Thanks For Showing Up, Guys

Over the course of an 82 game season, you are going to have nights when the local team shows up uninspired and looks lazy and over matched. I suppose it is inevitable and we should forgive this trespass as the Flyers have impressively turned things around this year, but can someone please explain to me why they waited until a game against the hated Rangers to mail one in?

I also think the shine is starting to come off Nitty. After looking like a world beater for most of the month of January, he's starting to come back to earth. I'd like to see the Flyers start giving more games to Biron.

Additionally, was it me or did it seem like that only the Carter and Dowd lines played tonight? Did the Richards and Briere line even dress. Every time I looked up, either Mike Knuble or Sami Kapanen was on the ice.

Let's hope the Flyers turn things around because they have the defending Stanley Cup champs coming to town Saturday night. Should be an interesting game.

Super Blah

So far, I am standing strong on my decision to boycott Sunday's game to decide the Championship of the National Football League. I simply cannot find any reason to watch this game other than seeing how unoriginal the commercials have become and maybe seeing history made by the Pats. Plus, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that Eli Manning is in the Super Bowl. I never thought I'd see the day.

If the Giants win, the league will be set back decades. Ok, maybe I'm overexaggerating and being a tad bit spiteful, but over the years, the NFL Champion has typically been a team that dominated at some point during the regular season. The G Men surely do not fit that description. Did they impress you at any point this season? Sure, they racked up a ton of sacks against our Birds early in the season, but that was with our backup left tackle in the game and looking like a turnstile. They are like a NHL team that wins the Cup after getting into the playoffs as a 5 seed and then rides a hot goalie. They just don't the fit the bill as a Super Bowl Champion. Instead, they seem more like the 1998 Falcons that somehow backed their way into the Super Bowl and then summarily got thumped by the Broncos. I'm hoping we see a similar result Sunday.

The week leading up to the Super Bowl has also been greatly disappointing. About the only interesting things that occurred this week were the marriage proposal Tom Brady received from "Inez" and how Osi Umenyiora likes to be pooped on by hookers. I also got a kick out of this creative Giant fan who is trying to ensure that Randy Moss can't play Sunday as he would be in violation of a restraining order since he gave Super Bowl tickets to the chick that filed assaulted charges against Randy. Hopefully, something will occur to save this game, like the Eugene Robinson arrest the night before the game for solicitation of a prostitute or the Barrett Robbins nervous breakdown the night before the game.

In any event, if anyone has any reason to get excited about this game, please forward it on. I'd love to hear it.

As If We Needed Confirmation On This

This was a great find by Uncle Farrell...enjoy!



The part about the T.O. jersey may be my favorite.

By the way, the actual movie is pretty interesting. I caught it on Showtime, but can't remember the name of it.

Phils Screwed?

Today, the Mets may have ended the Phils' reign as NL East Champs with one move. The Mets have finally filled the void in their rotation by picking up the ace they have so desperately craved. The best pitcher in baseball, Johan Santan, is heading to the Big Apple.

I am officially worried.

I tried to justify it to myself by figuring that Santana is pretty much just replacing Tom Glavine, who did have a decent year for the Mets (13-8, 4.45 ERA). Over a course of a season, could Santana really add that much more to the Mets to make this deal a substantial improvement for them?

The more and more I think about it. The answer to the above question is a resounding "YES". Not only will Santana likely win 10 more games with an ERA about runs per game less than what Glavine did last year, but he'll pitch more innings, which will save the Mets bullpen (which was severely over worked in September) over the course of the season. Plus, as we've seen with Hamels recently and Schill over the years, a legit ACE of the staff can halt losing streaks and win big games throughout the year. They just bring a certain aura with them to the mound that makes everyone play better. (ACES are also worth their weight in gold during the postseason, but I suppose that's something to worry about at a later date.) This move also takes the pressure off Pedro, Oliver Perez and John Maine. They are now slotted in spots in the rotation which fit their current skill sets better.

Sorry guys, the more I think about it, I believe the Mets may have won themselves a division today. They were already heading into the season with a chip on their shoulder coming off their September choke job, but now they have a weapon in their arsenal that they haven't had in recent years. Yes, it sure seems that Phils are playing for a Wild Card berth at best this year.

Jeez, I'm quite the killjoy, huh?

Pedro Is Good For What Ails The Phils' Line Up

Today, the Phils have finally done what the Eagles have been refusing to do for years. Address a perennial position of weakness. A real, honest to goodness, every day 3rd basemen has been added to the Phils' lineup. Frankly, I'm flabbergasted. I did not expect them to make a move. Now only if the Birds would take a cue from the Phils and add a play making WR this offseason....
To be more exact, the Phils added former San Francisco Giant, Pedro Feliz. Last season, Feliz hit .253 with 20 home runs and 72 RBIs. However, two years ago he had 98 RBI's and he will undoubtedly will see a 10 HR boost moving to Citizen Bank Park from cavernous Pac Bell. His right handed power stick should compliment the Phils' lefty dominated lineup quite nicely, Thank You. More importantly, he is (approx) a .970 fielder at the hot corner.

Ok, you must be thinking "if he is so good, why the hell haven't I heard of him?". Well, part of the reason is that he doesn't get on base a whole lot and makes J Roll look like Ted Williams in terms of on base percentage. Plus, he already has something in common with his new teammates. He strikes out a ton. Hopefully, hitting behind better players than what he was accustomed to in San Fran will help in both categories.

This move also opens up the possibility of trading Wes Helms for the best possible pitching help he can bring. (No, I'm not expecting much either.)

Anyhow, this move seems to finalize a lineup that will look like this:

1 - J Roll (SS)
2 - The Flyin' Hawaiin (CF)
3 - Chase (2nd)
4 - The Big Man (1st)
5 - Burrell (LF)
6 - Jenkins/Werth (RF)
7 - Feliz (3rd)
8 - Ruiz (C)

I'm not sure exactly what to think. It seems like we improved at 3rd and RF, but are weaker in Center.

*****************************

Reports are that the Mets are close to trading for Johan Santana. If you don't want to see the Mets run away with the division, you might want to pray that the BoSox or Yanks pony up whatever the Twins are looking for. I don't want to see this guy in our division. No way, no how.

*****************************

Face facts people. The Phils are going to arbitration with Ryan Howard. I have only received three predictions on what his 2008 salary will be. Come on, people. Play along!

Can't Let This One Die

Ok, this one isn't that great, but I love poking fun at T.O. Plus, I love how these kids tried to get a little pub for Rowan.

I'm Back

Sorry for the mini-vacation, folks. I was away for the weekend up in the Mountains and then realized last night that there wasn't anything really going on recently so figured I'd watch a couple movies (The Transformers, which pretty much sucked and The Bourne Ultimatum which totally kicked ass) and get a decent night's sleep.

Hope you guys didn't miss me too much. In any event, I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses.

(Is this thing on?)

Foolin' Ourselves

After reading through some of the quotes from Eagles' brass down at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL, I am about to become physically ill. After falling short of a championship, the Eagles are once again trying to convince themselves that they are better than they really are.

The following quotes from defensive coordinator Jim Johnson pretty much sum up the view of the team that is seemingly being put forth by Reid and Company:

"I'm happy the way we finished, but it's tough to look at the playoffs. We're going through the [game tapes] right now and we're saying, 'We're as good as any team in the playoffs, and that's how we feel.' I think everybody knows we were one or two games away from being a really good team, or one [win] away from the playoffs. That's what's disappointing for us."

In today's paper, even the Inquirer got on board with this ridiculous "we're not all that far away":

when you look at the NFC playoffs this season, you wonder whether the Eagles can really be that far away from serious contention. Among the four finalists in the conference, the Eagles beat the Cowboys once, should have split with the Giants, and should have beaten the Seahawks and Packers. And they stayed within three points of the Patriots.

A year ago, the Eagles won more playoff games than either the Packers or Giants. In fact, Green Bay and New York were both 8-8, and it took four tiebreakers and percentage points for the Giants to earn the final wild-card spot - and an eventual loss to the Eagles.

What happened in a year? The Packers and Giants got better defensively, maybe just healthier, and both got better play from their quarterbacks than could reasonably be expected. The same formula would work fine for the Eagles. With some help at defensive end, some depth in the middle of the line, and some attention to the defensive backfield, that defense will be just fine again.

On the other side of the ball, they need another good receiver, a reliable tight end, a continuation of Brian Westbrook's healthy streak, and . . . better-than-expected play from the quarterback. That's the missing factor.

(When did Joe Banner start going by the name of Bob Ford? Or did Dave Spadaro steam Bob Ford's laptop and submit this story under his name?)

Please...please, someone tell me that this team is not going to stand pat as it sounds they are prepared to do. This is exactly the type of thinking that has doomed the Eagles since the Super Bowl season of 2004. They continue to think that the players they drafted are better than they really are and over the past three years we've learned that most of these draft picks are sorely lacking in talent.

If this team doesn't go out and either sign or draft impact players at the following positions, the 2008 season will be over before it starts:

1) A speed receiver (I really hope Donte Stallworth makes his way back here.);
2) a third corner (not sure if anyone that's decent is on the free agent market, so the draft will likely be the way to go);
3) a young safety (again, probably through the draft);
4) another pass rushing defensive end (I suppose this will be the #1 free agent target);
5) a tight end (or just bring back LJ); and
6) a kick/punt returner who preferably has never worked as a host at Chickie's & Pete's and is not a former skiier.

Yeah, it's a long list. Judging from the above quotes, much longer than the Eagles likely realize.

Geez, it's going to be a long offseason.

Penalty Kill-ed

The date changes, the place changes, some of the faces change, we may be scorching hot and they may be struggling, but the results stay the same. The Flyers still can't beat the Devils.

Tonight, the Devils continued their mastery over the Flyers with a 7-3 win. The only things different about tonight's game was that the Devils uncorked 5 friggin power play goals on the Flyers and Martin Brodeur, for the first time in his career against the Flyers, let in a soft goal. Other than that, things didn't change a whole lot. The Devils seemed to win every important battle for the puck and as always seem to have the puck bounce to them when they are wide open in the slot for easy goals.

Since the Flyers mailed in their effort on the penalty kill, I'm mailing in the rest of this post. Here's what I wrote after the last Flyers/Devils game in early January. You'll find it still applies:

At this point, it is reasonable to wonder if the Flyers will ever beat this team. The Devils keep jettisoning players, but the results remain the same. Guys like Scott Gomez, Brian Rafalski, Scott Stevens, etc. leave, but they get replaced by players you've never heard of that are just as effective. (Editor's Note: Johnny Oduya, anyone?)

Of course, the easy answer is that Martin Brodeur is the link throughout the years of success, but I think it goes deeper than that. It just seems like the Devils organization has some mystical hold over the Orange & Black. I think we need a feng shui expert or maybe a voodoo doctor to try and find a way to break the spell. Ok, maybe that's a little over the top, but this team needs to try something drastic because I simply can't stand losing to this weakly supported franchise from Newark of all places.

Plus, the more I think of it, I can't recall any team in any sport that has been so dominant over any of our Philly teams over such a long period of time. The Devils have pretty much owned the Flyers since Lindros and Brodeur came on the scene back in the mid 90's. We're coming up on almost fifteen years of dominance. I can't think of a team that routinely beat the Phils or Sixers in a similar fashion. I am aware that the Cowboys pretty much dominated the Birds through the late 60's up to the Dick Vermeil era, but many of those Eagles teams were brutal. The Flyers have missed the playoffs once during the Devils' dominance, so they have toyed with some pretty decent Flyers teams over the years.

I challenge you guys....can you come up with any other team that kept a Philly team under their thumb as long as the Devils have held the upper hand over the Flyers? I sure can't think of one.

In any event, I'm sick of all the losing to the Devils. Paul Holmgren and Co. have to think of something.

The best thing about this evening is that we don't have to see the Devils again until March 21. Thank God.

I Still Can't Accept It

The Giants are better than us. Much better than us. There. I said it. We must accept it and improve. By the way, I still think the Cowboys are the best team in the division.

Geez, it is going to be a long offseason.

What We All Missed In The Flyers Game Tonight

The Flyers kept on rolling along tonight with a 6-1 win over the Sens. However, the only thing I was interested in tonight was who Brian McGrattan from the Senators would fight as revenge for Steve Downie nearly killing Dean McAmmond in the preseason. Well, since most of us were watching the Packers/G-Men game and likely missed the entire Flyers' game, here's what happened:



Seriously, where the hell has Cote been hiding that all year? He hasn't beaten a true heavyweight all year and tonight he thumps one of the best in McGrattan? Very impressive.

Boycott?!?!

I am totally at a loss over the Giants/Packers game. The Packers were supposed to win to set up a two weeks of build up of whether the great Brett Favre could beat the undefeated Pats. Basically, the entire country except for those in the New England area would be rooting for Lord Favre to knock off the Pats. However, someone stuck a monkey wrench in the equation and we now have a totally unwatchable Super Bowl that we already watched three weeks ago in the season finale. This Super Bowl will be more of a coronation for the Patriots than a competitive sporting event.

Does anyone believe that the Giants belong in this game? The only way I can explain the Giants ending up in the Super Bowl is that the NFL used to be a place where talent won out. Now, it seems that it is becoming like the MLB playoffs. If a team gets hot after a lackluster regular season that gets them to the postseason, they can make it to the championship round. Anyhow, if the combination of Tom Coughlin/Eli Manning somehow beat Brady/Belichick, than I'm not sure that this is a planet I want to live on.

Overall, I feel bad for Favre. His pick in overtime was reminiscent to the one he threw to B Dawk in overtime of the 2003 playoff game here at the Linc. This was such a magical season for him. I hated to see it end for him this way.

In any event, I just can't get excited about this Super Bowl. Is there any reason to watch this game except for the commercials and to see the Pats crowned as only the second undefeated NFL Champion of my lifetime? I'm debating whether to boycott this game. Hopefully, the media uncovers something to get me excited because right now, I'm dangerously close to taking a pass.

En Fuego!

When Philadelphia athletes go on hot streaks like the one Scott Hartnell is on right now, I wish Dan Patrick was still doing Sports Center highlights. With the way Hartnell has played over the last six games, DP would start the hightlights like this:

Let's get to the Flyers/Islanders highlights, but first let's talk about Scott Hartnell. With nine goals in his last six games, he has shown that you can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him. Dare I say, he's en fuego.

I've seen some Phils get this hot over the last couple years, but I really can't remember any Flyers having a short stretch like this except maybe Keith Primeau's 2004 playoff run. The funny thing is that Hartnell started out the year looking like a complete bust. It took him 15 games to score a goal and that goal was an empty netter. Now, he looks like the second coming of Cam Neely.

Can he keep it up? Probably not, he doesn't seem to have that kind of scoring skill, but with the best of the East coming up the next three games (Senators, Devils and Penguins) they're going to need someone to step it up.

Pretty Nice Synopsis...

This one was sent in by Uncle Farrell.

PSP's Championship Game Picks

I'm about to head out to catch my buddy's kid participate in a wrestling tourney, so I have to make this quick.

Pats-Chargers - I see a Pats 34-17 victory. There's no way Philip Rivers/Billy Volek make enough plays to keep up with the Pats' offense. Plus, if Norv Turner somehow outcoaches Bill Belichick, you might want to stock up on essential supplies because the apocalypse is definitely coming.

Pack-G Men - I have a feeling that this could be a classic game that we'll be talking about for years to come. Don't ask me why. I just have feeling. Maybe it's a combination of the cold, that stadium and the fact that a team from the largest media market is part of the game. I see this one ending in OT or one team winning late with a field goal. My pick is the Pack 23, G Men 20.

There you go....now go in peace and enjoy your last great Sunday of the football season.

Question Of The Winter

Today, two Phils avoided arbitration by signing one year deals. Unfortunately for the cheap-ass Phils' front office, none of them were named Ryan Howard. (For the record, the Phils avoided arbitration with Brad Lidge and Ryan Madson by signing them to one year deals.)

Undoubtedly, the Big Man is due for a HUGE raise. He was woefully underpaid last year as he made only $900,000 coming off an MVP season. (Before you start ripping me, please understand that I do understand the salary structure for non arbitration eligible players. I just think the Phils missed the boat by not taking care of him financially.) Last year, was not quite as good, but he still hit 47 HR's despite missing a couple weeks early in the year and clearly was worth more than what the Phils' paid him. Well, this year Ryan is arbitration eligible and the penny pinchers are no longer going to be able to avoid paying the Big Man.

So, with things getting a bit boring on the Philly Sports scene lately, I thought we'd play a little game. Let's see who can come closest to guessing what Howard will be awarded in arbitration. There is no prize except bragging rights over anyone else who reads this website. FYI - the current record high arbitration award is $7.4 million which was awarded to Miguel Cabrera last season coming off a year where he hit 26 HR's and 113 RBI's.

My guess is that he'll be awarded $8.75 million. What says you guys?

Now, let's hope the Phils don't screw up our little game by doing something out of character like lavishing a huge contract on the guy.

Since We Have Little Else To Look Forward To

When your football team doesn't make the playoffs, is there anything to get excited about, but the draft and free agency? Now that the date for Juniors to declare for the draft has come and passed, the mock drafts are starting to trickle in. I caught this mock draft today on ESPN.com and I'd be fine with this pick:

19. Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 9-7
Biggest needs: OT, S, WR, LB, TE
Projected pick: Malcolm Kelly*, WR, Oklahoma
Current Eagles OTs Jon Runyan and William Thomas aren't getting any younger, so Jeffrey Otah (Pittsburgh) and Michael Oher (Mississippi) are possibilities here. However, the Eagles are still in search of a big-play threat at wide receiver and Kelly could finally be the answer. Unlike most big receivers, he's a smooth route-runner who knows how to separate from man-to-man coverage. Kelly also might have the strongest hands of any receiver in this year's class.

A big play threat at WR? I think we could live with that. Here's some of his highlights from last season.

It's Gotta Be The Throwbacks

Tonight, the Sixers broke their seven game losing streak against the Houston Rockets (who must either really suck or had a big party to go to after the game), with a 111-107 victory. Of course, it is no small coincidence that this win came with Sixers wearing throw back uni's from the Dr. J era.

I really have nothing else to add. I haven't watched more than 30 seconds total of this team all year. If you're interested in the current state of the Sixers, Phil Jasner is your man. He interviewed Ed Stefanski yesterday to get a state of the reconstruction of the local NBA franchise.

(Yes, it is a completely slow day in the Philly sports scene. I was left to choose from posting about the Sixers, re-hashing a story from Profootballtalk.com about Heckert and Banner no longer getting along, or talking about how outstanding American Idol was tonight. Basically, I cried Uncle and chose to write about the Sixers. Although, something tells me I'll get less of a response to this artice than to my Flyers review.)

FLYERS MIDSEASON REVIEW

As usual, I'm a little late with getting another midseason or end of season review out, but when you have so much to make fun of T.O. about, posts like these get pushed off a day or so. Ok, enough talk about T.O., let's get to the hockey!

Coming into the season after a daring, spectacular offseason that re-constructed a team ill prepared in the "new NHL", we all expected that the Flyers would be leaps and bounds better than they were last year when they only accumulated 23 wins on their way to the worst year in franchise history. However, I don't think we expected the Flyers to match last year's win total in the first half of the season. Sure, they are only a six seed in the East if the season was to end today, but with the conference so tightly packed at the moment, I'm fine with their current seeding.

I'm not going to give a grade to each player, I'm just going to run through some surprises, disappointments, concerns and my outlook for the second half.

SURPRISES:

-Mike Richards: He's been an absolute stud in the first half of the season as he's the team's leading scorer and unquestioned leader. He is a very deserving All Star and looks to be deserving of the hefty contract he received last month.

-Joffrey Lupul: It's a shame this kid got hurt. I really like his game. He's skilled scorer, but seems to have some snarl in his game. You don't see too many guys like that in this league.

-Jeff Carter: Finally, "Carts" is going to the net hard and getting "ugly" goals to go along with his deadly wrist shot. Should the Orange & Black re-sign Forsber, I hope they move Carter to wing. He needs someone to get him the puck and Forsberg would be the perfect trigger man for him.

-The Power Play: Right now, the Flyers have the 2nd best power play in the entire NHL. After a couple years of really struggling with the man advantage, this is a very welcome development.

-Braydon Cobourn: The big, rangy defenseman is really starting to show why he was so highly regarded coming out of Juniors. To imagine, we got this guy for guy we received in a trade for Freddy Meyer.

-Steve Downie: Yes, it's only been a handful of games, but this kid brings so much life to the team. He's a joy to watch.

-Scoring Depth: It really seems that for the first time in years, we aren't looking at a one or two line team. With Scott Hartnell coming on strong and the return of Simon Gagne, it appears that the Flyers have some real depth for the first time since the Keenan era.

DISAPPOINTMENTS:

-Danny Briere: I don't know about you guys, but I expected more out of Briere than what we've seen to date. Sure, it's great that he's scoring at a point a game pace, but he's a whopping -11 which is indicative of the shitty defense he's played all year. Hopefully, Briere re-emerges now that Gagne is back.

-Kimmo Timonen: Yes, I do realize the guy is an All Star, but was anyone else surprised to find out he made the team? I know I was. To me, Kimmo's been just "ok". I expected much more. However, he seems to be turning it around and had one of his best games of the season on Sunday.

-The Suspensions: I know it seems like the NHL is out to get us, but this team has to be a little bit more disciplined. We can't lose guys for stretches at a time over stupid, selfish decisions on the ice.

-Randy Jones/Lasse Kukkonen: Both had great starts and now both of them are struggling. It would be nice to see one of them step up. I think Kukkonen may be fighting through injuries, but it looks like Randy Jones stopped taking the hockey version of HGH because he's been average to below average for about the last month in a half.

-Jim Vandemeer: When Holmgren traded for Vandy to bring him back to the Orange & Black, did he check his medical records to see if he was neutered? What the hell happened to this guy? Where is the toughness he showed earlier in his career? At this point, I'd rather see him sit in favor of Kukkonen, or find a way to bring Gauthier back up. At least, he hits people.

-Scottie Upshall - What happened to the guy that exploded on the scene when he arrived in Philly last year? It would be nice to see him back.

CONCERNS:

-Do we have a true #1 goalie?: Biron started out the year like a house of fire, but has since cooled. Nitty has played his ass off in the past couple weeks and forced Stevens' hand to give him more time. I really don't know what to expect. I just remember the old line "if you have two starting goalies, you really have no starting goalie." Let's pick one guy and give him 2/3's of the starts the rest of the way.

-Fighting: Ok, fighting might not be as big a part of the NHL as it once was, but do we have anyone that can win a friggin' fight?

-No Sympathy From The Devils: Once again, the Flyers are totally flumoxed when playing the Devils. They might as well just forfeit to them. In case you missed it, the O&B also have a hard time beating the Canadiens, a possible playoff opponent.

OUTLOOK:

As currently constituted, and when healthy, the Flyers should have no problem making the playoffs and may even win a round if they meet the right opponent (i.e., anyone but the Devils). However, this team still has a ton of assets. If they can add another puck moving defenseman, they can do some damage in the East, no matter whether Forsberg comes back or not.

Hockey Blooper Reel

Sent in by Snaxxx:


Top Ten Hockey Bloopers - Watch more free videos

Nice find, Donny. I'm still laughing over the girl forgetting the words to the "Star Spangled Banner" and then falling on her ass. That'll show you Canucks! Remember the damn words to our anthem or suffer the consequences!

Yes T.O., Everybody Hurts

Sent in by my main man, Tony Cascarino:



This kid deserves some kind of acting award. Maybe a People's Choice.

Dave Spadaro: A Bit Full Of Himself

I realize that I'm the only one who may think this is funny, but check out the balls on Dave Spadaro of PhiladelphiaEagles.com in his latest column. I hope his arm doesn't hurt from patting himself on his back:

I just checked Chargers.com and, well, excuse me for feeling really good about the job the staff here does. San Diego's game in Indianapolis has been finished for more than an hour, right? Wait, nearly 90 minutes. And there isn't a single word about the huge Chargers victory? What's going on here?

I guess not everyone in the NFL can as great a Web Master and Prime Minister of Propaganda as you, Dave.

Spectrum To Go The Way Of The Vet?

(WARNING: George, please take Valium before reading this. Your head might explode to see another favorite arena demolished.)

I just came across the following article from today's Delco Times:

PHILADELPHIA — Comcast-Spectacor is on the verge of announcing a plan to develop a multi-million dollar entertainment complex in South Philadelphia that could eventually lead to the demolition of the Wachovia Spectrum, the Daily Times has learned.

The Baltimore-based Cordish Company, a real estate development giant, has offered several proposals to Comcast-Spectacor that are still being considered.

The most attractive proposal would result in a complex called “Philly Live!” which would incorporate land development for such ventures as restaurants, retail shops, condominiums, small music venues, a movie theatre and other entertainment outlets in and around the stadium area.

According to one source close to the negotiations, a public announcement is expected before the end of January.

Comcast-Spectacor President and Chief Operating Officer Peter Luukko confirmed that discussions are ongoing and that several plans for the new development are being considered.

Comcast has worked through a “series of proposals” with this development project, Luukko said.

“We’ve had discussions with Cordish to look at some development proposals and they’re still ongoing,” he said.

Luukko would not comment on the possible demolition of the Spectrum, but said part of the proposal discussions did include the Spectrum site. Luukko stressed nothing had been finalized or decided with the proposals involving the Spectrum.

According to a Philadelphia business community source, one of the Cordish proposals would include the construction of an ultra-chic W hotel, owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Inc., which would be built where the Spectrum currently sits.

Comcast-Spectacor is mulling over that proposal while it decides whether a hotel or the 42-year-old Spectrum would be a more viable source of revenue for the company.

That analysis would also include determining if Comcast would rather continue to house the American Hockey League’s Phantoms and the Major Indoor Soccer League’s Kixx, or find a new home for both.

Comcast-Spectacor owns the Phantoms, but does not own the Kixx. All other events would be absorbed by the Wachovia Center. The Spectrum currently averages about 125 event dates per calendar year.

The Kixx and other MISL teams have struggled to hook on as a popular sports entertainment option in various U.S. markets.

Conversely, the Phantoms, with a history of sold-out games and two Calder Cup championships on their corporate resume, could be considered an attractive commodity for several markets in the region, including Trenton, N.J., and Atlantic City, N.J.

Comcast-Spectacor officials have not indicated whether they were pursuing such options.

Nevertheless, the belief is that a development of this nature would be a boon not only to the city, but anyone who ventures into the stadium vicinity.

“With the new ballparks and the fact that there’s more housing down here, the landscape has changed,” said Luukko. “And we feel there’s a need for a project like this not only for our fans, but for the community around us with restaurants, retail and a fun place to go both day and night.”

During construction of the Wachovia Center in 1996, Comcast-Spectacor struck a deal with the City of Philadelphia for exclusive negotiating rights for corporate land development at the stadium multiplex.

The deal gave Comcast a window of 20 years to develop a 300,000-square foot parcel of land that includes the Spectrum site.

It’s believed the project has been reviewed by officials from the Phillies and Eagles, and members of the city’s political community have also been briefed, with one prominent politician apparently liking what he saw.

“He saw a brief presentation from Comcast-Spectacor and that’s been the extent of his involvement,” said Gary Tuma, a spokesman for State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo. “He said it looked nice.”

Tuma said Fumo didn’t have a “blanket opinion” about what should or shouldn’t be done with the property, but that it would depend on what the final proposal might be.

A message left with a spokesman for Philadelphia City Council chairwoman Anna Verna, who represents the district in and around the stadium complex area, was not returned.

Newly minted Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and U.S. Congressman Robert Brady also couldn’t be reached.

The Cordish Company is one of the leading development firms for this particular brand of commercial endeavor and has built similar projects in other cities, including “Power Plant Live!” in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area; “Fourth Street Live” in Louisville, Ky.; “Daytona Live!” outside Daytona Motor Speedway in Daytona, Fla. And “Paradise Live!” and the Seminole Hard Rock Café Casino in Tampa, Fla.

The company is also involved in constructing “Woodbine Live!” at Woodbine racetrack in Toronto and “Ballpark Village” in St. Louis. While the cost of these projects vary from an estimated $35 million in Baltimore to $750 million in Toronto, the Comcast-Spectacor project, with a hotel, could eclipse the $100 million plateau.

A message left for a Cordish spokeswoman went unreturned.

Cordish has also developed several other shopping-based projects that include, “The Walk” in Atlantic City, “The Boulevard at Capital Centre” in Landover, Md. and the factory outlets in Ocean City, Md.

If this goes through, I really will worry about my buddy George. He LOVES the Spectrum, he might chain himself to the front doors to prevent demolition crews from doing their work. He would be like that student in Tienanmen Square that stood before the Chinese tanks or those students at Cal-Berkely that are camping out in trees to prevent the school from knocking them down and building a football training center.

As for me, I'm all for progress. I just hope the Phantoms stay in the city.

I Feel Dirty

Yup...that's right. I feel like I need a shower. I just spent four hours rooting for the Giants to win a playoff game. However, I guess the G Men are the lesser of two evils. There is no way, under any circumstances, I could root for the Cowboys, unless somehow them winning helped the Eagles. Plus, the Giants are from my home state and, as my buddy' George's dad pointed out to me today, they did forth a valiant effort to knock off the Pats in the last game of the regular season when they could have sat their regulars. So, I guess I could talk myself into rooting for them.

I suppose my decision served its purpose and now I'm completely off the bandwagon and throwing my support for the Packers. Come Sunday, I'll be eating Johnsonville Brats, drinking a sixer of Leinenkugle, and rooting for America's favorite QB to reach the Super Bowl and have a shot at knocking off the undefeated Pats in the most anticipated Super Bowl in my life time.

By the way, I will willingly admit that I have flip flopped on Favre. I used to really dislike the guy and all the attention and adulation he receives until I read this article in SI. I now think the guy deserves every second of it. He know what he means to people and what he represents in the community. He deserves another shot at the title.

I'll get more into it as the week progresses, but I initilaly really like the Pack to win next week. The G Men beat a team that had obviously peaked a month or so ago. I really thought today's loss by the Cowboys' loss was inevitable. The only ones that didn't see it coming were the homer Cowboys fans. However, the Pack is a team that really looks good offensively. Favre is throwing it all over the joint and Ryan Grant seems to be Dorsey Levens (circa 1995-97) reincarnated. I think the G Men will have a real hard time stopping them and there is no freakin' way Eli Manning puts together another strong game. It's only a matter of time until he falls apart. Plus, the whole country except for those in the New York metro area, will be rooting against him.

The Tears Of A Clown

I have been searching like crazy, but I can't find video of the T.O. post game press conference. All I can tell you is that it was absolutely priceless to see him cry like a little girl.

Here are the quotes that prompted the tears:

"You guys can point the finger at him. You can talk about the vacation, and if you do that, it's really unfair. It's really unfair. That's my teammate. That's my quarterback. If you guys do that, man, it's unfair. We lost as a team. We lost as a team, man."

When he uttered these comments while choking back tears, I was was reminded of Mike Schmidt's retirement announcement (which I surprisingly couldn't find video of on You Tube) or this orchestrated moment by a Presidential candidate:



If I find the video, which I'm certain will hit the net any moment, I'll add it. However, my favorite part of his post game comments was when he was asked if his relationship with Romo was the best he's ever had with one of his quarterbacks. His response was along the lines of: "I've had great relationships with all my quarterbacks." I wonder if Jeff Garcia and D Mac feel the same?

At this point, is there any doubt T.O. has gone off his meds?

I knew it was only a matter of time. Here's the video, enjoy!

Hey Tony!

Want to Get Away? I heard they are running flights to Cabo.

Maybe you can sip on a pina colada with your hasbeen girlfriend and wonder why you can't win in the playoffs.

There were so many things to take joy out of from this game (Romo's struggles, Wade Phillips looking over matched by Tom Freakin' Coughlin of all people, Patrick Crayton dropping balls after running his mouth all week, and the ball busting that me and my buddy The Captain are about to lay out on our friends, Tommy and Vinny - who I think is physically ill over this game), but one of my favorites is that no #1 ranked NFC team had lost this early since the NFL/AFL merger. How great is that? Also, the Cowboys have now gone 12 years without a playoff victory! How unbelievable is that? These things couldn't happen to a better franchise.

Plus, if you're Jerry Jones, don't you have to fire Wade Phillips right now? He is a totally outclassed when you get to the playoffs. Sure, he'll get you to the playoffs with a talented team like this one, but he was definitely outcoached today.

Yes, I do realize that it really hater-ish to take this much joy out of another team's misery, but what else is there to get excited about around here?

From The Request Line: Phils Update

Since I spent all day at work doing my yearly review and I'm a bit tired of self promotion, I thought I satisfy a request today for a little Phillies news. (Sorry Biggsy, it's been a slow news month for the Phils and this is the best I could do.)

PHILADELPHIA -- On Wednesday the Phillies announced the stops for the annual Winter Tour, which allows players to interact with fans across the Delaware Valley before departing for Clearwater, Fla.

Among the events scheduled for the 39th annual tour are a Phillies Kids Phest, volunteering throughout the city on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a mall appearance and charity banquets where players will sign autographs.

Also as part of the tour, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., left fielder Pat Burrell and second baseman Chase Utley will participate in online chats on www.phillies.com. Amaro kicks off the schedule on Friday at 3 p.m. ET. Burrell will go on Jan. 16 at 5:15 p.m., and Utley completes the hat trick on Jan. 17 at 3:30 p.m.

Most events are open to the public, and some will include newcomers Geoff Jenkins and Brad Lidge, as well as fan favorites Chris Coste, Shane Victorino, Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick.

Two exclusive family events are scheduled for Jan. 26 at Citizens Bank Park: Phillies Kids Phest from noon to 3:30 p.m., and the taping of Comcast SportsNet's "Meet the Phillies" from noon to to 1 p.m. Fans can register on phillies.com until Jan. 16 for a chance to attend these events.

The first public event, the Williamsport Crosscutters Hot Stove Banquet, takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 at the Genetti Hotel in Williamsport, Pa. Proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lycoming County & Hope Enterprises. Coste, Kendrick and broadcaster Harry Kalas are scheduled to attend.

Those players and manager Charlie Manuel head to the Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Lakewood, N.J., on Jan. 18 for a banquet hosted by the team's Class A affiliate.

Fans in Harrisburg, Pa., can meet Coste, Kendrick and bullpen coach Ramon Henderson when the three sign autographs at the Harrisburg Mall on Jan. 19 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 21), hitting coach Milt Thompson and others will participate in "Story Time" at the National Constitution Center's celebration of the Civil Rights Leader, which will take place from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thompson will read from a selection of books related to King and the Civil Rights movement.

Former outfielder Garry Maddox will host his annual bowling Tournament from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the La Martinique Bowling Lanes in Stratford, N.J. Myers, J.C. Romero, Victorino, Dick Allen, Von Hayes, Dickie Noles and other local celebrities are expected to participate.

The Phillies will visit Lehigh Valley on Jan. 23 to help kick off the Triple-A affiliate's first season in Allentown, Pa. The event, being held at University Center at DeSales University in Center Valley, starts with a 5:15 p.m. reception, with the banquet beginning at 6:45 p.m. Tickets are $65 each or $550 for a table of nine. Myers, Jenkins, Manuel and general manager Pat Gillick are expected to attend.

That same night, at the Wachovia Center, Jimmy Rollins and Romero will take in a 76ers game vs. the Detroit Pistons.

Lidge will join Romero and Victorino at the team's annual event in Reading, Pa., on Jan. 24. The tour finishes on Jan. 28 at the annual Philadelphia Sportswriters Banquet, held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, N.J., where National League MVP Rollins and Manuel will be among the sports celebrities honored.

If anyone is interested in heading to the bowling event, let me know. I used to be in a league there along with other PSP luminaries, the Captain and Johnny Gold. You will surely get preferential treatment at La Martinique if you mention the Captain.

One last thing, we are 35 days away until pitchers and catchers report on Valentine's Day.

Operation "Get Me Out Of Town" Has Begun

In case you missed it, D Mac announced his blog yesterday that the Birds are in dire need of playmakers all over the field. More specifically, he stated the following:

Now that the season is over and we are concentrating on 2008, I hope we are able to secure some playmakers in all three phases of the game. Maybe some of those playmakers are already on the roster but have struggled with injuries, myself included, that have held us back a little.

You can't argue with how the Patriots went outside their locker room and stocked up on playmakers last year. It certainly helped to have Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Wes Welker and Adalius Thomas making plays for them all year.

I'm surprised that anyone would have a problem with me, or anyone else in the organization, expressing a desire to bring in more quality players. We were 8-8. There is room for improvement. This is a competitive sport. It's about putting together the best players, the best team, and giving yourself the best chance to win.

We didn't disrespect anyone when we traded for Takeo Spikes or signed Kevin Curtis last year. I don't think the Patriots were being disrespectful to Troy Brown or Reche Caldwell when they brought in Moss, Stallworth and Welker. Over the past few years, when the 49ers added Nate Clements, the Seahawks added Julian Peterson, the Giants added Plaxico Burress, the Colts added Adam Vinatieri, it was in an effort to add playmakers. In each case the team identified a way to improve and they took action.

I don't think that's being disrespectful to any of my teammates. It's certainly not my intention. I bet that anyone who wants to see the Eagles win – from Mr. Lurie, to the entire locker room, to every Eagles fan who bleeds green would agree.

I don't know how anyone could have a problem with anything McNabb said. However, I think there is deeper reasoning behind these comments. Basically, he's laying the ground work for looking to get out of town should the Birds have one of their customary underwhelming off season. If the Birds fail to add weapons to the offense, look for McNabb to quickly ask for a trade some time after the draft.

Could you blame him for wanting to leave a team that seems to always accept "above average", instead of seeking greatness? I wouldn't.

The nice thing is that we are finally starting to see D Mac's true intentions. It's about time.

Who Knew Clarkie Was So Entertaining?

Leave it to the Canadians to drag the some of the best comments out of Robert Earle Clarke (aka, Bob Clarke, former GM of the Flyers) in recent memory. Today, Clarkie appeared on a Canadian talk show "Off The Record" and when asked about the sucker punch incident with Steve Downie, he provided the following:

"When he went after Blake, I loved it. Blake was a guy who had no problem going out and saying (Downie) should be suspended for life or suspended for the year. When you say something that stupid, why shouldn't this kid go after him for it? The kid did what every hockey player should do. If a player like Blake who's been around as long as he has wants to criticize a player then he has to go on the ice with him and suffer the consequences."

He also added the following regarding Downie's 20 game suspension handed down in the pre season:

"My own personal feelings is that Colin Campbell overreacted. The hit that Downie threw on McAmmond was not a whole lot different than the hits we all admired, including myself - that Scott Stevens used to do on open ice. He hit lots of heads and hurt lots of people and we said it was great. What Downie did was, it looked like Colin Campbell took it personally, (thinking) 'I told these players they couldn't do that and he did so I'm going to get him.' To suspend him for 20 games is ridiculous. McAmmond was a veteran player who was skating and watching his pass and got nailed. Sorry for it, too bad he got hurt but it was his own fault as much as it was Downie's."

Here's video of the interview, in case you're interested.

After today's comments, I take back anything bad I ever said about the guy. Maybe I can even forgive him for throwing away last season with his horrible off season plan. I might also forget that he tried to kill the team's chances when the league returned from the lockout by signing Mike Rathje and Derian Hatcher to long term salary cap killing contracts or that he continually was unwilling to upgrade the team's goaltending situation in years the team was a Cup contender. In any event, I just wish Clarkie was so forthcoming over the years. It could have made his stay as GM so much more delightful.

I also come away from this interview with other thoughts. How does this guy still have office space at the Voorhees Skate Zone? When he forced to step down as the GM and moved into a "figure head" type front office position, I thought the guy was put out to pasture and given a golden parachute. I figured his belongings were probably moved to a cube down on the floor with the junior ticket sales reps. Based upon the video, I guess I was wrong. Apparently, years of dedicated service to the Flyers organ-I-za-SHUN mandates that one keeps his office even if he is forced out of a job that had seemingly passed him by.

Plus, I love how the interviewer continually says he holds a Senior position with the Flyers, but Clarkie quickly dismisses him by saying he's basically "a professional fan" and has no contact with the players. Sounds like a pretty sweet gig to me. If he's going to continue to be this entertaining, maybe Comcast can get rid of Al Morganti and Chris Therien and let Clarkie take over.

The "new Clarkie" seemingly has unlimited potential. I just hope the hockey world doesn't let it go to waste.

Thanks, Ray

Today, I received sad news when I found out that the best athlete my alma mater ever produced, Running Back Ray Rice , has decided to skip his Senior season and enter the 2008 NFL Draft. While I'm upset to see him go and give up a chance to break the all time rushing record (he is only 1500 yards shy of breaking Ron Dayne's record), I think it is the best move for Ray. Schiano has been riding Ray like a horse since his freshman year. A running back only has so many carries in his body and it would be a shame to see Ray's used up on the college level.

I think he's a late 2nd round pick at best due to his lack of break away speed, but he has the best vision I've seen in a college back in a long time. I'd rather have a back with vision and decent speed, than a speed burner like Tatum Bell that continually runs into his own blockers and only picks up yards when his line opens up big holes. I just pray that Ray is drafted by the Broncos, or any other team that asks their back to make "one cut and go". Should he end up on such a team, I see him as a feature back in the NFL.

However, today is a day to remember Ray's contribution to Rutgers football. As much as Brian Leonard was seen as the face of Rutgers' climb out of perpetual obscurity, it was really Ray Rice that put this team on the map on his way to becoming RU's all time leading rusher. From the time he became the feature back early in his freshman year, he finally gave the Knights the running game that Schiano so desperately craved. I'll never forget how we wore down Louisville on the way to RU's historic victory. There was also Ray's huge game changing run against Pitt last year and the 181 yards he racked up to help RU knock off the then 2nd ranked So. Fla. Bulls. He ended his career on an up note by rushing for 280 yards in RU's International Bowl victory last Saturday.

There's not many people that can say they had a hand in single handedly changing the fate of an organization. Ray is one of them and as Rutgers alum, I'll always be thankful

Someone To Get Excited About

Now, that is the face of a hockey player. It is also the face of my new favorite Flyer.

Sure, the guy skates two steps slower than just about everyone on the ice and he takes more horrendous penalties than former Eagles Bernard Williams, Antone Davis, and Izell Jenkins combined, but I love Downie for one thing above all: his unpredictability. We haven't had an unpredictable athlete in this town since T.O.

As I told my buddy George today, the best thing about Downie right now is that every time he sets foot on the ice, there is the potential for a major catastrophe to occur. He might score a goal. He might incite a riot. Geez, at this point, I wouldn't be shocked if he took of his skate and tried to stab someone. He seems to be that crazy.

He's already been suspended 20 games for delivering a flying burrito to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond and was almost suspended this week for sucker punching Toronto's Jason Blake. Downie was told by the NHL's Czar of Discipline that he was "walking a fine line". Seriously, who doesn't love people that live on the edge?

Tonight, he scored his 2nd NHL goal in the Flyers' 4-1 win, but unfortunately did not get into any scrums despite the best efforts of Bobby Holik, etc.

I just hope no one tries to reign this kid in as I just want to sit back and enjoy watching this nutjob play on a nightly basis.

*************************************

Thoughts on tonight's game:

-Why the hell does Atlanta have a NHL franchise? Is there any franchise more useless in America? We have a hockey team in Atlanta and Nashville, but none in Wisconsin and only six in Canada. Gary Bettman is absolutely idiotic.

-The more I watch Scott Hartnell, I like his all around game. He might not score a ton of goals for this team, but he is a very good player.

-Jeff Carter has the best wrist shot this team has seen since Eric Lindros. It is downright nasty.

-Someone better put an APB out on Danny Briere. Where the hell has he been? Mr. Money Bags better step up quick. Hopefully, the supposed return of Gagne on Thursday will pick him up a little bit.

-Nitty looked good again tonight. I don't think we have a goalie controversy, but I'll sure be surprised if he gets a third straight start against the Rangers on Thursday.

-I love when Bill Clement does the color on the broadcast. I find him the best color man this team has had since...Bill Clement back in the 80's!

-CN8's broadcast has the AV quality of a local cable access channel run out of some guy's basement. What a joke! We deserve better as Flyers phans.

-Overall, this a very good defensive perfomance by the Orange & Black. We need to see a lot more of efforts like this if the Flyers are going to go anywhere this year.

Cabo San Losers!

I don't know about you, but if my team was about to play their opening round playoff game with a QB that had a bad thumb the last month of the season, I sure would have hoped that he stayed around the practice facility during the bye week, received therapy and maybe even watched some film on potential opponents.

Well, that's not what Tony Romo was doing last week. Apparently, Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson, along with his buddy Jason Witten, decided it would be a better idea to vacation in Cabo San Lucas. I'm glad to see these guys are so focused on football.

By the way, that sound you heard was my brother in law "Artie Lange-Kelly" running to the phone to call his bookie to take the G Men and the points.

When It Rains, It Pours

In case you missed it, Derian Hatcher damn near killed Joffrey Lupul the other night in Toronto. While it was nice to see Hatch lay out Alex Steen with a flying burrito, it kind of sucked that he then flew into Lupul driving him to the ice with a cross body block that left Lupul looking like Patrick Swayze in Youngblood.

Now, here's the bad news from Flyers GM Paul Holmgren:

“Yes, Lupul has been diagnosed with mild concussion. However, the more concerning injury is that he sustained a spinal cord contusion at the level of his fifth & sixth cervical vertebrae, which are located in the neck area. It’s creating some tingling sensations in his hands. The X-rays are negative on any real damage. But right now we have to give Joffrey some complete time off. He’s going to take a couple weeks off from doing pretty much everything and then we’ll evaluate him at that point two weeks from now.”

The Flyers are now down their best goal scorer (Gagne) and their second best goal scorer (Lupul). Plus, they also have injuries to depth players like Scottie Upshall and Sami Kapanen. Now, to make matters worse, my new favorite Flyers, Steve Downie, is about to best suspended...AGAIN. This time he suckered punch cancer patient, Jason Blake.




I'm sorry, but I find this incident kind of humorous. I sure hope he doesn't get suspended.

One last point about the game the other night: Nitty made 54 saves...yes 54, and no the game did not go into triple overtime...in the victory over Toronto. I think he deserves more starts. Martin Biron has been pretty good, but I think he wears down. I would like to see Nitty get more starts because he finally looks healthy and ready to regain his status from a couple years ago when he led Finland to the Silver Medal in the Winter Olympics.

Playoff Wrap Up

Yeah, I realize this has nothing to do with Philly sports, but if I don't include something about football, I might lose my one and only loyal commenter. (BTW, what happened to the rest of my commenters? The hit counter shows that people are reading this.)

'Skins vs. Seahawks - This game was a total snoozefest until both teams exploded for a combined 36 points in the 4th quarter. Both teams went on wild runs in the 4th quarter with the momentum swinging back and forth. For me, the sequence in the game was the Skins inability to score after recovering a muffed kick on Seattle's 12. Had they scored a TD, I'm pretty certain the Skins win the game. However, they couldn't punch it in and missed the subsequent gimme field goal. Seattle went right down the field, scored a TD to take the lead and it was turn off the lights, the party's over.

I did not leave this game gaining any confidence in the Seahawks. I really doubt they can head into the Tundra and win one against the Pack.

Jags vs. Stillers - This was a tale of two separate games. For three quarters, the Jags whupped the Stillers' collective asses. "Ben", as the Sports Guy calls him, looked terrible, throwing pick after pick. Mike Tomlin looked over matched in his first playoff game. Then, out of no where, the Stillers came back to take the lead only to give it back in an unconventional last minute drive to set up a chip shot field goal.

I really don't understand how the Jags could look like world beaters for so long and then let Pittsburgh back in the game. It was disconcerting to me. I thought they would give the Pats a real challenge, but that 4th quarter changed my mind. I'm not sure they have the chops to potentially take down the Pats.

G Men vs. Bucs - This game should have been renamed Fraud vs. Fraud....wait a second, you could have called all the games but Pitt/Jax the same. I was actually impressed by the G Men's defense. I think they might have the best chance of pulling the upset next week if Dallas continues to look like a team that peaked a month ago.

Titans vs. Chargers - Ok, I was half kidding when I set the over under for passes completed in this game at 20, but Vince Young and Phil Rivers were pretty brutal until Rivers finally put things together in the 4th quarter. In any event, the Chargers didn't do anything to make me think that they can go into Indy next week and slow them down.

So, there you have it. A pretty underwhelming weekend of football except for about a five minute span of the Skins/Hawks game and the 4th quarter of the Pitt/Jax game. Unfortunately, my early read on next week's games is that we won't have much else to get excited about except for the Dallas/G Men game.

If anything, this weekend showed that it really does suck without the Birds in the playoffs.

Offensive Super Genius To Join Birds Staff?

I came across this little tidbit from Paul Domowitch's column today:

Don't be shocked if Brian Billick, who was fired earlier this week as the Ravens' head coach, winds up as an offensive consultant on Andy Reid's staff. Billick and Reid are longtime friends.

Does anyone remember that Brian Billick was once considered an offensive genius back in 1998 when he coordinated the Vikings offense to the highest scoring season in NFL regular season history? Didn't think so. He went to the Ravens and won games with his defense while his offense was in a constant state of flux despite Billick's resume.

Sure, it will be nice to add a fresh set of eyes to the offense, but I really don't care which offensive coaches this team adds. Until they add a deep threat at WR and add a tight end to compliment Brent Celek, the Birds' offense isn't going to improve a whole lot.

Owned

Once again, the New Jersey Devils absolutely owned the Flyers up in North Jersey this evening. The final score was 3-0, but it could have been 1-0 or 65-0, for that matter. This game just didn't feel competitive at all.

At this point, it is reasonable to wonder if the Flyers will ever beat this team. The Devils keep jettisoning players, but the results remain the same. Guys like Scott Gomez, Brian Rafalski, Scott Stevens, etc. leave, but they get replaced by players you've never heard of that are just as effective.

Of course, the easy answer is that Martin Brodeur is the link throughout the years of success, but I think it goes deeper than that. It just seems like the Devils organization has some mystical hold over the Orange & Black. I think we need a feng shui expert or maybe a voodoo doctor to try and find a way to break the spell. Ok, maybe that's a little over the top, but this team needs to try something drastic because I simply can't stand losing to this weakly supported franchise from Newark of all places.

Plus, the more I think of it, I can't recall any team in any sport that has been so dominant over any of our Philly teams over such a long period of time. The Devils have pretty much owned the Flyers since Lindros and Brodeur came on the scene back in the mid 90's. We're coming up on almost fifteen years of dominance. I can't think of a team that routinely beat the Phils or Sixers in a similar fashion. I am aware that the Cowboys pretty much dominated the Birds through the late 60's up to the Dick Vermeil era, but many of those Eagles teams were brutal. The Flyers have missed the playoffs once during the Devils' dominance, so they have toyed with some pretty decent Flyers teams over the years.

I challenge you guys....can you come up with any other team that kept a Philly team under their thumb as long as the Devils have held the upper hand over the Flyers? I sure can't think of one.

In any event, I'm sick of all the losing to the Devils. Paul Holmgren and Co. have to think of something.

Arthur Blank: Please Take This Delusional Idiot Off Our Hands

I just received this article from Reuben Frank of the Bucks County Courier Times hot off the presses. He interviewed Eagles' GM Tom Heckert today and apparently Heckert thinks the Birds' lineup is just fine and needs little adjusting.

Here are some portions of the Heckert interview:

“We can definitely upgrade our team. We need guys to push our starters. But I think we're very close to the top teams in the league. We beat one of them (Dallas) and had a pretty good shot at beating another one of them (New England) without our starting quarterback. There's definitely room for improvement, but I think we're talented enough to get into the playoffs. What starters do you want us to get rid of? Name them.””

(My response would have been: First of all Mr. Heckert, I'm so glad to hear that your goal is to only be a playoff team. However, to answer your question, replacing Sean Considine, Juqua Thomas Todd Heremanns, and Reggie Brown would be a good start.)

Heckert also foresees the Eagles' franchising LJ Smith, potentially keeping Jevon Kearse (who apparently put his Moorestown mansion up for sale), not adding anyone at safety or DE, but would look at game changing WR if one became available. About the only place he thought the Eagles could upgrade is at corner.

Do not despair though. Apparently, Heckert is a candidate to take the GM job with the Falcons. Please, Arthur Blank...please take this clearly misguided front office executive out of Philly and take him to Atlanta so someone who watched this team with a discerning eye can remake the Birds into a winner for 2008.

Although, if you're Arthur Blank, wouldn't your first interview question to Heckert be, "a team you put together finished 8-8, if it is your goal to win a title, why do you think no major changes are necessary?

I hope Heckert has a good answer for him because I want this idiot out of here before we go through another lackluster offseason.

Wednesday Notebook

Initially, I want to thank everyone for their well wishes as to my mom's condition. They were most appreciated. She is out of the hospital and hopefully should be fine as long as she follows the doctor's orders.

After reading some of the comments today, I realized that there are some topics I need to comment upon. So, on lazy Wednesday night, here is a notebook full of my thoughts on various topics making news recently....

-The NHL's Winter Classic - You guys really shocked me today. No one makes a peep about my Flyers' posts, but yet you are all fired up by a poorly played game involving two out of market teams (Buffalo and Pittsburgh) that was a contrived marketing event created by Gary Bettman to show off his love child, Sidney Crosby. I thought the game was really cool to watch with the snow, large crowd, etc., but it was a poor display of hockey by two pretty skilled teams. For various valid reasons, the playing surface was a mess and all the stoppages of play got a bit annoying, but I suppose it was for the greater good.

There were other things that made me feel as the game was scripted. First, it seemed that Bettman ordered that there were to be no fights under any circumstances. From the parts of the game that I watched, I don't think I saw heavyweight brawlers, Georges Laraque of the Pens or Andrew Peters of the Sabres, on the ice at the same time. If that was the case, you might ask why did either team dress their heavyweights? Well, in the case of Laraque, an African Canadian, I'm sure Bettman wanted him in the game in a cheap attempt to appeal to a larger fan base.

To top things off, the game had to be settled in the ridiculous shootout, which was eventually won by Bettman's fair haired boy, Sidney Crosby. God, Bettman and Crosby annoy me.

Despite all this, I enjoyed the game as it was a nice diversion to all the college football played on Tuesday and wouldn't mind this game being a yearly event.

-Bowl Season - Is it me or are you guys also completely bored by this year's bowl season? I guess the regular season was so good with the various upsets that there wasn't much left magic left this season. Has there been a signature game? The only game that got me the least bit interested was the Michigan/Florida game yesterday. (I'm not sure if my boy, Johnny Gold, has recovered from watching his man crush, Tim Tebow, go down in defeat. I might need to check in on him tomorrow.)

The Wisconsin/Tennessee game was mildly interesting, as was the Kentucky/Fla St game to see how the Seminoles would field a team with half their guys suspended for cheating in an internet class. Right now, I'm watching the Fiesta Bowl and it ain't much better. The 'Eers are surprisingly rolling against Oklahoma. I'm dying for an instant classic like last year's Boise St/Oklahoma game or the Texas/USC Championship game from two years ago. I have a feeling that the Boomer Sooners have some 4th quarter magic in them.

After watching two loss teams such as Georgia and USC dominate yesterday, it is clear that this sport is begging for a playoff. If someone can figure out a way to achieve one and keep the Bowl people happy, I'll nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.

By the way NJ residents, your State University takes on Ball State in the International Bowl in lovely Toronto at noon this Saturday on ESPN2. (No folks, I'm not kidding. I'm being totally serious. RU is playing a bowl game in Canada. Most schools play bowl games in warm weather spots. At RU, we play bowl games in another country.)

-Wild Card Weekend - Yes, it sucks that our Birds are sitting home, but I'm mildly interested by this weekend's slate of games.

Tennessee at San Diego - I'm putting the over/under for passes completed in this game at 20. I really expect San Diego to run away with this one.

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh - The Jags laid the wood to the Stillers in their house just a couple weeks ago. Is there any reason to believe things will change this time around?

G Men at Tampa Bay - I love Jeff Garcia, but he's been in and out of the lineup for the last month of the season. I hate the Giants and have no faith whatsoever, but really think they'll pull this one out. Of course, I would never put money on either side in this one.

Skins at Seahawks - I think the Seahawks are softer than my midsection, but I don't think the Skins with the immortal Todd Collins at the helm can beat them up at their place.

-Eagles' Tidbits - I read today that the Birds will have the 19th pick in the draft. Now, I'm not so sure that I'm happy with the three game win streak.

I also came across the following quote in Rich Hoffman's column in today's Daily News that gave me a chuckle today:

For years, the Eagles have concentrated their attention, money and draft picks on [improving the pass rush], but they still aren't done. They have spent a quarter-billion dollars in the last few years on their defensive line and still don't get nearly enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They have spent and they have used high draft picks, and it still isn't happening.

As funny as I find the comment about the Birds spending a quarter-billion dollars on defensive lineman, it sure is saddening that despite putting so much emphasis on a position, the Birds keep getting it wrong.

2007 - Year In Review

Like the rest of you that had off during Christmas week, I'm sitting here at home bowled over by a day's worth of college football and dreading the fact that I have to get up tomorrow and go to work for the first time in 12 days. On the bright side, I guess I can get back to my normal routine. On the down side, I had to shave off the "playoff beard" that I was growing. (For anyone that may care, I shaved it off on Monday as it looked ridiculous and I also had a funeral to go to that day for a member of my wife's extended family.)

While we are sitting here on first day of 2008 hoping for better things from our sports teams in the upcoming year, I decided to reflect on some of the high and lows of 2007 of our Philly teams. So here we go:

Best moment of 2007: (This is absolutely undisputed.) The Phils win the NL East title. After years and years of coming up short, it was unreal to finally see the Phils get over the hump and make the postseason. I really could care less that they were promptly swept by the Rockies. It was just nice to see them finally get there. If you think this is a loser's mentality, fine. I can see your point, but that's what our local baseball franchise has reduced me to.

Making the division title even better was watching the Mets (and their fan base) completely melt down. Next to Cowboy fans, it couldn't happen to a more annoying group of fans.

Worst Moment of 2007: While there were so many to choose from, I think the low point of the past year was when our Birds were eliminated from the playoffs with two games to go. We've pretty much been spoiled in this town as the Birds have made the playoffs 6 out of 7 years prior to this season, but it was still pretty sad to have two glorified exhibition games at the end of the year. The real sad part was this team was definitely playoff caliber. If they made two or three more plays at the right time, they would have beaten the Bears, Packers or Seahawks and finished in the playoffs. On the bright side, the playoffs seem pretty interesting this year even with our Birds on the sidelines.

Best Athlete of 2007: With all apologies to B West, J Roll was the best athlete in this town as he won the NL MVP award and was an emotional lightning rod for a team that needed someone that had the chutzpah to carry it to a post season berth.

Worst Athlete of 2007: Adam Eaton proved that is possible to actually be worse than your stats (10-10 with a 6.29 ERA) indicate. To make things even better, it's quite possible that Eaton will be back in the starting rotation again in '08.

Most Superfluous: The Sixers. At this point, does anyone care at all?

Best Job By A Front Office: Paul Holmgren and the Flyers' offseason overhaul of the Flyers. Even though they are currently hovering around in the middle of the pack, it is still amazing to me how Paul Holmgren made over a last place team to one that will definitely contend for a playoff spot.

Young Athletes Making The Leap in '07: Mike Richards, Broderick Bunkley, Andre Iguodala, and Cole Hamels.

Older Athletes Who Have Hit The Wall: B Dawk (it really hurts to say that), Tom Gordon (ok, he wasn't that bad down the stretch), and Peter Forsberg (Does anyone miss the daily story about whether he has a skate that fits properly? Didn't think so.)

Most Disappointing Team: Here's where I get personal....The Rutgers Scarlet Knights did not have 7-5 talent this year. They had the returning talent and favorable schedule to have been at least 9-3, if not 11-2. This was a tremendously disappointing coaching job by Greg Schiano (frankly, I was more shocked to hear that Michigan wanted him, then when he turned them down.) RU lost 2 games when they had the ball with two minutes left and down by less than a touchdown. They lost another after squandering an 18 point third quarter lead and lost another despite outgaining their opponent 511 yards to 396. They were only outclassed by West Virginia. Turnovers, penalties, poor special teams play, and a general lack of leadership killed this team. Schiano should be ashamed that he squandered away a golden opportunity.

Thanks again to anyone who reads this blog. I truly have a great time writing it. I wish you all a great 2008. Happy New Year!