the Flyers can finish their season long road trip with a 4-4 record, and hit the 15 game mark with a 10-5 record; a mark that would surely meet even the loftiest of expectations heading into the season.

Odds and Ends:
Eric Lindros officially retired on Thursday, putting an anti-climactic end to his 13 year career. Not many athletes have come through Philadelphia and created more "controversy." And that is saying something. The Flyers mortgaged the house to bring "The Next One" (the first Next One before Crosby took the term) to the Orange and Black. He was supposed to bring numerous Stanley Cups to Philadelphia over the next 15 years or so, and during the first 6 years or so, it looked like that would really happen. But it all got derailed because of injuries and numerous off ice "crap," as ex-Flyers GM Bobby Clarke termed it. I look back on Lindros' career with a certain level of sadness, and despite how badly things turned out here when he left, a certain level of "Woulda, coulda, shoulda-ness."

Penguins provide true test for Flyers

2007-11-07T18:03:00.000-05:00

After a 6-1 start, the Philadelphia Flyers have slipped to 8-5, and are now tied for the Atlantic Division lead...with the Islanders. I think it's pretty safe to say that the Flyers are light years beyond the basement dwellers of last season, but are they the team that roared to a 6-1 start? It appears the answer is no. But who really knows this early in the season. In the next three games, the Flyers play Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh again, in the first home game after their season long 8 game road trip. And that is where we will learn a great deal more about where this team actually is.

Wrap your head around this: The Flyers played the Penguins 8 times last season to an 0-8 record, getting outscored 42-19 in the process. They were simply a team that couldn't match up any worse against the Pens, and the stats show it. Granted, the Flyers lost to most teams last year, and lost bad in some situations, but the Penguins were, and are, a type of team that dominated the Flyers. They were fast, skilled, and played an aggressive style of defense. In fact, the Flyers' biggest struggles came against teams that played that way.

Despite this season's early success, and relatively speaking amazing success, the Flyers still have shown that they struggle against that style of play. Teams that bring the pressure with flying forwards and pinching defenseman have had success against the Flyers this season, even when it didn't end in victory. The Flyers can thank Marty Biron for that. Two specific losses on the current road trip that demonstrated that weakness against that style of play were against Tampa Bay and Montreal. Both those teams made the Flyers look a little like they did last year, and in those situations, Biron was not able to bail the team out.

If the Flyers truly are as improved as they have looked at times this season, then they need to show it in the upcoming three games; specifically against Pittsburgh. They simply need to show that they can beat the Pens, and they need to show it right away. The longer they go this season without knocking down Pittsburgh, the harder and harder it will be to finally do it, as those demons creep closer and closer to the forefront of everyone's psyche.

They have two chances in the next three games to exorcise those particular demons, and if they do, they will prove to everyone - the fans, the Penguins, and, most importantly, themselves - that they truly are a team improved to the point of being a season long threat to take the division.

In a Galaxy Far Far away...or Indianapolis

2007-11-04T01:21:00.000-04:00

This week's matchup between the 8-0 New England Patriots and the 7-0 Indianapolis Colts has been billed as a lot of things; Super Bowl 41 1/2 for example, and for good reason. There may never have been a regular season game that carried so many implications. But this game goes well beyond the X's and O's; it's another classic example of Good vs. Evil. And what story better portrays that classic struggle than Star Wars.

Take a look at the story lines surrounding this game, and the similarities to the science fiction epic are as uncanny as they are fun. In this NFL version of a galaxy far far away, the Galactic Empire is played by none other than the New England Patriots, and the Colts take on the role of the Rebel Alliance.

It all starts with the Emperor, Bill Belichick. Everything from the evil genius scheming to the shroud of secrecy that surrounds the team parallel Palpatine's reign as Emperor. Belichick even dresses like him with the ragged hoody. It seems that every move Belichick makes is either genius or evil. There are some that contend that he got caught stealing signs on purpose, to provide his team with a new batch of "prove them wrong" motivation. And I'm starting to believe that lately. And his decisions to keep his stars in and beat opponents into the ground is a cold hearted as they come.

From the Emperor, we go to Darth Vader, played by Tom Brady. Like Vader, Brady is really a good guy at heart, but he is merely a puppet of his boss. They both hold talents that are rivaled by none in the "universe," and they both wield those talents with amazing skill. It's hard to blame Brady for running up the score; he is simply going out there when the coach tells him runs the plays that are called by the coach.

On the other side of things, the Colts are the anti-Patriots as much as they are the Colts. Starting at the top, Tony Dungy is liked by anybody and everybody who has any interest in football. Dungy has no problem with deflecting praise away from himself, and his attitude that permeates the Colts organization defines the democratic ideals and openness of the Rebel Alliance.

The way Peyton Manning leads the Colts is eerily similar to the way Luke Skywalker led the Rebels. Peyton is simply the face of the NFL universe, just as Luke is in Star Wars. He is matched in skill by no one other than maybe Brady, just as Luke is matched by no one other than Vader. But unlike Brady and the Dark Lord, Peyton has a huge say in how things are run on the football field. He is given a level of play calling that no one in the league can match.

The analogy even goes back to when this Patriots team won its first Super Bowl against the Rams. At that time they were nowhere near the Empire status they have achieved since. In fact, they were essentially America's team, coming out of nowhere to beat the Greatest Show on Turf in a season marked by September 11. And in the Star Wars saga, the Empire was originally the Galactic Senate and a bastion of peace. To make a long story short, they turn evil, and as they became more powerful, they became more evil. That first Patriots Super Bowl winner was a team with a very modest amount of talent. And each year they gained more and more weapons, until this season when they look like one of the most dominant teams the league has ever seen.

Both these teams are the premiere forces in the league. But they couldn't be any more different. No other teams have had a rivalry in recent memory that can come anywhere close to matching the Colts and Pats. Star Wars may be the geek in me coming out, but how can you argue with the classic struggle of good vs. evil. And how can you argue with Indianapolis vs. New England.

Flyers' Richards not waiting for "C"

2007-10-30T20:43:00.000-04:00

What is the most encouraging aspect of the Flyers' early season success? If you say the quick gelling of all of the new additions, the early dominance at home, or the clear #1 status and play of Martin Biron, you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. But as far as the continued success of the Flyers goes, the most important development we've seen this season is the emergence of Mike Richards as a team leader.

If there was one thing the Flyers added this past offseason, it was leadership, as Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen, and Jason Smith were all captains on their previous teams. No disrespect to Smith, who was named the team's newest captain, but it has been the leadership of a player who was already here that has been the biggest reason to be confident for continued success. Mike Richards, now in his third year, was named an alternate captain this season, and he is wasting little time in proving the organization right in giving the young player such a leadership role.

Richards was drafted the same year as Jeff Carter, who is also beginning to live up to his high expectations this season. But Richards, while he might never be the natural scorer that Carter might be, has always been a natural leader. From the moment he was drafted, he was tabbed as the future captain of this team. And his play this season, after experiencing a season last year that no one, whether rookie or veteran, wants to experience, has proven that prediction a smart one.

In the season's first ten games, he has simply done it all. And he has done it all more consistently than anyone on the team. Through ten games this season, Richards has six goals and six assists. Not really MVP type numbers, I know, but that's the beautiful thing about hockey: the best leader doesn't need to be the biggest scorer. Out of his six goals, two came at even strength, two on the power play, and two while shorthanded. And two of those goals have been game winners. And in addition to the scoring, Richards has been the Flyers best hitting forward, and best backchecking forward.

Richards might not lead the league in scoring, or any category for that matter. In fact, he may not lead his team in any category, but he will be everything a leader is supposed to be. Again, Jason Smith appears to be a very good captain, and could be their captain for a number of years to come, but it appears inevitable that he will pass the "C" onto Mike Richards when he retires or leaves the team. But in the mean time, Richards will just pretend that "A" is a "C," and that can be nothing but great for the Flyers.

The Broad Street Bullies are NOT Back

2007-10-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

With 47 games in suspensions during the first 10 games of the season, the Philadelphia Flyers are beginning to regain the reputation created by the 1970s version of the team. Or at least that's what seems to be the prevailing line of thinking outside of the Tri-State area. I suppose it's only natural that if you see three big hits resulting in injury, you conclude that these Flyers are making a conscious effort to get back to mean, physical hockey. However, the situation deserves closer examination before a conclusion is made.

All three suspensions that make up that number of 47 can be classified as isolated incidents. First, let's get to the one "hit" that can't be defended. The Jesse Boulerice stick attack has no place in the game, and the Flyers quickly, and rightfully, cut ties with him by placing him on waivers. The other hits were just that: hits, and therefore immediately lose all connection with Boulerice's assault. The first hit, by Steve Downie, was an example of a young player who needs to learn how to control his body while on the ice. Had he not launched his body at Ottawa's Dean McAmmond, it would've been a clean hit replayed on ESPN over and over. But, he did launch himself, and therefore deserved the punishment.

That brings us to the most recent incident involving a Flyer injuring an opposing player. It happened during Saturday's 2-1 win in Boston, when Randy Jones ran Patrice Bergeron into the boards behind the Flyers' net. Bergeron didn't get up from the hit and was carted off, but did regain consciousnesses and movement in his extremities after the game. Jones followed Bergeron down the wing, and then behind the net. Jones, like any defenseman, had to assume the forward would continue around the net. When Bergeron put on the brakes, he put himself in a vulnerable position, and Jones took advatage and drove him into the boards. Bergeron toppled forward, and his head just about went through the dasher. Jones was given a five minute major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct.

Jones, owner of zero major penalties in his NHL career, was extremely apologetic and remorseful for the hit. There was simply no intent to injure, and that combined with his history of Gandhi-esque non violence, surely played into his punishment of a two game suspension. The hit was definitely illegal, and he deserved to be kicked out of the game. No matter what your intent, you have to be in control of your body. But, when handing out a suspension, intent has to be the main factor. Not results, as is too often the case in the over-reactive NHL.

Back to the Broad Street Bullies. During the Flyers' championship years in the mid-seventies to early eighties, the organization did seek out players that could not only beat you, but also beat you. But, they continued to get away from that type of play as the game changed throughout the eighties and nineties. And when the game really changed after the lockout, in favor of quicker more skilled players, the changed even more. But as evidenced by last season's record, they didn't change enough. And as the story goes, the Flyers retooled and are now a force in this young season.

The Flyers organization can not, and should not, be blamed for these acts as an attempt to bring back the Broad Street Bullies. The most vicious of the acts was quickly taken care of by cutting Boulerice. Randy Jones is obviously not a player that would make a Flyers team from the mid-seventies. And that only leaves Steve Downie, who is a recent high draft pick, with a history of aggressiveness to match his talent. He is still young, and there is time for the organization to round the rough edges. He should not be given up on yet.

All three acts were isolated, no matter how vicious or benign you consider them. It does not make any sense to accuse a team that made a complete 180 shift toward speed and skill, in order to compete in the "new" NHL, of Bullying up their squad. And, all the worst, all this talk about a few unfortunate incidences is taking away from an amazing turnaround being performed by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Eagles Week Seven Report Card

2007-10-23T18:59:00.000-04:00

Another week in the NFL season, and we are further from knowing who these Eagles really are than ever before. Or maybe, this is who the Eagles really are.

Passing Offense:
Another average day for McNabb and the receivers. They moved the ball between the twenties, and bogged down in the red zone; that area inside the twenty that has been called a number of names in Philly, none of which have the slightest positive connotation. McNabb made a nice pass on his lone TD pass, but also missed badly on an earlier red zone possession. Reggie Brown also dropped a TD pass on their first red zone possession, right after making two great catches to get them in position.
Grade: C

Rushing Offense:
When they ran, they ran fairly well. But you would expect a playmaker like Westbrook to run wild one week after the Bears let Adrian Peterson do everything but throw for a TD. The running game helped keep the Eagles in 3rd and short situations, but it disappeared late in the game with the Eagles nursing a lead. Some semblance of a running game would help the red zone woes too.
Grade: C+

Passing Defense:
Well, it was an A for 58 minutes. Then they gave up the winning touchdown, making Brian Griese look like John Elway in the process. Giving up a 97 yard TD drive with less than two minutes and no timeouts left is completely inexcusable, even if there are two holding penalties and a push off on the TD pass. They've held the team in every game while they got their act together, but when the chips were down, they folded.
Grade: C-

Rushing Defense:
Well, it was an A for 58 minutes too. And thankfully for them, teams don't run the ball when down by 4 with 97 yards to go and no timeouts left. So, technically they were good all game.
Grade: A

Special Teams:
Devin Hester touched the ball exactly zero times in the return game, and he was still the most effective player on the field on Sunday. The Eagles chose to kick to the short man on kickoffs, and out of bounds in the punting game, and as a result the Bears seemed to start every drive on their 40 yard line. And in a game full of field goals, this was huge for a team that couldn't move the ball. Hester basically won this game for the Bears.
Grade: F

Overall:
There was no getting around it; both teams needed to win this game. Only one did, and neither probably deserved to. There were a few good plays and a lot of bad ones. Their were poor penalties, poor non-calls, poor rules (that crazy fumbled snap that was technically a false start), and through it all the Eagles were still in a position to win. But they didn't. They moved the ball well, but they couldn't score. They held the Bears off the board, except when it counted. So is this what the Eagles really are this year? A 2-4 team that finds ways to lose instead of ways to win? For the time being, I think that has to be excepted as a very real possibility. There is still time to turn their season around, but with a game against New England, two against Dallas, and rematches with the Giants and Redskins still to come, the margin for error is now down to zero. And that doesn't seem like a very good thing for a team that has been anything but perfect.
Grade: D

It's Official: Hockey is Back in Philadelphia

2007-10-21T14:09:00.000-04:00

There wasn't much debate that the Flyers "won" the offseason by becoming the league's most improved team. But how often has that victory led to success in the regular season? And how much improvement can a team that finished dead last in the league truly expect. Well, after Saturday's 3-2 OT thriller of a victory over the similarly resurgent Carolina Hurricanes, the Flyers have officially passed the point of "improved team." They are now a force in the NHL, like last season never happened.

The Flyers are now 6-1, and in first place in the Atlantic Division. After Gagne scored the game winner in OT against Carolina, the Flyers improved to 4-0 at home in the young season. Last year, they Flyers didn't get their fourth home victory until February 10! Despite the good start, their were critics who felt the Flyers hadn't beat any really good teams. And that was true until they beat the Hurricanes, who are playing much more like the team that won the Cup two seasons ago instead of the the team that missed the playoffs last year.

The Flyers have proven that they are capable of playing with, and beating, any team in the league. So, at this point, they have to be considered one of the top teams in the league. And while a lot of outcomes of this season would have been acceptable after what happened last season, with this start, expectations are right back to pre-2006-2007 levels. That means this team is expected to contend for a Championship.

The Flyers now embark on an eight game road trip. If the Flyers haven't already put last year behind them, a successful trip here will all but exorcise any remaining demons from last season.

Eagles Week Six Report Card

2007-10-16T20:42:00.000-04:00

They needed a win. That's what they got. Even if it wasn't pretty, they made progress toward the team they are supposed to be this year.

Passing Offense
McNabb has had better days, but he has also had much worse. He was a respectable 22 of 35 for 278 yards and the game's lone touchdown; a 75 yard catch and run by Kevin Curtis. McNabb did through one interception while backed up on his own goal line. He can thank the defense for that one not costing them. Reggie Brown showed that he actually is playing this year, making 6 grabs for 89 yards. LJ Smith made a catch, but as a unit, the tight ends are still invisible. That needs to change sooner rather than later. McNabb capped off the passing game on the final drive with a huge third down completion to Brown that kept the drive alive, and moved the Eagles out of the shadow of their goal line. Passing game needs to be sharper in the Red Zone
Grade: Solid B

Rushing Offense
Brian Westbrook continues to show why he is now being recognized nationally as one of the best backs in the game. He gained 120 yards on 20 carries, and had a 19 TD wiped out by holding penalty. The Eagles ran the ball much more than Andy Reid is known for, but they failed to rush successfully, or at all, in the Red Zone; resulting in 4 field goal attempts and no TDs. Westbrook needs to see the ball more inside the twenty. Offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. I would like to see more Buckhalter, and maybe even a little Tony Hunt when the line is dominating like it was.
Grade: A-

Passing Defense
Just 109 yards allowed through the air on 11 of 21 passing. That's good. Add in a big interception, and even bigger defense on a possible game tying fade route in the end, by Sheldon Brown, and you've got a dominate performance by the Eagles' pass defense. And that was done without Pro Bowlers Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard.
Grade: A+

Rushing Defense
It was ugly at first, with Thomas Jones hitting the same cut back lane time and time again to the tune of 55 rushing yards on the opening drive. But they defense stiffened, and forced a field goal. They didn't allow much the rest of the game, including stuffing the Jets multiple times inside the five, on their final drive down by seven, to force a fourth down fade route that fell incomplete.
Grade: Solid B

Special Teams
Sucked. Needs to get better in all phases. David Akers' nightmares of the Meadowlands will only get worse, as he missed two more field goals from 41 yards. He did make two that turned out to be very important. But perhaps more concerning, is the kick coverage. Leon Washington returned one kick 51 yards, and had another return that looked to be shaping up dangerously until he tripped up with a shoe string tackle. With Devin Hester coming to town this week, this simply needs to be better. That, or they should consider kicking out of bounds on every kickoff.
Grade: D- (only because it didn't lose them the game)

Overall
If they convert those two missed field goals into touchdowns, we're looking at a 30-9 blowout. So, if the Eagles can get that Red Zone offense straightened out, they look to be back on track. The defense continues to be much better, much earlier, than expected. And they should only get better when (and if) Lito and Dawkins get back. McNabb should continue to improve from week to week, and that is good news for this offense. Andy Reid needs to trust the running game more, as Brian Westbrook is his best player, by far.
Grade: B-

A Sick Week Six

2007-10-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's because, with the Phillies season over, I'm back to paying attention to football more, but this was one of the most interesting weeks in the NFL I've seen in a long time. From the showdown in Big D, to the emergence of a young star in Minnesota, to the reemergence of a very old star in Carolina. Week six was simply sick.

Obviously the big story was the battle of 5-0 teams in Dallas. Well, as it turns out, it wasn't much of a battle. But that shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. Dallas, owner of five wins against atrocious teams, was going against what looks to be one of the best teams ever assembled in the salary cap era. The Patriots ended up being way too much for the Cowboys, but Dallas showed that they record wasn't all smoke and mirrors. Most teams, after tailing 14-0 and 21-10 to the mighty Pats, would've just tipped their hats to a superior opponent. But Dallas battled back to take a 24-21 lead in the second half. Even though that was the best it got for Dallas, they showed that they probably are the class of the NFC.

Is there any question who will be Offensive Rookie of the Year? Adrian Peterson had a day for the ages in Chicago, the home of Walter Payton himself. I'm sure you've all heard the stats by now, but they simply need repeating. He broke out with 224 yards on 20 carries, including TD runs of 67, 73, and 35 yards. Then to top it off, he added 128 yards on 4 kick returns, including his final return that set up the game winning field goal. If it wasn't for the unbelievable start Brady has had, or the fact that Peterson is a rookie, there would be MVP talk in Minny instead of just ROY talk.

The game in Chicago also saw another young star on display. Why does anybody kick to Devin Hester anymore. Hester returned another punt for a touchdown on Sunday, giving him nine special teams TDs in his brief 22 game career. The record is 13, held by Brian Mitchell. It only took him 200-some-odd games to get them. At this point, isn't it better to give Chicago the ball at the 35 or 40 yard line, or kick a punt through the end zone, then putting the ball in his hands? Oh, he also had an 81 yards TD reception from scrimmage.

The Carolina Panthers started a 43, 11 month old QB this Sunday. And they won. Vinny Testaverde was sitting on his couch watching football not ten days ago. On Sunday, he was leading the Panthers to a 25-10 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Due to injuries, both teams in this game called Vinny to lure him out of retirement. He chose Carolina because it was close to home, and as fate would have it, he beat the team that called him first. Vinny has now thrown at least one TD pass in every single season since 1987. Incredible.

When did Mike Holmgren turn into a bad coach. Seattle finally went to the Super Bowl two years ago, after years of underachieving. It looked like the Seahawks finally reached the potential of all that talent. Last year, they were devastated by injury, but still won the a playoff game; and nearly beat the Bears in the divisional round. But what are their excuses this season. They have simply looked bad. And Sunday night, against a winless Saints team, they screwed the pooch again. They failed to show up for three quarters, and then their comeback bid in the fourth was derailed multiple times by Mike Holmgren decisions. He looked indecisive in big moments, and then when the cameras came across him, he looked as if he regretted every decision he made. Then with his team moving in for a big score and time running out, and no time outs, he calls a draw play on third and long. Needless to say, it doesn't work, so they are faced with fourth down, unable to stop the clock. Fourth down is thrown incomplete, and just like that the game is over as New Orleans runs out the clock. Wha?!

This week had it all; the good, bad, and the ugly. Super stars are back, rookies are emerging, and veterans are pushing back the clock once again. If week seven is half as good as six, then I'll be more than happy. Of course, it helps that the Eagles won, and that I had Peterson on my fantasy team.

Flyers now stuck with goon reputation

2007-10-13T20:59:00.000-04:00

With 45 games of suspensions under their belts before their first home game of the regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers are gaining league wide reputation as a team of dirty players. And that reputation is actually very undeserved. But, never the less, it is overshadowing the fact that their offseason transformations are already paying dividends, with a 2-1 start to the season.

Those suspensions are being served by two players. Steve Downie, owner of a 20 gamer, is a rookie who didn't figure to be a big part of the Flyers plans this season. And Jesse Boulerice, owner of a fresh 25 game suspension, is a well traveled player, with a history of goonery. The team should not be held responsible for the acts of two players, who figured to offer next to nothing to the team this season.

The Boulerice incident is completely inexcusable. Using your stick as a weapon, especially a shot to the head like Boulerice's actions, is something that needs to be eliminated from the game. And the fact that he does not offer a whole to a hockey team in terms of skill, there is no reason the Flyers should even put up with his shenanigans. They should give him his walking papers as soon as another body can be found to fill his roster spot.

However, Downie can not be compared to Boulerice; both his actions and as a player. A lot of people want to call him a dirty player, and his hit against Dean McAmmond in the preseason was just another example of that. But that is not fair. Downie is a high draft pick of the Flyers, who has been trying to work his way onto the big league team since being drafted. Hockey is a physical sport, and in order to be successful you have to be aggressive.

Let's get one thing straight: Downie's hit against McAmmond was not clean. But to call it an act of thuggery is inappropriate. And to compare it to Boulerice's attack is even worse. Downie did not use his stick as a weapon, and he didn't even use an elbow. Yes, he left his feet, and it was a little late, but you can't say there was intent to injure. It was a young guy, being aggressive, trying to make the team.

Granted, that is no excuse for Downie; you have to be in control of your body. But, I go back to the term "intent to injure." If you look back on the previous suspensions comparable to Downie's, they all involved a player trying to injure another play; usually with the stick. So it makes perfect sense for Boulerice to be given that level of suspension, and it probably could have been greater. But Downie, I feel, was unfairly made an example of by the league. And it is even worse to characterize these Flyers based on the actions of two guys; especially considering only one of those guys is deserving of that characterization.

It'll be a happy homecoming

2007-10-11T20:11:00.000-04:00

There is no doubt that the Flyers were one of, if not the most, improved teams in the NHL coming into this season. But what that exactly meant on the ice was something that wouldn't be answered until the first puck drop. Well, the exit polls are in: In their first three games, on a rare West Coast trip to start the season, the Flyers are back. And on Saturday, the fans throughout the Philadelphia area will get to see their real hockey team, and not that impostor they painfully watched last season.

The Flyers return home with a 2-1 record, most recently of which a 8-2 drubbing of the Vancouver Canucks; widely considered one of the top teams in the West. The Flyers bare zero resemblance to last year's squad. That is bound to happen when you dress nine guys who were on different teams one year ago. But they also have a different attitude, and a different style of play. Last year's squad seemed agonizingly slow; in all zones. This year, the Flyers are flying. Whatever they have done so far this season, they have done it at full throttle. As a result, they are scoring more, but they are also keeping the puck out of their net more than last year by putting pressure on whoever has the puck on the opposition; whether that is on the forecheck or behind their own net.

Danny Briere, the Flyers' most prized offseason acquistion, has been as advertised to say the least. He has seven points in his first three games. Other newcomers Lupol and Hartnell are playing well, and Jason Smith and Kimmo Timonen have provided so much stability on the blue line. But it is not just the newcomers. The guys that remain from last year have new life and new energy playing with these new guys. Gagne, Richards, Carter, and Umberger are just a few who are playing like they have rockets up the asses. But most importantly, their is a winning attitude that is settling over this team.

With a 2-1 start, coming home to face a division rival in the Islanders, who also have gotten off to a good start, the Flyers have a chance to truly cement themselves as "back." And they can make their fans really excited about hockey again, seeing as how they started their season during Phillies' playoff baseball on the West Coast; home of those annoying 10:00pm start times. Yes, it is a long season, but we have seen, in the post lockout NHL, how a fast and aggressive team, that believes it can win, can turn a good start into a good season. One thing that is for sure is that they will certainly have the home crowd of a winner.

NFC: Can it be any worse?

2007-10-10T19:25:00.000-04:00

With one of the AFC's worst teams giving one of the NFC's best teams all it could handle Monday night, it has become clear that the NFC is as bad as any conference has ever been. The Cowboys appear to be clearly the best team in the NFC, but what does that even mean anymore? Now, after this week's New England/Dallas showdown, we will really know how good, or bad, they are, and how good or bad the conference is.

The NFC has been pretty bad for a number of years now. In the last three seasons, there have been three teams make the playoffs with an 8-8 record. But, so far this season, it looks like the National Football Conference has sunk to all time lows.

We'll get back to Dallas a little later, but let's look at the rest of the conference, starting at the bottom. The Saints, just about everyone's favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season is staring at a goose egg in the win column. Whatever the reason for their collapse, this team simply looks lost out there. They are only "topped" by the St. Louis Rams, who did the Saints one better in the loss column. With an 0-5 record, the Rams' brass will probably spend the remaining Saturdays this season watching the senior class closely. Not much better, is the Falcons. Although I don't think there are that many people who are surprised by this start.

Minnesota is finding out where not having an NFL caliber QB will take you. The Eagles may be the league's most schizophrenic team this year. The Bears weakness are being exploited after taking advantage of this weak conference the last two seasons. And the Niners seem to have forgotten that they were an up and coming team.

That takes care of the teams with losing records, but it doesn't get much brighter. Seattle, at 3-2, looks like a shadow of the team that went to the Super Bowl just two years ago. The Cardinals are also 3-2, but they were testing out the new quarterback by committee approach before Leinart broke his collarbone. There hands now rest with Mr. Fumble himself, Kurt Warner. Tampa Bay and Carolina are both atop the retched Southern division, but Carolina just signed Vinny Testeverde; so you know what shape they are in. Detroit is a fraud at 3-2, as are the Giants.

Now the "good" teams. Washington is off to a nice 3-1 start, and look to have regained that defensive form that led them to the playoffs two years ago. But I need to see more from this team before I crown them a true threat. Green Bay is 4-1, but they showed they were not ready to be an elite team, but letting the Bears steal a win from them. And we'll see how well they do throwing 70% in December.

Now, back to the 'Boys. Yes, I feel they are definitely the best team in the conference, but what does that really mean. And I will go to the ever popular, "Who have they played" defense. They have beat up on teams with a combined 6-19 record, nearly dropping one to the 0-5 Bills. They Cowboys have their share of weaknesses. Tony Romo, as shown Monday, still has an ability to throw the game away. And defensively, they still have major coverage problems. Only one team has been good enough to expose it; the Giants who put up 35 points in a losing effort. And they are just one injury in that linebacking corps away from losing the pass rush like they did last season. However, I take it all back if they beat the Patriots.

Regardless of the outcome of that showdown this Sunday, the fact remains that we have never seen this much parity, or mediocrity if you prefer, in the NFC. I'm actually a fan of parity, so I'm not saying we should go back to Green Bay/Dallas/San Francisco dynasties. But what we have now is just so many bad teams, and even the good teams, can be beaten anyone at any time.

A Historical MVP Debate

2007-10-09T20:27:00.000-04:00

No, this is not another Jimmy Rollins vs. Matt Holliday MVP debate. Been there, and done that. And, in case anyone doesn't know, I'm firmly in J-Roll's corner. No disrespect to the season Holliday had, especially considering the systematic dismantling of Rollins' Phillies that he led, but Rollins literally did it all for the Phillies this season; and he did it every day, and he did it all very good. J-Roll captured the hearts of fans all over the Philadelphia area with his bat, glove, and personality. But there was another Phillie who did the same thing. That Phillie was Lenny Dykstra, and it is no coincidence that the last time the Phillies made the playoffs in 1993, Dykstra had a career year. Both were spectacular all year, but if I had to pick one for MVP between the two, I'd have to go with the Dude, Lenny Dykstra.

Jimmy Rollins led a Phillies offense that scored more runs than any other team in the league. They even scored more runs than all but one team in the DH rich American League. He led off most of the year, set the table, scored runs, and more than occasionally knocked in runs. The numbers speak for themselves:

Runs: 139
Hits: 212
2B: 38
3B: 20
HR: 30
RBI: 94
SB: 41
BB: 49
SO: 85
BA: .296
OBP: .344
SLG: .531

Lenny Dykstra was always a very good leadoff man, but in 1993 he put his whole game together, finishing second behind Barry Bonds in MVP voting. He played center field with reckless abandon, earning the nickname Nails, in addition to the Dude, because he was tough as nails. Again, the numbers speak for themselves:

Runs: 143
Hits: 194
2B: 44
3B: 6
HR: 19
RBI: 66
SB: 37
BB: 129
SO: 64
BA: .305
OBP: .420
SLG: .482

So those are the numbers. What Rollins lacked in on-base percentage and batting average, he made up for in power. What Dykstra lacked in power, he made up for by getting on base a lot more than Rollins. So which is more valuable to a team; getting on base or knocking in runs? That debate will go on forever, but this one has to end.

I think it's fair to say that this 2007 rendition of the Phillies team has more talent than that 1993 team. Aside from Dykstra, the only other offensive weapons on that team were Darren Daulton and John Kruk, and to a lesser extent, Dave Hollins. But this current team has Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, and to a lesser extent, Shane Victorino. If you take Rollins away from this team, they fall well short of where they finished this season. But, if you take Dykstra off of that 1993 team, not only are they not as good, but that offense would have been embarrassing inept.

It really is splitting hairs trying to put one of these guys above the other. To be honest, I don't even know why I tried. I guess the similarities between these two guys who played 14 years apart, are just too intriguing to ignore. Two playoff teams with one common theme: a leadoff man with an all-around game to match anyone in the league, and a persona that captured the admiration of an entire city. Guys like that are near impossible to find, and for that reason, they both are MVPs.

Magical season comes to Rockie end

2007-10-07T14:04:00.000-04:00

They say that all good things must come to an end. Phillies' fans found out over the past week that that is all too true; unless of course your a Colorado Rockies' fan. Late Saturday night, the Rockies finished off their sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, bringing the Phils' season to a screeching halt. One week ago, we were all celebrating the first division championship, and playoff appearance, in 14 years. Now, we're wondering what, if anything, the Phillies will do to improve this offseason. But, despite the complete 180 in the past week, the Phillies, and their fans, should really be proud of the season they had.

First off, it is quite clear now, that the Phillies simply ran into a buzzsaw, in the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies finished the regular season, and tie breaker game, winning 14 of their last 15 games. They have now won 17 of their last 18, and storm into Arizona, playing perhaps the best baseball in the Majors right now. The Phils finished their regular season on fire, but they ran into the one team that was playing better. The Rockies were simply not going to be stopped, and they deserve all the credit in the world.

No matter how you view the playoff series against Colorado, the Phillies had a historic season. Coming back from 7 games behind the Mets with 17 to go will go down as one of, if not the biggest, comebacks/collapses in baseball history. But it was how they did it, more than what they did.

The Phillies overcame poor pitching and injuries, in addition to the large deficits, all season. With a team ERA over five, and an explosive offensive, the Phillies came from behind to win 48 times this season. That means that in more than half of their wins, they were trailing and one, or more, points. You never wanted to turn off a Phillies game this season; no matter what the score was. That alone is enough to make this season one of the most memorable in the history of this team.

The city of Philadelphia hadn't experienced October baseball in 14 years, and this year was just the second time in 24 years that the Phillies were in the postseason. So it's natural to want to the team to go far, and to get there fast, because in this city, you never know when you will get there again. But the core of this team is young and talented, so there is no reason to expect that this team won't be in the running for more division titles in the years to come. So, I can honestly say that I am not that upset at the quick exit of my team from October. In my opinion, we got beat by the best, and perhaps more importantly, there is plenty of hope for the future.

Why Jimmy Rollins is the MVP

2007-10-02T19:41:00.000-04:00

The National League seems to be having one of its best seasons ever. The playoffs races were incredible, and the MVP debate is one of the more interesting topics in baseball in a while. Prince Fielder, David Wright, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, and Jimmy Rollins have all been thrown into the conversation. But it really comes down to those last two players. Both Holliday and Rollins have had seasons for the ages, but only one can win. Before each of their respective teams made their final pushes toward the playoffs, it was thought that whoever was most successful in leading their team there, would win MVP. But both players will be facing each other in the opening round of the postseason. With all respect to Matt Holliday, no one has helped their team in more ways than Jimmy Rollins.

Matt Holliday's numbers speak for them self. He led the league with a .340 batting average while driving in a league best 137 RBI. He hit 36 homeruns, and scored 120 runs. Of his 216 hits, 92 were for extra bases (including the 36 homers plus 50 doubles). And to top it off, his slugging percentage of .618 also led the league. It was a great season, and probably an MVP season if it wasn't for Jimmy Rollins' season.

Jimmy Rollins had a record breaking year. He was just the fourth person in the history of the Majors to hit at least 20 homeruns, doubles, triples, and steal 20 bases in the same season. He also set the MLB record for at bats with 716. Overall Rollins hit .296 with 30 HR and 94 RBI. Now obviously a shortstop is not going to have the power numbers of a left fielder, but Rollins more than made up for it. He led the league in runs scored with 139, which after all, is the main job of a leadoff man. And he had 38 doubles, 20 triples, and 41 steals.

If it was just a numbers game, then Holliday would probably take the award. But Rollins does so much more than swing the bat. I already mentioned the steals, but that not the only aspect of the game in which his legs helped his team. Rollins is one of, if the best shortstops in all of baseball. He saved countless hits with his amazing range at the game's most important position (outside of pitcher and catcher). He has a rocket for an arm, and he rarely is off target with it. And Rollins did all of this - the hitting, stealing, and fielding - every single game of the year. Besides Jeff Fancouer of the Braves, Rollins was the only player in the league to start all 162 games.

Day in and day out, Rollins was there for his team. Whether the team needed him to set the table by getting on base and stealing bags, or knock in runs when the bottom of the order got on base, or save a run by turning a hit into an out or infield single, Rollins was there. Throughout a season when every other high profile player spent significant time injured, Rollins was the only constant. And, perhaps most importantly, Rollins gave this team an attitude. Before Spring training, he declared the Phillies the team to beat in the East. He backed it up all year, and the rest of his team followed suit until they eventually proved him right on the final day of the season. Not to take anything away from what Matt Holiday has done, but Jimmy Rollins was more valuable to his team this season than any other player in the league.

Eagles' 1st Quarter Report Card

2007-10-01T19:30:00.001-04:00

With four games in the books, it's time to send the Eagles' report card home to their parents. And I don't think the Birds will be getting their allowance.

Quarterback: C
This was the big question mark coming into the season. Was Donovan McNabb healthy? I pronounced numerous times that he was, and this position was the least of the Eagles' worries. I was wrong. McNabb was simply off during the first two losses of the season to the Packers and Redskins. It's hard to pin the Green Bay loss on him, because of the special teams errors, but if he put forth a good performance the Birds could have won in spite of those miscues. However, the Redskins game can be put on five's shoulders. McNabb took off the knee brace for week three, and quite literally played perfectly in a 56-21 drubbing of the Lions. And week four was a 16-3 loss to the Giants, where McNabb's numbers are ugly, but it's hard to blame a QB when he gets sacked 12 times.

Running Back: A
The lone bright spot on the offense. Before missing game four due to injury, Brian Westbrook led the NFL in yards from scrimmage. He was arguably running better than any back in the league, and he accounted for about half of the team's offense. And even when he missed game four, Correll Buckhalter stepped in and ran very well. If only the Eagles would put the ball in these guys' hands more often; but we'll get to that more later.

Wide Receiver: D-
Kevin Curtis' big game against the Lions is all that is keeping this grade from being an F. Aside from that, the receiving corps has been dreadful. Through four games this season, the blueprint has been developed on how to defend this offense. It turns out it is pretty simple actually. It is press coverage. Three teams have done that to the Eagles receivers, and they have held the offense to 28 points, and just one touchdown. The one team that played a soft zone, the Lions, only yielded the endzone to the Eagles' offense eight times. Reggie Brown, who seemed poised to break out in this, his third, season, has been invisible. Jason Avant has actually been a nice number three guy though. Go figure, he is a big athletic guy who can beat press coverage.

Tight Ends: F
L.J. Smith has been hurt and missed two games, and might as well have missed the other two. The other two tight ends have done next to nothing as well. And they can't block either. It's been a wasted position for the Eagles.

Offensive Line: D
It's not so much that this unit has played bad, aside from the game against the Giants, where they gave up about four dozen sacks, but rather they've played well below expectations. This was supposed to be the Eagles' strength. They started every game together last season, and the first three games this season, and they paved the way for the number two ranked offense in the league last season. But this year, they haven't been nearly as good. Obviously the game against New York was horrible, but even when they haven't given up lots of sacks, they haven't been able to give McNabb a nice pocket. And they haven't been able to give the receivers enough time to shake the jam.

Defensive Line: B+
Another won of the few bright spots; especially after their poor showing for most of last year. The tackles have been very solid, if not very good, in stuffing the run and getting pressure up the middle. Broderick Bunkley worked very hard in the offseason to improve upon his forgettable rookie season, and it has paid off big time. The ends are getting relatively good pressure, but they are not getting quite enough pressure on third down passing situations leading to first downs.

Linebackers: B
A huge question mark going into the season, the linebacking corps has been perfectly adequate. Takeo Spikes appears to be fully recovered from the Achilles' injury he suffered in 2005. Omar Gaither appears to not be too small to stop the run at middle linebacker, and he provides much more range than the departed Jeremiah Trotter. And Chris Gocong, the second year player who never made a start at SAM before this season, doesn't appear lost. They need to do a better job on third an medium though.

Defensive Backs: B-
It's been hard to judge this group, with them missing two Pro Bowlers in Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard, for two and three games respectively. But, as a healthy unit, they held Brett Favre and the Packers to no touchdowns. And as a banged up unit, they did enough against a potent Lions attack, and held Eli Manning in check for the most part. They also need to do a better job on third down. It would nice if they created a few turnovers as well.

Special Teams: F-
They already lost the team a game, and that is good enough for a C- right there. They still don't really have a kick or punt returner that will scare anyone. And their kick coverage has been average at best. David Akers has been better than last year so far, but the punting situation is different. The Eagles took a risk on Australian Rules punter Sav Rocca because they loved the upside of his cannon of a leg. However, the big boomers have been few and far between. And it's not like he hasn't had plenty of opportunities either.

Coaching: F
It started in the first game, when the inability to have a backup plan to Jeremy Bloom came back to bite them. The coaching staff has refused to alter the game plan when McNabb was clearly struggling. And Andy Reid did nothing to help out Winston Justice, who was making his first start at left tackle, when the line was getting thrashed by the Giants pass rush. As a matter of fact, he didn't do anything to slow down the rush...like running. But most importantly, they lost three out of four games.

So, it's the Eagles' bye week. Maybe this report card means they should be grounded for their week off?

Turns out, the Phillies ARE the team to beat

2007-09-30T18:57:00.000-04:00

It took them 162 games to do it, but the Phillies finally proved Jimmy Rollins right. Jimmy Rollins started Spring training by declaring his team the "team to beat" despite their 14 year absence from postseason play. But after defeating the Washington Nationals 6-1 on Sunday, combined with a 8-1 Mets loss at the hands of the Florida Marlins, the Phillies clinched their first N.L. East division crown since 1993 - the only time the team reached the playoffs since 1983. In doing so, the Phillies completed an amazing comeback - being down seven games with just 17 games to play - and became one of the most beloved teams this city has ever seen.

The pitching problems are well documented, the injury list is long, and the number of times this team has been written off is multiple, but none of that matters now. This particular version of the Philadelphia Phillies will go down as a team that never gave up; no matter what happens in October.

No team, even remotely close to the playoffs, has the poor pitching stats that the Phillies have. Their team ERA, 4.76, is good for 13th out of 15 N.L. teams. Their key free agent acquisition, Adam Eaton has an ERA of 6.29. Their bullpen was so bad that they moved their opening day starter, Brett Meyers - who also threw the final clinching pitch of the season on Sunday - into the closer's role. And they have overcame it all.

Injuries are a part of baseball, but I'm not sure anyone had as many key players on the D.L. at some point this season as the Phillies have had. Previous closer, Tom Gordon, missed about a month. Brett Meyers, after moving into the bullpen, missed a month or more. Reigning MVP, Ryan Howard, missed a few weeks and was slowed for a few more before the trip to the D.L. Chase Utley missed a month with a broken hand, and shortly after his injury, Shane Victorino and Michael Bourn also went down - in the same game. And then to cap it off, the Phillies lost their ace, Cole Hamels for a month, and a key middle reliever, Ryan Madsen, still has yet to return. And they have overcome it all.

Combining the injuries with the pitching woes, it miracle this team didn't just pack it in, and say that this just wasn't their year. In fact, just about everyone in Philadelphia counted them out numerous times. After a 4-11 start, the season was done, right? Nope. When their best hitter, Utley, went out, at a time when they really need offense to make up for the poor pitching, their season was done, right? Nope, newcomer Tad Iguchi, came in and kept the team afloat. When they lost Cole Hamels right before a huge 10 game homestand at the end of August, the season was finished, right? Nope, guys like Kyle Kendrick and Kyle Lohse came out of nowhere to keep the team afloat. Then they lost 4 of the first 6 games in that homestand, heading into a 4 game series with the Mets, trailing by 7 games. Season over? Nope, they go on to sweep the Mets, and overall, gain 5 games on the Mets in 5 days. Then the Phillies struggled immediately following that sweep, and the Mets increased their lead back up to 7 games with 17 games to go. The season was definitely over now. Except, the Phillies went into New York and swept the Mets again. Then the Mets collapsed, and here we are. Division champs.

The 1993 Philadelphia Phillies are not one of the most beloved teams in this city's history just because they made one of the franchise's few World Series appearances. They were fun. They were exciting. They were a bunch of blue collar guys who the city just identified with. While this team is not so much a blue collar team, the city has fallen in love with their never-say-die attitude. They have fallen in love with their attitude - the attitude that was created when Jimmy Rollins made those much criticized statements in Spring training. Unless this team performs miserably in the postseason - which I can't see happening - the city of Philadelphia will never forget this remarkable season.

Who are the real Eagles?

2007-09-26T20:31:00.000-04:00

As bad as everyone felt following that 20-12 Monday night loss to the Washington Redskins, that was how good everyone felt following the Eagles' 56-21 thrashing of the Detroit Lions. With their back against the wall, staring down a possible 0-3 start, the real Eagles showed up and saved their season. But was that actually the real team? Only time will tell, but there are plenty of reasons to believe that the 2007 Philadelphia Eagles are closer to the team in those Halloweenish uniforms than the team who's play was scary on its own through the first two weeks.

It's easy to get excited when your team's offense scores eight touchdowns and the defense records nine sacks. But let's not get too carried away. Sunday's performance was just an example of what can happen when an offense, eager to prove something, starts to click against a defense that simply isn't that good. But, on the other side of the coin, an offense has to be doing something right to reach the end zone eight times; no matter who is playing defense.

There really shouldn't have been any doubts that this offense would click at some point this season. There is only one difference from last year's number two ranked offense: Donte Stallworth is out and Kevin Curtis is in. It was figured that, while Curtis might not have Stallworth's pure explosiveness, he would provide more consistency and, at the very worst, should be an even replacement. The only question coming into the season was how would Donovan be coming off of that ACL reconstruction. How long would it take for McNabb to regain his form?

The answer appears to be three weeks. Granted, there are bound to be down weeks when that knee just isn't feeling as strong, but McNabb looked perfect on Sunday. As a matter of fact, he was perfect (158.3 QB rating). Was it a coincidence that he played better once he removed the knee brace that adorned his knee during preseason and the first two games? Not likely. By his own admission, McNabb said that the brace did limit his extension a little bit. And if he is admitting that much, it's a good bet that it affected his whole throwing motion at least a little bit. Removing the brace was a sign that McNabb feels healthy physically and mentally.

It is true that this offense will go where McNabb takes them, but let's not forget the other aspects of the game. Offensively, the offensive line, which played relatively poor the first two weeks, played fantastic Sunday. And they are the strength of this team, having now started 19 consecutive games as a unit dating back to the beginning of last season. And Brian Westbrook continues to prove that he is one of, if not the most, dangerous player in the NFL. It almost pains me that it has taken me this long to mention him.

Let's assume that the offense continues to play at a level similar to what they achieved last season. They will be in the same exact spot next Martin Luther King Jr. Day that they were last year if the defense also plays at the same level that they played last year. And that's where the biggest reasons for optimism come in. Even through two losses to start the season, the defense looked much improved from last year. The weak spots from last year, defensive tackle and linebacker, look to be significantly better. Broderick Bunkley, who's rookie season was a complete wash, is playing at a dominant level, and the new linebacking corps has done a great job stuffing the run thus far. And if last year proved anything, it is that, with this offense playing the way it is capable of playing, an average defense should be able to make the Eagles a serious contender in the NFC.

So who are the real Eagles? Well three games, with such a wide disparity in performances, is not enough to make an informed decision. And an educated guess would put them somewhere in between the 0-2 and the 1-0, but I believe that they truly are closer to the latter. The offense has a track record dating back to last season, and now they seem to be back on track. And the defense - the reason for last season's loss at New Orleans on January 13 - looks much better. And with a lot of new faces, and injuries on the mend, the defense could become even better. The real offense may not score 56 points a week, and the real defense may not record nine sacks a week, but the real Eagles should be able to win each and every week.

It's STILL not time to panic

2007-09-19T19:12:00.000-04:00

The Eagles are 0-2, injuries are hitting the defense, McNabb and the offense look out of sync, and the schedule only gets tougher from here on out. Time to start thinking about the 2008 entry draft? Not quite. Winless after two games is, by no means, good or acceptable. But, despite the amount of weight put on each and every NFL game, it is a long season. There is time for this team to turn it around. But most importantly, this team is capable of turning it around.

Here's why:

- Each and every year, the beginning of the NFL season becomes harder and harder to predict. Teams start great only to fall off and miss the playoffs, as well as teams starting slow and then turn it on at the right time. The Lions are coming in at 2-0, one of the surprise fast starts, but will they be around come December? The Eagles are not the only team struggling to start the season. The Saints, Jets, Rams all join the Eagles at a surprising 0-2.

- Let's be honest here; McNabb has been, well, bad. Personally, I thought he would come back from injury like he did last year, and set the league on fire. I was wrong. He is obviously still shaking off rust. But the good thing is the fact that I truly believe it is just rust. It is not a Daunte Culpepper situation where he came back too early from injury, and it is not a factor of McNabb being on the down side of his career; as many in Philly will have you believe. McNabb looked like his old self in the 4th quarter against the Redskins. He moved well, and hit guys between the numbers. If that is a sign that the rust is off, then half the problem is solved.

- The defense has looked improved from last year. Not perfect, but they don't need to be. If the offense can get back in the rhythm they had last season, this defense certainly looks like it can hold it's own. They need more pressure from the defensive ends, and they need to get off the field on 3rd down, but the run defense has been very strong; even with the offense unable to give the defense any rest. When some of the defensive backs come back healthy, they should be even better as a unit.

- When penciling wins and losses when the schedule came out, these first two games will certainly "W"s for most fans'. And that was important, especially considering the difficulty of the latter part of the schedule. However, there are surprise teams every year. This year's schedule is very similar to last season's in the sense that the Eagles' should be successful early on, building up their record, and be able to hold on through a tough second part of the schedule. So when the Eagles went 4-4 in the first half, instead of the 7-1 or 6-2 many projected, the prospects looked bleak. But, as it turned out, the teams they faced in the second half were not nearly as good as everyone projected prior to the season. The same is possible this year. The Saints loom as a second half obstacle. They are 0-2 as well. And what if the Bears have the Super Bowl loss hangover that has seemed to affect so many teams this decade? And what if the Packers and Redskins turn out to be the Saints and Jets of last season? Two games is not enough time to bury, or crown, any team.

Since the Eagles dropped the game against the Redskins Monday night, the start to the 2003 season has been a big topic of discussion; both by those with hope and those who claim that it is a completely different situation and the season is over. Yes, there are different circumstances between both 0-2 starts, but there are also a number of significant similarities. Basically that team started out struggling because of poor play by an injured McNabb and a genreally out of sync offense - the same as this season. What happened over the final 14 games of that season? McNabb got healthy, and Andy Reid brought the whole offense back to basics. The result: a 12-4 record and another NFC championship appearance. I expect Reid to go back to basics a little bit, and I expect/hope McNabb is done shaking off the rust. The rest should take care of itself.

No need to jump off the Ben Franklin, Philly fans

2007-09-10T18:30:00.000-04:00

Yet again, the Eagles have opened a season full of hope with a loss. For the sixth time in the last nine seasons, the Eagles are 0-1. Surely, for many, the opener in Green Bay was penciled in as a win when the schedule was released. And now after the 16-13 loss against the "lowly" Packers - a team the Eagles have owned for half a decade - fans all over the Delaware Valley have to be feeling a bit a panic. The special teams was obviously horrendous, the offense only put up 13 points, and the defense played well against a Division IA caliber offense. But fear not Eagles fans. Believe it or not, there is reason to feel more optimistic now than before the season started.

Before the less than complimentary comments come pouring in, hear me out. What was the biggest question mark coming out of preseason and into the regular season? No, it wasn't McNabb, it was the defense. They were coming off a season where they were essentially the Achilles heal of the team, and they were less than stellar during their time on the field in the preseason. Could the new, smaller, Omar Gaither stop the run in the absence of Trotter? Could converted defensive end, Chris Gocong, making his first start, be anything close to the answer at SAM? Could defensive tackles, Bunkley and Patterson, step up and play like the high draft picks they are? Was Jevon Kearse healthy enough to be a force again? Would Sean Considine be able to play the role of strong safety despite having the skill set best suited for free safety? And, speaking of free safety, could Brian Dawkins shake off an injury filled preseason, and continue to be the heart and soul of the defense? Well, in order, the answers after one game - which admittedly carries only slightly more weight than preseason - are: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

The Eagles held the Packers offense to three points. The remaining 13 points, including the game winning field goal, were the direct result of Philly turnovers. The running game for Green Bay? Non-existent. The passing game, with future Hall of Famer Brett Favre? Barely existent. Granted the Packers do not have a very good offense, especially their running game, but if you remember last season, that didn't matter for the Eagles' defense. Seeing all of those question marks answered, for at least one week, has got to be an encouraging sign for Eagles fans.

Offensively, 13 points is hardly an impressive effort, but, again, there are reasons to feel good. First off, the Packers' defense should not be underestimated. They have solid defensive backs, a young and fast linebacking corps, and a great defensive line. That's a formula for a top 10 defense. So, going against a unit like that is going to cause some problems for even for the best offenses; especially on opening day. Which brings us to point number 2 and 2A/B. Offensives across the league are generally less likely to be dominant than defensives early in the season. Offenses take more timing and rythmn that is difficult to achieve at the outset of the season. And the Eagles have been slow starters for the majority of the last decade. And, lastly, but certainly not least, this was Donovan McNabb's first start since ACL reconstruction only nine months ago. And most everyone will tell you that it takes a good year or more before a player can get back to full capabilities. Combine all of that, and a 13 point effort should not surprise that much. This was the number 2 ranked defense in the league last year, and they are essentially the same group this year. They will be fine.

This loss can be directly contributed to the fact that the Eagles went into the season without anyone experienced in handling punt returns. Yes, they lost a game because of this hole, but this is a fixable hole, and a minor one compared to many of the teams in the NFC. There are basically two options to solve the problem. Send Brian Westbrook back there or bring someone else in. Westbrook is highly capable of doing the job, and could be one of the most dangerous return men in the game, but it's unclear at this time whether Andy Reid will want to risk his prized possession. And Reno Mahe - a solid, if unspectacular, return man - is probably sitting at home right now. All in all, Eagles fans should not be that upset. They should know by now that their team turns it on later in the season - when it counts most.

Not a Very Special Opener

2007-09-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

There are very few losses in the NFL that can be attributed to one single aspect of the game. There are normally a number of issues from various aspects of the game that cause a team to lose. The season opener between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers was the exception to the rule. Green Bay won the game 16-13 on a last second field goal, without scoring an offensive touchdown. All of their points, aside from one game tying field goal, came off of turnovers; most of which were on special teams. The Philadelphia Eagles, having significant question marks with their return game coming into the game, showed why by muffing two punts which led to 10 points including the game winner.

The Eagles fell behind by seven early when a punt was muffed by Greg Lewis and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Later on, Lewis almost cost his team again by attempting to field a bouncing punt with about five Packers around him. Luckily for him, he was able to secure it and save his team about five yards of field position. Not so luckily for him, coach Andy Reid had seen enough, and that was the last punt return he handled.

But that wasn't the low point for the Eagles' special teams. With less than two minutes left, and the game tied, the Eagles forced the Packers to punt again - setting up a possible game winning possession for the Birds. This time they sent kick returner JR Reed back to retrieve the punt. Reed called for the fair catch, but the kick was short. Reed, instead of letting it bounce, decided to run up, and weave through blockers and tacklers, to catch the ball. He was a tad late, and couldn't control the kick. Green Bay recovered within field goal range. All Philadelphia could do was watch the clock wind down until Mason Crosby kicked the game winner through.

To put it simply, special teams lost the Eagles the game. That's not taking anything away from the Packers - they played a good game defensively - but the Eagles gave them the game. The offense and defense can not be blamed for this loss for Philly. Granted, the Eagles weren't entirely in sync on offense, but they looked like the Colts compared to the Packers' performance on that side of the ball. And defensively, they shut the Packers down entirely. Aside from one field goal drive that featured some classic highlight reel, Houdini like escapes and passes, the Packers couldn't move the ball against an Eagles' defense that had its own question marks coming into the season.

The Eagles now have some serious concerns in special teams now that they have seen how poor play from that unit alone can keep your team from winning. J.R. Reed should be adequate as the kick-off returner, but he is obviously not the answer for returning punts. Greg Lewis probably will never return another punt in his career, and Corell Buckhalter, who's experience consists of returning a few punts in preseason, is unlikely to be much better. There is only one person on this roster who could do the job: Brian Westbrook. Before he became the focal point of the offense, Westbrook earned his spot on the roster by returning punts. And he was very good at it. And he is clearly the best choice to fulfill that role right now. The only question is, will Andy Reid subject his prized offensive weapon to perceived high injury risk job of return man? Only Reid knows that answer, and its unlikely that he even knows it right now, but one thing is for sure: the present strategy is unacceptable. The special teams doesn't necessarily need to be special, but it can't become a liability like it was in the opening day loss.

NFC East Preview

2007-09-07T20:03:00.000-04:00

Part eight of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions. Today, we conclude with a look at the NFC East.

Philadelphia Eagles
This division may be the tightest at the top with the Eagles and Cowboys likely to battle for the title all year. The Eagles should win out though. The big story with the Eagles this season is the return of Donovan McNabb, and rightfully so. But the E True Holloywood Story with this team is the defense. Offensively they will be fine; and that is with McNabb not being at 100% for the beginning portion of the season. With McNabb playing up to his capabilities, this offense will be one of the best in the league. They were the number two offense in the NFL last season, behind only the Saints. Doing it with two QBs, the Eagles showed that they can, and will, rely on Brian Westbrook and the offensive line to lead the offense. McNabb will be just fine this season, the receiving corps is underrated, and Westbrook should repeat his career year behind one of the best offensive lines in the league. Back to the defense. As few question marks as there are on the offense, there are that many about the defense. Starting with the linebackers, the Eagles will start two guys at MIKE and SAM, Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong respectively, who have never started a game at those positions. Takeo Spikes should be an upgrade at WILL, however, if he is fully recovered from injuries that slowed him the previous two years. But the Eagles don't place a high priority on LB since they rely on a solid play from the defensive line and defensive backs. However, they did not get solid play from these units the last couple years, which is why the defense has lost its status as one of the elite. If guys like tackles, Bunkley and Patterson, can perform up to expectations, and Safety Brian Dawkins can shake off preseason injuries, the defense should be plenty adequate in spite of the question marks at linebacker. Being in a weak conference, the Eagles should simply be able to outscore teams for a few wins this season.
Prediction: 11-5

Dallas Cowboys
Talent-wise, the Cowboys may be right up there with the Eagles. So why aren't they going to win the division? Well, a couple of reasons. First, they have a new coaching staff, and the last time I checked, a new coaching staff rarely reaches expecations in their first season. Plus, it's not like they are upgrading from an incompetent coach. They had Hall of Fame coach, Bill Parcells, for four seasons and they were unable to win a playoff game in that time. Secondly, the Cowboys are seriously lacking behind the Eagles in experience and leadership. The Cowboys also have serious questions marks on both sides of the ball. Tony Romo, "Snap-gate" aside, really dropped off towards the end of his season. It seemed that, once opposing defenses accumulated game film on him, he was in fact a mere mortal. The defensive backs had major coverage problems last season. Roy Williams, considered by many the most overrated player in the league, is a big hitter but he contributed greatly to those coverage liabilities. And Dallas had next to no pass rush outside of DeMarcus Ware. But again, it's a weak conference, and everyone has chinks, if not holes, in the armor. And with talented players at most skill positions, the Cowboys should earn a Wild Card birth if they don't win the division.
Prediction: 10-6

Washington Redskins
There is a huge drop off from the top two teams in the division to the bottom two teams. The Redskins underperformed in just about every aspect of the game last season, and they are bound to improve this year. However, now they have a QB starting his first full season. Analysts from all around the league really like Jason Cambell, and they see him progressing into a strong leader of the offense as the season progresses. If they're right, the Redskins could be a decent team. They have a strong two-pronged running attack with Clinton Portis and the emergence of Ladell Betts last season. However they are old and shallow at wide receiver; Santana Moss doesn't seem to have that game breaking speed anymore and there isn't much behind him. The defense is about average, but with a weak offense, they are unable to hold up for a full 60 minutes and a full season. This is clearly a transitional year for the 'Skins as they acclimate the new QB to the system. And it may be Joe Gibbs last season in this unsuccessful comeback attempt.
Prediction: 6-10

New York Giants
For some reason, coach Tom Caughlin is still the coach of the New York Giants. He has had, and still does to some extent, a talented roster every year. Yet, the Giants have been unable to accomplish much of anything. And last season it hit a low for Caughlin's Giants. That is, until this season probably. There is no leadership in that locker room and no one can keep their mouth shut. Everyone always has something to say about a teammate or a coach, and it is impossible to create a winning chemistry in that atmosphere. Aside from the negative intangibles surrounding this team, they have serious issues at a number of positions. This jury for Eli Manning is still out, but not for much longer. Eli needs to stop relying on the name on the back of his jersey and start improving the weaknesses of his game (and there are a number of them), or he will go down as a big-time bust; considering what he was supposed to be in this league. And things will not get any easier for Eli this season, with the retirement of Tiki Barber. The Giants feel Brandon Jacobs and Reuben Droughns can pick up where Tiki left off, but I don't see it. Defensively, the Giants are weak at linebacker and defensive back. It's huge that Michael Strahan decided to come back for another year, but not even he can stop this train from derailing.
Prediction: 4-12

AFC East Preview

2007-09-05T20:01:00.000-04:00

Part seven of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the beginning of the regular season. Today, we take a look at the AFC East.

New England Patriots
The Patriots have won the Super Bowl already, right? Well, that's what the vast majority of the football watching community has implied. And, well, the Patriots are as much a favorite to win it as anyone has been in the past decade. This team would have been one of the favorites if they returned the exact team from last season. But, seeing just how tough the top of the AFC is, the Pats went out and had the best offseason in the league. Granted, winning the offseason means nothing - the Redskins proved that all too many times - but the Patriots are the absolute best at evaluating talent AND fitting it within the team system. The one position of weakness last season, Wide Receiver, has been big-league upgraded with Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss. Even if Moss isn't the player he used to be (which he isn't), anything would have helped the WR unit. The addition of Adalius Thomas to the defense gives coach Bill Belichick a big time joker to throw at opposing offenses. There have been some hits already though. Rodney Harrison will start the season on a four game suspension and Richard Seymour will start the season on the Physically unable to Perform list (PUP). But if there is one thing we all should have learned over the past six years, it's that you should never count the Patriots out until they are actually golfing at home.
Prediction: 12-4

New York Jets
The Jets, and their coach, Eric Mangini, are to the Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick, what Mini Me is the Dr. Evil. Mangini, a former assistant of Belichick, has taken everything he learned from Belichick about making a solid football team, turned the Jets into a carbon copy of the New England; albeit not on the same level. But give him time. The Jets, last season, were expected to fight for the first overall draft pick this past summer. But instead they came out of nowhere to make the playoffs in an extremely deep AFC field. Normally I'd expect a drop off from a team that seemed to play over its head, but Mangini demands that Belichick vibe: never underestimate us. And I'm not. There really is nothing to write home about on this team. They added Thomas Jones, but he is just another average piece in a very average looking puzzle. But don't forget that it took a couple Super Bowl victories before people realized that the New England puzzle was not so average looking. That said, the Jets are not the Patriots. They will have to claw for a second consecutive playoff birth.
Prediction: 10-6

Buffalo Bills
The Bills will use this season to continue their youth movement. But they will not be doormats. J.P. Losman and Lee Evans have become a very dangerous QB-WR duo, and they have a rookie on each side of the ball that has the talent, and will have the opportunity, to win Rookie of the Year honors. RB Marshawn Lynch takes over for Willis McGahee and LB Paul Posluszny will step right in at linebacker and make a difference - think DeMeco Ryans and AJ Hawk last season. However, the offensive line needs to open up some holes for Lynch, and provide some time for Losman to gain some consistency. Teams who are looking for a break in between all the land mines on their AFC schedules should look somewhere else besides Buffalo. The Bills will beat the teams they should this year, and upset a few that they're not supposed to.
Prediction: 8-8

Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins offseason is littered with mistakes to follow up the offseason mistakes of previous coaching staffs. New coach, Cam Cameron, started it off by ignoring the huge hole at Quarterback during the '07 entry draft. Passing up on Brady Quinn, Cameron selected WR Ted Ginn Jr. with the 9th overall pick. Why? Because he can't wait to see this guy return kicks. Somebody watched too much of Devin Hester last year. Yes, a great returner can turn games around for you, but it won't matter when you have more important holes to fill...like QB. Obviously, the Dolphins picked the wrong door last offseason, signing Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees - I don't need to explain how that turned out - but they had a chance to fix that mistake by drafting a franchise QB in Quinn. They didn't. Then to make matters worst, they "solved" their QB problem by acquiring Trent Green from Kansas City. Again, Cameron must have been watching Chicago game too much, because he obviously didn't see Trent Green play last year in K.C. If he had, there is no way he would have thought this was the answer. Their offensive line is average and aging - How many times can Ronnie Brown run into the line for a 2 1/2 yard gain. The defense is still good, and got better with the addition of Joey Porter, but they too are getting up there in age. Being in a tough division and tougher conference will not help their situation.
Prediction: 6-10

NFC West Preview

2007-09-03T21:58:00.000-04:00

Part six of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season. Today, we take a look at the NFC West.

Seattle Seahawks
This may be the closest division in football. The Seahawks are still top dogs, but not by much, and not for much longer. They are no longer the team that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl, but they are not the team ravaged by injury which still won the division. If healthy, the 'hawks will be better than last season, but so will each of the other teams in the division. Matt Hasselbeck should have a bounce back year, as should Shaun Alexander. However, the running game with Alexander has not been the same since losing Steve Hutchinson to Minnesota. Defensively, there are some coverage concerns among the defensive backs. However, the linebacking core is good, led by Lofa Tatupu. The key for this team is health; even more so than every other team. Offensively they rely so much on timing, that when the key players aren't able to get a lot of reps together, the unit sputters as it did last year. Unless Seattle can show a reinvigoration of their offense heading into next season, this may be their last on top of the West for a while. But hey, for this season, they're still the best.
Prediction: 10-6

St. Louis Rams
The Rams are placed ahead of the other two teams in the division simply because of their experience. Them, and the Niners and Cardinals, are basically dead even, so the experience in St. Louis should be the X-factor. They are no longer the Greatest Show on Turf, but the Rams still have a very good offense. Marc Bulger is one of the best QBs in the conference, and he has aging, but still effective, WRs Torry Holt and Issac Bruce to throw to. But this offense has transformed into more of a running offense. Having a back like Steven Jackson will tend to do that. Jackson has quickly emerged as one of the top three backs in the game today, and he should only get better. Defensively, there are some issues that coach, Scott Linehan, continues to work on. In this division, no one really has a strong defense, so the Rams should be able to compete just fine. And this is a team that knows how to win shootouts.
Prediction: 9-7

San Francisco 49ers
The Niners showed great improvement last year, capping the season off with a win against Denver that kept the Broncos out of the playoffs. Their improvement over the past two seasons can be directly linked to the improvement of QB, Alex Smith. And Smith's improvement can be linked to Norv Turner and an improving offensive line. Well, Turner is no longer around, but the line, along with the rest of his supporting cast, continues to improve. First round draft pick, LB Patrick Willis, has a chance to make an immediate impact on a young, aggressive defense. Frank Gore has emerged, like Steven Jackson, as an elite back in the league, and that takes a lot of pressure off of Alex Smith. Look for the Niners to pick up where they left off last season, and if they don't challenge for their own playoff spot, they will certainly make it tough on other playoff contenders.
Prediction: 9-7

Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a very bright looking future, at least offensively. Matt Leinart, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin form a great core of offensive weapons. And Edgerrin James is still a dangerous running back when given proper running lanes. That's where the questions arise for this team: the offensive line. Levi Brown brings hope to a annual weakness of this team, but can he make the impact they will need right away? That remains to be seen. New coach, Ken Whisenhunt, brings a desire to run the ball like he had in Pittsburgh, and that bodes well for the offense. James finally started to find some running room later last season, so there is hope that the Cardinals can build on that. And, if they can, they could have as good an offense as anybody in the division. But also like everyone else in the division, their defense is spot for concern. If Whisenhunt can bring some of that Steel Curtain defense from Pittsburgh, along with the running game, then the Cardinals could easily leap frog both the Niners and Rams and contend for a playoff spot. That's a lot of ifs at this point however.
Prediction: 7-9

AFC West Preview

2007-09-03T13:26:00.000-04:00

Part five of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season; now just four days away. Today we look at the AFC West.

San Diego Chargers
Another AFC division and another clear front runner. The Chargers may have the most talented lineup in the NFL, so anything less than a championship will be a failure for this team. Obviously, L.T. is the engine of this team, but don't forget Phillip Rivers. Rivers has quietly had a very good start to his career, and look for him to continue his development this year with Norv Turner taking over as head coach. Whether you think Turner is a quality head coach or not, he definitely has done good work with developing QBs; Alex Smith most recently in San Francisco. And with a strong aggressive defense led by Shawn Merriman, the Chargers don't really have any holes or weaknesses that would hold them back from accomplishing their goals. Really, the only thing they lack from teams such as New England and Indianapolis, is playoff experience. Last season was their first foray into the playoffs with Super Bowl expectations, and they bowed out in their opening game. If L.T. can come anywhere close to duplicating his performance from last season - which he most certainly can - and Rivers can continue making strides in just his second full season as starting QB, then there is no reason why the Chargers can't win a Super Bowl. That is, as long as they wear those powder blues.
Prediction: 13-3

Denver Broncos
The Broncos started last season with arguably the best defense in the league. Then they ran into Peyton Manning and the Colts, who shredded them for 34 points. The Broncos' defense never seemed to recover after that. Denver plays a very basic defensive scheme, relying on discipline and sure tackling. Having a true shut down corner in Champ Bailey really allows them to do that. And after adding Dre Bly to the other corner, the Broncos should continue the same defensive scheme to a relatively high level of success. But the questions start to arise, like with so many teams these days, with the offense; specifically the quarterback. The Jay Cutler era began in week 13 last season, and the Broncos went 2-3 the rest of the way. The jury is still out on Cutler, as there are those who love his rocket arm, and there are those who criticize his rash decision making. 9 TDs in his first five games is good, but you worry about him trying to do too much; especially on a team with a good defense and a good running game. And that running game was upgraded in the offseason with the addition of Travis Henry; a one cut runner who fits the Denver zone blocking scheme perfectly. If Cutler can stay within himself, and the defense can maintain its level of play throughout the course of the season, the Broncos could be a playoff team in a stacked AFC.
Prediction: 10-6

Oakland Raiders
The Raiders currently have nothing to show for their league worst record last season, and the ensuing number one overall pick, as JaMarcus Russell still has not signed with the team. No one was expecting Russell to start right away and lead this team back to respectability, but this kid has to get in with the team and starting learning the NFL game. The Raiders have picked up Dante Culpepper, and he looks to have the starting job locked up. Oakland had a shockingly good defense last year, but it remains to be seen whether that was all a result of skill or more a result of teams generally having control of the game and scaling back their offense. It's probably somewhere in between, so don't expect a Ravenesque defense to win them games on its own. Culpepper is indefinitely an upgrade at QB, but the supporting offensive cast is still a joke. Expect more of the same from last year.
Prediction: 5-11

Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are on the way down. Quickly. Yes, they just signed Larry Johnson to a contract extension, but the rest of the defense is either aging rapidly or extremely inexperienced or simply not very good. And Herm Edwards has not been able to turn the defense into a top unit like he wanted to when taking the job. At QB, it's a choice between career backup, Damon Huard, or the second year man with zero starts under his belt, Brodie Croyle. As far as the immediate season goes, that's lose lose. L.J. will get his yards and TDs, but the offense as a whole will sputter. And with a defense that is middle of the road, the team as a whole will sputter as well. The Chiefs look like a team that is doing nothing but preparing for 2008.
Prediction: 5-11

NFC North Preview

2007-09-01T14:38:00.000-04:00

Part four of an eight part series examining each of the NFL's divisions as we approach the start of the regular season. Today we take a look at the NFC North; home of the defending NFC champions.

Chicago Bears
Da Bears own one of the best defenses in the game, and Devin Hester is the most dangerous return man since Dante Hall was in his prime. And that's about it. But that should be enough to once again make Chicago one of the favorites in the watered down NFC. Their run to the Super Bowl last season can be described as "in spite of the play of their QB." Compare that to the team that beat them in the big game, and you can see how important quarterback play is in the NFL. Last season, Rex Grossman was either good or horrible. If he can eliminate those horrible performances, or even if he just improves them to okay, the Bears would have to be a clear cut favorite. If he can't, combined with the loss of rushing leader Thomas Jones, the Bears will have a tough time making it back to the Super Bowl. But, being in a weak division, they should cruise to the playoffs regardless.
Prediction: 11-5

Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings will follow a formula very similar to the Bears: Good defense, good running game, and hope your QB doesn't lose you games. Their defense isn't as good, but their running game is better. And it's anybody's guess how their QB, Tavaris Jackson, will do. However, Jackson will be asked to do very little with the running game he will have. Chester Taylor, who had a very good but understated season last year, will share the backfield with number one pick Adrian Peterson. If Jackson can just manage the game, and not lose the team games, the Vikings will put up a good fight and not let the Bears run away with the division.
Prediction: 8-8

Green Bay Packers
One last year for Brett Favre, right? We shall see. What we have seen, is that Favre can still play. He is nowhere near his MVP form, but in an era where the skill level at QB is very low, Favre is in a class by himself. The Packers improved as the season went on last year, finishing 8-8, and have high hopes coming into this season. However, they did nothing to improve themselves this past offseason. The still growing/learning offensive line will cause problems again for the running game, and Favre's consecutive games streak will be put in jeopardy as he should be running for his life again. The young defense was very underrated by the end of last season, and they look to build on that this season. This season won't be the exact way Farve wants to leave the game, but at least it should be ugly. The Pack should be competitive game in and game out.
Prediction: 8-8

Detroit Lions
The Lions are a very tough to team to figure out coming into the new season. Their offense looks like it could be as good as anyone's, but their defense is still a work in progress. They should be very tough in Detroit, where Mike Martz can have fun with Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Jon Kitna, and company on the fast turf track; much like in St. Louis. Head coach, Rod Marinelli, is a hard work, defensive oriented guy, and that should be good for a defense that finished 30th in points allowed. If the defense can over-perform a little bit, like New Oreans did last season, they have a good enough offense to surprise a lot of people; myself included.
Prediction: 7-9

AFC North Preview

2007-08-31T21:59:00.000-04:00

Part three of an eight part series taking a look at each of the NFL's divisions as the beginning of the regular seasons draws nearer. Here, we examine the tough AFC North

Baltimore Ravens
Unlike the first two divisions looked at, the AFC and NFC south, the AFC North is not ruled by one team way out in front of the others. The Ravens are the top dog here, but not by a lot. The Ravens defense is obviously their strength, and they will rely on it again this year like they have since their Super Bowl victory in 2000. They lost versatile linebacker/defensive lineman/defensive back, Adalius Thomas, to free agency, but that shouldn't slow this unit down. The question marks lie on offense. Baltimore brought in QB Steve McNair before last season to help the offense take some pressure off of the defense. And it worked; to a point. They improved their '05 record of 6-10 to a franchise best 13-3 record last season, but the offense, once again, let them down again. This season the Ravens say goodbye to aging RB Jamal Lewis, but hello to RB Willis McGahee, who should add some much need fresh blood to the offense. This is a very solid team, capable of dominating anyone at any time. And if McNair can stay upright for another season, and McGahee adds the sought after spark to the running game, then you could be looking at a very serious Super Bowl contender.
Prediction: 12-4

Pittsburgh Steelers
It feels like an eternity since the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005, right? However, don't let last year's 8-8 record fool you; the Steelers are not that far away from that championship team. Yes, the Steelers started woefully last year, but, like their Super Bowl season, they turned it on later in the season and nearly made the playoffs. This season, they have a new coach - just their third one since 1969. And Mike Tomlin will add some fresh blood to the mix. Ben Roethlisberger is healthy and appears to be in football shape, and the Steelers are oozing talent at all positions. The defense lost LB Joey Porter, but they are still a very solid unit with a coordinator in Dick Lebeau who likes to reinforce the name "Blitzburgh" at every opportunity. Watch for the Steelers to have a very strong bounce back year.
Prediction: 10-6

Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have been on the verge of greatness for a few years now, but they have so far been unable to take the next step. They have a lethal offense led by All Pro QB Carson Palmer, who is definitely coming into his own. They have one of the best receiving duos in Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmandzadeh, and a solid running back in Rudi Johnson. The defense is full of young aggressive players, and that has been their weakness thus far. They took a step back last season partly because too many players decided to test out their acting chops of "COPS," but coach Marvin Lewis has finally taken a hard line on the extra-curricular activities. If the keys players can stay out of cop cars this season, the Bengals should be able to continue their upward trend after a bit of leveling out last season. I don't know if it's ever been done, but I can see the Bengals being the third 10-win team and possibly the third playoff team from the AFC North.
Prediction: 10-6

Cleveland Browns
In a stacked division, the Browns are the odd man out. After all, the other teams in the division need someone to beat up on. And the Browns, being in a transitional period, fit the job description perfectly. There really aren't many areas of strength on this team, aside from the nice draft they just had this year. Unfortunately, that draft won't help them too much this season. Coach Romeo Crennell, isn't able to pick a QB for his team, and it seems to be his personal mission to keep Brady Quinn off the field, as he still remains the third string after outplaying the two guys in front of him for most of the preseason. RB Jamal Lewis is new to the team after leaving Baltimore, and he should provide something to the running game, but don't expect him to be putting up the numbers he used to put up against the Browns in his heyday. It will be a long season in Cleveland, and it could be Crennell's last season there.
Prediction: 3-13

NFC South Preview

2007-08-30T19:55:00.000-04:00

Part two of an eight part series examining each division in the NFL leading up to the start of the regular season. Last time we looked at the home of the defending champs, the AFC South. Now we will look at its counterpart in the NFC, the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints
The Saints are very much like the Indianapolis Colts, short of the track record. They own a high powered offense - ranked number one last season; above the Colts - and a suspect defense. But the Colts proved that the only requirement of a defense when the offense is that good is to be good enough to play over its head in January. And in a weak NFC, all of this makes the Saints an early favorite to represent their conference in the Super Bowl. It is only natural to expect the Saints to come back down to earth after a "magical" season last year. However, this offense is the real deal. Two great backs, a great QB, a good young receiver, a solid offensive line, and great play calling make them a can't miss to score points. The defense is a different story. There is potential for a decension from this unit after a good year last season. But, they will only be asked to limits teams to three touchdowns and change.
Prediction: 12-4

Carolina Panthers
Who are the Carolina Panthers? Are they the Cinderella team that made it to the Super Bowl? Are they the team that failed to match high expectations because of a bubonic-type rash of injuries? Or are they the team that simply failed to match high expectations? This season should show us that they are somewhere in between. There is still plenty of talent on this team; both at the skill positions and in the trenches. But their inconsistencies mirror those of their QB, Jake Delhomme. If Delhomme can match his play from the Panther's Super Bowl run, the Panthers can be a major force in the NFC. Julius Peppers is still one of the most dominant defensive forces in the league, and Steve Smith is still one of the most dominant players on the offensive side. The talent is there at the running back position, with DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams, but it all will fall apart if "Mistake Jake" is behind center.
Prediction: 9-7

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers will continue to transform from the defensive powerhouse that Tony Dungy helped build to the high powered offense that Jon Gruden loves. And depending on how smoothly that transition goes, this could be a playoff team in the jumbled middle tier of NFC teams. Gruden finally has a QB in Jeff Garcia that fits his mold perfectly: a smart, fiery, veteran capable of throwing for a high percentage. Garica, who ressurrected his career in Philadelphia last season, should have a good season in Tampa. The problems lie on defense. Not many players are left from that 2002 Super Bowl team, and the ones that are, have simply lost a step. If the young players, including first round pick Gaines Adams, can step up and contribute this season, Tampa could return to the playoffs.
Prediciton: 9-7

Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons were going to have a rough season even before Michael Vick got caught breaking the law. Things could be ugly this season as Vick was good for a couple wins solely from his legs. But what they lose in the running department, they gain in the passing department. With Joey Harrington, you say? Yes. Harrington has obviously shown he is unworthy of the expectations put upon him in Detroit, and to some extent Miami, but remember: With Vick, the Falcons had the 32nd ranked passing offense last season. Harrington won't pile up the stats - or even wins for that matter - but he should provide a more consistent presence in the air than Vick did (which isn't saying much, I know). Don't expect any triumph over adversity, feel good stories like New Orleans last season coming out of Atlanta this season. Having your star convicted of killing dogs is a little different than having your city and fan base destroyed and displaced by mother nature. Oh, and the Falcons simply won't be winning too much.
Prediction: 4-12

How sweep it is

2007-08-30T19:02:00.001-04:00

Five days ago the Philadelphia Phillies were seven games behind the New York Mets for first place in the N.L. East. They were coming off of their fourth straight loss, and had lost three series in a row. If they were getting by with smoke and mirrors, as has been suggested, the jig was evidently up. My oh my, how things can change in that span. Thanks to a five game winning streak, including a four game sweep of the Mets, the Phillies are now just two games back. And smoke and mirrors has given way to a view of a legitimate contender for the division title.

Thursday afternoon, the Phillies completed the rare sweep with a simply exhilirating 11-10 walk-off victory. After staking the Phillies a 5-0 lead, the Mets were able to battle back and tie the game in the fourth and fifth inning. Then, the Phils answered right back, making the game 8-5 in the bottom of the inning. The Mets battled back again and took the lead with a five run inning of their own in the eighth. Philadelphia cut the lead to one in the bottom of the inning, shut down New York in the top of the ninth, then scored two off Billy Wagner in the last frame to take the league, win, and sweep.

Ten games ago, the Phils were entering a hugely important ten game homestand. And as mentioned above, things did not start out two nice, going 2-4 in the first six. Now with this sweep, they finish the homestand with a 6-4 mark; nothing to sneeze at, but certainly not what they could have been looking for (except maybe for GM Pat Gillick) at the start. But considering four of those wins came against the Mets - their ultimate competition - they have to happy with where they stand now.

Even more important than the quantity of the wins, was the quality of them. The Phillies beat the Mets in just about every way possible in a four game series. A convincing 9-2 victory; a 4-2 come from behind victory in 10 innings; a 3-2 nail biter that ended on a fielder interference call for the last out in the ninth; and now a wild come from behind win today. They have shrunk the distance between them and New York by five games in five days, and they now lead the season series 9-6 with just three more to play.

The Mets still have the lead in the division, but you have to wonder if the Phillies now have the psychological edge. There is practically nothing that the Mets can take positive out of this series. And now they have to face the Atlanta Braves, who are also trying to make up ground on the Mets. So, it is conceivable that the Phillies could pick up even more ground over the weekend. Of course, that is if the Phillies take care of business against the Florida Marlins; which can prove to be more difficult than the numbers would suggest.

The upcoming series against the Fish is perhaps as important as the previous series was. It will be very difficult to bring the same kind of emotion that they brought to this past psuedo-playoff series. But if they don't they could lose all the momentum they have gained this week. And if that gets combined with the Mets turning it around against the Braves, then this amazing sweep will go all for not. Only time will tell if this series was a sign of things to come, or just another crest in a wavy season.

AFC South Preview

2007-08-29T19:24:00.000-04:00

With the regular season almost upon us, it's time to take a look at each of the NFL's divisions. And in part one of eight, what better place to start than with the division that is home to the defending Super Bowl champs - the AFC South.

The Indianapolis Colts were the class of this division for years before they finally won the championship last season, and now they have only reinforced that positioning. Barring some crucial injuries to the champs, the remaining teams in the AFC south will be fighting for a wild card spot in the AFC (which will prove very difficult).

Indianapolis Colts
Despite suffering a number of personnel losses during the offseason, the Colts will face little resistence in winning their fifth consecutive division title. If the AFC South were a deeper division the Colts might have have a tougher time of it though. They lost Mike Doss (S), Nick Harper (CB), and Cato June (LB) to free agency, and Tarik Glenn (LT) to retirement; all of which could have impacts on this year's team. The defense is still a weak unit that could ill-afford to lose quality veteran players, and Tarik Glenn has been a big reason Peyton Manning has stayed so unscathed during his illustrious career. And Manning, of course, is the reason this team should cruise to another post season birth. He simply is that good, and even with a poor defense, he runs an efficient enough offense that it won't matter until; until January.
Prediction: 11-5

Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags are perhaps the NFL's biggest enigma. They have one of the most stingiest defenses in the league, and it's very underrated. They have a solid running game with explosive ability out of Maurice Jones Drew, and they have spent numerous high round draft picks on wide receivers over the past few years. However, just like Manning is what makes the Colts go, the QB position seems to be what is holding the Jaguars back. Byron Leftwich and and David Garrard were both unspectacular las season, and it appears that they are getting one more chance this season. Garrard, taking over for an injured Leftwich last year, basically did everything possible to not take over the starting job permanently. Leftwich continues to show flashes, but too often those flashes are interrupted by injury or poor decision. Never the less, that defense and running game should propel the Jags to a solid season and possible playoff birth.
Prediction: 9-7

Tennessee Titans
Last year, the Titans did their best 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers impression, by winning six of their last seven after starting o-5. And like the two teams above them, their successes and/or failures were largely a result of the quarterback. In this case, Vince Young took over the starting job for good in week four and went on to play his way to a Rookie of the Year award. This year, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the Titans. And yes, Vince Young looks to have a bright future, but there are still plenty of weaknesses on this team. Last year's defense was ranked 32nd; just above U.S.C., and they still have very few weapons at wide receiver and running back to help out Young. This year, Young will provide plenty of thrills for sure, but the Titans are still a ways away from challenging the top teams in the AFC.
Prediction: 7-9

Houston Texans
The Matt Schaub era is about to begin in Houston. And for some reason, people around the league find this a reason to feel optimistic. Matt Schaub is a young QB who has shown to be pretty solid, but let's get this straight: he has six career TDs vs. six INTs for a QB rating of 69.2. That's not a whole lot to write home about, even considering his lack of playing opportunity in Atlanta. The Texans' defense is showing signs of improvement, with Mario Williams coming into his own (even though he'll probably never be able to live up to the billing as "the guy picked instead of Reggie Bush") and the emergence of Defensive Rookie of the Year, DeMeco Ryans. However, the Texans can bring in all of the skill position players that they want, but if they don't fortify that offensive line, no QB will have a chance. Schaub better have his running on this season, because he's behind a line that had departed David Carr on his butt more often than the Abraham Lincoln memorial.
Prediction: 6-10

It wasn't as bad as it looked

2007-08-27T19:51:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Eagles lost there second of three preseason games Sunday night, 27-13, to the Pittsburgh Steelers. And being the third preseason game, it was supposed to be a dress rehearshal for the regular season opener. And by most accounts, it was am ugly performance - the second such one this preseason (game one in Baltimore). However, considering the things you really wanted to see from the first team gearing up for the opener in Green Bay, things weren't as bad as they looked.

Before the weekend leading up to the game, the Eagles released Jeremiah Trotter, one of the best linebackers in team history and a fan favorite. In the objective eyes of the team, Trotter had lost a step (or two or three) and was too much of a liability in the passing game. He was getting exposed too often by teams that made him move as much as possible. So the team made the switch to Omar Gaither, a quicker but smaller linebacker, to play the middle. So, naturally, the biggest question mark going into Sunday's game was how would the Birds do against the run - the Achilles' Heel of last year's team. And to be honest here, there run defense was not too bad.

Yes, the Steelers gained 398 yards of offense in the game, but only 76 of those yards came on the ground. Starting running back, Willie Parker, gained just 32 yards on 10 carries. And, yes, Parker scored on an 18 yard run untouched, but considering the problems this team had against the run last season, they really did perform quite well Sunday night.

What killed the Eagles was the passing game; and not even the straight, drop back and pass, passing game. It was screens, dump-offs, and plays off of a Roethlisberger scramble that grounded the Birds. This was certainly a little troubling, especially considering the fact that Gaither was supposed to help in the "mis-direction" game, but these were problems that can be fixed by scheme and practice. Getting run over, play after play, is usually a result of losing man on man battles - something that is much more likely to be a sign of lack of skill than lack of preparation. This was Gaither's first start at MIKE, and Chris Gocong's, 3rd start at SAM. These guys still have plenty of room to grow, and the defense should get better as they get better.

As far as the offense goes, there is no need to be worried here, even though in two of three games the first teamers have done little worth writing home about. The one thing we have seen, is a McNabb who appears to have absolutely no lingering effects from ACL reconstruction surgery. And don't get worried about the running game. The offensive line is one of the best in the league, and Brian Westbrook has pulled an "L.T.," and barely played in preseason.

The Eagles' offense is going to be productive this season. Do not let a slow preseason from them fool you; this unit is one of the best in the league. The concerns are the same as last season, and they are all on defense. The run defense put in a very good performance against Pittsburgh, and most of the negatives from Sunday night are completely fixable problems. Yes, things looked ugly, but as they say, looks aren't everything.

Is Biron the Answer?

2007-08-25T18:12:00.000-04:00

It’s late August, and that means two things: Baseball pennant races and the start of football is upon us. So the next logical step is to talk about hockey, right? No? Well, I’m going to do it anyway. With the Flyer’s off-season transformation complete, there is a lot of optimism coursing through the Philadelphia area. But considering the team is coming a franchise worst season where they finished last in the NHL, is there too much optimism? That remains to be seen, but there is one position in particular where that may be the case. Martin Biron came over in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres before the end of last season. He helped the team finish relatively strong, and was later signed to a contract extension. He is being penned by many as the clear cut starting goaltender that the Flyers have consistently lacked. But should he be?

Maybe Biron shouldn’t be built up to be a savior in goal. After all he did lose the starting job in Buffalo to Ryan Miller. Yes, Miller is a great young goaltender, but how smart is it to call a backup goalie the answer for your team. Now if the Flyers went out and got a backup, like Ilya Bryzgalov, who has proven his ability to lead a team in the playoffs, there would be more reason for the optimism.

Secondly, the idea that a team needs one clear cut star in goal to win is a little antiquated. Granted, a great goalie can make a team dramatically better, but it is not a necessity. In today’s game it is more important for a team to have two solid goalies, and for one of those goalies to get hot come playoff time. Last season, the Ottawa Senators made it to the Stanley Cup finals with an average goalie in Ray Emery. They won from balanced offense and solid defense.

Finally, and most significantly, goaltending has not been the Flyer’s problem over the past 5-10 years. No matter how much anyone tries to tell you this, don’t believe them. Last year the problem was simply everything. Take a look at all the quality chances opposing teams got game in and game out, and it’s hard to put the blame on Antero Nittymaki. The team started to win when Biron arrived largely due to the improved play of the defense. In previous years, they’ve continually had great goaltending performances. Brian Boucher, Roman Czekmanek, Robert Esche have all put on great playoff performances. If ‘Manek could have gotten any offensive support, the Flyers could’ve went deep into the playoffs. Both Boucher and Esche took the team within one win of the finals.

Is Biron an upgrade at goal? Probably. But at the very least, he gives the Flyers two very viable options in goal – a requirement in today’s NHL. It is a little inappropriate, however, to label Biron the “answer,” considering that the question came from everywhere on the ice except the goal.

The Straw that Broke the Hamels Back?

2007-08-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

It's never a good idea when you analyze a team's injury problems by stating who has not been on the disabled list. And the number of Phillies on that ever decreasing list is down to nine with the addition of Cole Hamels to the 15 day D.L. And so far, the Phillies have shown more resilience than a Brawny paper towel commercial. But now they have lost two straight series to the N.L. worst Pirates and the rapidly slumping - or I should say, previously rapidly slumping - Dodgers. They are now 5 1/2 games behind the Mets and 1 1/2 behind the Padres for the Wild Card, and without their best remaining player, Hamels, for the next week and a half, it looks entirely possible that the Phils will not be able to fight off this latest injury.

Take a look at the Phils current rotation: Jamie Moyer, Kyle Kendrick, J.D. Durbin, Fabio Castro. What do you notice? Well, besides the fact that they currently only have four starting pitchers, it's blindingly clear that a team with this group of arms should be no where near a playoff birth. Jimmy Rollins stated during spring training that the Phillies were the team to beat in the N.L. East. Bold words, yes. But if J-Roll made that statement knowing who would be pitching in mid-August, the Phillies would need a new shortstop because Rollins would have been checked into Belleview.

But Rollins was looking at a much different rotation. One that actually had six arms. Only Moyer remains. Forget the injuries that the Phillies offense has endured this season. Going from a staff of Brett Meyers, Freddy Garcia, Cole Hamels, Jamie Moyer, Adam Eaton, and Jon Leiber to what we see now, really is incredible. But through it all, the Phillies remained in contention.

While they are still very much in it, the loss of Cole Hamels during the most important stretch of the year, the odds are becoming very long against the Phils. There is only so much a team can take. And over the last two series, we might have seen this team cross that line. This is not a "Stick a fork in them" article (even though maybe it should be) because the Phillies have already gotten through so much, maybe they can keep it together for two more weeks. Why two weeks? Because Cole Hamels, Chase Utely, and even Michael Bourn should all be back to help the Phillies make one final push toward their first playoff appearance since 1993.

Trotter gets Axed

2007-08-21T20:05:00.000-04:00

Today, the Philadelphia Eagles released nine year veteran, Jeremiah Trotter, the Axe-Man. During an emotional press conference, Trotter, along with the organization, announced the move with a sense of remorse. Trotter, in his second stint with the Birds, was a fan favorite. And it seems clear that he had become an organizational favorite; making this decision a tough one for the team. However, Trotter and his creaky knees no longer fit into the Eagles' plans at linebacker.

Ever since returning to the Eagles in 2004, after his two year experiment in Washington failed, Trotter has been a team leader on and off the field. He came back humbled and was willing to start the season as a backup. But by midseason, the Axe-Man was back, starting in the middle of the defense, on his way to his third Pro Bowl. He was the run-stopping anchor on that Super Bowl team, and even though the run defense worsened the following year, that didn't stop him from earing another Pro Bowl trip.

It is clear that the team feels that Trotter can simply no longer provide the range that their middle linebacker needs to, as they make way for younger, quicker, Omar Gaither. Trotter came into training camp after a vigorous offseason where he lost weight in an attempt be become quicker and put less stress on his aging knees. However it wasn't enough to hold off the youth movement in the Eagles' linebacking corps. Trotter's age has simply caught up with him.

Of course, this is not the first time the Eagles' have parted way with a popular veteran. And for the most part, the Eagles have been correct in their unpopular assessments. Trotter himself was a victim of this way of business when he left the team the first time. And after two unsuccessful seasons with the Redskins, he was back in Eagles green - under their terms, not his.

Bobby Taylor, Troy Vincent, Hugh Douglas, Duce Staley, Corey Simon, and the list goes on. They were all popular veterans that the fans and media felt were critical parts to the team. We were wrong and the Eagles' front office was right. So it seems fair that the organization has earned the benefit of the doubt in this situation. And seeing how tough it was for them to make this particular move, it shows that they really wanted to keep Trotter on. However, in the best interest of the team, it was just time for Trotter and the Eagles to go their separate ways.

For the Phils, the Time is Now

2007-08-20T19:22:00.000-04:00

For four and a half months, you've heard one statement coming out of Philadelphia more than any other: "The season is still young; we gotta take it one game at a time." Well, that mantra no longer applies. Granted, they still must take things one game at a time, but the season is no longer young. With 39 games remaining, and the team trailing the first place Mets by five games, the Phillies need to make a move. And what better time to start than with the upcoming 10-game homestand against 3 playoff contenders; two of which they are currently chasing (Padres and Mets).
A lot of people don't want to here it, but the Phillies have done a tremendous job just being in this position considering all of the injuries they have suffered. Whoever you want to blame for lack of quality pitching and depth in the field, it can't be denied that the players have played to their utmost potential. Unfortunately there comes a time when "close but no cigar," doesn't work anymore.
The Phillies have been in this position before. Last season, they hung around in August and September only to miss the playoff by three games. Two season ago, they missed the playoffs by just one game. If the season ended today, they'd miss the playoffs by one game again. Thankfully, it does not end today.
The next three games are against the LA Dodgers. The Dodgers are really struggling right now, but with a staff capable of shutting teams down at any moment, the Phillies need to bring their A-game. Especially considering the next two opponents: three against the Padres and four against the Mets. There is not much of a bigger opportunity than facing the team you're trailing by one game at home for a three game series. As for the Mets, if you can't get up for this series, you are not a fan of baseball. The only way this four game series could be any more important (short of the playoffs) is if it took place in mid-September. So what is "acceptable," to put it in the words of Phil's GM Pat Gillick, for this homestand? Normally, I think you'd be happy with a 6-4 record against these three teams. But considering the ground the Phils have to make up, and the amount of time they have to do it, 7-3 needs to be the minimum goal. And those three losses can't come at the hands of the Mets or the Phils can pretty much kiss the division goodbye.
7-3 will be difficult without Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, and Michael Bourn, to name three D.L. residents. But, it is time to put those injuries aside if the Phillies want to make the playoffs. It is time to stop patting their backs for hanging in there despite the adversity they've faced. If you're looking for the perfect time to make a move, the time is now.

Eagles Pull a 180 on Panthers

2007-08-18T19:16:00.000-04:00

The Philadelphia Eagles, coming off of a 29-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in their first preseason game, beat the Carolina Panthers 27-10 Friday night. It was a complete turnaround in all phases of the game. But just like against Baltimore, when it feelings of panic had to be tempered, the fact that it is preseason can not be forgotten. It also should be noted that quality of competition differed quite a bit from the first game to Friday night. But, never the less, the Eagles team that showed up Friday looked very good, and more importantly, restored the hope of a Super Bowl caliber season.
The biggest difference was obviously the addition of Donovan McNabb back into the starting lineup. It has been mentioned a number on times on this blog that this writer has complete confidence in McNabb, his ability to overcome this injury, and his potential for an MVP-type season. And Friday night, McNabb showed everyone else those same things. One by one, questions were answered. Will the offense be conservative with him in their until he gets his feet underneath him? The answer was an emphatic no. He opened the Eagles' first drive with a 27 yard strike to who else but newcomer, Kevin Curtis. McNabb has made it a habit the last dew seasons to gel early and often with his newest toys on offense. He then completed a 16 yard pass to Jason Avant. Overall, in about one quarter of play, Number Five completed 6 of 9 passes for 128 yards. In addition to those first two passes, he also threw a NFL films-style perfect pass to tight end Matt Schoebl for 58 yards. All of that was great, but how would his newly constructed knee hold up when a live rush forces him out of the pocket? That was answered the first time his protection broke down. McNabb scrambled right and threw a pass on the run. Granted, the pass was low and incomplete, but McNabb showed everyone he can still preform his Houdini act if needed. The final question: How would he handle the eventual sack? The answer: just fine. McNabb succumbed to the pass rush towards the end of his playing time, and arose unscathed. McNabb essentially showed on Friday night that his biggest obstacle won't be overcoming the injury itself, but the 9 months of rust that the injury caused.
The offense wasn't the only unit that needed to improve. And they weren't the only unit that did improve. The defense, victims of an all too familiar opening drive touchdown in Baltimore, forced Carolina into two straight three and outs to start the game. And McNabb wasn't the only starter to make an emphatic return to the lineup. Lito Sheppard made his presence felt by returning a Jake Delhomme interception 40 yards for a touchdown. Now whether that was Lito returning to Pro Bowl form, or Jake Delhomme proving that his Super Bowl season was indeed the aberration (and not the last couple seasons like everyone in the Panther's organization will tell you) remains to be seen. But it's hard to not be encouraged by what the defense did, especially in response to their opening game performance.
In the case of McNabb, only one more hurdle needs to be passed: How will his knee hold up in the days following action? Especially when he starts the season and puts it through a full game's worth of punishment. It will likely swell up initially. But if it gets severe, or is causing McNabb to miss practice time when the season rolls around, that might pose a problem. But other than that, it looks like the question mark can be removed from the Eagles' most important position (and it probably shouldn't have been there from the beginning). The Eagles' offense will be fine this season. In fact, they will be much better than fine. If there are real concerns on this team, they are on the defensive side of the ball. Improvements have been made this offseason, and through two preseason games, the results have been mixed. With a number of young and new players, it is understandable to expect the defense to be a bit of a work in progress. The next preseason game is usually used as the dress rehearshal for the regular season. And the opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, should be a good test. So, we should have a better idea of what the Eagles actually are after next Sunday. But it's important to remember that we have a real idea of what the 2007 Eagles are until about October (if not later).

Phils Find Another Way to Win

2007-08-15T19:39:00.000-04:00

Whatever you think of the Phillies this year, there is one thing no one can deny: this team has never given up trying to find new ways to win. Tuesday night, they won for only the second time all year when scoring three or fewer runs. And a large contributer to that victory was new guy, Russell Branyan. Branyan came on to pinch-hit in the top of the eighth inning - his first at bat as a Phillie - and proceeded to drive a 1-0 pitch well over the wall in right field. The homer gave the Phils a 3-2 lead which they did not relinquish.

In a playoff race, it's critical to beat the teams you're supposed; like the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates (their current and next opponents). But for whatever reason, the Phillies have struggled against teams with worse records this season, particulary the Nationals. So it becomes even more critical to pull out wins that you probably shouldn't have had any right winning. Again, look at the series opener against the Nats. Shawn Hill, coming off the disabled list and making his first start since May 11, held the Phillies to just one hit and no runs over 6 innings of dominating ball. Luckily for the Phillies, Hill was on an 80 pitch count. He was pulled, and the Phillies eventually pulled out the game with Branyan's blast.
Kyle Lochse was almost as good, pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings before giving up 2 runs in the bottoms of the seventh. But the Phillies bullpen (yes, that bullpen) closed the door the rest of the way; highlighted by Brett Meyers striking out the side in the final frame for the save after the Phils took the lead.

The win was important for a number of reasons: First, the Mets and Padres, whom they are chasing in the division and wild card races respectively, both won. As mentioned before, you have to beat the teams you're supposed to beat. But also, teams in a pennant race can not afford to let quality pitching performances go to waste. Especially when those performances have been few and far between for the Phils this season. Branyan may never repeat his first at bat with the Phillies, but he'll take it. And the Phillies will too.

No Time to get Raven Mad

2007-08-14T20:10:00.000-04:00

There were two ways to start this post, depending on how the Eagles did in their first preseason game: "I know it's just preseason, but...." and "Thank God it's just preseason." A 29-3 loss later, and both of those statements can apply. It's always important to not put too much stock in a preseason performance, but on the other hand, the games may be a sign of things to come; both good and bad. In this case, fans hope it is not a sign of things to come, because those "things" would definitely be of the "bad" variety.
As they say, "I've got good news and I've got bad news." Let's start with the bad news. The Eagles defense looked shockingly similar to the much-maligned unit of last season; particularly in a few specific areas. Areas that were supposed to be strengthened. The Eagles were still unable to get consistent pressure on the quarterback. To be successful this year, they will have to get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing. They certainly didn't show an ability to do that last night. The Eagles again gave up a long sustaining drive that netted points to start the game. And a big reason for that is another one of the problems that plagued them last year: They are unable to get off the field on third down. Baltimore's first drive last night with the first team offense against the first team defense: 12 plays, 93 yards, and a touchdown with 3 third down conversions of 6 yards or more; including the touchdown pass. It's pretty simple for the Bird's defense this season: make teams punt and give the ball back to your offense.
There was only one glaring concern on the offensive side of the ball: the offensive line. The unit that is supposed to be the main strength of the team seemed lost against the Raven's. There were no running lanes for the backs and the quarterbacks were consistently on the run; if they were even standing. Poor QB, Kevin Kolb, in his first NFL action ever, was slammed on his first two snaps (one of them being roughing the passer, and the other being a 16 yard loss).
Those are the negatives. And before anyone goes jumping off the Ben Franklin Bridge, here are the positives. First, take a look at who was not in the game: Donovan McNabb, LJ Smith, Shawn Andrews, Brian Dawkins, and Lito Sheppard to name the big guys. Those are all key guys, and both sides of the ball are going to struggle without those guys, even for a couple series. And while the defense had it's struggles, they did seem to tackle better. Chris Gocong, a big question mark going into the season, looked much more solid against the run than Dhani Jones last season. Takeo Spikes looks healthy, and that's all you can ask for from a veteran like him in preseason. Offensively, Brian Westbrook is still making people look silly when he gets in open space, and Jeremy Bloom looks like he can really add something to the return game.
Obviously, in a 29-3 loss, the negatives are going to outnumber the positives. But this statement can not be uttered to one self enough in preseason, for bad as well as good performances: "It is only preseason." The Eagles do not game plan teams in preseason. So, it's a little understandable when a team that blitzes in waves like the Ravens, a young offensive line is going to have trouble picking them up. And Jim Johnson is not going to dial up all his creative defensive schemes in the preseason either. So, it really is impossible to get a full team diagnosis in the preseason, especially after one game. Just look at last year: The Oakland Raiders went 4-1 in route to a league worst 2-14 regular season record. And what did those eventual Super Bowl Champions do in the preseason? 1-3. Go figure.

Ten Predictions for the upcoming season

2007-08-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

With the NFL preseason well under way, it's time to make some predictions that will inevitably be proven way wrong in the next four months. Regardless, here we go:

1. Calvin Johnson will not be Offensive Rookie of the Year. The number two overall pick in this year's draft has been considered by most, the best player in the draft class by a wide margin. And therefore, he is a heavy favorite to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But, in today's NFL, the only sure thing is the fact that nothing is for sure. Look for Marshawn Lynch in Buffalo to take the award.

2. The Patriots ARE as good as people think. It has been trendy to go against the trendy pick lately. Which means a lot of people are calling the Patriots overrated after many others called them Super Bowl favorites. Don't be fooled though. The Patriots were one poor half of football away from another Super Bowl appearance, and possibly victory, last season. This season they return all their strengths, and eliminated their weaknesses. If there's one thing I learned over the last six years, it's to not underestimate the New England Patriots.

3. Willis McGahee will make everyone in Baltimore forget about Jamal Lewis. Lewis gave the Ravens offense absolutely no big play ability. That, combined with McNair giving the passing game no big play ability, made that offense very stagnant. Meanwhile, McGahee has been stuck in Buffalo his whole career. Despite that, he has still had a relatively successful career. He can be the durable every down back that Lewis was, and supply some explosiveness that the Raven's offense has never had. McGahee will have a big season in Baltimore.

4. Trent Green will not start more than ten games for the Miami Dolphins this season. I can't figure out why everyone thinks that Green solves all of Miami's offensive problems. Did everyone forget how bad Kansas City's passing game was last season before he got hurt? Did everyone forget how Green had one of the worst performances in the playoff loss to Indianapolis? Trent Green is on the downside of his career, and he will just be another member on a Miami offense full of underperformers.

5. The Saints will return to the NFC championship game. Last year was no fluke. Coach Sean Payton has all the weapons, and he knows how to use them. The Saints offense is that good, and the NFC is bad enough that they will be able to get by without a mediocre defense.

6. Vince Young will struggle in his sophomore season. This is partly because of the simple fact that he set the bar pretty high in his rookie season, and it will be difficult for him to improve upon that at this point in his career. But also, it is difficult for a young QB when opposing defensive coordinators start to accumulate game film on them. Just look at Tony Romo from a year ago. The first five games of his career, he looked like the second coming of Troy Aikman. But, then opposing teams started adjusting. And he struggled like a young QB should. Vince Young should be a good, if not great, NFL QB. Just not this season.

7. Jeff Garcia will be successful in Tampa Bay. Garcia had a ressurection last season while replacing injured Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, leading the team to the playoffs in the process. However, he didn't fit in Philly's plans, and moved on to the Buccaneers. He will be a perfect fit for Jon Gruden's offense. Think Brad Johnson during the Buc's Super Bowl run a few years back. Both are smart, quick thinking guys, capable of running the west coast offense as good as anybody.

8. At least one participant in the Super Bowl will have gotten there because of their offense. I know the saying, "Defense wins championships," and I generally believe it, but times are a changing. The league is, and has been for a while, changing toward a more offensive, higher scoring game. And teams like the Saints, Colts, and Eagles are taking advantage of it. I expect one of them to be in the Super Bowl.

9. Ron Jawroski will be criticized for his performance on the Monday Night Football broadcast. Ok, so maybe this isn't much of a prediction, since pretty much everyone has criticized whoever ESPN throws into the booth. Personally, I think I will enjoy Jaws as part of the broadcast, but that won't stop the complaints from pouring in.

10. Andy Reid will be the Coach of the Year. Pretty simple here. The Eagles will amass a nice record, and Andy Reid has been a contender for the award for many of the past eight years. It is his time.

Football: The Newest Game of Chance

2007-08-11T19:00:00.000-04:00

The Cleveland Browns have not exactly been a pillar of success in the NFL since returning to the league in 1999. During that time, they have gone a combined 40-88 with one playoffs appearence; a 33-36 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card round. Most recently, they finished the 2006 season with a 4-12 record, earning the number three overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. So things obvioulsy haven't been going very well in Browns country. But with coach Romeo Crennell in his third season, and a nice haul of young players with bright futures from the last few drafts, hopes would seem to be on the rise. That is until you hear that Crennel is choosing his starting quarterback for the Brown's first preseason game by the most scientific of methods: flipping a coin.
For a sport based on strategy, analysis, and consistency as much as football is, it's ridiculous that a coach would decide the most important part of a football team by an activity of chance. Crennel's reasoning is that both his quarterbacks, Derek Anderson and Charlie Frye, are so evenly matched that he could go either way. While, logically, that makes sense, that just isn't the way football works. The quarterback position needs to be your most consistent if you want your team to have consistent success. And by flipping a coin, not only are you losing that consistency, your are telling your team that neither is capable of consistently leading them.
There are a number of positions in football where it is ok, and in some cases an advantage, to have more than one player capable of starting. The quarterback position is not one of them. And unlike a running back by committee approach, a quarterback by committee approach doesn't exist. Obviously you can only have one QB on the field at a time, but also there simply isn't enough quality quarterbacks in the league for one team to have two of them. Some teams aren't lucky enough to have one quality trigger man. So, in the case of the Browns, if you don't have one guy behind center, then you've got none.
Aside from this decision demonstrating the lack of a quality starting quarterback on the team, it also demonstrates the coach's lack of decision making, leadership, and quite frankly, coachingability. What does a coach expect his team to think when he can't even decide which quarterback will give his team the best chance to win based on something other than luck. If he can't do that, how can you be confident that his starting running back wasn't decided by throwing a dart at the depth chart; or the game plan wasn't put together with the help of his children; or trades aren't orchestrated based on the teams with the best cheerleaders? As an NFL coach in today's game, it is imperative that you show control in the decision making process.
I understand that it is only preseason, and those two quarterbacks may very be equal enough to be decided by a flip of the coin, but this is not something you make public. There needs to be a sense of confidence and control coming from the head coach; especially when the team is in a rebuilding phase. When you are a team on the upswing, looking to reinvigorate the fan base, saying/doing something as crazy as this is something that could really put a dent in the level of confidence in the team's progress.

Quick hit thoughts

2007-08-09T19:08:00.000-04:00

Barry Bonds
- He is baseball's all-time homerun leader. Period. Until it is proven he cheated or someone passes him.

Alex Rodriguez
- A-Rod hit his 500th home run this past weekend at the ripe old age of 32 years and 8 days - the youngest player ever to accomplish the milestone. Considering he is still in the prime of his career, many feel he will eventually overtake Bonds as the real/true home run king. Two problems with that thinking: First, he will need at least 258 home runs from this point on. And while, it is easy to assume he will get that based on what he has done thus far in his career, anything can happen. He will probably need to play another 10 years to reach the milestone. And it is a stretch to assume anybody will remain healthy during that time. Second, and maybe more importantly, people assume A-Rod is doing it all cleanly. Personally, I agree, but is it safe to assume anybody in today's game is doing it the right way? No. So let's not crown A-Rod the home run king already.

Chase Utley
- How many modern day players are taking ground ball practice with their hand in a cast? This guy was made for playing in Philadelphia, if anyone ever was.

Brett Meyers
- Anyone see him close out game two of the Marlins series on Wednesday night? If you did, you never would have thought this guy was a top of the rotation starter to start this season. Instead, he looked like one of the game's best closers. Struck out the side on 14 pitches; 13 of those were strikes. I have been that excited in the ninth inning since Billy Wagner was a Phil.

Tom Glavine
- Glavine recorded the 300th win of his underrated career with Atlanta and New York. What I find interesting is how happy I am for him. Being a Philadelphia fan, I'm not exactly inclined to be happy for anyone who played for either of those teams; let alone both. But being juxtaposed to the Barry Bonds debacle, Glavine's accomplishment was a breath of fresh air.

New York Yankees
- Is it just me, or does it seem like the Yankees have been scoring 16 runs every other game for the past month.

Eagles Training Camp
- I have to admit I'm getting a little football overexposure right now. I'm excited for football season like everyone else, but I don't need to here about every pass, catch, and hit from drills and scrimmages. People are reporting on these things like they are happening on a Sunday in the fall. And all of the sudden, the Eagles are getting pretty nicked up. The list of players not participating in practices, for one reason or another, is growing day after day. I'm assuming, and hoping, this is Andy Reid erring on the side of caution. Although, LJ Smith did re-aggravate the sports hernia he had surgery for this past offseason. Let's get to the start of the season already before any more people go down.

Larry Johnson
- Get to camp buddy. You don't deserve L.T. money, so stop asking for it.

NFL Rookies
- These rookie contracts are getting out of hand, and the rookies know it. That is why the number of first year hold outs grows year after year. Number three pick, Joe Thomas, received 23 Million in guaranteed money from the Browns, while an All-Pro like Dwight Freeney just signed a contract with 30 Million guaranteed. Now that doesn't seem like a proportionate distribution of wealth. The game is unbelievably wealthy right now, so it shouldn't be much of a problem in the short term. But, down the road, ridiculously rising rookie contracts could become a problem for the game.

Boston
- Can it feel any better to be a sports fan in Boston right now? The Red Sox are arguably the best team in the majors, and they just added Eric Gagne to their already strong closing tandem. The Patriots are considered by many to be a favorite to win their 4th Super Bowl of the decade after adding Adalius Thomas on defense, and Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss on offense. And the Celtics, have gone from cellar dweller to favorite in the Eastern Conference since the draft and adding Kevin Garnett. Oh, it must be good to be a Boston fan. Just ignore the hockey team.

No matter what, the game of baseball loses

2007-08-08T20:49:00.000-04:00

So, apparently last night, the most hallowed record in sports was broken. In case you missed it, Barry Bonds connected on his 756th career homerun in San Francisco last night to pass Hammerin' Hank Aaron on the all time list. And in case you also missed this, Bonds has been under scrutiny for taking performance enhancing drugs....allegedly. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have been about as far from a Barry Bonds supporter as someone can get; short of sending hate-mail to the guy. However, something has happened over the past couple weeks. Something in my brain, or maybe it's more accurate to say in my heart, has changed. I think I have accepted him as the All-time home run king.
I'm not saying that I think he is good guy who has been unfairly criticized and abused by the fans and media alike. But, rather, maybe we should hold off judgment until we know something concrete that would warrant the vilification. After all, why shouldn't the credo of "innocent until proven guilty" apply to sports as well? Just because there is some circumstantial evidence - okay, a lot of circumstantial evidence - doesn't mean the guy doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt.
The biggest piece of circumstantial evidence is the fact that Bonds had his best seasons, in terms of power, at the point in his career when almost everyone else begins to decline; and decline rapidly. One such person before Barry who didn't decline was Hank Aaron himself. That's right, Aaron turned it on when most of his peers were struggling to just maintain. A great article on ESPN.com uses computers to simulate what Aaron would have done, had he pitched in the same circumstances as Bonds. Basically what they found was that the career patterns of each player are not as dissimilar as many claim. Again, I'm not inferring that Bonds is innocent, or guilty for that matter, but the fact that he became a better hitter late in his career is not enough to crucify him.
Now, I want to make clear that if he ever is found guilty he would lose that benefit of the doubt. I do not agree with Bonds supporters who argue that it still takes a lot of skill to hit all those homers, and Barry Bonds is still a hall of fame caliber player even without the homer runs. None of that matters when you cheat. It all goes away when you cheat. Bonds could retire right now, and even if steroids only gave him ONE extra homerun, he cheated. He would then lose the benefit of the doubt, and I don't think that any of his records should be considered.
And that is what makes it so sad; an accomplishment like this should be met with celebratory emotions instead of disdain. While all the evidence leads down the road to cheater-ville, one thought has been crossing my mind: What if we find out that Barry is, in fact, innocent? Not just that he'd never proven guilty (which will probably be what happens), but PROVEN INNOCENT. Would we be able to live with ourselves for turning this great milestone into a great disgrace? And the worry isn't even so much about unjustly convicting Barry the person, but the moment. Barry Bonds, regardless of the "chase" and BALCO and anything related to it, has always been a bad person. So hurting his feelings is not exactly a concern of mine.
Imagine the 1998 season under these circumstances. In case you don't remember, that was the summer that Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa made their run at the single season home run record, which was a huge milestone in its own right. At the time, there was no talk about cheating. These were two guys who were having magical seasons. And we ALL lived the magic with them. Many consider that season, myself included, the biggest cause for the MLB's recovery from the strike. What if McGuire and Sosa were being accused of cheating back then like they, along with Bonds, are now? Would baseball have ever recovered from the strike? And what if we are wrong now? But then again, what if we are right? Unfortunately this looks like the ultimate lose lose situation for the game of baseball.

Culture of complacency has got to end

2007-08-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

As anyone who reads my blog knows, I've haven't been out for Pat Gillick's blood by any stretch of the imagination. Many around here want to blame him every time the Phils lose a game. While I still feel the guy deserves a little more time before the hammer can come down, he said something today that really dropped him down in my book; to paraphrase:

I would be happy if we finished this homestand with a 4-2 record, but 3-3 would be acceptable.

This statement, I've come to realize, epitomizes the main problem with the Phillies organization for the last 124 years (aside from being very bad for much of that time). This Phillies ownership in particular does not seem to want a championship. They seem to be content with being OK. This is NOT ok.
Since Gillick was given the general manager job almost two years ago, I have been patiently waiting for him to work his magic like he has done in other cities. And I thought we were getting there. There were a number of mistakes made by previous management that he had to fix/work around before he could really turn this team into a contender. And, let's face it: the Phils have a fun, exciting young team that is 5 games out of first in the East (just two out of the wild card). And they've done this with enough talent on the DL at some point to field a team that could probably beat the Pittsburgh Pirates...ok, bad example. Anyway, my point is that they don't need that much more to make the playoffs.
And that is where the culture of complacency comes in. What indications have the people in charge down in Philly given us that they won't stop there? Judging by Gillick's comments (in addition to a long history of "penny pinching"), they will stop there. 3-3 is acceptable?! No championship caliber team should EVER accept mediocrity. And that is exactly what Gillick is doing. Now I know Gillick is an honest guy who speaks his mind. And, quite frankly I like him for it. He is a straight shooter. Last season, after trading away Bobby Abreu and Corey Lidle, among others, he stated that he did not think the Phils would be true contenders until the 2008 season. And what did the team do? They caught fire, and made another run at the playoffs. Eventhough they came up short, there was a lot of hope for this season.
There are some who believe that Gillick's comments, both then and now, were meant to inspire and motivate the team; a little bit of reverse psychology I guess. However, like I said earlier, Gillick is a guy who speaks his mind. He generally doesn't play those types of mind games. So when he says that a .500 homestand is acceptable, I have to believe that is what he truly feels.
This is clearly a problem in a city starved for a championship. Take a look at the Flyers and Eagles, the two teams that have had the most success over the last decade. They don't talk about making the playoffs the same way the Phillies do. To those two teams, making the playoffs is just the start, not the destination. The Phillies organization, while they won't flat out say this, have made it clear that their goal is simply to make the playoffs. The Flyers, even coming off a league worst, and franchise worst, season, are talking about making the playoffs....and doing some damage once they get there. And the Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie, just today, mentioned how he expects playoffs, and the main goal is to win the Super Bowl. For both of these teams, anything short of a championship is a disappointment. Unfortunately, the Phillies' management doesn't live in that culture. Hopefully when/if they make the tranisition to a championship-based goal system, it won't be a case of culture shock.

Update

2007-08-06T22:06:00.000-04:00

More posts are in fact coming. I'm was just awfully busy the last few days. I appreciate your patience.

What is happening with ESPN?

2007-08-02T19:22:00.000-04:00

So I let ESPN's "Who's Now?" segment, a feature that attempts to crown the most celebrified athlete in the world (but basically America), slide simply because there wasn't a sports blog on the internet that didn't have a complaint about it. Enough had been said on what proved to be a new rock bottom for the once infallible station. But I came across another feature on their website that attempts to project which 50 players in the game today have the best chance to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They call it "Cantonized," for the town where the game's greats become enshrined. The list started off good with a bunch of no-brainers. But it wasn't long before the list became flooded with OK players, players early in their careers, and even players who have yet to play an NFL snap. And on top of that these players took the spot of others who deserve consideration.
The creators of the list, Thomas Neumann and Scott Symmes, created a scientific formula to predict these future Hall of Famers. And like most times when someone tries to scientifically quantify and predict the future in sports, or any aspect of life for that matter, they fail miserably. Because the beautiful thing about sports; and what makes fans come back year after year, generation after generation; is that it is unpredictable. That is why we watch. We can speculate, but to begin to try and put science behind those predictions is counter-active to the appeal of sports. This formula was broken down into five categories where each player was rated. Twenty points was possible for each category, for a maximum score of 100. The five categories are: Mortality (injuries), Statistics, Team Success, Upside, and Intangibles.
The first ten on the list probably won't be argued by anybody. But then again, it's not hard to name ten of the best players in the game. Brett Favre unshockingly topped the list. However, he maxed out at a score of 78. So you get a sense of the scale of scoring. If this was a school course, there would be a major curve, unless the professor was Mr. Hubert....what an asshole. Anyway I digress. Anyway, the top ten was rounded out by the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Larry Allen, Ray Lewis, and LaDainian Tomlinson, to name a few. No complaints here.
Things start to get fishy at the 21st prediciton: Shawne Merriman. Now, yes, Merriman may be the best defensive player in the game, but he has been in the league for two years. That's barely enough time to judge whether a draft pick is a bust or not, let alone if the guy will be considered one of the best to play the game in it's rich history. One thing you've got to remember is that the Hall of Fame is for people who were great their entire careers. But still, I had no idea what I was in for further down the list.
At 32, we have Randy Moss. Now I'm a guy who thinks that character should play a part in whether or not a guy is Hall of Fame worthy. But even disregarding all of his character issues, he's simply not worthy to be "Cantonized." He simply hasn't done anything since leaving Minnesota, which was in 2004. While there, he was great. Maybe better than any other receiver ever. But he is now on the down side of his career, and six years does not make a Hall of Fame career. That fishy smell I smelled at 21 was starting to get pretty strong.
And it didn't take long for that smell to go from strong to unbearable. At number 34 is none other than, last year's second overall pick, Reggie Bush. Granted, the guy has tremendous upside, but is that enough to predict a hall of fame career. His rookie season wasn't even worthy of that kind of recognition even if it was projected over a 10-15 year career. 155 carries for 565 yards and 6 TDs. The only reason his rookie season wasn't pitiful was because of the 88 receptions for 742 yards; quite good for a back. We don't even know if his small frame can withstand the pounding that a Hall of Fame running back is bound to take.
It was about this time that I started thinking the list couldn't get any worse. That, and where the hell is Donovan McNabb on this list. Then I saw Vince Young followed by Calvin Johnson. With Young it is the same story as with Bush: too early to tell. But, it's a very different story with Johnson. Johnson, THIS YEAR'S second overall pick, has yet to play a snap in the NFL and these guys are putting him in the Hall of Fame. How do they possibly defend this? Well they give him a middling score of 10 for mortality, but combined with perfect 20s in upside and intangibles, he has a score of 50, and enough to make the list (and he didn't just squeak on either). I agree that this guy has amazing upside, but where does the perfect score for intangibles come from? We simply have no idea what he will accomplish on the field, let alone what kind of leader he will be. Cut intangibles in half, and give him a MAX score of 40.
At this point I'm feeling sick. I think that fish smell is actually a rotting whale under my desk. Now, I'm just going through as fast as possibly (noticing names like Matt Leinart, Steven Jackson, AJ Hawk, and Adrian Peterson)to see McNabb's name on the list and at least keep the lunch in my stomach. I won't keep you all in suspense any longer...he wasn't on the list! (cue dramatic music now). Oh, but ESPN did classify him as "on the bubble." I feel so much better now.
I'm sure Thomas Neumann and Scott Symmes would defend their predictions by saying they objectively based on a scientific formula. But I don't buy it. This whole experiment, in the same vein as "Who's Now," is just another effort by ESPN to turn athletes into celebrities. Over the past number of years, they have been trying desperately trying to transform into Entertainment Tonight. You don't have to be a marketing major to know that ESPN's primary demographic is males between the ages of 18-35. And you can probably narrow that down even more by saying single men. Now who out of this demographic cares who Alex Rodriguez is dating, or who's in Matt Leinart's entourage? Without sounding too misogynistic, the answer is no one. This is a perfect example of ESPN's disgraceful attempt to gobble up more advertising revenue, while leaving there core, loyal audience out in the cold. But if they keep doing this, who knows how loyal that audience will remain.

Birds take flight, part II

2007-08-01T18:53:00.000-04:00

Today was the first full day of padded practice at Eagles' training camp up in Lehigh Valley. No more practicing in shorts. Hitting is upon us. And what better timing to continue my Eagles preview with those heavy hitters on the defensive side of the ball. The Eagles' defense is the key to this whole season. As described yesterday, the offense has an impressive array of weapons and a coaching staff that has turned the Birds into one of the top offensives in the league. The Eagles will score their points this year. But as steady as the offense's rise has been over the years, the same can be argued about the fall of the defense. The Eagles have always been known for their punishing defense. And defense has been the backbone of every deep playoff run during Andy Reid's tenure; except last year (if you call that a deep run). Last year, the Eagles got it done mostly by outscoring teams. The defense played better down the stretch, but they certainly need to play better if they hope to achieve their goal this year: winning a Super Bowl.
It all starts on the defensive line. A good defensive line can cover a lot of deficiencies in the linebacking corps and the secondary. And on the flip side, a poor defensive line can even make pro bowl caliber players look like they don't deserve starting. This year's defensive line unit has the capability to do both, and which way they go will have a huge impact on the outcome of the season. Last year they were closer to the second type of defensive line mentioned; they didn't do their part in stopping the run by keep interior lineman off of the linebackers, and they couldn't rush the passer on passing situations. They weren't as bad as the previous year, but they vastly underperformed expectations.
There is new hope this year that this unit can perform up to last preseason's expectations, and beyond. A big reason for that renewed hope is the return of the Freak, Jevon Kearse. Kearse got off to a great start last year, picking up 3 1/2 sacks in the season's first two games, before going down with a season ending knee injury. Shortly after his loss, the whole defensive line fell apart. If the defense is a skyscraper, and the defensive line is the foundation, then Kearse is the bedrock below. At age 30, that's how important he is. Almost as important is Broderick Bunkley. That's right, last year's 6'-2", 306 lb. first round draft pick, who could barely get on the field. With a full year of learning under his huge belt, Bunkley is in position to become the centerpiece of the D-line. If they are to make a turn-around at stopping the run, then Bunkley will need to be what the front office projected him to be. And there really is no reason why he can't be that guy; he has all the tools to be a dominant defensive tackle in this league. I expect (or maybe it's hope) that Bunkley will be the big body in the middle that shuts down opposing run games this season.
The thing that makes Jim Johnson's defensive scheme so good is his defensive line rotation. We got a glimpse of it last year to start the season. It was almost like hockey where they had two complete defensive line units. And after any play Johnson could call for a line change. It worked great, that is until Kearse went down, and the lines had to be shuffled and eventually scrapped. Going into camp, the Eagles are in even better shape to bring back that strategy. Aside from Kearse and Bunkley, they have a number of talented guys who aren't unnecessarily guys that will carry a defense. Juqua Thomas, Trent Cole, Darren Howard, and rookie Victor Abiamiri will all split time at the end posistion. And Thomas and Cole specifically showed a great ability to get to the passer when they went keyed on in a offensive blocking scheme. And with a healthy Kearse, that won't be possible. At tackle, Mike Patterson, Ian Scott, Montae Reagor, Jeremy Clark, and LaJaun Ramsey will all rotate with Bunkley. It'll be interesting to see who performs best out of all these guys heading into the season, because they can't keep all of them. Regardless, I have renewed faith, and hope, that this defensive line will terrorize offenses all season.
The next line of defense, the linebackers, have been criticized for years; and rightfully so. They simply haven't had much talent there outside of Jeremiah Trotter since Carlos Emmons left. But that comes down to an organizational philosophy. The Eagles just have never valued LBs that much. To them, the key to a successful defense is the defensive line and the secondary (and a great offense). And until this offseason, it showed. Going into training camp, there is a new confidence about this LB unit because they have been greatly upgraded. The biggest upgrade being Takeo Spikes. Spikes was brought over in a trade with Buffalo, and he will become an immediate starter. But it's not just Spikes who is an improvement. Gone is banjo playing, bowtie wearing Dhani Jones, and in comes a couple young guys that this organization really loves. Chris Gocong probably would have been starting strong side linebacker last season, his rookie season, had he not suffered head and neck injuries before the season started. Now after soaking up information for a year, he is penciled in as a starter. I say penciled because there is a lot of competition. Right now rookie Stewart Bradley is third on the depth chart behind Tank Daniels. But there are many who feel that Bradley could become the strong side starter by the midway point of the season. Spikes is pretty the man at weak side, but don't forget about Matt McCoy, who was the starter their last season. He struggled mightily (partly because of a shoulder injury he was nursing) and was eventually replaced by Omar Gaither, but the organization is still high on him He could be valuable in passing situations. Gaither's natural posistion is middle linebacker, which everyone, who knows anything about the Eagles, knows is occupied by Trotter. However, this posisiton is not free from competition either. Trotter took a lot of heat about being too heavy, too slow, and generally to old. And instead of getting defensive (no pun intended), he hit the weight room and lost nine pounds off his frame. He is more solid, quicker, and most importantly, he's got less weight bearing down on those knees of his. It probably won't be this year, but Gaither looks to be lined up as the Axe Man's eventual replacement. Overall, this should be the linebacking corps should be the most active unit in training camp, as far as competition goes. And no matter who wins, the Eagles will be taking a much improved, deeper LB squad into the season.
That brings us to the last line of defense, the secondary. The Eagles lost nickleback Rod Hood this offseason to free agency. They knew it was going to happen, but they were not going to pay him the starter's money he wanted, and quite frankly deserved. And they shouldn't have. He was a good player, but it was time for him to move on and try to become a starter. That leaves the Eagles with the incumbent starters in Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard. And add in William James, who feels he is starters material and you basically aren't going to miss a beat without Rod Hood. While none of these guys can be considered "shut-down" corners (that term is used way too loosely anyway), they can definitely hold their own against the best in the league; especially if the D-line can prevent the QB from having a cup of teas before he throws the ball Sheppard is a former Pro Bowler and Brown should have been. However the real story of this defense is at safety. Yes, Sean Considine didn't show much ability to stop the run last season after replacing the soon to be departing free agent Michael Lewis, but his coverage skills are not bad at all. And behind him is Quintin Mikell, who while a good special teams player and leader, isn't much of a replacement at safety. So let's hope the guy next to Considine can pick up the slack. Again. You may know him as Brian Dawkins. But I simply refer to him as beast. As a good friend of mine likes to say, "Three quarters of the world is covered by water....the rest is covered by Brian Dawkins." This guy is the heart and soul of this defense, and maybe the whole team, and maybe even the whole city during the fall. There is nothing he hasn't done, and there's less that he can't do. He took last season's defensive performance personally, and already he's giving speeches to his defense that it wasn't good enough. In his words, "we let the offense down last year." Harsh, but correct. And I expect Dawkins to have a historical year for safeties. He will put this entire defense on his back, if he has to, in order to win a Super Bowl. But if all goes to plan, he won't have to.

Birds take flight

2007-07-31T19:58:00.001-04:00

Unless the Phillies make the playoffs, it's the Eagle's time to own the sports landscape in Philadelphia. And they give it back until January (hopefully February). Training camp is here, and we are seeing the whole roster on the field for the first time since last January inside the Superdome. The Eagles made a lot of changes over the offseason, but perhaps the biggest change this year is there is no drama to start 2007. All the rookies are signed and at camp, and no veterans are holding out or missing time due to injury. No one with a two letter nickname is bashing his QB and anyone else he can. And we all saw how missing time in training camp can be detrimental to a rookie; i.e. Broderick Bunkley. It is rare in the NFL these days, but everyone is present and accounted for.
The big story in training camp, and with good reason, is the health of Donovan McNabb. McNabb surprised many by returning earlier than expected and participating in mini camps. And barring any setbacks, McNabb will be a full participant in camp. I've said it a number of times, but it's worth mentioning again: McNabb will be fine, health wise, assuming it doesn't get re-injured. But it shouldn't. I don't understand when it become the norm to anticipate injury and no injuries would be a pleasant surprise. It seems like no one believes that McNabb can make it through the season anymore. Apparently he has a history of injury. Ok. But he also has a history of proving people wrong. Expect a big season from McNabb.
From McNabb to Brian Westbrook, we go from most important offensive player to number 1A. Just one year ago, Westbrook was in McNabb's situation of having many critics saying he couldn't make it through a season. Now, all of the sudden, he finished a season, and his durability isn't even a remote concern anymore. Westbrook can simply due it all. McNabb may be what stirs the drink, by Westbrook is the main ingredient. Expect a big season from Westbrook.
Staying in the backfield, things start to get interesting. The main players here are Correll Buckhalter, who overcame three major knee injuries in four years to be a nice contributor behind Westbrook last season; and Tony Hunt, the big bruising third round pick out of Penn State. Fans have been screaming for a "big" back for years; almost as much as a "go to" wide receiver. I have not been one of them. I personally liked the mixture of small, quick backs who can come out of the backfield and hurt you in the passing game as well. Plus I didn't see the need; Andy Reid never stayed true to his promise to run the ball more. So why go out and get a guy who is going to get two carries a game? However, with the drafting of Hunt, the Eagles are sending a loud and clear message that they plan on balancing the offense a little more. And Hunt could be the perfect guy for them too. He isn't gonna break any long runs, but that's not what they need or want from him. What he is going to do is give those third and three runs for first downs; allow the Eagles to run down the clock late in games; and he can also catch the ball out of the backfield, which is a must for any running back in this system. I expect Hunt to get those short yardage carries and late game/run down the clock carries, and Buckhalter to get everything else that Westbrook doesn't; which won't, and shouldn't, be much.
The wide receivers, like usual, are underrated. Reggie Brown is quickly becoming a very reliable target for whoever is throwing to him. He will never put up the huge numbers you see from big time receivers around the league because that's not the nature of this offense, but he is a true number one guy. And he is entering his third year; a year that is famous for break out seasons from young wideouts. Much has been made of losing Dante Stallworth, but in my opinion Kevin Curtis should be an upgrade. Yes, Stallworth provided an explosiveness to this offense, but he was far too inconsistent (mostly because of injury); a trait that led to his trade out of New Orleans. Curtis has good speed (maybe not as good straight away speed as Stallworth) and good hands. And he is talented over the middle, and has never had the injury problems that Stallworth has had. And behind Curtis on the depth chart is a number of highly serviceable guys in Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, Jason Avant, and even Jeremy Bloom, who is expected to big things on specials teams. The WR corps will be just fine this season.
At tight end, LJ Smith is the man. And he is in a contract year, so I expect a lot from him. He never gets mentioned with the greats in the game like Tony Gonzalez, Todd Heap, and Antonio Gates because he is not the complete package; he is not a very good blocker. However, in this system, LJ is called upon to make plays in the passing game, and that is what he does. Matt Schobel is a guy who blocks better, but can also provide in the passing game. This is basically a two man show, but it will be interesting to see if Lee Vickers, Brent Celek, and Kyle Hunt can make any noise at training camp.
McNabb and Westbrook are obviously the key individuals on the offensive side of the ball. But the real key is the offensive line. This five man unit has the least amount of question marks going into training camp and the regular season. In fact, I can't think of any. And that is a very good thing. These guys all played all of the games last year, and in the process, became arguably the best unit in the NFL. The opened up huge holes for Westbrook and kept Jeff Garcia alive down the stretch. There, really, nothing short of fantastic. Bringing the same unit into a second straight season, should bring more of the same. Expect a big season from this line.
The Eagles offense is in great shape to repeat, if not exceed, last year's squad's performance. Of course the wildcard is health. Can the key players stay healthy. If they can, watch out; you're looking at an offense that beat team by itself. One last key to this offense lies with the play calling, whoever will have that responsibilty. Offensive coordinator, Marty Mornhinweg, finished the season calling the plays, and the offense ran much smoother while he did so. The better balance sustained more drives and, in turn, kept the defense off the field more. No matter who calls the plays this season, if Andy Reid can see that this balance on offense really worked, and incorporates that same strategy this season, the Eagles should cruise through most games.
More tomorrow on the defensive side of the ball.

A Real Life Disney Sports Movie

2007-07-30T19:45:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing that Disney knows, besides animation, it's the inspirational sports movie. My library is littered with them; some fictional but most based on true stories. You got Miracle, the story of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team; Invincible, the story of a Philly bartender making the Philadelphia Eagles; Remember the Titans, the story of a football team not only defeating opponents, but also defeating prejudice; and the list could go on and on. What they all have in common is the protagonists never give up on their dreams. No matter what obstacles they face on the way, they persevere, and eventually achieve their dream. Well, there is a real life story going on right now in Philadelphia; Chris Coste, the Phillies backup catcher, and career minor leaguer, is playing out the final part of the plot.
Chris Coste made his major league debut May 21, 2006, at the ripe old age of 33. And he can thank fate for that debut, because he had to get through three catchers on the depth chart: Mike Lieberthal (injured), Sal Fasano (injured), and Alex Gonzalez (unexpectedly retired). But never the less, Coste got to play and his dream was finally coming true.
Coste's story starts in high school, where there wasn't even a varisty baseball team. Then he goes on to play college ball, without any scholarship, at a division III school. None of that got Coste down. He made it to the minors, and the story continued. And this is where it got interesting. Instead of naming all the places that Coste played baseball, it might be easier to mention where he didn't play. In all Coste played in five countries and seven states. It seemed that Coste had good enough numbers for Major League teams to take a look at him. He hit .300 in his minor league career with 96 HRs and 562 RBIs in 12 minor league seasons. And a couple teams did take notice. In 2002, he led the International League in hitting and was about to mak the Cleveland Indian's rosters. That is, until he broke his hand. The Red Sox almost gave him a spot on the team as well. But they sent him back down to the minors right before the season was to start. And his dream took another hit when a numbers game forced the Phillies to keep him in the minors despite his batting .467, 3 HRs, and 11 RBIs in spring training.
Then comes the climax of the story. Coste finally gets his break due to some unfortunate situations to Phillies catchers; of course, fortunate for Coste however. And the rest is history, except for the fact that the story is still being written. In 83 major league games, Coste is batting .329 with a .504 slugging percentage, 9 HRs, and 39 RBIs. Those are highly respectable numbers for a guy who nobody feels belongs in the majors.
No matter what happens from here on out for Coste, he's got to feel like he's already fulfilled his dream. All those years of perseverance alone are enough to be proud of. He could started that one game in 2006, and that could have been the conclusion of that Disney movie. But Coste hasn't stopped there. He is quickly becoming a big part of this team. Just the other night against the Pirates, he delivered with a huge 2-out, 2-run single in the bottom of the eighth to give the Phils some much needed breathing room. The only question that remains is: who does Chris want to play him?

Time for Phillies to turn it on

2007-07-29T01:28:00.000-04:00

So, once again, the Phillies continue to play tug of war with our emotions. Whenever we think they're done and finished, they go on a little tear. And whenever we think they are on easy street toward their first playoff birth since 1993, they lose a few games, having all of their weaknesses exposed in the process. Thursday afternoon was another pivot point for the Phils. Their bullpen lost them a game in all too familiar fashion, and their best player was lost for a month due to a broken hand (I still haven't heard a straight answer on how long Chase is expected to be out. I've heard 3, 4, 6 weeks, and everything in between). But now, in the two games since, they have closed the gap on the division leading Mets, and are 3 1/2 games out. And now Brett Meyers is back. Saturday night, he pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a 10-5 victory. And if the Phils can close out the series with a sweep, they will be 10-4 since coming back from the All Star break; and 3-0 since losing Utley. No matter how you look at this team, they are right there in the hunt, and, now, the pitching staff appears to be solidifying.
Let's look at the pitching staff optimistically for a minute. Cole Hamels is the ace. And that is all there is to say about that. Jamie Moyer has been pretty consistent most of the year, and Adam Eaton looks to be a solid number three starter. Four and five in the rotation is where the optimism is really needed. Right now, its rookies Kyle Kendrick and JD Durbin. Kendrick has surpassed any and all expectations, and Durbin has won three in a row after a rough start, including a complete game shutout. Now, are these two guys going to continue to surpass expectations? My heart tells me they can at least continue to keep their team in ballgames. And with this lineup (even with Utley out), and the way the bullpen is shaping up, that is all the Phillies need from their young starters. And that brings us to the bullpen. While it has been the Achilles heel of this team all year, getting Gordon and Meyers back from injury provides an extreme upgrade. If those two can consistently pitch in big situations, like they've shown they can, the Phils bullpen could go from liability to strength. Being able to shorten a game to 7, or maybe even 6, innings with this offense is a winning formula.
So, by most accounts, Utley should be back to start September. And if all goes right, Gordon and Meyers should back to full form by mid-august. And that timing couldn't be better, as the Phils close out the month of August with a ten game home stand against the LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and the NY Mets; a four game series. This stretch could very well determine the Phils fate. Obviously they are chasing the Mets for the division. But they also would most likely be chasing on of the other two teams for the wild card, as whoever doesn't win the NL West has a good shot at the wild card. A successful home stand there, and Utley should come back to a first place team, or at least a team within very close striking distance of a playoff spot with a month to go in the season.

I've got the Fever...

2007-07-27T18:08:00.000-04:00

...And in this case, cow bell is not the only prescription. That fever is fantasy football, and with the opening of training camps this past week, it is upon us. And the fever usually last through December, as long as your team isn't horrible. Truthfully, I'm not too sure what this post will be about; I just need to start talking about this. What it won't be, is a mock draft. Even I, he who gobbles up anything with the word football on it, can't stand single person mock drafts. It's one thing to have a bunch of people have an actual draft that doesn't count. But it's entirely different when Joe Bloe writes "Joe's Mock Draft." How can one person simulate an activity that relies on the actions of 8 or more people? He can't. And without further adieu, here are my ramblings on the 2007 year of fantasy football.

- QB's. They're the most important position in the real world. In fantasy, not so much. But underestimating their importance is an express ticket to the cellar of your league. And when you're talking QBs, there is only one at the top: Peyton Manning. No one has been as prolific, AND consistent, than Archie's boy. Consistency is huge in fantasy sports, and the when dealing with the QB posisiton, its paramount. There is nothing worse than having your QB stink it up one week and lose the match; except maybe having him on the bench the next week when he lights it up, and you subsequently lose. Believe me, this has happened to me way too much. However, if you're one of the 7-11 people who can't get their hands on Manning, it's not the end of the world. There are a number of other serviceable, if not very good, QBs to get. The key with these guys is to not reach to early in your draft for them. Remember, in 95% of leagues, RBs are hugely important. These QBs, in no particular order, and in my opinion, are: Carson Palmer, Tom Brady, Donovan McNabb, Drew Brees, Marc Bulger. Then feel free to throw in Phillip Rivers, Matt Hasselback, Jon Kitna, Tony Romo.

- L.T. No one will ever overtake Lawrence Taylor as owner of those initials. But LaDanian Tomlinson is more and more deserving of the same abbreviation with each and every touchdown. In fact, a better set of letters for him might be TD; except those have a previous owner as well. To put it simply, there is not one player more valuable in fantasy sports than Tomlinson. If you have the number one pick this year, and do not pick L.T., then just hang up the fantasy cleats right now because you don't deserve to play. I'm so high on L.T. that even last year, when there seemed to be a three-way tie for top pick between him, Shaun Alexander and Larry Johnson, I would have taken Tomlinson without much question. And speaking of those other two backs, I don't think either is even close to L.T. Shaun Alexander is almost not worth mentioning here anymore. His offensive line has yet to recover from losing Steve Hutchinson, and it appears his foot is having troubling recovering from the injury it suffered last year. And Johnson, while still a top-5 back, is coming off a record setting season in terms of carries. Is he wearing down? I don't know, but his offensive line certainly looks to be. And now the news came out that Priest Holmes, former consensus number one fantasy pick, is back in training camp after missing the last year and a half with injury, and Johnson is stuck in contract negotiations. All these things make me very cautious of LJ. There are a number of backs ready to take his place as top tier options. Brian Westbrook definitely will if the Eagles show a continued faith in the running game that they showed the second half of last season. Frank Gore is another guy. And Stephen Jackson is ready to become a top three back. Also look out for Joseph Addai in Indy, Willis McGahee in Baltimore, Laurence Maroney (if he can stay healthy), and Maurice Jones-Drew, the pinball runner in Jacksonville.

- The New England Patriots. Lots has been made of the offseason acquisitions made by the Pats. Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss have all been added to the receiving corps. And many think that, with Tom Brady, they can all become fantasy all stars. This is just not the case. First, Welker is a possession receiver, and that's it. He's a nice addition to the real Patriots, but not worth much to a fantasy team. Second, Brady is known for spreading the ball around, and stats are of absolutely no concern to Brady and coach Bill Belicheck. No one in this offense will become a huge receiving threat for fantasy owners. However, Moss and Stallworth, could potentially put up some big weeks. The problem with them is consistency. Moss, because he like to take a number of plays off per game (and I don't buy that a new uniform and a new "attitude" will result in a new style of play. Randy Moss will always be Randy Moss). And Stallworth has proved one thing in his career. He can't perform well two games in a row. Whether it is injury, game plan, or personal performance, history tells us to sit Stallworth after a big game; and this goes against every fantasy instinct we have. Because of this the Patriots WR corps will give headaches all year. Stay away, except for backups on bye week starts.

- Donovan McNabb needs to be higher on your draft board. I full-heartedly acknowledge that this may be homerism, but if able to stay healthy history proves that #5 will be among the leaders at QB; if not the best. Over the last three years, McNabb has started the season on an absolute tear. The last two, he was unable to finish the year. But the other year, he was a top MVP canidate, throwing 31 TDs and oly 8 INTs. If not for Manning's record breaking season (and even Culpepper's great season), McNabb would have won easily. The ACL injury is not a concern to me. It is the year 2007. And while we don't have the flying cars and maid robots promised to us in 1980's movies, medical science has come a long way. Athletes, with the proper rehab, are able to make full recoveries from the injury. For every one horror story about a guy who's career ended from the injury, there has got to be ten success stories. I've had ACL reconstruction surgery myself, and with proper rehab, I see no reason why a full recovery isn't possible. And therefore, I see no reason why McNabb shouldn't prove the doubters wrong again and have a fantastic season.

- Tight Ends. I don't care if you have Antonio Gates; no TE is going to score you enough points on a consistent basis to warrant the early picks they're sure to get. It is all about value with this position. Just because someone picks Antonio Gates early in the draft, doesn't mean it's time for the rest of the league to make a run on TEs. There is such a big drop off at this posistion that once someone grabs Gates, you might as well wait. And wait. And wait. Never pass up a starter at QB, RB, or WR, or even a great defense that is still on the board, to draft a tight end that isn't Gates. That usually equates to 6 or 7 rounds before you should grab a TE not named Gates; and that may be pushing it. With that said, here are some other tight ends to think (for a number of rounds) about after Gates is taking: Tony Gonzalez, LJ Smith (contract year!), Ben Watson, Jeremy Shockey, Vernon Davis, Heath Miller, Todd Heap.

- Defense win championships. Well, not really. Occasionally a defense is so explosive they can become a valuable part of your fantasy team; like Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore last season. But most of the time, you're hoping your defense doesn't get lit up and lose you points. And usually, unless I can get a top defense, I don't even draft a defense until the final round (if at all). What I end up doing is playing the matchups week to week. Figure who the worst offenses in the league are, and then pick up the defense that is playing them; even if that means playing St. Louis against Oakland. Sometimes you will get burned, but other times you will look like a genius.

- Kickers. Kickers are even less important in fantasy than defenses. Just take one on a decent offense and stick him in there every week. There is no strategy to picking up kickers week to week. Trust me, I've tried.

So basically, I have one Golden Rule of fantasy football: Take Ladanian Tomlinson with the first pick. Other than that, you're on your own. Good Luck.

Correction

2007-07-27T18:03:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I wrote that last article before I actually saw the game. I was following it on the computer, and I added everything up in my head (Beaning the best two players the their next at-bat after tacking you for two runs, followed by and ejection). But needless to say, this time, 2 + 2 did not equal 4. So I would like to go on the record:

John Lannan did not throw at either Chase Utley or Ryan Howard intentionally. I was wrong; it has been known to happen occasionally.

But it still sucks

Not Fair

2007-07-26T18:35:00.000-04:00

It's just not fair. The Phillies lost the final game of their three-game series against the Nationals today, failing to finish the sweep. However, the loss could prove to be the least impactive part of the day. Chase Utley, after being hit on the hand by a pitch, broke a bone in his hand and was placed on the 15-day disabled list after the game. Granted, it is a "mild" break and is expected back in a few weeks, even if elects surgery. But Utley, in the midst of an MVP-caliber season, can not be afford to miss any games for the sake of his team. With a weak pitching staff, the Phils have needed to win a number of their games this season with offense alone. And trying to make a run at the playoffs (just 5 out of the division and 3 out of the wildcard), means that they can't afford to lose any offense; let alone their best offensive weapon. But perhaps the most infuriating part of all of this is that he was hit intentionally.
Here's the run down of what happened:

It's the bottom of the 3rd and the Phils are down 2-1. With two straight groundouts to the rookie pitcher, John Lannan, by Rollins and Victorino, it looked like a 1-2-3 inning in the making. But then Utley, like he so often does, keeps the inning alive and drives a 2-out single up the middle. The next batter, Ryan Howard, another MVP candidate, did what he does so often: hits a homerun to give the Phillies the lead. Their next time around the batting order, Utley and Howard both get beaned by Lannan, leading to his and his manager's ejections. Utley, while in obvious discomfort, stayed in the game and went on to go 0-2 in a heart-breaking 7-6 loss.

The loss hurts, especially since the Phils had a comfortable lead until the bullpen took over, but the fact that some rookie pitcher, making his first career start no less, lost his cool, taking the team's MVP down with him makes my blood boil. The Phillies, despite all the pitching problems this season, are still in striking distance of the playoffs, and they were just beginning to catch fire. They were on their way to winning their 6th straight. Utley was playing about as good as he ever has. Ryan Howard had regained his MVP form of last year. And bullpen help was coming with Tom Gordon getting re-acclimated to his role and Brett Meyers due back from injury this weekend. Everything was clicking. Then this happens.
Outsiders wonder why Philadelphians are so frustrated. Well, this is one item of the long, Santa Claus-esque, list of things that have gone wrong. And put an asterisk next to this one on that list because of the depressingly ironic and maddening way it happened. Even with the pitching help coming, it is hard to see this team making up 5 games in two months with Utley missing a third of those games. And on a personal note that makes this even worse, I was talking about the lack of depth behind Utley (and Rollins) and how few games they miss. Here is the online conversation I had not more than a day ago:

ME(7:03:25 PM): we have no depth at any posistion
MIKEY(7:03:31 PM): yeah
ME (7:03:48 PM): think about what happens if anyone in the infield gets hurt
ME (7:04:13 PM): when was the last time you saw utley or rollins out of the lineup
MIKEY (7:04:25 PM): never
ME (7:05:36 PM): scary thought if one of them goes down
MIKEY (7:05:43 PM): yeah
ME (7:05:46 PM): i literally can't picture anyone else there

I hate it when I'm right.

All Bets Are Off

2007-07-23T18:52:00.000-04:00

There are plenty of dark clouds over the sports landscape right now. Most currently are the Barry Bonds home run chase marred by steroid allegations and Michael Vick's dogfighting scandal. And now we have something to really worry about: An NBA referee allegedly has been caught gambling on NBA games, including ones in which he officiated. Tim Donaghy, a 13 year veteran, is under investigation by the FBI for not only betting on games in which he was involved, but also for links to organized crime. And now there is wide speculation that other referees are involved. While that is just speculation at this point, it is a terrifying thought to anyone who enjoys sports; and not just basketball. Even more than steroids, fixing games is the most dangerous attack on the foundation of the integrity of sports.
Many of the details of this story are not yet available, as this is still an ongoing investigation. But what is known is that NBA commissioner David Stern has effectively ended Donaghy's career in officiating. It will be interesting to see over the course of this investigation, and when the indictment finally comes out, what exactly Donaghy did, who he did it with, who he did it for, and how much he did it. If this case ends up being the worst case scenario (or even if its not worst case), with numerous referees being involved with illegal gambling rings, specifically the games they work, that will have a lasting impact on the integrity of sports. As of right now, how often is a referee criticized for calling a game too lopsided. Just about every game, and even more in hotly-contested games. Now imagine a number of referees being convicted of fixing games. No referee will be fairly viewed, just like no baseball slugger from the mid to late 1990's is viewed fairly. They all are, and would be, guilty by association.
Officials are the one constant in all of sports through all eras and all levels. They take a lot of heat, but they perform a nearly impossible task game in and game out. Hopefully this is just an isolated incident. And hopefully this will cause all the sports league, at every level, to keep closer tabs on their officials to make sure this never happens again. Because if we lose trust in the officials, all bets are off (no pun intended, but I kind of like it)

Who keeps betting on Bettman?

2007-07-22T20:55:00.000-04:00

Gary Bettman, the National Hockey League's commissioner of 16 years, has allegedly added another controversial move to the long list of controversial/bad moves that make up his resume. When Nashville Predators' owner Craig Leipold recently put his team up for sale to a Canadian billionaire, the deal appeared ready to go through. Then all of the sudden, Leipold began looking at another buying within the U.S. And there are allegations coming from numerous sources that it was Gary Bettman who pushed Leipold's hand in an attempt to keep the team from moving out of the country. And because of Bettman's marketing plan, a plan that's he's been adamant about incorporating since he became commissioner, the league has gone from an respectable popularity in the early 1990's to complete obscurity on the edge of irrelevancy. Ratings are so low, they make the NBA finals look like American Idol. And yet, Bettman's hold on the crown is as strong as ever.
Let's make clear for a second that the league was NOT always a niche sport. Even I am almost too young to remember it, but I do. The early 1990's saw Wayne Gretzky in L.A., Mark Messier in New York, Steve Yzerman in Detroit, and a number of other future Hall of Famers were in their prime. Then Bettman took control and immediately began to change the league into what he thought it should be: which is a league with popularity and wealth on par with the three other major sports. That sounds good and all, but the NHL, by its nature, will not reach that level of interest. But there is nothing wrong with the popularity it had right before Bettman took over. Bettman expanded the league into cities such as San Jose, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Miami, Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Columbus. And these teams, with the exception of Minnesota and to a certain extent Anaheim, have never experienced success on and off the ice.
As a result of hockey being forced into cultures to don't want or understand it, the began to suffer financially. This led to not one, but two, work stoppages; the most significant one being just two years ago when the entire season was lost. It was the only time in the history of sports that an entire season and its championship were lost to a labor dispute. The first work stoppage did nothing to solve the problems that cause it. Bettman got bullied around by the players association, and shortly after play resumed, player salaries skyrocketed. This was the main reason Bettman locked out the NHLPA following the 2004 season. He wanted a hard salary cap to ensure economic stability, and his refusal to bend on this issue led to the cancellation of the season.
And I'm sure he didn't blame himself for letting the economic state of the league get to the point of no return. First, by letting the players push him around during the first work stoppage. And second, by force feeding hockey to southern cultures that weren't buying. According to Bettman these places in America wanted hockey despite their continuing lack of ticket sales. But they loved hockey; they just didn't know it yet. Bettman believed that a big reason these small market teams were getting the support they needed was because they couldn't attract the game's best players due to unlimited salaries. Teams like Detroit, New York, and Philadelphia were able to pay the most for the best players, leaving the smaller teams to sort through the scrap pile each free agency period. And theoretically, Bettman was right on this. But in practice, despite a hard salary cap, that has risen each season since its introduction (nearly to the point where teams on average are paying what they did before the lockout), the league's economic inequality is basically the same as before. During the most recent free agent period, teams like Detroit, New York, and Philadlephia once again obtained the most desired players as teams like Nashville, Buffalo, and Florida were left on the outside looking in. Even in Pittsburgh, where a loyal fan base gets to watch one of the youngest most exciting teams in the league, Bettman's economic stability was non-existent, and the team almost got up and moved to Kansas City.
Which brings us back to Nashville. The Predators were one of the league's best last year. And yet, they could not draw more than 14,000 paid attendance. After ten years in the hockey challenged city, Leipold was cutting his losses (which stand at $70 million in the red) and selling the team. Following knowledge of the financial troubles and impending move, the team had a fire sale, effectively getting rid of all talent they didn't already have locked into contracts. This situation is a perfect example of Bettman's economic stability and competitive balance. And if it is true that Bettman forced Leipold out of a sale that would move the team to Hamilton, Ontario (a Canadian city starved for hockey) all so that Bettman could see his dream of hockey becoming a rich American sport come true, then we shouldn't be surprised at all. This has been Bettman's calling card. After a decade and a half of his economic and marketing strategy consistently failing, the league's health is at its lowest point yet. It's time the NHL Board of Commissioners cuts its losses with Gary Bettman, calls it a night, and starts over fresh tomorrow.

...Number 7, Michael Dick

2007-07-19T20:28:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to write anything about Michael Vick's dog-fighting troubles because I didn't want to give him any more publicity than he already has. But since he has been officially indicted, the story has taken on new proportions. It is no longer a story about an NFL player, with a spoiled-brat mentality, being involved with the wrong group of people and embarassing the team and the game. It has gone 0-60 from that situation to a story about an NFL player, with a spoiled-brat mentality, being the alleged mastermind of a felonious activity who could possibly face multiple years in a federal prison if convicted.
In case you missed it, Michael Vick, the $100 million QB of the Atlanta Falcons, has been indicted on charges related to a large scale dog-fighting ring. The story first surfaced a couple months ago when authorities found evidence of illegal dog-fighting at an estate owned by Vick. Vick was quick to deny any involvement. In fact, his excuses ranged from the prepubescent favorite of "I wasn't there," to the slightly more sophisticated teenage response of "I didn't know it was going on." And just like the kids that frequently utilize those statements, Vick appears to have been exposed as a lying. Not only did he know what was going on, but he was present and, apparently, organized many of the fights, including those in locations around the country.
This is just another case, albeit the most extreme, of Michael Vick acting like the rules do not apply to him; that he doesn't need to, and in fact shouldn't have to, work hard for the things he thinks he deserves. Vick was blessed with talents that not many other human beings can claim to possess. And for his entire career, he squandered them. Instead of taken the criticism he received about his play, and working harder on those aspects of his game that God didn't give to him on a silver platter, he took those critics on as enemies. He refused to accept that there is more to being an NFL QB than highlight reel plays. It always seemed like when he was confronted with a poor passing performance, he wanted to counter with the fact that he ran for "x" amount of yards. And it didn't help that those surrounding him have frequently enabled this attitude by actually countering that criticism in that manner. Michael Vick, like many privileged athletes and celebrities, didn't need Yes-Men. He needed people to tell him the truth that he was an immature person who took what he had for granted. And if convicted, it will be too late. Vick will have thrown his whole career away because he believed that he was above the rules.

Enjoy the Ride

2007-07-18T21:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, so there's still not a whole lot going on. But how 'bout those Phillies. Yeah I know they lost two of three from the Dodgers after dropping the final game of the series 5-4 today. But, they continue to prove that they are an exciting young team who is fun to watch.
Granted, I didn't actually watch them during this series; it's much too late for me to really get into these games, but just seeing the highlights and box scores is enough. First, I want to go on record as saying I have come to terms with the fact that the Phillies will not make the post season. And, if they do, it will be one hell of a ride. And even if they don't it should still be fun.
This team never gives up. In just six games after the break they are 3-3. And the scores for those games:
W 13-3, W 10-4, L 2-10, L 3-10, W 15-3, L 4-5.
Those scores tell me one thing: that these games, at the very least have been exciting. And really what can you expect, in terms of wins and losses, when you're trotting names like Durbin, Kendrick, and Eaton up to the mound. And that's just to start the games. But this offense has sure done it's part to keep the Phils in the race. Without going into what they need to do in order to make the playoffs, because that's been thoroughly discussed, I plead with the fans of Philadelphia to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Look at some of the names on this roster, and how they are contributing to the highest scoring offense in the league:
Jimmy Rollins: While not your prototypical lead-off man, J-Roll is a stud. He leads the league in runs scored (and isn't that what you want you're lead-off man to do); is tied for 4th in hits; leads the league in total bases, and his 18 HRs and 57 RBIs are good for top 10 and top 20 status respectively.
Shane Victorino: The Flying Hawaiian gets it done no matter where he is in the lineup. He simply makes things happen when he gets on base. His 28 stolen bases are good for 3rd in the league, and he has only been caught three times (the third time being today).
Chase Utley: Not enough can be said about Utley. But I'll try. He's third in the league in runs; second in the league in hits; third in the league in batting average; Leads the league in doubles and RBIs; and his slugging percentage is good for fifth in the league.
Ryan Howard: The reigning MVP is really beginning to pick up his old form after a slow, injured start to the season. His .264 batting average isn't too impressive, but his 25 HRs, 74 RBIs, 55 BBs and .586 slugging percentage have him right near the top of the league for power hitters, despite the slow start. And he is beginning to hit the ball the other way again.
Aaron Rowand: Not the flashiest of the bunch, but Rowand has certainly done his part. His .333 batting average is impressive, but his average with runners in scoring position, .356 (especially with two outs, .405) is what's been key.
Then there are the other players (even Burrell), who while no having the numbers like above, have had their key hits and big games, and all fill the important roles that every good lineup needs.
When you realize that, with the pitching staff in the shape it is in, this team can not realistically make the postseason, and just sit back enjoy the good times with this team, things go so much better. And the past few Augusts and Septembers, when all seemed hopeless, we've all seen what they can do when the pressure is off.

Dog Days of Summer

2007-07-17T22:02:00.001-04:00

Nothing to write about today as we are in that part of the year. The Phils are on the West Coast, which means I'll be fast asleep for most of their games. The Flyers are all done their offseason moves basically. And the Eagles training camp is still a couple weeks away. Hopefully something will come up tomorrow worth writing about.

Give Gillick a Break

2007-07-16T19:07:00.000-04:00

Many people around Philadelphia are calling for Phillie's GM, Pat Gillick. I, on the other hand, am calling for patience. And I think I'm alone in doing this. Pat Gillick was brought in to replace Ed Wade in November of 2005; whose tenure as GM of the Phils could only be described as a failure; or some synonym thereof. And the bottom line on Gillick so far is that he has not improved this team; wins and losses have not improved and the team has still not made the playoffs. But by taking a closer look what Gillick inherited shows that, at the very least, it's too early to call the jury for a verdict.
When Gillick came to Philly, the team he inherited had a decent amount of talent, but they still hadn't made the playoffs since 1993. And Ed Wade was the chief scapegoat, whether rightfully so or not. It's pretty much consensus around the league, that today, the Phillies have one of the best lineups in baseball. It didn't get like that by accident. Pat Gillick put a lot of the key pieces into a position to succeed. Lets take a look at a few of the big moves Gillick had to make in order to get the lineup to where it is today:

Jim Thome - Thome was a beloved player in Philly, that everyone wanted to see go. I only say that because Ryan Howard was charging from behind, begging to replace the aging Thome and his contract. So Gillick sent Thome and his huge contract (some of it) to Chicago for Aaron Rowand. And I don't think there is a person in Philadelphia that doesn't like how that turned out; Rowand an All-star this year and Ryan Howard winning MVP to follow up his Rookie of the Year campaign.

Bobby Abreu - Abreu had oodles of talent, but the fans and management became tired of his lazy approach toward the game and his bloated salary. So Gillick sent him and Corey Lidle (RIP) to the Yanks for a bunch of players. Result: Shane Victorino has been a HUGE upgrade in the field and can make plenty of things happen with the bat. And he has become a fan favorite.

Jamie Moyer - The next biggest thing to come out of Souderton High School other than me....Moyer has been a nice addition to the staff and a huge influence on the progression of Cole Hamels

Greg Dobbs, Cole Hamels, Brett Meyers, Ryan Howard - All these players were given either bonuses, extensions, or new contracts by Gillick. Anybody have any problems with any of that? Speak now or forever hold your peace.

All of that was done in about a year and a half. The team went from old and slow and basically boring to a young exciting team that can beat you in a number of ways. The biggest problems that plague the Phillies right now are Pat Burrell and pitching. The former can not be attributed to Pat Gillick. The previous management group can be thanked for over-valuing Burrell and signing him to the financial equivalent of a mortgage. With the rest of this year, and still another year left on the deal, what is Gillick realistically supposed to do with the guy. While Burrell is as hard a worker as anyone, he simply doesn't have enough to offer another team to warrant anywhere near the contract they'd have to take on. For the time being, I think we have to accept that Burrell will continue to be an anchor in the field and the lineup until his contract runs out.
As far as the pitching staff goes, it's a little more gray here. I'm not an expert on baseball and all the prospects that are out there (or even in the Phil's farm system), but I know there is only so much a guy can do to transform a pitching staff that hasn't been good for years. Going into this season, there was a lot of confidence with the starting rotation. Brett Meyers was the young ace, Cole Hamels was the younger ace, Jamie Moyer was the crafty veteran, Adam Eaton was a decent (if overpaid) addition, and Freddy Garcia was supposed to be the crown jewel acquisition. Then throw in Jon Leiber, and you have a good to great rotation. What happened? Meyers had to turn into a closer due to bullpen injuries, only to subsequently also get hurt. Adam Eaton has been what we should have expected, especially when not relied on as a 4th or 5th starter. Freddy Garcia was damaged goods and quickly went on the DL. And Jon Leiber, who was supposed to be trade bait to get bullpen help, also was injured and lost for the season after becoming a starter again. Any team with that many key injuries is going have trouble staying afloat above .500. Critics will say Gillick should have never entered the season with a such a thin bullpen. While they have been proven right, Gillick's hands appeared to have been tied this offseason. No one wanted Leiber, the biggest trade chip he had. And he has to overpay to get any pitcher to come pitch half their games in the defensively challenged Citizens Bank Park (exhibit A: Adam Eaton). And he is already weighed down by immovable contracts like Burrell's. What we wanted to see happen, and what could realistically happen are two different things. What is realistic is that without those injuries, the Phillies could very well be in first place right now.
But they are not. And as we approach the trade deadline, fans are once again clamoring for Gillick to make a move. However, there problems, in addition to the ones that plagued Gillick in the offseason, with making a move. There simply isn't that much out there to help the bullpen. And I strongly urge anyone out there who will listen to consider the consequences of overpaying, either in money or prospects, for some overrated pitching help. Let's face it: this staff is in such disarray that a little help here and there isn't going to make a difference. They need to get healthy and they need real significant additions that you can only make in the offseason. I guess what I am saying is to not abandon ship, and start sending off the few prospect you have (i.e. Michael Bourn, Carlos Ruiz) in order to get some pitching help that will turn out to be nothing more than an mirage. Hopefully Meyers and Gordon can come back soon and stabilize things, wherever they are placed. Because it is not fair to vilify Pat Gillick for things largely out of his hands. At least that is until he has a few more years to show that it has just been bad luck and logistics, and not incompetence.

Try telling the fans that 10,000 is meaningless

2007-07-15T22:10:00.000-04:00

Well, 10,000 finally came, after all these years. Despite a very abbreviated stay of execution following the 9,999th loss, the Phillies couldn't hold off the inevitable anymore; losing badly in the process. St. Louis unleashed 6 HRs in a 10-2 thrashing to salvage one game of the three game set. I noticed one thing in this game, aside from constant reassurance that this team is in serious need of pitching help. And that is that the fans of Philadelphia has come to embrace this whole story of 10,000 losses.
Both sides of the story have been pretty fairly represented in the days and weeks leading up to this moment. While it is a symbol of futility, it has also been shown how it is a symbol of longevity as well. But it's one to accept the milestone as the diachotomy that it is, and it's something entirely different to embrace it as something to cheer and celebrate; which is what I saw Sunday night.
Citizens Bank Park was packed with fans; many of them holding signs for ESPN. And just as many, if not more, were holding signs referring to the infamous loss that was upon them. These people, while hoping to see a win and a sweep of the defending World Series champs, were hoping to see history. I don't know how many people will admit it, but Phillies fans were hoping to see the 10,000th loss. This became clear as glass in the ninth inning with two outs. The crowd rose to their feet and applauded, anticipating a final out; much like you would normally see - that is if the Phillies were on the road. The fans there wanted to be a part of history.
And it is not just the history of the team. Over the past few weeks, when all the lows that went into this all-time low were added up and discussed, I think the city and its fans began to take ownership in this milestone; along with the team. While it is mostly a negative for the team, it is a testament to the loyalty the fans have shown through the years. And if there is one thing Philly fans like more than seeing their team win (aside from New York teams losing), its being considered the best fans in sports.
It is not just the Phillies fans who have remained loyal though so many low points. All of the Philadelphia sports teams have done their fair share of disapointing fans. Whether it is three consecutive NFC championship losses, getting swept in the Stanley Cups Finals, being the worst team in the league, losing in the NBA finals, or consistently not making the playoffs, Philly fans don't just discuss these memories; they seem to, in a bizarre way, reminisce about them. I don't know when it happened, but we have become so accustomed to coming up short (or not coming up at all) that we take pride in the agony our teams go through. It's gotten to the point where I honestly don't know what we would do when one of our teams finally does break through and win it all. I won't go so far as to say we don't want it to happen, but think about for a second. If we have embraced being great fans of great losers, what will we be when they are no longer losers. I don't know, but I am willing to risk my identity as a Philly sports fan to figure it out.

Philadelphia Eagles: A early team review

2007-07-13T19:05:00.000-04:00

When did the City of Brotherly Love's football team stop receiving love from the national media? Granted, Philadelphia has never received all the respect that they deserved. But the last few years, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance, the Eagles have been receiving pretty high praise from your ESPN's and Sports Illustrated's. And now, all of the sudden, The Eagles are a passing thought to national NFL people. And I can't figure out why.
The Eagles had one bad season in 2005. And without getting into why that season turned out the way it did, that season effectively dropped the Eagles from the clique of top teams in the league in the eyes of the national media. And winning the division again last year, having the #2 offense in the NFL while doing it, seems to have done little to move the Birds up in stature. The apprehension involved with considering the Eagles an elite team seems to center around Donovan McNabb (what else is new, right?).
But why? Yes, I understand that he has had injury problems the past few years, missing the second half of the season in both. But his propensity to get injured seems to be exaggerated. In fact, it seems to be a new trend label a guy injury prone after one injury and to take off the injury prone label after one season without getting injured. Look at Westbrook. This guy couldn't shake the injury prone label before last year, even here in Philly. You could mention how Tiki Barber, a similar sized back, doesn't get injured. But it wouldn't ease the calls for an "every down back." Now that Westbrook has gotten through a season, he is no longer viewed as injury prone and those Tiki Barber comparisons suddenly become valid. I'm definitely a fan of Westbrook's, but I still hold my breath every time he touches the ball. As far as McNabb goes, his injuries have always been of the "freak nature." A broken ankle, sports hernia, and torn ACL are injuries that a player can't control. And it's not fair to call a guy an injury risk when he's also had five full seasons in addition to the three injury shortened seasons.
Injuries, aside, McNabb has clearly been one of the top 3 QBs in the NFL when healthy the last few years. Not even Peyton Manning has matched his numbers to start the last 3 seasons. Assuming McNabb doesn't rush back from this injury, there really isn't any reason to think he can't repeat those performances. And after watching how Carson Palmer came back from an arguably worse knee injury, I think it's fair to favor optimism over pessimism.
A healthy McNabb is not the only reason to be optimistic though. The Eagles are returning the same great offense they had last season, minus one player: Donte Stallworth. While Stallworth was a good player, Reggie Brown is entering his 3rd season (the year when most young wideouts breakout), and is ready become a real threat on the outside. The Eagles also brought in Kevin Curtis, who if you saw him play in St. Louis, can do everything Stallworth did. He can also play inside better than Stallworth, and he will probably miss less time due to nagging injuries.
All that said, the real exciting aspect going into this season, in regards to the offense, is the prospect of a more balanced attack. The final 2 months of last season, Andy Reid handed off the playcalling to Coordinator Marty Mornhinweg. Mornhinweg, in turn, let Westbrook run more behind that huge offensive line. As a result, Westbrook had his best season in the NFL and the Offensive line was widely considered the best unit in the NFL.
The defensive side of the ball has the most question marks. It really struggled against the run last year and had trouble defending the big play; which is not a good combination. However, they got better later in the season when they replaced Michael Lewis with Sean Considine at saftey, and replacing Matt McCoy with Omar Gaither at linebacker. And during the offseason, the Eagles made their most important moves on defense. Most visibly, they added LB Takeo Spikes; a pro bowl caliber player who is coming off injury. Takeo is a huge upgrade at a position that sorely needed an upgrade. Add in a number of younger players at the position, and the linebacking corps should be much improved. Less flashy, but just as significant, the Eagles added a number of defensive tackles including Monte Reagor, who should add some pass rushing ability up the middle, and Ian Scott, who should add some size and run-stopping ability. Both the attributes were painfully missing last season.
The two biggest additions on defense were actually already on the team last year. Jevon Kearse, coming off injury, and Broderick Bunkley, coming off a virtually non-existent rookie season. Jevon Kearse got off to a great start before injuring his knee week 2 against the Giants. A healthy Jevon will once again provide a legitimate pass rushing threat on the end. That leads us to Bunkley. It may be a little extreme, but I think the success or failures of this defense next season lie on Bunkley's broad shoulders. Bunkley, a first round pick before last season, had trouble getting on the field his rookie year. However, if he can make the jump to productive starter in his second year, the whole defense becomes better. A big, skilled, player like him in the middle of the line can single-handedly improve the run defense. Players like Trotter at middle linebacker will be much more effective without offensive lineman blowing right by the defensive tackles and getting in his face. If Bunkley can not step up, either this year or next, the Eagles will have wasted another first round pick. And that can only happen so many times without causing some long term problems within the organization.
All that said, the Eagles have a relatively few number of question marks for this time of the season, especially on offense. The rest of the country really wants to put a question mark on the QB position, but there really isn't that much evidence to support that. McNabb will once again be called upon to prove people wrong. Since he's being doing it his whole career, that shouldn't be a problem. And if Takeo Spikes can stablize the linebacking corps, Bunkley and Kearse can provide a jump to the defensive line, and Brian Dawkins can continue to be a force at safety, the defense will be fine as well. And if the offense continues its balanced attack, they will be on the field longer, consequently making the defense even more effective. Combine that with a weak division and conference, I see no reason why the Eagles can't make a return trip to the Super Bowl (where they would probably lose to a superior AFC team).

Oh Captain, My Captain

2007-07-12T19:09:00.000-04:00

I was thinking of starting this article with a few lines from that famous Walt Whitman poem (the one where the title of this blog is taken from for those who didn't pay attention in High School English; oh wait, I was one of those people. I had to look it up), but I quickly realized that it was about a captain, dead, at the end of his ship's voyage. And the ship I want to write about is far from the end of it's voyage. I am speaking of the Philadelphia Flyers; whose journey is just about to begin anew. Only, the USS Orange and Black has no captain.
In hockey, the role of a captain is much larger and significant than any other sport. In football, there are multiple captains each game, and they often change from game to game. And in basketball and baseball...well, I don't think they even have captains. I direct your attention to exhibit A: The year is 2004 and the Flyers are beginning their "second season." They start against their arch rival, the New Jersey Devils. It didn't take long for the captain to make his mark. In game 1, Keith Primeau comes flying down the wing. Devils goaltender, Martin Brodeur, assumes that Keith will take it around the back of the net. And looking at the size of Primeau and the speed he had going in that direction, it was a pretty safe asumption by Brodeur. But, out of nowhere, Primeau makes a move to the front of the net and slides it by Broduer. I bring this particular play up because it was the beginning of Primeau's transformation. Primeau would go on to literally put the team on his back throughout the playoffs, only to tragically fall a game short of the Stanley Cup Finals. Had they made it, Primeau would have easily won the Conn Smythe throphy; awarded to the most vauable player throughout the playoffs. While he had been captain all year, he never displayed the skill, athleticism, physicality, determination, and leadership all at once, like he did throughout every moment of that playoff run. So when he made that move on Broduer in the first game of the playoffs, no one knew what they were about to witness over the next month. Without the play of their captain, the Flyers would not have made it past the second round.
Keith Primeau rose to such high levels of leadership after that season, that when he was injured the following season (following the lockout) the team never again had the sense of direction and leadership they had with Keith in the lineup. That injury, an elbow to head by a player this writer can't seem to remember (eventhough he swore he would never forget), proved to be career ending as Primeau retired following the season. The Flyers tried to name a new captain in Derian Hatcher later that year following the injury, and in Peter Forsberg the following year. With the "C" on Hatcher, the team coasted aimlessly into the playoffs and got ousted by Buffalo in the first round. And when the Flyers gave the "C" to Forsberg following Primeau's retirement, the team stumbled to their worst performance in franchise history; due largely in part to Forsberg being out of the lineup for much of the year due to injury.
The point is that the "C" on a player's sweater is so much more than a letter. On, the right person's sweater, it can be a force more powerful than any pass, deke, save, hit, or statistic. Now, the Flyers have a retooled team ready to erase the nightmares of last season. On paper, they look like a definite playoff contender; a huge step from last season. But they also have yet to name a captain. Naming the right one can immediately transform a playoff contender into a Stanley Cup contender.
So who on this current Flyers roster is the right guy? Well, I'm a strong believer in not giving the captaincy to a new addition, unless there is no clear alternative. And in this case, that is not the situation. There a few players from last season who could hold the "C" quite nicely. My first pick, and he's been my pick since Primeau got hurt, is Sami Kapanen. Kapanen may not have the biggest numbers, and he is certainly not biggest guy, but he is a guy that everyone in that locker room respects. He never shies away from contact, and he will always do whatever it takes to help the team win. He leads by example. There has been much talk about making Simon Gagne the captain. Now, before last year, I was totally against this. Not because he is a bad player, but because he seemed reluctant to accept it. You can not force leadership on somebody. However, after last season, he showed a lot of maturity, and appears ready to accept his role as the team's leader. That said, there are still better alternatives. His linemate, Mike Knuble is one of them. Mike, since his arrival after the lockout, has been a strong presence on the ice and in the locker room, and he can provide some offensive punch.
The Flyers had plenty of leadership in their locker room following last season, and they have even more now after adding three players who were captains on their previous teams (Daniel Briere, Jason Smith, and Kimo Timonen). I think Kapanen is the right choice for captain, but that's certainly not saying the other players mentioned couldn't get the job done as well.

Not an All Star Experience

2007-07-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

Last night was the first All Star game that I really felt like watching in a long time. And, all that I accomplished was remembering why I never felt like watching them in the first place. It is cool to see the game's best players on the field at the same time, and the game itself looked to be a good one; going down to the last out. I say "looked to be a good one," because I fell asleep around the 7th inning. And that brings me to my first annoyance from All Star night.
Looking through the guide on my TV, I saw that pregame started at 7:30 and the game started at 8:00. Most of that pregame stuff doesn't really interest me, seeing as how everything has been covered in the days leading up to the game. So I decided to skip it, and tune in at 8:oo for the start of the game. Now, I'm no dummy; I realize that sporting events never start exactly when they say. There is always some intro, the starting lineups, national anthem (don't even get me started on the Chris Issac A Capella version last night), etc. But last night went to new extremes in my experience. 8:54. That is when the first pitch was! I sat there for nearly an hour watching pregame stuff I purposely chose to skip, constantly thinking the first pitch would be right around the corner. Hell, it took 12 minutes just to announce the rosters. New rule: A sporting event may not start later than 20 minutes past its scheduled time.
On to the game. I really thought the NL had a chance to win their first game in a decade. Add that losing streak to the fact that the All Star game is no longer just an exhibition, with the winner gaining home field advantage in the World Series, and you have a lot of pressure on the NL to win. That pressure should not exist in any All Star game. Which brings me to that joke of a rule which gives home field to the winner. This all came about after the All Star game ended in a tie a few years ago. I have one simple question to ask: What is the big deal?! Why must an exhibition game have a winner? Isn't this game for the fans to recognize the game's top performers? Why must there always be a winner in this society? Ok, so that was actually like four questions; some not so simple. But really, it doesn't make sense to me to give the winner of an exhibition match an advantage in the most important series of the season. The vast majority of the players involved in the decision won't even be able to redeem their reward in the World Series. And vice versa; many players in the World Series will have had no say in who has home field advantage. New (old) rule: The team with the best regular season record earns (and actually does earn) home field advantage in the World Series. And in the case where the two pennant winners played in interleague play, then the winner of that series should get home field.
Despite the fact that I have made it abundantly clear that it is asinine to have a meaningless game mean something, it is still important to win the game. NL skipper, Tony LaRussa, made a couple bone-headed moves in my opinion. First, he had Barry Bonds batting second in the lineup. I am by no means a Bonds fan, but I do think he deserved to be in the game because he is still a very dangerous power hitter. That being the case, there was no reason he shouldn't have been hitting cleanup. On top of that, he is about the worst person I can think of to put in that spot. While giving Bonds a few extra hundred home runs in his career, steroids appear to have taken any and all speed this guy used to have. And you don't want your 2-hole hitter who can run, clogging up the bases. Which is exactly what Bonds would have done, had he actually gotten on base. The other move by LaRussa came in the bottom of the ninth, the NL down by one run and down to their final out. Aaron Rowand steps to the plate with the bases loaded and Albert Pujols on the bench, yet to get into the game. Obviously, being a Philly guy, I would have loved to see someone from the Phils win the game for the NL, but I'm not stupid. Pujols is one of the top 5 hitters in all of baseball. AND, LaRussa is his own coach back in St. Louis. LaRussa has gone on record saying that he was saving his guy in case the game went long. My comment to that is: If you don't get a hit right there at that point, the game is over. I hate when managers/coaches, in any sport, conserve/save someone or something for "a future critical time," instead of using them/it during the critical moment they immediately face. New Rule: No player chosen to the All Star team should sit on the bench the whole game. I know this is professional sports, not intramurals, but its ridiculous. Which brings us back to why the All Star game should not count towards anything other than pleasing the fans.

Back, back, back, back...hope it's never GONE!

2007-07-10T18:21:00.000-04:00

Even when my main man lay an egg, the MLB Homerun Derby is still a blast to watch. However, being the critical person that I am, I have a few complaints:

- Somehow, the MLB/ESPN managed to make Barry Bonds bigger than the game again. Before Magglio Ordonez began his swings for the fences, an interview with Barry Bonds was broadcast. And besides the fact that I hate hearing him drone on and on, his interview carried into Ordonez's turn at the plate. Granted they showed Magglio with only the audio of the Bonds interview, but hearing Chris Berman's "Back, back, back, back" is a large portion of the appeal of the Home Run Derby. Perhaps the biggest aspect that annoyed me was ESPN's actions showed they care more about Barry Bonds than the game. And this is a guy who has already gotten too much attention for his actions.

- Secondly, the Derby is just too long. I have no idea how to fix this but it remains an issue. I have read numerous ideas about how to shorten the game, and they all seem to be contrary to the purpose of the Derby. Those ideas, whether limiting the outs or limiting the number of pitches a player can take or limit the players involved, all end up limiting the amount of home runs hit - which if I'm not mistaken is the main purpose of the Home Run Derby.

Despite those issues I had with the Derby and its broadcast, it really is a fun event to watch. And there are so few events in sports today where the fun isn't overshadowed by the intensity. It was great watching David Ortiz call Vladimir Guerrero on his cell phone while Vlad was batting to tell him that it was the bat's fault he was struggling. And it was even better when Big Papi brought Vlad a new bat in a framed case. I love seeing players on both "teams" cheer and get excited over big homers. The Derby is one of the few opportunities in sports for players to just admire the skill of their piers.

Oh, and on a small side note, Vladimir Guerrero went on to win the Derby using the gift he received from Ortiz.

Goodbye to a legend

2007-07-09T18:56:00.000-04:00

After 18 years, Dan Patrick has left ESPN. I'm not totally sure why, but this really upsets me. Sure he was, by far, my favorite sports anchor on the station. But I don't even watch ESPN that much anymore. When I did watch ESPN on a consistent basis, I always thought he had the perfect balance of comedy and professionalism. And that balance is even harder to find in todays sportscasters. In fact, it's almost impossible to find anybody talk about sports who can make you laugh, relay the information, and hold a serious conversation with an athlete, or anybody for that matter. Only a few other sportscasters/anchors come to mind that matched Patrick's style and skill. One being Keith Olbermann, who has since gone on to host "Countdown with Keith Olbermann;" a countdown on the days current events with a bit of a comedic twist. Another is Chris Berman, who thankfully is still with ESPN. No one does highlights like this guy. In fact, I will be listening to him call the Home Run Derby in about two hours. Lastly, the only other person I can think of who matched Patrick (as I write that Tony Kornheiser and Dan Wilbon come to mind as sports reporters who I admire) is a local guy: Michael Barkan. He's probably the most visible face in sports in the Philadelphia area; and for good reason. I now have one less reason to turn to ESPN for my sports news, as Stuart Scott and his lazy eye will probably get even more airtime.

NFL Power Rankings are here!

2007-07-07T20:10:00.000-04:00

It's never too early to start talking football. So, here they are: my first edition of NFL power rankings.

1. New England Patriots - Last year they were one bad half away from another Super Bowl. And that was with the equivalent of the Three Stooges at receiver. This offseason, the Pats were more active than anyone. Adding Adalius Thomas on the defense gives the most creative defensive mind in the game, Bill Belichick, the most versatile weapon in the game. Oh, and the Pats also completely revamped their receiving core by adding Dante Stallworth, Wes Welker, and Randy Moss.
2. San Diego Chargers - This team simply has too much talent to be any lower. I am a little concerned about the change in coaching staff, but Marty was a waste when it mattered most anyway. Phillip Rivers should only continue to get better in his second full season.
3. Baltimore Ravens - I wanted to put the Colts here, but I really like the addition of Willis McGahee at RB. Losing Adalius Thomas will hurt, but this defense is still the best in the game; and defense still wins championships
4. Indianapolis Colts - I know, what am I thinking has the Super Bowl champs ranked as the fourth best team in the league? Well, I'm simply not convinced that defense is as good as the unit who put on an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" act during last year's playoffs. Enough can never be said of Peyton Manning, but that defense was atrocious las season for a reason. They were very talented and they got worse this past offseason.
5. New Orleans Saints - Finally an NFC team. This offense is almost as fun to watch as the Colts'. And with Drew Brees a full season removed from shoulder surgery and Reggie Bush with a full season of experience under his belt, they may be even better this year. If the defense can match the yeomen work they did last year, then last year will be proven to be no fluke.
6. Philadelphia Eagles - A healthy Donovan McNabb will lead what has become one the best offenses in the game. And a healthy Jevon Kearse, along with key additions at linebacker and defensive line, should greatly improve a defense that vastly underperformed last season. If Andy Reid continues the balanced offense that prevailed when Jeff Garcia took over for an injured McNabb, the Eagles could easily be the NFC favorite.
7. Denver Broncos - I'm not ready to crown Jay Cutler as the next John Elway, but he certainly looked better than Jake Plummer in his limited experience. Combine that improvement with at the most important position with a solid running game and defense, and you've got a playoff team with the potential to do damage when they get there.
8. Chicago Bears - Defending Super Bowl champs at #4 and the defending NFC champs at #8? What's with this guy? Nothing, I was just never a believer of this team, and all the offseason issues they've had with Tank Johnson and Lance Briggs will not help. Not to mention they lost their defensive coordinator. And I am not a believer in Rex Grossman or that offense in general, especially after letting Thomas Jones walk to New York. But in a weak NFC, and even weaker NFC North, the Bears should cruise to the playoffs again.
9. Cincinnati Bengals - They look like they've gotten a few of their off the field problems resolved and Carson Palmer still leads one of the best offenses in the AFC. It's time for that young defense to step up and play well on a consistent basis.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jags return an absolutely fantastic defense. And the emergence as Maurice Jones-Drew as a game breaking back adds an explosive element to that offense. If they can get reliable play from the QB position, the Jags will be dangerous.
11. Dallas Cowboys - The 'boys have a new coach who still will not be able to control T.O. However, that will not be their biggest concern. First, Tony Romo showed major signs of coming back to earth the latter part of the season. Second, that defense completely imploded around the same time. If no one other than DeMarcus Spears can make plays on defense, its going to be a long season. But again, the NFC hides a lot of weaknesses.
12. New York Jets - The Jets outperformed everyone's expectations last year by being unspectacular in every aspect of the game. However, they remind a lot of their coach's mentor's team, the Patriots. And that means that last year was no fluke. By adding Thomas Jones behind a young and talented offensive line, look for the Jets to be a difficult team to play against once again.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers - This team fell so hard so fast las season its easy to forget about them. Its a lot like what happend to the Eagles after their Super Bowl loss in 2004: they had a lot of things go wrong in 2005 and were able to start fresh in 2006 and return to the playoffs. The Steelers are still a solid team and should bounce back well. But they are in a tough division and conference.
14. Seattle Seahawks - Their division will be much tougher this season. And Shaun Alexander is still having foot problems apparently. But they are a solid team on both sides of the ball, and should have one more season before the rest of the west catches up with them.
15. Carolina Panthers - Aside from the Saints, the Panthers are suddenly in a weak division. DeAngelo Hall, barring injuries, should be ready to take control of that offense. And that defense is still very talented. They just need some help from the offense.
16. Buffalo Bills - JP Losman started to show some real signs of progressing and gelling with Lee Evans last season. Rookie Marshaun Lynch should be able to make up for some of the offense McGahee is taking with him to Baltimore. The Bills boast a young aggressive defense and they still have a dangerous special teams unit that is second possibly only to the Bears
17. St. Louis Rams - The Rams have the most underrated QB in the game. Marc Bulger continues to hit targets Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, and Stephen Jackson has emerged as one of the top 5 weapons in the game. I have faith that Coach Linehan can continue to improve that defense.
18. Arizona Cardinals - While I like the direction this team is going, I have made the mistake too many times in recent years thinking they would have a breakout year. The weapons are there on both sides of the ball, but they still lack the skill where it counts: in the trenches on offensive and defensive line.
19. SanFransico 49ers - Much like the Cardinals, the Niners are heading in the right direction, but are not quite there yet. Watch out for Vernon Davis though; he is poised for a big year after being injured much of his rookie year.
20. Green Bay Packers - If the Packers don't get it done this year, it may be a few years before they do. I still believe that, given the right tools, Brett Favre can lead the Pack to the playoffs. Being in the NFC North always helps too.
21. New York Giants - This team is on the edge of a very high cliff. If they couldn't do better than 8-8 with Tiki Barber, it could be scary how bad they do this year. Unless Eli Manning can make the progress he has thus far shown he is incapable of doing, the Giants have no hope in a relatively strong NFC East.
22. Detroit Lions - With the addition of Calvin Johnson, the Lions will have one of the best offenses in the NFC. But what has that defense done to show they can improve as a team?
23. Tennessee Titans - I buy the Vince Young hype; but not as much as the Titans front office. The rookie QB did an amazing job leading a team with very little talent on offense, and they let some of that talent walk away this offseason. That defense is still a work in progress.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - This may be my worst positioning in all the rankings if all the talent on this team can stay healthy and play together. The offense has many weapons with a QB in Jeff Garcia who knows how to use it. And the defense is getting a little younger, but still has the veteran leadership.
25. Miami Dolphins - This team is a mess. And I totally do not buy that Trent Green is the answer; long term or short term. Did anyone else see him after he came back from injury and in the playoffs. Him and Herman Edwards set offensive football back 50 years.
26. Kansas City Chiefs - I repeat the last sentence I wrote. Now the team is getting older except at QB, where they will most likely go with the untested Brodie Croyle.
27. Atlanta Falcons - It doesn't matter how good your running game is. When you have the worst passing game in the league, your offense will not be successful. And with Michael Vick's continued immaturity, he will not be able to improve that.
28. Washington Redskins - Joe Gibbs should get out now. The game has passed him by. Clinton Portis continues to be hampered by injuries and I don't know where all the Jason Campbell hype came from.
29. Minnesota Vikings - There defense took some hits this offseason and QB Tavaris Jackson certainly didn't look like he was ready to take over the starting job last year. Chester Taylor and 1st round pick Adrian Peterson better get ready for a busy season, because they will be pounding the rock constantly.
30. Cleveland Browns - Will the Brady Quinn era start this year? That's about the only interesting story line coming out of Cleveland.
31. Houston Texans - I find it very funny that the Texans think that Matt Schaub is the answer at QB. While I feel he was an improvement over Vick in Atlanta, he was average at best in relief. And he doesn't exactly have the best supporting cast in Houston. But hey, this is the same team that picked Mario Williams over Reggie Bush and Vince Young.
32. Oakland Raiders - Despite a surprisingly good defense, this offense is so bad in all aspects that it might kill JaMarcus Russell's career before he even gets going.

10,000

2007-07-06T17:34:00.000-04:00

10,000. It's a number that everyone around here is talking about. It refers to the historical number of losses the Philadelphia Phillies are approaching in the 120-some odd years of their existence. At the time this is being written, the number stands at 9,997. And probably shortly after the All Star break (if they it doesn't happen this weekend against the Rockies) they will be the first franchise in all of sports to reach that "milestone." While this obviously shows that the Phils have been a pretty mediocre franchise, the number really shouldn't have so much meaning today. Here's why:

- First of all, it is really kind of pointless to add "...in all of sports" to the statement "first franchise ever." No other sport comes close to the history of baseball. It's called America's pastime for a reason. When the Phillies played their first game in 1883 the population of Philadelphia was about 900,000, and the country was still recovering from the Civil War. That is a long time to accumulate losses for any franchise. Now, if any other sport played as many games per year, for as many years, as baseball then it would be more meaningful.

- The Phillies aren't that far in "front" of the competition. The Atlanta Braves are in 2nd place on the all time losses list with 9,677. Granted, the Braves have been around longer, but the Braves are widely considered a much much better franchise.

- And finally, while all those losses are contributed to one official franchise, there have been countless different teams and a number of different owners, presidents, managers, and coaches. This current rendition of the Phils has indeed contributed to the loss total, but they have so little to do with the total number, it doesn't even make sense to connect the two entities.

Yes, the Phillies have been a pretty dreadful franchise, but what does it have to do with the here and now? Not much. The number that should be concentrated on is one - as in one championship in 124 years. But not in the terms of success or failure; rather in terms of statistical improbability. Odds tell us that the Phils should've won about four rings in their history, just by chance. Now that's interesting. What's even more interesting is the fact that the city of Philadelphia has continued to stand behind this team throughout it all. Whatever number you want to use, 10,000 or 1, both numbers prove that Philadelphia has the best fans in sports, and we deserve a little slack when we boo, heckle, or throw snowballs at Santa.

These ain't Clarkie's Flyers

2007-07-05T17:57:00.000-04:00

As a huge hockey fan living in the Philadelphia area, the 2006-2007 NHL season was about the worst sporting experience of my life. Things got so bad, I would scower the national sports websites for their power rankings; praying that the Flyers would rise out of the last spot. On a couple occasions it did. And those were the best moments of the season. In case you missed it, the Flyers had the worst season in their franchise history, finishing with a league low 22-48-12 record for 56 points - 11 points worse than the next worse team. A couple weeks into the season, Bob Clarke resigned as GM and Ken Hitchcock got fired after the team achieved just one win in that time. You can't tell from the results of the rest of the season, but that was the moment when things took a turn for the better. Not exactly a sharp "youie," but a turn none the less. Paul Holmgren became the new GM and within a couple months began undoing the mistakes Clarke made coming out of the lockout. Like a gravitron, Holmgren began sending slow, ineffective players every which way in an attempt to evolve into a quick post-lockout team: Freddy Meyer to the Islanders for Alexi Zhitnik (who in turn was later traded to Atlanta for young, quick, big defenseman Braydon Coburn), Kyle Calder to Chicago for another young defenseman Lasse Kukkonen. Then the big move came: Peter Forsberg was traded to Nashville for a 1st round pick in the 2007 entry draft, Scottie Upshall, and Ryan Parent when it became apparent that the Flyers season was over and Peter could not give any assurance that he would play beyond the season due to injuries. The next day, the Flyers acquired Martin Biron from Buffalo for a second round pick in the 2007 draft in a deal that not only served to provide a solid goaltender, but also, we would soon find out, as a bargaining chip in acquiring top free agent center, and former roommate of Biron's, Daniel Briere.
Holmgren's genius didn't show through though until shortly after the Nashville Predator's season ended in the first round of the playoffs (about four months after the Flyer's ended). Realizing that the Predators were in dire financial straits, "Homer" sent a first round pick (the one he received in the Forsberg trade from the same Predators) to Nashville for the rights to soon-to-be unrestricted free agents Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell. Holmgen quickly negotiated 6-year deals for both players.
That brings us to the draft where the Flyers still had the number two overall pick, which they "earned" for their performance the preceding season. With the pick they chose big boy, James vanRiemsdyk. Shortly following the draft the Flyers entered free agency where they signed Briere, as previously mentioned, to an heavily front-loaded eight year deal. Holmgren then capped off (at least so far) the rebuilding offseason by trading much-maligned defenseman Joni Pitkanen to Edmonton, along with Geoff Sanderson and a third round pick in the 2009 draft, for Jason Smith and Joffrey Lupul.
So in less than a year as GM, Paul Holmgren, at least on paper, has simultaneously erased the damage Bob Clarke did after the lockout as well as built a team that looks to have a deadly mix of youth and veteran leadership (three of the new players are former captains), size, speed, skill, and grit. It's now up to coach John Stevens to throw all these puzzle pieces on the table and fit them together into a complete team. Judging by the way the team progressed late in the year, despite a lack of tools, and played very competitive under the first year coach, Stevens seems to be up for the challenge. And if he is, we may witness one of the most drastic turnarounds of any team in the history of sports.

Instant Replay in Baseball?!

2007-07-04T10:54:00.000-04:00

It's time that people in baseball stop letting tradition ruin the game. Now, I'm all for recognizing baseball traditions; even more so in baseball than any other sport. But there's no sense in keeping out technological advancements because they didn't have it 120 years ago. Last night alone, there were two plays that cleary showed the need for instant replay in baseball; or at least some level of video review. In Detroit, a huge divisional match up between the Tigers and Cleveland Indians saw the Indians win by one run in extra innings. But the big play was in the 5th. Carlos Guillen singled with the bases loaded and Placido Polanco scored easily, but Gary Sheffield was called out sliding home. Now the play was very close, but why make the umpire make such a difficult call in a close game without the aid of any replay; replay which the rest of the world watching the game on TV has the benefit of seeing. Would the Tigers have won the game if they had been credited with that extra run in the fifth? Nobody can answer that, but why should the game be left with that question when the technology is readily available to assist in eliminating those questions.
While the game in Detroit is only left in question because of a tough call by the umpire, the game between the Phillies and Astros in Houston was simply blown because of a tough call. The situation: The Phils were winning by run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Astros had the bases loaded with only one out. The Phils desperately need a double play. What happens next? Nothing other than a ground ball to shortstop Jimmy Rollins. Right from the beginning it looked like a textbook double play. However, first base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that Chase Utley's throw relay to first was not in time and the run scored, tying the game at four. Now, yes, it was a close call at first, but not nearly as close as, say, the play in Detroit. And replay cleary showed the ball arriving with in Ryan Howard's glove with "plenty" of time to spare. Simply put, the game should have been over right there; the Phils being 4-3 winners. However, instead, the game heads to extra innings, and the 'Stros win it with a walk-off homer by Hunter Pence in the bottom of the thirteenth.
Now, baseball does not need replay to review every close play and every close ball and strike, but there are numerous close plays every night that could, or do, have an impact on the outcome of the game. How do they determine which are the "big" plays that require replay? Beats me, I'm not smart enough to firgure that one out. But I am smart enough to see that too many games are decided by a human being judging differences of fractions of a second with nothing but the naked eye and ear. These ball players work too hard to see the game turn on a single play all because the league, and traditional fans, feel that instant replay would somehow damage the purity of the game. And I'm not even going to go into how steroids have done nothing to damage the purity of the game

The Intro

2007-07-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

So what is this? This is me giving in and joining the masses; like I usually do with everything. Remember Xanga? Well, I finally signed up for that about a week before it stopped be popular. Facebook? Same thing. I still have a MySpace, but I barely use it. And now, I have a blog. We shall see how long I use it. I like to think this will be different however because of the content: Sports. This blog is my way to talk about sports in a semi-formal way and pretend that I am a sports writer for some big newspaper or magazine. You see, I love sports. I love everything about them. I try to play, but in the grand scheme of things I....well....suck. This blog will invariably focus on Philadelphia sports, because that's where my heart is, but it might also touch on everything from high school to college to pros and local to regional to national and to international. Stay tuned; more to come (content that actually has to do with sports).