The Big Abyss

Right now folks, we are in the middle of the dog days of the Philadelphia Sports scene. The Birds finished yet another disappointing season and the Phils are still a couple weeks from the beginning of Spring Training. That leaves the Flyers and Sixers to keep us going for a while until the NFL draft and the beginning of the Phils' season, but it doesn't appear that our winter sports teams are going to hold up their end of the bargain.

The Flyers are maddeningly inconsistent. They've alternatively looked great, brutal (which led to the coach getting canned) and downright average during various points of the season. I'd love to say they will at least make the playoffs, but with the 6th and 13th currently seeded teams in the East only three points apart, who knows where they finish. Their top players haven't been their top players most of the year and have appeared uninterested for parts of the season, which has made them pretty much unlikeable to me.

The Sixers.....wait, do they still play pro hoops in Philly? I truly don't care about the NBA anymore and the Sixers aren't helping things. I could be offered free courtside tickets to see the Sixers, along with open bar and buffet at the Cadillac Bar and I'd turn it down flat. The sport has lost me and I don't think they're getting me back. I think the MLS' new Philly team has more of a chance of winning me over at this point. I suppose it would be a gigantic understatement to say the Sixers have lost my interest.

So, what's a Philly Sports Phan to do to keep himself occupied and interested in blogging until the Phils get back? I can only talk about the Eagles' and whether they should dump McNabb for Kevin Kolb for so long. Guys, I'm struggling finding things that are really getting the juices flowing. I was hoping the Flyers would have us reeled in this year, but I don't think they have the horses to do it. As for the Sixers, short of trading for LeBron or losing every game so they get a shot at John Wall in the lottery, I'm not intersted.

It's going to be a long winter.....

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By the way, I'm really not impressed by the hiring of Howie Roseman as the Eagles' new GM. I really wanted to see a guy with a fresh pair of eyes added to the front office. Now, we'll just have more of the same in the way the Eagles handle personnel decisions. Plus, Roseman has no playing experience at all. Jeez, had I known that my JD and lack of pro football playing experience made me a candidate for the GM job, I would have sent a resume. Call me crazy, but I'd like my GM to at least know how to get into a three point stance. I am not getting the warm and fuzzies over this move.

If You Need A Laugh

Of course, this has nothing to do with Philly Sports, but I got a big laugh out of this as I'm pretty sure I'd have a very similar reaction to this guy to a play like Favre's game killing INT.

By the way, this guy bears a resemblance to a guy that posts on this board. I'll with hold his screen name to protect the innocent.

He's Not Worthy

Joe "Heavy B" Blanton really laid one on the Phils today. In a move that seemed to be pretty out of touch with reality, Heavy B demanded $10.25M as part of the arbitration.

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, I have to get it out on the record that I love Heavy B. He shows up, takes the ball every 5th day, never complains and normally turns in a decent effort. He has also been a key factor in the last two post seasons. Last year, Joe was paid $5.48M. After compiling a 12-8 record and 4.05 ERA in '09, does anyone think he is due a raise of nearly double his salary?

In my mind, there is no friggin' way he deserves to be paid over $10M. The Phils offered $7.5M as their arbitration offer which I think is fair. It might be a tad low, but it is certainly more realistic than $10.25M.

All that being said, it's not my money so why should I really care what Heavy B gets in arbitration? Good luck, Heavy B. Just be prepared to be disappointed.

Should We Really Be All That Excited?

Like the rest of you, I wanted to see Dallas go down today, but I don't think I'm as happy as the rest of you with the way they went down. The 'Boys were pretty much never in the game. They lurked for quite a while, but they never threatened. Since we pretty much didn't challenge Dallas in two straight weeks, what does that say about the Birds? I think it says A LOT. One could argue that if we are 20 points worse than the Boys, we are probably 30 points worse than the Vikes.

The Eagles are very far away from being an elite team. Sure, Favre and Sidney Rice had great games, but the clear difference between the two teams was in their defensive front 7 play. The Vikes had men playing in their front seven and the Birds fielded a defense filled with a bunch of undersized D linemen and line backers.

The Vikes won that game because Jared Allen, Ray Edwards and the Williams Boys toyed with a Dallas offensive line that barely needed to break a sweat to overpower the Birds' D Line. Rarely did the Vikes need to blitz to get pressure on Romo or stop the 'Boys run game. What a contrast to the Birds' defensive efforts all year. Throughout '09, the Eagles couldn't sniff the QB unless they brought 5 or more rushers to the QB. I don't want to belabor the point, but the Eagles' will continue to have problems on the defensive side of the ball until they start bringing in big time defensive linemen and linebackers.

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As for other points from this weekend of playoff football:

-It was nice to see the 2008 version of Tony Romo take the field today. It was also great to see the 2005 USC version of Reggie Bush on display Saturday.

-Shonn Greene of the Jets is a beast. It's nice to see a local boy do good and I hope he keeps it up next week.

-Nate Kaeding...The best thing I can say for you is to thank god you don't play for us. If you did, you would probably find your house burned down when you got home from the game.

-Jared Allen's hair is brutal...he can play, but he looks ridiculous with that mullet.

-By the way, the defensive end on the other side of Allen, Ray Edwards, is a free agent. He had three sacks today.

-Drew Brees is on another level than most QB's in the NFL. I love how efficiently he operates. I'm rooting for the Saints from here on out.

-I can't stand the Colts (despite the fact that they start two RU guys on defense) and it sure looks like they are going back to the Bowl. Manning and Co. seem to do just enough to win.

-By the way, the biggest laugh I got out of the weekend was from my mother in law when she declared "I just don't like the long hair coming out from these guy's helmets. These dreadlocks are just a bad look." You know what, Carol? I agree. It's a bad look. Cut the hair short, fellas. It looks much better.

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Top Five Friday is Back!

I don't know why I can't discipline myself to stick with the Top Five Friday idea. On the surface it sounds like a fun, easy way for me to get a post up every week. However, for the same reason I probably can't stick with a diet or a workout routine, I haven't been able to force myself to stick to this routine. Well, we are back with a Top Five list this week after I was finally inspired to write about a specific topic.

And the inspiration for this week's Top Five list.....The Situation. Yes, the Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.

If you don't watch MTV's Jersey Shore, then you probably don't know who the frig I'm talking about. If you don't watch the show, then you don't know what you're missing because this show is filled with train wreck level drama involving a bunch of NJ/NY Guidos & Guidettes. Plus, this show is appealing to me because I'm Italian and from NJ. As such, I'm intimately familiar with the type of people on this show. They've been keeping me entertained on NJGuido.com.

The best part of the show is The Situation. He's one of the best characters on Television. He never ceases to make me laugh or play a perfect villain. In fact, if I was Vince McMahon, I'd immediately sign him to breath some life into the WWE. Anyhow, so in honor of "The Situation", here are my top five characters in Philly Sports history (at least the part I was around to witness.

5. Donovan McNabb - I mean who wasn't cracking up that air guitar routine as he walked onto the field last week? Ok...you got me. That was a joke. The real #5 is...

5. Hugh Douglas - I think you'll see a common theme here. Alot of these guys didn't really come out of their shells until they became broadcasters upon retirement and we found out how funny they really are. I don't enjoy much about WIP's morning show, but whenever Hugh is on, I get a a laugh or two. His "Hugh on Hockey" segments are usually gold. Speaking of WIP Morning Show guest hosts....

4. Keith Jones - The former Flyer always seemed a little quirky and funny, but then I read his book and I developed a new found appreciation for him. The story about how he became his own agent and negotiated his own contract was hysterical.

3. Larry Anderson - Since I never had the pleasure to watch Whitie Asburn play, Larry Anderson is my all time favorite Phillie character. His dry humor is always welcome while listening to him on the radio. I just wish the Phils would move LA back to the TV broadcasts.

2. Jerome Brown - From the outside, Jerome seemed like a guy that kept the locker room laughing and loose all season long. I'll always remember him for that classic comment, "They brought the house. We brought the pain". Here's one to enjoy for old time's sake (just stop it with five seconds left to avoid the urge to regurgitate your last meal)....



1. Charles Barkley - This one is a no brainer. If you don't remember his shenanigans as a Sixer, just do yourself a favor and watch him on the NBA Studio show on TNT. I can't imagine anyone else coming to this town that is funny and entertaining as Sir Charles.

Time to Show Some Balls

Like the rest of you, I'm absolutely disgusted of the play of the Eagles in their Wild Card Playoff Loss to the Cowboys Saturday. However, I'll spare you most of the gory details. Over the span of the last two weeks, the Birds got whupped by Dallas for eight straight quarters on both sides of the ball. It didn't seem like a single player came to play in either game. It was just a brutal display of football. At this point, the question becomes, where do we go from here.

Now, if I was in the shoes of Jeffrey Lurie/Joe Banner, I would march into Andy Reid's office and demand the following:

(1) if Reid wants to keep McNabb, I would demand that this only be allowed if he agrees to change the offensive philosophy so that the running game is emphasized more and the proper personnel to effectively run the ball is acquired;

(2) Since we know Reid will never agree to change his philosophy, I would demand that D Mac be traded. Clearly, all parties involved need a change a scenery. Plus, I really think Kolb can play and may be a better fit for what Reid wants to do on offense;

(3) fire Sean McDermott and bring in a new defensive coordinator who will bring in a whole new philosophy which uses bigger, stronger players. The Jim Johnson defense needs to go. To me, it is a smoke and mirrors defense predicated on making plays based upon surprise instead of the talent on the field. Quite frankly, the JJ defense hasn't worked since all the guys brought in by Ray Rhodes (Hugh, Trotter, Vincent, Taylor, and Dawkins) left or got old. Sure, the G Men won the Super Bowl with Johnson's scheme, but they had primo players in their front seven who could get pressure on the QB when a blitz wasn't called. Too many times in playoff defeats over recent years, our defense got out witted by opposing offensive coordinators who were overly familiar with our schemes. Rarely, did anyone on our defense step up and just make a play by out talenting the guy across from him. Plus, it always seem like our undersized front seven gets worn down by the end of the year. Clearly, if we want to see a return to the Super Bowl, a change in personnel and philosophy is needed....which leads me to;

(4) whomever was in favor of drafting busts like Victor Abiamiri, Matt McCoy, Trevor Laws, Jerome McDougal, etc should be fired now. Then bring in someone who knows how to identify talent on the defensive side of the ball. This team has drafted terribly on the defensive side of the ball during Reid's tenure. I would say that they have only really identified a couple above average starters (Simon, Cole, Sheldon, Lito, Bunkley and Bradley). Six guys in 11 years is pathetic. Since defense will be such a theme of next year's draft, I sure hope brings in a consultant in a hurry.

OK, I've laid out my plans. What says you guys?

PSP's Eagles Pick

I am mobilizing into PSP today as I travel from one party yo another.

Since I don't have much time, I will keep this brief.

I really don't see how we stop the Cowboys' offense tonight. I think this is a bad matchup for us and we don't have the horses to contain Romo, Miles and Co.

I do think we score tonight, but not enough. I see a 30 to 21 victory for Dallas tonight.
We are also likely looking at D Mac's last game in Philly tonight so enjoy it.

Couldn't Let This Go Without Commenting....

To most of your dismay, I do discuss the Flyers and NHL on this blog. Quite simply, I am an unabashed hockey lover. Sorry guys, can't help it. I was born right when hockey took off in this city and my parents ingrained in me that I must be a huge Flyers fan. As a result of my love for the Flyers, I could not wait for last week's Winter Classic played on New Year's Day between the Flyers and Bruins. (Judging by the TV ratings, comments from some of my friends and family, I was more excited than most.)

Despite the brutal ending, I have to say that the game did not disappoint. Watching the game being played out on a makeshift rink on Fenway's hallowed ground was visually stunning. There were so many amazing camera angles that I found myself saying "wow" over and over. The level of play, while not perfect due to the ice conditions, was better and more intense than the first two Winter Classics. Overall, I thought it was a wonderful event that will truly help to grow the sport and hopefully cultivate more fans.

The only issue that was a disappointment to me was the Philadelphia TV ratings. Apparently, Philly residents were more interested in watching Penn State play LSU on what looked like a cow pasture or tuned into the brutal Mummers Day parade. I honestly thought more Philly viewers would tune in, but I have a feeling that the completely inconsistent and unlikeable team the Flyers put out on the ice probably kept more than a few viewers for looking else where for the New Year's Day entertainment.

That's ok. They have no idea that they missed one of the best sporting events of the year.

Total Fool

Dave Spadaro is a complete and total idiot. I can't believe he felt it was necessary to post a video of himself spitting on the Dallas Star. Hasn't he ever heard the old line "it is better to keep your mouth shut and let everyone think you are an idiot, rather than opening your mouth and removing all doubt"? Spadaro may lose his job and it is all his fault.

By the way, if you want a good laugh, check out Spadaro's over apologetic column on Philadelphiaeagles.com. Tiger Woods could take a lesson from this guy.

Total, Utter Disgrace

Today was one of those games where I had the feeling the Birds were out of it from the very first drive. You could just tell something was amiss. Dallas was a step ahead on offense and when the Birds got the ball, the Cowboys defense just punished D Mac and the rest of the offense. It was one of the more depressing games in recent memory. Clearly, Dallas has passed us again. They are much better on defense and their offense is a ton more consistent and physical than ours.

I am hopeful that today's game is the one that finally convinces the Birds to put a higher premium on Linebacker play. Our LB's were non existent today and I don't know if there is a replacement on the roster. (I'll say it now...I want a first round LB in this year's upcoming draft from the SEC. Give me biggest, fastest LB available - Brandon Spikes of Florida would be nice.) There are huge holes at Safety that the Cowboys absolutely exposed today. The Cowboys matriculated up and down the field and it seemed like the Birds were helpless to stop them.

On the offensive side of the ball, things don't appear as hopeless. It seemed as though there were plays to be made, but the Birds couldn't execute. There were dropped balls, protection breakdowns, inaccurate passes and questionable play calling. I think the Birds can score next week on the 'Boys, but they will have to execute well and Andy will have to "put people in position to make plays".

I can't imagine a more frustrating way to head back to work after the holidays. The Eagles blew their only chance at having a legit shot at getting back to the 'Bowl and to top things off, I got blown out in my fantasy league final. Now, I have work to look forward to going back to work in frigid conditions.

Ugh....Back to the real world.

Bad Poker Face

Who has worse body language: D Mac or Cole Hamels? I'm going with McNabb. He is embarrassing with how he acts on the field.

PSP's EAGLE PICK

So, it all comes down to Week 17. How many of us saw this coming? I surely didn't. I thought the division would be locked up by someone before today, but I suppose this is the best scenario you could ask for. The Birds have their playoff destiny in their hands. Win today and the path for a 2nd straight NFC Championship Game appearance is squarely in sight. Lose and the road becomes much tougher.

For me, the Cowboys' December resurgence was truly shocking. I thought they'd lay down like dogs against the Saints, but came out and played the game of their season. Since you can't take much out of last week's game as the Skins had given up, the question for me is how good are the Cowboys? I think we'll find out for sure today. Tony Romo has been fantastic lately, but to me, I still think he has some choke in him. If he wants to be viewed as a big time QB, he must come up big today. Hopefully, he spent some time in Cabo or Vegas this week. That always seems to spell doom for him. The Boys' D is much better than ours. I can't emphasize that enough. Thus, if the Boys start to score, we could be in trouble.

Truth being told, I haven't felt 100% confident in this Eagles team all year due to their below average defense and streaky, explosive offense. Deep down, I think the Birds will have a hard time winning this one, but I have a hard time believing that this Cowboys team led by Party Boy Romo and the incompetent Wade Phillips can pull this team together to over take the Birds in the NFC East. Plus, I think the Birds got the clunker out of their system last week.

I'll throw out a 27-17 victory today for the Birds.

The player of the game will be Jason Peters.