Foppa Wants To Be Traded and Thinks Mike Richards Is A Douche

From Today's NY Post:

Peter Forsberg, who will become the ultimate high-risk, high-reward rental on the trade market before too long, has told confidantes that he is extremely unhappy and uncomfortable operating as captain of the Flyers, a straight-from-another-horse's mouth has informed Slap Shots.

We're told, in fact, that the Flyers' room has become increasingly dominated by neophytes who somehow believe their winning pedigree as juniors entitles them to lead the NHL squad.

If there is a team dumb enough to trade for Forsberg, I just hope they come forward, give us a combo of prospects and picks and allow our franchise to move on in another direction. The Forsberg Experiment has not exactly turned out as planned.

I also think it is quite apparent Foppa is referring to Mike Richards in the second comment. The entire Country of Canada has been hailing Mike Richards as the next great hockey leader for years now. It sure seems like he's eating this stuff up and believing his own press clippings. Having a leadership pedigree is all well and fine, but it would sure be nice if he scored a few goals here and there to establish himself with this team. I know the kid is hurt, but he sure hasn't shown me much as either a scorer or a defensive center prior to his injury. All he's shown is a desire to stand up for his teammates by dropping the gloves from time to time. That's all well and fine, but like I said, a goal or two every couple games would be nice.

In any event, it looks like we're in the end stages of Foppa's time in Orange & Black. It's a shame this didn't work out better.

PSP's EAGLES PICK

Now that the Giants have taken a lot of the excitement out of the game, I truly expect the Falcons to quit today with nothing to play for except respect. If the Birds play relatively mistake free, I see a boring, but effective 23 to 13 win to secure the NFC East title and a scary rubber match with the G Men next weekend.

As for today's game, I really hope they have a camera trained on Mora and Vick all game. I think we could see a blow up that's been coming to a head for the last month.

Let's all just pray that we come out of this game healthy.

The Trials and Travails of Married Life

Tonight, I have to go to a party at my inlaws house. While I wouldn't mind showing up and hanging out for a few hours, I was really hoping to get a chance to skip out around 10 pm to watch Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz beat the ever loving shit out of each other in their rematch for the light heavyweight championship on tonight's UFC Pay Per View.

I broached the topic with "The Wife" this morning about leaving the party early and joining my man The Captain at our buddy Nute's house to watch the fight. You might have thought I asked her to give up our first born to a pack of scientologists to raise. In short, my suggestion did not go over very well.

So, what's a guy to do? I could continue to rock the boat with The Wife by leaving early and meeting the Capt for the trek up to Nutes; or I could make her leave early and order the fight at my house. Although, I could make both of us happy if I just secretly ordered the fight at my in laws and blamed it on my brother in law when the bill comes in. I think the latter is the most feasible option, although I'd have a lot more fun at Nute's.

Any suggestions? I'm all ears.

In Case You Missed It

Rutgers destroyed K State on Thursday night, 37-10, for their first bowl victory in school history.

With 13 starters returing, including Heisman candidate Ray Rice and 2006 All America DT, Eric Foster, and 8 home games, RU should be more than a one year wonder.

There's plenty of room on the bandwagon, NJ residents. Get on board.

Uh Oh!!!!

Check out this report today from ESPN.com:

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard reportedly has dismissed his agent, Larry Reynolds.

The Phillies said Howard, the 2006 National League MVP, is looking for a new agent and has not yet informed the team who will represent him, the Philadelphia Daily News reported for Saturday editions.

Howard, who is eligible for arbitration after the 2007 season, made $355,000 last season, when he led the majors with 58 homers and 149 RBI.

"He's obviously due for a big raise," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told the newspaper.

I don't think I have to remind people what happened the last time a big time athlete in this city fired his agent. I'm fairly confident that this won't be a replay of the T.O. fiasco, but if Howard names Scott Boras as his agent, then alarm bells should go off. I would also suggest we all take cover because there is no way this will end well for the Phils.

Much To Do About Nothing

In case you missed it, here are the comments from Wilma McNabb's blog that caused the big hub bub on 610 and Daily News live today:

The win this week was great and I could actually say that's what I wanted for Christmas. Yes, now we have solidly beat the Cowboys with my son and without him. But I can hear you asking, mama McNabb what are you really thinking? Well here it is, the real deal. It's kind of bitter sweet for me as my son, the quarterback sits out on injured reserved watching the game during his rehab. I polled my family too and they feel the same. We want our team to win and even go to the Superbowl and win it in Miami especially if they continue to play as they have. But oh oh, if they win the Superbowl without my son, what would be the real outcome with the fans? Will they crucify him? Maybe, then the trade talks would begin. Off season madness, worse than last year's fiasco. But guess what, I guess I'll have to take the beating if it comes. I would have to hope that scenario of the madness would not happen or be that bad. Well let's wait and see. Bitter sweet.

I really don't see what the big deal is. What do you expect this woman to say? I think what she is saying is the natural truthful reaction that any mother would have. After all her son has been through in Philly, she wants to see him at the helm of this team as they march towards the playoffs with the potential to make some real noise.

I also think the sentiment she expresses above may be arising from the media reports and talk radio chatter ridiculously claiming that the team is much better off with Garcia than McNabb. Although, if she hasn't learned to tune out the Angelo Cataldis, Joes from Fishtown and Vinnys from Passyunk Ave of the Delaware Valley, then she really is going to have a tough time surviving the rest of D Mac's career.

Hopefully, Mama McNabb will chill out a bit. She's getting all worked up over nothing. Once D Mac gets back on the field next year and gives his usual "Mr. September" performance, everything will be fine. However, things will get real interesting next year when D Mac hits his annual October slump. If the Red Headed Latino is still calling Philly home, we could have a real controversy on our hands.

Texas Bowl Tonight!

Tonight, make sure you don't miss your (if you're from NJ) Rutgers University Scarlet Knights take on the Kansas State Wildcats in the inaugural Texas Bowl on the NFL Network at 8 pm. (Hopefully, you are lucky enough to have the channel. A good part of the people in this area don't have it.)

The 10-2 Scarlet Knights are a touchdown favorite over the 7-5 Wildcats and trying to win their first bowl game in school history. An interesting factoid is that they are the only school in a BCS Conference without a bowl victory in their history. That fact flat out floors me, but I have a good feeling that the streak may end this evening.

Lets go Knights, time to make NJ proud and convert more of the non-believers.

R-U, Rah, Rah,

R-U, Rah, Rah,

Whoo-Raa, Whoo-Raa;Rutgers Rah

Up-Stream Red Team;Red Team Up-Stream

Rah, Rah,Rutgers Rah!!

TOP 5 SPORTS MOVIE OF ALL TIME

I caught "We Are Marshall" tonight. I was flat out blown away and totally endorse this movie as one you should all see. It immediately moved into my sports movie top 5 along with Slapshot, The Natural, Raging Bull and Hoosiers.

I was aware of the basic facts surrounding the 1970 plane crash that killed 75 Marshall University players, coaches, and fans, but I had no idea about how the football program rose from the ashes to play the very next season. I'm sure there was some literary license taken from time to time, but the scene with Bobby Bowden when he was with West Virginia was phenominal.

There were so many goose bump moments, I lost count. Additionally, there were some outstanding performances, including the one turned in by the kid that played Marshall defensive back, Nate Ruffin. Matthew Fox (aka Charlie from Lost and Party of Five) was pretty damn good in this movie as well. The only thing I didn't really care for was Matthew McConaughey's performance, but he did deliver maybe the best pep talk ever captured on film before the climatic game.

Wow, I'm full of hyperbole tonight, huh?

Seriously, go check this novie out. You won't be disappointed.

Please Excuse This Mess, We Are Still Under Construction

Sorry for the butchered posts lately, guys. I need to put some more time and effort into proofreading some of these posts as the typos and mistakes are becoming much too common. I'm better than that. I hope you'll see improvement in the near future.

The End Of An Era

As many of you know, I am a huge Rutgers University football fan. I’m sure many of you also know that my favorite player to ever play for the school is current Rutgers fullback, Brian Leonard. Tomorrow night Brian will play his last game in the Scarlet and White and I’m truly saddened.

I used to think it was incredibly hokey when I’d see how big a deal UNC, Duke or some huge SEC football power would make out of senior day by retiring numbers and creating a big emotional scene. I guess it’s because I never had anything to compare it to. Now that Brian Leonard is about to play his last game, I finally understand.

I could go on and on about how great a player he was and what he meant to the program, but I’ll let Hall of Famer, Jerry Izenberg of the Star Ledger do that. These snippets from his NJ.com article today frame Leonard’s RU career perfectly:

Rutgers, the school that started the whole thing 137 years ago and wandered for so many decades, lost in a kind of Football Death Valley, will play in its third bowl game over all that time tomorrow night in the Texas Bowl against Kansas State. Over all those years, two names stand above the combined Rutgers roster now in its third century.
You can talk about an undefeated team or two. You can talk about a spectacular victory or two. But when it comes to what you need to fill a football pantheon with heroes, you get a little light in the display case -- until now.
Over the test of time, only two names stand head and shoulder pads above all the rest -- Paul Robeson and Homer Hazel ... two college football Hall of Famers ... two long-gone standard-bearers of a time when Rutgers played in Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field ... when Walter Camp was alive and well and picking the only acknowledged All-America teams.
*******
Brian Leonard punched his own ticket to ride in this elite company in so many ways it boggles the mind. That he even went to Rutgers is part fairy tale and part morality play. What he did when he got there is all superstar. And what he surely will be involved in tomorrow night (because he is involved in so much of what Rutgers football has become) could present that punctuation mark that stamps him with the best of all that Rutgers football has been for parts of there centuries.
He is the school's all-time leading scorer and leader in career rushing attempts, touchdowns and pass receptions and second on the entire list of active NCAA players in all-purpose touchdowns.
Additionally, he won the national scholar-athlete and sportsmanship awards. If there were no Brian Leonard, Rutgers would have had to invent him. He is the glue that has held together the greatest long-term turnaround in college football history.
********
This is the kid who scored more touchdowns than anyone in the history of New York state high school football but chose to go to Rutgers over Syracuse and Notre Dame and what seems like half the other colleges in the free world. He did it out of loyalty to the school that did not turn its back on his older brother when injuries put him out of football.
********
"Is he the best all-time, all-purpose Rutgers ever had?" Schiano said later. "I never saw the other two, but he very well may be. He legitimized this program when he decided not to jump to the NFL. He stayed and led us on the field and in the locker room.
"The best ever at Rutgers? You know," he said, pausing to think of all he's done for the Schiano Knights, "yeah, he could be."

Although, the one thing Jerry lacks to mention is probably the thing I’ll remember most about Brian Leonard. People forget that Leonard was a Heisman candidate coming into the season. (There was even an ad campaign for him in Times Square.) To Brian's credit, he sacrificed his own stats to block for the new Heisman Candidate, Ray Rice, and help the team to its best season in 30 years. Can you see many other of today's pampered athletes making such a sacrifice? I didn't think so.

However, what I’ll remember in addition to his skills on the gridiron is this picture:

Look at his face. It’s tough to tell who is happier to be there. This kid has no pretense about him. He is a leader. He is a player/student you can be proud of. He is the "new" Rutgers Football.

On a Philly related note, I might cry tears of joy if the Eagles are lucky enough to draft Leonard next year. (Yes, to say I have a man crush on this guy is probably an understatement.)

EMAIL OF THE DAY

Check out this classic from my buddy Tony G:

Three words for you to live by: God Bless Garcia. I’ve come to be more open minded about people’s “preferences”. Hey T.O., the rainbow is all good.

Amen, my man. Amen. I become very open minded when a guy helps our Birds beat up the 'Boys and puts us in position to win the NFC East.

“Hi, My Name Is Tony And I Was Wrong About This Team”

As you all have seen from my many posts on this site, after McNabb went down for the year, I gave up on this team altogether. I think you all will admit, I was far from the only one. I, like most of the national and local media, wrote them off. The Birds’ current 4 game winning streak has shown me that I have no clue what the hell I was talking about. I thought when they were sitting at 5-6, the Birds would be lucky to win one more game. Thankfully, I was wrong.

As I sat here thinking about this team today, I figured that if you take two plays away from this season - Michael Lewis failing to fall on that fumble in the first Giants game; and Matt Bryant’s 62 yard field goal to beat the Birds in Tampa - the team would be 11-4 right now and I’d be viewing their chances for playoff success a whole lot differently. Basically, the Birds are two flukey plays away from a whole lot of people considering them this year’s favorites in the NFC.

Once you couple how well the Eagles are playing right now with the current state of the NFC, there is a decent shot that this team may actually end up in Miami. Wow, that is pretty scary, huh? I’m just ecstatic that this team proved me wrong. It may have been the best Christmas present I received this year.

Random Thoughts on Yesterday’s Game

Play of The Game: For me, it was Quentin Mikell’s fourth and goal tackle of Marion Barber. It definitely set the tone for the defense's performance against the run. This play narrowly defeated the 65 yard pass play to LJ Smith. Kudos to my father in law for calling LJ as his player of the game prior to kick off.

Call off the Missing Person alert, we found Darren Howard. Before his third quarter sack yesterday, I was starting to think he had been kidnapped.

Romo-mania is dead: This guy is now a celebri-QB. He’s done. He’ll go down as one of the great one hit wonders of NFL history. Right now, he’s nothing more than Bobby Hoying in my eyes (ie, a guy that plays great for a month and then falls apart once the league gets a book on him). I hope he has fun with his week or two of dating the American Idol chick because she’s going to dump his ass right after he gets benched going into next year. Seriously, I knew we had this one in the bag when NBC showed Romo flirting with Carrie Underwood prior to the game. If I was a Cowboys’ fan, that would have totally p*ssed me off.

T.O. is a non factor – I think yesterday clinched it. The NFL media has had enough of T.O. Both Sean Salisbury and Joe Theismann said that T.O. is only an average NFL wide receiver and the media attention should stop. I hope these guys live up to that statement.

Time Management – Nice job by the coaching staff and offense driving down the field late in the first half to set up Akers’ 45 yard field goal. This may be the first time in Andy Reid’s tenure that I can make such a statement.

I normally can’t stand Phil Sheridan, but this is an outstanding lead in to his column in today’s Inky.

The true measure of what transpired here on Christmas evening, of the transfer of power in the NFC East, escaped the attention of the TV cameras.

After the Eagles' singularly impressive 23-7 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, none other than agent Drew Rosenhaus ran off the field with his arm around a wide receiver he represents: It was Donté Stallworth, not Terrell Owens. Rosenhaus was running up the Eagles' tunnel, not the Cowboys'.

Next client.

I just hope we re-sign the guy. Stallworth means a ton to this team right now, and is a favorite of both McNabb and Garcia.

Streaky Team: For those who haven’t noticed, this team started 4-1, then lost 4 out of their next five, and are are currently on a four game winning streak. Weird season, huh?

B-Dawk looks like “The Say Hey Kid”: What a catch yesterday. That interception was simply amazing. I wonder if Aaron Rowand could make a similar catch of a baseball.

“It All Starts Up Front”

I was thinking about my approach to yesterday’s game and came across this comment from Domo’s article in today’s Daily News:

There might be another NFL offensive line playing better than the Eagles' right now, but for the life of me, I don't know which one it might be. Neither do the Dallas Cowboys.
The Eagles' offense thoroughly dominated the Cowboys in yesterday's 23-7 win. Racked up 426 yards. Put together not one, not two, but three 7-minute scoring drives. Rushed for 204 yards. Threw for 238 yards.
Andy Reid loves to tell us it starts up front, and that's exactly where it started yesterday. The offensive line manhandled the Cowboys' front seven from start to finish.

The above pretty much says it all about yesterday’s victory. The Birds o-line came out last night and punched Dallas’ front seven right in the jaw. The Red Headed Latino rarely got touched and every time I looked up it seemed that Westbrook and Buck were picking up five yards a clip.

I know the offensive line is not a sexy position to talk about and Jeff Garcia and B West rightly deserve praise, but I think the biggest difference on this team from last year is Jamaal Jackson at center and Todd Heremans at left guard. They are light years better than the guys they replaced: Honeybuns Fraley and Artis Hicks. Then, once you throw in Shawn Andrews’ development into the best guard I’ve seen in the NFL since Larry Allen, as well as the continued consistent professional performances we’re getting from William “Tra” Thomas and Runyan, you can see why this team is one win away from their fifth division title in six years.

If this team does anything this year, the offensive line will be a major, major factor. It’s time to give the Big Uglies some love.

PSP's Christmas Presents

Ho Ho Ho readers....it's time for the Philly Sports Phans to hand out his Christmas Gifts for the year. After the debacles we’ve suffered through this past year, it would be really easy to give a giant lump of coal to many of the teams in town, but I've decided to be a bit more creative in my gift giving this year. So, without further adieu....

To the Phillies: I give them a disfiguring motor cycle accident to Pat Burrell similar to the one that befell Big Ben Roethlisberger. Ok...Ok...I know you're asking yourself..."how the hell would that be a present??" Well, I'm figuring if Pat the Bat messes up his pretty face, he'll spend less time chasing broads at the Center City night spots and spend more time in the batting cage getting his swing back in order. (Or maybe we’d get the same result if the guy just settled down and got married, but I like my scenario better.) If Burrell can regain his former status as a dependable home run bat in the lineup, the Phils will have found the right handed hitter to protect Ryan Howard that they spent all offseason searching for.

Phillies Stocking Stuffer: A reliever or two to unexpectedly shake out of a tree and stabilize a bullpen that looks pretty sparse at the moment.

To The Eagles: A favorable playoff draw. I like this team against anyone in the horrid NFC except the Saints in N’Awlins and maybe a first round game against the G Men. Unfortunately, this is how it looks like it is going to play out, so I’m a bit nervous as the playoffs approach.

Eagles Stocking Stuffer: Some playing time for Brodrick Bunkley. It is ridiculous that JJ is not giving this kid PT. The only way he is going to develop is to get on the field. I think it is preposterous that this kid can't give you more than what Darwin Walker, Mike Patterson and Sam Rayburn do on a down to down basis.

To The Sixers: An injury to Andre Miller. I'm pretty afraid that this guy may make this team respectable enough to keep out us out of the first five picks of next year's draft. I'm looking for an injury that’s not so serious to hinder his long term health, but something that will keep him out of the lineup for most of the rest of the year.

Sixers Stocking Stuffer: The continued develop of Iggy on the offensive end. Since AI was jettisoned from the team, the new AI seems much more aggressive on the offensive end. Let's hope that continues.

To The Flyers: I don't think I have enough space to list all the gifts this franchise needs. I'll just settle on giving on them some team dumb enough to trade the Orange & Black some decent prospects and picks for Peter Forsberg. Foppa is done and wants to call it quits. It sure looks like he’s tired of the losing, the skate problems and the injuries. I just hope the Flyers can pry some future assets out of a team that wants to rent him for the rest of the year.

Flyers Stocking Stuffer: A veto button for Ed Snider. Ed Snider needs to veto any trade Holmgren wants to make coming down the stretch of this season that eats up any more cap space. Going into next year, the Flyers should have a ton of dough to spend on free agents to remake this team so it better fits in the "new NHL", which is brutal by the way.

To The City of Philadelphia: Hope for a Championship. After 23 years without a title, I do not have to explain to a single reader why this is so important to us as phans. We all see the flaws with the Birds and realize they likely would have little chance against the AFC rep should they some how get through the NFC, but at least this team gives the city hope. After yesterday, Jeff Garcia has become a folk legend in this town and all of Philly is ready to rally around him as the Birds steam towards the playoffs.

As for our other teams, the Phils appear to have squandered another offseason where they could have grabbed this city by the throat and taken control, but it looks like they didn’t do enough to improve the lineup or the bullpen, which will doom them to once again finishing a few games short of the postseason. The Winter teams are both years away from contention, but decent lottery picks and free agent pickups this offseason could sure speed up the process and get us excited for 07-08.

Ok….now on to my Eagles review from last night’s brilliant performance.

On Absolute Fire!!!!

Belive it or not, but your One...Two...Three...Four...Five....Sixers have won 2 straight!!! In case you were too caught up in the holiday season, they beat up on the Knicks last night, 98-77.

After one game together, it is quite apparent that with Andre Miller and Joe Smith on board, you cannot stop this team...you can only hope to contain them. I'm convinced that as a result of the AI trade, Billy King may be canonized out in front of the Wachovia Center.

Ok, I might be getting a little ahead of myself, but seriously, a true point guard sure makes a difference. I only watched about five minutes a game, but Andre Miller's court awareness sure seems to open things up for Iggy, C Webb and the rest of the crew. Plus, these guys aren't such bad shooters when they can get open looks....Who knew?? Anyhow, I'm always a bit skeptical though, so we'll how long this lasts.

On the lottery pick front, I watched bits of the Ohio St./Florida game yesterday, which featured OSU's Greg Oden, of course, but also Florida big men Joakim Noah and Al Horford. Florida pretty much laid the wood to the Buckeyes, 86-60. It was pretty easy to see why the whole world is in love with Oden, but he was tired out by the Florida big men duo and in foul trouble most of the second half. However, I was once again pretty impressed with Florida's Noah and Horford. Noah is so "long" and active on both ends of the floor. He brings a great intensity and infectious enthusiasm to the game. Nevertheless, Horford seems to have a greater "upside potential" compared to Noah.

Honestly, I'd be ecstatic to end up with any of these three guys. I just hope that the addition of Andre Miller doesn't help the Sixers win too many games and take us out of contention for the number one pick. Who are we kidding though, that is exactly how this is going to play out. It would be too "unPhilly-like" for any other result.

It's Almost Here!!!

No, not Christmas, my friends. Monday's NFC East showdown with Tony Homo, OD, and the Big Tuna. I found this on You Tube. It kind of sets the tone...if you are into Eminem, I guess:

Wonderful Description of Your Philadelphia Flyers

I totally stole this avatar from some guy on a Flyers message board, but it makes me laugh pretty hard so I figured I'd share. Enjoy.

It's All Over! It's All Over!!!

Believe it or not, but one of your Philadelphia winter sports actually won a game this evening. Our long citywide nightmare is finally over!!! The 20 game Flyers/Sixers combined losing streak is kaput! On the strength of Andre Iguodala's career high 31 points, the Sixers knocked off the Boston Celtics 98-83, who were without leading scorer Paul Pierce.

Admittedly, I did not watch one second of tonight's game, but I did listen to the last minute of the game on the way home form Christmas Shopping. I don't know if that makes me a bandwagon jumper or an opportunist. I'm going with the latter.

Now, let's see if the Orange & Black can follow suit sometime before the All Star Break. I'm not very optimistic on that front

God, I Loved This Team

Wow...this brings back memories of what a defense is supposed to look like.

The NFL Has Slick Balls

While reading today's Paul Domowitch article in the Daily News, I finally found an excuse for all T.O.'s dropped balls this season. Slick balls. Take a look at Domo's interesting theory:

Garcia and Feeley aren't the only quarterbacks complaining about the slickness of the Wilson Sporting Goods-manufactured footballs the NFL is using this season. The same complaint can be heard in almost every locker room. Quarterbacks and team equipment managers have been voicing their displeasure to Wilson and the league since the first shipment of footballs, with new commissioner Roger Goodell's signature on them, arrived just before the season.

"The ball definitely is slicker than what it used to be," Eagles equipment manager John Hatfield said. "There's still a problem with them."

The NFL downplayed griping about the football.

"I don't think anyone's hearing a lot of complaints about it, other than the normal ones you hear from time to time from players," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

But Hatfield and three other NFL equipment managers that the Daily News spoke with all said the quarterbacks' complaints are justified.

"They had a problem this summer up in Ohio where they make the balls," Hatfield said. "They had a humidity problem in the curing process [of the leather]."

Wilson, which has been the exclusive provider of footballs for the NFL since 1941, usually produces most of its footballs earlier in the year, when the Ohio weather is cooler and they have a bigger batch of balls from which to select the 720 "NFL-worthy" balls they send to each team.

But after Goodell was named commissioner on Aug. 8, the league informed Wilson it wanted a whole new supply of Goodell-signature balls delivered to teams in time for the start of the regular season.

Doug Wisner, a marketing analyst for Wilson footballs, acknowledged that a summer heat wave in Ohio affected the production of the Goodell footballs.

"When there's a humidity problem, what happens is the pebble definition [on the ball] isn't as great," he said. "That did occur this summer. There was a big heat wave right when we were producing the footballs. It's not that it made the balls slick. But the pebble definition wasn't as great, which makes the ball slicker. Basically, after they brushed them down, they did have a slicker ball. But after Week 3 or 4, we didn't hear many complaints."

Wilson initially thought the NFL would use the old Paul Tagliabue-signature balls for much, if not all, of this season. But the league made it clear both to Wilson and its teams that that wasn't an option. They had a new commissioner and they would open the season with Goodell footballs, even if they were slicker than a greased pig.

"The new commissioner was selected Aug. 8," Aiello said. "Why would we want to go into the regular season with balls that had Paul's name on them when he no longer was the commissioner?"

So, Wilson worked overtime in August to produce a new supply for the NFL. Humidity wasn't their only problem. Under normal circumstances, Wilson doesn't make special footballs for the NFL. It makes a big batch, inspects them and designates the cream of the crop for the NFL. The rest are shipped to retail stores.

According to Wisner, only one out of every 10 balls Wilson makes is deemed "NFL-worthy." But because they had much less time to make and send the new Goodell balls to NFL teams, balls that previously wouldn't have been considered up to NFL standards, now were.

"It kind of goes back to the way we had to handle it this year as opposed to years past," Wisner said. "Last year, the Eagles could get 200 balls up front. They could break them in and they could have them ready [to use] in June. Each game, [Donovan] McNabb or Garcia would have 200 balls to choose from. This year, we've been sending them 12 per week or whatever. And they're kind of at the mercy of the 12 that get sent. It wasn't just a matter of producing enough balls for the NFL. It was producing enough quality balls."

Wisner acknowledged that trying to accommodate the NFL's desire for Goodell balls on such short notice was "problematic."

As soon as the first batch of Goodell balls arrived on teams' doorsteps, most equipment managers realized they were much slicker than usual. Several, including the Eagles' Hatfield, called the league office and tried to persuade them to let them use the old Tagliabue footballs instead of the new ones.

Ray Anderson, a former agent who is the league's new vice president of football operations, said no way. Eventually, he told teams they could use the Tagliabue balls as backup game balls, but the "live" game balls (the ones that are actually used) could be only Goodell balls.

As with most things to do with the NFL these days, the league's decision to have Wilson rush Goodell footballs into production last summer and make teams use them right away was influenced primarily by the almighty dollar. According to one source close to the situation, the league's marketing people wanted to get the Goodell balls on the retail shelves as quickly as possible. And it wouldn't help sales if the league still used the old Tagliabue balls.

The NFL's Aiello said that's nonsense.

"That had nothing to do with it," he said. "It was simply a matter of the ball reflecting that we had a new commissioner. Since the ball has the commissioner's name on it, why would you want to use a ball with the old commissioner's name on it?"

The league also managed to get some good PR out of the ball switch, donating 8,000 of the old Tagliabue footballs to high school teams across the country.

Surprisingly, the slick ball hasn't seemed to have hurt player performance this season. Through 15 weeks, average completion percentage actually is up slightly over last year at this time (from 59.5 to 60.0). Fumbles have dropped from 709 after 15 weeks last season to 676 this year. Same with dropped passes. According to STATS, there were 820 drops last season. Through 15 weeks this season, there have been only 661, which projects to 755 for the season.

Is it me or is this one of the more bizarre stories written this year? I can't believe this guy did so much research to determine the validity of the players' claims that this year's balls are unusually slick. I'm guessing it must have been a slow news day over at the Nova Care complex because there had to be something more interesting to write about than this goofy conspiracy theory.

Romo-Mania Must Be Stopped!!!!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick and tired of Cowboys QB, Tony Romo and his so called Rags to Riches story. Sorry, I'm not buying it. I can't take any more of his "aw shucks" attitude and "cat that ate the canary" grin. His act seems smarmy and forced.

How on earth is one man fortunate enough to:

(1) be a a scratch golfers who fall a stroke short of qualifying for the U.S. Open;
(2) be linked romantically to a hot ass broad like Jessica Simpson; and
(3) be, last but not least, a Pro Bowl Quarterback after only 8 friggin' starts!

Plus, the one thing that really gets me pissed off is that all preseason Dallas fans were chanting up this unknown guy up like he was the next Tom Brady story just waiting for his chance to play and for Christ sakes, they were f'n right. He does appear to be a damn good QB. Why does such fortune always happen to the Cowboys???

When is Philly going to be lucky enough to unearth its next star sitting at the end of their bench? I'll answer my own question...It's never happening here in Philly. Things like that don't happen to us. They only happen in a city that allowed a President to be killed and gave us the single most famous cliff hanger in TV history.

In previous years, I could take solace in the fact that we had a stud defense who would put a foot in this pretty boy's ass and make him earn every yard, but we no longer have that kind of defense. Due to our lack of a pass rush, it could be an awfully frustrating Christmas evening against Romo and the rest of the Cowboys' offense. Although, if Santa could bring me just one gift, it would be for JJ to pull a coverage scheme out of his ass which confuses the hell out of Romo so that he throws a couple picks.

In any event, the Birds absolutely must save the world from Romo-mania! I don't think the World can take it anymore.

Now Back To The Mess On The Home Front

As for my thoughts on the Sixers’ portion of the Iverson trade, I really like that Andre Miller as added to the deal. This team hasn't had a true point guard since Johnny Dawkins tore his ACL in 1991. His ability to run a team should undoubtedly help the progression of Iggy, Carney and whomever we draft next year. It was also nice that we added the expiring contract of Joe Smith, but will this ever give us cap relief in the near future. I don’t think the Sixers have had cap flexibility since its inception. The arduous salary cap is the one of the biggest reasons I can’t stand the NBA.

Let me just add one thing that has bothered me to no end as the Sixers head towards their much needed rebuilding phase. Since our last title in '83, the Sixers have tried to build their team around the following oddly built players: a 6'4" power forward, a rail thin 7'6" center, and a 6’0” two guard. Iverson and Barkley were absolutely fantastic players, but the Sixers were never able to appropriately surround these guys due to their unique skill set. It was not easy to find the right front court players to play with Barkley or the big point guard AI needed to be paired with. The complimentary players they needed simply do not grow on trees and thus, are pretty damn hard to draft, develop or acquire.

As a result, I think whatever the Sixers decide in the next year or so, they must decide to rebuild with the type of players that are more ideally sized and skilled for the position they play. We've tried the unconventional route and we've seen where it has gotten us. It's similar to the Falcons trying to build their team around Michael Vick, a running QB who refuses to tailor his game towards today's NFL.

By the way, my other piece of advice is that Billy King should not be allowed to be in the same room as the talent evaluators when the rebuilding starts….but I'm guessing you figured that already.

Left Un-Answered

About 305 years ago, a defining member of this city - William Penn - left Philadelphia for his English homeland. Today, another defining citizen of the City of Brotherly Love is on his way out of town.

As everyone has heard by now, AI has been traded to the Nuggets for Andre Miller, the expiring contract of Joe Smith (one of the top five worst #1 Overall Draft Picks of all time), and two late first round picks. Under the circumstances, this is not a horrible deal by Billy King, but that's besides the point right now.

Today is about AI and remembering how he defined the heart and soul of this city for the past decade. I can't think of another athlete that has personified the very being of this city the way AI has. The only guy I can even think of from my life time that you can even mention in the same breath as AI is Bobby Clarke.

AI was the epitome of what we have always wanted in a star athlete. On top of being supremely talented, he had the intangibles that have been missing from other Philly Sports Stars such as D Mac, Lindros, Ricky Watters, Randall, Scott Rolen, Jim Thome, Forsberg, and Barkley. He was fearless, death match competitive, tough as nails, seemingly impervious to pain, cocky, and supremely loyal. He was a latter day Warrior.

In last week's issue of SI, Chris Ballard describes AI's relationship with Philly perfectly:

Philly is a city that falls in love with its sports heroes easily yet tires of them quickly, but it was different with Iverson. From the beginning, Philadelphians saw themselves in him (or at least they hoped they did), and they embraced him for it. Like Philly, he is rough around the edges, uncouth and unpredictable, but his heart is in the right place. He is undersized and plays out of position, but he never took a play off. In a city where effort is prized above talent, he was a workingman's icon.

There are so many moments from AI's career both on and off the court that are simply unforgettable. First and foremost, how can anyone ever forget his run through the 2001 playoffs when AI simply carried the Sixers to the NBA Finals. (The only Philly playoff performances you can even put in the same ballpark are the 2004 run by Keith Primeau, the Dude's 1993 performance in the NLCS and World Series and Ron Hextall's playoff MVP winning performance in the 1987 Stanley Cup Playoffs.) In 2001, AI carried a bunch of muckers and grinders (to borrow a hockey reference) to the championship series by sheer will and determination. During the Eastern Conference Playoffs, he would simply not let our Sixers lose. I envy my buddy the Captain. He was there for just about every game and knew he was witnessing something he'd one day tell his grandkids about.

I'll also remember little moments like the "killer crossover" against Jordan in AI's rookie year and how he reacted when he won the 2001 MVP as he immediately asked "where's coach?", as he wanted Larry Brown to share the spotlight. I'll remember his duel with Vinsanity in the 2001 Eastern Conference Semis. Their battles were simply amazing, a latter day version of Bird vs. 'Nique. Honestly though, I don't have a favorite performance by the Answer. They all kind of molded together over the years as the guy scored 40 or 50 so many times. It's just about impossible to pick a favorite.

He also had the single best professional athlete press conference of all time. For ease of reference, here it is:




Maybe the guy didn't make his teammates better and he sure wasn't going to change his game to develop younger players to help the team rebuild. For this reason, I'm ok with the trade. AI has gone as far as he could with this team and this inept GM. The Sixers owed it to him to send him to another place where he can contend and rejuvenate himself.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you that 'Melo and AI together on the Nuggets will be a match made in Heaven. Melo is obviously the best player AI has ever been paired with, but the Answer has never played nice with another perimeter scorer. For AI's sake, I hope it works out for the best, but I don't think Denver will rise much higher than the 3rd best team in the West.

While I think we're all happy for the guy and wish him the best, I'd rather focus on AI in a Sixers uniform and what it was like to have the privilege of watching him play. Thanks for the Memories AI. You won't soon be forgotten.

Hate to Rain On Our Parade....

But this is our QB. This raises so many questions. First of all, unless you are body builder, no man should oil himself up like this. I will withhold all others and ask you guys to post your best take on the above photo.

I have decided that I will overlook this photo, focus on his abilities on the field and remind myself that he has a Playboy Playmate of the Year fiancee.

Roll With It

After yesterday's latest improbable Eagles' victory, I've made a decision to just roll with this team. We all realize they are fatally flawed. We can all see that the defense can't stop anyone and is over reliant on turnovers. However, I have decided to take the plunge. I'm going to enjoy the ride much like I decided to overlook the Phils' problems this past summer during their playoff run.

Following suit with everyone else in this city, I flat out love how Garcia is running this team. He is making the simple plays. He doesn't take sacks or force balls into coverage (other than that one pick.) He also knows when to take off and run with the ball. He seems to have turned the clock back about 4 years. It sure looks like he has enough left in the tank to keep this roll going for a couple more weeks.

(As an aside, I know that it is starting to become fashionable for some phans to favor Garcia over D Mac. Look, Garcia is a nice backup and has shown that he can carry you when your starter is down, but he is no where close to being the QB that McNabb is. People have to realize that #5 is a stud in his prime. If he stayed healthy, he would have likely had a record setting year. Although, I do hope that McNabb watches these games and learns a few things. I hope he sees from Garcia's play that there are some plays that he has to give up on. It seems the only time D Mac gets in real trouble is when he tries to keep plays alive with his scrambling ability and force passes down field. Maybe the experience of seeing how another QB in this offense runs things will be a good thing.)

I also love that the Birds are running the ball consistently. The offensive line is one of this team's strengths. It would be ridiculous to make these guys backpedal all night as pass blockers. They can clearly open holes for Westbrook and Buck. I hope this strategy continues. Just imagine if this team had a more reliable second option to B West at RB.

In any event, I'm looking forward to Christmas Evening's game with the 'Boys. Can they win? I have no clue. I didn't see them winning last night or in Washington, but what the hell do I know.

Ocho Foldo (Language is NSFW)

To Ocho Cinco:

Thank you for absolutely nothing, you big f'n piece of sh*t! You killed my chances of completing a 3-peat in my fantasy football league and the inevitable purchase of a beer meister. I wish I could take one of those ridiculous tiger striped cleats you wore tonight and stick it straight up your candy ass. I hope you get crabs during the offseason. I will never draft your ass again as long as you are in the NFL.

Congrats Chad, I think you are the first person ever in the history of organized sports to suffer "cramps" in a climate controlled arena in mid-December outside the Sun Belt.

For those of you who blame his lackluster performance on Carson Palmer or his lack of pass protection, you can suck my balls.

Thank you and good night.

Sincerely,


Every Fantasy Owner Who Counted On You Tonight!!!!

Me and The Sports Guy Share a Brain!

For years, me and my buddy Mr. Nascar have argued over the type of players the Sixers should have surrounded AI with. Mr. Nascar was fine with Larry's approach of surrounding AI with a bunch of pluggers that would only play defense and rebound. I on the other hand had a much grander plan. I was very specific on the type of players the Sixers needed. Of course, Larry and Billy King never found the necessary pieces to catapult to the Sixers to the next level.

I have fostered resentment towards the franchise for failing to obtain the pieces I perceived as so vital to any potential success for our 76ers. However, I did get a bit a satisfaction this past Friday when I read the Sports Guy's latest mailbag. When asked about the perfect pieces to compliment to AI, it was if he was reading from my Sixers manifesto. Bill Simmons opined the following:

SG: You'd need a shot-blocking center who could protect him on the defensive end, handle the boards, set picks and not care if he doesn't get a ton of shots (like Emeka Okafor). You'd need a big point guard who could bring the ball up (allowing Iverson to play like a 2-guard), make open 3-pointers and defend 2-guards on the other end (like Shaun Livingston, only if he had a reliable outside shot). You'd need a small forward who couldn't be left alone from 3-point range (like Rashard Lewis). And you'd need a power forward who could protect the rim, score on the low post, set picks and run the floor (like Elton Brand). That's the most ideal situation possible. Out of the current teams, the Clippers come the closest because they already have Brand and Livingston. Anyway, intriguing question.

Bill Simmons knows basketball. Since we share the same exact opinion on a basketball topic, then I, by the transitive property of equality, know basketball. Please give me my props. My sports versatility knows no bounds.

Time to Adjust Their Thinking

Brodrick Bunkley’s disappointing rookie season is a topic that has pretty much been beaten to death in this town. However, if this team is ever going to step up on defense and become something more than they’ve shown through 13 weeks, it’s only going to happen if Bunkley is given a chance. We know we have with the rest of the defensive line. Patterson, Darwin Walker, Cole and Darren Howard aren’t going to add much more than we’ve seen in the past month. Why not give Bunkley a shot? Can he be any worse? I say no, but can he better given more playing time? I say absolutely. To me, this is a no brainer. This is the kind of move that could spark the team and improve the entire defense. You know, just the kind of thing this team needs desperately as it attempts to qualify for the playoffs.

Along the same lines\, I’d go back to Lewis as strong safety and put Considine’s little white ass on the bench. I’ve seen enough of him this year to realize that he’s not a starting quality NFL safety. However, Michael Lewis clearly is an above average strong safety. He just fell in love with the kill shot and it caused him to give up too many big plays. My buddy the Captain, the biggest Eagles homer this side of Merrill Reese, pointed out that Sean Taylor and Roy Williams bite on pass plays all the time trying to make the big hit and they are given carte blanche. Now that Lewis has sat on the sideline and watched his prospects for earning a big contract in free agency dwindle to nearly zero, I think he’s ready to play more reliably.

Come on, Big Red and JJ. It’s time to stop being so damn stubborn and play the kid. I could really give a sh*t if he missed a team plane. The kid has talent. He needs to be on the field.

What We're Losing For

I know many of you are hearing that the only hope for the Sixers to ever contend again is to win the Greg Oden lottery. I'm also pretty sure a fair amount of you are saying who the f*(k is Greg Oden and why should I be excited? Well, that 's why your favorite blogger is here. Here's a quicky highlight film of Oden in high school and at the McDonald's All American Game.

More Heartwarming Flyers Memories

The Flyers really sucked tonight losing 8-4 to the Penguins. Thankfully, someone invented You Tube and we can go back and savor memories like this one.



(Yes, now that I learned how to input You Tube clips into my blog, I'm going to be incredibly lazy.)

A.I......

...is still a Sixer. The trade watch continues!

At this point, I've lost interest in who's still involved and who's lost interest for various reasons. I just want it to be over. I'm tired of hearing about it at this point and just want the inevitably horrible trade to be consumated already!

Question

Hey....is anyone having a hard time posting comments lately? St. Joe's Nick informed he's having a problem. Let me know at tony_dangelis@hotmail.com, if you are experiencing an issue.

For All Those Flyers Phans That Need A Pick Me Up

This team really should have won the Cup. If just one more defenseman didn't suffer a season ending injury, we would have tasted glory.

Oh well...I guess that's how things go in this city.

Note to Self: Don't Piss Off Mr. Snider

In a scene reminiscent to the one six years ago when the team equipment manager was video taped removing the "C" from Eric Lindros' jersey and stitched onto Eric Desjardins', AI's locker was cleaned out and the name plate removed. Of course, the vindictive Mr. Snider made sure there was video tape of this event.

AI deserves better. I hope he's traded to a contender and he wins the title he rightly deserves.

As stated here yesterday, I hope AI is traded to Minnesota, but if he has to end up with another struggling franchise, I hope he becomes a Knick. I might get the NBA League Pass if this happens just to see the chaos that ensues. There is a better than even money chance that AI and Isiah could come to blows inside the first month.

If those two options don't work out, I'm really hoping he ends up in Sacto with Ron Artest. How wonderful would that be? Can you imagine a scenario where AI is the voice of reason? Plus, AI could finally team up with Artest and release that long awaited rap album where he offends one and all.

Hollow Win

While I must apologize for once again being a day late with my Eagles' analysis, I have to admit that I wanted an extra day to let yesterday's 21-19 win over the 'Skins sink in and see if I could talk myself into feeling a bit better about it. After much reflection, I couldn't find a whole lot to get excited about. I still feel pretty hollow after this victory. The Birds got me believing that they were ready to make a push for the division by toying with the 'Skins in the 2nd quarter and then quickly got into bad habits throughout the rest of the game and almost allowed the 'Skins to steal the game. Thank God the Daniel Snyder forgot to wake up Joe Gibbs for the game, because if they had their head coach around, they might not have blown all their time outs before the two minute warning and spared us further agony.

On the bright side, somehow the Birds control their own destiny in the NFC East. If they win out, the NFC East is theirs. However, if you think winning their last three, including the next two on the road against the G Men and the Cowboys, is a possibility, then you, my friend, are much more positive than me and likely need to move out of Negadelphia.

I love what Jeff Garcia is doing for the offense. I really do. I just can't get past how horrible the defense is. The porous run defense was on display again as someone named Ladell Betts ran for 177 yars. More alarmingly, the coverage had some leaks as well and let a QB in his 4th NFL start make some big plays down the field. Thankfully, the defense tightened up when it had to and got two big plays out of rookie, Omar Gaither - who has made more plays in two games than Dhani and McCoy have made all year - and Michael Lewis - who shook off the rust and looked pretty spry streaking down the sideline with a second quarter TD interception return.

Who knows, maybe it's just the state of the NFL these days. The Boys' D got trounced on Sunday night by the Saints and the Colts looked like Baylor University playing against those old Barry Switzer Oklahoma Sooners' wishbone offenses of the 70's and 80's. The Pats had trouble with Joey Harrington and the 'Phins. Even the Bears gave up 27 to the Rams tonight. However, at least those teams have shown they can stop a team from time to time. Our Birds haven't stopped anyone since the first Redskins game, which is tough to count since it was in a rain storm.

As a result, I'm still skeptical, but I still think the Birds can make the playoffs at 8-8 if they beat Ron Mexico, his STD's and the Falcons on New Year's Eve. Yes, I'm finally showing a little positivity. I hope that appeases my main man, the Captain. After all my criticism of late, I woke up to find a fish wrapped in newspaper on my front step. I think he's trying to send a message.

Random Thought on the AI Saga

If there is a God in heaven, AI will get traded to Minnesota. Sure, it will be interesting to see him and KG try to win a title. However, I have more selfish plans. If he does go the Land of 10,000 Lakes, I am immediately going pitch a reality show to ESPN, HBO or anyone interested to have AI and his posse followed by a film crew as they adjust to the wonderful Great White North of Minnesota.

The pilot episode can be based upon AI and posse trying to find a new night club and home to their liking. A follow up could show AI and crew trying to shovel his Bentley out of a snow drift, dealing with their first significantly cold winter. Another great episode could focus on his posse going ice fishing while AI is at practice.

Frankly, the possibilities are endless. If you thought the Osbornes was must see TV, I think this show would blow it away.

PSP's EAGLES' PREDICTION

This one won't be popular....

After last week's late game heroics enabled the Birds to get a win over Carolina and move themselves back into contention for the debacle that is the NFC Wildcard Race, it seems that the whole city has gone overboard and forgotten the fact that this team's defense is still totally inept and Jeff Garcia is still 37 years old (although he does feel like a young 37). Since I consider myself a bit more centered and realistic when it comes to the Birds' chances, I have not been sucked into thinking that today will be a walk over against the struggling 'Skins.

If I'm Al Saunders, I give the ball 40+ times to Ladell Betts and see if the porous Birds' run defense can stop him. Such an approach won't be sexy, but it will be effective. I see the Birds defense giving up a ton of yards, but stiffening in red zone and holding the Skins to only 13 points. However, I think Garcia and the offense comes back to earth and commits a bunch of turnovers.

As a result, I see the Birds losing a boring, sloppy, maddening 13-10 game. At least I'll get some satisfaction today from decorating the Christmas Tree.

New Jersey Italians Unite and Celebrate!

One of our own has been named the Home Depot Coach of the Year for 2006. Way to go Greg Schiano. Way to make your fellow NJ paisans proud!

ATLANTA, Ga. – Rutgers University head football coach Greg Schiano, who has been the architect of one of the best turnaround stories in college football, will be named The Home Depot "Coach of the Year" during a live telecast of the 2006 Home Depot College Football Awards tonight from 7-9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Sophomore running back Ray Rice is one of three finalists for the Maxwell Award, honoring college football's player of the year, which will also be presented at the award show.

"It is an honor to be recognized as The Home Depot Coach of the Year," said Schiano. "This award is a true reflection of all the great people here at Rutgers."

Schiano guided the Scarlet Knights to just their second 10-win season in school history (137 seasons) in 2006, including a thrilling, come-from-behind 28-25 victory over then third-ranked Louisville on Nov. 9 at Rutgers Stadium.

Rutgers achieved its first top-10 ranking in school history this season as the Scarlet Knights have been ranked for 10 consecutive weeks, the longest stretch ever for a Rutgers squad.

Plus, my man turned down "The U" to stay at RU. What a guy!

Someone Agrees With My Expert Opinion

Remember last week when I said the Birds need to tear it down and blow it up on defense, but the offense only needs some minor changes? Well, according to yesterday's Daily News, an AFC Scout agrees with me. This is a very interesting read. Enjoy:

THE EAGLES are a wobbly 6-6 with just two wins in their last seven games. But they live in the land of opportunity, the NFC, where second and third and fourth chances seem to grow on trees; where it's never over until it's over. And even then, it's still not over.

So, it's still OK to dream. Still OK to believe that the Eagles maybe, just maybe will emerge from the December chaos with a playoff invitation.

At some point, though, maybe on New Year's Day or maybe a week or 2 or 3 later, this season is going to end and thoughts both inside the NovaCare Complex and out are going to turn to next season.

Everyone has an opinion on what the Eagles need to do in the offseason to become a legitimate Super Bowl contender again. You have one. I have one. Their middle linebacker has one.

Sometimes you can see something more clearly from a distance than from up close, though. So I decided to seek an outside opinion. Called a respected AFC personnel man I've known for more than 20 years. He is well-versed on the Eagles because they are one of 12 teams he is responsible for breaking down and evaluating. He has watched hours of tape on them and seen several of their games in person.

I asked him to put himself in general manager Tom Heckert's seat and tell me what he sees - and doesn't see - when he looks at the Eagles' roster.

Some of his conclusions:

• The offense is, for the most part, fine. Re-sign Donté Stallworth. Add another No. 3-type wideout. Add another running back, preferably a bigger short-yardage/goal-line-type guy to rotate with Brian Westbrook.

Re-sign Jeff Garcia as backup insurance for Donovan McNabb in case he isn't ready to go by next September or gets hurt again. Then call it a day.

• The most pressing problem defensively isn't the front four or even the linebackers. It's the secondary. Cornerback and safety need to be high priorities in both free agency and the draft. Lito Sheppard is the only "A" cornerback they have, and his size (5-10) is a problem against the league's taller wide receivers. Sheldon Brown can't tackle and has regressed as a cover man. Free safety Brian Dawkins is on the downside of his career and has a year, maybe 2, left as a starter. Mike Lewis isn't worth re-signing and his replacement, Sean Considine, will never be anything more than a good special-teams player.

• Put Dhani Jones and Matt McCoy on the next flight out of Philadelphia. Neither can play. Chris Gocong, the Eagles' 2005 third-round pick, should be able to step in and start in Jones' strongside spot next season, assuming his neck injury isn't a recurring problem. Omar Gaither is good enough to replace McCoy on the weakside. But the Eagles need to draft an eventual replacement for middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. He's strictly an inside run-stopper with no more than 2 semiproductive years left. If the Eagles are planning to eventually move Gaither into Trotter's spot, then they need to bring in a weakside linebacker. Shawn Barber is perfect in the nickel role he's in. His knees wouldn't hold up to an every-down pounding.

• Eagles fans need to get off Brodrick Bunkley's case. Yes, he needed to be productive as a rookie. But that's yesterday's news. Bottom line: He's still going to be a very good player.

• The Eagles weren't idiots in giving defensive tackle Mike Patterson a contract extension so soon. Patterson is a good player who is only going to get better. He and Bunkley will give the Eagles a solid tackle tandem for years. Darwin Walker is too inconsistent. Sam Rayburn showed promise his first couple of years but hasn't done much since. One of the Eagles' free-agency priorities should be a 325-pound, sun-blocking defensive tackle to back up Patterson and Bunkley and stop the bleeding when teams start gashing them with the run.

• The Eagles will never get their money's worth from Jevon Kearse or Darren Howard. They overrated the abilities of both. The emergence of '05 fifth-round pick Trent Cole offsets that a little bit, but not enough. Once Bunkley starts making a contribution inside, that should make the ends a little more productive. They're still going to need to add another defensive end in the offseason, though, because Juqua Thomas is going to attract interest from a number of 3-4 teams that like him as a pass-rushing linebacker. Jerome McDougle needs to be on the same flight with Jones and McCoy.

The Eagles like Stallworth. A lot. They haven't attempted to re-sign him yet because they wanted to see if he could stay healthy for more than a couple of games before they throw a lot of money at him.

In the six games he's been at or close to 100 percent physically this season, he has 27 receptions and four touchdowns and is averaging 20.6 yards per catch. The problem is, the more productive he is in the remaining games, the more free-agent suitors he will have and the larger his price tag will get.

But the AFC personnel man believes re-signing him is an absolute must for the Eagles. "If Stallworth's out there, it's not a bad skill group," he said. "But they need him - or somebody like him - to push [Reggie] Brown. Because Brown is no better than a No. 2. And they need to add another [No. 3] receiver. God bless Hank Baskett. He's a nice story. But he is who he is. L.J. Smith has the ability to be in the top tier of tight ends in the league, but he has to become more consistent."

He believes it's mandatory that the Eagles bring in a bigger running back to back up Westbrook. Like Baskett, Correll Buckhalter is a nice, heartwarming story, and there's a place for him in a three-back rotation.

But the personnel man feels the Eagles need a pile-mover.

"They need another runner," he said. "They really don't have another runner besides Westbrook right now. They have a bunch of other guys back there, but none of them can play.

"I thought they were going to get T.J. Duckett this summer. That would have been a good combination. He was productive in Atlanta down near the goal line. Had 26 or something touchdowns in 3 years. I think they need that."

The scout likes the Eagles' offensive line. Thinks right guard Shawn Andrews and center Jamaal Jackson are outstanding young players. Thinks 33-year-old right tackle Jon Runyan still is playing at a very high level and has another 2 or 3 good years left. Thinks rookie second-rounder Winston Justice, who has been inactive for all 12 games, was a good pick who will make a fine left-tackle replacement for William Thomas, perhaps as soon as next year. Thinks rookie fourth-rounder Max Jean-Gilles was another good pick who probably will replace Todd Herremans at left guard next season.

"Their offensive line is going to be very good for the foreseeable future," he said. "I went back and looked at preseason tape of Justice and Gilles and both of them are going to be pretty good. Justice isn't playing because they ended up getting probably better play out of Thomas than they expected. So there's been no need to play him yet. They're getting ripped because he's a second-round pick and isn't playing. But so what? Three years from now, they'll be going, 'Hey, that was a pretty good pick.' "

Defensively, the scout has concerns about the Eagles' secondary. Big concerns.

"They've got some major issues in the secondary," he said. "That's where I think the problem is going to be in the next couple of years. Lito is a pretty good corner, but his size hurts him. Brown is a 'B' corner at best. Dawkins is definitely on the downside, and they don't have another safety. Other than Sheppard, Dawkins right now might be the best guy in their secondary. And that's not good. At this stage of his career, you want him to be the fourth best guy.

"They're going to have to draft a corner high next year. I don't think they'll be willing to spend a lot of money on one in free agency because that's one of those positions that scares you [in free agency]. You don't know what you're getting."

The scout thinks the Eagles also need to find two new safeties, one to eventually replace Dawkins and another to be their long-term strong safety. He doesn't think Sean Considine is the answer at either.

"I thought I was going to like Considine," he said. "Because he was tackling on special teams when he was just doing that.

But now that he's playing [on defense], he's getting exposed. He's just a guy."

Up front, the Eagles have drawn heavy criticism for Bunkley's failure to contribute this season and for signing Patterson, their '05 No. 1 pick, to a long-term extension.

"Patterson is as strong as [bleep]," the AFC personnel guy said. "And Bunkley's going to be fine. Rookie defensive linemen, particularly tackles, take time. People want these guys to come in here and be Warren Sapp from day one. It doesn't happen. People have to be patient with guys like that."

The scout feels the Eagles' biggest problem at the defensive-end position right now is the small contribution they're getting from Howard, who was signed as a free agent last offseason.

"They're just not getting very good play from him right now," he said. "That's the one that's hurt them a little bit up front. He's just not making a lot of plays. He always plays hard, but sometimes, you just don't know.

"I mean, Jevon isn't what they thought they were going to get when they got him, either. That's the problem with signing these free agents. I'd much rather pay my own guys, and the Eagles have done that. But if you guess wrong a couple of times - like they did with McDougle, like they did with McCoy and some of other linebackers they've drafted - then you've got to step out of the box and take a chance on free agents. And a lot of times, that's a bigger crapshoot than the draft."

I dare my buddies like the Captain and Mike B. to dispute what this guy says. I have to admit, I thought Sheldon was more highly valued throughout the league. I suppose I was wrong.

And You Thought The Eagles and Flyers Couldn't Play Defense?

I know the Sixers suck and I really shouldn't kick a team while they are down, but how do you let the offensively inept Bulls (a team that starts three guys that can score and 2 that have about as much offensive ability as Sammy Dalembert) score 69 points in the first half alone!?!?!?!?!

Yes, the Birds' defense has been brutal since the Dallas game and the Flyers have given up the second most goals in the NHL, but tonight's performance by the Sixers may have been the worst defensive performance by any Philly team this year.

I've advocated that the Birds need to make some changes, but let me state the obvious: The Enola Gay needs to drop both the Fat Man and the Little Boy on the Sixers because this team needs to be blown up and started over. However, with the constraints of the NBA salary cap and Billy King's inadequacies in drafting and free agent signings, I expect a change in the Sixers fortunes around the year 2015. I suppose I'll check back then.

Freddy Garcia A Phil!

I guess I should do some fact checking before I post something, huh? No sooner did I post the Lieber article and add a tidbit about the Phils not being able to make a move when I read the following:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Chicago White Sox traded right-hander Freddy Garcia to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night for Gavin Floyd and a player to be named.

White Sox manager Kenny Williams let slip during the announcement at baseball's winter meetings that the "player to be named" is pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

The deal reconnects Garcia with his former general manager from Seattle, Pat Gillick, who has been working to upgrade the team's pitching staff. Gillick had also been looking for a right-handed bat to protect NL MVP Ryan Howard, but said he didn't expect to find one and turned his attention to the pitching staff.

Garcia was 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA for Chicago last season.

"The Chicago White Sox are still open for business," Williams said.

Floyd was 4-3 with a 7.29 ERA in 11 starts for the Phillies last season before being optioned to Triple-A on June 3.

"I think Gavin's going to be a little bit of a late bloomer," Phillies assistant GM Mike Arbuckle said.

Gonzalez was traded from the White Sox to Phillies in November 2005 as part of the deal that sent Jim Thome to Chicago and Aaron Rowand to Philadelphia.

Sounds like a great deal to me, but I've said the same thing about the Kevin Millwood, Jon Lieber, Andy Ashby, Mike Williams, etc. deals. When it comes to pitching, rarely do things work out to our benefit, but I'm certain that Floyd won't amount to much.

On paper, the Phils now have the best starting rotation in the NL East...or dare I say, the whole NL! Garcia, Myers, Hamels, Moyer, and Eaton is a pretty decent 1-5 in today's MLB. I guess the only question left is what reliever we'll trade Lieber for as this team desperately needs bullpen help, but I'll go to war with starters 1-5.

The Most Interesting Team In Town

Another day passes at the Winter Meetings and the Phils didn't sign any free agents, nor did they make any trades, but another player got ripped by management.

Hot on the heels of Dallas Green ranting about Pat Burrell yesterday, I found the latest shot across the bow of a Phils player by a high ranking member of management while down at the Winter Meetings. Check out Uncle Cholly's comments from today's Courier Post regarding Jon Lieber's conditioning, or lack thereof:

"He did let himself go, and he knows it. I think probably he's tired of hearing it. Any way that we can get him in shape, we have to try it. From there, it's up to him. He knows how much we need him. We've emphasized how important he is to us. He does play a big role for our team. He came along in the second half, but he had that slow start. I don't know if it was conditioning. We didn't score many runs for him in some games either. But that slow start, I don't know, it might translate into being in shape. We've talked quite a bit to him. I think Liebs wants to contribute. Even if he decides, once his contract is up, that he doesn't want to stay in the game, I think he wants to finish on a good note."

While I have to admit I did get a pretty good chuckle out of these comments, I'm on to the Phils' clever little ruse. I thinking that Monty, Gillick and the boys got together this week and figured that if they couldn't make any moves to the get the phan base excited, they would distract us by issuing all these uncharacteristic, but entertaining statements. For me, it is working. At this rate, I'm half expecting to open the paper tomorrow and read comments from Pat Gillick indicating he can't make a deal because Rowand "is always injuring himself because he plays like a reckless idiot" and Gavin Floyd "needs to take off the skirt, grow up and start pitching like a man".

And I thought the hot stove league did not exist here in Philly. Boy, was I wrong.