Who Doesn't Love A Parade?

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

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

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

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

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

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

I Can Now Die In Peace

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

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

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

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

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

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

Expect the Unexpected

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

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

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

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

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

Unf&*king Believable!

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

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

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

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

It's just killing me. Absolutely killing me.

On The Precipice Of A Title

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Other thoughts......

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

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

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

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

-Ok...sleepy time!

PSP's EAGLES' PICK

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

Ok, game time.

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

It Doesn't Get Much More Bizarre Than That

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Live Blog For The 9th Inning

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

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

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

-Ok, JC got through one guy.

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

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

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

-Ok, 2 down.

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

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

-Come on...JC!

-Oh Christ...full count.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Ball 2! Don't swing you idiot!

-ughhhhhh

-That was ball 3!

-ok...good eye

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

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

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

There Is No Longer Any Doubt....

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

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

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

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

Other thoughts.....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's Tampa....

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

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

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

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

Lazy Sunday

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

It made me think of this classic SNL skit:



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To The Victors Come The Spoils....

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

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








(I love that one.)



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

Cole Takes A Walk With The Phils' Legends

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

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

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

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

A couple other items:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Welcome To The 2008-2009 Season, Fly Guys!

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

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

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

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

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

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

And He's Buying The Stairs-way To Heaven

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You Want War, You Got It

It took three games, but I finally developed a hatred for the Dodgers. Let me count the ways....

-I really detest their late arriving, latte drinking, half involved, blackberry reading, celebrity filled crowd. Fuck them and their palm trees, decent weather and great looking women.

-A really big eff you goes out to Hiroki Kuroda. I hope you feel "courageous" because you stood up to the big bad Phillies and threw at their smallest guy on the team. Although, not sure throwing at Shane was a good thing. Have you ever seen Hawaiians fight? Check this out. I think Shane would have done some damage.

-I sure hope this continues over to tomorrow. Joe Blanton is a big fat ass from down south who looks like he'd love to scrap.

-Manny is all bark and no bite. I would have loved to seen him mouth off like that if Ryan Howard was in his face. I'm also getting sick of how we're pitching this guy. We're treating him like he is Roy Hobbs while he was on that tear before he got shot by Kim Basinger's character in "The Natural".

-God forbid if we need Jamie Moyer again this series. He's done. A good deal of the Dodgers have seen him over in the AL. They aren't fooled by his trickeration.

Tomorrow night is the key. If Joe Blanton can pitch like he did against the Brewers and the Phils find away to beat D Lowe again, this series doesn't come back to Philly. However, beating Lowe again is easier said then done in L.A. Those HR's that did him in back in Game One, will be warning track fly outs in Chavez Ravine.

Overall, did anyone think this would be easy? This is Philly, remember?

Absolutely Frustrating

Sure, I am just as happy as the next guy that Birds came back and won today's game against the 49ers, but I am completely depressed. They only won because the defense turned up the heat and caused a multitude of turnovers against an overmatched offense. Overall, this team is just not good enough and their coach is holding them back. His stubbornness and lack of creativity has finally destroyed this team.

The offense shows zero imagination. Sure, they throw these whacky screen passes to DeSean, but they never seem to run any pass plays that get guys open by sheer design of the play. Plus, Andy Reid the GM has killed this offense. He brought in Lorenzo Booker because he was so taken aback by his skills and could fill in when B West had his inevitable once a season injury. It sounded like a great idea at the time as he was billed as quick, explosive scat back. Well, he's been a complete bust so far and would have had a golden opportunity if he was anything like what he was expected to be.

After having him on the roster for three years, Big Red finally called a fade pattern to his 6'4" NCAA high jump champion. That completely infuriates me. Why have the guy on the team if you don't take advantage of his height? It is strictly Reid's coaching incompetence. Plus, I think we've all seen enough of Reggie Brown. Whenever he is out, this team shows so much more life. Personally, I think it is because Reid is forced to use DeSean Jackson and Baskett more often. If Reid puts Jackson and Baskett on the shelf when Curtis and Brown come back, I might give up on the season.

Also, the tight end position is a complete nonfactor. (Apparently, Tony Gonzalez is available. Don't we have to at least make an offer for him?) Who's fault is that? Andy has brought in numerous guys, but none have amounted to anything and our failures at this position is magnified every week because it seems that every team in our division has a good tight end these days and since B Dawk has lost a step, every tight end dominates our defense.

On the defensive side of the ball, we've spent a gazillion dollars at the position, but the only guy to make any plays at the position is the dude who was a scrap heap pick up and strangely changes his name. Someone clearly doesn't know how t evaluate that position.

Finally, the David Akers has to be put down. He's kind of like the family dog that you don't want to see go because you've had so many good times together, but Akers is done. Let's start over with a young new kicker and start some new memories. Reid is trying to hold on and is giving him chance after chance to redeem himself, but his efforts are now backfiring. Akers hasn't made a kick over 40 yards since last September, yet Reid gives him a chance to kick a 54 yarder which promptly was blocked and returned for a TD. What an absolutely indefensible call. Does Reid know his team's limitations at all?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think Andy Reid's time here is done. Of course, he's not going anywhere any time soon, but I've finally realized that he's never winning us a Super Bowl. It's a sobering realization. Why even get ramped up for the games when you realize you can't reach the ultimate goal.

It's going to be a real sad time until Jeffrey Lurie comes to the same conclusion.

More Game 1 Magic

After sleepwalking through the first five innings, the Phils exploded with three runs off two clutch home runs by previously non existent Chase Utley and Pat Burrell. Once he got through a shaky first inning, Cole Hamels really pulled it together and gave up only one more run the rest of the night. He once again showed that he is a big time, ace, #1 starter. (Unfortunately, he's only the third one in my life time, joining Lefty and Schill.) Lidge looked pretty solid as well. He got in front of batters and then got them swing weakly to the outfield. I like the way he is looking.

Tomorrow, we turn to Brett Myers to see if he can pick up from where he was in Game 2 of the Brewers series. I wish I could ask expert prognosticator, John Smoltz, what he thought. I also love how the entire media has automatically ceded this game to the Dodgers. I don't think it is as easy as that.

Here are some other observations:

-Excuse for stating the obvious, but Manny Ramirez is really friggin' scary when he comes up. The guy can flat out hit. Seems like he hits every thing hard.

-I already can't stand Andre Ethier. Every time I hear his name, it reminds me of some wussy French Canadian defenseman that plays for Montreal. My love for hockey has taught me not to be too fond of Frogs. I don't like this guy.

-Was anyone else expecting an athletic Black dude to come up to the plate when you heard the name "Russell Martin" instead of a dumpy looking White Guy that could pass for an auto mechanic?

-Pat Burrell runs like he has glass in his shoes.

-I repeat: Manny scares me. The boogie man checks under his bed for Manny Ramirez.

-Whoever let Ricky Bo go on set tonight in that suit should be fired. I think I wore that same suit/tie combination to my high school senior portrait day. By the way, why the eff is Ricky Bo even on the post game show? They couldn't find anyone better? Was Tyler Green busy that day? As my buddy Johnny wondered, "what's next? Will Ben Rivera work as a sideline reporter in Game 2?"

-If my buddy Johnny Gold keeps quitting on the Phils like he did in the 5th inning tonight, we might be celebrating a title pretty soon.

-Despite the HR's he gave up, I'd love to see Derek Lowe in Phillies' red pinstripes next year. Plus, he has a great nickname (D-Low).

-Tim McCarver is really, really annoying. Some of the b.s. he was coming up with was ridiculous.

-I really want to do a live blog while watching one of these games. I always find that I'm more funny at work than here at home.

PSP's Phils' Pick

I still can't believe it is October 8th and I'm talking baseball. This is not a time for baseball. I should be able to bitch and complain about Andy Reid and the Eagles foibles full time. I'm still not sure how to react.

Basically, the Phils have a great opportunity. How many times over the years has a Philly team gotten to this point only to be facing down a goliath? (Think Sixers vs. the Shaq, Kobe Lakers; the Birds vs. the Pats dynasty in the Super Bowl or the Flyers vs. the Gretzky/Messier Oilers.) There is no overwhelming favorite this year. I wouldn't be shocked if any of the 4 teams won the title. That's why the Phils have to take advantage of this opportunity.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure they can. The Dodgers have the feel of a team that is gelling at the exact right time. They are a completely different team after acquiring Manny and now that Furcal is back healthy. I just get the feeling that the Dodgers may be too much for our Phils, especially with how deep the Dodgers' lineup is compared to ours which has been a little top heavy this season compared to last.

However, I don't believe that the Phils are so over matched that they can't win. Plus, the whole Red Sox/Dodgers World Series that the national media is lusting after, due to the myriad of story lines, is way too convenient to actually happen. Nevertheless, I just see the Dodgers having less question marks and more talent top to bottom. Oh and I almost forgot, they have Joe Torre running their ship and we have Uncle Cholly. 'Nuff said.

I see the Dodgers in 6.

I Am Still Annoyed

It's been a couple days since the Eagles debacle against the Skins and my anger towards the Birds hasn't subsided one bit. I thought the Phils' success would have somehow brightened my outlook on the Birds, but it hasn't happened.

Since I never really got a good feeling for the game as I was distracted by the Phils, I just forced myself to watch the condensed version of the game on the NFL Network. Boy am I depressed now. The Birds were thoroughly whooped. They were pretty much beaten up on both sides of the ball. The linemen were dominated and we lost one on one battles on the perimeter as we couldn't cover their guys on third down and our receivers rarely got open.

The other thing that has me concerned is how Andy the GM's decisions are now affecting Andy the Coach. Since Big Red has traded out of the 1st round the last two years, we don't have the tight end or safety we desperately need. These personnel defects have been highlighted in the 'Boys and Skins, game as we watched Jason Witten and Chris Cooley dominate our safeties and have left me longing for a big time player of our own at TE. We're going to have to wait to next year as we don't have any candidates on the roster. Interestingly, Brian Baldinger flat out called our Tight Ends "turds" and LJ doesn't take a single confident step on the field. He said the film showed that every thing he does is tentative.

Overall, I'm really getting fed up with this team. If they don't turn things around soon, I might be forced to turn my back on them.

The Ultimate Good News/Bad News Day

I'm pretty sure we all had a similar day on Sunday. We are all left totally and utterly confused and exhausted after a strange three hour journey from 1 to 4 pm this afternoon. My emotions ran the gamut of just about everything you could go through in a sporting event.

Also, did anyone else find it strange that both games ended at almost exactly the same time. What a difference between the two endings. In Milwaukee, you had jubilation and excitement. In Philly, you had a stadium full of annoyed, frustrated people marching towards the exits wondering if the true nature of the 2008 Eagles had been revealed.

I think you would like to read about the good news first, so let's talk about the Phillies. Today, Joe Blanton entered the Phils pantheon of unexpected big time post season pitching performances. Unfortunately, that list is pretty small in my life time and before today only consisted of Bob Walk in the 1980 World Series and Danny Jackson in the 1993 NLCS. Did anyone expect Joe friggin' Blanton to pitch 6 innings of one run baseball? I surely did not. Other than his two masterful starts in early August, I thought he was pretty average and not the "innings eater" he was advertised as. Today, he had command, got in front of hitters early and showed more velocity than I've seen lately. He was absolutely not intimidated by the moment, which is something we surely do not see enough of in the City of Philadelphia. I'm not sure if we can count on him to deliver a similar performance in the NLCS, but it's sure comforting to know he's capable to locking things down in a postseason start.

The other hero was everyone's favorite whipping boy, Pat the Bat. I would have been shocked by him stepping up, but my new buddy John Smoltz told us how Pat has owned Jeff Suppan over the years right before the game changing blast. Part of me is happy for Burrell. He's been here for years and years (9 altogether) and his days on this franchise (God willing) are numbered. He deserved a little enjoyment for all the years of putting up with underachieving teams. His second home run was pure gravy, but it was much appreciated as it allowed us to breath a bit easier in the last couple innings. Let's hope Pat keeps up this hot streak in the next round as there are a couple guys in this lineup that are killing us, which brings us to.....

What the hell happened to Chase Utley? I never in a million years thought he'd appear gutless, but that's what we've seen the last couple months. Seriously, does anyone have any theories? There were whispers that he is hurt, but if so, why would he be able to move around so well on defense? I truly don't get it, but we need this guy to return to form. We really need him.

In any event, the Phils took care of business and won a series against a team which was not as good as they are. I was happy to see them win, but there is still work to be done. This team can beat the Dodgers. It will be much tougher, but it can be done.

Although, did anyone else think the celebration was a bit excessive? Was champagne really warranted? Ok, maybe I am being a killjoy because of....

We all realized today that the Eagles just aren't good enough. They are clearly the worst team in the "toughest division in football". The sad part is that they might be a winning team this year, but from what we've seen, they aren't beating out the G Men, Skins or 'Boys. They can't get off the field on third down, they can't stop the run when it counts, their offense goes into long funks for way too long.

After opening up the season scorching hot, the offense has scored only 5 offensive touchdowns since the second half of the Dallas game. I think the WR's have come back to Earth. The Greg Lewis', Hank Baskett's and Jason Avant's are doing nothing. For some reason today, DeSean Jackson caught only one ball. Donovan also appears to be hurried and inaccurate. I can't tell if it is the talent, execution or if the coach isn't putting his players into position to make plays, which brings me to......

Andy Reid has lost it. I don't think he has the drive or innovation necessary to get this team back to the top. I really can't remember the last time he called a play that made think, "wow, that play worked because of the design of the play" or "wow, Big Red really fooled the defense there." It's time for him to go. I really want to see a new era in Philly. (Am I over reacting?)

By the way, LJ Smith is a turd. Eskin just announced on Sports Final that the 3rd and 1, late in the 4th quarter didn't work because LJ lined up in the wrong spot. What an idiot. He really needs to go.

Overall, I'm just annoyed. Today's game announced that this team is done. They pretty much have no shot at the playoffs. It's just sad to see your season over in early October, but that's what today's loss did to them.

Honestly, I was pretty much watching the Phils all day. I don't have a real good feel for what happened today. I suspect that I'll have to watch the NFL Network Replay to get an idea as to what really happened. It just seemed that every time I looked up, the Birds were punting, Clinton Portis was abusing our run defense, or Jason Campbell was converting another third down to Chris Cooley (Christ, will this team ever cover a TE?). As much as I want to see it, is this really a smart thing? Why should I subject myself to such punishment, when there are other things to be excited about, which brings me back to....

Game One for the Phils is Thursday. I have the opportunity to buy 3 tickets at $140 a pop, but I have to get an answer to my buddy by 7 pm tomorrow. If you are interested, email me, text me, etc.

John Smoltz: Expert Prognosticator

Earlier today, I met John Smoltz at a golf outing as he's in town broadcasting the Phils/Brewers series for TBS. He seemed like a nice enough guy and talked to a couple of us about the Phils/Brewers series. He said he thought Brett Myers "would pitch a great game tonight" and the Phils would definitely win this series. He also said that Cole Hamels is a stud and will undoubtedly win a Cy Young in his career (I was tempted to ask if it would be with the Phils or another team when we fail to meet his contract demands.)

After talking to him today and listening to him do the game on TV, you can tell he knows the game inside and out. I learned more today than I have in years. You learn so much more from guys currently in the game or those who have just left it as opposed to guys like Sarge who haven't played in 20 years.

Unfortunately, I did not ask him how far he saw the Phils going. I would have liked to hear that response.

Live From Citizens Bank Park

I had every intention of blogging on and on and on about yesterday's Phils' game, but I got home from the game sat on the couch and totally zonked out. I have to get out to work early today so I can't say much, but wanted to get a couple things up before I head out the door.

I think we finally saw that Cole Hamels is a big game pitcher. He was absolutely masterful yesterday. If he can continue to pitch like that, we may be onto something big this postseason. I just wish we got to see him end the game, which brings me to...

When did Brad Lidge turn into Mitch Williams? (Wild Thing was in the park yesterday to throw out the "Second Pitch". Maybe Lidge was somehow inspired to follow in his footsteps.) Anyhow, I know it has been slowly coming over the last month, but the tight rope Lidge's been walking might kill me. If he continues this B.S. this postseason, I might have to buy a defibulator and have it on stand by because he might just kill give me a heart attack one of these times.

Also, where's the offense? We need the entire lineup to hit. Four hits is not going to get it done. We need everyone to contribute.

Finally, I have to thank my man Uncle Farrell. The seats we had yesterday were the best I have ever had. Unbelievable. Three rows from the field. I can't thank him enough. There is a much better story of how we ended up three rows from the field, and I will tell it later on. I have to get out of here.

Talk to you guys later.