Five Eagles to Watch at Training Camp

With training camp just a few mere weeks away up in Lehigh it is time to get the juices flowing. So the time to start thinking about which players you are most interested in seeing is now. Below are the five Eagles that I am most looking forward to watching when camp starts.

LeSean McCoy, running back

With the uncertain status of Brian Westbrook as camp draws near, the rookie McCoy figures to see a lot more playing time in camp and in the pre-season. What McCoy brings to the table is a swift running back with the ability to dodge tackles and find the end zone. A stand out at Pitt, McCoy can do a lot of the same types of things that Westbrook can do. If Westbrook should go down at any point then McCoy could be the first back up, as he should be.

Leonard Weaver, fullback

It has been a long time since the last time the Eagles had a full fledged fullback that brings the kind of game that Weaver is expected to have. If Eagles fans had been clamoring for a return to a physical game, the acquisition of Weaver may be a sign of good things to come.

The 6'-0" 250 pound fullback will not only provide some quality blocking in the backfield for Donovan McNabb, but he can also pound out some much needed short yardage.

Victor Abiamiri, defensive end

Call it a gut feeling, but I think that Abiamiri may have as quiet a break out season as there is. Entering his third season Abiamiri finds himself sitting behind Juqua Parker at left defensive end as training camp opens up. But a good pre-season could help him see more time in the rotation at the position. The former second round pick out of Notre Dame recorded just 22 tackles in 2008, but I have high hopes for him this season.

Omar Gaither, linebacker

When camp commences at Lehigh the logic seems to be that Gaither will remain second at his position behind Akeem Jordan. I am hoping that means that Gaither comes in motivated and fired up to retake the starting job. Will he do it? Only time will tell.

If Gaither comes in poised to prove he is worthy of being a starter though it should make for an interesting training camp battle in the hot days of summer. I expect that to result in some good hard hits from the linebackers.

Donovan McNabb, quarterback

Perhaps this is a cop-out but with the events of the off-season I am expecting McNabb to come out with a new enthusiasm for the game. After losing in the NFC Championship game McNabb made it clear that he wanted the team to make some significant moves.

The Eagles did just that in replacing aging veterans on the offensive line with a Pro-Bowl caliber lineman and a massive body on the other side. In the draft the Eagles picked up McCoy and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. While Maclin may not be ready to make an immediate impact out of the huddle, he can spark things with a good kick return. Add in the return of Westbrook and the steady crop of receivers, including flashy DeSean Jackson, and there are reasons to be optimistic and excited.

There you have it, the five Eagles players I am most looking forward to checking out at training camp. Who are your five players on your must-see list? Go ahead and leave your thoughts in the comments field.

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12:34:56 7/8/09

Did you realize that today was the only time this millennium that the exact time would look as if it was learning to count to ten?


At 12:34 (and 56 seconds) on today, July eighth (7/8/09) the exact time was a running string of consecutive numbers. I guess this was not a big deal for those of you in Europe though where the day is typically placed in front of the month in a time stamp.

It's not exactly as big as 7/7/07 (one of my personal favorite days), but it is pretty neat!

If you missed it either time today (not using a 24 hour clock of course), you'll just have to hold on until the next time it happens, in the year 3009.

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July 4th Fireworks Video

To celebrate the birth of the greatest country in the world Stef and I headed down to city where it all began (Philadelphia) with Sarah to eat unlimited amounts of ice cream (more on that later), have a nice dinner (more on that later as well), and take in the concert and fireworks on the Ben Franklin Parkway.

Today I'll share a video-photo montage of pictures of the fireworks. Enjoy! More on the ice cream tomorrow, and the great meal I had Thursday. On Friday I'll share an interesting tale about people who claimed their spot for the concert four hours in advance.

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Mario Monday Is STILL On Vacation

Mario Monday is on break for one more week. Instead check out this latest offering from the Angry Video Game Nerd, as he discusses a pair of educational Mario games.

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Why Victorino? Here's Why!

Shane Victorino, the feisty and gritty center fielder for the Phillies, is among the nominees for the National League's final roster spot for the 2009 All Star game. His competition is Cristian Guzman of the Nationals, Matt Kemp of the Dodgers, Mark Reynolds of the Diamondbacks, and Pablo Sandoval of the Giants.

So how does Victorino stand up against the other nominees?

At first glance it may appear that Reynolds could be a favorite based on his power numbers, but Victorino holds his own and should be the winner of the final vote.

Let's look at Victorino's numbers...

Right off the bat, hitting for a .300 average is nothing to be upset about. What the stats don't tell you above is that Victorino has the fewest strike outs (39) than any of his competition, yet has the most at bats (320), meaning Victorino strikes out 12% of the time. His competition?

• Reynolds strikes out 36.9% of the time (111 SO in 301 AB)
• Kemp strikes out 24.5% of the time (74 SO in 302 AB)
• Sandoval strikes out 15.4% of the time (43 SO in 279 AB)
• Guzman strikes out 14.5% of the time (42 SO in 289 AB)

Throw in the fact that Victorino has the second most walks (32) among the Final Vote candidates and it may turn some heads. Only Reynolds has been given a free base more times with 38.

Victorino, with five home runs, is second from the bottom in that category, but every body knows that power is not his game. Still though that could detract some votes for fans who look for home runs. What Victorino does offer that no other candidate can is Gold Glove caliber defense. Victorino picked up his first career Gold Glove award for his play in center field.

If your team is looking for a clutch double play then you better hope that Victorino is not the batter. Victorino has hit into just two double plays this season, fewest among his final vote candidates. Victorino's two double plays are half as many as the next fewest (four for Sandoval). To be fair though, batting second behind a struggling Jimmy Rollins has vastly limited Victorino's opportunities to hit into double plays this season.

On the flip side though you have to wonder how Victorino's RBIs would look if Rollins was on track from the start of the season. Victorino has 31 extra base hits, and if Rollins had his offensive game in check you would have to imagine that Victorino's RBI numbers would increase to a certain level. With 35 RBIs in the second spot in the lineup you could expect his total to raise by at least ten runs if Rollins was getting on base from the start of the season in the lead off spot.

There are some good arguments for a few of the Final Vote candidates on the National League squad, but the favorite should be Victorino. Don't forget to cast your vote(s) for Victorino by using the widget in the right side bar of the site!

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The Elizabethan Gardens

On our second full day in North Carolina we took a drive down to the Outer Banks, did some outlet shopping, and then continued to travel to Fort Raleigh National Historic Park. Unfortunately for me it was not exactly what I had in mind from a previous family vacation, but we came across The Elizabethan Gardens.

Before smashing our camera, rendering the lens to make images blurry, I took some snapshots of the plant life. Here is a video of the photos we did get before the camera went bust.

Stay tuned for more photos coming up. If you can't wait, then click here to check out the entire 2009 North Carolina photo album.

Planning a trip to the Outer Banks? If you are interested in driving to these gardens for a stop, check the Google map below to get directions.

View Larger Map

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Mario Monday Is On Vacation

No regular Mario Monday today since I am on vacation in North Carolina. To honor the life of Michael Jackson, who passed away last Thursday, and to preview the next installment of the weekly time line of Mario I thought I would share a pair of musical tributes dedicated to the King of Pop.





Next week Mario Monday returns with a look at Mario Paint for the Super Nintendo, one of my personal favorites.

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Michael Jackson Made Weird Al Yankovic

Perhaps nobody in the entertainment business was as big a fan of Michael Jackson as Weird Al Yankovic. Yankovic is a genius in his own right but he really made a name for himself with his outstanding parodies of Jackson's hit songs Beat It and

Jackson's video for Beat It is a classic. For Yankovic it was just a template. What I appreciate about Yankovic is not just ability to cleverly write new lyrics to great songs and give them a humorous twist, but he also pays homage to the original music videos as much as possible. Take one of his greatest videos from earlier in his career, Eat It.

Weird Al Yankovic |MTV Music

If you have seen the original Jackson video for Beat It then you will likely notice a number of similarities in the Eat It video. Yankovic also gives a tribute to the historic Thriller video at the end.

Yankovic has another Jackson parody that made him famous though. Fat is another food inspired parody of Jackson's Bad. Once again, the music video for Bad serves as the guide for the production of Yankovic's video for Fat.

Weird Al Yankovic |MTV Music

I honestly can not listen to a song that receives a Yankovic rendition and sing the original lyrics in my head. To me watching certain music videos receives the same effect. Yankovic probably would have made a name for himself even without Jackson's songs to utilize, but I find it hard to believe Yankovic would have enjoyed as much success without him.

Remember, Nirvana didn't come around until the early 90's and Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise was not around until the mid 90's.

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