EMAIL RANT OF THE DAY

Clearly my main man, Johnny Gold, is a little frustrated by the lack of killer instinct from our Phightins:

"I think the philllies suck...they are ***sies.....eff them.....as soon as they get close they choke...they dont have the balls to go on a streak...mark my words, they will not win the wild card....they DO NOT HAVE THE HEART!!!!"

I have to agree with Gold. They are right there. They just need that little bit of extra oomph to get over the top, but they keep falling short. They are so good at teasing us, they could easily get jobs at Club Risque in the offseason.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

From my buddy, "The Shoe" in response to Big Red predictably taking responsibility for this loss:

"If you take responsibility for everything, you are taking responsbility for nothing".

Amen Shoe, Amen.

EMAIL RANT OF THE DAY

From my buddy Tony G:

"I’m glad to see you’re so upbeat. For me, the sky has fallen. Before the year started I thought they would be 9-7, splitting their NFC schedule with all wins at home. I thought they needed to pound the early portion of the schedule to get some momentum and cushion for the horrendous second half schedule. If we were 2-0 and the Giants and Redskins were 0-2, we could have stuck a fork in them and gone beyond my 9-7 prediction. Now, who knows.

Reid can’t call a game late with a lead. He by his own admission calls a conservative game. McNabb is too jokey joke. That head fake penalty was the stupidest thing I’ve seen in ages. Next thing you know Westbrook fumbles. Michael Lewis should be shot for the blown coverage on the Giants first drive that gave up the touchdown and the inability to fall on the ball after Burris fumbled. With less than a minute left we couldn’t stop the Gints from scoring thanks in part to Trent “Crotch Kick” Cole.

I never understood the philosophy off playing it safe for overtime. Overtime is never safe. Just check out the name SUDDEN DEATH Overtime. Any freak play or mistake and you could be done, plus risk injury to a star player like Kearse."

Thanks, Tone. I'm not ready to talk any more about this game. I'm trying to pretend it didn't happen, much like the last season of the Sopranos. (Voegs, please avert your eyes for the rest of the paragraph.) I'm going to repress the memory of this collapse similar to how a priest abuse victim would. Ok....ok....maybe that's a tad bit dramatic and overly insensitive, but I'm devastated this morning.

If anyone else has anything interesting to say, please email me or post a comment and I'll post it on the site. Please feel free to use this site is as a place for group theraphy.

Sunday Wasn't A Complete Loss

I watched about three minutes of the Phils today, but apparently they won 6-4 and Ryan Howard hit #57. They are now only a game back of the Dodgers, who lost the NL West lead to the Padres. With the Cubbies coming to town tomorrow to start a three game series, the Phils need to continue this roll they are on as every game is absolutely imperative through the end of the season.

Notably, the Phils are currently two games under .500 at Citizen's Bank Park. Clearly, they need to improve on this stat quick, fast and in a hurry if they have post season aspirations.

Well, I though writing this entry would calm me down a little. It didn't. I'm still completely pissed about today's Eagles debacle.

Ain't That A Kick to the Crotch?!?!?!

Guys, I really don't know what to say. This is the worst regular season loss I can remember in my 30+ years of being a fan. I predicted an Eagles' loss, but did not expect anything remotely like this. I did not expect the Eagles to completely dominate the G-Men from the second drive of the game until the start of the 4th quarter. I, and pretty much every Birds fan in the Delaware Valley, could not expect the complete implosion of our Iggles thereafter.

The entire game came down to Tim Carter's fumble recovery in the end zone. That play gave the G Men life. They were ready to call it a day, but that hustle play brough them back to life and it was Big Blue from there on out. All Michael Lewis had to do is fall on the friggin' ball and we all would have went home happy. But he didn't. Tim Carter fell on the ball for a t.d. and then Westbrook fumbled, which was quickly followed up by the Toomer t.d. Everything that could go wrong, did. Ah...the frustration of it all. It makes you question why waste a gorgeous Sunday watching this mess.

But, I, like you, will be back next week, which means we have to figure out where this team is headed. Since we are all totally pissed, it's easy to say the season is done. We can't win big NFC East games and now the DB's and Kearse are beat upso who knows if the defense will hold up over the next couple months. Clearly, this team showed that they have the offensive weapons necessary to score points in this league. The defense has shown that they can rush the passer with their front four and via the blitz and can stop the run. These qualities will serve them well going forward. However, the problems with the defensive backfield will never let any lead be safe. This is a very sad development as this same exact group played so well two years ago.

Well, I'm going to just internalize this and have a few beers, try to forget this ever happened, and start looking forward to next week. Although, something tells me that I'm not going to forget this one very easily.

Isn't That Grand!

Pat Swung The Bat!!! And hit a grand slam over Roger Friggin' Clemens!!! I'm still getting over the shock of this. Anyhow, our Sybils won another one 4-3 against the 'Stros after doing their best to blow it in the bottom of the ninth. Thank God for slow running backup catchers.

We now turn to my man, Cole Hamels, to get even closer to the Pads (as I write this the Dodgers are up 2-0 in the top of the 6th and being NO HIT by Maddux!!) There is no way he loses twice in one week, but he is starting a game after a win and we all know how our Phightins deal with prosperity.

Philly Sports Phan’s Eagles Pick – Week 2: Birds vs. G-Men

After my successful debut as a prognosticator last week, I thought I’d get much praise from the community. To my shock and awe, I have not heard a word. I thought I’d get at least one “thanks for the input, I won a ton of money with your advice,” but instead I didn’t hear from a soul. Oh well, I won’t hold it against you guys. Although, be warned, if I don’t hear anything next week after providing another winning pick, I might withhold my pick for the Niners game. Without further adieu……

When it comes to picking games in the NFL involving two similarly talented teams, I have found it most useful to look at which team is more desperate for the victory to determine the winner. Clearly, the G Men DO NOT want to drop 2 games in back of the Birds with a trip to the beautiful Pacific Northwest against the defending NFC Champs staring them in the face for week 3. There is way too much validity to that statement to not give it sufficient weight in the handicapping process.

However, this is definitely a measuring stick game for the Birds. As such, I expect them to play a very tough game against the G Men and show the NFL that they are ready to contend again in the NFC. Remember, D Mac played in neither NY game last season and the Birds still hung tough in both games. Now that Birds appear to be healthy and much improved over last season, they are ready to serve notice to the defending NFC East Champs that this is different season. All this being said, I really do not like our back seven against the Giants’ skill players. There are too many physical mismatches here for me to get real excited about the Birds chances.

As a result, I see a 23 to 17 victory for the Bad Guys. Sorry people, but I don’t like this matchup for our Iggles.

Same Old, Same Old

Surprise, suprise. The Phils blew another one. Just when they looked like they were ready to get serious about the Wild Card chased they slipped right back into their bipolar ways and dropped a 4-1 decision to the Braves.

It's really starting to look like we are doomed to another post-season-less year. If the Phils want to take the Wild Card, they really need to get hot in these last 16 games, but I don't think we'll see anything more than a 9-7 finish and I doubt that will get it done for the Phightins.

I sure hope I'm wrong, but since most of us have been Philly phans for quite a long time, we all have a pretty good idea about how this will end.

Captain Foppa!

Wow...a European is the new Captain of the Flyers! What is this world coming to? Cats and dogs will be sleeping together, it will be anarchy! Did someone drug Clarkie when this decision was being made? Or did Mr. Snider convince Clarkie that Pete Forsberg is really just an ordinary Jewish fella from Northern Ontario?

Seriously, this is a good move. While he's probably the most talented overall player in Orange and Black history, it is his heart, grit and desire that make him an ideal Captain. Plus, it shows Forsberg that we want him back for a couple more years, which sources tell me is being worked on as we speak. Ultimately, this move should work perfectly because when Foppa is ready to head back to Sweden, Mike Richards should have enough experience and respect "in the room" to take over the "C".

Jeez, it's not even hockey season yet and the Flyers are already dominating the Philly sports headlines. I like it!

How Sweep It Is!

I've always wanted to say that. Unfortunately, Philly teams don't give us that many opportunities to bask in the glow of a sweep of a double header, let alone a playoff series. So, please excuse me if I get a little giddy about these two wins.

The Phils played some great defense behind Lieber tonight, especially in the infield. Victorino made a few nice plays as well tracking down fly balls in the spacious outfield of Turner Field.

Carlos Ruiz had a nice game with a home run and a 2 out single in the 8th to add a couple insurance runs.

Of course, as a red blooded Philly Phan, I have to add some negativity. Is anyone starting to get worried about Chase? What's going on? He must be getting worn down as he approaches the end of a long season, which started with that ridiculous World Baseball Classic. He has to turn it around and quick. Ryan can't do this on his own.

Nevertheless, as I write this, our Phightins are only 1.5 games back. There's still hope, my friends.

Bullpen Comes up HUGE

As I sat in work late this afternoon, I figured the best the Phils could hope for today was a split with the Braves as Wolfie gave up a 5 spot over two innings, including a dinger to the pitcher and Howard was robbed of a grand slam homer by Andruw Jones. I figured things didn't look good for the Phightins so I headed home. However, when I got off the train and got in the car to head home, I turned on the radio and surprisingly discovered that the Phils had whittled the lead to two.

I got home just in time to see the Phils steal the lead after the Braves' left fielder looked like Timmy Lupus and badly misplayed a Delucci line drive ball, which allowed the Phils to steal the lead, and ultimately the victory.

Major props have to go to the bullpen for shutting the Braves down over 7, no-hit (YES, NO HIT), scoreless innings. What an impressive outing by the immortal Eude Brito, Rick White, Aaron Fultz (one out is about all I trust him for at this point), and a 1-2-3 9th inning by Flash. Let's hope this starts a trend because the Phils have some work to do to leap frog the Padres and Marlins for the Wild Card lead.

Thanks For The Memories, Preems

Finally, the Captain has come to his senses and decided to retire. After battling the effects of post concussion syndrome, it appears that Keith Primeau is ready to hang up the skates and save himself from the effects of another debilitating concussion. I'm sure this is a very difficult decision for a warrior like Preems, but this really is the best decision for him and his family.

While Preems' value to the Flyers over the years was mostly as a defensive forward and leader, how will any Flyer fan forget his overtime goal in the wee hours of Game 4 against the Pens? However, the performance which I will never forget is the Captain's scoring tear in the 2004 Playoffs. He was simply amazing. The only Philly post season performance which comes close in my mind is AI's unbelievable run to the 2001 NBA finals. His goal to force overtime in Game Six against the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Finals was simply unforgettable.

Now that the Captain is no longer in the fold, the Orange and Black are left with replacing his leadership on the ice and in the locker room. They already moved to replace him on the ice by signing 6'2" center Ryan Kessler of the Canucks to an offer sheet, but there is no way they will be able to replace his leadship "in the room".

Derian Hatcher was a horrible captain last year and there is no way he returns to the team with "C" on his chest. Now, that Gagne has signed long term, I expect him to be named captain, until such time that Mike Richards is ready to take over the reigns. Anyone who watches the Flyers with any regularity can tell that Richards is captain material. It is only a matter of time until he is given the "C".

I'm just glad that there is some closure on this issue. It was not fair for anyone involved for this situation to go on any further. I'm just glad the inevitable decision was made before the season so everyone could move on.

By the way, we're now less than a month away from some hockey action. I know I'm in the minority, but I can hardly wait.

EAGLES WRAP UP

To those who read this site regularly (queue the cricket chirping noise), I apologize for not getting this out sooner. Seriously, how can any self respecting blogger miss a chance to comment on his favorite team’s first game??? In any event, please come to my site the day after the game throughout the season for my expert analysis. However, before I get started I would like to point out how close I was on the score….Nice job out of me, huh?

I’ll get the obvious out of the way first…. Donte’ Stallworth. All I can say is “WOW”. He sure did develop some chemistry with D Mac awfully fast. I guess it also doesn’t take three years to learn Andy’s offense as we’ve all been told for so long. It was pretty clear to me that Stallworth made himself about $50 million in a long term deal during the second quarter as he frolicked through the Texans’ secondary. Joe Banner should have faxed Rosenhaus a contract extension in the first quarter after his can of corn touchdown catch. Clearly, Stallworth’s going to cost a lot of money if we want to keep him. On the bright side, the Birds were supposedly ready to pony up big cash to Javon Walker, so we might keep this guy after all.

D Mac looked to be his old self after a slow start. It was nice to see him run in the first half, but he does look as though he lost a step. Is it me or does Donovan’s efficiency pick up 150% when he has a competent wide receiver on the field? I wonder how the Birds’ brain trust doesn’t see that. Although, with the trade for Stallworth, maybe they finally see the same thing.

Obviously, the D line and blitz scheme returned to form with five sacks of the beleagured David Carr who spent more time on his back during this game than Paris Hilton. (Thank you, Thank you...don't forget to tip your waiters and waitresses!) Let’s not get too excited though. They were playing against the one of the worst offensive lines in football.

Matt McCoy looked to be a factor…Frankly, I was shocked…I am really interested to see how he does next week when we play a team that can actually run the ball. I’m sure the G Men will game plan to run it right at him. (Why do I have nightmares of him hanging onto Brandon Jacobs for dear life?)

Buck did exactly what we need him to do. It’s a shame he missed 3 out of the last 4 years. You can really see what he adds to our offense. Maybe Jaws wasn’t so crazy when he said that if we had a healthy Buckhalter over the last couple years, we’d have at least one Super Bowl title in town.

B West was the versatile game breaking back that makes the offense dangerous. However, as the media has pointed out the last couple days, 24 touches are WAY too many. That is dangerous territory. They need to ratchet it back down to 18 to 20. Plus, I really think Moats should get a couple carries a game.

G Lew looked MUCH better now that he’s back to being a 3rd receiver. Thanks to the pick up of Stallworth and the development of Reggie Brown, G Lew is back where he belongs and you can see that he will be productive again in this role.

As for Reggie Brown, he didn’t impress, but it is only game one. I think the Birds may need to better refine his role

As Tito Francona would say, Trot was being Trot on Sunday. He was all over the field being his physical, intimidating self.

Did anyone see Dhani Jones? Neither did I.

The special teams weren’t noticeable yesterday, which is a GOOD thing.

Considine didn’t look out of place in the nickel and dime defense packages. He made a nice play in the 4th quarter knocking down Carr’s pass while blitzing.

Ok…now we get to the biggest disappointment: The starting DB’s.

I don’t think we’ll miss Lito a whole lot over the next month and a half. I think Rod Hood (great porn name, by the way) is much more physical and a better cover guy. However, Lito’s injury really strains the depth of our defense as someone name Joselio "MMmbop" Hanson has to step in as the nickel corner. This could spell trouble and will likely result in a whole lot of three wide receiver sets over the next six weeks.

This hurts to say, but Dawk is no longer a game changer…He can still be effective, but needs to change his game accordingly.

Michael Lewis, and Lito for that matter, has been doing the “Pro Bowl Glide” for two years now. I would like to be optimistic, but if he can’t cover Jeb Putzier, how is he going to effectively cover Jason Whitten, Jeremy Shockey and Chris Cooley six times this year?

Next week brings the G-Men to the Linc for the Birds’ NFC East opener. This should be a classic. The Giants really impressed me in their loss to the Colts. I’m sure they are going to be awfully ornery and be very desperate to prevent opening the year at 0-2. Full disclosure: I am very afraid of that running game and their receivers. Due to our problems in the defensive backfield, we could be in for a track meet.

I can’t wait for the lead up to this one, especially since Antonio Pierce is already threatening retribution for the season ending injury he suffered last year. I love bad blood. Bring it on!

More Addictive Than Crack

The NFL, in their infinite genius, debuted the "Red Zone Channel" this Sunday. Basically, this channel provides the following service:

"The Red Zone channel works much like the NFL Network's pre-season No Huddle program that goes from game to game. The premise of the Red Zone Channel is to bounce from game to game as a team moves the ball inside their opponents 20-yard line. A narrator alerts the viewer to an on-screen game change with a brief explanation of what is currently going on in that game."

Previously, it took a great amount of skill to make sure you caught all the interesting twists and turns of the various games being played at 1 pm on an NFL Sunday. In fact, I used to tell people that I felt like I missed more big plays than I caught because I was so involved in trying to stay on top of the action. Now, thanks for the Red Zone Channel, all you have to do is sit back and let the good folks at Direct TV do all the work.

Just like the rest of you, I was mainly interested in the Birds/Texans game, but this channel switched back and forth to the various games without missing a beat. I haven't seen anything so addictive since Krispy Kreme donuts and internet porn.

Of course, Direct TV realizes this, so they added an additional fee of $100 to the regular Sunday Ticket price. This is highway robbery, but how can you deny the allure of this channel? After watching it for 15 minutes, I offered to split the fee with my neighbor in an effort to persuade him to purchase it. Thankfully, I didn't need to pressure him too much as I opened my email this evening and discovered that the channel has been purchased, and we are a go for the upcoming season.

What a wonderful year it is going to be!

Hamels on the Spot

After the boys in red pinstripes blew last night's extra innings affair, Cholly and Co. turn to my man, Cole Hamels to win their four game series with the Marlins. I really think Hamels will further cement his role as team ace by out dueling the D-Train and help lead the Phightins to victory. (Yes, I'm very positive this morning...it's the most wonderful day of the year!!!)

Another question for today is whether Pat "Please Swing the Bat" Burrell get another start today? I hope not. He is a lost cause at this point. Finding another right handed bat to proctect Howard is clearly becoming next year's biggest need.

As an aside, I was shocked last week when Houston walked Howard to lead off an inning, but I was down right flabbergasted when Joe Girardi, a so called top candidate for NL Manager of The Year, walked Howard in the Top of the 9th with a man on first, with only one out, effectively putting the tying run into scoring position with less than 2 outs. Well, Florida lost that battle as Jeff Conine tied the game up with a base hit, but wound up winning the war as they won the game in the 10th.

Philly Sports Phan's Prediction on Today's Game....

Pain. Very simply, Pain.

Ok, I don't see the game that big of a rout, but I always wanted to use that line from Mr. T (Clubber Lang) in Rocky III.

Anyhow, I see a 27 to 13 win for the Birds. I think we'll move the ball pretty easily and our defense will have their way with Houston's offensive line and shut down the running game and pressure David Carr. Their wide receivers scare me, but I don't see Carr having enough time to find them down field.

For bonus points, my defensive star of the game: Darren Howard; offensive star of the game: LJ Smith.

By the way, I love the ESPN Pre Game show, but I'm really starting to hate "Boomer". When will ESPN put him out to pasture???

Fish Fry

Tonight's 14-8 win by the Phightins was crucial. Ok, ok, I know I keep emphasizing how important every game is, but with less than a month left in the season every game is HUGE!

It didn't take a genius to realize that there was no way a young team like the Fish were going to show up after celebrating the Anibal Sanchez no hitter the night before. Nonetheless, I was still really happy to see how the Phils jumped all over their bullpen. Throughout the rest of their nine remaining games, the Phils need to get to their bullpen and do major damage. A team that has a $15 million payroll certainly wasn't going to invest much in a quality bullpen - not that ours is much better, exhibit A being Ryan Madson last night and exhibit B being Rick White tonight. So, if the Phils can knock out the Marlins' promising young starters, they certainly have a shot to do some damage in these remaining "knock down" games.

The non-steroid Single Season Home Run Title got a little closer for Ryan Howard tonight as he hit #54.

Let Me Look Into My Crystal Ball

Since we’re only one day away from the opening of the Football Season, there is no better time than the present to release my predictions for the 2006-2007 season.

Let me be the first to admit. I don’t have a great handle on this season. There are no dominant powers. There are more flaws on these teams than the Phils’ bullpen. The days are gone when you can pencil in two teams to at least reach the Conference Championship Games and then work backwards. Nowadays, there are always at least three teams that jump out of nowhere to make the playoffs. Parity is now king in professional football and the NFL couldn’t be happier.

So, without any further adieu, let’s start with the NFC East since that’s division we care about the most.

NFC East:

New York Giants – 11-5 – I think the G Men have the most solid combination of offense and defense. If Coughlin can prevent a team mutiny, I like their chances to repeat.

Philadelphia Eagles – 10-6 – A lot of people have gone over board with the Stallworth trade and now have the Birds at 12-4 and a division winner. Jeez, even my the Sports Guy picked them to make the Super Bowl based upon his “Ewing Theory”. I like the addition of Stallworth and think he’ll he help a great deal, but they are relying on too many fragile guys for me to see them staying healthy enough to win the division and becoming a viable contender for the Super Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys – 10-6 – Yeah, it’s easy to say there will be T.O. melt down this year after the media created circus this training camp. I’m starting to think the ‘Boys will be smart enough to take measures to curtail the media storm so as to not derail their preseason. I’ve also seen a lot of people this week pick the Cowboys as their NFC representative in the Super Bowl. I don’t see it, but I do see them in the playoffs.

Washington Redskins – 6-10 - This team is my pick for this year’s team turmoil. Way too many Chiefs and not enough Indians on this coaching staff. Plus, how does this team spend a gazillion dollars on midget receivers and rely on an older than dirt quarterback like Brunell? Doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I also see Portis’ injury lingering all year, which is exactly why he was off limits in my fantasy drafts.

NFC South

Tampa Bay – 10-6 – If John Gruden can make Bobby Hoying look good, what do you think he can do for a guy with a pedigree like Chris Simms. If the defense and Joey Galloway can ratchet it up for one more year, I really like their chances to contend for a title.

Carolina – 9-7 – So many people jumped on this team’s bandwagon early in the preseason that I was scared off the Panthers. Now, so many people are following suit and staying away from this team, that I’m wondering that maybe it’s ok to back them for a Super Bowl run. Honestly, I’m just confused by this team. They could win the Super Bowl or finish 8-8.

Atlanta – 8-8 – I like the defense. I like the coach. I like the running backs and wide receivers. I HATE the quarterback. The best thing that can happen to this team is for Vick to get hurt –a distinct possibility - and let the kid from West Chester take over. If that happens, I reserve my right to bump this prediction up to 10-6.

N’Awlins – 5-11 - The offense has some new weapons – Reggie Bush and Drew Brees – to go along with Deuce and Joe Horn, but the o line and defense is pretty bad. It could be a long year, but I hope and pray they win that first Monday Night Game back at the Super Dome. These people DESERVE it!

NFC Central

Minnesota – 9-7 – They win this division by default. They went 9-7 last year with a knucklehead for a coach, a back up quarterback and team that was answering more questions about the Sex Cruise than football. This year new coach Brad Childress comes to the Land of a Thousand Lakes knowing that he’s starting Brad Johnson for a full season and should have the benefit of a steady RB in Chester Taylor. A repeat of last year’s record is very doable.

Chicago – 8-8 – Sure, they have one of the best defenses in the league, but there is no way they repeat last year’s performance with all those special teams and defensive touchdowns. The Rex Grossman led offense is absolutely horrible. They’d have a hard time scoring on the Saints defense. It is an absolute given that this team takes a step back this year.

Detroit – 7-9 – The Lions are a chic pick with NFL experts. I don’t see it. Jon Kitna won’t do a lot to make Lions forget Joey Harrington. Hey, at least the Lions didn’t draft another WR in the first round. Plus, this city has an elite NBA team and a baseball team steaming towards the playoffs. I don’t feel bad for these guys.

Green Bay – 3-13 – I hope the people from the Land of Cheese that Favre came back. It’s going to be a long year. Favre should have asked for a trade.

NFC West

Seattle – 11-5 – As the Sports Guy pointed out in his column today, the Seahawks are facing the Super Bowl Loser Jinx AND the Madden Cover Jinx. However, they still play the Cards, Rams and 49ers 6 times. How do they not win the division??? Plus, as my buddy Mister Nascar told me, the Super Bowl Loser Jinx does not apply to Seattle since they didn’t actually lose the game, it was STOLEN from them.

Arizona – 8-8 – I’m hoping for Leinart to get some run sooner than later. He’s the closest thing this league has seen to Broadway Joe in years….at least off the field. He seems to be a helluva a quarterback, but I think he’s soft and that’s not going to help him a whole lot behind that offensive line. Also, look for the Edge to be bitching about his lack of blocking after week 3.

St. Louis – 7-9 – I toyed with the idea of this team being a surprise team, but I don’t love the defense. So, unless the defense gels, it could be an uneven year. I do LOVE Steven Jackson. He’s my pick for breakout player of the year. It pains me to say that my buddy Mister Nascar drafted him in our fantasy league. I envision the next four months of him pointing out how he projected his greatness and reached for him at the 6th pick in our draft.

San Francisco – 6-10 – In case you missed it, former Niner Kevan Barlow compared Mike Nolan to Hitler. Things can’t be good in the Bay Area. Sure, it takes a complete moron to compare a coach to the most hated figure of the past century, but I’m guessing the players aren’t buying into Nolan’s regime heading into year 2.

AFC East

Miami – 11-5 – Way back in March when I was in Vegas, I put a few sheckles down on the ‘Fins to win the Super Bowl right after I learned that they traded for Culpepper. I felt great about my pick until I realized the Super Bowl is in Miami this year and no team has ever gone all the way when the Supe was played in their home stadium. Based upon this trend, I guess I wasted a few bucks, but I still really like the ‘Fins to contend for the Championship despite the fact that I changed my Super Bowl winner pick when I realized where the game was being played.

New England – 10-6 – Sure, it looks like Deion Branch is on his way out the door and they are getting really thing at LB, but they still have Tom Brady and that’s all you need to at least reach the playoffs.

J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS – 5-11 – Here’s a secret…I clandestinely root for the Jets. It must be a “green thing”. You wouldn’t understand. Anyhow, it’s going to be a long rebuilding year for these guys, but that’s ok. They’ll rebuild over the next couple years, get back to respectability and then break their fans’ hearts all over again.

Buffalo – 4-12 – If I told you that you were faced with a second straight season full of quarterbacking by J.P. Losman and Kelly Holcomb, is that something you’d be excited about? Didn’t think so.

AFC Central

Cincinatti – 11-5 – Is it me or does it seem like half the team is on probation or suspended by the NFL? I knew Chris Henry was a scumbag back at West Virginia when he flipped the bird to the RU student, but he’s one of the best young deep threats in the league. So, I guess sometimes you gotta overlook the little stuff, like an offseason of four arrests. All that being said, they have the best “triplets” in the league with Palmer, Rudi, and Chad Johnson. If their defense holds up again this year, they should win the division.

Baltimore – 10-6 – I think old warriors like McNair and Ray Lewis have one last run in them. If Jamaal Lewis can stay healthy, this team makes the playoffs.

Pittsburgh – 8-8 – There has been bad karma swirling around this team since they stole the Super Bowl from Seattle. I highly doubt Roethliberger’s bout with appendicitis is the last bad thing that will happen to this team. It’s going to be a long year out in the ‘Burgh.

Cleveland – 7-9 – I think this team will be better, but I have nothing to back it up. So take this prediction with a grain of salt. Although this casual observer wonders who does Cleveland have to kiss up to in order to prevent another one of their marquee players from suffering another major injury.

AFC South

Indianapolis – 12-4 – I think they’ll miss the Edge slightly, but they suffered some losses on their defense that I think will hurt them again come playoff time. I also smell another playoff upset loss.

Jacksonville – 10-6 – Does anyone think Fred Taylor’s groin has 16 healthy games in it? Didn’t think so. They will take a step back this year even though the defense will remain formidable and their passing game will be improve with Matt Jones being a year older and the addition of Mercedes Lewis.

Tennessee – 6-10 – I really hope Vince Young doesn’t get much playing time. From what little I saw in the preseason, he didn’t seem ready and Jaws was imploring the coaching staff not to play him on Monday Night Prime Time this week.

Houston – 5-11 – Remember how p*ssed off Eagles’ fans were when they were told they couldn’t bring hoagies into games? Well, multiply that level of frustration by 6,248 and that’s how Texans fans feel after their management team passed over Reggie Bush. You don’t screw over an entire fan base without suffering a major karma hit. If I was the Texans owner, I’d hire Earl Hickey as a consultant because things are going to get AWFULLY ugly down there.

AFC West

Denver – 12-4 – Just like Atlanta, I really like the defense, the running game and wide receivers, and coach. It all comes down to Jake the Snake. The rest of this team is Super Bowl Caliber except the QB. I’m going to gamble and say the presence of Jay Cutler raises the Snake’s game to another level and he manages games well enough to get the Broncs over the hump this year.

San Diego – 8-8 – I was all ready to put this team in the playoffs until an off duty police officer popped a couple caps into LB Steve Foley. I don’t like the aura around a team that is trying to break in a new quarterback. Also, you can’t underestimate the Marty Schottenheimer factor.

Kansas City – 7-9 – I totally expect LJ to rush for 2,000+ yards despite the fact that he has a 250 lb Left Tackle blocking for him because Herm will ensure that he gets his carries, even when they are down by 3 td’s in the third quarter. That will about be the only highlight for this team as they did nothing to significantly improve the defense.

Oakland – 2-14 – Uniting Aaron Brooks and Art Shell is a train wreck waiting to happen. I might watch every game of theirs on the Sunday Ticket just to get a good laugh every week. At the very least, it sets up the funny scenario of watching the squeaky clean Brady Quinn getting drafted by the rough and tumbled Raiders.

Playoff Teams:

NFC:

1. Seattle
2. New York Giants
3. Tampa Bay
4. Minnesota
5. Eagles
6. Cowboys

First Round: Eagles over Vikings, Tampa Bay over Dallas

Second Round: Seattle over Eagles, Tampa Bay over the Giants

NFCCG: Tampa Bay over Seattle

AFC:

1. Denver
2. Indy
3. Cinci
4. Miami
5. New England
6. Baltimore

First Round: Miami over Baltimore, Cinci over New England

Second Round: Miami over Indy, Denver over Cinci

AFCCG: Denver over Miami

SUPER BOWL: Denver over Tampa Bay (Yes, I realize that I have Jake Plummer and Chris Simms facing off in a Super Bowl. Although, it’s not as bad as the matchup in Super Bowl XXXV where Trent Dilfer beat Kerry Collins.)

Weekend Wrap Up “WWU”

After a looooongggg holiday weekend, I’m back to give you guys my take on this weekend’s action:

Ryan Howard’s Home Run Spree – Much like Tiger Woods, I’m running out of good things to say about this guy. He is quickly becoming my favorite Philly athlete of the last decade. He is so humble. He seemed genuinely overwhelmed by the fan reaction in Game One of the Sunday Doubleheader when he hit three dongs against the Braves to carry the team to victory. Surprisingly, he still seems to be learning every day. The way he turned on that inside pitch that he hit for an upper deck home run he hit on Monday shows that he’s continuing to improve every day. What a career this guy is going to have, huh?

As of Tuesday afternoon, Ryan’s up to 53 dingers. The convenient question now becomes, how much longer until he surpasses 61? As I told some friends on Sunday, if he reaches 62, he should get the real single season home run title. On the way to work this morning, I heard Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and Angelo on the WIP Morning Show saying the same thing. I hope he approaches 62. This story could pick up steam and force the incompetent Bud Selig to comment on the topic. That would make for some fun. I love to see that guy sweat.

Extra Innings, With a Walk Off “Chase-r” – Yesterday’s walk off home run by Chase was absolutely HUGE. If they lost that game, after another dominant pitching performance by Cole Hamels, things could have snow balled negatively and reinforced their inability to beat Houston. Now, they finally beat the ‘Stros and have a bit of confidence for the rest of this series, which dovetails into the “do-or-die” ten game run against the back from the dead Marlins.

Birds Cut Down to 53 – There certainly were some surprises here. Did the Birds really need to keep ten offensive lineman? Two of the guys they kept, Nick Cole and Pat McCoy, I’m guessing would have passed through waivers and could have been put on the practice squad, but we all know Big Red’s preference for the “big uglies”. Anyhow, I believe that cutting Darnerian McCants and J.R. Reed could really hurt the special teams. Something tells me that McCants will be back after week one when the special teams don’t look real special.

Five Days to E-A-G-L-E-S!!!! – I can’t wait!!! Opening day is almost here. As I’ve said earlier in this space, to me, the start of football season is the most wonderful time of the year and now the Birds first game is a short five days away against the snake-bit Texans. Big Red doesn’t have a great opening day record, but I love our chances this week. If you’ve followed events down in Houston, it’s pretty clear that things have not gone the Texans way after spurning Reggie Bush and alienating their entire fan base. I can see things getting REAL ugly down there once the Birds have their way with them.

Notably, the Texans have two South Jersey running backs, Ron Dayne of Overbrook High School and Wali Lundy of Holy Cross High School. Unfortunately for their family and friends, I don’t see them having any success against their home town team.

Overall, I’m still not sure what to expect out of the Birds. It appears that some people are going a little overboard over the Stallworth trade. I expect his arrival to help, but not make the team significantly better. The playoffs are possible, but I still see this year being a struggle. I release my official prediction later in the week.

US loses to Greece in Semis of World Championships – How is this possible? Really? How is this possible?!?!?! Not even the beloved Coach K and LeBron could save us this time. With all apologies to my buddy Nick M., but when the heck did the Greeks start playing basketball? I had no clue they were any good. In any event, I think our failures the last couple of years are starting to sink in with the basketball community. We are too busy raising basketball stars instead of basketball players. Fundamentals are eschewed, while individual play is awarded. What a shame. I used to like the fact that we could count on creaming the rest of the world in hoops. Oh well, we still have women’s softball.

Tiger Woods: Simply Amazing – My man the Captain alerted me to Tiger’s comeback yesterday to overtake Vijay and win his 5th straight tournament. I tuned it in just in time to see him drain a birdie putt on 17 from what appeared to be 25 yards away. There are no superlatives left to explain Tiger. Right now, it comes down to whether he is the most dominant athlete of my lifetime. I have to admit, he’s getting dangerously close to entering Jordan and Gretzky territory. If he dominates at the Ryder Cup, he is on my Mount Rushmore, along with Jordan, Gretzky and Lance Armstrong.

As the Sports Guy wrote last week, he needs to start handicapping himself to make this more exciting. Of course a lot of his ideas were tongue in cheek, but Tiger should pull a ridiculous Roy Jones, Jr. type stunt and play a tournament with two less clubs than the rest of the competition.

Borgata – “The Wife” and I decided to go down to Brigantine on Friday in the middle of Tropical Storm Ernesto to visit our friends George and Jen. (Admittedly, this was not the smartest idea.) While down there, “The Wife” took me to the Borgata for my maiden voyage. (I’m always behind on these things.) I was pretty impressed by the place. The lobby reminded me of the Venetian and the casino floor was very similar to the one at TI in Vegas. We also stopped by the B-Bar, where I quickly realized that I was not cool enough for that scene. So I tried to hide out and observe the goings on while sitting on one of their couches and having a few beers while watching the Notre Dame game. Finally, on the way out, we picked up our car at the valet parking area and I was astounded at the number of luxury vehicles down there. I suppose New Jersey really is the richest state in the country as the number of BMW’s, Mercedes, Lexuses, Infiniti’s and Volvos was mind boggling.

Rutgers Opens Up With a Road Win Against UNC – Sophomore Ray Rice rushed for 201 yards and three td’s in helping the my alma mater, The Scarlet Knights of Rutgers University, open the season with a road win down in Chapel Hill. Heisman candidate Brian Leonard didn’t do much to get the attention of voters in a regionally national televised game, but likely made himself more money by showing off his blocking skills. Next week, the Fighting Illini head to the Banks of the Raritan to take on the Knights. RU is a 12 ½ favorite and looking for revenge after last year’s opening week melt down.

Miami vs. FSU – I haven’t seen that bad an offensive performance out of two major college powers in a marquee game since last year’s Miami/FSU game. How do these offensive coordinators still have jobs? Well, I guess I can understand how the FSU guy still has a job since his dad is the head coach, but how about Miami? They certainly have the athletes as they get a ton of good recruits every year, but the ‘Canes offense looked brutal last night. Miami QB Kyle Wright has the body of world beater, but must have the brain of an egg beater, because he sure had a hard time moving the ball last night. (I always loved that line.) In fairness to Kyle, he was pressured the whole night and his coaches did nothing to help him.

Agassi Done – I’m not a big tennis fan, but I always semi-cared about Andre. Now that I have stolen his look, I’m quite sad to see him go. He was a great champion and I can virtually guarantee that I won’t watch a second of any men’s tennis match until the U.S. finds a new standard bearer.

The Philly Sports Phan's Academy Award Goes To...

Finally, the Philly Sports Phan and "The Wife" made it out to see "Invincible". I, like 95% of the people I talked to, totally enjoyed it. Since the basic story has been played out in the local media ad nauseum, I won't bore with the story line. I'll just point out some things which were interesting to me:

-Marky Mark Wahlberg did an outstanding job portraying Vince Papale, especially during the acting scenes. He also did a pretty decent job pulling off the football scenes. He took some hellacious hits which surprised the hell out of me and made the movie much more acceptable.


-How could you make a movie including Dick Vermeill and NOT have him cry??? Did the screen writer research the guy at all? Couldn't Greg Kinnear have suggested to the director, "hey, the scene may be more believable if I break into tears while Vince he has made the team"? Vermeill cries at the drop of a hat. This was a golden opportunity missed. All that being said, Kinnear did a great job as Vermeill. Dick has a certain vulnerability and compassion to him that Kinnear was clearly able to display.

-The detail they put into the football scenes was very good. The actual play wasn't up to the standards of "Any Given Sunday", but it was better than "Remember the Titans". However, thank god, the producers received authorization from the NFL to use their uniforms, player names, etc. The movie was SIGNIFICANTLY more believable as a result. For me, it was really cool to see a movie which included former NFL stars such as Bill Bergey, Harold Carmichael, John Bunting, Roger Stauback, Ed "Too Tall" Jones, Randy White, and Bradley Van Pelt. I had all their football cards as a kid and it brought back great memories.

-The special effects team did a great job recreating the Vet in the CGI shots. I didn't care for the track around the "Vet" as that never existed. Couldn't they have removed the Franklin Field track from the shot via CGI?

-I thought they did a pretty decent job portraying the city, the 700 level fans, and the passion of our city for the Eagles.

-I really like the chick that played Vince's girlfriend. She was hot, but not so hot that you couldn't picture her as your South Philly Goumar.

-Thanks from the heads up from regular reader, Nick, as Tony Luke's cameo was great.

-The one thing that surprised me is that the Mafia Actors Union (you know, guys like Frank Vincent, Big Pussy, and Paulie Walnuts) totally missed the opportunity to expand their horizons to a sports movie. It didn't really feel like some of the bit players were South Philly I-Talians. While the actor who played Vince's father gave a spine tingling pep talk to Vince, I didn't really buy him as a South Philly guy. He was much more realistic as the Irish father-in-law from "Mystic River" who told Sean Penn's character that he still had "domestic responsibilities" to worry about upon the death of his teenage daughter from a prior marriage. Call me crazy, but I think Frank Vincent would have been much more believable in that role. Plus, while Vince's friends were all excently cast and had the feel of South Philly guys, the crowd at Max's bar would have been much more believable with the inclusion of an Italian such Big Pussy or Bobby Bacala wearing the 70's equivalent of a track suit.

-The movie also had a minor role for a guy that portrayed former Eagles' center, Dennis Franks. I got a huge kick out of this as Franks was an assistant coach for my high school football team. How many of you guys can say you were coached by a guy that was portrayed in a movie???

Finally, the Philly Sports Phan did tear up a few times and there were about three or four other moments which caused chills to run up my spine. If this movie doesn't do the same to you, then I have to say you aren't a true phan. This is a must see movie for all fans of our beloved Eagles.