Belated Christmas Gift

Wow. To quote the late Jack Buck after watching the light hitting Ozzie Smith hit a walk off pennant clinching homer, "I can't believe what I just saw."

I'm sure many of you had the same type of approach to Sunday as I did...undoubtedly expecting the worst. Sure, the Birds had a decent shot to beat the 'Boys and the Texans had a better than even shot to beat the up and down Bears at home, but did anyone think the lowly Raiders would muster up the gumption (not to mention an offensive attack) to beat the Bucs in Tampa? I know I didn't and it really caused a lack of enthusiasm for Sunday's game. Then, things unbelievably started falling into place.

First, a couple local guys (Steve Slaton and Matt Schaub) and a former Eagle (Ryan Moats) combined to knock off the Bears. Then, the unthinkable happened. The Raiders came back to beat the Raiders thanks to the shocking efforts of Michael Bush who didn't play at all in 2007 and only had 4 carries for 4 yards in the prior 5 games. Frankly, I'm still shocked the Raiders won the game. It really seemed like the air went out of the stadium when Cadillac Williams blew out his knee again. (Is it me or is it amazing how many times in the past five years or so our sports' fortunes have been tied to Tampa?)

After the prerequisites had been cleared, the Birds were then faced with a de facto "play in" game with our favorite team from Texas and their cock roach, band wagon, self loathing fans. At this point, I'm still unsure what to expect. I've seen Donovan and Reid come up small in instances like this (last week being Exhibit A.) However, my buddy the Captain got me in the right mind set pretty quickly. He was basically a raving lunatic from the moment Michael Bush broke his 67 yard touchdown run in the 4th quarter of the Bucs game. He sounded like Ric Flair cutting a promo before a big match from about 3:30 pm to 7 pm when he finally calmed down. So, needless to say, I was pretty excited once the game started.

We all know what happened from there. The teams started out relatively slow in the first quarter, but for my money, the key play of game came right at the end of the first quarter. Right before the Cowboys tied the game, they had a 3rd and short at our 15, which looked like a gimme the way the 'Boys can run the ball, but instead of pounding the ball, they tried a gimmicky fake wide receiver screen, fade pass to the corner. Since the fade was covered, Romo came back to the screen to Roy Williams, which Joselio Hanson ate up for a 4 yard loss and led to a Cowboys field goal. As great as the tackle was by Hanson, I wish the game showed the DB that stayed with the fade route because he made the play of the game. Of course, the two phenomenal plays by B Dawk were huge (and he did play unbelievably), but the game was already out of reach at that point.

After the play by Hanson and the unknown DB, it was a comedy of errors by the 'Boys and sheer dominance by our Birds. Frankly, this was the second biggest win over the Cowboys in the history of the Eagles. This was basically a playoff win and we've only beaten them one other time in a playoff game...the 1980/81 NFC Championship Game. Sure, there's been several emotional wins and great moments, but the stakes were bigger for this game than any other victory over the Boys.

This game was sort of a comeuppance for Andy Reid. After the Bengals/Ravens debacles, we all wanted him gone. Somehow, someway he convinced this team to keep playing. I still think the guys is a very questionable game day coach, and his player personnel duties should absolutely be stripped, but he got this team back to the playoffs and he deserves a ton of credit. Hopefully, he keeps the same offensive philosophy this week against the Vikings.

Overall, does anyone get the feeling that things are changing in this city. We had the superb post season run by the Phils in the Fall and then things strangely fall into place for the Birds to have a "win and in" game with the Boys. Of course, the Birds roll in that game and now travel to play a team that looked pretty freakin' ordinary against the G Men's backups in a must win game. If we win that, we play a team that we dominated less than a month ago. Maybe things are finally falling our way. At this point, you have to have the feeling that anything can happen. Perhaps, this is what fans in Boston feel like?

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Other thoughts from Sunday:

-DeSean Jackson seems to be getting back to where he was earlier in the season. His stats weren't out of this world, but I think he's getting through the rookie wall.

-When you see Buck play the way he did on Sunday, does anyone else feel like punching Andy Reid in the face for not using him enough?

-The best email I received was from my buddy Tony G, who wrote "all yesterday did for me was prove that the Birds are lazy and poorly coached. This team should have finished 12-4." Amen, Tone. I agree.

-Chris Clemons....Thanks for joining us this season. Better late than never, I guess.

-We need more Brent Celek in our lives and less L.J. (which pains me to say as a Rutgers alum.)

-I read today that the Birds have only played the Vikes twice in the playoffs. They beat them both times and then preceded to play in the Super Bowl. (Maybe we are onto something here.)

The Birds Are Who We Thought They Were

Today's game reminded us who this group of Birds are. Sure, it was easy to get excited over the three game winning streak, but I know a lot of us had a sneaking suspicion that the Birds still had the same flaws that they showed in the Bengals and Ravens games: a poorly coached team that executes terribly on offense at crucial moments.

The problems with this squad begin and end with the head coach/general manager. I think we have all seen enough of Reid's terrible clock management and wasted time outs. The pass heavy play calling is simply obscene. Reid and Morningwheg clearly are not following today's trends. You need to run the ball to be successful. All you have to do is look at the successful teams. The G Men, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, and Carolina all can pound the ball down your throats. Reid totally over looks the importance of running the ball, as well as having the personnel to successfully run the ball and this philosophy always seems to come out at the absolute wrong time. Since I'm quite sure Reid is coming back, I think Lurie has to force Reid to re-think his offensive philosophy as we've seen that Big Red's West Coast offense has outlived its shelf life.

The missed opportunities in this game were staggering. The Reggie Brown play at the end was just the icing on the cake. Sure he ended up a yard short and leaves us all asking why he didn't run his pattern into the end zone, but that wasn't the only mistake. Asante Samuel failed to live up to his big contract when he dropped a sure INT late in the game. Everyone's early season hero, DeSean Jackson, also laid an egg dropping a bomb in the 4th quarter and then dropped a sure TD on the final drive.

Despite the poor coaching and mistake after mistake, this team lived up to who they were. A lot of us thought they were a flawed .500 team and that's pretty much what they'll end up next week (because we all know they are losing to the 'Boys now that they have a reprieve from the Governor.)

I'd say it is a shame and pretty depressing, but I never got back on the bandwagon after the Giants loss, Bengals tie and Ravens embarrassing loss. So I guess things aren't so bad after all. I suppose I'll watch a Phillies highlight video to cheer me up.

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By the way, did anyone catch the post season press conferences? Is it me or did McNabb looked like he was wearing the suit that Jack Nicholoson wore when he played the Joker in the old Batman movie? Plus, can someone tell me what article of clothing Andy Reid was wearing during his press conference? It looked like a wet suit.

Also, I have to give props to my man George for pointing out that R Diddy looked like he was wearing the same suit on Post Game Live that he likely wore when covering the 1976 Eagles/Skins' game. It's time for Ray to consult with Vaughn Hebron as his wardrobe needs some updating.

I'm watching Sports Final right now and I really think Eskin and Vai might kill each other. I am watching this praying it happens so I can say I saw an all time television moment live. Unfortunately, they are starting to calm down, so it doesn't look like there will be any moments to remember.

Almost A Complete 180

Is anyone else surprised with how quickly the local media seem to be jumping back on the Donovan McNabb bandwagon? About a month ago, it was a near certainty that he would be gone by the end of the season. Now, I'm reading article after article about how D Mac is coming back.

As for my take on the situation, I'm pretty happy to see the team playing better over the last 4 games, but I'm still not sure that what we're seeing isn't much more than a team playing teams in compromised situations. The Cards had about 2 1/2 days to prep for the Thanksgiving Day game and they are horrible coming East. Then they faced a completely distracted Giants team, which we saw last week is a complete shell of itself without Plax. Last week, they played a team that has completely quit on their coach and had a Triple A QB at the helm. If you can tell that I'm not exactly back on the bandwagon, then you are pretty perceptive.

The Birds have a decent shot to win this week if the Skins continue their funk. However, if they show up ready to play, I expect the Birds' sloppy play to catch up to them this week, making next week's expected showdown to be a non event.

Yep, the negative PSP is back, baby!

Absolutely Unlistenable

I think I might have found something to break me out of my rut/writers' block/general indifference towards sports, life, health and basic daily hygiene. (Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad. I did shower this morning, but all kidding aside, I really have been in a malaise since the World Series title.)

Tony Kornheiser must be stopped and he must be stopped now. He single handedly made tonight's broadcast intolerable. I like Mike Tirico. I really like Jaws. However, Tony Kornheiser monopolized the air time with his anti Philadelphia/pro McNabb drivel and made the ESPN broadcast made me want to slit my wrists and set myself on fire. He's beyond brutal and I found myself quickly tired of his unqualified pontificating. At times, he'd go off on a tangent and I'd wonder if he's using the Monday Night Football audience as a sounding board for material to use in his next column or if he really believed the b.s. he espoused. Christ, I just wish the guy would have shut up so I could watch the game and enjoy it.

This little experiment of adding a non-sports guy to the booth has to end. While Dennis Miller was semi-listenable because he knew his role, Kornheiser thinks he's Howard Cosell reincarnated. I now realize why I stopped watching most Monday Night games. The telecast (and most of the games) are just terrible.

I know....I could just turn down the sound on the TV and watch Merrill, but I don't feel like listening to a play two or three seconds before or after I see it. If the radio feed was synced up, maybe I'd listen to it, but it seems like too much of a hassle.

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Oh yeah, I almost forgot. A game was played this evening. The Birds looked pretty decent until they got to the red zone. Then they melted down. If they want to continue this run, they must improve over the next couple weeks in the red zone. Other than the red zone performance, D Mac looked pretty decent and spread the ball around like the old days, but still needs to be more effective in the red zone. It was also disappointing to see the de-emphasis from the run game. I thought Big Red noticed how team's fortunes had changed when he kept the ball on the ground, but tonight he reverted to his pass happy ways.

Before I forget, what the hell was that monstrosity at the end of the half? The time management was terrible and so was the play calling. At the half, I was so frustrated, I put the Phils' World Series highlight video in the lap top to help calm me down.

As for the defense, I thought they played pretty well against a Triple A level offense. The most impressive performance was by Trent Cole who seemed to have his way against a damn good Left Tackle in Joe Thomas.

Now, we move onto the Redskins. I really have no clue what to expect next week, but we have time to talk about that later.

His Mouth Is Writing Checks That His Ass Can Cash

Our main man Cole Hamels just added a bit of fuel to the Mets/ Phils rivalry by calling the Mets a bunch of choke artists during an interview on NYC's WFAN radio. In case you missed it, here are his exact words:

Last year and this year I think we did believe that," Hamels said on WFAN. "Three years ago we didn't because they smoked everybody, and I think we all thought they were going to win it all. Unfortunately that didn't happen. But, yeah, that's kind of what we believed and I think we're always going to believe that until they prove us wrong."

One of the show's hosts apparently gave Hamels a chance to back away from his comments.

He didn't.

"For the past two years they've been choke artists," Hamels said.

New GM Ruben Amaro also got into the act by adding the following regarding the Mets' moves to strengthen their bullpen:

"I don't think it affects us much. They had Billy Wagner for three years and we still beat them the last two years."

While I love Cole's comments, I really wish Ruben would shut up and find ways to add some talent for our 2009 title defense. He's done nothing so far that would merit him the ability to make these comments.

it's going to be quite interesting up in Shea this year. No one can deny that.

Deja Vu?

We're about a third of the way into the hockey season and I realized that I haven't really talked about the Orange & Black...wait, I haven't written much at all, so I guess I haven't overlooked them. I've just ignored them. So let's try to rectify that and talk a little Flyers hockey.

In case you've missed it, the Flyers have been carried by two of their young stars through the early part of the season. Jeff Carter has absolutely exploded this season and is tied for the NHL lead in goals scored. (Does anyone else remember a Flyer being at the top of the goal scoring chart this late in the season? I don't.) Mike Richards has picked up where he has left off last season, and continued to grow as a scorer, captain and complete player.

With the leaps and bounds these two have made the past two years, they are starting to remind me of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard a couple years ago. Carter and Richards are two young guys just starting to realize their potential and figuring out how to play at the highest level in the NHL. Carter has the best wrist shot I've seen on the Flyers since the Big E and Richards appears to be the closest thing to Clarkie this franchise has seen since the glory days. Richards shows up every day, plays hard, supports his teammates, and is unbelievably dangerous on the PK.

As much as I'm excited to watch Carter and Richards grow together, they are not going to reach the Utley/Howard level of team dominance unless they find their version of Brad Lidge (i.e., a kick ass, top notch goalie. Sorry, Mar-TAN BEE-ron, won't win you a Cup.)

In the meantime, they are becoming awfully fun to watch.

I Feel Like I Don't Know You Guys Anymore

Can someone please explain yesterday's game to me? I am still trying to figure out how the Birds flat out dominated the best team in football yesterday.

Not only did the Birds dominate the G Men's offense, holding them to 141 total yards before the Birds gave up a junker TD while in the prevent defense, but the Birds once again used a strong running game to control the clock and put the game away. Frankly, I'm shocked that the Birds put such an emphasis on the run the last two weeks. This team always seems to have more success when they run the ball more or at least shows some sort of balance. Despite evidence of success with such playcalling, Reid keeps trying to fit his square peg pass first offensive philosophy into a round hole of offensive players. I just don't understand him anymore, but this blog does a pretty decent job of summing up my frustration.

However, don't get too excited about this sudden change. It doesn't appear that this a long term movement. Big Red announced in his press conference today that he only ran the ball so much due to the windy weather in the Meadowlands yesterday, which led to this witty reparte between Reid and Les Bowen of the Daily News:

Bowen: “Do fans who want to see you run the ball more hope for really high winds the rest of the season?”

Reid: “I think the fans just want to win. They don’t care if we run it or pass it.”

Great...not only is Reid stubborn, but he's dense, somehow missing the joke in Bowen's question.

In any event, the question we are left with is "who are these guys?" Are they the group that dominated AFC and NFC contenders, the Steelers and Giants respectively, or are they the group that slept walked through the Bengals debacle or got tattooed by the Ravens? I suppose they have to be somewhere in the middle. Although, even I have to admit that the next two games are shaping up nicely for them and lead up to a Sunday night show down with Dallas to determine which team makes the playoffs.

While everyone seems ready to annoit this team to a playoff spot, I need to see more. I'm sure the city will be besides themselves after next Monday's likely destruction of the Browns, but I want to see the game against the Skins before committing back to this team. I still think they have a ton of wholes, but who knows...maybe I'm wrong.

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

While I have a pick for today's game, this post is more of a request to the Giants.

I ask you, our most despised neighbors from the North, to please finally remove all doubt about the Andy Reid/Donovan McNabb era and put the dagger in their hearts. I really want to see a 31 to 3 drubbing, with the Birds giving up 8 sacks and the Giants running for 225 yards. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think we all need to see the final nail put in the coffin so we can move on with our lives and begin a new era.

Don't let last week's game fool you. The Cardinals were set up for failure. The Eagles still stink.

The Giants will remind us of that today despite the distractions they are facing.

Giants 27, Eagles 10.

Absolute Train Wreck

In the game that officially sealed the fates of Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, the Birds got whupped in every aspect of the game in a 36 to 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

After last week's embarrassment, if you needed any more evidence of why this franchise needs to blow it up and start over again, you got it today. The offensive line is brutal. The running backs are soft. The tight ends are absolutely useless when run blocking. If you looked up "pedestrian wide receivers" in the dictionary, you'd have Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown staring back at you. The QB's (it didn't matter if it was D Mac or Kolb) were terrible. I suppose the defense wasn't terrible, but the team did give up 36 points, which means you can't spare them any criticism.

Overall, I'm just tired of this franchise. I was willing to over look how annoying Reid, Lurie and Banner can be when they were winning big in the early 90's, but I've now had enough. I don't like these guys. I really want some personality on this team. I can't stand how vanilla they are. I can't stand how they try to win with two or three highly talented guys and then a roster full of muckers and grinders. I want some top notch talent, but that would require the team to draft well, which they haven't done when they aren't trading away picks for a rainy day.

I'm just flat out annoyed. I want Steve Spagnuolo as the new head coach. I want a real GM. I want a new QB. I just want change, but the type of change you can believe in. Not a new guy that promises change, gets a job based upon said promised change and then hires a staff full of also rans from a previous regime.

With that, I'm out.

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

After last week's debacle, expectations are very low. Very low. My wife didn't even dress up my daughter in her Eagles' jersey. The general consensus seems to be that D Mac and Reid are done (which I agree with, by the way.) However, if those two have any guts, they'll come out with a good performance this week. The only problem is that they'll be facing the Ravens defense which I think could shut them down and remind us of how bad they are on the offensive side of the ball.

The only problem is that the Ravens aren't much better on offense either. Jim Johnson usually comes up with great game plans against young players, so we could be faced with another 13 to 10 type game.

Since most teams react well to the whole "everyone is against us" routine, I see the Birds coming out on the positive side of a 13-10 game.

(By the way, I'm secretly hoping that Ray Rice busts loose for about 150 and 2 td's, but that's just me.)

This Pretty Much Sums Things Up...

If you were on vacation for the first 10 weeks of the Eagles' season and were wondering how Donovan (or Dunn-o-vin as my father in law calls him), here's an excellent summary by the Sports Guy:

I have watched far too much of the Eagles this season (again, for fantasy purposes) and would evaluate McNabb's 2008 performance like so: out of shape, careless, semi-competitive and uninspiring. The fact that Philly can't run the ball in short-yardage situations but McNabb never, ever, EVER runs QB draws or sneaks should tell you something. I think he just doesn't want to get hit anymore. He seems like a guy on his way out of the league to me.

Does anyone disagree w/ this? Didn't think so.

New Found Respect

Few guys in the media really tell it like it is and give you the real reason a team struggles. Well, today G Cobb pulled back the curtain and revealed the real problem with the Eagles' running game. Check this out:

The Eagles lack confidence in their running game to the point where they are so scared that they won't even try to run the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals defense which averages giving up 131 yards per game running the ball. The Eagles should start the game running the ball like crazy, if McNabb is throwing the ball all over the lot.

Reid and his coaches haven't created the kind of atmosphere around the offensive line where they demand that they block for the running game.

The Birds have gotten soft up front. Center Jamaal Jackson has had a terrible season. He's hiked the ball early in key situations. Jackson seems to be the kind of guy who needs a constant "boot in his butt." He's a nice guy who needs to be fed some gun powder.

If I were Westbrook and McNabb I would have gone off a bunch of times because these big fat boys don't block for the running game.

Left guard Todd Herremans is a fun-loving dude who has been inconsistent in much the same way. He got himself a new contract a couple of years ago and is having the time of his life. Notice he has been late for meetings this year and last year.

If I were their coach I would make life hell for these guys because they lose focus and are too nice.

Max Jean-Gilles is trying to learn the position he's playing. He can be beaten with quickness and he's just not that sharp. He's trying, but he makes mistakes which are costly. He's not on the level of the guy he replaced, Shawn Andrews.

I'm not going to get personal with any of these guys but most of the time big offensive linemen come into the league and have the time of their lives. They've been big and unattractive all of their lives, now they've become a celebrity with money and women chasing them.

You have to keep their attention. Sometimes I wonder if the coaches know what's happening.

The interior of the offensive line, which helped lead the Eagles to the playoffs in 2006, is now the "Bermuda Triangle" because somebody is always screwing up. Notice that you never see them getting any type of push on running plays anymore.

I'm still laughing over the comment in bold. That's great work out of G Cobb. I guess you sometimes to fail to look at these guys like regular people. If I was rich and had a bunch of hot chicks chasing me all the time, I'm sure most of us would be doing the same.

I only wish one of the Flyers beat writers would have the guts to call out the Flyers group of young guys that are so preoccupied with what club they are going to in Olde City that they breeze through just about every Saturday night home game.

It's Official...We've Turned On Big Red and D Mac

Not only are bloggers like myself ready to turn the page on the Reid/McNabb era, but it appears that the mainstream media has had enough as well. Here's a summary of what we've seen over the last couple days:

-John Smallwood of the Daily News pretty much lays it out. The team Big Red the GM has put together no longer can be successful in today's NFL and puts together an antiquated offensive game plan.

-For some reason, I've always enjoyed Mark Eckel. I guess it's because it seems like he always had his own opinion and didn't care to curry favor with the Birds. Anyhow, Eckel is begging for the Birds to start over with Kolb. He makes some pretty decent points, that we all agree with.

-You gotta love Ashley Fox of the Inquirer. She comes off more like a blogger than a mainstream reporter. On Monday, she announces that the McNabb era is over. Then on Tuesday, she says he deserves a graceful exit. Talk about hedging your bets. Take a side and stick to it.

-G Cobb mumbles his way through a post arguing that either Reid or McNabb has to go. G actually makes a decent point about McNabb not fitting the offense.

-Even the national media is turning on their buddy Andy Reid and D Mac. Fox Sports says its time to start over and Peter King is calling for Kevin Kolb to get some playing time. Yes friends, things sure are different.

In any event, it seems like everyone in the city is on the same page. The Reid/McNabb marriage is heading towards divorce and the season's over. Normally, when everyone in the media goes in one direction, I tend to lean the other way, but I don't think there's any possibility of this ending with any other scenario where D Mac doesn't end up being shipped out at the end of the season.

I hope it happens. It's time to move on. We need new blood and since we know Reid isn't going anywhere, I guess I'm ready for the Kevin Kolb era to begin.

Return To The Good Old Days

Finally, the Flyers have got it right with their "new" third alternative jerseys. I really like the throwback look of these. It makes you harken back to the Glory Days of the LCB line, Bernie, the Hound, the Hammer, etc, etc. I like this jersey so much I would like to see it immediately replace the black jerseys. They look as contrived to me as the ridiculous Black Eagles jerseys.

What do you all think? I think we have a winner.

It's All Over...All Over

I know I’ve been MIA lately, but I finally have to weigh in on what has become of our Philadelphia Eagles. Today’s loss, I mean tie, made one thing painfully obvious. This team is going no where this year. So, let’s just move on to where things went wrong…

Andy Reid….Oh Andy, where do we begin. In some ways, I’m at a loss for words. I truly can’t believe how inept he has looked the last two weeks. The fact he punted the ball away with a minute left in overtime basically signaled that he was giving up on the game and the season. Lately, he has been down right Kotite-ian. (Wait, at least Richie the K showed some imagination here and there - lest anyone forget the fake screen left, throw screen right to Heath Sherman that he invented.) Whether we are talking his ridiculous replay challenges last week or his horrific play calling this week, Reid has just been terrible the last two weeks. It almost seems as if he mailed it in and failed to put together a coherent game plan this week. Did he think that the Birds could just show up and out talent the Bengals? It sure seemed like it. Unfortunately, Reid didn’t get the memo that he’s coaching the 2008 Eagles, not the 2004 Birds.

Andy Reid’s stubbornness about winning through the air has turned this team soft. The team played with no heart, no rhythm, or intensity on offense. Again, this goes back to the lack of a running game or even the semblance of caring about having a running game is simply startling. I think it really takes the heart out of this team. It makes us soft. To me, it looks like Reid and McNabb would rather be playing a 7 on 7 drill rather than playing real football.

This fact is really reinforced when watching the G Men or Redskins play. They have physical offensive lines, fullbacks, blocking tight ends and running backs that get tough yards. Our o-line may be the biggest in football, but they are always moving backwards. Our fullback is a defensive tackle trying to learn on the job. Our tight ends, wide receivers (save for Avant), and running backs are all finesse guys. There is not a single thing on this offense which indicates that they are hard nosed and have the slightest bit of heart.

Ray Diddy made a couple great points on Saturday about Big Red. The play calling shows no rhyme or reason. None of the play calls seem to build on the other. This seems to be a by product of throwing, down after down after down. The other point that he made was that Andy seems so engrossed in his play chart, that he fails to optimally manage the game, which is why the Birds are always scrambling to get the play off, wasting various time outs in the process.

Let’s not forget that McNabb played quite possibly his worst game as an Eagle. Do we need to see any thing more? He’s done with this team. His game long inaccuracy destroyed their chances to win today. I’m tired of his act. He’s seems to have regressed so much this year. I think it’s time for a change. This team is not going anywhere. Let’s see if Kolb has anything or whether we need to search out someone else for our future QB.

Finally, is anyone absolutely blown away by how many of the players in the post game interviews said that they did not realize the NFL awards ties? The supposed leader of the team, D Mac, came off as a complete idiot when he said something to the effect of (I am paraphrasing – I have been looking for the exact quotes on line that I saw on Post Game Live): “I had no idea the NFL only plays one overtime. I wonder what they would do in a playoff game or Super Bowl?” This statement alone shows that McNabb should go. How does anyone who has spent any time watching the NFL not know how overtime works in the NFL? Yes, this guy has to go.

After Last Night, We All Need To See This...

Some people just do a phenomenal job with You Tube. I want to personally want to thank the guy that put this together. This video is absolutely terrific. I've watched it a couple times now just to relive the memory. It will never get old.

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

Some of you will think I'm off my rocker or wonder if someone has captured the real PSP, but lest anyone believe this is not me. I think we win. I see a 23 to 14 victory. I can't give you concrete reasons, but I sense a victory.

See, this is what a World Championship does to you.

Random Thoughts

As I guess you can tell, I haven't been real motivated to write and I'm about to mail this one in as well. So kill me...I see one of my teams win a title and I kind of feel fulfilled with nothing really getting the juices flowing. In any event, I haven't totally ignored the Philly Sports Scene. Here are some things I've got on my mind:

1) What the hell is going on with the Flyers? Is it purely injuries? This team is missing 2 defensemen they were counting on, as well as Danny Briere. Is that all that's wrong or is there something deeper? The Orange & Black were totally lifeless. They better turn it on and soon because they don't want to dig themselves too deep a hole.

2) I read tonight that the Phils are seriously looking into trading for Matt Holliday again. Apparently, the Rockies want Shane Victorino. If they trade Victorino, the phans may burn down Citizen's Bank Park. The bigger problem is Holliday is only under contract for one more year. The last thing I want to see is the Phils give up good young players for a guy that will be here one year. Although, it sure would be nice to see a strong, consistent right handed bat in the lineup to break up Utley and Howard.

3) I saw that the Birds are favored by 3 this week over the Giants. How is this possible? Vegas must know something. In any event, I've learned from the annoying Howard Eskin, that when the line looks funny, bet in the direction that looks funny because Vegas knows better than you. I guess this tells us that the Birds win this weekend. We'll see.

4) The Sixers season started. Does anyone care? Didn't think so.

5) We have a new President and I haven't seen this much exuberant adulation over a change in personnel since Norman Braman and Harold Katz sold the Birds and Sixers, respectively.

6) Don't worry Penn State phans. The Nits won't get boned by the BCS. Both 'Bama and Texas Tech will lose a game. It could lead to a title game of Florida vs. PSU...with the Lions getting destroyed. Sorry guys.

Brutal Efficiency

After a week of excitement, I think we can all agree that today's Eagles' game was exactly what the doctor ordered. The Eagles put out a workmanlike, professional effort and grounded out an efficient, yet at times boring, 26 to 7 victory in Seattle.

Although, I have to admit, evil Philly Sports Phan returned in the first quarter when McNabb was short hopping balls to open receivers or holding onto the ball for an eternity. Plus, that first play was such a debacle that I was about to throw my cell phone at the TV. Nevertheless, the Birds settled down and so did I.

The only real issue was the offense's failure to turn red zone visits to TD's instead of field goals. Otherwise, it was such a satisfying, but boring performance, I spent most of the 4th quarter reading the news paper and helping my mother in law with a computer issue.

Maybe the Phils really have changed me because I expected the best and we got it today. Now, next week, I'm not so sure I'll be as confident.

Other thoughts:

-Mike Holmgren should retire. He makes Andy Reid look like a clock management expert with some of the boneheaded moves he was making today. Plus, I'd personally like to thank him. His ridiculous decision to call a time out with four meaningless seconds left on the clock led to a sack for the Birds which gave me a victory in one of my fantasy leagues as I started the Birds' defense, which leads me to....

-It was nice to see Chris Clemons get his first sack, but I was not surprised that his sack would come during garbage time.

-Where was Correll Buckhalter today? Andy and Marty need to figure out a better way of using all their weapons.

-Kevin Curtis had a nice game today. I think Donovan did a decent job of spreading the ball around to all his receivers, but I guess that's not all that difficult when you throw the ball 43 friggin times.

-I loved Baldinger's comparison of DeSean Jackson to Allen Iverson. I thought that was a pretty good person to compare him to. Hopefully, DeSean will have half the career that AI did here in Philly.

-Was anyone else annoyed that we have to turn to trickeration at the one yard line, in the form of a tackle eligible play, to score a short yardage touchdown? When is this team just going to line it up, push someone off the ball and score a TD?

-Brent Celek...131 yards receiving...who knew? I already like him better than LJ. Not sure if the kid is an every down TE, but he sure looked like an upgrade.

-Brian Dawkins looked like an old fella again on the first play of the game, but rebounded to have a decent game overall.

-Lito, if you are wondering why no one wanted to trade for you, I think you got your answer today. You are always hurt and as you showed on the first play of the game, you guess way too much.

-Overall, I thought the defense looked decent, but they were playing an overmatched offense and simply took care of bidness (as Ray Rhodes liked to say.)

-I also think that you are going to find out everything you need to know about this team next week with the defending World Champion Giants coming to town. If they can play this team tough and possibly win, we have something to look forward to this year. If they get toyed with, start focusing on the Flyers.

Calling It A Mass Of Humanity Is A Massive Understatement

The sheer amount of humanity I saw at the parade on Friday was simply unbelievable. I've never in my life seen so many people in one spot. However, the funny thing is...the same amount of people could be seen for a 4 mile stretch and then culminated with 80,000 people divided into the Linc and Citizen's Bank Park.

It was estimated that 2 million people attended the parade and that doesn't count the hordes of people that were stranded in South Jersey and Suburban Philly by mass transit. Tell me another city that has a turnout like that for a parade? I doubt anyone has had a turnout like that.

While it was a bit anti climatic from my vantage point, I'm still awfully happy to say I was a part of it. It was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life and as I was once told, life is about experiences. This is one I will file away for the rest of my life.

I hope all you Phils phans got to experience it as well.

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By the way, is anyone else in the midst of a small spending spree buying up Phillie championship clothing and memorbilia? I know I am.

-One other point....I know there has been some sentiment locally that people are happy that the Phils were the one to break the curse and not the Birds, mainly due to the snobbish ownership/management group of the Birds. I thought this article in Sunday's Inquirer summed it up nicely and particularly enjoyed this passage:

So what are the lessons the Eagles could learn from the Phillies? It is unlikely the football team will look at it this way since it rarely needs advice, but perhaps just this once.

One large piece of the puzzle for the Phillies has been the organization's ability to admit its mistakes. Maybe that is part of the nature of the game. When your team loses 70 times a year in a great season, coming to grips with failure isn't a rare occurrence.

The Phillies made enormous personnel mistakes along the way, but moved past them quickly. If Freddy Garcia, Jon Lieber and Adam Eaton weren't enough to wreck the starting rotation of a team building to a title, it is only because the team didn't remain stubborn in that regard.

To their credit, the members of the Phils' front office never claimed to get everything right, and didn't mind altering their initial plans. From the outside, that isn't the case with the Eagles. The only problem with always telling people that you're the smartest kid in the room is that it looks bad when you start failing tests.

It also doesn't help to have the public face of the franchise refuse to answer the most basic of questions about the team. Andy Reid isn't a bad guy. He's a pretty good guy, but his that's-for-me-to-know answers not only infuriate the populace but they deepen the paranoia within the bunker and the locker room.

Another lesson that could be passed along is that it doesn't hurt if the players actually like playing for the organization. The Phils and Eagles operate in different worlds because of the NFL salary cap, but even those players who leave the Phillies because of financial considerations - a group that Pat Burrell will probably join - leave with the feeling of being treated fairly while they were there.

The Eagles' organization is viewed with suspicion by its players. Lito Sheppard said the other day that if you don't play their contract game, the team will blackball you. Other than that, one big happy family.

Chase Utley: My Love Grows For You Every Day

You've all seen it, but here's the video of Chase Utley's vocabulary malfunction (as the Daily News coined it) at the end of Parade Rally at the Ballpark:



I might be in the minority here, but I have no problem with what Chase said. (And judging by my language on the blog lately, I'm sure my opinion is no surprise to you.) I thought he expressed the sentiments of the entire Delaware Valley. We are still a little shocked by the fact that we are World Champs and we just have emphasize it a little bit to remind ourselves it wasn't just a dream.

Although, I'm sure there are many out there that thought it was totally inappropriate since there were kids at the Ball Park and watching on TV. I know my wife and in laws were appalled and looked at with disdain when I chuckled loudly as soon as the words left his mouth.

Whatever your opinion of Chase's comments, you have to agree with me that his statement cemented him as an All Time Philly hero. He might eventually move Mike Schmidt off the Mt. Rushmore of Philly Athletes if he keeps up his play on the field.

Who Doesn't Love A Parade?

I will certainly be at the Parade tomorrow as the CEO of my company graciously decided to allow anyone who is interested to go to the parade at 11:30 am tomorrow, as long as they are Phillies phans. Mets fans are required to work a full day.

If anyone is interested in going, give me a call or email me. I am not going to miss this one as I was too young for the Flyers' parades in the 70's, the Phils' in 1980 and the Sixers in 1983. This will be my first foray into a parade. Should be quite interesting. I have a feeling we might see 2 million people come into Center City for the parade. It is going to be friggin' crazy.

If you're planning on driving, don't. Unless, you are planning on driving to Gloucester City and canoeing across the river. I highly suggest PATCO. It was created for days like tomorrow.

Enjoy it people. We've had it coming to us for 25 years.

Phinally, I'm going to get some rest. This postseason has chewed me up and spit me out. I need a vacation.

By the way, here are some great videos of the last out from the stadium:

I Can Now Die In Peace

Today, my buddy Farrell came to meet in the city for lunch. He just wanted to spend one last day with the old, angry Tony. He knew that once the Phils clinched we would all be totally different.

You know what...he's right. I already feel different. No longer will I expect the worst. I live my life as a sports phan. I won't be worried about Karma, JuJu or superstitions anymore. I totally have J Roll, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, Cholly Manuel, etc to thank for that.

This is absolutely a New World for us. We are no longer a city of losers that have to wait for the other shoe to drop. We can be confident and begin to forge a new identity. Look at what Boston has become. There is absolutely no reason why we can't do the same.

The best thing about this game is that it finally puts to rest bad memories that involved some awfully great players from this city. We can finally let go of Game 7 in Edmonton in 1987, as well as the Joe Carter/Mitch Williams debacle in 1993 and the phlops in 1997 and 2001 against dynasties by the Flyers and Sixers respectively. It also finally lays to rest the mysterious 2004 Super Bowl loss to the Pats. We now have a Championship to call our own and forget about past failures. It takes the sting away from the fact that some notable Philly players such as Reggie White, John LeClair, Allen Iverson, and Curt Schilling did not win a title here.

The biggest thing I take from tonight is that I now believe. I believe in hope. I believe in the possibility that things will now go our way. My buddy Farrell's wife tried to comfort me when I was flipping out after the Giants won the Super Bowl last year by saying "cheer up! This shows you that this can happen to Philly!" I didn'twant to believe her, but she was absolutely right. I just wasn't ready to hear it.

Overall, I've spent so much time watching Philadelphia sports and I now feel vindicated that I made the right decision. It was not a waste. If you keep coming back, you will eventually receive the spoils.

Expect the Unexpected

It seems like the entire Delaware Valley is scared. Everyone I come across seems to think it's foregone conclusion that the Phils lose tomorrow and Game 6 and have to try and salvage the series in Game 7. It seems like the National and Local media thinks the decision to halt the game last somehow favors the Rays and swings the momentum in their favor. Honestly, I was in the same boat until lunch earlier today.

Thanks to my buddy Voegs, I now realize that perhaps the suspension of Game 5 wasn't such a bad thing. The only guy who really stepped up in the moment was Cole Hamels (at least until the rain turned him into a one pitch pitcher). In the last couple innings before play ended, our hitters were swinging at junk and pretty much looked petrified when someone came up with men in scoring position (yes, I'm talking to you Pat Burrell). I don't think I'm stepping out on a limb when I say that J Roll, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley totally looked tight and unprepared. The game was totally slipping away from the Phils (literally and figuratively).

Now that the initial frustration has subsided, I have come to the realization that the suspension of Game 5 might have the opposite effect of what everyone expects. Sure Tampa gets to live another day and Cole is unavailable, but what real tangible benefit did the Rays gain? Plus, the Rays have been sitting around in Wilmington hearing the national media fawn all over them and telling them how it's a foregone conclusion that this series is now going 7. After seething over the situation for the past couple days, I fully expect the Phils will be ready to take out their frustrations on the Tampa bullpen and bring home a World Series title tomorrow night (or whenever the weather allows play to resume.)

My prediction is that the Phils score three runs in the bottom of the 6th and then the bullpen locks things down the rest of the way, culminating with Lidge getting that last out via strike out and touching off the biggest celebration seen in this city since the Doc, Moses, the Boston Strangler and Mo paraded down Broad Street in 1983.

I don't know why I'm so positive lately. I have to say. It really is much easier to be negative.

Unf&*king Believable!

That's all I can say. I am so friggin' pissed off right now. (Yes, angry PSP is back.) It was so damn convenient that they suspended this game right after Tampa tied the game.

I just want this friggin thing over. I can't believe this. I think we all wanted some sort of resolution and now we have to wait. The problem is, no one knows when this is going to start again because tomorrow is supposed to be worse.

I'm watching Comcast right now and apparently the players are PISSED. They thought the game should have been suspended earlier. I have to agree with them. The top of the 6th was not baseball. It was a total farce. That was not baseball.

In any event, they have to pull it back together and get ready to play 3.5 innings. Hopefully, this galvanizes both the players and the fans and get us over the top. Maybe this is a case of God blessing those who wait and He wants us to wait a least another day.

It's just killing me. Absolutely killing me.

On The Precipice Of A Title

Let me start off by saying the following: this was by far the most dominating performance by a Philadelphia team in a Finals in my lifetime. I am 36 years old. I have not seen any team do what the Phils did this evening. They put on an absolute clinic.

It all started with pitching. Joe Blanton gave the Phils 6 extremely solid innings. He basically gave up one cheap home run and one mammoth home run to a pinch hitter. Otherwise he was masterful. Plus, Big Joe chipped in with a totally unexpected home run. (As my man the Captain pointed out, Blanton now has more hits in the Series than Pat Burrell.) His performance tonight will go down in Phillies lore. I just know that when we talk about big time unexpected championship performances in this city, I think Blanton's Game 4 performance will top the list.

After waiting most of the postseason for J Roll and the Big Man to come alive, they both were completely dominant. I've been saying every day that the Big Man had to take a ball the opposite field to counteract the way he's been pitched all postseason. Finally, he absolutely crushed a breaking pitch the opposite way and the route was on. Since the series came back to Philly, J Roll has hit just about every ball hard. I'm wondering if he had a hard time seeing the ball.

The defense was great once again. The play Feliz made early in the game on a ball hit off Blanton was tremendous. Despite his big RBI tonight, I really could care less that he is horrible at the plate. He means so much to the defense and I'm sure makes the pitchers much more confident. Think about it. Our city has been truly blessed with outstanding defensive third basemen, whether it is Schmitty, Scott Rolen, Abe Nunez (yes, he was very good also), and now Feliz. Tell me another city that has been so blessed at the hot corner over the years.

The bullpen came in and shut things down once again. You really can't say enough about Ryan Madson. He has been outstanding. Whoever is behind his improvement over September and October deserves a bonus.

We now come to a crucial, crucial game. I can't stress how important tomorrow night is. We have our best pitcher going with the chance to win this at home. If we lose, we give them a ton of confidence heading back to their place. We have to contain our excitement and take care of business.

(By the way, that is the most positive I've been in a blog in about two months...maybe ever. Who am I all the sudden? I must be sleep deprived.)

Other thoughts......

-Comcast just showed a stat that the Phils are playing over .700 baseball during September and October. That is an unbelievable stat. .700 friggin' baseball! Streaks like that do not come along often. Enjoy it!

-Is it me or could Joe Buck and Tim McCarver be any less excited with the Phils' domination so far?

-D Mac was at the game all Phillied up. That's great to hear. Jim Thome was also around to support his old teammates. That's nice to see as well. You can't forget that he started the turnaround of the culture of this franchise.

-The Joe Blanton cap issue is great. I love stuff like that. I long for the days of all the speculation of whether Mike Scott of the 'Stros was scuffing balls.

-Ok...sleepy time!

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

In case anyone cares, I am picking the Birds 24 to 14 today. Call it a hunch. I think our offense will wake up and the defense will confuse Matt Ryan just enough.

Ok, game time.

Have fun and try to rest up for Game 4 tonight.

It Doesn't Get Much More Bizarre Than That

This game was rolling along to plan for 6 innings then it got really, really friggin strange.

The Phils had just hit back to back HR's to chase Matt Garza and took a seemingly safe 4-1 lead into the Top of the 7th. Then the strange-ness kicked off when Jamie Moyer used just about every bit of athleticism in his body to get to a bunt and flip the ball to the Big Man to nail Carl Crawford by a quarter of a step, but the Ump totally blew the call. That seemed to give the Rays life as they picked up two runs in the 6th to turn a potential laugher into a nail biter.

Then BJ Upton put his stamp on tonight's game when he single handedly tied the game in the Top of the 8th by finally deciding to show up and run hard. As Joe Buck said (he's starting to grow on me), you can excuse him stealing second. But the steal of third and the subsequent errant throw by Ruiz is what's killing me, especially after watching how Tampa handled the same exact situation in the bottom of the inning, which brings me to....

Jayson Werth is a complete friggin' idiot. Did he have any awareness that the Ray's shortstop was playing him as if he was a first basemen? That play was inexcusable. I was willing to overlook his baserunning mistake in Game 2, but now I have to turn my back on him. He's dead to me. What a stupid ball player.

One of Charlie's best decisions tonight was not bringing in Lidge in the 9th. Everyone knows how bad Lidge is in non save situations. I didn't agree with leaving JC in, but it all worked out.

The bottom of the ninth was bizarre. Flat out weird. They hit Bruntlett and his playoff beard. Then a wild pitch, which advances the runner to third after the Rays catcher throws the ball into right center. Then we have to sweat out two intentional walks, a five man infield and an infield hit that seemed to move so excruciating slow that I changed emotions three times.

Now, we are half way there. Moyer was fabulous. Can we get the same thing out of Blanton tomorrow? I'm doubtful. However, I'm just going to let things ride. Things can't get more unpredictable than tonight.

-Leslie Gudel just reported that Tim McGraw spread some of Tug's ashes on the mound before the game. That's awesome. Simply friggin' awesome. Gotta love Tim McGraw. I need more Tim McGraw in my life. I am going to buy his CD on principle....and I ain't the biggest phan of Country Music.

-What was up with that weird friggin' fish song played when the Rays were introduced? Whoever made that decision should be fired. Totally freakin' weird.

-By the way, what did you guys think of the live blog? Very emotion filled.

Live Blog For The 9th Inning

Never done this before, but I had to put my thoughts down...

-Why the fuck is JC Romero starting the 9th?

-Thanks Joe for reminding us of how Jayson Werth is a complete idiot.

-Ok, JC got through one guy.

-Hope everyone remembers we have Eric Bruntlett starting the bottom of the 9th.

-Every time this Gross guy comes up, I think Buck's saying Greg Gross.

-Is the crowd alive? Can someone check? I might be being too hard on them. Those poor souls are cold, wet and tired.

-Ok, 2 down.

-Moyer was phenomenal tonight. If the ump didn't blow that one call at first, I'm pretty sure we have Lidge on the mound closing this out.

-I really don't like this Bartlett guy. Can't put my finger on why.

-Come on...JC!

-Oh Christ...full count.

-These House promos are making my heart beat faster...I don't like them!

-Ok....out of the 9th....Let's get a friggin run here, but I doubt we will out of Bruntlett, (the suddenly cold Victorino) and Pedro Feliz.

-That Jayson Werth play and the throw to third by Ruiz may be our generation's Chico Ruiz and the Bull butchering the fly ball to left in 1977. I hope not though. If we score a run, we will totally forget about it.

-Gotta agree with Joe. Bruntlett has a fantastic beard. It would make a lumberjack or a hockey player during a Cup run very proud.

-There you go....Gotta get on base any way you can. Will they actually try to bunt a man over. This team is not very fundamentally sound. Doubt this works out well.

-Pitching change now....gives me time to mention that we are off to a good start on Super Sports weekend. Rutgers hangs half a 100 on Pitt. Penn State puts itself in the National Title game...Believe me, 'Bama will lose a game. The Flyers picked up another win. The Phils need to cap this off.

-Christ, I'm nervous...will this bunt work?

-Ok....don't need to bunt now....just give me a motherfucking Fly Ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-I'd like to thank my man Johnny Gold for sticking out with me tonight. He is all heart. My man Vinny is checking in via text also.

-Now I'm really nervous...please get this over with!!!!

-Bring in Stairs please....he'll get the ball in the air...Good point about Ruiz though. He does get the ball in the air

-Come on Chico....you need to do this!

-Ball 2! Don't swing you idiot!

-ughhhhhh

-That was ball 3!

-ok...good eye

-Holy shit!!! Fuck yeah! We win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-My man Chico Ruiz.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Joe throws it down to Ken the Midget with Bruntlett the Playoff Beard. Gotta love Fox.

There Is No Longer Any Doubt....

Cole Hamels is the most clutch Phillies pitcher in my lifetime.

Schill had his moments, but he did lose Game 1 of the 1993 World Series. Lefty was phenomenal during his long illustrious career, but he had a losing record in the post season.

No one has matched what Cole has done in this postseason. This is an 1988 Orel Hersheiser type post season run. Enjoy it people. You likely won't see something like this again in your lifetime.

Now, we turn to Brett Myers and the rest of the rotation. Hopefully, we won't be going to the Maalox too often.

Other thoughts.....

-Of course we beat Scott Kazmir. He's a former Met. (Is this thing on?)

-Over the past four games or so, Chase Utley has looked the best we've seen him since early in the year. Maybe he is hurt. Maybe the layoff has helped him heal up.

-If someone knows where Ryan Howard is being held captive, please let us know. We need him desperately. The Phils left way too many men on base tonight. Ryan had a chance to knock in at least 2 more runs, but was unsuccessful.

-Tonight, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver mentioned that Jason Barlett was the Rays' MVP. Really? A nine hole hitter? Seriously?

-This is the first time the Phils have taken a series lead in the Fall Classic since we won Game 1 to take a 1-0 series lead in the 1983 World Series. Wow, 25 years is a long time.

-I am really looking forward to tomorrow night so we can use a more prolific hitter in the DH role. Coste was BRUTAL tonight.

-The national media has finally caught on to the fact that Madsen and Lidge are the best 8th and 9th inning combo in all of baseball.

-Three more to go, people. Let this one sink in, but don't get too excited. There is plenty of work to do.

If We Win the Series, I Know Who We Can Thank

As some of you will recall, in both 1993 and 1997 the City of Philadelphia made the ridiculous decision to dress up Billy Penn in Phillies and then Flyers regalia when each team reached the Finals in their respective sports. I think we also recall how each series turned out with the Phils losing the World Series to the Blue Jays when Wild Thing gave up a walk off bomb to Joe Carter and the Flyers got outclassed in four by Detroit.

At that point, it became abundantly clear that, not only is Billy Penn cursing the city due to the decision to erect buildings above the brim of his hat, but became vindictive when he felt he was being mocked by dressing him up in stupid hats and jerseys. Thankfully, this year we don't have to worry about the City of Philadelphia fanning the flames of Billy Penn's discontent as there will be no jersey or baseball cap placed on good ol' Billy.

Sure, you can thank Mayor Nutter, but I prefer to thank the guy most responsible: my co-worker Ed. Last week, Ed had told me he had sent an email to a friend that works for Mayor Nutter begging him to tell Mayor Nutter to not put any Phillies garb on Billy Penn. Well, the email was forwarded to Mayor Nutter and it must have persuaded him because the Inquirer reported the following in today's paper:

Superstitious Phillies fans flooded the mayor's office with calls and e-mails, begging him not to jinx the team, to leave Penn alone.

"You have the mayor's ear," one fan wrote a Nutter aide. "Make sure they do not put the Phillies hat on William Penn. Cite some ordinance if need be, or make one up. I do not care. Just make sure they do not do it. The World Series depends on it."

That "one fan" was my man, Ed. Nice job, dude. If we win the Series, a special thanks has to go your way. Maybe we should petition the team to give you a playoff share.

It's Tampa....

We no longer have to wait around to figure out who we'll be playing on Wednesday night. It will be the Tampa Bay Rays and I, for one, am happy.

I wanted the Rays. We owe Tampa big time for the most crushing Philly defeat in my lifetime....the 2002 NFC Title game (aka The Last Game At The Vet), as well as the Lightning stealing a Cup from us by beating us in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. I think beating Tampa for a World Series Title would undoubtedly help me forget all the torture they put me through previously.

After watching them tonight, two things are going to drive me up a friggin' wall. All the dopey mohawks their players are sporting and more importantly, the ridiculous cow bell ringing. I feel like I'm watching a high school football game, not a major league baseball post season game.

Ok, off to bed. More on this series later.

Lazy Sunday

On a Sunday where the Birds are on a Bye and our NL Champion Phils are still waiting for their foe in the upcoming World Series, I think we all had to search for things to do. I thought I'd watch a little football, but the choices on CBS and FOX were flat out brutal. Does the Giants/Niners, Steelers/Bengals, and Jets/Raiders excite you? Yeah, me neither. Even the Sunday night game featuring the Bucs/Seahawks had an after thought as I'm sure a good deal of the fans in the seats are more concerned with Game 7 of the ALCS played down the street in St. Petersburg. So, to say I was a bit bored today is a major understatement. I actually looked forward to our family trip to BJ's today. Yes, it was that kind of Sunday.

It made me think of this classic SNL skit:



Anyhow, I was able to survive until Game 7 of the ALCS started. I'm sitting here watching it in the 5th inning with the game tied, but the Rays threatening. (The Rays got one to make it 2-1. The Sox are still being 1 hit and coming to bat.) I have to say...neither of these teams have me scared to death. It doesn't seem to me that the AL is sending its usual juggernaut to the Fall Classic.

Honestly, I'd rather face Tampa. If they win tonight, there has to be a sense of relief on their part that they were able to stave off a potential major collapse. Plus, their such a young group of kids, they might be happy to have beaten the Sox and not be ready to face the Phils right from the beginning.

As for the Sox, if they get in, you'd have to think that they would be coming in bulging with confidence thinking that they somehow escaped with their lives and believe they are harder to kill than Jason Voorhees. I don't want to deal with them and that kind of roll. Although, I think their lineup without Manny and a banged up Big Papi is now completely mortal.

In any event, I'm flipping over to Entourage even though I completely missed last week's. Oh well, I guess I have something to watch for the next 21 minutes. (Yes, HBO, don't think I haven't noticed that your one remaining entertaining show jips me out of 9 minutes of viewing pleasure so the show can eventually be syndicated on Comedy Central.)

I just can't wait until tonight's over so we can start focusing on baseball again. This layoff is totally killing me.

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Postscript....I figured out what every one was doing today: screwing around with Facebook. I must have received 5 or 6 facebook friend requests today. Did all my friends sign up this past weekend?

To The Victors Come The Spoils....

Staying up to ungodly hours watching our beloved Phils has caught up to me. I'm sitting here barely able to breath with a cough, cold, etc. I'm about to take some Nyquil and pass out.

However, before I do, here are some great videos of the celebrations throughout the city after the Phils clinched:








(I love that one.)



Ahhh, to be young, with no kids and be able to celebrate a NL Pennant!

Cole Takes A Walk With The Phils' Legends

Lefty, Schill, and Robin Roberts, your small, exclusive Pantheon finally has a new member. His name is Cole Hamels and the Phillies' Mount Rushmore of Starting Pitchers finally has a fourth face.

Tonight, Cole showed why he is a legit, ACE, #1 starter. There are maybe a dozen bona fide #1's in Major League Baseball and for the first time since the late 90's, we have one. Cole was effective, efficient and at times dominant in running through the Dodger lineup. The only guy who touched him was the incomparable Manny Ramirez. (I'm so happy we won't have to deal with him next series. His skill as a hitter is uncanny. He's so good at his craft, that he brings athletes such as Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps to mind. Although, I don't think we catch too much of a break between BJ Upton and Evan Longoria.)

Cole's toughness has been questioned over the last two years, but he certainly answered the bell big time when he beared down and struck out Jeff Kent with two on in the 7th. At that point, the game was pretty much game, set and match as Uncle Cholly was about to turn the game over to our lights out bullpen.

Cole truly deserved the MVP and if he we can continue to receive pitching like this, we may be looking at the end of The Curse of Billy Penn.

A couple other items:

-If I'm the Dodgers, I test Ryan Madson for HGH and/or the Juice. He is pitching 95+! Where is this coming from? Just a year ago, he was hitting 91-92. How is he consistently hitting the upper 90's? Is it a change in mechanics?

-It was nice to see Ryan Howard break out of his slump and get a couple hits. I really think we're going to see him break out in the World Series. He's been so hot and cold over the last two years. Maybe tonight's game will kick him into gear.

-Not only is Shane Victorino the heart and soul of this team, but he is the best defensive centerfielder we've had in this town since Garry Maddox. He covers a ton of ground.

-I was watching ESPN after the game and the host of Baseball Tonight was talking about how much the State of Hawaii is behind the Phils due to the Flyin' Hawaiian. Don't know about you, but I think that is really freakin' awesome.

-J Roll's lead off home run was absolutely clutch. It was the linchpin in unsettling Chad Billingsley. He was never the same and it was a matter of time until he imploded further.

-The only negative tonight was our baserunning. We could have scored another run or two if we were a little more aggressive.

-I almost lost it when Chris Myers gave Uncle Cholly his condolences on the death of his mother. Can't imagine what he's going through. It has to be incredibly difficult. I know we rip him constantly in this town, but he's a good man and the right guy for this team.

-I'm starting to appreciate Carlos Ruiz as a defensive catcher, but on the other hand....

-Tim McCarver annoys me to no end. I don't think I can take another week of ball games with him. When he proclaimed after the first inning that "Cole doesn't look right to me", I almost threw something at the screen. Where does he come up with this shit? The Sports Guy always pokes fun at him and his inadequacies and now I finally see what he is talking about. Where's Deion Sanders when you need him to douse him with water?

Well, it's off to the World Series. It's been an awful long wait, but it feel pretty freakin' awesome to finally get here.

Welcome To The 2008-2009 Season, Fly Guys!

I've been meaning to do a season preview on the Flyers and I will eventually get around to it once the Phillies and Eagles settle down a bit, but figured I'd comment on tonight's Flyers/Pens game.

It was nice to see the Flyers earn a point, but they deserved better. Unfortunately, they have been unable to put three periods of good hockey together to gain a win.

I have two comments on the team prior to my season preview:

1) The Flyers need to break up the top line. They had so much success last year, due to their scoring depth and fantastic centers. I think they need to switch Briere back to the center position and put him between Gagne and Hartnell. I would then put Richards with Lupul and Downie. The third line would be the same: Upshall, Carter and Knuble. It would also give you a really good fourth line.

2) Luca Sbisa is going to be a player. He may eventually hit the wall, but I think he's going to be an excellent player for the Orange and Black.

Ok, that's all I got except that this team better start waking up and playing some hockey.

And He's Buying The Stairs-way To Heaven

In a word....wow. That's all I got right now. Wow. I am still trying to figure out how this happened. This game teetered on disaster just about every inning from the 5th through the 8th, but the Phils found a way.

For the umpteenth time this season, I counted these guys out. This time it was Ryan Howard throwing the ball away that forced me to give up and almost call it a night. However, my new hero saved the day and renewed my faith in all things good and decent.

Matt Stairs saved the day and put us one win from the World Series. Matt Fucking Stairs. Who knew he was on the team? (Ok, I did realize he's on the squad...it's a joke.) I don't know about you guys, but Matt Stairs speaks to my demographic. He's old, he's unathletic, he's bald and he's fat. He gives guys like me hope. He looks more like a plumber than a slugger, but looks can be deceiving. Stairs absolutely opened a can of whoop ass on that ball. To use an old phrase, "balls hit that long have an in flight movie and meal."

By the way, big props to Shane Victorino. He should be carrying around Jules Winnfield's wallet because he is one Bad Mother Fucker. He has been the catalyst of everything good that has happened to this team in the postseason. Ryan Madson deserves a big hand as well. He kept the Phils in the game with 1 and 2/3rds scoreless innings after Chad Durbin single handedly tried to give the game away.

The Phils have an off day to savor this win and get mentally ready to try and close this series out behind their ace on Wednesday.

Lord, please let this be the end of the series. My heart can't take much more of this.

Finally, I have to agree with Greg Dobbs' sentiments:

Editor's Note: I felt pretty excited about my headline until I went to MLB.com and the Daily News. Apparently, it was not as witty as I thought.