Tom Gordon Blows

Today's game can be summed up in those three words above. There's no need to elaborate. Other than a good first half his first season here and the last month of last season, Gordon's been one of the worst signings in Phils' history, yet we keep trotting his ass out there because Gillick & Co. hope he turns into Mo Rivera over night.

Come on, guys. It ain't going to happen. Gordon is what he is. A pitcher about 3 years past his prime as a back of the bullpen pitcher. Please find someone else for this 'pen or we could be facing an awful lot of games like this in 2008.

By the way, I did not realize how happy I'd be to have baseball back. I got to listen to the game at my desk today and now that they are back on the scene, it makes it pretty darn easy to find topics to write about. Now I know why baseball gets romanticized by writers. It's easy to f'n write about because something new happens just about every day. I guarantee my posts will increase by about 250% if the Phils stay remotely in the chase. If they fall apart, you might as well check back in Eagles training camp after the Flyers are eliminated because I don't know what the hell I'd write about.

In any event, I'm glad that our Phils are back. We're reunited and it feels so good.

A Fond Farewell To A Legend

Tonight, the athlete in the all time history of a sport (ok, sports entertainment) decided to retire. During his NWA days, Ric Flair provided more entertainment to me between the ages of 13 and 20, then just about anyone short of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eddie Murphy and Dice Clay. His skill in the ring (evidenced by his 16 world titles) and on the mike (see below) were unrivaled. Sure, the Rock may have been better on the mike, but he had 1/10th the wrestling ability and there were a few guys that could really wrassle (Ricky Steamboat comes to mind), but were complete bores whenever they had to talk to the fans.

I just got done watching Flair's retirement ceremony on Raw and was taken aback by how bad some of these guys look. Christ, as unhealthy as I am now, I still look 50 times better than a retired pro wrestler in his 40's.

Anyhow, this video brought back a ton of memories. Enjoy:

Phillies 2008: A Return To Normalcy

I know everyone is getting all ramped up about the Phils this year and expecting a playoff berth, but sorry gang. I don't see it. Sure this team will score a shit load of runs, but this pitching staff has the potential to be down right brutal if Myers and Hamels spend any time on the DL, which is pretty likely considering their injury history. Plus, I have a feeling the Lidge knee injury will linger for a good part of the season.

I don't like the Phils' staff compared to those of the Mets, Braves and any team in the West that they'd compete with for a Wild Card spot. I also think this team lost something when the let Rowand go. Not in terms of his glove or bat as I think the combined additions of Jenkins and Feliz will more than compensate for his numbers, but I think they are going to have a huge void in terms of leadership and getting the guys to be accountable and show up every day.

Hey, I hope I'm wrong, but history tells me I won't be.

Goat to Clutch

Have we ever had an athlete in recent memory that has gone from an overpaid goat to clutch in the span of one season? I'm searching my memory banks, but I'm drawing a complete blank.

Anyhow, Danny Briere is the process of completely redefining himself. He's still pretty soft, but his play over the last month has been pretty damn clutch. I'm still pretty amazed, but I guess he's capable of putting up good numbers when he has competent line mates. Briere's performance jumped up as soon as Vinny Prospal arrived and started setting him up. If Gagne had stayed healthy, it's reasonable to assume we might have seen this level of production all year.

Well, in any event, it's pretty nice to see. I hope he keeps it up. The Flyers are going to need his continued production if they are going to hold on for the playoffs.

Hello, Hello, Hello....Is There Anybody Out There?

Guys, I'm back and hopefully here to stay. I only have 45 more days until I am liberated and have my evenings and weekends back to myself. I'm sure you are all so relieved.

Anyhow, I thought I'd drop a few thoughts on the wonderful world of Philadelphia sports:

1) I'm as happy as the next guy that the Sixers look as though they are going to make the playoffs, but has anyone else noticed that the NBA is absolutely horrible? Some of these teams don't even put up a fight. I understand that Chicago is having a bad year, but did they show up at all tonight? Tonight's game wasn't in jeopardy at any point. The funny thing is that since the Sixers have gone on their 19-5 run, there have been a few games like tonight's. The Sixers are simply not that good that they can simply bury teams, but it happens regularly in today's NBA.

2) Who was that team that was wearing Orange & Black last night? The Flyers displayed tight defense, outstanding goaltending and a patient, yet smart O-fence-ive attack. We haven't seen that all year. I hope they can keep it up because they are going to need to play exactly like that if they want to beat the Devils and Pens in upcoming games. By the way, the Vinny Prospal pass that set up Danny Briere's game tying goal is in the Top 5 of all time great passes in Flyers' history.

I came across this picture from Tuesday's game. How great is this? Gotta love old time hockey, eh?

3) I'll release my Phillies season preview, but I'm not getting a great feeling about this team. I haven't read a single positive story about this team's pitching staff, which is scaring me to death.

4) I'm glad to see the Eagles sign some veteran free agents to play on special teams and add some depth, but would it kill them to sign someone that anyone has seen play? Seriously, who the eff are Rocky Boiman and Kris Wilson. (Do I even have the latter's name right?)

5) I'm also happy to see 'Nova make the Sweet 16 even though they are my least favorite Big 5 team. I also will predict that Nova beats Kansas coming up. Don't ask me why...I just think Kansas is a complete choke artist team. There is no way they make the Final Four. They either lose against Nova or in the Elite 8. Anyhow, I'm kind of psyched up about this weekend's games. There should be some good games.

6) I love the cast of Top Chef this season. Andrew, Spike and the Aussie are the most entertaining cast members in a couple seasons.

7) The new John Adams miniseries has taken HBO off life support in the Philly Sports Phan household. It was about to go. Now, I'm sucked in.

8) My latest effort to sell my house has involved burying a "statue" of St. Joseph in my front yard upon consultation with many former home sellers. I truly expected to see a real statue that needed to be buried, not the three inch action figure that the religious store sold me. Hopefully, mini St. Joe gets my house sold. My daughter and her nanny/my sister in law are quickly taking over the place.

9) I need to write a book. Did anyone see how much Obama made on the books he wrote? Seriously, that's where I've been. I'm working on a book on the despair of a Philly Sports Phan and why sports mean so much here.

10) I've made some pretty big mistakes over the years, but something tells me they weren't as bad as this one:



I know the Capt and my buddy Stan love this guy, but he this was not one of his better days.

Happy Easter Everyone

Hey gang,

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been busy with various things going on (school, work, family, etc.), but I promise to come back hard over the next couple weeks. We have the Phils opening day on the horizon, the Birds' draft coming up, as well as playoffs for the Sixers and Flyers. All the sudden, there's a whole lot going on, but I'm being stifled by a bunch of stuff.

Check back soon. The content is coming.

Thanks,
Tony

March Madness Is Here!

As pissed off as the Flyers have me right now, at least the Philly college hoops scene has me totally psyched up for the upcoming tourney.

I'm really hoping that we can get two wins from the Philly teams in the first round, preferably St. Joe's and Temple. I root for St. Joe's because I have a bunch of friends that went there and I've never seen a more loyal fan base. As for the Owls, I'm currently matriculating at Temple's MBA program, so I have a vested interested in seeing Fran Dunphy's crew make it into the Tourney and win a game or two. I can't say I'm the biggest Nova fan. Do I root against them? Well...not totally, but I would like to see them win a game in the Tourney.

Anyhow, the NCAA Tourney is one of the best events of the year. The fact that we have three Philly teams in the Dance makes it all the better.

Send your Final Four and Champion as a comment or email it to me. Let's see who gets the closest.

My picks are:

East: Tennessee
South: Texas
Midwest: Vanderbilt
West: UCLA
Champion: UCLA

The Greatest Athlete Of My Lifetime

Let the debate begin, but Tiger is the best athlete of all time. How friggin' clutch was this putt? It is inconceivable how mentally tough he is. You want to know why we haven't won a title in 25 years? Because we don't have anyone with the heart or balls that Tiger has.

As for the best athlete title, I have arrived at this conclusion because he is so much better at his sport than anyone else has been at theirs for a longer period of time than anyone I've ever seen. The only guys that come close for me are Gretzky and MJ. No one else is close.

Fool Me Once Shame On Me, Fool Me Twice Shame on You

After learning nothing from their experiment where they tried to turn a skier/male model into a punt/kick returner, the Birds are now trying to turn a 275 lb defensive tackle into a fullback.

In case you missed it, the Birds signed Dan Klecko formerly a DT with the Colts and Pats to fill their void at fullback. Will this work? Your guess is as good as mine. I'm sure he'll open up holes here and there and he did catch a TD pass in the AFC Championship Game a couple years ago, but does this guy really have the skill set to be a starting NFL fullback? I really doubt it. Although, I suppose it wont' really matter much since this team is only in a two back set about 30% of the time. Therefore, it appears Klecko's real value will be as a special teamer.

In any avent, why are the Eagles trying to out think themselves again? Weren't proven fullbacks like Tony Richardson and Lorenzo Neal on the free agent markets this year? Andy Reid and Joe Banner never cease to amaze me.

2007-2008 Philadelphia Flyers (10/4/07-3/16/08)

The playoff hopes of your Philadelphia Flyers are dead. Stick a fork in them. They are done. After Sunday's 7-1 debacle against the Penguins, I see no way this team can turn things around.

So much for the Flyers being the closest team to a championship. There is something fundamentally wrong with this squad. Sure, it's easy to point at our overmatched coach, the horrible defense and soft goal tending, but I think it goes deeper than that, but I can't really put my finger on it. I think it something on the organizational level.

I guess it's time to put the Flyers in our rear view mirror and get ready for the Phils. Hockey season is done in Philly.

Watch This Now, Thank Me Later

I have been waiting to find video of this on the web for quite a while now.



God, I loved this group of Eagles. I got a good laugh out of Jim McMahon's hat at the very end. I was also glad to be reminded that this vintage group of Birds unnecessarily burns time outs just like the D Mac/Big Red led Iggles.

Anyhow, here's a little known fact about this play. Keith Byars and Pepper Johnson were college room mates at The Ohio State University and groomsmen in each other's weddings. Can you imagine how much fun it would be to lay a block like that on your buddy? I'm thinking I'd pick my buddy Muller. He weighs about a buck 40. I think I could knock him a good ten yards back if I had a good head of steam.

FIRE JOHN STEVENS AND BEE-RON BLOWS

After watching the Flyers struggle over the last month and a half, I have come to the following conclusion: For the Flyers to move on as a franchise, John Stevens must go and he must go NOW!

I'm sick and tired of his ridiculous line up decisions. In a game that desperately needed players that could stir things up, Stevens sat Steve Downie and Riley Cote in favor of Dennis Tolpeko...yes, Dennis F&*ing Tolpeko! That guy adds absolutely nothing at all. Plus, how many times do I have to watch him scratch the steady but unspectacular Lasse Kukkonen in favor of turnover prone defensemen like Jason Smith, Hatcher, Randy Jones, and Jaroslav Modry? Plus, his blank stare on the bench stare on the bench infuriates me. It reminds me of the following stares that we've seen over the last couple days:

By the way, while we're calling people out, let me voice my opinion on Mar-tan Bee-ron. He is brutally average. If there are 30 teams in the NHL, he is smack dab in the middle of the league. He'll make big saves, but he's becoming the king of the soft goal. If I have to see one more goal slip by because this idiot can't hug the post, I'm going to put my foot through the t.v. Thank God this joker is only signed for another season (or maybe two). I would hope that goaltender becomes an offseason priority.

If you can't tell, this team is pushing me to the f'n ledge. Right now, I'm a mushroom-cloud-layin' motherfucker, motherfucker! Every time I watch this team blow another game, I'm Superfly T.N.T., I'm the Guns of the Navarone! Sorry for channeling my inner Jules Winnfield, but I had to get my point across.

Melt Down!

I'm at a loss for words after tonight's Flyers game. A good team does not lose after being up 3-0 in the 3rd period. I don't care that the NHL is more open these days....come backs like that just don't happen. I also don't want to hear any b.s. about how Toronto deserved to win and only a great performance by Martin Biron kept this game from being a blow out. You can't lose games like this and expect to make the playoffs. You just can't give points away like that, especially when you are pretty much guaranteed to lose just about every game that goes to a shootout.

Games like these make me wonder if John Stevens knows what he's doing. Randy Jones and, to a lesser degree, Jason Smith looked horrid, but he keeps both in the lineup while the steady, but unspectactular Lasse Kuukonen gets scratched game after game. One can only imagine what he did to piss off Stevens to receive this treatment.

By the way, I'm dangerously close to shutting off any game that involves Referee Stephane Auger (pronounced like OJ). He is absolutely brutal. Someone might want to check his driver's license. I have a sneaky suspiciion that he's masquerading as a French Canadian to screw the Flyers when he's probably from North Jersey and really goes by Steve Auger (pronounced Awww-ger) to friends and family. Ok, I maybe that is a bit off base, but he definitely effs the Flyers in the most egregious manner possible every time he works one of their games.

In any event, tomorrow night's second half of the Leafs' back to back will reveal a ton about this team. If they don't come out with some fire and beat the Leafs, we might as well make plans for early April because the only thing the Flyers will be playing is a round of golf at Scotland Run.

Well, That Didn't Last Long

Tonight, for the first time since 2001, I was semi interested in watching a Sixers game. The resurgent Boston Celtics were in town to play Your Philadelphia 76ers in their first meaningful game since AI was traded. After losing by 14 points - including a completely noncompetitive 2nd half, it was pretty clear that this young group of Sixers isn't quite ready for Prime Time as they looked woefully prepared to play for the Big Boys. Thankfully, they didn't win and draw me in further. I can go back to my at arms length relationship with the Sixers.

While I won't say the Sixers are a complete fraud, we learned this evening that the Sixers are \miles away from being a truly competitive NBA team. They are still at least two or three pieces away from being a a "true" playoff team (ie, not one that sneaks in because the East is so brutal).

Please don't call me a hater, I wanted this team to win tonight. I want them to be better. I want them to join Boston as one of the NBA's elite and re kindle their rivalry. They just ain't ready yet.

Hopefully, Eddie Stefanski uses all that cap space we have next year to sign a key free agent that gives this team an inside presence because our Sixers definitely need someone that can draw a double team and score with his back to the basket.

Ok, I'm going to stop pretending like I understand basketball before I say something totally stupid.

Spring Training Rolls Along

I've been monitoring the Phils' Spring Training from afar and looking for something to post about, but nothing has really caught my attention since Ryan Howard's arbitration award was announced. Cole Hamels' bitching about his contract was mildly interesting, but ultimately annoying as I'm starting to get fed up with his whining. He wants a chiropractor, he won't pitch out of the 'pen if necessary, he wants more money, he won't rush back from injury...whaaaaaaaaa. Someone better toughen this kid up. The wife beater getting the nod as the opening day starter was also interesting, but the reasoning made sense, so I didn't go all that work up over it.

Anyhow, I'm starting to get concerned about the pitching staff. Closer Brad Lidge has already gone down and Adam Eaton and J. D. Durbin are looking as though he is continuing down the same path as last year. The only good knews has been that Kris Benson is a little ahead of schedule on his recovery from shoulder surgery. I have a real bad feeling about this year's staff. I have the distinct feeling that as bad as the starting staff and bullpen were last year, they could be even worse this year.

Someone, anyone....please make a contrary argument.

Coming Up small

Just once, I'd like to see this Flyers team step up one of these nights and show some balls. Unfortunately, that night hasn't arrived yet. Tonight, the Flyers failed to show up for the third period tonight in their 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.

This might be the most streaky Flyers team in recent memory. Not only can they go a stretch of games looking terrible and then a couple of games looking fantastic, but they can look interchangably terrific and horrendous from period to period. The defensive breakdowns this team experiencing is maddening. On the Sabres' fourth goal, it seemed that the entire team lost track of Jason Pomenville who scored on an easy tap in. I can't get a read on this team, but I think the coach is to blame somehow. He just doesn't inspire me at all.

Heading into next season, it sure looks like they need to build from the back line out....once again. When the entire line up is healthy, they are still one highly skilled defenseman and one quality goalie away from being a legit contender.

Sounds familiar, huh? How many times have we complained about the same problem....kind of like the Eagles' failure to bring in a WR and the Phils inability to put together a strong pitching staff.

Anyhow, this Flyers team is doomed to either a 8th place finish or falling outside of the playoffs. They are just too flawed.

They Finally Get It

I know coming close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades, but I give major props to the Birds for the following as reported by G Cobb:

Andy Reid was on the telephone this afternoon for over an hour with Randy Moss but he wasn't able to talk him into turning down a 3 year $27 million deal with Patriots. Moss decided to stay put where he is with the Patriots. Reid and the Eagles weren't willing to better the offer from the Pats.

Moss got the offer from the Patriots this weekend, but didn't immediately sign the deal because he wanted to see if other teams were willing to better the offer. The Eagles were one of the teams Moss was interested in playing for, so he and his agent got in touch with Andy Reid and wanted know if he was willing to better the deal.

Obviously, Andy and the Eagles were not willing to make a better offer, so Randy Moss decided to stay put with the New England Patriots.

I thought I was going to have some great news for you after I got the call that Reid and Moss had had the long conversation. Unfortunately I was another close but no cigar for the Birds and their fans.

So the Eagles must continue their search for a true number one wide receiver. If they had signed Moss they would have acquired the best deep receiver in all of the NFL. Moss broke the NFL record last year for most TD receptions in a single season with 23.

The Birds can't say they didn't have a chance because Moss and his agent got Andy Reid and the Eagles on the phone and talked for what I understand to be, nearly two hours. I'm going to try to find out exactly what was discussed other than the contract.

Moss and his group had contacted me this weekend trying to get in touch with Donovan McNabb. They were interested in finding out whether the Eagles were interested in signing him, after the Patriots had been dragging their feet in the negotiations.

After the call from Moss, I called the McNabb's in Florida that Moss was trying to get in touch with Donovan. During that time, Randy decided to give the Patriots the weekend to give him a better offer and they did just that. Tom Brady got involved and the Patriots came in with a much better offer. The second offer from the Patriots was more than anybody else was willing to pay, so that sealed the deal.

This tells me that at least the Birds' staff finally realize they need a big time receiver. The only problem is that the receivers that could help the Birds all year are starting to dwindle away. The Eagles are going to have to get creative to solve their hole at WR.

What's Wrong With Us?

The more people I talk to and the more I listen to 610, it seems like we're not excited as we should be after signing Asante Samuel, the top defensive free agent on the market, less than 24 hours into free agency. My buddy Uncle Farrell, a huge Jets fan, is completely floored by the fact that Eagles fans aren't beside themselves with excitement.

I suppose there are various reasons for our lack of euphoria by this move. Let's go through them:

1. Sure, Asante is a great player, but how much of an improvement is he over Lito? Obviously, Asante's durability is a major factor, but when Lito is healty and motivated, he is a Pro Bowl Corner. Plus, all indications are that we are trading Lito, so I look at this as a trade: Lito for Asante. How much do we improve with such a trade? I say marginally, which is why we are only marginally excited.

2. We won't be happy until we get a number one wide receiver. I think we all can agree that the offense was the major problem with last year's team. The defense wasn't great, but they weren't embarrassing. Until we get that will make plays for this team, I think we all be a little guarded with our excitement.

3. All the experts are saying that Asante is more of an outstanding zone defender than man to man, and we run a ton of man to man due to our blitzing schemes. Does this mean we will change up our defense to fit his strenghts?

4. Asante is 5'10". I don't see how this helps with covering Eagle killer Plaxico Burress.

I am just a ibt confused as to the rationale behind the move. I don't see the exact reasoning, but I hope Asante proves me wrong and if Lito is traded for immediate help on the offensive side of the ball, I guess I'll be pretty excited.

I don't know about the rest of you guys, I'm a bit confused by the Chris Clemons signing. It seems to me like they are hoping this guy is another Derrick Burgess (ie, a guy who had one decent year heading into free agency after missing a couple years with injuries and then exploded into a top pass rusher) except we would be the benefactor of the coming out party. However, I don't see how this guy can be successful playing at 240-245. We just cut a guy (The Freak) that had a similar build, and how did he hold up in the NFC East? Plus, I'd love to know how many of this guy's 8 sacks last year came in the tons of garbage time that Raider Nation enjoyed in 2007. I guess I'll take a wait and see approach, but I have my hesitations with this move.

I'm real interested to see what the next move is. I've heard the Birds are targeting a kick returner and really like Maurice Hicks of the 49ers. I don't mind who they bring in...please, just don't give me another year of Reno Mahe.

Anyhow, I'm going to spend the next couple of days trying to get myself excited over the Samuel move. We've been asking the Birds to get off their asses and be aggressive in free agency and with the Samuel move they finally were. Is that good enough to help bring the Birds back to elite status? That's the real question and the reason we aren't 100% over joyed by this signing.