At Least They Admit When They Are Wrong

For the third time in the Andy Reid era, the Birds have totally whiffed on a linebacker picked in the second round. This time, it is Matt McCoy who is on his way out the door, probably not to be picked up by anyone else in the league further confirming the Birds' error in judgment.

This latest mistake clearly demonstrates that the Eagles' brain trust simply cannot identify college talent at the linebacker position. If I was in the Eagles' front office, I would do two things. First, I would totally erase from the memory banks of every scout and computer in the building regarding whatever traits they have been seeking in a linebacker. Clearly, they ain't working. Additionally, if there is one person in the organization that most ardently advocated this pick, he should be released from his duties as he obviously doesn't know what he's doing.

Second, I would do what every other company in America does when they need expertise in a foreign area. Bring in a consultant. I heard that Bill Parcells is looking for work. I would bring him to help with the 2008 draft and not take any linebacker that the Big Tuna doesn't sign off on. Actually, I've heard rumors that the Birds have already consulted Parcells on other linebackers. I read that the reason the Birds tried to sign Ryan Fowler in the offseason as a restricted free agent was due to Parcells' strong recommendation. Hopefully, this latest linebacking mistake will enforce the need to bring in someone who knows what to look for in this position.

Of course, I feel vindicated by this move. I vehemently opposed this pick the second it was made. McCoy was an undersized, Jr eligible draftee that didn't play against the best of competition while at San Diego St and looked more like a Safety than an NFL linebacker. Plus, McCoy was the only non Draft Combine invited player to be picked on the first day of the 2005 draft.

Yup, that's your Birds, always out thinking the room. The logical pick would have been McCoy's college teammate, Kirk Morrison, who has become an above average starter for the Raiders over the last two seasons, but the Birds wanted to show everyone how smart they are. Now, we can add McCoy to other 2nd round busts, Barry Gardner and the "Range Rover" (aka Quinten Caver). In today's NFL, you can't just throw away 2nd round picks and that's exactly what the Birds have done over the years with these mistakes at linebacker. These misses have forced the Birds to go after other players via free agency or trade (Takeo Spikes, Nate Wayne, Levon Kirkland and Dhani Jones.)

Ok, after tonight, I'll shift my bitterness towards the Cowboys and their fraudulent QB. I believe this guy is the biggest faker since Ed Norton's character in Primal Fear. I know something isn't right about this guy and his aw shucks attitude. I just haven't figured out yet.

Very Thought Provoking Article From Big Sexy

I have always loved reading Jason Whitlock. He's a little harder to find now because he's not with the World Wide Leader in Sports (ESPN), but his work

He routinely writes about complex issues of race, politics, crime, wealth, etc. and by the time I'm done the article he has me looking at things in a new light. I also love that he's not afraid of taking an unpopular side of an argument. He doesn't care if he steps on anyone's toes, which is part of the reason he's no longer at ESPN. We need more of that in today's media. Unfortunately, we're left with a bunch of ass kissers like every single NFL Pre Game show host and guys on the home front like Phil Sheridan, Chris Wheeler and Steve Coates.

Here's an article a couple of weeks old that I stumbled across on an Eagles message board that I thought was interesting. It's long, but hope you enjoy it:

You get one NFL Truth today. Watching Chad Johnson and Larry Johnson undermine their respective head coaches, Marvin Lewis and Herm Edwards, on Sunday gave me a singular focus, forced me to contemplate an uncomfortable truth.

African-American football players caught up in the rebellion and buffoonery of hip hop culture have given NFL owners and coaches a justifiable reason to whiten their rosters. That will be the legacy left by Chad, Larry and Tank Johnson, Pacman Jones, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick and all the other football bojanglers.

In terms of opportunity for American-born black athletes, they're going to leave the game in far worse shape than they found it.

It's already starting to happen. A little-publicized fact is that the Colts and the Patriots — the league's model franchises — are two of the whitest teams in the NFL. If you count rookie receiver Anthony Gonzalez, the Colts opened the season with an NFL-high 24 white players on their 53-man roster. Toss in linebacker Naivote Taulawakeiaho "Freddie" Keiaho and 47 percent of Tony Dungy's defending Super Bowl-champion roster is non-African-American. Bill Belichick's Patriots are nearly as white, boasting a 23-man non-African-American roster, counting linebacker Tiaina "Junior" Seau and backup quarterback Matt Gutierrez.

For some reason, these facts are being ignored by the mainstream media. Could you imagine what would be written and discussed by the media if the Yankees and the Red Sox were chasing World Series titles with 11 African-Americans on their 25-man rosters (45 percent)?

We would be inundated with information and analysis on the social significance. Well, trust me, what is happening with the roster of the Patriots and the Colts and with Roger Goodell's disciplinary crackdown are all socially significant.

Hip hop athletes are being rejected because they're not good for business and, most important, because they don't contribute to a consistent winning environment. Herm Edwards said it best: You play to win the game.

I'm sure when we look up 10 years from now and 50 percent — rather than 70 percent — of NFL rosters are African-American, some Al Sharpton wannabe is going to blame the decline on a white-racist plot.

That bogus charge will ignore our role in our football demise. We are in the process of mishandling the opportunity and freedom earned for us by Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Doug Williams, Mike Singletary, Gale Sayers, Willie Lanier and countless others. And those of us in the media who have rationalized, minimized and racialized every misstep by Vick, Pacman and T.O. have played an equal role in blowing it.

By failing to confront and annihilate the abhorrent cultural norms we have allowed to grab our youth, we have in the grand American scheme sentenced many of them to hell on earth (incarceration), and in the sports/entertainment world we've left them to define us as unreliable, selfish and buffoonish.

I take you to Arrowhead Stadium this past Sunday when two competent and respected black head coaches led the Chiefs and the Bengals in battle, and their efforts were periodically sabotaged by Chad and Larry Johnson, the two players Lewis and Edwards have defended the most.

Football fans are aware of Lewis' love affair with Chad Johnson, the Flavor Flav of the gridiron. Johnson's insistence on conducting a minstrel show during games has long been reluctantly tolerated by Lewis. Johnson, I guess, is just too talented, productive and well-compensated for Lewis to discipline. So Lewis has chosen to enable, going as far as making excuses when Johnson's selfish behavior extended to an alleged locker-room shoving match with coaches (including a swing at Lewis) at halftime of the Bengals' Jan. 8, 2006 playoff loss to the Steelers.

Coming off an 11-5 regular season and having been crowned the toast of Cincinnati, Lewis responded to that Johnson meltdown by vowing to cut the player who leaked the fight information to the media.

Since then, the Bengals have been one of the league's biggest disappointments, finishing 8-8 last season and starting 1-4 this season. Injuries have played a significant role in Cincy's troubles, but so has a lack of on- and off-field discipline and focus. Lewis' coddling of Chad Johnson has destroyed the chemistry that made the Bengals a playoff team in 2005.

On Sunday, with the Bengals trying to rally out of a two-score deficit, Johnson failed to finish a pass route, which contributed to Carson Palmer throwing an interception.

Not to be outdone, Larry Johnson continued his season-long pattern of immature behavior, spiking the football in frustration with 4 minutes to play and the Chiefs attempting to run out the clock. The Bengals were out of timeouts and the spike stopped the clock, giving Cincy one last chance to make a comeback.

Johnson, despite receiving a new $45-million contract, has brooded, pouted and complained all season. He spent the off-season promising to be a leader and has spent the first six weeks of the season spreading locker-room cancer. Edwards-coached teams have traditionally been the least-penalized squads in the NFL. This year's Chiefs are one of the most-penalized squads. Nickel back Benny Sapp drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Sunday, had to be dragged off the field by Donnie Edwards, and was spotted on the sideline arguing with players and coaches.

Race is not the determining factor when it comes to having a good or bad attitude. Culture is.

Hip hop is the dominant culture for black youth. In general, music, especially hip hop music, is rebellious for no good reason other than to make money. Rappers and rockers are not trying to fix problems. They create problems for attention.

That philosophy, attitude and behavior go against everything football coaches stand for. They're in a constant battle to squash rebellion, dissent and second opinions from their players.

You know why Muhammad Ali is/was an icon? Because he rebelled against something meaningful and because he excelled in an individual sport. His rebellion didn't interfere with winning. Jim Brown, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, etc. rebelled with dignity and purpose.

What we're witnessing today are purposeless, selfish acts of buffoonery. Sensible people have grown tired of it. Football people are recognizing it doesn't contribute to a winning environment.

Whether calculated or not, the Patriots and the Colts have created settings in which Brady and Manning can lead and feel comfortable. I remember back in the 1980s when some black sports fans accused the Celtics of being racist for having a predominantly-white roster when Larry Bird was the star. No one remembered that Red Auerbach occasionally fielded an all-black starting lineup during Bill Russell's heyday.

My point is that it makes sense to cater to your stars. And it makes even more sense to fill your roster with players who don't mind being led, even if you sacrifice a little 40-yard dash speed.

If things don't change quickly, we're going to learn this lesson the hard way.

While I see Jason's point regarding the NFL wanting team players and moving away from players influenced by "hip hop nation", I still think teams will bring in whomever is the most talented guy for the job, no matter what racial background that player is from. Are you telling me that Michael Vick and Pac Man Jones won't be in the league with new teams 90 minutes after their suspensions end just because they have a certain attitude? Surely, some team will see their talent and try to coax them into becoming team players and better citizens.

Plus, if the NFL is moving this way, the Birds aren't following that trend. Just yesterday they cut 2nd round bust, Matt McCoy, a white outside linebacker, because he was absolutely horrible and couldn't play. Clearly, the Birds don't play favorites based on terms of race. Now, religion is another question altogether. We all know Reid's favoritism towards Mormons. (Relax, Tom F. I put that line in there to get you fired up.)

In fact, I think the biggest point I take from this article is the damage the "Hip Hop attitude" has done on American Culture. However, I don't think you can blame that culture on any one race. The last time I checked, 3/4 of the Top 100 on I Tunes are Hip Hop songs, so you surely can't single out African Americans. Therefore, while this article makes good points about the individuals specified, I don't think you can jump to the overall conclusions that Whitlock makes. Although, maybe Whitlock and I are just getting old and making similar statements to those made by prior generations about rock & roll, hippies and punk rockers.

Ok, I'll get off the sociological soapbox and get back to my normal content, but I thought this was an article worth sharing and was wondering what others thought.

I Suppose The Thugs From The "U" Have Moved North To Happy Valley

Ok, Penn State guys...someone please put your best spin on this one. It's starting to look like Joe Pa isn't the only one losing control up in Happy Valley:



All I can say is that if you are idiotic enough to do something like this, I guess you are also aren't smart enough to realize it wouldn't be such a good idea to post a video like this on the internet.

As an aside, I love how the guy at the end tries to justify the one guy's actions by explaining that kid "is from Pittsburgh". I got a laugh out of that. I'll have to remember that for future reference for the next time I do something stupid like that while up at my dad's place in the Poconos, I'll just explain it away by saying, "it's ok, I'm from Pittsburgh".

PSP's EAGLES PREDICTION

Last week, I said that I couldn't read the Eagles at all. The Bears game cleared things up for me....The Birds are the type of team that finds ways to lose. This week they'll probably score some points (possibly 20+), but there is no way they are stopping AD Peterson.

(I think the guy is going to be great and he does remind me of Eric Dickerson, but I got quite a chuckle when I heard Brian Baldinger call AD "the best back the Eagles will have faced in the Andy Reid era". Not sure if he is better than LT just yet, big guy.)

So, I'll throw out a score of 24-20, Vikings. This is your 2007 Eagles. Have a wonderful Sunday!

My 5 Star Special of The Year!

The time has come for me to give you my Rutgers pick for tomorrow. This week, the #6 ranked Mountaineers of West Virginia University come to the Banks of the Raritan to take on the Scarlet Knights one week after RU knocked off the #2 ranked Bulls of USF. Unfortunately, I'm not getting the warm and fuzzies over this game.

First of all, RU never beats West Virginia. The last time we beat them, I was still relatively thin, young and full of potential. Second, last week RU had, as me and my man the Captain like to call it, a "spill't their bucket game". Basically, RU threw everything at USF to gain the victory and spent a lot of emotion, energy and good fortune doing it. I wouldn't be shocked if it takes RU another week on top of this one to regain their form. Third, RU QB Mike Teel has an injured wrist which could severely limit his effectiveness. Fourth, our defense has never played against both Pat White and Steve Slaton. I'm guessing it is going to take at least a quarter to get a feel for their speed.

I might even consider laying a wager on West Virginia so that if RU loses, at least I have something to be happy about, but I'm a wuss so I probably won't do that.

Anyhow, I see a 35-20, not as close as it sounds, victory for West Virginia.

Lord, I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

Did I Jump The Gun?

Sorry fellas, I sure hope I didn't jump the gun with the Flyers. I write one congratulatory story on these guys and they promptly lose the next two. I take it back. I don't want to jinx these guys. This team still sucks. I no longer see the playoffs in their future.

(If you can't see through my reverse moosh, you don't know me very well.)

Anyone Else Got The Same Feeling?

I don't know about you guys, but this may be the least interesting Eagles' season that I have experienced in my entire life. I realize it could just be me. I have a lot going on right now between a new baby, work, MBA classes, fantasy football, and looking to sell my home. However, I do not think I'm alone in being completely bored by this football team.

The Birds have no personality at all. The offense is lifeless and can't get out of it's own way. The skill position players are virtually non existent and D Mac looks to be the first Philly Sports Superstar to run himself out of town. The defense seems to playing decently, but I get the impression that they look so good because teams realize they don't need to be aggressive with their play calling as the Eagles are incapable of scoring three td's in a game. As we saw Sunday, this defense cannot be trusted in a big spot.

It just seems that this team is being weighed down by a black cloud of discontent. Everyone on the team seems to be unhappy with their contract or not in a real big hurry to come back from injury. Frankly, I have stopped reading the stories each week about which team member is having difficulty getting himself healthy enough to play each week. I'm bored by them.

About the only thing that interests me is the fascinating story of who gets let go first: D Mac or Big Red. My money is on D Mac heading out of town first. For whatever reason, Lurie and Banner are married to Reid. Despite how inept this team has looked, it sure seems like Big Red has become the new Bob Clarke in this city (ie, a front office sports' figure with a lifetime job.)

In any event, is anyone remotely interested in watching this team week to week? Honestly, I don't think I am and that is the first time in my life that I can say that.

Cautiously Optimistic

Don't look now, but your Philadelphia Flyers are certifiably hot!

After totally burning down the franchise and starting over (hint, hint Big Red and Banner, you might want to check in with the Flyers for a blue print in reinventing a franchise), the Flyers are off to a 6-1 start and are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division.

The difference between this team and last year's squad is night and day. Just about everyone of the moves Paul Holmgren made since last Spring appears to have worked. However, the two biggest differences are the emergence of a legit #1 goalie in Martin Biron and the development of Centers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards in their third seasons as dependable point producers. The continued production of Richards and Carter, along with the expected scoring of the top line centered by Danny Briere, will be absolutely necessary if this team is actually contend for the Cup this Spring.

Other youngsters such as Braydon Cobourn, Randy Jones, Joffrey Lupul and RJ Umberger are lending a helping hand as well. The production from the youth on this team is probably the most satisfying thing. Plus, two of our better younger players, Scottie Upshall and Steve Downie, have yet to set foot on the ice. I really can't wait to see this team at full strength.

All this being said, it is natural to wonder if this successful start is a mirage or a sign of things to come. Well, I think we might get our answer pretty quickly as the Orange & Black are about to embark on an 8 game road trip which concludes with trips to the Rangers, Pens, and Devils.

If the Fly Guys come back from the road with a 5-3 record, then I think there might be just a few more phans on the bandwagon.

I, for one, am just happy to see hockey back in Philadelphia. Something tells me you will be also after a couple more weeks of brutal Eagles' football and once catching a glimpse of the sure to be horrid Sixers.

Talentless

After watching the Birds' first six games this year and especially yesterday's debacle, I have come to the following conclusion: the Eagles simply do not have enough top end talent to win week to week in the NFL.

It's that simple. You need to look no where else to explain the 2-4 record than the lack of talent. Other than Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews, who else on this team is a Pro Bowl caliber player? Lito? No thanks. He's never healthy. Brodrick Bunkley? He's getting there as a run defender, but he has to show some pass rush before I'd put him in that category. Jamaal Jackson is an above average Center, but with Olin Kreutz and Matt Birk in the NFC, he's not getting a trip to Hawaii any time soon. Notice I didn't mention a certain someone that throws the ball for this squad or anyone that he throws it to.

My objective in completing this exercise is to show how idiotic Big Red sounds when he continually says that he "needs to put his players in a better position to make plays". Sorry Andy, but even if you did put your players in the right position, it's doubtful that this talent deficient bunch would make a play.

In today's NFL, you need play makers on both sides of the ball and as detailed above, the Birds are sorely lacking in that category. Coaches can't always call the perfect play. Frequently, your player has to flat out beat the guy lined up across from him. As we have seen just about every week, the Birds don't have anyone in the front seven or any other skill player than B West that can out talent an opponent. For a team that lives and dies through the draft, the Eagles' inability to draft and develop big time talent is absolute Cardinal sin.

Unfortunately, don't expect things to change anytime soon. This year's crop of players aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Joe Banner and Company will brag that approximately 20 of this year's starters are locked up through the next year or so. However, if 15 out of the 20 stink, is that actually a good thing?

PATHETIC

The best part of today's Eagles' game is that I watched very little of the 2nd and 3rd quarters as I spent most of the game playing with my God Daughter, her little sister and the Philly Sports Baby.

From what I could tell, the major theme coming out of today's game is that Birds have become one of the more boring, lackluster offenses in the league and while the defense has been much better this season, they totally collapsed at the end. If you told me that the game would come down to the Bears having to drive 97 yards with less than 2 minutes on the clock and no timeouts needing a touchdown to win the game, I would have told you to lay down some serious money on the Birds.

I really can't fathom what happened at the end except that the Birds stopped blitzing and let Brian Griese, of all people, pick them apart. The Birds did have two timeouts...taking one some where along the line to steady the troops and give everyone a breather might have been a great idea, but we haven't seen many great moves out of this coaching staff lately. A holding call on the Bears' right tackle would have been nice as he basically ass raped Juqua on the last play. I suppose it doesn't matter as the Birds had to step up and make a play at the end, but no one did.

So, where do we go from here? The Birds are 2-4 and have the look of a 5-12 or 6-10 squad. The front office seriously miscalculated on the potential effectiveness of this group of receivers. They are terrible and D Mac hasn't looked much better. I think we can agree that the division is now out of the question. We can also write off the playoffs if the Birds lose to the Vikes next week, which is a definite possibility.

We are on the fast track to NFL mediocrity. Don't you just love it?

PSP's Eagles Pick

Sorry for the little sabbatical. I've had a lot going on lately between work, school, neighborhood issues, putting my house up for sale, and a trip up to RU for a little more Thursday night magic. So, after all that, I figured I finally get back to my blog if anyone is still out there.

After 5 games each, I have zero feel for either the Birds or the Bears. At this point, I wouldn't be shocked by any result in this game. The only thing that I feel confident about is that the Bears defense won't be as bad as they looked last week against AD Peterson and the Vikes. I also feel fairly certain that Brian Griese will stink up the joint, which will lead to an overall crappy performance by the Bears.

I suppose it comes down to whether D Mac, B West and the rest of Birds offense can put up at least 17 points to win the game. While I have my doubts, I'll say they can and call an Eagles 17-10 victory.

BOOOOOOR-ING! BOOOOOOR-ING!

Yes, that is the chant you'd routinely hear if you attended a NWA or WWF match back in the day while two jobbers were in the ring making a mess of things. You also would have heard this chant if you were at my buddy's Aran's house because there is no other way to describe yesterday's game except that it was completely boring and uninspired. In fact, it was so non eventful, I don't really much else other than Kevin Curtis' 76 yard TD and the 4th down play at the end when the Jets inexplicably threw with less than a yard for a first down.

Anyhow, if anyone has reason for optimism, please let me know. I'm all ears.

(By the way, the Jets' throwback uniforms some how were worse than the ones the Birds wore a couple weeks ago. I thought their current uni's, were throwbacks? Anyhow, did anyone else think of Ampipe High and Stefen Djordjevic seeing those uniforms?)

Pretty Cool, eh?

It's nice to have hockey back in town, huh? Judging by this picture, I'd say the rumors of the NHL's death in this city were greatly exaggerated.

After watching the Birds' game yesterday, I'm even more pysched up for the season.

Old Time Hockey, Eh?!?!?

Nothing makes me happier as a Flyer phan than to wake up in the morning check Comcast Sports Rise and see that the Flyers dropped an 8 spot on their opponent and one of our goons got involved in an ugly incident that has the ever dwindling hockey world up in arms.

Much to my excitement, the Flyers got goals from tkids such as Jeff Carter, Joffrey Lupul, RJ Umberger and two from Mike Richards, as well as a goal each for each member of the top line on their way to an 8-2 romp over the Canucks. Jesse Boulerice almost damn near decapitated Ryan Kesler with this crosscheck:




Expect Jesse to join Steve Downie in Gary Bettman's version of the NHL Graybar Motel for at least the next 10 games.

In any event, I'm not jumping to conclusions after only 3 games, but this Flyers team looks much improved over last year's monstrosity. It looks like it is going to be a fun winter with this team.

Thoughts On The Phils' New Mystery Owner

When I heard Stan Hochman's story that the Phils would be sold in 2 years, it got me thinking....what is the significance of 2 years? If someone wants to buy the team, why does he have to wait 2 years? Why not just buy them now?

Then, I started to think of who would be interested in purchasing the team. Next, I considered who would have some sort of delay in when they could take over the team.

It then hit me like a bolt of lightning! I was able to pinpoint someone that has a ton of money, as well as previous MLB ownership experience, and is tied up until January of 2009.

Say hello to your new owner of the Phils.....

On the bright side, G.W. already appears to have a relationship with the Phanatic! God, I hope this happens. Can you imagine the unintentional comedy arising from a Uncle Cholly and G.W. press conference?

A New Hope?

Today, we received potentially very good news. Stan Hochman was on Daily News Live this evening and reported that he has an extremely close and reliable source that has told him that the Phillies will be sold within the next two years. His exact words were that the team would be sold before Charlie Manuel's contract ran out. He said that it is an individual that he knows that has made a significant offer and wants to keep the team in Philadelphia to prosper for the future. Hochman says that all but one of the current owners are on board with selling the team.

This is amazing news. I haven't been this excited about the prospective future of one our franchises since 1994 when I learned that Norman Braman was about to sell the Eagles. People, I implore you. This news cannot be underestimated. The Phils ownership group is quite possibly the biggest impediment to this team winning a title. If they are taken out of the equation, the sky could be the limit for the core group of Phils should the new owner(s). Christ, I'll even lift the personal embargo I set on the Phils ownership group and start buying tickets again.

It now leads to the question: who is this mystery prospective owner? I sure hope it is the guy pictured above.

I Was Wondering The Same Thing...

I've been meaning to post this comment from the Sports Guy since Friday, but I was in the doldrums for a couple days and it slipped my mind. Anyhow, here's Simmons' take on the Eagles season thus far.

Does anyone know when Andy Reid's leave of absence ends? Can we get an update on this? It has been seven months, right?

It sure seems that way, Bill.

Actually, it may have been better for our Birds if Reid had stayed home for the Packers and G Men game as you can directly tie those two losses back to our distracted Head Coach. I sure hope Big Red spent the bye week getting his head screwed on straight because we definitely need him on his game if this team has any chance to get back in the playoff race.

It's Funny 'Cause It's True

I love John Buccigross' weekly NHL column mainly for observations like this about the new NHL jerses which are absolutely horrible:

Every NHL player looks as if he is wearing a boy's medium T-shirt purchased at Express from the local mall instead of a NHL jersey. This is something one would expect a weightlifter from South Jersey to wear out to dinner with the Mrs. at Applebee's, not Andrew Cogliano at Joe Louis Arena.

I love how he takes a shot at South Jersey and our love for Applebees' restaurants. I think he might have dined at the one in Washington Township (aka South Philly South).

Lost Weekend

I’m really at a loss for words today. So, I’ll spare you the agony and keep this brief (at least I thought this would be brief).

It is weekends like this that test the soul of sports phans. I thought of taking a hiatus from the blog as I’m finding very little to get excited about. I’m pretty sure we all saw the results:

-The Phils meekly bowed out in three straight after showing very little fight against the Rockies in the NLDS. Just a week ago, we were all fired up and now we are left picking up the pieces. However, I think we can all admit that the Phils just lost to a better team. The Rockies’ hitters and pitchers were just better fits for postseason success.

Like the rest of you, I was ecstatic to see the Phils make the playoffs this year and think this team learned a valuable lesson in this series. However, it seems like most of the Delaware Valley sees this year as a stepping stone and not a phlash in the pan like the ’93 Phils. Everyone seems to believe that the Phils will go out and pick up the pitching they need for next year with no problem whatsoever and the ‘08 postseason will be a foregone conclusion. To that, I quote Lee Corso and say, “not so fast, my friend.”

For the Phils to improve, they need at least one above average starter (Curt Schilling anyone?), three relievers (assuming J.C. Romero gets re-signed) and for Adam Eaton to somehow become a competent starter because he’s not going anywhere anytime soon with that contract. They also need to re-sign Rowand (highly unlikely) or find another outfield to join the group of Werth, Bourn, Victorino and Burrell. A third basemen would be nice (Mike Lowell would be my choice), but I doubt the Phils will put anymore money into a position where they have already invested in a complete bust like Wes Helms. Basically, for the Phils to be back in this spot next year, Gillick and Montgomery really have to up their game. Does anyone see that happening? I don’t. I think this team will be back where they were prior to this season: fighting for the wild card.

-For the second straight week, Rutgers had the ball in their hands with two minutes left and the ability to drive the field for a game clinching victory, but in both occasions Quarterback Mike Teel choked. Last week against Maryland, he didn’t even pick up a first down. On Saturday, he at least moved the Knights to the Cincy 17 before throwing a gift interception to a linebacker that effectively killed their comeback hopes. Right now, with two sure losses coming up in the next three (to So Fla and West Va.), I’m sure the rest of the country and the bandwagon fans think last year’s 10-2 season was a fluke. Actually, that is fine by me. I hope the media glare and band-wagoners disappear so I can start to attend games in peace again.

-The Flyers lost on Saturday and are starting to show some warts from last season. Lapses in concentration, bad starts, lack of scoring depth and being completely overwhelmed by the opponent for multiple shifts at a time. I realize it is only the second game in a very long season, but I have real doubts about Stevens as a head coach.

Now, our focus turns to the Birds. Ugh. The thought of that sickens me. I see a very long fall and winter ahead of us folks, buckle up.

Yup, I’m so optimistic on a Monday morning.

Hey Cholly and Jose!

Thanks for blowing the season!

Today, we were reminded of something we likely forgot over the last month. Uncle Cholly, while being a pretty decent manager for the long term, is a complete and utter moron when it comes to in game decision making.

Exhibit A: Why or why did he yank Lt. Kendrick so early? That was a total panic move. Kendrick is a battler. He should have been given more time.

Exhibit B: Why did he pull Lohse? By bringing him during the 4th, Cholly burned up Lohse's availability to start Saturday. So why not just ride the guy for a couple of innings? He was a much better alternative than putting Jose Mesa on the mound. Jose does not belong on a major league roster, let alone pitching in your most important game of the season.

In any event, I'm pretty bummed about the turn of events. I was deep down hoping for a long playoff run. Oh well.

Broad Street Bully

After today's performance, you can now add Jeff Francis to the long line of athletes who have come into Philly and stolen our lunch money in a big playoff spot. You can him to the list of Paul Molitor, Ricky Manning, Jr., Rhonde Barber, Simeon Rice, Scott Stevens, Martin Brodeur, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson. (If you take out Ricky Manning, Jr., that's a pretty illustrious list, huh?)

I didn't get to watch a single pitch of the game (thanks TBS!), but from what I heard on the radio, Francis pitched a masterful game. It's not everyday, you get the Phils' top 4 batters to go hitless over 15 at bats with 9 strikeouts. You have to take your cap off to the guy.

Obviously, tomorrow is a must win and the bats must come alive. It's been some time since the Phils have had one of those 8 to 12 run explosions that we've seen so many times this season. Tomorrow would be a perfect time to unleash one and help Kyle Kendrick get comfortable in the biggest game of his life. I fully expect J Roll, Utley and Howard to reverse their performances tomorrow and come up big. Let's just hope Kendrick holds up his end of the bargain.

In any event, am I the only one that forgot how stressful post season baseball can be? I was totally bummed by the loss. I spent the rest of the night in a fog. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

(By the way, before anyone busts my balls about the headline, I realize that CBP is not on Broad Street, but it's close enough to suit my interests.)

Coming To A Newsstand Near You!

Hey Sports Illustrated, are you intentionally trying to eff us over? We haven't made it to the postseason in 14 years and we get a cover the week we make it? Are you trying to slap the dreaded SI cover jinx on us? Maybe a Mets fan does the cover selections. Hopefully, we overcome this like everything else this season.

(All this being said, I can't wait for my copy to come in the mail so I can frame it and hang it up in my basement!)

Playing With House Money

If I'm Cholly Manuel, that's what I'm writing on the chalk board before this team runs out on the field Wednesday. There is no reason for this team to be thinking any different.

The way this team celebrated on Sunday, I think it's safe to assume that this team reached its ultimate goal....making the postseason. Despite what they said, it sure seemed that anything past a playoff appearance will be gravy.

This team should play loose as loose can be. What do they have to lose? This season is already a raging success. This season reminds a little of the playoff run of the Eagles led by Jeff Garcia. Everyone wrote the team off and when they won the division and won a playoff game, it was such a wonderful unexpected gift. I feel pretty much the same way with the Phils this year. Whatever they provide going forward will truly be a surprise to me.

I don't know about you guys, but I go into the postseason with no expectations and neither should you. We've bitched, complained, and bitched some more about their inability to make the postseason. Well, they've finally made it.

So I say, Just enjoy the ride people. We don't have the luxury of experiencing post season baseball all that often.

(As I write this, two chuckleheads picked the Phils to reach the World Series....maybe I'm wrong. I suppose there are some expectations.)

Broad Street J Roll

In New York, sports fans fondly recall the guarantees made by Broadway Joe in Super Bowl III and Mark Messier in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Even though we all hate New York, you have to give those guys credit for having the balls to make a guarantee and then the guts to back up their brash words. It's taken my entire lifetime as a Philly Sports Phan, but we finally have an athlete to put in the pantheon of athletes such as Broadway Joe and Mess who put their money where mouth is.

As the New York media barely let us forget all season, J Roll made the following comment this Spring:

"I think we are the team to beat in the NL East - finally. But, that's only on paper."

In response to his bold words, J Roll went out and performed like a complete stud. He became only the 4th player in the history of baseball to have at least 20 HR's, doubles, triples, and steals in the same season. He finished with the following stats:

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BA OBP SLG
162 716 139 212 38 20 30 94 41 .296 .344 .531

He also had more total bases than A Rod!

Not only did he compile phenomenal stats, but he came up big in the clutch. The only former Phils' season I can compare this to was Nails' 1993 MVP caliber season.

Anyhow, I racked my brain for some athlete in the history of Philly that made a bold prediction such as the one made by J Roll, then backed it up to make sure his guarantee came to fruition. I could come up with no one.

I just hope that if J Roll continues this run, the City gets rid of that ridiculous Rocky statue and erects one of J Roll. We will have a real life hero on our hands to celebrate, not a fictional, outdated one.

Even Conan O'Brien Is In On The Act

A bit morbid, but pretty funny nonetheless!

Justice May Be Blind, But He Sure The Hell Can't Block

Congrats, Winston. Never in my life have I seen a single offensive lineman influence the outcome of a National Football League game the way you did this evening.

PHINALLY!!!!

As bad as I had on Saturday, the Phils sure made up for it on Sunday. They even took the stink away from the pathetic performance from the Birds on Sunday evening.

I was at a Christening party for Jorge's daughter on Sunday and caught the last half of the game at his pad. I have to say that watching the clinching game with him made it all the sweeter. Jorge has never wavered in his support of the Phils over the years. I've turned my back on this franchise so many times over the years, but he has been right there with the Phils forever. Jorge deserved to experience this victory.

(I know we're all long suffering Philly phans on this site, so I'd love to hear all your stories.)

In any event, I love how this team proved me wrong. I wrote them off so many times this year yet they kept coming back over and over. They were harder to kill than the Terminator.

Like I said earlier, I'm just going to keep riding the wave. I'm not making any predictions. Whatever happens, happens.