Donovan McNabb: Future Politician

I don't care whether you like the guy or not. Donovan McNabb's performance today in front of the large collection of reporters today was one of the best press conferences I have seen from a public figure in a long, long time. Rest assured, I am not only comparing him to dopey professional athletes. He took a potentially messy situation and squelched it in a heart beat. In my mind, he made himself a ton more money today. What company wouldn't want this guy endorsing their product?

I don't know if D Mac has figured out what he's going to do with his life after football, but he's more polished than most of the politicians we see these days, and certainly more well spoken than any of the football talking heads seen on the various television networks.

I always heard that Syracuse University has one of the best Communications programs in the Country. Donovan is exhibit A. I give him an A+ for his performance today. I didn't take issue with a single thing he said.

Check this link for a summary of Donovan's press conference.

I would also like to point out that I'm almost 100% positive that my main man, Johnny Gold, designed that Campbell's Chunky Soup logo over D Mac's shoulder. Nice work, Gold.

By the way, Donte Stallworth was on Jim Rome's show on ESPN and said the following:

"I plan on being in Philly. My first choice is definitely Philly. I love it there. I am real confident that they will get it done. Andy and Jeff Lurie both talked to me and said they want me back."

Lord, would that be a great move. I'm just a bit pessimistic about this working out. Remember, his agent is Beelzebub (aka Drew Rosenhaus.)

Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, We Hardly Knew Ye

Thanks, Sixers. Seriously, thanks for absolutely NOTHING! In case you missed it (and I'm guessing most of you did), the Sixers friggin' won again tonight, beating the Hornets 89-78.

Clearly, this team is pissing away the opportunity to draft Oden or Durant (who dropped 37 points and 23 boards on Bobby Knight and Texas Tech last night), unless somehow they get lucky in the lottery and leap frog Boston and Memphis. This totally sucks. I was totally looking forward to following the Sixers again. Oh well, the positivity was nice while it lasted. Maybe Mr. Snider should have Peter Forsberg come talk to these guys and tell them how to tank the season properly.

It's now no longer a debate. Billy King is the worst executive in Philadelphia history. Even Lee Thomas and Russ Farwell look like a geniuses in comparison. First, he built such a horrible supporting cast around AI that the poor guy finally went insane and asked to be traded. That move seemed to be exactly what the franchise needed as the AI trade made the team bad enough to contend for the top overall pick in the Oden/Durant NBA Draft. Most recently, the Sixers jettisoned team cancer, Chris Webber, through a buy out funded by a truckload of Comcast money. However, removing C Webb from the equation seems to be the move that has propelled the Sixers to win five of their last eight games.

Poor Billy King can't win for losing....or should I say, he can't lose for winning.

Go Owls!

I just read the following shocking fact in Today’s Inquirer:

“[Temple] has more players in this Super Bowl [Jason McKie of the Bears, plus Dan Klecko and Raheem Brock of the Colts] than any [University] except Syracuse and Florida, which have four each.

There are more Temple players on the Colts' and Bears' active rosters than players from Notre Dame, USC, Texas or Oklahoma.

"That's huge," said Klecko, who already has two Super Bowl rings from his time with the New England Patriots. "Who would have thought that? Everybody makes fun of Temple."

This is great for Temple. I really do hope their program can build off this and help turn things around. I’ve said it many times, but Temple belongs in the Big East. It was a mistake kicking them out. Sure, they’ve had their tough times, but Rutgers’ has showed this year that a turnaround of massive proportions can be achieved with the right leadership and focus. I think current head coach Al Golden can help bring Temple back to mediocrity and possibly beyond.

I also believe that congratulations are in order for Colts’ Middle Linebacker, and former Rutgers University Scarlet Knight and Glassboro High School Bulldog, Gary Brackett, on getting to the Super Bowl. (Yes, that is a shameless promotion for the alma mater.) Here's to hoping that Gary has more success Sunday than fellow Rutgers alum, and current Eagle, L.J. Smith did a couple years ago. (Yeah...I know he caught a TD, but we still LOST!)

It Must Be A C-O-N-Spiracy

Check out this hilarious conspiracy theory involving fellow Rutgers grad, David Stern, and Gary Bettman.

Everyone has a favorite conspiracy theory about the NBA. Some like the idea that David Stern fixed the 1984 draft lottery. Others favor his supposed secret suspension of a star player for gambling problems.

Mine dates back to the early 1990s, when the NHL was white hot with fans and never better on the ice. Wayne Gretzky was in Los Angeles. Mark Messier was with the New York Rangers, who were on the verge of ending their Stanley Cup drought. Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy and many others were hitting their prime.

Anyone who doesn't think hockey can work in America is forgetting this era. All of a sudden, hockey was challenging, if not beating, the NBA in a number of major U.S. markets – including New York. It's almost impossible to imagine now, but it happened.

As the conspiracy theory goes, Stern sensed the potential trouble in 1993 while the NHL was in search of a new commissioner. So he looked around his own office for someone so incompetent that if they got the job, the NHL would be marginalized by their mismanagement and never again be a threat to the NBA.

Naturally, Stern recommended one of his assistants, Gary Bettman, for the job.

True story or not, it worked.

Bettman is set to begin his 15th year as commissioner Thursday, and like most hockey fans I feel the need to mark the occasion by popping a bottle of champagne, chugging the entire thing in an effort to drown my misery and then smashing the empty bottle over my temple to black out the memories.

There has never been a commissioner of a major North American sports league this inept, yet the league's board of governors keeps employing him, keeps giving him another chance to sink this once-proud, once-vibrant league to new depths.

Bettman is on a 14-year run of bad ideas. His latest was a classic, moving the league's all-star game, which featured attention-grabbing young megastars, to midweek on the Versus Network – as opposed to NBC on a weekend. He claimed it would allow Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin to own the sports landscape, unlike some crowded weekend.

The result was a catastrophic 0.7 rating. That's a meager 474,298 households in the States that bothered to watch, down 76 percent from the last all-star game.

I don't know about you guys, but this makes total sense to me. David Stern is so shrewd and Bettman is so inept, I'm sure this happened.

She's Baaaack

The "Fuck Da Eagles" chick is back. Maxim did not waste any time getting her in the magazine. Check out this link for some more picks. Enjoy fellas.

Bye, Bye, Barbaro

R.I.P. Barbaro (2003-2007)

It's a shame that the poor horse died, but at least we have closure on one of the two totally annoying local sports stories that have plagued us for the past six months.

Hopefully, the Flyers trade or re-sign Peter Forsberg in the next week or so to bring an end to the other stale, beat to death story line.

Wait a second, if that happens, what will I f'n write about before football free agency starts???

Does Anyone Care About The Super Bowl?

I don't know about you guys, but there appears to be only slightly more excitement about the Colts/Bears Super Bowl than last week's NHL All Star Game.

I simply can't get excited about it. Although, I feel the NFL media hype machine getting warmed up as we speak. By Thursday, Sean Salisbury, Jaws, The Playmaker and crew will have me believing that Rex Grossman can throw for 300+ yards and the Bears defense will shut down Peyton Manning and Company. However, until such time that I have been brainwashed by ESPN's coverage, I'll just have to try and get myself excited fpr Super Sunday by thinkng about all the impending commercials that will be debuted.

As an aside, was anyone else depressed this past weekend with no football to watch? I didn't know what to do with myself. I tried watching the Senior Bowl to watch my boy Brian Leonard, but the game was brutal. I watched a couple of movies and then watched the "Art of War" on Discovery HD. Plus, while I'm not 100% sure, I think I might have had a conversation with my wife this past Sunday. I think I almost gave her a heart attack because she usually doesn't expect to talk to me from 12 pm Sunday until Monday morning while we get ready for work.

Call me crazy, but with the NFL season coming to an end, I'm actually looking forward to Nascar to start. Yes....Nascar. No, your eyes do not deceive you...Nascar. Yes, the sport that features a bunch of good ol' boys making left hand turns for four hours.

Yes, it's going to a long offseason.

Old Wounds Reopened

Tonight, I had the distinct pleasure of catching "America' Game" on the NFL Network, which detailed the New England Patriots 2004 Championship season that culminated with their 24-21 victory of our beloved Birds. A couple of interesting tidbits relating to our Eagles' came out of this show.

• Bill Belichik's pep talk to his team before the game included details of the Championship Parade our city planned to hold had the Eagles won. Great...thanks to the idiots who leaked that information. I'll blame that on Mayor Street everyone's favorite whipping boy.
• Lito Shepphard totally and inexplicably blew his coverage on the Patriots TD right before the first half. It was a three man pattern. The main target, TE Christrian Fauria, fell down. The second option, Deion Branch, was double teamed and not open. Lito was in zone coverage, with only one receiver in his area, but for some unknown reason barely paid attention to David Givens as he caught a touch down.
• Belichick and Tedy Bruschi reminded me of how the Birds failed to go into the two minute offense with five minutes left, lollygagging their way down the field, but draining the clock down to about 1:45. Belichick stated that he was incredulous, mockingly asking the coaches in the booth "we're up by ten points, right? What are these guys doing?" Bruschi was even more shocked at the Birds' offense lack of urgency. Well, we were all with you, Tedy. I still think D Mac should have pulled himself if he was unable to run the offense properly. Excuse, me but just thinking about this again made me throw up in my mouth.

Thanks NFL Films. While your "America's Game" series, is fantastic, I'm now totally pissed off over Super Bowl 39 again.

Hitting The Nail On The Head

I know only one or two of you care about this sport, but I found these comments by John Tortorella, the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning, totally on point regarding the downfall of the new NHL:

TAMPA - Every now and then, depending on a variety of factors - his mood, the question, the audience, what he had for breakfast that morning - Lightning coach John Tortorella will step up onto his soapbox and let it flow.

He is, as has become abundantly clear during his time in the Bay area, an outspoken fellow when the mood strikes. The mood struck Friday, as he revisited one of his pet peeves about the NHL - the relative lack of physical play since the installment of rules designed to open up the game.

"This coach, here, I think the game's going in the wrong direction," Tortorella said. "I think we've done some great things as far as some of the rules changes, in allowing our best players to be our best players. But I think what we've done is we've gone across and gone down the wrong road and taken the physicality out of the game, taking the jam out of the game. And I think we get so hyped up about trying to bring new fans in, we forget about the old-schoolers that are going to be there, thick or thin. And I think we're losing them, because it's a ballet."

This, from a coach whose team entered Friday's game against the Devils as the least-penalized team in the league. Which means that, as much disdain as Tortorella demonstrates about the "ballet" that the game has become, he and GM Jay Feaster are savvy enough to put together the kind of team that - theoretically - can take advantage of the system in place.

Still, Tortorella yearns for the good old days, when an annoyingly chatty opposing player who opened his yap once too often wouldn't get a free pass up and down the ice.

"I just think it needs to be revisited, as far as what the crux of this game is," he said. "It's hard people playing a hard game. It's no longer that way anymore in my mind. … Let's take a long look at this now and see where it's going. That's all I ask. That's all I'd like to see. I hope we have an open view and see where it's at, and not be afraid to maybe revisit some of the old stuff that was in this game and bring that back."

I sure hope the NHL's inept commissioner, Gary Bettman, and its competition committee taks a good look in the mirror in the offseason and realizes that the rules need to be tweaked or they are going to lose the only fans they have left.

The NHL needs to take a note from Nascar. When they make a rule that doesn't work, they come to their senses and change it. That's what I love about that sport. (Yes, I do consider Nascar a sport.) They are always working to make things more competitive.

We all realize the Flyers suck this year and that could be contributing to my dissatisfaction with the league, but if the NHL returned to a more physical on ice product, I think I'd watch more out of market games. Well, at least that makes one of us.

Your 2007 Flyers In A Nutshell

I got a good laugh out of this one:

The NFL Must Have Consulted Joe Banner On This Policy

What is wrong with NFL? Are they serious with this crap:

(CBS4) MIAMI Die-hard football fans attending the Super Bowl game at Dolphin Stadium are getting a rude awakening after finding out that no tailgating of any type will be allowed on game day within one mile of the stadium.

"There is no tailgating allowed in the Dolphin Stadium parking lots," Sue Jaquez, a member of the Super Bowl XLI Host Committee, confirmed on Tuesday. "And there is no tailgating anywhere within a one-mile radius of the stadium." "And there are no RVs allowed."

Tailgating is permitted during regular- and post-season games for Dolphins fans, a team official on Tuesday said it would indeed be allowed at the Super Bowl. According to Jaquez, however, the official has been seriously misinformed.

The Dolphins do not organize and oversee the Super Bowl, Jaquez pointed out. Instead, those duties are left up to NFL officials. And because of security reasons, no pre-game partying on (or very near) the premises will take place. Fans spotted tailgating could face charges, Jaquez said.

"This is part of the NFL, not the Dolphins," Jaquez said. "If the Dolphins are saying there's tailgating -- or think it's going to be allowed -- then they need to contact the NFL."

Detective Nelda Fonticella of the Miami-Dade Police confirmed the Super Bowl rules.
If caught grilling or consuming alcohol within that one-mile radius of Dolphins Stadium, fans initially "will be warned and asked to pick up their things and leave," Fonticella said. "We're trying to make this a pleasant experience for everyone, and there will be plenty to do in the week leading up to the game."

Once again, the NFL shows why it is the "No Fun League". Let the people tailgate!

I Think I Found A New Strong Safety For The Birds

Thanks to my buddy for sending this one.

This is exactly why Tiger kicks everyone's ass on the PGA Tour. He's not a wuss. You think Mickleson would have tracked this guy down and got his clubs back? I think not. He has no heart. Consider me even a bigger Tiger phan now.



(Editor's Note: It has been pointed out to me that this is actually a commercial. I guess I've been had, but Tiger still shows some balls tackling the guy.)

At Least Someone In Orange And Black Still Cares

Take a look at this video. It looks like the Fridge finally gave Pitkanen a wake up call about 40- some games too late.

Joni's been such a disappointment, I wonder if it is too late to have Pitkanen deported back to Finland?

As McNabb And Garcia Turn....

As I thought, Andy Reid's comments yesterday denying McNabb's frustration with the organization have not put the fire.

Tonight, Sal Pal was on Glenn MacNow's WIP show (yes, I know...I'm the same guy that yesterday said I no longer listen to the station) and stated that McNabb has told many friends that "either I or Jeff Garcia will be playing in Tampa Bay next year."

Wow....you simply can't push this story into a corner now. Sure, it's easy to pass off a website story or sully an article from Mark Eckel, but now Sal Pal is reporting D Mac isn't happy. That's three separate sources, people. Where there's is smoke, there's fire and this thing appears close to burning out of control if Garcia comes back for next year.

If this is true, I'm really disappointed in Donovan. How coddled is he? If he is such a team leader, why wouldn't he want a guy around that could help the team win.

In any event, I guess we can say good bye to Garcia. There is no way the team won't bend over backwards to make D Mac happy. Thanks for the memories, my favorite Red Headed Latino.

LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE

Ok, maybe that headline isn't exactly what Andy Reid said in response to the articles from Mark Eckel and Pro Football Talk.com claiming that D Mac was unhappy with the organization, but he did say the following while down scouting my boy Brian Leonard, amongst others, at the Senior Bowl:

"I think people are making a lot of things up here that aren't true."

"I just hate to see people have to make things up that really aren't true."

"He knows what's the truth and what isn't the truth."

"It was my choice and not Donovan's choice to cancel the news conference."

"I'm disappointed people are making things up."

Ok, I'm glad we can put that one to rest. I totally believe Big Red on this one. We can all just forget about this issue like it never happened. I'm sure D Mac is feeling just swell about the organization. (Yes, I'm being a tad bit sarcastic.)

For the full Inquirer article, click here.

Anyone Else Tired Of 610 WIP?

I might be in the minority here, but I've become totally tired of 610 WIP. Don't get me wrong, I still listen to sports talk radio, but I can't listen to 610 nearly as much as I had previously. Due to my unhappiness with their program format, I had to make a switch. I'm now a happy listener of ESPN Radio, which I listen to all day long on my XM Radio. I have not been disappointed and don't miss 610 all that much at all.

While many of 610's hosts can be annoying, they are not responsible for driving me away. (I actually like Morganti and Hugh Douglas in the morning, The Cuz in the afternoon, Eskin's not so bad, and I really like MacNow, especially when he's hosting the Saturday show with Ray Didinger.) It's the endless string of inane calls from the likes of Joe from Fishtown, Tyrone from West Oak Lane, and Bobby from the Great Northeast that finally forced me to seek another option.

Here's a brief example of the ridiculous, time wasting phone calls...A half hour before the Saints game, some idiot calls up and expresses his opinion about how the only option for an Eagles' victory would be for the Birds to change their offense to exclusively use a two back running set similar to those used by the Csonka-Kiick-Mercury Morris Dolphins' teams of the 70's. Yes, this moron actually wanted the Birds to use an offense last seen in the NFL 30 years ago and turn Buckhalter into a ball carrying fullback (ala Larry Csonka). I wish I could say this type of call is an anomaly, but it is usually the norm as the idiots have taken over the station.

I really could care less for their opinions and questions that don't vary a whole lot from caller to caller if you listen for more than 20 minutes. Right now, every single call either defends Donovan in this whole Mark Eckel mess, wonders if Garcia and/or Stallworth will be re-signed, or inquires into whether Andy will run the ball more with a healthy D Mac. I don't know about you guys, but would it kill 610 to have a guest on every now and again who actually brings some factual information to the table? Seriously, is this too much to ask?

When I was going to Rutgers in the early to mid 90's, I started to listen to Mike & Mad Dog show on the WFAN 660 AM in New York. Their outstanding show opened my eyes to how horrid 610 can be. I realized that it is kind of informative to hear an opinion from people that have actually played, coached or covered the sport. Call me crazy, but this seems more interesting to me than Vinny from Washington Township's theory as to how the Birds can improve their defense next year.

I once had the opportunity to hang out with Jody Mac about 9 years ago at a Monday Night Football event at Kaminski's in Cherry Hill. I asked him about 610's policy on having guests and my preference for that format. Jody told me that was his preference as well, but Bigby and the rest of management preferred to focus on the Joe's From Fishtown of the world. Lucky us.

Now that Jody is back in Philly on 950 AM, he has used the "guest interview" approach. I was able to hear Tom Heckert on the other night and his interview was more informative than anything you'll ever hear on 610, save that one time every other year that Andy Reid calls in. Unfortunately, I'm not in the car long enough to enjoy listening to Jody more regularly. However, I have realized that the rest of the hosts on 950 are flat out brutal.

In any event, I'm quite happy with ESPN Radio on XM. Of course it focuses on national sports issues, but that's fine with me. Their morning show with Mike & Mike is a bit hokey, but The Herd with Colin Cowherd and the Dan Patrick afternoon segment are outstanding radio shows which include a virtual cornucopia of interviews with players, coaches and media types. To balance things out, ESPN Radio even includes a call or two every hour or so. Thankfully, Joe From Fishtown doesn't have the number to ESPN Radio yet.

If you feel different, I'd love to hear why you prefer to hear the idiotic, repetitive phone calls. I'm all ears.

Reminder! NHL All Star Game Is Back!

I'm sure most of you don't give a rat's ass, but tomorrow is the NHL All Star Game, which will be the first one held in three years due to the season lost to the lockout and the Olympic Break last year. I wanted to post this outstanding video of top goals in NHL history to remind everyone how outstanding a sport the NHL can be when Commissioner Bettman is not trying to destroy it with his ridiculous rule changes. Enjoy:



I particularly enjoyed #17. That goal showed why the Big E was the best Flyer since Clarkie. It's a shame injuries and meddling parents robbed us of seeing him at his full potential for more than only a few years.

By the way, goal #15 totally sucked. Watching Niinimaa getting undressed while wearing #44 is eerily reminiscent of what we see on a night to night basis with the current Flyer wearing that number.

Finally, Someone In The National Media Understands Why We're So Angry!

Leave it to the best sports magazine in the country to finally put into words why we're so angry as Philly Sports Phans. Check out this article on Sports Illustrated.com:

Last week's column about fans who keep attending games of terrible teams brought e-mail from readers all over the country who took offense at my suggestion that Cubs fans have had to suffer through the most hopeless seasons.

So how do you determine which city has treated its sports fans worse than every other?

You know those lists that come out every year that tell you the best cities to live in? The selections are typically based on some formula that weighs climate, employment, cost of living, crime rate, attractiveness of the Real World cast that lived there, or any of the other things a normal person would take into account when choosing a place to live. But what if the rankings were based purely on the aggregated historic success of the local pro sports teams? Which cities would be at the very bottom of that list?

I'll give you a hint: not Chicago. Thanks to the success of the Bulls, Blackhawks, and, more recently, White Sox, the Cubs could lose every single game for the next 10 years and Chicago would still be one of the best sports towns. From bad to worse, here are my choices for the cities with the most unfortunate fans:

6. Tampa (check the link for these reasoning behind their place in the standings)

5. San Diego

4. Seattle

3. Milwaukee

2. Cleveland

1. Philadelphia: None of the city's four major pro teams has won a championship since 1983. Philly has had its share of embarrassingly bad teams while at the same time suffering painful postseason losses by good teams. It's that unique Extra Value Meal of exasperating playoff losses mixed with unparalleled putrescence that earns Philadelphia the top...er...bottom spot. It's no wonder the city's fans have a reputation for being the nation's crankiest.

Two NFL championships in the '40s and one in 1960 are hardly memories that most Eagles fans can recall. Especially since 18 years passed before they even made it back to the playoffs. The team boasts two Super Bowl appearances; both were losses, and one was a heartbreaker that ended on a last-second field goal. (PSP NOTE: OK, THIS GUY LOSES A TON OF CREDIBILITY THERE...MUST HAVE the 2005 SUPER BOWL MIXED UP WITH 2004 CAROLINA VS. PATS?)

The Flyers, meanwhile, have been solid if incredibly frustrating through most of their existence. They've had strings of 11 and 17 straight playoff appearances but have won only two Stanley Cups and none since 1975. Similar things could be said for the 76ers, who had a magical 1966-67 season and some great players from Dr. J to Moses Malone to Charles Barkley to Allen Iverson, but won only one other championship despite nearly annual trips to the playoffs.

What really sinks the City of Brotherly Love on this list, though, is the Phillies. The Phils are the longest running sports team in the country to play continuously in one city under one name, and yet they have won only a single World Series -- 27 years ago. The Cubs may get all the press as losers, but the Phillies are far and away the most futile ballclub in the majors. In fact, they've lost more games (9,956) than any team in any sport. They've had so many dozens of losing seasons that they make three-card monte look like a good bet.

The Philadelphia A's fared much better before running off to Kansas City, but also set some of their own records for losing. I have yet to meet anyone who remembers celebrating the team's back-to-back 1929-30 World Series titles. Well, except maybe Orlando Hernandez.

For once, it's nice to see a writer take the time to examine our history before labeling us a horrible sports city because we are little impatient and quick on the booing trigger finger. I wish the Michael Wilbons and Skip Baylesses of the world would check out this one.

Even though he made a major faux pas on the Super Bowl comment, I still give major props to Mr. Hofstetter. Nicely done.

The Article Causing All the Fuss

Here is the Mark Eckel article that 610 has been talking about all morning:

PHILADELPHIA -- Over the next few months the Eagles will answer a question about their quarterback situation that will decide the look of the franchise for years to come.
The question is can Donovan McNabb and Jeff Garcia coexist, even for one more year?
Those close to both high-profile players aren't so sure.
McNabb, according to some people close to him, is not pleased with a lot that has happened since he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a loss to Tennessee on Nov. 19.
The franchise quarterback's un happiness includes the fact head coach Andy Reid did not allow him to travel to the team's playoff game in New Orleans.
There is a team rule that players on injured reserve do not travel, but, c'mon, teams always treat their stars differently than they do the rest of the team. What would it have hurt to let McNabb go to the game, even if he had to sit in the owner's box with Jeffrey Lurie, if Reid did not want him on the sideline?
McNabb also may be getting a vibe that some in the organization prefer Garcia over him. Lastly he was not pleased with the way his mother, Wilma, has been portrayed by Eagles fans and the local media for her blog on his Web site in which she stated that watching the Eagles win without her son "is bittersweet."
Despite other reports, there was no hint from anyone close to him that the quarterback was not happy with the Eagles training staff over the rehabilitation of his torn ACL. McNabb also was not bothered as much as some think over Reid's decision to cancel McNabb's press conference that was scheduled last Friday.
It is to the point, however, that the Eagles have to answer soon what they are going to do about their quarterback situation.
It could be a moot point if Gar cia, an unrestricted free agent in March, is not re-signed. Until then someone, preferably Reid, needs to make it clear to the franchise quarterback that he is still the franchise quarterback.
Because if he is, but there is even a doubt in his mind that he isn't (and we're not reading minds here, just tea leaves), that's not good.
There are also rumors floating and growing stronger from around that league that Minnesota and Tampa Bay could be landing spots in either a trade for McNabb or as a free-agent destination for Garcia.
The Vikings, who turned to rookie Tarvaris Jackson by the end of the season, make sense because former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress is now the head coach and a big McNabb fan, and former Syracuse assistant Kevin Rogers is Minnesota's quarterbacks coach.
Tampa Bay, under head coach Jon Gruden, also could use a quarterback and either McNabb or Gar cia would fit well in the Bucs' offense.
Chris Simms, coming off an in jury, signed a new deal late last season, and the other quarterbacks on the Bucs' roster include Tim Rattay, Bruce Gradkowski and Luke McCown.
Gruden and McNabb go back to the 1999 Senior Bowl, in which Gruden coached McNabb's squad. Reid has often pointed to that week in Mobile, Ala., that let him know McNabb was the right man for his offense.
Garcia, who will be an unrestricted free agent come March, also could be a fit for the Bucs since Gruden has shown he can win with older, veteran quarterbacks. See Gannon, Rich, and Johnson, Brad.
Would the Eagles really trade McNabb?
Unlikely, since they would not get true value for him since he is coming off the injury and the salary cap hit they would absorb is $3.8 million.
Tampa has either the No. 3 or No. 4 pick in the draft (depending on a coin flip with Cleveland). It's doubtful the Bucs would give that up. Minnesota has the No. 7 overall pick in the first round. Again, that's a pretty good pick.
Then again, the Vikings or the Bucs could just sign Garcia as a free agent.
And McNabb would stay put, at least for another year (there would be a very minimal cap hit if McNabb is traded after the 2007 season).
"I know Jeff and I know how he is," a former teammate of Garcia's said. "After the way he played -- what was he 6-1? -- and then he won a playoff game. He's not going to be happy being a backup again. He's way too much of a competitor for that. He should be going to the Pro Bowl the way he played. He knows that. Now, you want him to be a backup, and get paid like a backup. That's not going to happen."
The former teammate then brought up a scenario that could really put the Eagles in a bind if it were to happen.
"Say Jeff does come back," he said. "And Donovan isn't ready for four weeks or so. If Jeff goes 4-0, or 3-1, are you going to take him out and put Donovan back?"
The Eagles are going to do something in the immediate future and that decision will have an affect on them long term.

While he may be upset over some things (frankly, who doesn’t get a bit miffed at their employer over things at work from time to time), I really can’t see the Birds trading McNabb. I haven’t read or heard one word from anyone over at the Eagles’ organization which has said anything, but McNabb is the franchise QB.

I think Eckel is just trying to cause a ruckus and seem relevant again and of course, Caltaldi and crew has never missed an opportunity to stir the pot when D Mac is involved.

I wouldn’t be shocked if this whole thing goes away fairly quickly. I’m not going to play chicken little over this one.

Bad Day For The 'Boys

First, The Tuna quits on Jerry Jones and the 'Boys via email. (Isn't that the same as dumping a chick via email or a text message?)

Then, according to What Would Tyler Do.com we find out that Carrie Underwood denied that she was ever going out with Tony Romo:

"I have read some of the most ridiculous things about that. The first time I ever met him was on Christmas, right there on the field. Everybody was like, 'Ooh, they are together.' And then I was blamed for Dallas not winning that game. . . . He is a very nice guy and I've talked to him a few times, but we are very much not together."

Wow...Tony is having a pretty crappy month. He blew the Seattle Wildcard playoff game by dropping that snap, and now Carrie Underwood doesn't want to admit that she ever hooked up with the loser. (I wonder if she'll show up in Sexy Rexy's private box at the Super Bowl?) Someone better stop by Romo's place and make sure he doesn't overdose on T.O.'s pain medication.

Overall, it was a pretty bad day for Cowboy fans, huh? If you ask me, it couldn't happen to a better fan base. Although, I'm sure they slipped in a DVD of those Jimmy Johnson Super Bowls from a decade ago to make their pathetic selves feel better.

My Wish To Come True? Brian Leonard in Green?

From the Trenton Times:

The Eagles need a big back to compliment Westbrook and this space reported weeks ago that Reid likes Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard, a 235-pounder with great hands. It might take a second-round pick to land him, however.

Can it be? Can it possibly be??? Andy Reid is enamored with Brian Leonard!!!! Over the last couple years, whenever Reid has fallen in love with a player, they've done all they can to move up and select the guy. I hope and pray it happens this year and Leonard lands with the Birds.

Trust me. You guys will not be disappointed. I also will go out on a limb and predict that if he is drafted by the Birds, his jersey will be right up there with McNabb, Dawk and B West as the most purchased.

Yeah, yeah...I know they need defense and won't have either a third or fourth round pick, but I hope this works out one way or another.

PSP's Quick Hitter Thoughts From Championship Weekend

Let's start with the NFC Championship game, which the Bears won going away.

• I hated the Saints' game plan. It didn't seem to me that they ran the ball enough, especially during the possession that ended in game changing safety.


• Move over Tony Eason, David Woodley, and Trent Dilfer, you're no longer the worst QB's to ever start a Super Bowl. Here comes Sexy Rexy.


• That was the best game the Bears played in about two months.


• As good as the Bears pass rush was, the Saints' secondary was just as brutal. I wouldn't be shocked to see Rod Hood and/or Michael Lewis end up in N'Awlins next year.


• That Reggie Bush fella is pretty good, huh?


• The Joe Horn injury finally caught up to the Saints.


• The turf at Soldier Field was atrocious. The Linc's field looks like hell, but we did not see people slipping all over the place in the Giants playoff game like today's NFC Championship Game.


• I will try to say something nice about the Bears....I like the way they run the ball and their speed on defense. That's all I can say.


• Wait...almost forgot, that was a hell of a catch by Berrian to pretty much put the game away for the Bears.

On to the thrilling AFC Championship Game, which the Colts won to finally put Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy into the Super Bowl.

• Asante Samuel is a helluva a cornerback.


• I really thought the game was done after Samuel's interception return for a td. The Colts could have quit right there and then. Give them a ton of credit for continuing to fight.


• I also like Dungy's call to get some points on the board before the half. Some knuckleheads would have panicked and went for it on 4th down before the end of the first half.


• Admittedly, I gave up on the game. I started watching Artie Lange's Beer League for the second time, but was alerted that the Colts were making a game of it.


• Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy and the Colts deserved to win this game.


• Don't overlook the importance of the third down play Bob Sanders made that forced the Pats to punt with 2:27 left. That play was HUGE.


• I really dislike Jabar Gaffney.


• I know this has been pointed out in a Sports Guy column, but Reche Caldwell's "cocaine addict" looking eyes are really spooky. However, as my boy Johnny Gold pointed out, as big as his eyes are, they didn't help him catch the ball.


• As Tom Brady walked off the field after throwing the game ending INT, all I could think of was that scene in Rocky IV when Drago finally showed a weakness and Rocky opened up a gash over his eye. I immediately thought of the line from Apollo's former trainer, Duke, to Rocky: "You see? You see? He's not a machine, he's a man, he's a man!"


• Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are scum bags. You've won for so long, you can show a little class in defeat. I thought Belichick's post game comments were pretty Bobby Knight-esque. Plus, where the hell did Tom Brady run off to after the game? He could have shook the hand of a long time rival, as Manning has done several times over the last few years.

Overall, we were left with one great game and one dud. I really expected the Saints to show up and play better, but oh well....

At this point, I'm not real excited about the prospects of watching Rex Grossman in a Super Bowl, but so is life. I suppose the next two weeks of 24/7 Super Bowl coverage will brainwash me into caring.

McNabb and Lindros....Scary Similarities?

Pro Football Talk.com reports the following regarding the cancellation of D Mac's Friday press conference:

We've determined via conversations with multiple league and media sources that there has been, at some point in the not-too-distant past, a squabble in Philadelphia regarding the status of the rehab of quarterback Donovan McNabb's torn ACL.

As we hear it, McNabb was at some point determined to be behind schedule in his recovery from season-ending surgery to repair the injury that he suffered against the Titans. And McNabb has, on at least one occasion, blamed the delay on well-respected trainer Rick Burkholder.

There's a school of thought that Eagles coach Andy Reid put the kibosh on McNabb's recent press conference due in part to concerns that McNabb would blab about the brouhaha.

Complicating matters is the fact that the players have a strong affinity for backup Jeff Garcia, who led the team to a berth in the divisional playoffs. An industry source tells us that guys like tackle Jon Runyan and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, both members of Reid's "veterans' committee" have expressed strong support for Garcia.

What the support translates into remains to be seen. We think it's unlikely that McNabb will be traded. But with Garcia soon to become a free agent, and a possible target for a starting job in, say, Minnesota, the Eagles will need to cough up the money to keep him around -- which would serve only to fuel the speculation that Garcia might have a shot at the job.

Jeez, now Donovan is ready to call out the training staff??? Is it me or is D Mac's career starting to become eerily similar to the one of Eric Lindros? They both had spectacular early parts of their careers and turned around the fortunes of their teams, but ultimately failed to lead us to a championship. Both had battles off the field with teammates and management, meddling parents, and several injuries which kept them from reaching their full potential. I sure hope we don't see a similar ending to D Mac's career here in Philly.

This can't happen to our city twice in less than a decade, can it?

Flip Flop on Foppa?

It sounds like the Flyers are finally coming to their senses and going to shop Forsberg around to the highest bidder for the rest of the season. They also seem hopeful that Foppa will come back to the Flyers after the season (ala Mark Recchi's trade last Spring to Carolina and resigning in Pittsburgh this Summer).

Here is some interesting tidbits from Anthony Sanflippo's article in the Delco Times:

One informed rumor circulating out of New York has the Rangers expressing interest in Forsberg, but Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren said New York G.M. Glen Sather has not contacted him about the availability of the Flyers captain.

And while Holmgren wouldn’t go so far as to say the Flyers are shopping Forsberg, he did say the team would like to trade a group of players, which technically, Forsberg fits into.

"The assets that we have that we’re looking to move are guys in the last year of their contracts that are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year," said Holmgren. "And we only have a few of them. You don’t have to be a genius to figure out who those guys are."

Here’s the list: Forsberg, Kyle Calder, Mike York, Robert Esche, Sami Kapanen, Todd Fedoruk, Dmitry Afanasenkov as well as a couple guys on the Phantoms roster in the AHL.....

Forsberg has a no trade clause, but might approve a deal to a team that is in playoff contention, much like the Rangers.

"Yeah, that would make sense --but that’s you saying it," Forsberg told a reporter when asked about waiving his no trade clause.

"I don’t think I would go to a team that’s in 15th place or 14th place."....

Speaking of questions, how would the Flyers be assured Forsberg would return to Philadelphia in the summer, and not sign on with another team?

While it would be against NHL policy to have a handshake agreement between the two sides that would guarantee his return, there has been a precedent of sorts in many instances where deadline deals basically amounted to rent-a-player situations.These situations have ended with the traded player eventually re-signing with his former team....

The Daily Times has learned from a separate source that the answer is yes, the Flyers do anticipate both a trade of Forsberg before the deadline and will hope to re-sign him during the summer’s free agent signing period.

"I know he likes it here and we like him and we think he’s a great player and we think he can help us both now and down the road," Holmgren said.

Hell, the Flyers absolutely have to take this gamble. For all intents and purposes, this season is over, so why not get something back for Forsberg. Plus, there is no guarantee that Foppa doesn't decide to head back to Sweden for good after the season. If the Flyers can get a bidding war started between a couple of contenders, then the Flyers could get a couple of useful pieces for the rebuilding process.

To me this is a no brainer. I just pray that Holmgren doesn't screw it up.

Vindication!

To all those, including my buddy George, that did not consider Rutgers' outstanding football season as a local story, please see the following:

Rutgers head football coach Greg Schiano will be a guest on Comcast SportsNet's "Daily News Live" Monday evening at 6 p.m. Schiano, the 2006 National Coach of the Year and BIG EAST Coach of the Year, will be in attendance at the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Awards Banquet on Monday evening in Cherry Hill, N.J. as the PSWA honors the Rutgers football team as its "Team of the Year."

The honor is the latest in a long list from a memorable 2006 campaign for Schiano and the Scarlet Knights. Four Rutgers players earned various All-America honors in 2006 while 14 players collected BIG EAST All-Conference honors, the most of any conference school.

The Scarlet Knights ended the season 11-2 overall and 5-2 in the BIG EAST after the program's first bowl championship. Rutgers defeated Kansas State 37-10 in the Texas Bowl to tie a single-season school record with 11 victories.

Rutgers made its first appearance in the Associated Press Top 10 rankings in 2006 and ended the season ranked 12th – the highest season-ending ranking in school history.

So, I guess I'm not alone in considering the Rutgers' football season a local story. However, it is kind of sad when all the local pro teams are so bad that we have to turn to a team an hour away in Central Jersey as the local team of the year.

Are You Kidding Me?!?!?

Yes, for the first time since Andre Miller's first game with the Sixers, I half paid attention to a portion of a Sixers game. I watched the end of regulation when the refs bailed out D Wade and let him go to the line for three potential game winning free throws. I then watched the beginning of OT, but then quickly lost patience and realized about five minutes later that they actually won.

In case anyone cares, on Wednesday, they lost to the worst team in the league and then beat the defending champs tonight. This group of Sixers make absolutely no sense. Didn't someone send the memo to this team that they are supposed to lose out the rest of the year to ensure we get the best draft pick possible!?!?!

(FUTURE SIXER ALERT: By the way, Kevin Durant of Texas will be in Philly tomorrow playing 'Nova at the Wach. If you want to watch one of the guys I pray we are in position to pick, tune into CBS at 1:30.)

I heard rumblings tonight that Larry Brown may be back on the bench next year. I can't think of anyone better to mentor whomever we get in the lottery. No develops younger players like Larry Brown. I'm so excited about this idea. I just can't wait.

Andy Reid: Clock Management Expert, He Ain't

I read this in today's column by the Sports Guy and got a huge chuckle:

"Andy Reid's time-management skills are so pathetic that, if he was the ball dropper in Times Square on New Years Eve, I'm convinced the ball would hit at about 12:03 a.m.."

After all these years as a head coach, it still amazes me how bad Andy is at clock management. Although, things seemed to get better when Morningwheg took over the play calling because we were no longer wasting two time outs a half because of failing to get the play call to the QB in time.

In any event, Andy just has to get better at little things like clock management if the Birds are ever going to win a title.

Lifeless On The Ice And In The Stands

I went to the Flyers game tonight and came away feeling totally bummed. It's just not right what has happened to this once proud franchise. I felt like I came across an old friend and found him jobless, lonely, depressed, and having a bit of a drug problem.

Things just can't get any worse for the Orange & Black. Not only is the team is absolutely uninspired on the ice, but the Wach feels like a funeral parlor on game nights with no emotion whatsoever. The only thing that seemed to get the crowd mildly interested in the third period was some fat kid dancing in the upper deck during stoppages of play. What a shame. Flyers games used to be an electrifying experience. Now, they are more sleep inducing than Nyquil.

It seems like they just don't know how to get out of their own way. They have such a hard time in the defensive zone, whether it be making a clean pass out or defending odd man rushes. If this was a video game, someone would have hit the reset button and started over altogether. Unfortunately, the Flyers don't have that option.

Thankfully, the Flyers have a truckload of cap space going into next season as Tim Pannaccio detailed today on Hockeybuzz.com.

Hopefully, Mr. Snider will spend the money in the right places and right this ship. This franchise and its long time loyal phans deserve much better.

P Distracted

Sorry, but I'd be pretty distracted by Jessica Biel also. She's phenomenal!

Thanks to the people at What Would Tyler Turden Do for pointing out this one.

Banner Day For The Daily News

When the Eagles season ended, I thought the local sports media would basically mail it in until the Phils start in April and barely register a blip on my radar. Boy was I wrong. Yesterday was one of the more enjoyable days of sports writing that I've witnessed from the Daily News in quite a while.

Initially, it is quite apparent that the Daily News believes that Philly Sports Phans should be placed on suicide alert. They went way out of their way to make us feel better about the Phils' postseason chances this year, and also started trying to get us excited about the potential draftees that the Flyers and Sixers may be looking at now that it is pretty clear that both teams may end up with the first pick in their respective drafts. (By the way, have two teams in the same city, let alone two winter sports teams, ended up with the first overall draft pick during the same year? If anyone can provide this information, I will be eternally grateful.)

The Daily News included a very interesting article about how Paul Holmgren is scouring the planet to find the best available player to pick in next year's draft. As this article details, it appears to be the absolute worst year to have the first pick as there are no bona fide stars available....Figures, huh?

I particularly took notice that one of the kids they are looking at is a center from Quebec, named Angelo Esposito. Tell me you don't see this kid fitting in here in Philly. He'd be a fan favorite in South Philly and Washington Township about five minutes after he's drafted.

Next, Paul Hagen argues in his Phils Winter Carnival puff piece that Philly is really a baseball city. He details that:

In the period from 1983 to '85, when Marion Campbell was coaching the Eagles and the Phillies were coming off a time when they were going to the postseason nearly every year, it was the local baseball team that dominated the sports landscape.

And yet...

The Eagles, by losing to the Saints last weekend, assured that they will not be the team that triggers a championship parade down Broad Street this year.

All of which sets the table nicely for the Phillies, who will assemble for the first official workout for pitchers and catchers at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater 29 days from now......

The coast is clear. The Eagles are done until training camp. The 76ers and Flyers have little to play for beyond a shot at the first overall draft choice. The Phillies suddenly have a roster chock-full of exciting young players - Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels - that fans can root for. They have been on the edge of making it to the playoffs for the past couple of years and have added a proven starting pitcher, Freddy Garcia, who could help push them over the top.

And should it all come together and result in a world championship, well, that would most likely result in a seismic shift in the football-baseball balance in the area.

"We're sitting in a good position," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle, who has been with the organization since 1992, said yesterday at the media availability that coincides with the start of the team's offseason promotional push.

"Now we need to go out and win. The fans are hungry for a winner in any sport, so we have a great opportunity. I think the city wants to embrace this club. I think people are just waiting for the opportunity.".....

So is Philadelphia a football city like Pittsburgh and Oakland? Or a baseball city like St. Louis, and Boston?

The answer is both. Which way the pendulum swings just depends on which team has won the most lately. And, beginning April 2 against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park, it will be the Phillies' turn to try to stake their claim.

Puhhhleeeze. Sorry Paul, Philly is a football town. People only care about the Phils when they are doing well, which is basically never and I'm not counting on it happening this year either. The only thing that could change my mind is if someone guaranteed me that Pat Burrell regains his old form and a reliever falls out of a tree to help eat up innings. So, since the Phils will never win anything significant, I guess we'll never know if Philly can be a baseball town.

The venerable Bill Conlin also checked in with a great column. He humorously points out the flaws in Pat Burrell's swing as demonstrated in a picture of "Pat the Bat" from the January 2007 page of the Phils' calendar. He also notes that since Burrell was included as Mr. January and not featured in one of the "baseball" months, there is a still a possibility that he will be traded. (If we could only be so lucky.) However, most importantly, Conlin details that recently signed Phils' reliever Antonio Alfonseca has 6 fingers on each hand AND 6 toes on each foot!!! Frankly, this is amazing. I wondered if the extra finger somehow helps his pitching, but I learned on Wikipedia that "his extra small fingers next to his pinky have no influence on his pitching, as they don't touch the ball." Bummer. I also couldn't find any pictures of his hand...Bigger Bummer.

The fun did not stop there, my friends. Old Timers' Day continued with an enjoyable column from Stan Hochman who told us about a documentary film being made about the supposed curse of Billy Penn over our beloved sports teams. He even furthered the filmmakers' argument by smartly pointing out that the Birds lost to the Saints because:

Joe Banner had offended the gods of football by whining about the lack of love shown to owner Jeff Lurie (bad management); Shawn Andrews, their best offensive lineman, got hurt (bad luck); they couldn't stop Deuce McAllister all night (bad tackling); and they squandered their last shot at victory by punting on fourth down with less than 2 minutes left (bad coaching).

Yep, Saturday was another superfecta of Philly Sports Phutility. Thanks for so succinctly pointing it out, Stan.

Over the last two days, both the Inky and the Daily News ran full length articles detailing how the target of the Sixers draft affections, 7 foot Ohio State Center Greg Oden, is a great player and a great person. Admittedly, it really does sound like he's a good kid. I'd love to see him here after having a star that left something to be desired in the role model category. In any event, the Sixers sure appear to be in full tank mode hoping to get Oden.

Tonight, they did not disappoint as they got blasted by Memphis, who came into tonight with an even worse record. The great thing is that even if we lose the lottery and don't get Oden, the consolation prize, Kevin Durant of Texas, ain't so bad as the Sports Guy waxed poetic about in his colum about the Suns today. As a result, I'm sure Durant will be the subject of another article this week as the Daily News desperately tries to talk all of us Philly Sports Phans off the ledge.

Yeah...I know this was a long column, and I apologize, but there was way too much good stuff to let go uncommented upon. Plus, if our teams are going to suck, it helps if the sports writing is good. Thanks guys. If you can keep me entertained between now and Phils' opening day, you will certainly have earned your money.

I Guess The Loss To The Birds Finally Drove Eli Over The Edge

Check out these pics, Eli is losing it...I welcome facing this knucklehead twice a year.

To see more pics and an accompanying story, click here.

What Did You Expect?

If anyone was banking on free agency for the Birds to improve over the offseason, you can forget about it. Eagles' flunky Dave Spadaro has already set the stage for the Birds' offseason plan with his article today, titled "Eagles Must Trust Draft In This Off-Season".

Try not to get too frustrated by some of these comments:

You can take this to the bank, and you can factor this into how you fill the holes on this Eagles team: The Eagles must, must, must trust the draft of the last couple of years when they look ahead. There are some players who must step up and play key roles in 2007.

I know that when March rolls around, the fans are going to yell and scream that Player X "Is a great fit!!" And that "Player Y can put us over the top!!"

But it doesn't work that way. Free agency fills a hole here and there, but history shows that free-agency additions miss more often than they help.

Now, hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the Eagles will target one or two or three free agents and go hard after them. They've always been aggressive when they've seen players they think can make a difference and the results, frankly, have been mixed.

For much of this past season, the Eagles' 2006 draft class was largely criticized. There was minimal impact from the group, and in the end only linebacker Omar Gaither (fifth round) was a real contributor. Wide receiver Jason Avant (fourth round) saw some time here and there and defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey (sixth round) played early and then spent the rest of the season on the sidelines.

The Eagles insist that the '06 draft class will prove to be outstanding, so we should start seeing some of those players stepping into prominent roles in 2007.

And that, in the end, has to have an impact on how the Eagles approach their off-season thinking.

For example, the Eagles defense was described as "soft" by defensive coordinator Jim Johnson after the loss in New Orleans. It was the second time he referred to his group that way, and as the Eagles wade into the months ahead, they know they need to toughen up, add a harder edge, get better on defense.

Spit in the wind all you want. It's what we do in the off-season. Just don't forget that the Eagles have some young talent on here that has to play an important part of success in the immediate future. The Eagles have to trust their draft.

Since we all know that Spadaro is pretty much parroting things he's heard from the Eagles front office, this article is probably pretty legit. Great....I'm completely underwhelmed.

I'm so excited about trusting Bunkley (pictured above) and LaJuan Ramsey, guys that couldn't get off the bench all year, to be our running stuffing DT's. Even less thrilling is the fact that it looks like we'll be relying on Chris Gocong, a guy who was on IR all year and played against D II competition, to be our answer at strongside outside linebacker. Plus, that article seems to hint that we'll be replacing our small, slow, Polynesian kick returner with a smaller, slightly faster, white kid who hasn't competed in a legitimate sporting even since he flamed out in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Wow...I don't know about you guys, but I already can't wait for next year. The 2007 Philadelphia Eagles: Feel the Excitement!

Our Trash Is Another City's Treasure

In case you have missed it, Jabar Gaffney is tearing things up for the Pats in the post season. So far, Gaffney has 18 catches for 207 yards in two games. If the name sounds familiar, it should. He is the same bum that the Birds cut out of training camp as he failed to learn enough of the offense to beat out either Greg Lewis or Hank Baskett.

This article goes hand in hand with the one I wrote last week regarding Chris Webber where I listed all the athletes we picked up past their primes. There is also an equally long list of players like Gaffney we cut or traded thinking they were bums, but turned out to be productive, or some times even All Star level, professional athletes. Just this past baseball season, Endy F'N Chavez was a productive role player for the Mets after being a total scrub for the Phils the year before.

Let's add a few more Philly mistakes to the list, shall we.....Derrick Burgess, Jimmy Smith, Cris Carter (Yes, I know the reasoning behind his release), Ferguson Jenkins, Lonnie Smith, Johnny Estrada, Ryne Sandberg, Brad Daugherty (yes, we did trade him in essence), Raja Bell, Tim Thomas, and, to a smaller extent, Matt Harpring.

Please feel free to remind me of more.

Is it me or does this happen more to our teams than any other city in the country?

Jack Is Back!

Now that the Birds' season is over and there is no reason to watch either the Sixers or Flyers, many of you are wondering how to occupy your time. Well, if you are one of the five people left in America who doesn't watch it, I strongly suggest you get on the 24 bandwagon. It seldom disappoints.

Right now, we're 4 hours into this season and already terrorists have detonated a nuke in LA and Jack has killed his right hand man in CTU field ops. Not a bad start, eh? Plus, the terrorists are in possession of other nukes and threatening to use them. If this doesn't get your attention, I recommend you go to a doctor to see if you still have a pulse.

In any event, this show turns me and my main man, Johnny Gold, into 14 year old chicks sending giggly text messages back and forth to each other, which usually consist of something along the lines of "Jack is a bad mofo" or "This is the greatest tv show in the history of earth". Well, Gold had me rolling on the floor Sunday night after Jack told CTU that he wanted out of the "life" because he didn't think he had the stomach for torture, killing, etc. I immediately got the following text message:

He doesn't know if he can do this anymore? Didn't he just kill a guy by eating his throat out about ten minutes ago?

See what the uninitiated are missing?

In case you're interested, here's a pretty good summary of what to expect this season from The Best Week Ever.com.

Big Red and 4th and 15

In case anyone is wondering about my take on 4th and 15, I believe Andy should have went for it, but to me it is a really close call and I have the benefit of hind's sight. I was not all that opposed to his decision, but realized it was risky with the state of the Birds' dog-tired, ineffective defense.

Although, as I wrote right after the game, this decision did not win or lose the game for the Birds. The game was lost on the 3rd and 1 call down at the goal line early in the 4th quarter and the play calling prior to the 4th and 10 play after we recovered Reggie Bush's fumble late in the game.

Basically, I think Eagles phans are harping on 4th and 15 as a convenient play to place their anger. It's time to move on, guys. There are other areas to place your anger. Quite simply, the coaches and players as a whole have to be held accountable for this loss.

The Birds did not deserve to win this game as the Saints were better than them Saturday night, but the game was totally winnable and there for the taking. They received a gift turnover late in the game that they could have used to take the lead or tie the game, but did absolutely nothing with it. Put the Pats, Belichick, and Brady in the same spot and those guys take the ball down field and leave no time on the clock as they score the winning touchdown.

This game simply showed that there is a difference between Reid and Belichick as game day coaches. Big Red is a fine head coach during the week while putting together a game plan and getting the team is ready to play, but on game day, he just doesn't do enough to win close, pressure filled games against the very best of the profession. Unfortunately, it's something we're just going to have to accept.

The Biggest Controversy Of Saturday Night....

Thank You Note Located At Nova Care Complex

Dear Andy Reid, Marty Morningwheg, Jeff Garcia, Brian Westbrook and especially Scott Young,

I would personally like to express my gratitude towards your generosity for not ruining my rookie year by taking advantage of my gift fumble late in last night's game.

Right after I totally dropped that perfectly placed pitch, I fully expected you guys to march down field to win last night's game and subject me to an entire offseason of questions about how I ruined our dream season. Thankfully, you guys totally choked and didn't even get a first down, let alone get in position to win or tie the game.

To Scott Young, please be advised that I will be making a donation in your name to the Church of Latter Day Saints. Thanks again, buddy!

Finally, I would like to wish the Eagles and the entire city of a Philadelphia a great offseason, but please excuse me as I must be going. I have to get ready to rape and pillage that fraudulent Bears defense next week.

Your friend,


Reggie Bush

P.S. Please tell Sheldon to not get too excited about that hit he laid on me yesterday. I was hit harder last year in Pac 10 games.

You're Back On Deck, Big Fella

The Birds are done....

The Sixers and Flyers absolutely blow and have no chance to make the playoffs....

The city is yours again, Big Man. It's yours to take by the balls and do with it what you please.

See you in April.

I Guess Life Could Be Worse....

Well...I'm pretty freakin' far from ok after tonight's loss, but guess what, as upset as I am, I still wouldn't switch places with this guy:

Strahan ordered to abide by prenup, pay $15.3M

NEWARK, N.J. -- New York Giants star Michael Strahan was ordered to pay his ex-wife $15.3 million -- more than half his net worth -- in keeping with the couple's prenuptial agreement.

Under the agreement, Jean Strahan was entitled to 50 percent of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his yearly income from each year they were married.

"She's grateful to the court," Jean Strahan's lawyer, Ellen Marshall, told The Associated Press on Saturday. "She looks forward to her future, raising their children and moving forward."

A call to Michael Strahan's attorney, Robert Penza, and his agent, Tony Agnone, were not immediately returned.

The NFL star had contended he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife failed to ask for it every year. But state Superior Court Judge James Convery disagreed, ruling "the plaintiff is not credible in his claim that the defendant never asked for her separate funds."

In addition to the $15.3 million, Convery awarded Jean Strahan hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support. The couple married in 1999.

"It pays to tell the truth, and I told the truth," Jean Strahan said in Saturday's New York Post. "I never asked for a penny more than the prenup that Michael and his lawyers wrote and made me sign. And all I ever asked for was that to be upheld."

ESPN.com

Hahahahhahahhaha...Couldn't happen to a better guy! And you wonder why all the sudden he's doing Subway commercials....I think we have our answer.

Thoughts On Tonight's Game

• We lost tonight's game mainly in two sequences....the play calling when we had a 2nd and 1 early in the 4th quarter and only came away with a field goal. The other spot where we lost this game is obviously the play calling after the recovery of the fumble. Just brutal. In the two games we played against the Saints, I don't think we ran one successful screen pass. Their defense was too keyed in on that play. The second down pitch didn't fool anyone either. Great teams take advantage of that gift turnover. We didn't....We weren't a great team I suppose.


• The team spited themselves by never getting Michael Lewis back into the lineup. He would have been much more effective against the Saints running game than Considine, who once again proved to me that he is not a starter in the NFL.


• The loss of Andrews hurt. He was missed. It sounds like his injury could be serious. I think I speak for the entire Delaware Valley when I say I pray that he is fine.


• Juqua Thomas, Garcia, and Stallworth should all be re-signed.


• Did all of you Garcia supporters finally realize that the shine came off the turd....We could have used #5 tonight. He would have made the difference.


• Hey Banner....I told you that your comments were a bit presumptuous. I guess I was right, huh?


• Dick Stockton and Moose Johnston were brutal announcers tonight.


• I can't believe it took me this long to say, but B West is one helluva running back. I hope these last two months show Big Red that next year they have to utilize him more even if D Mac is healthy.


• Why didn't we throw to the tight ends more?


• The most frustrating thing for me is that even though we once again showed we can't stop the run, I seriously doubt we'll spend the money or draft players to fill in spots on the defense.


• I thought Sheldon Brown damn near killed Reggie Bush in the first quarter.