Temporarily Out of Service

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We are in the process of moving. It's all I do. I work. I come home. I pack. I go to bed exhausted. I then start it all over again. Yes, I realize I sound like a whiney punk, but it's my reality and it has severely cut into my blogging time.

I'd love to comment on the Phils and how they've fallen on hard time after I dumped them, or how the Sixers secretly brought back Billy King as a consultant to help them overpay for Andre Iguodala, or how Andy Reid is an idiot for playing his starters in a monsoon, but I don't have the time. You can check here and there, but I wouldn't expect a whole lot until after Labor Day when I finally move out of my house.

I really need a break right now. I think I'm about to pass out.

The Top Five List

In recognition of the Summer Olympics and the phenomenal Michael Phelps, I've decided to give my Top 5 Summer Olympics U.S. Athletes and/or Teams. During my research, I was reminded that Atlanta hosted an Olympic Games. Can someone explain to me how the fuck that happened? Still doesn't make any sense to me how a city that can't even sell out MLB and NFL playoff games was considered such a world class sports city that it deserved the Summer Olympics, but I digress....

Here's my top 5:

1) Carl Lewis - He won 9 gold medals and 1 silver over 4 separate Olympic Games. I'm as impressed as anyone over Michael Phelps, but I put more stock in Track and Field than swimming. Plus, he's a Philly area guy. He is a no brainer as the #1.

2) Michael Phelps - His Olympics aren't over and he still has a chance to extend his all time Gold Medal count to 14 gold and 2 bronze. At this point, he's become Tiger Woods/Michael Jordan like. When I see him compete, I totally expect thim to win.

3) The 1992 Dream Team - This was the greatest collection of basketball players ever put on the same team. The only reason they aren't #1 is that there was no one to push this group (their closest game was a 32 point win). God, I wish we still had a basketball team that routinely crushed their opponents like these guys did.

4) Mary Lou Retton - I am a child of the 80's and this chick's face was every where after winning the Olympic Gold medal back in 1984. I don't know if that qualifies her as one of the best, but who cares...it's my list.

5) 1984 U.S. Boxing Team - Of the 12 weight classes, the U.S. medaled in 11 of the weight classes with 9 gold medals. Future professional champs on this team included Evander Holyfield, Meldrick Taylor and Pernell Whitaker. Of course, they benefitted from the Cuban and Russian boycott, but their record was still pretty impressive.

This Is Newly Added To My Christmas List

Pretty sweet beer pong table, huh?

Donovan Is Coming To Grips With Reality

In an interview with ESPN.com, Donovan McNabb provided a startlingly refreshing interview on his past, present and future with the Birds.

Of course, you can’t talk about Donovan’s past without brining up T.O.. D Mac had the following to say about the Man That Single Handedly Ruin The 2005 Season:

"It could've been great [if they had stayed together]. What did we have, 30 TDs? You don't see that type of combination very often. That's like Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. We would've been up there."

Thanks Donovan, not only are you a great QB, but you are also Master Of The Obvious.

D Mac further ingratiated himself with T.O. by adding these comments:

"In his situation, he's finally maturing at age 35 [actually 34]. Sometimes it's you, sometimes it's me. [T.O.] thought for so long it was someone else, but at some point, maybe it dawns on you that it's not everyone else's fault. I think once Bill [Parcells] left, T.O. realized that Jerry [Jones] truly loved him. And now he has a quarterback that he feels comfortable with. He's listening. Sometimes you have to understand the reality of the whole situation, and I think he did that."

As for the upcoming season, Donovan appears to like the Birds’ chances in the NFC this year. He confidently indicated that:

"I still put us at the top of the NFC. I feel confident in saying that because all the best teams are pretty much in our division. The Giants and Cowboys are coming off great seasons and the Redskins had a decent year."

He also claims that the injuries he played through last year will help in ’08:

"[Last year] was a grind, but the injury actually helped acclimate me to being the type of quarterback that I've wanted to be. It's helped me in certain areas."

Most surprisingly, McNabb seems to have resigned himself to the fact that his days with the Birds are numbered as he will eventually have to hand over the car keys to Kevin Kolb. Donovan added:

"I might end up somewhere else. And I'm prepared for that."

However, if McNabb keeps playing like he did Friday night and regains his ability to stay healthy for an entire season, he won’t be turning over the reigns anytime soon.

I Love Them, But I'm Not IN Love With Them

Normally, I break up with the Phillies about 5 times a season. Today, I decided that we are going on a break. Here's the message I've left with them:

Dear Phillies,

I think we need to see other people. They totally annoy me. All of their little idiosyncrasies are totally pissing me off. I just need some Tony time. Maybe we can be friends during this break, but it will probably be best if we go some time without seeing each other and then trying a fresh start in about two weeks.

Seriously, I can no longer take their failure to support the staff ace. I hate their dependence on the home rum. I really can't stand their inability to beat the Mets and Marlins this year.

Ok, I've said enough. It's time to hit the stripper bar and find PSP a new girl friend.

Love,
PSP

The Top Five List

With the Brett Favre/Green Bay Packers divorce dominating the national sports landscape, I figured this week's Top 5 list should detail the most memorable Philly Sports Breakups. Lord knows we've suffered through our share:

5. Scott Rolen & Phils - I can't put my finger on why this break up annoyed me so much, but it did. Maybe it was how much he bad mouthed the city and the franchise on the way out of town. I also really disliked how he made a spectacle of himself when he interrupted Harry Kalas Day after his trade to the Cardinals by coming out and shaking his hand. Although, his bitching about the Phils lack of commitment was 100% true. I just don't like the way he went about things. Plus, on the bright side, the exit of Scott Rolen somehow triggered the upswing of the Phils over the past 6 years or so as management used his money to spend on Jim Thome, etc.

4. Reggie White & Norman Braman - This was another sad day for Philly phans. God may have told Reggie to go to Green Bay, but it was Norman Braman that pushed him out the door. That prick broke up the best defense in franchise history because he was such a cheap ass. The more I think about this one, the more I get pissed off. If Reggie stays in Philly, Seth, Clyde, and EA all stay in Philly also. What could have been.

3. Charles Barkley & Harold Katz - The Chuck Wagon was my all time favorite Sixer and I immediately became a Suns fan the day he was traded. Everything the Round Mound of Rebound said about Harold Katz was right. The guy was a complete fraud of an owner that couldn't manage a taco stand let alone an NBA franchise. As such, you really can't fault Charles for talking his way out of town. Plus, he likes the area so much, he has stuck around over the years and never sold his house on the Main Line.



2. Eric Lindros & Clarkie - When the GM and owner are routinely bad mouthing a player's parents in the press, you know things are bad....really bad. Although he remained Flyers property for a year after getting destroyed by Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, his career in Orange and Black ended more suddenly and completely than any prominent Philly athlete that I can remember (except for maybe The Wild Thing.) The Big E should have retired a Flyer and had many more All Star caliber seasons, but there was no way Lindros and Clarkie would ever be able to work together again. Unfortunately, Lindros was never the same after leaving the Flyers as he bounced around the NHL like a journeyman over the last 5 years of his career. If you had a Pat Croce type in the front office, I really think this marriage could have been salvaged. That and the Big E would have had to grown a set and got his parents out of his every day decision making.

1. T.O. & D Mac & Joe Banner & Andy Reid - This one took the cake. I can't think of an uglier break up than this one. T.O. was like the hot, crazy chick from South Philly or the Great Northeast that you meet in a bar during an all night drinking session, bang a bunch of times and then things go bad really fast, culminating with her keying your car and putting a cinder block through your windshield. While T.O. shit all over anything and everything in order to get out of town and single handedly destroyed the 2005 season, the 2004 season was really freakin' fun mostly because of him.

If you want to compare what city has suffered through the worst break ups, I'll put our top 2 divorces against anything any other city has seen. There was more bad blood in the T.O. and Big E fiascoes, then you see in your ordinary mafia war.

Christ, you know we've been through a lot when the Curt Schilling and Allen Iverson divorces couldn't even make the list.

Finally, The Truth Can Be Told

I don't want to open a can of worms over whether depression is a legitimate illness, but I'm glad to finally find out what was bothering Shawn Andrews. I hope he gets the help he needs so he can come back to the Birds and be a productive member of the team.

In case you missed it, here is an article detailing Andrews' issues.

By the way, I really doubt the daily fines the Birds have levied against him will hold up against an aggressive legal battle. If a doctor legitimately diagnosed him with depression and put him on meds, I really expect the Players Association to get behind him and fight the fine. I will be shocked if the Birds don't rescind the fines in order to escape a potential messy situation that could bring on a messy P.R. battle.

Good News From Lehigh

As I guess you guys can tell, I'm completely bored by Eagles camp. I can't even force myself to read anything further about the contract squabbles, hamstring pulls, or how hard Big Red's camp is. I also might vomit if I have to read another puff piece about how great a shape Darren Howard is in or how LJ Smith believes he's ready to become a premiere Tight End in the NFL. The Shawn Andrews mysterious hold out is mildly intesting, but only because the full reason as to why he's not in camp has not been revealed.

In any event, I was mildly happy when I came across Dave Spadaro's article naming D Mac as the best player in camp. Dave had the following propaganda to spin about D Mac:

Nobody even thinks about the shoulder tendinitis, or the injuries in the past, or the drama that has followed Donovan McNabb for most of his career. When you see McNabb in this camp, you see a player who is at the top of his game, razor-sharp and clearly enjoying himself. McNabb has been outstanding on and off the field and in every way. McNabb has thrown the ball brilliantly throughout the camp. His mobility seems like it is all the way back and, well, he looks like the Donovan McNabb who is one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Make no mistake, McNabb is the key player in this whole picture. And he has clearly taken care of himself in the off-season and is providing a great, great and super-encouraging showing at camp.

I normally take Spadaro's comments with a grain of salt, but then I came across G Cobb's blog and he had something similar to say:

Donovan McNabb again thinks he's the guy who knows he's holding the cards.
You know the guy who sits at the table trying to keep the smile from creeping out. He knows this is his hand after he looks over his cards.

McNabb feels that way again but that doesn't mean his feelings are totally true. I must admit he looks good at training camp and the offense looks better than I thought.

This is actually pretty good news. A healthy #5 is imperative for a success season. Let's hope we start to see a healthy and improved D Mac when the preseason starts.

I Love Brad Lidge!

What more can I say? The guy is a complete stud. We have not had a closer this reliable in my life time. I'm sitting here watching the 9th inning thinking we're totally effed and hoping to just get to extra innings as the best case scenario. Next thing you know, Lidge fans the last two batters and ho-hum, the game's over. The guy is amazing.

A couple of other notes:

-Ryan Howard is a total butcher in the field. If you needed anymore evidence, you got it in the 8th inning.

-Was anyone else deathly afraid when Ryan Madson came in to face Albert Pujols?

-With all the action at the end of the game, it's easy to forget that Brett Myers turned in his second straight decent start.

-I think we can officially add Ryan Ludwick to the Phillie Killer All Stars along with Hanley Ramirez and Brian McCann. (Anyone have any other candidates?)

-I still hate how much this team has to rely upon home runs to win games.

-This series was huge. With the Mets and Marlins stumbling a bit this weekend, the Phils opened up a little bit of lead going into this week's series against the Marlins.