PSP’s Magic 8 Ball Reveals....

I’m going to lay out the fortunes of the Phils and Dodgers this weekend so I can save you all time and heartache.

Tonight, the Phils will crush the Marlins and the Dodgers will finally lose a game. This will bring the Phils back to within a game of the Dodgers and provide the whole Delaware Valley with false hope.

Tomorrow, both the Phils and Dodgers will win, which will keep us on the edge of our seats for Sunday.

Sunday, the Phils play a tough, gritty game against the D Train, but Cholly will make a dumb decision which backfires in his face and we lose. To make matters worse, the Dodgers will lose also, which will lead to an entire winter of “What Ifs” and a lynch mob heading down to CBP looking for Cholly’s head on a platter.

Yes, these are the things I think about.

Going To Bed

Cholly just brought in Fultz in to pitch to Schneider and promptly gave up a two run single. I'm going to bed. The Phils are down 3-1. Despite the fact that Burrell is having his best game in two months, I'm not feeling it tonight.

Why can't we score runs off this team? Did the Nats find the kryptonite to shut down Utley and Howard? Plus, its seriously past Conine's bed time. He looks lifeless lately.

Hopefully, I wake up and get good news. Night night.

Late Night With The Phils

Tonight's Phils/Nats game is now scheduled to start at 11:30. This is a good sign. The last time the Phils had some late night fun was back in 1993. I think we all remember how that season ended.

My brother in law is down there. Since it appears that there are 200 fans in the stands, I might catch a glimpse of him. Hopefully, I'll call him during the game to see if I can catch some interesting stories.

I just pray the Phils sent tomorrow night's starter, Jamie Moyer, off to Florida to get some rest. They are going to be dead tired for tomorrow's game.

By the way, Burrell is in the lineup tonight...I can barely contain my excitement!!!!

C-O-N spiracy!!!!

I guess I should weigh in on the whole T.O. “suicide attempt”. I don’t think the guy “tried” to commit suicide. There’s no way any hospital that didn’t want to be dropped by its malpractice carrier would have released him so soon. Nonetheless, this whole situation doesn’t smell right to me. In fact, I think T.O. and his publicist hatched some sort of C-O-N-spiracy!

Seriously, what motive does the Dallas police have in creating a faulty police report that said he tried to kill himself? Plus, this guy is sh*t house rat crazy. That is a fact. Both the Niners and the Birds wanted him to take a psych eval so they could figure out how best to treat his perceived mental illness. As I always tell my wife who works with the mentally ill adults, you can never be surprised by anything they do because crazy people do crazy things.

Another huge factor is this guy’s history and the fact that there is TOO much of it. If this happened to Marvin Harrison – ie, a guy with not a lot of bad publicity on his side – I would believe his explanation fully. However, this is T.O. and there always something going on with T.O.

My theory is that he really did have a bad reaction to the pain killers because he is going so overboard to come back for the Eagles’ game. However, in his zeal to heal himself, he took too many pills and got ill. Here’s where I think the conspiracy comes in….His publicist, who was in his home at the time, decides to call 911 because she was worried about that he may have overdosed. (I can’t wait to hear the tape of that call, by the way.) I think she quickly realized that this may be a good way to get the public back on his side and created this whole ordeal by telling the cops and rescue workers that he tried to kill himself and T.O. was too doped up to say otherwise. She just didn't realize the firestorm it would create or all the spinning it would necessitate to dispute the original story.


Yes, I agree. Such a plot is sick and demented. However, from I saw and heard yesterday, I think his publicist is that stupid (exhibit A: her comment that “A man of T.O.’s statue…” wouldn’t kill himself) and arrogant (Exhibit B: Terrell has “25 million reasons to stay alive”) to contrive such a plot. Call me crazy, but that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.

By the way, can anyone else name me any other American professional team sports player that has a publicist? Plus, why is this publicist seemingly with him 24/7? This whole situation is just strange.

I just love the fact that TO is now the Cowboys’ headache and not ours. Poor Parcells is going to keel over at some point this season. For his sake, I can’t wait until he retires. Who needs this mess. An added benefit to T.O.’s antics is that he is also driving Cowboys fans crazy. I sent a simple email to Mister Nascar today and asked him if yesterday’s events show T.O.’s agent and publicist to be inept or if T.O. is just incredibly difficult? Normally, I get single sentence responses. However, this time I got the following incoherent rambling email in return:

I don't neccessarily think either are inept. You have to take all emotion out and look at it logically.

Rosenhaus has the most clients in the NFL I beleive.

The publicist, I think she was a little out of her league maybe and she probably was awake for 48 hours straight..... The best of men in higher positions have melted under those conditions.

TO had Big Red wearing spandex, he makes everybody's job hard.

Think of this: Isaid this yesterday morning to all in here after you called me.

He was already released from the hospital, logic then dictates there was some misinformation out there. Had he been suicidal, they would have had him in a rubber room for 3or 4 days whatever the law is.

TO isn't the brightest bulb, and appears to have been high on pain killers. High and stupid make for great comments and action. It is the whole basis for COPS(a tv show I happen to love)

Bottom line, I beleive him. He was just looped and happens to be stupid and can't keep his outh shut. To mucgh at stake fro the Hospital and police to release him if it was a attempt at him to kill himself.

Whatever makes you sleep better at night Cowboys fans. This is just another in a series of events with the Michael Jackson of the NFL. Have fun guys. It couldn’t happen to a better fan base.

LIFE?!?

Somehow, someway, the Phils won in extras last night 8-7 over the Nats. The long lost Fidel Castro even got the save in the bottom of the 14th. As evidenced by a prior post, yours truly gave up on them and went to bed. I didn't find out they won until this morning, which was pretty nice way to start the day.

Anyhow, I spent most of the night watching the game and trading text messages with my main man, Johnny Gold. Here were some of the high lights:

During the 7th when the Phils started their comeback:

Philly Sports Phan: Did that error give them life?
Johnny Gold: I don’t know, but it gave me life!
Philly Sports Phan: Life Indeed!
Johnny Gold: Woohoo!

In the 7th when Cholly brought in Madson to face Soriano:

PSP: I am nervous…NOT MADSEN

In the top of the 9th:

PSP: Howard is a horrible baserunner
JG: Stick that a** out – I hate Burrell
PSP: Delucci=Burrell=Useless

In the bottom of the 9th:

JG: Gordon can go F*&K himself!
JG: It’s one effing inning – f&*k him
PSP: Nice job a hole
PSP: These guys kill me
JG: I’m turning them off - they are dead to me

In the top of the 10th:

PSP: Holy Sh*t! (after the Nunez double knocked in a run)
JG: I’m watching. I lied

In the bottom of the 10th:

PSP: Ugh, Geary
JG: Effin Dodgers won’t lose now
JG: If they lose this game, I’m done. I hate heartless teams and players
JG: F*&k them in their c*$nts – Pu**y Pr*cks
PSP: This is ridiculous. I’m going to bed.
JG: I can’t believe this

Then my brother in law checked in:

Big Dan: I need a ride to the hospital. I have Phillies fever, but not in a good way.
PSP: Relax, T.O.

After these last couple nights, I now see why wild card teams have traditionally had success in the post season. They basically start their playoffs two weeks earlier. As they fight to get in, they are playing quasi-playoff games that are tension filled and players need to come up big in tight spots just to win enough games to qualify for the dance. When these teams get to the playoffs, the pressure they'll see is old hat. These guys are battle scarred already and better suited to perform up to the level of the moment. That's why I really see the Mets losing in the first round of the playoffs. As Conlin pointed out this week, the Mets haven't played a meaningful game since 8/17 when they had to save face and take the final game of a four game series with the Phils.

Since the Dodgers keep on winning so the Phils remain a game down, the Phils take the field tonight in their latest must win with Lieber on the mound against some guy who is 3-8 with 5.04 ERA. Translation: we should role, but these are the Nats, so you never know.

Buckle up, folks. The next four days could be bumpy.

Honorary Phan?

Check out these segments from today's Sports Guy chat on ESPN.com:

Josh (Ann Arbor, MI): I'm excited for Philly home games, too...though I have this impending feeling of doom that this year is no different from the last several. We are simply not good enough to come up with those two extra necessary wins. Do you really think the Phils can do it?

Bill Simmons: Don't count out a potential Saints-like conspiracy here. It's in the best interests of MLB to have Ryan Howard playing as long as possible in October - he's the first slugger since the 80's where we can definitively say, "All right, there's no way this guy is on steroids." I mean, he has 2 brothers who are both the same size, I think one's even bigger than him. They need Ryan Howard next month. He's a godsend for them.

Doug (Baltimore, MD): As someone who grew up in Philly, let me tell you: The Phillies are not making the playoffs. After 23 years of this stuff, you get used to it and it becomes expected at this point. Give you hope, then tear your heart out. Same old story.

Bill Simmons: Poor Philly... I find myself subconsciously rooting for all their teams now, it's unquestionably the most tortured sports city in America. Not even Red Sox fAns at their absolutel apex were this convinced at all times that the worst possible thing would happen. I will never forget being in the stadium for the Eagles-Pats SB when the Pats went ahead in the 3rd and the Philly fans just completely checked out of the game, they were so bitter and angry that they couldn't even function.

Ben, Philadelphia: As a betting man I'd figure you'd be loving the Phills as a weeklong fade. Haven't dissapointed yet and Washington is a +170 tonight!

Bill Simmons: Look, I'm not saying I wasn't 100% convinced it was going to happen. I even saw a friend of mine on Monday night who's a big Dodgers fan, I was convincing him that LA would be fine because Philly would choke like they always do, he didn't believe me, then they blew a 4-2 lead in the late innings. I just am holding out hope that, one of these times, Philly comes through.

Bert (Philadelphia): There's a chance for an unprecedented "levels of losing: extreme nuclear holocaust edition" in Philly next Monday. IF the Phils play a one-game playoff, it'll be here on Monday. That night, the Eagles play the TAFKA Farve at the Linc.

Bill Simmons: Wow! Now that's one of the all-time great sports days... I hope that happenes. By the way, don't forget the Ewing Theory implications of the Abreu trade... Don't discount this for a second.

Tim (Pinckney, MI): Let's bring it back to baseball. Now that Boston is out, which teams would you most enjoy seeing in the World Series?

Bill Simmons: Good question. My top-3 ideal matchups:

1. Phillies-Yankees. Good against evil.
2. Mets-Tigers. Just think the crowds would be really fun on both sides.
3. Phillies-Tigers. Although it would be tough to pick which fan base needed the win more... probably Philly, but it's close. At least Detroit had the Pistons.

Jim (NJ): Over/Under: The amount of pill bottles thrown on field by Philly fans at the 10/8 Cowboys game: 30,000.

Bill Simmons: 30,000???? Come on, that's low... each fan will be good for four bottles, 60,000 people, I'm saying the over/under is 200,000.

It seems like the Sports Guy is really on our side, huh? I think we can make space on the bandwagon. Too bad the Phils didn't fulfill his optimistic approach. I guess this can be his introduction into the disappointment of being a Philly Sports Phan.

I HATE THIS TEAM!!!!

I hate baseball...why did I let this team suck me back in?????

(Of course, I wrote this in the 9th inning. I even went to bed on them during the 12th, but I'm right back on the band wagon after they somehow pulled out a win.)

Eagles Wrap Up

Once again, I'm pretty late with my analysis of the Birds' 38-24 win over the Niners. Sorry folks, but as you can tell I've been overcome with emotion now that my Rutgers Scarlet Knights have entered the Top 25. Plus, the Phils have put me through the wringer the last two nights. Despite these distractions, I'm now ready to discuss this week's game.

Sunday's game was pretty much all about McNabb and Westbrook's dominance and the defense crumbling again in the second half.

McNabb is back to his Mr. September self. Over the last two years, his numbers in September are flat out spectacular. He's averaging 320 passing yards and 2.5 passing touchdowns per game the last two Septembers. McNabb did it this week without his new favorite receiver, Donte Stallworth, who was out with a pulled hammy. It didn't phase D Mac at all. He just turned to Reggie Brown, Westbrook and even got a big play out of back up TE, Matt Schobel. As long as this offense stays healthy, I don't see the offense being stopped this season, but as we all know, that's a pretty big "if".

Westbrook was pretty damn efficient with the ball on Sunday, huh? He averaged 13.67 yards per touch on Sunday and scored 3 td's. I just wish I could watch him handle the ball once without being petrified that he might not get up from a hit. I hate to agree with Eskin, but he is the perfect fit for this offense. Although, I still think he'd be even more effective with a bigger, more effective back to take over Bucks' role and take the heat off B West.

Ok...on to the defense. There were some bright spots: McCoy is showing he belongs in the NFL. Michael Lewis was slightly better. Howard had a nice game as well. I know it's only one game since he went down, but this team is really going to miss The Freak this year. I also think it was a ridiculous decision to put Hood out there so soon. The poor guy was not ready to be back out on the field. You could see him struggling right off the bat. They could have gotten through that game without him. Obviously, the defense has to perform better in the second halves of games. This week wasn't as bad as the Giants collapse, but it was still pretty disconcerting.


One last note, the Mike Patterson touchdown will go down as one of the funniest td's in Birds' history. I think my fat ass would have looked faster and more graceful running down field. In fact, I hope you all got to hear Joe Conklin's impersonation of Merrill Reese doing the play by play on Patterson's run on 610 this morning. It was pretty hysterical, but unfortunately, I can't find it on the net to add a link.

In any event, we only have to get through a game with the Pack and Brett Favre before hell is unleashed upon T.O. and the Cowboys. T minus 11 days and counting.....

Stop Me If This Sounds Familiar

It's a new year, but things haven't changed much for my Flyers.

Today, the Flyers learned that Nitty has a torn labrum and may miss a couple months if he needs surgery. Wow, just what I was looking forward to...a whole season of Robert Esche...UGH!

Plus, the Flyers got pounded tonight 6-1 in exhibition play against the Caps at the Big Bank Building. Way to go, boys! Way to work hard for the organ-I-za-TION!

Inexcusable

For a team fighting for a playoff spot, tonight's performance was inexcusable. How they can leave 10 men on base and go 3 for 13 with men in scoring position is beyond me. I really don't want to hear how they were boned by the missed home run call for Utley early in the game. A team in the Phils position needs to fight past that and they were in position to overcome the mistake by the umps, but failed to do so over and over again.

Right now, the Dodgers are up 6-1 in the 5th, so it looks like we're about to go a game down. We're right back where we started, folks.

I knew this was starting to look too good to be true. Plus, I read one too many articles this week from brain dead Phils beat writers saying this was a done deal. Friggin' idiots....Did they forget what town this team is from?

Can we stop all the playoff tickets talk and possible parking problems at the sports complex until this team actually clinches something?!?!?!?!?! I'm really starting to get annoyed by this whole situation. If you can't tell, I'm quickly losing my optimism.

In my "Master of the Obvious" moment of the week, I declare tomorrow's game a MUST win.

Hell Has Frozen Over

I just read the following:

Rutgers -- yes Rutgers -- is ranked

By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP Sports Writer
September 24, 2006
No joke. Rutgers is ranked.
The Scarlet Knights, long a college football laughingstock, moved into The Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in 30 years on Sunday.

No. 23 Rutgers (4-0), led by tailback Ray Rice, the fourth-leading rusher in the nation, is off to its best start since 1980 after beating Howard 56-7 on Saturday.
"I'm not going to downplay it. It is significant considering where we started," Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said. "It shows we're making progress in the right direction."
The Scarlet Knights were one of three new teams at the bottom of the new media poll, which was mostly unchanged at the top.
Ohio State is still No. 1 with 59 of a possible 65 first-place votes. No. 2 Auburn, No. 3 Southern California and No. 4 West Virginia each received two first-place votes.
Auburn had 1,513 points and USC had 1,491. The Tigers lead over the Trojans grew nines points from last week.
No. 5 is Florida, followed by Michigan, Texas, Louisville, LSU and Georgia. The only change in the Top 10 was No. 9 LSU flip-flopping with No. 10 Georgia.
Throughout the 1990s, the Scarlet Knights were among the worst teams in Division I-A, routinely getting blown out by their Big East rivals.
Last year, in Schiano's fifth season at the state university of New Jersey, Rutgers had its first winning year since 1992. The Knights went 7-5 and played in the Insight Bowl, their first bowl game since 1978.
The Knights have benefited from an early weak schedule -- three I-A opponents with a combined 4-8 record and a I-AA team -- but of course it wasn't long ago Rutgers couldn't beat anybody.
The Scarlet Knights were 3-20 in Schiano's first two years. They also had a 25-game conference losing streak from 1999-2003.
Schiano, a New Jersey native, was 10 years old the last time Rutgers was ranked in 1976. Those Scarlet Knights went 11-0 and reached as high as No. 17 in the country.
"I don't think of it in a historical perspective," he said. "You need to win to get into those polls, and the Rutgers program has had some up and down times as we know. I'm glad it's happening now and hope to keep it going."
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news;_ylt=AtA7CO47pBFTKXx962Vcd.ocvrYF?slug=ap-t25-collegefbpoll&prov=ap&type=lgns

This is amazing. I had to post this. I'm beaming with pride. Come on South Jersey, there is room on the bandwagon!!!

Philly Sports Phan's Eagles Prediction

Is it me or has every Eagle fan you know gone incognito this week and really focused on the Phils? I definitely fit into that category. I haven't read one Eagles related story this week other than the predictable stories about whether Westbrook would play on his wonky knee.

Over the last day or so, I have thought about this game quite a bit. In my opinion, the Birds' defense isn't as good as they looked in the first three quarters of last week's game or as bad as they looked the rest of the game. However, I think the offense IS that good. Their performance has been the biggest revelation for me over the first two games. D Mac is back and he has legit weapons in Westbroook (when healthy), Stallworth and LJ. The line is solid and they have some nice complimentary receivers. They only lack another back to pick them up yards on the ground when necessary. (I still wish they dumped Buck and traded for the Nigerian Med Student, Samkon Gado. He would have been an outstanding fit.) The rest of this season comes down to the defense.

The DB's are in disarray due to injury and Michael Lewis' unexplainable slump. (Maybe he's been hanging out with Pat Burrell.) I really think our cherished defensive line rotation will be hurt significantly by the loss of the Freak. Guys like Darren Howard and former first round pick, Jerome McDougal, really need to step it up for this defense to succeed with second and third string corners on the field. In any event, I think the defense can get us through the next two weeks prior to the 10/8 showdown with Dallas. Then it will get hairy.

Ok, back to the Birds' trip out to Frisco to play the Niners. Frank Gore will really test our improved run defense this week. Stopping him will be key. If the defense holds him in check, the onus then goes back to young QB, Alex Smith, and we all know how young QB's do against Jim Johnson defenses. I've heard some people say the Birds will have a hangover this week after the debacle against the Giants. I disagree. I think the offense will come out flying. The one thing we've seen during the Reid/McNabb era is that they bounce back from bad losses. I don't expect this week to be any different.

I see a 31 to 17 Eagles victory. By the way, I'm now 2-0 with my picks against the spread. How about a little love?

All Alone in First!

Finally, the Phils are the sole leader of the Wild Card chase as the Dodgers lost last night 9-3 to the Diamondbacks. Over the next couple of days, the Phils need to build upon this lead. Today's game, along with tomorrow's game in hand, now becomes alot more important. The Phightins can build a little space between them and the Dodgers.

First things first, we need Moyer to continue the streak of good pitching today, but he has a tough pitching matchup against lefty Scott Olsen. We could be in for a tough one today.

No HEART!!!!

I'm sitting here this morning watching the Ryder Cup wondering if the U.S. team has a spot for Pat Burrell, because he'd fit right in with these overpaid heartless jerks.

Seven holes into his match, Chris DiMarco is already 5 down to Lee Westwood. How does this happen? Phil Mickleson is ABSOLUTELY USELESS! He's the #2 player in the world and he's laid a huge egg. Darren Clarke is absolutely unconscious at this point. The US just should have forfeited to him. At least Steward Cink finally woke up thi weekend and realized he was playing in the Ryder Cup and smacked around the unbearable Sergio Garcia.

What a waste of time this tournament was. Why did I even get myself so excited about it that I made a foolish bet with my buddy O Hick??? At this point, my wager is looking like a donation more than a well thought out bet.

At the very least, the Ryder Cup gave me something to watch first thing in the morning. I guess this is what it is like to live on the West Coast.

On The Verge of History

Please forgive me this trespass. I know that I have set this up as a Philly Sports site, but I have to comment on my Rutgers Scarlet Knights. After today's 56-7 shellacking of Howard, they are out to a 4-0 start for the first time in 25 years. Plus, since winning a close opening game down in Chapel Hill against UNC, the Knights have outscored their last three opponents 113 to 14.

Plus, since they were ranked 28th in the latest poll and a number of teams in the 20-25 territory lost this week, it is almost a near certainty that the Knights will be ranked this week. Wow, we are really dealing with the Theater of the Absurd.

They have compiled this many points without their quarterback making a meaningful throw since the opener. The Knights have two outstanding running backs, a very solid offensive line, play solid defense and have a playmaking group of special teamers. For one of the few times in my life, this team is FUN to watch. It is actually fun to now go out in public wearing Rutgers paraphernalia. I no longer get weird looks. Recently, the clerk at a local Wawa that talked my ear off about how his best friend is a back up linebacker on the team. Friends of mine no longer laugh at me when I ask them if they want to go to games. This really is becoming bizarro world.

One note of caution to my fellow Scarlet Knight fans: the schedule is going to get much tougher. The Big East schedule starts with a trip to South Florida, followed by road games at Navy and Pitt. Sure, the Knights could win all three, but they could also lose two out of three. Sooner or later, Mike Teel is going to have make some throws to loosen up the defenses we're going to face. Plus, his best wide receiver may have been lost for the season with a broken ankle.

While these are very real concerns, excuse me if I bask in the glow of success for the first time in a LONG time.

Takin' Care of Bidness

The Phils are certainly "takin' care of bidness" just as former Eagles' head coach, Ray Rhodes urged his teams to do. won the last 2 games in methodical fashion.

The Phils won 5-2 Friday night behind Ryan Howard's laser shot, opposite field homer and the phenominal performance by Cole Hamels. I love that hitters are sitting on his change up, but they still can't hit it. (Maybe he should give Madson some tips on how to throw his former out pitch.) I also love how a guy at work calls him "the Dreamboat" because of how much the young chicks love him.


Today, the Phils took another one from the Marlins, 8 to 6. The Phightins jumped out to a four run lead and Lieber pitched seven outstanding innings before Uncle Cholly turned it over to the 'pen and they did their best to make the game interesting by giving up 3 homers in the last two innings. The batting hero today was backup catcher, Carlos Ruiz, who had a couple of clutch hits and racked up three RBI's. When you are in a postseason chase, you NEED guys like Ruiz to step up. I just wish he'd rub off on Delucci and Burrell. As for Howard, he didn't do much today. I wonder if it had anything to do with his trip to Chickie's & Pete's to celebrate after Friday's game.

One encouraging sign for them making the post season is that the Phils are winning games like the White Sox did last year and the Twins are doing this year. They are good starting pitching and enough big hits out of Howard, Utley, and Conine. Plus, they are playing great infield defense. I never realized how much a difference Nunez would make as a replacement for Bell at 3rd. He is HUGE upgrade. He also allows J Roll to play a shade more towards second instead of having to cover for a statue at 3rd like Bell was. I can live with Nunez's .250 average since he became an everyday player.

As I predicted earlier this week, I believe the Phils need to go 6-4 over their last ten games and they are now certainly off to a good start to the final push for the postseason. So good, that I think I might change my prediction to a 7-3 finish. They just need to continue to get the starting pitching that they've been getting over the last month and hopefully getting some meaningful contribution from Delucci and/or Burrell. They are too good to be just totally written off....aren't they?

Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to retire to do some scoreboard watching.

A New Flyers Season Is Upon Us

I made the trip down to the big bank arena with my buddy Mike B. tonight to catch the home preseason opener for the Orange and Black. I have to say that nothing stood out for me tonight. The game was a complete snoozefest that didn't really keep our attention. Hatcher didn't look as slow as last year and that was about all I noticed. I was excited to see new additions like Calder and Sanderson, but they didn't jump out at me.

The only thing that did grab my attention was the new Flyers arena host:

and the new HUGE HD scoreboard screens:

As a proud owner of a Flyers game plan package for this season, I am grateful for these new additions. Let's go Flyers!

PHINALLY

It only took 152 games, but our Phightins have finally clawed their way into a tie for the Wild Card lead after last night’s methodical 6-2 win over the Cubbies coupled with our in state rivals second straight defeat of the Dodgers.

With only ten games left, the Phils pretty much control their own destiny. (When was the last time we could say that, huh?) That means every starting pitcher has 2 chances to put his stamp on the fate of this squad. It also means that Myers pitches the last game of the year. The way he is going right now, that is a very good thing. It also looks like Chase is starting to get out of his slump a little bit and even Pat Burrell is chipping in the past week.

Since I don’t see the Dodgers retaking the Padres in the NL West, as the Pads have a game in hand and likely an easier schedule as you will see explained below, we need to focus on the boys from Tinsel Town to see how much of a possibility the postseason is for the Phils.

Here are the Phils’ last ten games and our projected starters:

Fri 9/22 FLORIDA Hamels

Sat 9/23 FLORIDA Wolfie

Sun 9/24 FLORIDA Lieber

Mon 9/25 HOUSTON Moyer

Tues 9/26 at Washington Myers

Wed 9/27 at Washington Hamels

Thurs 9/28 at Washington Wolfie

Fri 9/29 at Florida Lieber

Sat 9/30 at Florida Moyer

Sun 10/1 at Florida Myers

The way the starting staff is pitching right now and the fact that Howard has absolutely owned the Marlins, I really believe the Phils can stay mildly hot and go 6-4 (7-3 is an optimistic view) over their last ten and give us a final record of 85-77. Plus, the Phils have had much more success on the road this year and 6 out of their last ten are away from Citizen’s Bank Park.

Here is the Dodgers’ schedule for the rest of the year:

Thurs 9/21 PITTSBURGH

Fri 9/22 ARIZONA

Sat 9/23 ARIZONA

Sun 9/24 ARIZONA

Tues 9/26 at Colorado

Wed 9/27 at Colorado

Thurs 9/28 at Colorado

Fri 9/29 at San Francisco

Sat 9/30 at San Francisco

Sun 10/1 at San Francisco

I figure the Dodgers win today and then take at 2 out of 3 from the Diamond Backs at home. That brings us to their last six. In order for the Phils to win the Wild Card, we need the Dodgers to go 2 and 4 in those last six. I think it is doable. I know the Giants love nothing more than playing the spoiler role against the Dodgers. Plus, as we all know, anything can happen in Coors Field and their bullpen will likely be shot to hell by the end of that series. Call me crazy, but I like the Phils chances of holding off the Dodgers for the last NL postseason spot. I really do.

I don’t know about you guys, but I just want the thrill of watching the Phils in playoff baseball again. I’ve spent the last couple of falls living vicariously through the Red Sox’s postseason runs as the passion and fatalistic expectations of their fans reminds me of our relationship with the Birds. As fun as it was to finally see them overtake the Evil Empire and win a championship, it is not in the same ball park of what it would feel like to watch our Phils in the postseason again. The last time we had the privilege was 13 freakin’ years ago!!! That’s way too long for a fan base like ours.

Plus, as we’ve seen last couple years, all you have to do is get into the postseason tournament. Anything can happen after that. Just get their, guys…That’s all I ask.

They Love Us....(Will They Love Us Not Tomorrow Night?)

Yes, the Phils have once again closed to one game of the Wild Card lead after tonight's 4-1 win over the Cubbies behind the pitching of Jamie Moyer. It seems like we've been to this spot about 5 times in the last month in a half. Let's see if they can finally break through tomorrow with the Wife Beater on the mound and grab a share of the lead.

Unfortunately, even if Myers pitches well and the Phils win, the Dodgers have the rejuvenated Greg Maddux on the hill against the lowly Pirates. The Phightins need to hold serve tomorrow and then get ready for their weekend series with the suddenly floundering Marlins.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting?

My buddy Alex reminded me that I neglected to comment on the David Akers scuffle following the opening kickoff of Sunday's debacle. I guess after the all the activity surrounding the fourth quarter collapse, that event seemed as significant as a pimple on Big Red's butt.

Now that I have been reminded of this ridiculously one sided scuffle, all I can say is that what Akers did was the most idiotic decision I’ve seen by a football player on a sideline, since a drunken Broadway Joe Namath told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber that he wanted to kiss her on national TV.

What was Akers thinking? I know he’s a macho black belt kung fu guy, but what on Earth made him think that taking on the entire Giants sideline would be a smart idea, especially when you are a tiny freakin’ KICKER?!?!?! This fracas made me realize that Akers is the absolute last guy on the Birds I want to go out to have a beer with. He seems like the kind of guy that would take on a group of drunken dudes at a bar for making a harmless comment to his girl instead of smartly letting it go and avoiding the inevitable beating.

Anyhow, I think Akers deserved the beating he took after taking a cheap shot at Giants’ coach, Charles Way – a Philly native, no less. Plus, I love the comments from one of the guys that laid the wood to Akers, Giants’ offensive tackle, Luke Petitgout:

“"I'm a protector, that's my job; to protect people. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. He purposely put his head down and tried to hit one of our guys in the head with his helmet, try to be a punk and cheap-shot somebody, especially a coach who's standing there with nothing on, in street clothes. I tried to let him know that doesn't happen."

Next time, David, do us all a favor and just stick to kicking.

Silver Lining?

Well, we’re now two days post collapse and I’m only feeling slightly better. I think that’s because I’ve done my best to repress the memory. I haven’t read the local sports page or watched Comcast Sports Night. I’ve just tried to lead my daily life and somehow forget about the most devastating Philadelphia collapse since the 2000 Flyers lost 3 straight to the New Jersey Devils to lose the Eastern Conference Finals.

I thought I was doing a decent job of recovering until a Giants fan buddy (who happens to moonlight as Jets’ Head Coach, Eric Mangini) called to ask me if how I was making out today. No matter how many times he told me the Birds still have the look of a 10-6 playoff team, I still can’t help to feel hollow like something has been taken from my life. Maybe it’s the loss of the Freak who is done for the year (and maybe his career for that matter) with an injury suffered in an overtime period that shouldn’t have even happened. Or, maybe it’s the fact that I’m missing that feeling of satisfaction which would surely have come had the Birds held on for the victory. Whatever it is, I realize I’m being completely melodramatic and should just move on to looking forward to this week’s game against the Niners.

In any event, I spent most of the last couple days searching for a silver lining to this devastating loss. The best I could come up with was that the same Giants fan that called me earlier today suffered the loss of his dog yesterday. It would have been a real shame if this guy had to lose to a heated rival like the Birds and then lose his dog in consecutive days. (In fact, I think if I try hard enough, I could turn these events into the chorus of a hit country-western song.)

I know…I know….you guys are probably saying that I’m grasping at straws, but it’s a real struggle to find anything good coming out of this loss.

Hitch Is Back For 3 More Years

I know a lot of you guys don't care so much about my beloved Orange & Black, but I came across this funny comment from future Captain Mike Richards to Inky Flyers beat writer, Tim Pannaccio, in response to the news that Hitch's deal was extended:

“He’s sometimes an asshole to people, but at the same time, he’s an unbelievably smart hockey man … He demands a lot from you. Which is good. I think you would rather have it hard than easy. He tries to get best out of you. He is hard on younger kids, but later in your career, it’s going to pay off.”

Wow, sounds like the young guys on the team are really happy to have him back for three more years. Based on this comment from the future Captain, does anyone want to make a wager on whether Hitch finished out this new deal? Didn't think so.

EMAIL RANT OF THE DAY

Clearly my main man, Johnny Gold, is a little frustrated by the lack of killer instinct from our Phightins:

"I think the philllies suck...they are ***sies.....eff them.....as soon as they get close they choke...they dont have the balls to go on a streak...mark my words, they will not win the wild card....they DO NOT HAVE THE HEART!!!!"

I have to agree with Gold. They are right there. They just need that little bit of extra oomph to get over the top, but they keep falling short. They are so good at teasing us, they could easily get jobs at Club Risque in the offseason.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

From my buddy, "The Shoe" in response to Big Red predictably taking responsibility for this loss:

"If you take responsibility for everything, you are taking responsbility for nothing".

Amen Shoe, Amen.

EMAIL RANT OF THE DAY

From my buddy Tony G:

"I’m glad to see you’re so upbeat. For me, the sky has fallen. Before the year started I thought they would be 9-7, splitting their NFC schedule with all wins at home. I thought they needed to pound the early portion of the schedule to get some momentum and cushion for the horrendous second half schedule. If we were 2-0 and the Giants and Redskins were 0-2, we could have stuck a fork in them and gone beyond my 9-7 prediction. Now, who knows.

Reid can’t call a game late with a lead. He by his own admission calls a conservative game. McNabb is too jokey joke. That head fake penalty was the stupidest thing I’ve seen in ages. Next thing you know Westbrook fumbles. Michael Lewis should be shot for the blown coverage on the Giants first drive that gave up the touchdown and the inability to fall on the ball after Burris fumbled. With less than a minute left we couldn’t stop the Gints from scoring thanks in part to Trent “Crotch Kick” Cole.

I never understood the philosophy off playing it safe for overtime. Overtime is never safe. Just check out the name SUDDEN DEATH Overtime. Any freak play or mistake and you could be done, plus risk injury to a star player like Kearse."

Thanks, Tone. I'm not ready to talk any more about this game. I'm trying to pretend it didn't happen, much like the last season of the Sopranos. (Voegs, please avert your eyes for the rest of the paragraph.) I'm going to repress the memory of this collapse similar to how a priest abuse victim would. Ok....ok....maybe that's a tad bit dramatic and overly insensitive, but I'm devastated this morning.

If anyone else has anything interesting to say, please email me or post a comment and I'll post it on the site. Please feel free to use this site is as a place for group theraphy.

Sunday Wasn't A Complete Loss

I watched about three minutes of the Phils today, but apparently they won 6-4 and Ryan Howard hit #57. They are now only a game back of the Dodgers, who lost the NL West lead to the Padres. With the Cubbies coming to town tomorrow to start a three game series, the Phils need to continue this roll they are on as every game is absolutely imperative through the end of the season.

Notably, the Phils are currently two games under .500 at Citizen's Bank Park. Clearly, they need to improve on this stat quick, fast and in a hurry if they have post season aspirations.

Well, I though writing this entry would calm me down a little. It didn't. I'm still completely pissed about today's Eagles debacle.

Ain't That A Kick to the Crotch?!?!?!

Guys, I really don't know what to say. This is the worst regular season loss I can remember in my 30+ years of being a fan. I predicted an Eagles' loss, but did not expect anything remotely like this. I did not expect the Eagles to completely dominate the G-Men from the second drive of the game until the start of the 4th quarter. I, and pretty much every Birds fan in the Delaware Valley, could not expect the complete implosion of our Iggles thereafter.

The entire game came down to Tim Carter's fumble recovery in the end zone. That play gave the G Men life. They were ready to call it a day, but that hustle play brough them back to life and it was Big Blue from there on out. All Michael Lewis had to do is fall on the friggin' ball and we all would have went home happy. But he didn't. Tim Carter fell on the ball for a t.d. and then Westbrook fumbled, which was quickly followed up by the Toomer t.d. Everything that could go wrong, did. Ah...the frustration of it all. It makes you question why waste a gorgeous Sunday watching this mess.

But, I, like you, will be back next week, which means we have to figure out where this team is headed. Since we are all totally pissed, it's easy to say the season is done. We can't win big NFC East games and now the DB's and Kearse are beat upso who knows if the defense will hold up over the next couple months. Clearly, this team showed that they have the offensive weapons necessary to score points in this league. The defense has shown that they can rush the passer with their front four and via the blitz and can stop the run. These qualities will serve them well going forward. However, the problems with the defensive backfield will never let any lead be safe. This is a very sad development as this same exact group played so well two years ago.

Well, I'm going to just internalize this and have a few beers, try to forget this ever happened, and start looking forward to next week. Although, something tells me that I'm not going to forget this one very easily.

Isn't That Grand!

Pat Swung The Bat!!! And hit a grand slam over Roger Friggin' Clemens!!! I'm still getting over the shock of this. Anyhow, our Sybils won another one 4-3 against the 'Stros after doing their best to blow it in the bottom of the ninth. Thank God for slow running backup catchers.

We now turn to my man, Cole Hamels, to get even closer to the Pads (as I write this the Dodgers are up 2-0 in the top of the 6th and being NO HIT by Maddux!!) There is no way he loses twice in one week, but he is starting a game after a win and we all know how our Phightins deal with prosperity.

Philly Sports Phan’s Eagles Pick – Week 2: Birds vs. G-Men

After my successful debut as a prognosticator last week, I thought I’d get much praise from the community. To my shock and awe, I have not heard a word. I thought I’d get at least one “thanks for the input, I won a ton of money with your advice,” but instead I didn’t hear from a soul. Oh well, I won’t hold it against you guys. Although, be warned, if I don’t hear anything next week after providing another winning pick, I might withhold my pick for the Niners game. Without further adieu……

When it comes to picking games in the NFL involving two similarly talented teams, I have found it most useful to look at which team is more desperate for the victory to determine the winner. Clearly, the G Men DO NOT want to drop 2 games in back of the Birds with a trip to the beautiful Pacific Northwest against the defending NFC Champs staring them in the face for week 3. There is way too much validity to that statement to not give it sufficient weight in the handicapping process.

However, this is definitely a measuring stick game for the Birds. As such, I expect them to play a very tough game against the G Men and show the NFL that they are ready to contend again in the NFC. Remember, D Mac played in neither NY game last season and the Birds still hung tough in both games. Now that Birds appear to be healthy and much improved over last season, they are ready to serve notice to the defending NFC East Champs that this is different season. All this being said, I really do not like our back seven against the Giants’ skill players. There are too many physical mismatches here for me to get real excited about the Birds chances.

As a result, I see a 23 to 17 victory for the Bad Guys. Sorry people, but I don’t like this matchup for our Iggles.

Same Old, Same Old

Surprise, suprise. The Phils blew another one. Just when they looked like they were ready to get serious about the Wild Card chased they slipped right back into their bipolar ways and dropped a 4-1 decision to the Braves.

It's really starting to look like we are doomed to another post-season-less year. If the Phils want to take the Wild Card, they really need to get hot in these last 16 games, but I don't think we'll see anything more than a 9-7 finish and I doubt that will get it done for the Phightins.

I sure hope I'm wrong, but since most of us have been Philly phans for quite a long time, we all have a pretty good idea about how this will end.

Captain Foppa!

Wow...a European is the new Captain of the Flyers! What is this world coming to? Cats and dogs will be sleeping together, it will be anarchy! Did someone drug Clarkie when this decision was being made? Or did Mr. Snider convince Clarkie that Pete Forsberg is really just an ordinary Jewish fella from Northern Ontario?

Seriously, this is a good move. While he's probably the most talented overall player in Orange and Black history, it is his heart, grit and desire that make him an ideal Captain. Plus, it shows Forsberg that we want him back for a couple more years, which sources tell me is being worked on as we speak. Ultimately, this move should work perfectly because when Foppa is ready to head back to Sweden, Mike Richards should have enough experience and respect "in the room" to take over the "C".

Jeez, it's not even hockey season yet and the Flyers are already dominating the Philly sports headlines. I like it!

How Sweep It Is!

I've always wanted to say that. Unfortunately, Philly teams don't give us that many opportunities to bask in the glow of a sweep of a double header, let alone a playoff series. So, please excuse me if I get a little giddy about these two wins.

The Phils played some great defense behind Lieber tonight, especially in the infield. Victorino made a few nice plays as well tracking down fly balls in the spacious outfield of Turner Field.

Carlos Ruiz had a nice game with a home run and a 2 out single in the 8th to add a couple insurance runs.

Of course, as a red blooded Philly Phan, I have to add some negativity. Is anyone starting to get worried about Chase? What's going on? He must be getting worn down as he approaches the end of a long season, which started with that ridiculous World Baseball Classic. He has to turn it around and quick. Ryan can't do this on his own.

Nevertheless, as I write this, our Phightins are only 1.5 games back. There's still hope, my friends.

Bullpen Comes up HUGE

As I sat in work late this afternoon, I figured the best the Phils could hope for today was a split with the Braves as Wolfie gave up a 5 spot over two innings, including a dinger to the pitcher and Howard was robbed of a grand slam homer by Andruw Jones. I figured things didn't look good for the Phightins so I headed home. However, when I got off the train and got in the car to head home, I turned on the radio and surprisingly discovered that the Phils had whittled the lead to two.

I got home just in time to see the Phils steal the lead after the Braves' left fielder looked like Timmy Lupus and badly misplayed a Delucci line drive ball, which allowed the Phils to steal the lead, and ultimately the victory.

Major props have to go to the bullpen for shutting the Braves down over 7, no-hit (YES, NO HIT), scoreless innings. What an impressive outing by the immortal Eude Brito, Rick White, Aaron Fultz (one out is about all I trust him for at this point), and a 1-2-3 9th inning by Flash. Let's hope this starts a trend because the Phils have some work to do to leap frog the Padres and Marlins for the Wild Card lead.

Thanks For The Memories, Preems

Finally, the Captain has come to his senses and decided to retire. After battling the effects of post concussion syndrome, it appears that Keith Primeau is ready to hang up the skates and save himself from the effects of another debilitating concussion. I'm sure this is a very difficult decision for a warrior like Preems, but this really is the best decision for him and his family.

While Preems' value to the Flyers over the years was mostly as a defensive forward and leader, how will any Flyer fan forget his overtime goal in the wee hours of Game 4 against the Pens? However, the performance which I will never forget is the Captain's scoring tear in the 2004 Playoffs. He was simply amazing. The only Philly post season performance which comes close in my mind is AI's unbelievable run to the 2001 NBA finals. His goal to force overtime in Game Six against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals was simply unforgettable.

Now that the Captain is no longer in the fold, the Orange and Black are left with replacing his leadership on the ice and in the locker room. They already moved to replace him on the ice by signing 6'2" center Ryan Kessler of the Canucks to an offer sheet, but there is no way they will be able to replace his leadship "in the room".

Derian Hatcher was a horrible captain last year and there is no way he returns to the team with "C" on his chest. Now, that Gagne has signed long term, I expect him to be named captain, until such time that Mike Richards is ready to take over the reigns. Anyone who watches the Flyers with any regularity can tell that Richards is captain material. It is only a matter of time until he is given the "C".

I'm just glad that there is some closure on this issue. It was not fair for anyone involved for this situation to go on any further. I'm just glad the inevitable decision was made before the season so everyone could move on.

By the way, we're now less than a month away from some hockey action. I know I'm in the minority, but I can hardly wait.

EAGLES WRAP UP

To those who read this site regularly (queue the cricket chirping noise), I apologize for not getting this out sooner. Seriously, how can any self respecting blogger miss a chance to comment on his favorite team’s first game??? In any event, please come to my site the day after the game throughout the season for my expert analysis. However, before I get started I would like to point out how close I was on the score….Nice job out of me, huh?

I’ll get the obvious out of the way first…. Donte’ Stallworth. All I can say is “WOW”. He sure did develop some chemistry with D Mac awfully fast. I guess it also doesn’t take three years to learn Andy’s offense as we’ve all been told for so long. It was pretty clear to me that Stallworth made himself about $50 million in a long term deal during the second quarter as he frolicked through the Texans’ secondary. Joe Banner should have faxed Rosenhaus a contract extension in the first quarter after his can of corn touchdown catch. Clearly, Stallworth’s going to cost a lot of money if we want to keep him. On the bright side, the Birds were supposedly ready to pony up big cash to Javon Walker, so we might keep this guy after all.

D Mac looked to be his old self after a slow start. It was nice to see him run in the first half, but he does look as though he lost a step. Is it me or does Donovan’s efficiency pick up 150% when he has a competent wide receiver on the field? I wonder how the Birds’ brain trust doesn’t see that. Although, with the trade for Stallworth, maybe they finally see the same thing.

Obviously, the D line and blitz scheme returned to form with five sacks of the beleagured David Carr who spent more time on his back during this game than Paris Hilton. (Thank you, Thank you...don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses!) Let’s not get too excited though. They were playing against the one of the worst offensive lines in football.

Matt McCoy looked to be a factor…Frankly, I was shocked…I am really interested to see how he does next week when we play a team that can actually run the ball. I’m sure the G Men will game plan to run it right at him. (Why do I have nightmares of him hanging onto Brandon Jacobs for dear life?)

Buck did exactly what we need him to do. It’s a shame he missed 3 out of the last 4 years. You can really see what he adds to our offense. Maybe Jaws wasn’t so crazy when he said that if we had a healthy Buckhalter over the last couple years, we’d have at least one Super Bowl title in town.

B West was the versatile game breaking back that makes the offense dangerous. However, as the media has pointed out the last couple days, 24 touches are WAY too many. That is dangerous territory. They need to ratchet it back down to 18 to 20. Plus, I really think Moats should get a couple carries a game.

G Lew looked MUCH better now that he’s back to being a 3rd receiver. Thanks to the pick up of Stallworth and the development of Reggie Brown, G Lew is back where he belongs and you can see that he will be productive again in this role.

As for Reggie Brown, he didn’t impress, but it is only game one. I think the Birds may need to better refine his role

As Tito Francona would say, Trot was being Trot on Sunday. He was all over the field being his physical, intimidating self.

Did anyone see Dhani Jones? Neither did I.

The special teams weren’t noticeable yesterday, which is a GOOD thing.

Considine didn’t look out of place in the nickel and dime defense packages. He made a nice play in the 4th quarter knocking down Carr’s pass while blitzing.

Ok…now we get to the biggest disappointment: The starting DB’s.

I don’t think we’ll miss Lito a whole lot over the next month and a half. I think Rod Hood (great porn name, by the way) is much more physical and a better cover guy. However, Lito’s injury really strains the depth of our defense as someone name Joselio "MMmbop" Hanson has to step in as the nickel corner. This could spell trouble and will likely result in a whole lot of three wide receiver sets over the next six weeks.

This hurts to say, but Dawk is no longer a game changer…He can still be effective, but needs to change his game accordingly.

Michael Lewis, and Lito for that matter, has been doing the “Pro Bowl Glide” for two years now. I would like to be optimistic, but if he can’t cover Jeb Putzier, how is he going to effectively cover Jason Whitten, Jeremy Shockey and Chris Cooley six times this year?

Next week brings the G-Men to the Linc for the Birds’ NFC East opener. This should be a classic. The Giants really impressed me in their loss to the Colts. I’m sure they are going to be awfully ornery and be very desperate to prevent opening the year at 0-2. Full disclosure: I am very afraid of that running game and their receivers. Due to our problems in the defensive backfield, we could be in for a track meet.

I can’t wait for the lead up to this one, especially since Antonio Pierce is already threatening retribution for the season ending injury he suffered last year. I love bad blood. Bring it on!

More Addictive Than Crack

The NFL, in their infinite genius, debuted the "Red Zone Channel" this Sunday. Basically, this channel provides the following service:

"The Red Zone channel works much like the NFL Network's pre-season No Huddle program that goes from game to game. The premise of the Red Zone Channel is to bounce from game to game as a team moves the ball inside their opponents 20-yard line. A narrator alerts the viewer to an on-screen game change with a brief explanation of what is currently going on in that game."

Previously, it took a great amount of skill to make sure you caught all the interesting twists and turns of the various games being played at 1 pm on an NFL Sunday. In fact, I used to tell people that I felt like I missed more big plays than I caught because I was so involved in trying to stay on top of the action. Now, thanks for the Red Zone Channel, all you have to do is sit back and let the good folks at Direct TV do all the work.

Just like the rest of you, I was mainly interested in the Birds/Texans game, but this channel switched back and forth to the various games without missing a beat. I haven't seen anything so addictive since Krispy Kreme donuts and internet porn.

Of course, Direct TV realizes this, so they added an additional fee of $100 to the regular Sunday Ticket price. This is highway robbery, but how can you deny the allure of this channel? After watching it for 15 minutes, I offered to split the fee with my neighbor in an effort to persuade him to purchase it. Thankfully, I didn't need to pressure him too much as I opened my email this evening and discovered that the channel has been purchased, and we are a go for the upcoming season.

What a wonderful year it is going to be!

Hamels on the Spot

After the boys in red pinstripes blew last night's extra innings affair, Cholly and Co. turn to my man, Cole Hamels to win their four game series with the Marlins. I really think Hamels will further cement his role as team ace by out dueling the D-Train and help lead the Phightins to victory. (Yes, I'm very positive this morning...it's the most wonderful day of the year!!!)

Another question for today is whether Pat "Please Swing the Bat" Burrell get another start today? I hope not. He is a lost cause at this point. Finding another right handed bat to proctect Howard is clearly becoming next year's biggest need.

As an aside, I was shocked last week when Houston walked Howard to lead off an inning, but I was down right flabbergasted when Joe Girardi, a so called top candidate for NL Manager of The Year, walked Howard in the Top of the 9th with a man on first, with only one out, effectively putting the tying run into scoring position with less than 2 outs. Well, Florida lost that battle as Jeff Conine tied the game up with a base hit, but wound up winning the war as they won the game in the 10th.

Philly Sports Phan's Prediction on Today's Game....

Pain. Very simply, Pain.

Ok, I don't see the game that big of a rout, but I always wanted to use that line from Mr. T (Clubber Lang) in Rocky III.

Anyhow, I see a 27 to 13 win for the Birds. I think we'll move the ball pretty easily and our defense will have their way with Houston's offensive line and shut down the running game and pressure David Carr. Their wide receivers scare me, but I don't see Carr having enough time to find them down field.

For bonus points, my defensive star of the game: Darren Howard; offensive star of the game: LJ Smith.

By the way, I love the ESPN Pre Game show, but I'm really starting to hate "Boomer". When will ESPN put him out to pasture???

Fish Fry

Tonight's 14-8 win by the Phightins was crucial. Ok, ok, I know I keep emphasizing how important every game is, but with less than a month left in the season every game is HUGE!

It didn't take a genius to realize that there was no way a young team like the Fish were going to show up after celebrating the Anibal Sanchez no hitter the night before. Nonetheless, I was still really happy to see how the Phils jumped all over their bullpen. Throughout the rest of their nine remaining games, the Phils need to get to their bullpen and do major damage. A team that has a $15 million payroll certainly wasn't going to invest much in a quality bullpen - not that ours is much better, exhibit A being Ryan Madson last night and exhibit B being Rick White tonight. So, if the Phils can knock out the Marlins' promising young starters, they certainly have a shot to do some damage in these remaining "knock down" games.

The non-steroid Single Season Home Run Title got a little closer for Ryan Howard tonight as he hit #54.

Let Me Look Into My Crystal Ball

Since we’re only one day away from the opening of the Football Season, there is no better time than the present to release my predictions for the 2006-2007 season.

Let me be the first to admit. I don’t have a great handle on this season. There are no dominant powers. There are more flaws on these teams than the Phils’ bullpen. The days are gone when you can pencil in two teams to at least reach the Conference Championship Games and then work backwards. Nowadays, there are always at least three teams that jump out of nowhere to make the playoffs. Parity is now king in professional football and the NFL couldn’t be happier.

So, without any further adieu, let’s start with the NFC East since that’s division we care about the most.

NFC East:

New York Giants – 11-5 – I think the G Men have the most solid combination of offense and defense. If Coughlin can prevent a team mutiny, I like their chances to repeat.

Philadelphia Eagles – 10-6 – A lot of people have gone over board with the Stallworth trade and now have the Birds at 12-4 and a division winner. Jeez, even my the Sports Guy picked them to make the Super Bowl based upon his “Ewing Theory”. I like the addition of Stallworth and think he’ll he help a great deal, but they are relying on too many fragile guys for me to see them staying healthy enough to win the division and becoming a viable contender for the Super Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys – 10-6 – Yeah, it’s easy to say there will be T.O. melt down this year after the media created circus this training camp. I’m starting to think the ‘Boys will be smart enough to take measures to curtail the media storm so as to not derail their preseason. I’ve also seen a lot of people this week pick the Cowboys as their NFC representative in the Super Bowl. I don’t see it, but I do see them in the playoffs.

Washington Redskins – 6-10 - This team is my pick for this year’s team turmoil. Way too many Chiefs and not enough Indians on this coaching staff. Plus, how does this team spend a gazillion dollars on midget receivers and rely on an older than dirt quarterback like Brunell? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I also see Portis’ injury lingering all year, which is exactly why he was off limits in my fantasy drafts.

NFC South

Tampa Bay – 10-6 – If John Gruden can make Bobby Hoying look good, what do you think he can do for a guy with a pedigree like Chris Simms. If the defense and Joey Galloway can ratchet it up for one more year, I really like their chances to contend for a title.

Carolina – 9-7 – So many people jumped on this team’s bandwagon early in the preseason that I was scared off the Panthers. Now, so many people are following suit and staying away from this team, that I’m wondering that maybe it’s ok to back them for a Super Bowl run. Honestly, I’m just confused by this team. They could win the Super Bowl or finish 8-8.

Atlanta – 8-8 – I like the defense. I like the coach. I like the running backs and wide receivers. I HATE the quarterback. The best thing that can happen to this team is for Vick to get hurt –a distinct possibility - and let the kid from West Chester take over. If that happens, I reserve my right to bump this prediction up to 10-6.

N’Awlins – 5-11 - The offense has some new weapons – Reggie Bush and Drew Brees – to go along with Deuce and Joe Horn, but the o line and defense is pretty bad. It could be a long year, but I hope and pray they win that first Monday Night Game back at the Super Dome. These people DESERVE it!

NFC Central

Minnesota – 9-7 – They win this division by default. They went 9-7 last year with a knucklehead for a coach, a back up quarterback and team that was answering more questions about the Sex Cruise than football. This year new coach Brad Childress comes to the Land of a Thousand Lakes knowing that he’s starting Brad Johnson for a full season and should have the benefit of a steady RB in Chester Taylor. A repeat of last year’s record is very doable.

Chicago – 8-8 – Sure, they have one of the best defenses in the league, but there is no way they repeat last year’s performance with all those special teams and defensive touchdowns. The Rex Grossman led offense is absolutely horrible. They’d have a hard time scoring on the Saints defense. It is an absolute given that this team takes a step back this year.

Detroit – 7-9 – The Lions are a chic pick with NFL experts. I don’t see it. Jon Kitna won’t do a lot to make Lions forget Joey Harrington. Hey, at least the Lions didn’t draft another WR in the first round. Plus, this city has an elite NBA team and a baseball team steaming towards the playoffs. I don’t feel bad for these guys.

Green Bay – 3-13 – I hope the people from the Land of Cheese that Favre came back. It’s going to be a long year. Favre should have asked for a trade.

NFC West

Seattle – 11-5 – As the Sports Guy pointed out in his column today, the Seahawks are facing the Super Bowl Loser Jinx AND the Madden Cover Jinx. However, they still play the Cards, Rams and 49ers 6 times. How do they not win the division??? Plus, as my buddy Mister Nascar told me, the Super Bowl Loser Jinx does not apply to Seattle since they didn’t actually lose the game, it was STOLEN from them.

Arizona – 8-8 – I’m hoping for Leinart to get some run sooner than later. He’s the closest thing this league has seen to Broadway Joe in years….at least off the field. He seems to be a helluva a quarterback, but I think he’s soft and that’s not going to help him a whole lot behind that offensive line. Also, look for the Edge to be bitching about his lack of blocking after week 3.

St. Louis – 7-9 – I toyed with the idea of this team being a surprise team, but I don’t love the defense. So, unless the defense gels, it could be an uneven year. I do LOVE Steven Jackson. He’s my pick for breakout player of the year. It pains me to say that my buddy Mister Nascar drafted him in our fantasy league. I envision the next four months of him pointing out how he projected his greatness and reached for him at the 6th pick in our draft.

San Francisco – 6-10 – In case you missed it, former Niner Kevan Barlow compared Mike Nolan to Hitler. Things can’t be good in the Bay Area. Sure, it takes a complete moron to compare a coach to the most hated figure of the past century, but I’m guessing the players aren’t buying into Nolan’s regime heading into year 2.

AFC East

Miami – 11-5 – Way back in March when I was in Vegas, I put a few sheckles down on the ‘Fins to win the Super Bowl right after I learned that they traded for Culpepper. I felt great about my pick until I realized the Super Bowl is in Miami this year and no team has ever gone all the way when the Supe was played in their home stadium. Based upon this trend, I guess I wasted a few bucks, but I still really like the ‘Fins to contend for the Championship despite the fact that I changed my Super Bowl winner pick when I realized where the game was being played.

New England – 10-6 – Sure, it looks like Deion Branch is on his way out the door and they are getting really thing at LB, but they still have Tom Brady and that’s all you need to at least reach the playoffs.

J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS – 5-11 – Here’s a secret…I clandestinely root for the Jets. It must be a “green thing”. You wouldn’t understand. Anyhow, it’s going to be a long rebuilding year for these guys, but that’s ok. They’ll rebuild over the next couple years, get back to respectability and then break their fans’ hearts all over again.

Buffalo – 4-12 – If I told you that you were faced with a second straight season full of quarterbacking by J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb, is that something you’d be excited about? Didn’t think so.

AFC Central

Cincinatti – 11-5 – Is it me or does it seem like half the team is on probation or suspended by the NFL? I knew Chris Henry was a scumbag back at West Virginia when he flipped the bird to the RU student, but he’s one of the best young deep threats in the league. So, I guess sometimes you gotta overlook the little stuff, like an offseason of four arrests. All that being said, they have the best “triplets” in the league with Palmer, Rudi, and Chad Johnson. If their defense holds up again this year, they should win the division.

Baltimore – 10-6 – I think old warriors like McNair and Ray Lewis have one last run in them. If Jamaal Lewis can stay healthy, this team makes the playoffs.

Pittsburgh – 8-8 – There has been bad karma swirling around this team since they stole the Super Bowl from Seattle. I highly doubt Roethliberger’s bout with appendicitis is the last bad thing that will happen to this team. It’s going to be a long year out in the ‘Burgh.

Cleveland – 7-9 – I think this team will be better, but I have nothing to back it up. So take this prediction with a grain of salt. Although this casual observer wonders who does Cleveland have to kiss up to in order to prevent another one of their marquee players from suffering another major injury.

AFC South

Indianapolis – 12-4 – I think they’ll miss the Edge slightly, but they suffered some losses on their defense that I think will hurt them again come playoff time. I also smell another playoff upset loss.

Jacksonville – 10-6 – Does anyone think Fred Taylor’s groin has 16 healthy games in it? Didn’t think so. They will take a step back this year even though the defense will remain formidable and their passing game will be improve with Matt Jones being a year older and the addition of Mercedes Lewis.

Tennessee – 6-10 – I really hope Vince Young doesn’t get much playing time. From what little I saw in the preseason, he didn’t seem ready and Jaws was imploring the coaching staff not to play him on Monday Night Prime Time this week.

Houston – 5-11 – Remember how p*ssed off Eagles’ fans were when they were told they couldn’t bring hoagies into games? Well, multiply that level of frustration by 6,248 and that’s how Texans fans feel after their management team passed over Reggie Bush. You don’t screw over an entire fan base without suffering a major karma hit. If I was the Texans owner, I’d hire Earl Hickey as a consultant because things are going to get AWFULLY ugly down there.

AFC West

Denver – 12-4 – Just like Atlanta, I really like the defense, the running game and wide receivers, and coach. It all comes down to Jake the Snake. The rest of this team is Super Bowl Caliber except the QB. I’m going to gamble and say the presence of Jay Cutler raises the Snake’s game to another level and he manages games well enough to get the Broncs over the hump this year.

San Diego – 8-8 – I was all ready to put this team in the playoffs until an off duty police officer popped a couple caps into LB Steve Foley. I don’t like the aura around a team that is trying to break in a new quarterback. Also, you can’t underestimate the Marty Schottenheimer factor.

Kansas City – 7-9 – I totally expect LJ to rush for 2,000+ yards despite the fact that he has a 250 lb Left Tackle blocking for him because Herm will ensure that he gets his carries, even when they are down by 3 td’s in the third quarter. That will about be the only highlight for this team as they did nothing to significantly improve the defense.

Oakland – 2-14 – Uniting Aaron Brooks and Art Shell is a train wreck waiting to happen. I might watch every game of theirs on the Sunday Ticket just to get a good laugh every week. At the very least, it sets up the funny scenario of watching the squeaky clean Brady Quinn getting drafted by the rough and tumbled Raiders.

Playoff Teams:

NFC:

1. Seattle
2. New York Giants
3. Tampa Bay
4. Minnesota
5. Eagles
6. Cowboys

First Round: Eagles over Vikings, Tampa Bay over Dallas

Second Round: Seattle over Eagles, Tampa Bay over the Giants

NFCCG: Tampa Bay over Seattle

AFC:

1. Denver
2. Indy
3. Cinci
4. Miami
5. New England
6. Baltimore

First Round: Miami over Baltimore, Cinci over New England

Second Round: Miami over Indy, Denver over Cinci

AFCCG: Denver over Miami

SUPER BOWL: Denver over Tampa Bay (Yes, I realize that I have Jake Plummer and Chris Simms facing off in a Super Bowl. Although, it’s not as bad as the matchup in Super Bowl XXXV where Trent Dilfer beat Kerry Collins.)

Weekend Wrap Up “WWU”

After a looooongggg holiday weekend, I’m back to give you guys my take on this weekend’s action:

Ryan Howard’s Home Run Spree – Much like Tiger Woods, I’m running out of good things to say about this guy. He is quickly becoming my favorite Philly athlete of the last decade. He is so humble. He seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the fan reaction in Game One of the Sunday Doubleheader when he hit three dongs against the Braves to carry the team to victory. Surprisingly, he still seems to be learning every day. The way he turned on that inside pitch that he hit for an upper deck home run he hit on Monday shows that he’s continuing to improve every day. What a career this guy is going to have, huh?

As of Tuesday afternoon, Ryan’s up to 53 dingers. The convenient question now becomes, how much longer until he surpasses 61? As I told some friends on Sunday, if he reaches 62, he should get the real single season home run title. On the way to work this morning, I heard Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and Angelo on the WIP Morning Show saying the same thing. I hope he approaches 62. This story could pick up steam and force the incompetent Bud Selig to comment on the topic. That would make for some fun. I love to see that guy sweat.

Extra Innings, With a Walk Off “Chase-r” – Yesterday’s walk off home run by Chase was absolutely HUGE. If they lost that game, after another dominant pitching performance by Cole Hamels, things could have snow balled negatively and reinforced their inability to beat Houston. Now, they finally beat the ‘Stros and have a bit of confidence for the rest of this series, which dovetails into the “do-or-die” ten game run against the back from the dead Marlins.

Birds Cut Down to 53 – There certainly were some surprises here. Did the Birds really need to keep ten offensive lineman? Two of the guys they kept, Nick Cole and Pat McCoy, I’m guessing would have passed through waivers and could have been put on the practice squad, but we all know Big Red’s preference for the “big uglies”. Anyhow, I believe that cutting Darnerian McCants and J.R. Reed could really hurt the special teams. Something tells me that McCants will be back after week one when the special teams don’t look real special.

Five Days to E-A-G-L-E-S!!!! – I can’t wait!!! Opening day is almost here. As I’ve said earlier in this space, to me, the start of football season is the most wonderful time of the year and now the Birds first game is a short five days away against the snake-bit Texans. Big Red doesn’t have a great opening day record, but I love our chances this week. If you’ve followed events down in Houston, it’s pretty clear that things have not gone the Texans way after spurning Reggie Bush and alienating their entire fan base. I can see things getting REAL ugly down there once the Birds have their way with them.

Notably, the Texans have two South Jersey running backs, Ron Dayne of Overbrook High School and Wali Lundy of Holy Cross High School. Unfortunately for their family and friends, I don’t see them having any success against their home town team.

Overall, I’m still not sure what to expect out of the Birds. It appears that some people are going a little overboard over the Stallworth trade. I expect his arrival to help, but not make the team significantly better. The playoffs are possible, but I still see this year being a struggle. I release my official prediction later in the week.

US loses to Greece in Semis of World Championships – How is this possible? Really? How is this possible?!?!?! Not even the beloved Coach K and LeBron could save us this time. With all apologies to my buddy Nick M., but when the heck did the Greeks start playing basketball? I had no clue they were any good. In any event, I think our failures the last couple of years are starting to sink in with the basketball community. We are too busy raising basketball stars instead of basketball players. Fundamentals are eschewed, while individual play is awarded. What a shame. I used to like the fact that we could count on creaming the rest of the world in hoops. Oh well, we still have women’s softball.

Tiger Woods: Simply Amazing – My man the Captain alerted me to Tiger’s comeback yesterday to overtake Vijay and win his 5th straight tournament. I tuned it in just in time to see him drain a birdie putt on 17 from what appeared to be 25 yards away. There are no superlatives left to explain Tiger. Right now, it comes down to whether he is the most dominant athlete of my lifetime. I have to admit, he’s getting dangerously close to entering Jordan and Gretzky territory. If he dominates at the Ryder Cup, he is on my Mount Rushmore, along with Jordan, Gretzky and Lance Armstrong.

As the Sports Guy wrote last week, he needs to start handicapping himself to make this more exciting. Of course a lot of his ideas were tongue in cheek, but Tiger should pull a ridiculous Roy Jones, Jr. type stunt and play a tournament with two less clubs than the rest of the competition.

Borgata – “The Wife” and I decided to go down to Brigantine on Friday in the middle of Tropical Storm Ernesto to visit our friends George and Jen. (Admittedly, this was not the smartest idea.) While down there, “The Wife” took me to the Borgata for my maiden voyage. (I’m always behind on these things.) I was pretty impressed by the place. The lobby reminded me of the Venetian and the casino floor was very similar to the one at TI in Vegas. We also stopped by the B-Bar, where I quickly realized that I was not cool enough for that scene. So I tried to hide out and observe the goings on while sitting on one of their couches and having a few beers while watching the Notre Dame game. Finally, on the way out, we picked up our car at the valet parking area and I was astounded at the number of luxury vehicles down there. I suppose New Jersey really is the richest state in the country as the number of BMW’s, Mercedes, Lexuses, Infiniti’s and Volvos was mind boggling.

Rutgers Opens Up With a Road Win Against UNC – Sophomore Ray Rice rushed for 201 yards and three td’s in helping the my alma mater, The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University, open the season with a road win down in Chapel Hill. Heisman candidate Brian Leonard didn’t do much to get the attention of voters in a regionally national televised game, but likely made himself more money by showing off his blocking skills. Next week, the Fighting Illini head to the Banks of the Raritan to take on the Knights. RU is a 12 ½ favorite and looking for revenge after last year’s opening week melt down.

Miami vs. FSU – I haven’t seen that bad an offensive performance out of two major college powers in a marquee game since last year’s Miami/FSU game. How do these offensive coordinators still have jobs? Well, I guess I can understand how the FSU guy still has a job since his dad is the head coach, but how about Miami? They certainly have the athletes as they get a ton of good recruits every year, but the ‘Canes offense looked brutal last night. Miami QB Kyle Wright has the body of world beater, but must have the brain of an egg beater, because he sure had a hard time moving the ball last night. (I always loved that line.) In fairness to Kyle, he was pressured the whole night and his coaches did nothing to help him.

Agassi Done – I’m not a big tennis fan, but I always semi-cared about Andre. Now that I have stolen his look, I’m quite sad to see him go. He was a great champion and I can virtually guarantee that I won’t watch a second of any men’s tennis match until the U.S. finds a new standard bearer.

The Philly Sports Phan's Academy Award Goes To...

Finally, the Philly Sports Phan and "The Wife" made it out to see "Invincible". I, like 95% of the people I talked to, totally enjoyed it. Since the basic story has been played out in the local media ad nauseum, I won't bore with the story line. I'll just point out some things which were interesting to me:

-Marky Mark Wahlberg did an outstanding job portraying Vince Papale, especially during the acting scenes. He also did a pretty decent job pulling off the football scenes. He took some hellacious hits which surprised the hell out of me and made the movie much more acceptable.


-How could you make a movie including Dick Vermeill and NOT have him cry??? Did the screen writer research the guy at all? Couldn't Greg Kinnear have suggested to the director, "hey, the scene may be more believable if I break into tears while Vince he has made the team"? Vermeill cries at the drop of a hat. This was a golden opportunity missed. All that being said, Kinnear did a great job as Vermeill. Dick has a certain vulnerability and compassion to him that Kinnear was clearly able to display.

-The detail they put into the football scenes was very good. The actual play wasn't up to the standards of "Any Given Sunday", but it was better than "Remember the Titans". However, thank god, the producers received authorization from the NFL to use their uniforms, player names, etc. The movie was SIGNIFICANTLY more believable as a result. For me, it was really cool to see a movie which included former NFL stars such as Bill Bergey, Harold Carmichael, John Bunting, Roger Stauback, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, and Bradley Van Pelt. I had all their football cards as a kid and it brought back great memories.

-The special effects team did a great job recreating the Vet in the CGI shots. I didn't care for the track around the "Vet" as that never existed. Couldn't they have removed the Franklin Field track from the shot via CGI?

-I thought they did a pretty decent job portraying the city, the 700 level fans, and the passion of our city for the Eagles.

-I really like the chick that played Vince's girlfriend. She was hot, but not so hot that you couldn't picture her as your South Philly Goumar.

-Thanks from the heads up from regular reader, Nick, as Tony Luke's cameo was great.

-The one thing that surprised me is that the Mafia Actors Union (you know, guys like Frank Vincent, Big Pussy, and Paulie Walnuts) totally missed the opportunity to expand their horizons to a sports movie. It didn't really feel like some of the bit players were South Philly I-Talians. While the actor who played Vince's father gave a spine tingling pep talk to Vince, I didn't really buy him as a South Philly guy. He was much more realistic as the Irish father-in-law from "Mystic River" who told Sean Penn's character that he still had "domestic responsibilities" to worry about upon the death of his teenage daughter from a prior marriage. Call me crazy, but I think Frank Vincent would have been much more believable in that role. Plus, while Vince's friends were all excently cast and had the feel of South Philly guys, the crowd at Max's bar would have been much more believable with the inclusion of an Italian such Big Pussy or Bobby Bacala wearing the 70's equivalent of a track suit.

-The movie also had a minor role for a guy that portrayed former Eagles' center, Dennis Franks. I got a huge kick out of this as Franks was an assistant coach for my high school football team. How many of you guys can say you were coached by a guy that was portrayed in a movie???

Finally, the Philly Sports Phan did tear up a few times and there were about three or four other moments which caused chills to run up my spine. If this movie doesn't do the same to you, then I have to say you aren't a true phan. This is a must see movie for all fans of our beloved Eagles.