And the Temperature is Rising

Despite the recent Nor Easter weather issues, the temperature inside the Phillies club house has got to be rising to a boil now. After Charlie Manuel's widely publicized spat with WIP radio personality Howard Eskin, all the signs are leading more and more to a move that is looking long overdue; Charlie Manuel being fired.

I want to see things start heading in the right direction for the Phills, no doubt about that. I love baseball and have always been a huge Phillies fan. Seeing the things that go on with this club never cease to amaze and often confuse me. Today's move was to move Brett Myers to the bullpen. I appreciate the team player in Myers being able to look at the decision as a good thing for himself and the team (take notes John Lieber). Coincidentally enough, it is Lieber, who was not soft spoken about his move to the bullpen, who will be moved to the starting rotation. I'm not sure what to make of this. Myers definitely gives the bullpen some more reliable oomph, but I thought Myers was widely recognized as the top guy in the rotation. Sure, his last pair of outings weren't great, but if you're going to go into a season with a guy as your top arm, why even attempt to switch things up and move him to the bullpen. It's not exactly like we're talking about John Smoltz here. If nothing else, general manager Pat Gillick should see this as a desperate cry for bullpen help.

I mean, if he's not blinded by his hula shirts' bright colors in Toronto.

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So, I started golf lessons last week and have completed two lessons thus far. I must say that already I have a much better appreciation for the game of golf. My instructor, a certified PGA coach nonetheless, has drilled me on my stance and extending my arms. During my second lesson I was much more consistent with making contact with the ball (something I was dreadful with my first lesson).

I'm by no means ready to go out on a course and play 18 holes of course, but I do find myself enjoying the progress I've made. I'm hooking a lot of balls off to my left right now, so I definitely need to work on extension and my follow through.

If anybody has any pointers, let me know!


Coming up in tomorrow's Blog post; the pre-draft Eagles game by game predictions!

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Phillie of the Week

Believe me, after this past week's worth of games it was somewhat difficult to make a selection for Phillie of the week. My early week pick of Cole Hamels fell apart with yesterday's performance against the Astros, in which he gave up five runs. So, despite what happened to him Monday night in Shea Stadium, Jimmy Rollins is the second Ramblings Player of the Week.

Sure, his critical error did lead to a Mets rally, turning a lead into a blowout loss along the way, but I credit the way he responded to the adversity the rest of the week. Rollins came right out and showed he wasn't going to let his one night performance hinder his ability to be a leader on the field. Like he has done many times before, he found a way to set the tone and attempt to spark his offense. A double into a triple and some home runs showed that he means business.

By week's end Rollins was leading the National League in home runs (how long do you think that will last though) and his average is now at .298. His strikeouts have dropped, although his walks are still not as high as you would like to see. He also notched at least one run in every game last week. Those are the kind of things you like to see out of your leadoff hitter.

I am really looking forward to this week of baseball as the Mets come to town come to town for two games and then the Phills go back on the road against the Nationals for two and a weekend series at the Reds. While I am frustrated to a high degree with the baseball club, I still realize there is a lot of baseball to play. A 5-2 stretch, including at least one win against the Mets, would make me feel better for sure. If they can pull that off before a stretch of home games to round out the month of April I think the tension surrounding the ball club will level off a little. Ryan Howard getting some hits a pair of strong showings by free agent pitcher Freddy Garcia could do a lot to pave that path.

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Charlie Manuel About to Expire

No, Manuel is not about to die, but his manager position is about too. I don't exactly have inside sources to cite or anything, but the Phillies are not doing anything to make me think otherwise.

The team was 2-8 heading into Saturday's game against the Houston Astros. After the series opener with the Astros, a game in which the Phills lost 9-6, Manuel was quoted to saying "If I knew would to do, I would definitely do it." If the manager doesn't know what to do, then how is he not fired?

I'm not even suggesting that firing Manuel would automatically make the Phillies NL Champs heading to the World Series, however a change is dangerously close to being overdue. Already the team is five games out of first place and it is not even Tax Day yet. The rumblings (not to be confused with this blog) are starting to point to why Chris Coste isn't with the team, the continuing stupid mental errors, the inefficient bullpen, the lack of run production with the bases loaded and more. A team leading the league in walks should not only have two wins.

What angered me the other night was the what Wes Helms said the other night after their 3-2 win over the New York Mets, a game in which Mets starter Oliver Perez had a line that two and two-thirds innings with seven walks. Helms stated that they really took advantage of the errors. Pardon me Mr. Helms, but how many hits did you guys get in all of those at bats with the bases loaded?

Zero. They didn't take advantage of anything, rather they were given a gift.

The game against the Astros is tied at 1 right now as I'm writing this and Cole Hamels is on the mound. Hamels has been the one constant bright spot in the roster so far in the early part of the schedule so we'll see if he can keep his stuff going to help his team.

Don't forget to check out my blog tomorrow when I announce the second Ramblings Phillie of the Week. A couple other things I'm going to get into detail about coming up include taking golf lessons and the Philadelphia Eagles schedule and the initial prediction (start thinking Arizona in February???).

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When it Rains...

The Flyers just finished off the absolute worst season in the franchise's history, scoring the fewest point total in the standings in the NHL by a landslide. So you would think the momentum would swing when they pick first in the NHL draft and start to regroup for a playoff run next year, right?

Wrong, thanks to the NHL draft. Having the second pick is still alright I suppose, it is just a matter what they do with it.

I don't know hockey prospects too well (does anybody?) but if I were the Flyers, my first inclination would be to get a speedy center with the ability to set up his wing men on the go who also possesses a powerful slap shot. My second thought would be to look over the goalie prospects out there and see if anyone would fit the mold of a franchise goalie for years to come (ala Ron Hextall). I get tired of seeing a revolving door of goalies every other year with this club. I haven't look it up, but I'm guessing the Flyers have had just about 20 different goalies in the time Martin Brodeur has been in net in the Meadowlands.

It would be nice to have one guy be the guy for once.


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Side-note: Kudos to the NFL for suspending Adam "Pacman" Jones for the entire 2007 season. The league does not need problem guys polluting the headlines on their watch and it is about time they take a stand against thugs and punks like Jones.

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Phillies-Mets recap

We all know by now the famous Jimmy Rollins quote form this spring. "We're the team to beat" (in the division). And we all know the joke going on now about how he was right and everybody is beating them. It is funny and it is frustrating all at the same time.

So when the Phillies rolled into Shea Stadium this afternoon for the Mets' home opener, you know those rude and smelly Mets fans were going to be ready for the Phillies' lead-off hitter. And you know they loved it when Rollins botched a ball in the 8th inning that let the Mets tie up the ball game at 5-5, and remain with one out. Six runs later the fans were chanting for Rollins in Shea and deservedly handing it to him. Now, I absolutely have no love for the Mets (or any New York team for that matter), but when the Mets blew open an 8-5 lead the Phillies broadcasters were saying that Billy Wagner would probably sit back down in the bullpen because it wasn't a save opportunity. That lead soon became 11-5 and going into the 9th the Mets still brought Wagner in. Part of me loved this move. The Mets were already pouring salt on the wounds of the Phillies and they brought their closer in to shut the door on Rollins' squad. Maybe it sends a message to the Phills that the Mets really are the team to beat in the NL East. If the Mets were trying to send a message to the Phills, then I applaud them for that. The Phillies need a message sent to them, because it's not coming from the clubhouse.

Today's game, form the parts that I saw, was just another one of the very irritating and frustrating games I have seen from the 2007 Phillies. Kudos to Ryan Howard for knocking his first home run of the season (a three run shot that gave the Phills a 5-3 lead). Hopefully that gets him going. Cole Hamels pitched yet another good game and definitely gave them a shot to win the game. His line shows six innings, two earned runs, six hits, three walks, seven strikeouts. Then the bullpen came in.

Three relief pitchers each pitched two thirds of an inning and gave up eight runs. I believe that is what lead to this quote by a Phillies fan on the Phillies' message board; " Next time Charlie comes to take Cole out of the game Cole should just kick him in the balls." I don't know if I could say it any better.

The team is now 1-6 and already four and a half games out of first. The fundamentals are nowhere to be found on this club either. This major league team is playing like a single A team, at best, when it comes to the fundamentals. I have to blame the managers. Not just Charlie Manuel, but the managers in the farm system too! These players are making mistakes that should be corrected on their way to the majors.

I had a conversation with my uncle, who loves the sport more than anyone I know of besides Joe O'Neil, and he told me the same things I have been thinking for a long time with the Phillies. You should never, in ANY situation, swing at the first pitch. He paraphrased something Lenny Dykstra said. Dykstra said that if you swing at the first pitch, you never get the opportunity to really watch the pitcher's release point or his entire motion. I have always thought that if you show you will swing at the first pitch, then the pitcher will always have the advantage over you. The pitcher so often will have the upper hand on you in every at bat because they will know you are a fool. Make the pitcher work the at bat. Make him throw a strike before you swing. If I were a manager I'd rip every one of my batters every time he swung at the first pitch.

And then there is the scary stat I heard on the radio before today's game. The Phillies, six games into the season, had left 51 batters on base and were 12-60 (.200) in those at bats. Fifty one! If they just got five hits in those at bats (which would be .283), they probably score at least six runs, right? Maybe then you win the two Braves games that go extra innings before it goes to extra innings! Then at least you are 3-3 heading into the Mets series. When, WHEN, will things change?

Perhaps Jimmy Rollins has the answer.

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Phillie of the Week

Pat Burrell, right fielder, is my choice for Phillie of the Week, an honor I will try to bestow to someone each week of the season. Through the first four games of the season, Pat Burrell, in my eyes, has been one of the few bright spots. Hard to believe, no? The starting pitching from the likes of Brett Myers and Cole Hamels was stellar, but the bullpen washed away those gems en route to an 0-3 start at home. So when the Phillies traveled to Miami to take on the nemesis Marlins, it was Burrell who helped fuel the fire to get this team going.

(A quick disclaimer: This pick is being made before the game today against the Marlins and their pitcher Dontrelle Willis. I figured I probably wouldn't post on East Sunday so I wanted to make sure to get this post in while I had the chance today. So remember that just in case Burrell goes 0-4 with three strikeouts today against Willis.)

Burrell has done pretty well for himself in the five spot behind Utley, then Howard. He leads the team in runs batted in with five, and is second on the team in total bases (11) and on base percentage (.471). With a slugging percentage of .733 and a batting average of .400, you can possibly look past his five strikeouts (to be fair, is second highest on the team). It is Burrell who really came through on the first win of the season against the Marlins with some key at bats. Playing in a hitter's park like Dolphins Stadium always helps. And did you see the catch he made in the outfield? A diving catch is rare for him. I'm not saying it was Willie Mays over the back great, but his catch definitely helped his team in a clutch spot.

I said in my Phillies preview that Burrell is going to be the key player in this lineup. In the first week I believe that he has done alright for himself. The strikeouts definitely need to drop to no more than one a game though. But I haven't seen him giving his "Pat"-ented blank, defiant stare into space yet either.

So congratulations Burrell, you are the Ramblings Phillie of the Week!

Want to sponsor a Phillies of the week? One Phillie will be the Ramblings Phillie of the Week each Sunday of the season. Send me your pick with a description of why you picked them, and you'll get posted right here!

Unless of course, nobody writes in, then I'll continue picking them.

And if you're going to watch any Phillies game this weekend, Saturday's game is the one to watch. Brett Myers vs Dontrelle Willis. Could be the top pitching match up in the NL East. The Phills usually do pretty well against Willis too. They're not afraid of him. And you know Myers feels bad about blowing his game the other day. He can't wait to get out there. Should be a dandy.

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100th Post

Can you believe this is my 100th post? I certainly can not. These short little bits sure add up over time. I noticed that my last post was my 99th, and figured that my 100th should be something special. Good thing for me that today just happens to mark a few significant events to write about! The NCAA basketball championship is being played tonight and Major League Baseball officially gets underway (forget the fact that the Mets and Cardinals played last night)! Does it get any better?

Let's start with the hoops, shall we?

I'm officially out of the running with my pool, which happened when UCLA was flustered by Florida once more. Florida and Ohio State for the national championship, only this time it is a legitimate, playoff oriented, no debates about it, national championship, unlike that facade of a championship these schools played for in January. Make no mistake about it, I don't like either program, but my disdain for DUH Ohio State State far outweighs my un-fondness (I know, not a word) for the Gators. I will therefore be rooting for Florida to become the first team ever to win back to back national championships with the same starting lineup. I love the fact that those kids all came back when some of them could have easily gone pro after last season, like the kids from North Carolina did a few years ago.

Ohio State has been finding ways to win this tournament without the huge presence of Greg Oden, and I commend them for that. But when they play Florida tonight, they will be going up against the deepest and most talented, and the biggest team they have faced yet. Don't forget, these teams played each other back in December in a #1 vs #2 match up in Gainesville and the Gators had no problem cracking the Buckeyes and exploiting them for what they are; pretenders riding the storyline of soon to be NBA top pick Greg Oden. When all is said and done tonight the Gators will etch their spot in history as one of the greatest teams while Ohio State will fall back to the sometimes power of the Big Ten as the guy who is the only reason Ohio State gets so much press is playing in the NBA. They may be a good team still, but nothing like a national champion caliber squad.

Florida wins against Ohio State...again...and I'll love it...again.

Now onto the Boys of Summer (with all due respect to Don Henley...or The Ataris for you emo kids who don't know your musical backgrounds).

Before spring training started I was so pumped for the Phillies and their prospects of making the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Ryan Howard comes in as the NL MVP, Freddy Garcia was supposed to bolster the pitching rotation, and Jon Lieber was supposed to be the guy to get traded in exchange for extra bullpen arm. Oh yeah, Pat Burrell was supposed to be in great shape.

Well, Howard struggled, Garcia is on the disabled list, Lieber is still here, and Burrell is still Burrell. Granted, you can't always take too much out of spring training results, but I always prefer to see some results as opposed to little or no results. There were some reasons to be optimistic though, and it begins with Brett Myers.

Myers has shown that he is ready to get going. He came into spring training in better shape than last year and his pitching has been very good. He is the #1 guy on this team and rightfully so. What happened to Myers in Boston last season was bad, but sometimes those kind of incidents can help in the long run. His wife is still behind him and Myers seems to have a new approach to his game and personality. He isn't as standoffish as he once was, and he seems to be the most motivated to help his team. Look for a 18 or 19 win season from this guy.

Chase Utley should not be forgotten about of course. He is the best second baseman in the National League. There, I said it. Howard may get the recognition for his power, but Utley is the guy who will lead this team to a championship run. If not this year, any year now. Utley is a threat to do just about anything at the plate and his fielding skills are not too shabby either. While Utley and Howard provide some threats at the plate, very few of the rest of the Phillies do.

Jimmy Rollins as a lead off man has yet to really please me, although he has shown signs of being more patient and getting better. He may be the best option on this team so I am ok with it for now. People love Shane Victorino. I do not. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy's energy and enthusiasm (I believe it is unrivaled on the club, except for maybe the Phanatic) but when Victorino comes to the plate, pitchers aren't exactly shaking in their cleats. The bottom half of the lineup has potential with Aaron Rowand and Wes Helms and such, but, to me, the Phillies season and chances of the post season berth so very much coveted, rests on the shoulders of Burrell.

This is the man who is slated to be in the dreaded five spot, behind Ryan Howard. If teams are going to give Howard the "Barry Bonds treatment" then it is up to Burrell to make them pay. There was a brief time in Burrell's earlier days that he could provide a deep threat, but ever since Jim Thome came through town Burrell's bat has had holes drilled in it or had super glue applied to his shoulders. He has been frustrating to watch for any Phillies fan who dreams of October ball. I'm not saying Burrell definitely will step it up this year, but I do have faith that he will provide some more punishment for the opposition after Howard trots down to first base.

Why? Meh, why not?


I have faith in the starting pitching but once the relievers come in I will be nervous, unless they can step it up like they did a few years ago. Trust me, the bullpen was indeed a strong point of this team. When Garcia and Lieber come back form injury Lieber will likely be placed in the bullpen, which would give me some more confidence.

So what do I think will happen with the team this year? I'm thinking about second place with a legitimate shot at the Wild Card. I think the Mets will start slow, but flex their muscle as the season goes, but all bets are off if Pedro Martinez (nobody seems to have mentioned his name this off season and spring training) misses another huge chunk of the season. The Phillies are notorious for starting off slow in April, and their first 40 games including a west coast trip aren't really all that favorable. Three off days if I'm not mistaken, which is not a lot for a team with two starting pitchers on the disabled list. Not to mention a number of games against the Mets, Braves, the nemesis Marlins and the pesky Nationals. Oh yeah, and those Astros roll into town early too.

So here is a glimpse at my predictions for the year:

NL East
1. Mets
2. Phillies (Wild Card)
3. Braves
4. Marlins
5. Nationals


NL West champs: Dodgers (no thanks to Mike Lieberthal though)
NL Central champs: Cardinals

AL East champs: Yankees
AL Central champs: Indians
AL West champs: Angels
AL Wild Card: Red Sox

NL Champ: Mets
AL Champ: Angels

World Series Champs: Angels


It pains me picking the Mets to go that far, just for the record.


And now some looking back.

When I started this blog I talked about the travesty of the NHL lockout canceling the entire season. A lot has changed since then my friends. The NHL is back and the game is better. But the results aren't exactly the most ideal. The numbers are still down and I still say the problems is overexposure. But I don't want to bash a game I am fond of right now, for this is a joyous post filled with happy thoughts (like TO having a bad pinky).

I want to thank anyone who has regularly checked the blog for updates, or saw an update announcement in my AIM profile, anyone who makes a point to read every post, and anyone who has ever commented on a post. The posts help me realize that people are reading or are interested. Actually I'd still be posting even without the comments (it's been a while since I got a post actually, not that I'm lonely and bitter about it)! But I love when somebody sees me and mentions a post in particular or encourages me to continue posting so they can read on. It really is a thrill for me. So the blog will continue as we begin to countdown to the 200th post! Feel free to send me your thoughts or ideas for a future conversation and thanks for checking out my blog!

Thank you all! Game on!

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Final Four Prediction

Just a quick post today, and I mean quick!

Georgetown over Ohio State
UCLA over Florida


Did you notice my NIT prediction came through? I guess I'm better with that loser tournament than I am with the real one.

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NCAA Round Three Recap

Well, I have just about lost all hope of winning in my tourney pool. When Butler failed to knock off the defending champ Florida, and Tennessee squandered away a 20 point lead to the Buckeyes, I knew that I was going to have to hope for the PAC-10 to come on strong in this round in order for me to have a shot. North Carolina losing to Georgetown wouldn't be all that bad either.

I love a pair of the match ups in this round, namely UCLA and Kansas squaring off in the West region. UCLA is my pick to win it all, but I love the way Kansas plays. Add in the fact all of the history and tradition behind the Bruins and the Jayhawks, and this makes for the most storied game. I like how Oregon plays and that is why I'm picking them in the Midwest region over Florida. But maybe I'm just mad because I had Florida losing a while ago. Shame on me.

Same goes for Ohio State. There is no way the Buckeyes should still be playing but, probably to spite me, they find ways to win. No way that continues against Memphis though, the team I've got playing the Bruins in the Final.

I didn't pick North Carolina or Georgetown to make it this far, but they did. For the sake of the pool though, I'm rooting for those Big East dogs, Georgetown. Go Hoyas.


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Bracket I'm most confident with heading into round three: Still the West region (UCLA knocking off Kansas). It's the only match up I have guessed correctly this far.
Bracket I'm least confident with: Forget the East region because I don't have either team playing. I'm going to say the Midwest region because Florida is the team I would least like to see win (for pool purposes only) otherwise it'd be DUH Ohio State University. I feel confident that Memphis won't squander away a game to the Buckeyes like Xavier and Tennessee have already done.
Final Four picks: Oregon, UCLA, Memphis, Texas

Elite Eight Teams remaining: 5

Today's bold prediction: Oregon will beat Florida. Maybe not that bold, but everybody else is picking Florida. Quack. Quack. Quack. Watch for the Flying V!

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NCAA Round Two Update

Raise your hand if you have your Final Four teams remaining.

Let the record show that I did not raise my hand, thanks to USC drubbing my Texas squad. Perhaps the Trojans were looking for revenge for their football counterparts appearance in the Rose Bowl against the Longhorns two seasons ago. Or perhaps I misjudged how much Kevin Durant could carry his team.

I still feel good about half of my Final Four, but the sake of my pool, I'm a huge Butler fan this weekend. I picked Maryland to dump defending champ Florida back to the swamp, but I could really use Butler to take on that role now. After round two, in which THE Ohio State was given a couple favors en route to a thrilling come from behind overtime victory against in state rival Xavier, I am left with only nine Sweet Sixteen teams and only have two games perfectly paired up (Pitt/UCLA and Ohio State/Tennessee). My East bracket is finished as Boston College succumbed to Georgetown and my Final Four pick Texas, as mentioned above, lost to USC. I also had Washington State picked to beat George Washington (who had already lost to Vanderbilt...who beat Washington State).

Nervous about my Florida-Maryland Butler match-up? Definitely. Would I be surprised if Butler pulled one more win out? Not at all.

On a side note, I never did comment on how I'm pleased that the NCAA went back to calling each region by one of the cardinal directions, rather than after a city. Instead of the St. Louis region we have the Midwest Region. Something just doesn't sound right about hearing the "East Rutherford Region" in tourney basketball. But I see that change didn't affect the women's tourney.

Take a look at my most and least confident regions below and compare them to my previous post. Funny how one round changes everything.
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Bracket I'm most confident with heading into round three: West region (UCLA and Kansas moving on)
Bracket I'm least confident with: East region (I've got Texas beating UNC and Boston College beating Washington State)
Final Four picks: Oregon, UCLA, Memphis, Texas

Sweet 16 teams remaining: 9
Elite Eight Teams remaining: 5

Today's bold prediction: Take Clemson to beat the Syracuse Crybabies, er....Orangemen in the battle of the Orange in the NIT, but take West Virginia to win it all.

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NCAA Round One Recap

Anybody who thought Penn had a chance at beating Texas A&M after their comeback was probably just caught up in the momentum. Sure enough, it didn't last long. I love the Philly teams and would love to see Penn stop teasing us with their close games in which they don't have enough steam to go the distance. That is why the first round was a little dissappointing for the local fans.

Some good games out there in the first round, but no real eye openers I believe. I got only 22 games right in my bracket in the first round. I initially picked Michigan State to beat Marquette before learning that Marquette's top scorer would be out with an injury. However, fo some reason, on my pool with a couple buddies I picked Marquette. That cost me as now I'm behind by two instead of one. The Big Ten did me in actually as Purdue had an easier time with Arizona than I wanted and Indiana was able to get by Gonzaga in Sacramento. My upset picks of Arkansas over USC, Albany over Virginia and Creighton over Nevada also fell apart on me.

I, like everyone in my pool, picked Villanova over Kentucky. But watching the game last night, I got the sense pretty early on that Kentucky would pull away eventually. Nova's problem was finding an answer to the big man and finding some consistent scoring. So Villanova's season is over in the first round, but I still think they had a good year and they'll be a good team again for a long time coming as long coach Jay Wright stays there doing what he is doing. Whoever won the game, I was still picking Kansas in round two.

The good news for my bracket is every team that I picked to win in round one that lost, I picked them to lose their next game (except for Illinois), so I still have a decent chance heading into round two.

Check back for my round two recap on Monday night and we'll see how I'm doing heading into the Sweet 16.


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Bracket I'm most confident with heading into round two: East region (Texas advancing past Boston College
Bracket I'm least confident with: West region (missed four games already)
Final Four picks: Oregon, UCLA, Memphis, Texas

Sweet 16 teams remaining: 16

Today's bold prediction: Despite a 5-1 record, the Big Ten will be shut out of the Elite Eight

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Let the Madness Begin

Well actually, it already has! This week get ready for conference tournaments going left and right. This is when the bubble teams really decide their fate. I think Villanova is already in but a win or two in the Big East tournament would just solidify their spot in the tourney even more. MY early season prediction of Drexel making it may have fallen a little short and been a victim to their early season success. Look for Drexel to make a run in the NIT.

And here's another prediction; Syracuse will win a Big East tourney game and everybody will think the Orangemen should get a spot in the NCAA tournament and Jim Boeheim will be interviewed on ESPN every three and a half hours on Sportscenter, PTI, halftimes and pregames. It just wouldn't be March without it.

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Phillies Spring Training Thoughts...

Anybody who thinks Ryan Howard got shunned with his $900,000 contract doesn't understand how baseball contracts work. This isn't the NBA where you can come right out of high school (or freshman year of college now) and earn a $25 million shoe contract and make millions without ever suiting up for your team. The good thing about baseball is you have to serve your time and prove yourself worthy of the big money. Howard had a great year last year and deserves more money. He will get it, as long as he proves to the Phillies that he is the man that earns the money. Critics of the deal should take note of the Sixers organization. Howard's not going anywhere and he will get millions... in due time.


What am I looking for this spring training?
1.) Middle relief pitching to develop
2.) Tom Gordon to be healthy as the closer
3.) Possible trade of Jon Lieber for some middle relief
4.) Pat Burrell getting a good start and getting his swing together
5.) Aaron Rowand memorizing how far it is until the walls and Chase Utley

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And a couple off-topic topics...not there is ever a set topic or topics. Too many topics?
- It is good seeing Lisa Thomas Laury back on Action News. I know many of my friends prefer Action News BY FAR over the others in the Philadelphia area, and for me it is good to see one of the older familiar faces back.
- You know mayoral elections are reaching a new heights when they start inviting you to be their friends on MySpace. True story.

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Jeff Garcia

Once upon a time Donovan McNabb got injured and Koy Detmer stepped into his place. Detmer proceeded to get injured and young AJ Feeley became the starter of an Eagles team that went to the NFC championship (although under McNabb in the postseason). Fans loved Feeley and some were even dull enough to believe the Eagles were a better team with him as the starter rather than McNabb. Feeley then went off to play in San Diego and Miami, before returning to Philadelphia.

In the meantime a man named Jeff Garcia signed a contract with the Eagles to be the backup for McNabb. The deal was if McNabb were to go down, Garcia would command the ship on the field in his absence. Sure enough McNabb went down and the fans clamored for Feeley to play. Garcia got the nod, heard the boos in his first full game, and the AJ fever continued. But then a funny thing happened. Garcia lead the Eagles to five straight wins, clinched the NFC East, a home playoff victory and came down to the wire on the road in a playoff loss. Along the way Garcia became the most popular athlete in town since Ryan Howard won the MVP in baseball. Garcia was everywhere. T-shirts were made. Public appearances were scheduled. Garcia was the most popular Eagle since T.O. Admit it.

But now I'm listening to people dogging the Eagles, and perhaps over blowing the situation where the Eagles did not offer Garcia a contract but signed Feeley to a three year deal. I would have liked to see Garcia stay here, but is it really worth the time and energy to debate who the backup quarterback is going to be? Does anybody really think the starting job could possibly go to anybody besides McNabb? If you honestly think McNabb has reason to worry about losing his starting spot, look at the money. Stop worrying about who the backup is. Garcia was fun to watch but in the end he lost in the second round of the playoffs.

If the Eagles are in a situation where we need to know who's filling in for McNabb, the season is very likely a lost cause anyway. So calm down people! It's not exactly like the Eagles are passing on Joe Montana or John Elway here.

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Pennsylvania Sports Mt. Rushmore

Yeah, I know it. I have once again been lacking in the consistency aspect of posting to this wonderful blog, which I am proud that many of you actually read from time to time! Which reminds me, I'm looking to find out exactly who my audience is. So if you are reading this right now, you are required to email me in the next five minutes to let me know that you do indeed read my blog on occasion. If you do not e-mail me you have bad luck in love for the next seven years. Or a piano will fall on your head. It's true. Do you really want to risk that pain and suffering? Email me now.

But in any event, I would like to propose to you, the loyal readers from the great state of Pennsylvania the "Pennsylvania Sports Mt Rushmore", in honor of President's Day. The concept is simple. Like the tourist attraction and landmark, we will carve four profiles of the greatest icons from each of the four major sports (sorry golfers and gearheads) into the side of the Appalachian Mountains. These icons will each have a very important part in Pennsylvania sports for any number of reasons. It is open to people all over the state, from Pittsburgh, to Philadelphia, from Scranton, to Wilkes Barre (Wait, aren't they the same thing? Eh, who cares?). Feel free to debate, although you won't be able to with this one.

Representing the sport of football is none other than Penn State football head coach Joe Paterno. Longevity, honor, and class, not to mention the second all time winningest division 1-a football coach. What will college football (if not just Penn State) be like when Paterno is not on the sidelines anymore?

Hockey is represented by the pride of Pittsburgh, Mario Lemieux. Not only did the man lead the hockey franchise on the ice for so long, when the team was in financial troubles he bought the team! When people think Penguins hockey, they think Mario.


When it comes to baseball, the answer is clearly Mike Schmidt. The best third baseman of all time, ten gold gloves, MVP honors, post season mvp honors, all star games galore, and all for the Phillies of all teams.


And finally basketball. Did you ever know that Wilt Chamberlin once scored 100 points in Hershey? The game wasn't even on tv. To this day over a million people say they were there in the Hershey arena, which hosts about 2,000 people. Wilt is still regarded as the best ever...well, some people argue that point with Michael Jordan. Still though, Wilt is the best of all time and wins his spot on Mt Rushmore in this topic, hands down.


Anybody want to give me a Mt Rushmore for any specific city or state? I'd be interested to hear somebody's take for Maryland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, etc.

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Monday Afternoon Recap

After watching the Colts-Patriots AFC Championship game, all I have to say is wow. I say that this was the most exciting conference championship game I've ever watched. It was far more entertaining than the NFC game featuring Da Bears and the feel good New Orleans Saints. The Saints hung in there for a while and looked like they were about to take the game over, but that game just unraveled too fast for them in the fourth quarter. I was rooting for the Saints, but as soon as I saw rookie Reggie Bush scamper for 80+ yards, pointed towards Brian Urlacher on the way before he somersaulted into the end zone, and capped it off with a little jig, I wanted the Bears to be the ones doing the Super Bowl Shuffle.

I must say I'm surprised at how I felt about the Colts winning their game. I've never been a big Peyton Manning fan, but I did find myself feeling good for him once the game was all but wrapped up. With all the pressure and criticism he's gotten since his college days (never being able to beat Florida, and also losing to Penn State twice in bowl games), and all the talk about not winning a big one in the pros, you have to feel good for a guy who finally gets past all of that. Having said that though, if he plays a stinker against the Bears, all of this talk is hogwash.

Who I feel better for actually is Tony Dungy. Dungy has been through pretty much the same deal as Peyton, but form the coaching perspective. Dungy has always had good defenses with Tampa Bay and good offenses with Indianapolis but never could get them past a certain point. The Eagles beat up on Dungy's Bucs time and time again, and the Patriots and Jets put a hurting on his Colts. Tony Dungy is a class act on and off the field. His family has been through a lot in the past few years and I hope he does well in the Super Bowl.

Too early to make my Super Bowl prediction, but I do feel that the Bud Light squad is primed for a victory over Bud in the Bud Bowl.

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AFC and NFC Championship Game Preview

So we are down to the final four teams in the NFL. We've had some surprises and a lot of excitement thus far and I think we can expect that trend to continue this weekend with the conference championship games. Here's my quick outlook on the match ups.

Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots
As has been the case the last few years, the AFC championship is widely being viewed as the "real" Super Bowl. There is no question that these two teams appear stronger than the NFC teams, but let us not get too far ahead of the moment. There will be a lot of talk about Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady (Brady holds a clear advantage in their history). Manning has had another sub-par post season, throwing for five interceptions and one touchdown and has been carried by his defense and the leg of their former Patriot kicker. Brady on the other hand has shown the ability to lead his team and will them to victory as he usually does. Brady hasn't had a flawless post season, but when his team has needed him he has come through. It is no wonder he has a stellar 11-1 post season record. That is just unbelievable.

The Patriots defense will have to come out ready to play and get back to their old ways of frustrating Manning. A couple interceptions, which is likely, would do just that. I don't see the Colts defense holding up the way they have much longer, and if anybody can pick them apart it is Bill Bellicheck. Patriots come out of the RCA Dome AFC Champions for the fourth time in six years. Patriots 27, Colts 17


Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints
This game will concentrate on two major story lines; the magical season the Saints have had and the play of Rex Grossman. The more important story line will be the play of Grossman. Chicago's defense is good but not invincible. Drew Brees is a smart quarterback with a smart coach and a feisty offensive line. With the talents the Saints have at running back it should be a key for them to operate an effective running game even against the Bears. Not that Chicago can't do the same, because the Saints defense is just as vulnerable.

I do believe though that this game will come down more to the elements. I do not believe that it really is a factor when it comes to a championship game, but I can not bypass the history. Teams that play in a dome traditionally do note perform well outside in cold weather, and Chicago is one of the coldest places to play this time of year. I think factors like that bring this game down to the special teams, an area where I believe the Bears have an advantage. We all know the talent the Bears possess on punt and kick returns as well as their kicker Robbie Gould. So, call me nuts if you wish, but I'm picking the Bears to squeak this one out at home, despite Grossman. Bears 27, Saints 24

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Brian Dawkins is THE Man

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David Boredom

So today David Beckham signed a $250 million contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Admit it, you just heard about the Galaxy with this story right?

I love how people actually think this will finally make soccer big in the United States. For anybody who is foolish to believe that, I feel sorry for you. I really do. This could be the absolute worst use of $250 million in this country ever, nudging past Alex Rodriguez. Soccer may be the world's sport, and I'm fine with that, but please don't try to tell me that soccer will finally contend with the sports we already have here for my attention span.
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So Florida demolished Ohio State in the BCS National Championship. Wow. I didn't see that coming, seriously! But now the 41-14 lopsided game is calling the critics of the Big Ten and Ohio State out. ESPN actually did a short story stating why Ohio State should not have even been IN the game! How in the world can anybody be convinced they should NOT have been in the game, before witnessing the beatdown. How insane is that? Ohio State should have been in that game, just as much as Donovan McNabb should be the starting quarterback for the Eagles when he comes back form injury next year. There is no question about it.

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Tuesday Thoughts

Psssst! Ohio State? Your plane for the BCS Championship Game left without you!

I don't know what happened, but the #1 team in the nation all year long got to feel the pain of the Gators chomping on their arteries last night and boy did it hurt! The seven point favorites started falling early when their star receiver, Ted Ginn Jr., left the game with an injury and Heisman trophy winner Troy Smith couldn't do anything to lead the Buckeyes past a faster, hungrier Florida Gator squad. Hats off to Florida coach Urban Meyer, who campaigned for his team to get the BCS title chance nod as the regular season drew to a close. Thumbs down to usually great BCS gameday coach Jim Tressel. I don't care what the circumstances are, you NEVER go for it on 4th and 1 on your own 29 yard line in the first half. Second half is a different story, but NEVER in the first half. I don't care if you're trying to pump your team up. That move right there really did the Buckeyes in for good I believe, as Florida, already up 24-14, went into halftime with a 34-14 lead. Perhaps Tressel was giving the "Charlie Weis" method of not waiting for halftime to make adjustments a whirl. We all know how well that turned out.

So Florida is the national champion. But I say Boise State is the national champion. Using the old "Slippery Rock" logic, Boise State beat Wyoming, who beat New Mexico, who beat Colorado State, who beat Fresno State, who beat Southern Methodist, who beat Tulsa, who beat Navy, who beat Connecticut, who beat Pittsburgh, who beat Cincinnati, who beat Rutgers, who beat Louisville, who beat Kentucky, who beat Georgia, who beat Auburn, who beat Florida. Who needs the BCS? Who wants a playoff?

Meanwhile in baseball world, the Hall of Fame formerly announced two new inductees; Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. These two guys may possibly be the last two inductees who are not already on the ballot, who played for only one team his entire career. Are there any more out there? It is a darn shame that Mark McGwire's controversy is overshadowing the induction of two of the absolute most positive influences baseball has had in a very long time. The other shame is the fact that neither of the two were voted for unanimously. Ripken I could understand, but if you don't vote for Tony Gwynn you fall into two categories:

1. You never vote for a player his first time on the ballot, which to me makes no sense. What makes a player that much great one year later, five years later etc.? If he is great enough to be voted for at ANY point in time, he deserves the vote the first time.
2. You are a moron.

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Notre Dame, Eagles-Giants

Did you see Notre Dame the other night. I have to hand it to them. They hung in there for about a half before the true fraud Notre Dame surfaced in the second half. Everything about Notre Dame infuriates me.

How many times did I have to hear that Charlie Weis wasn't going to wait until halftime to make adjustments in the game? Fact is EVERY coach in football makes adjustments before halftime. This is nothing new. What, are we supposed to bow to Weis because he did the same thing that every coach who has ever won anything has done before? Maybe Weis should have waited for halftime, because he sure didn't seem to make any adjustments then.

Notre Dame is overrated and over-hyped and it is clear. But as long as they beat their weak schedule nine or ten times every year, which they should, then they will weasel their way into a BCS invitation, especially now with the extra BCS game hanging out there. We need more of Wisconsin (who would have played LSU if the Big Ten didn't already have Ohio State and Michigan in BCS games) and Arkansas or Auburn, and less...much less of Notre Dame.

Here are some related links for your reading pleasure:
ESPN.com - RECRUITING - All-American Bowl: RB McKnight narrows choices
ESPN.com - NCF/BOWLS06 - Notre Dame bowl history
The Daily Advertiser
Temple Daily Telegram

Interesting that ND lost a highly touted recruit, who happens to be from Louisiana. Think being blown out by LSU in the Sugar Bowl had anything to do with it? Nah.


As for the BCS, read this article from ESPN.com about the start of the downfall of college football. It centers around the story of the Fiesta Bowl between Penn State and Miami, Good vs. Evil, Joe Pa vs. Jimmy the Hair, and more. It's really quite interesting.

The Night College Football Went to Hell

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The Eagles will beat the Giants. They have too. If they lose this game the season will be viewed as a disaster. After everything they did to get to this point they can not lose a home game against a division rival and have their Cinderella title taken from them and headed up north. The Eagles are better in just about every category except maybe linebacker, but nothing about the Giants scares me. Perhaps I should be scared most of my overconfidence. After all, this is Philadelphia.

Bill Cowher retired today from the Steelers. Something tells me though that he'll be back in some capacity and will be heard from without too long of an absence.

And then I read that Ricky Williams is interested in returning to the Dolphins? Please Ricky, if you're going to be running, run away from the NFL. You have more than outgrown your welcome.
ESPN.com - NFL - Ricky Williams seeking return to NFL, Dolphins

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Giveaway of the Day

I check this site out just about every day and figured it is time to spread the word about it. If you're interested in free ware, give this link a visit. This ticker is supposed to tell you what the giveaway of the day is every time it changes.

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Happy New Year!

Hello and welcome to the year 2007! 2006 finished off better than expected with the Eagles coming back and winning the NFC East division crown and 2007 got off to a good start with Penn State picking up the first win for the Big Ten conference in bowl play (Wisconsin soon after got the 2nd). So what's going to happen this year? Only time will tell but here are ten things I'm going on record with predicting right now. Some are consensus opinions and thoughts with many and some are a little more bold predictions.

1. Eagles ride will continue to the Super Bowl. They should beat the Giants with relatively no problem. And I believe that experience does count when they play the New Orleans Saints, and they could end up hosting the NFC Championship against Seattle...or Dallas. All bets are off against the Baltimore Ravens though.

2. T.O. will remain in Dallas. Parcells will not.

3. Flyers will miss the playoffs for the first time in a while. The shakeup and reformation will continue with letting Forsberg go and one of the goalies being traded or let go (see ya Esche).

4. Sixers will not get the first overall pick in the NBA draft, but will be top three and will generate some enthusiasm with a quality draft.

5. Phillies make the playoffs, clinching the NL East thanks in large part to Mets pitching to start the season due to injuries and the fact that Barry Zito went to San Francisco. Ryan Howard's homerun total drops from 2006 but still hits 40 easily.

6. Penn State returns to a BCS Bowl after 11-1 season, beating Notre Dame and Ohio State along the way...lose at Michigan.

7. Barry Bonds sits out any number of games due to a knee "injury" while the Giants are on the road, and plays in only home games until he breaks Hank Aaron's record.

8. One Philadelphia team (Villanova) out of three (Penn and Drexel) make it to the Sweet 16. Penn State joins them.

9. Bobby Bowden announces his retirement, having already given back the career record for all time coaching victories back to Joe Paterno, and leaves Paterno a clear path to cushioning the space between them.

10. Donovan McNabb wins comeback player of the year.


There you go. We'll check back in 2008 to see how close I got with this list! To everybody, thanks for reading and have a good, safe and pleasant 2007!

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BCS Talk and Big Five prediction

So USC officially blew their shot at the national championship game versus Ohio State, so now we all wait to see if 12-1 Florida, the SEC champion, will get the nod over the once-Buckeye-beaten Michigan Wolverines. I have a bad feeling about this. I think that Michigan will get the nod because I think there will be enough voters in the nation to put them ahead of Florida.

Florida fans may say to look at the schedule to make their case for the championship game, so I did;

Date Opponent Result/Time
September 2 Southern Miss W 34-7
September 9 UCF W 42-0
September 16 at No. 13 Tennessee W 21-20
September 23 Kentucky W 26-7
September 30 Alabama W 28-13
October 7 No. 9 LSU W 23-10
October 14 at No. 11 Auburn L 27-17
October 28 at Georgia W 21-14
November 4 at Vanderbilt W 25-19
November 11 South Carolina W 17-16
November 18 Western Carolina W 62-0
November 25 at Florida State W 21-14
December 2 No. 8 Arkansas W 38-28 (SEC Championship)

Sure, the scores may look impressive at first glance, but I noticed a 62-0 beatdown of a 1AA opponent a squeaker against Vanderbilt and South Carolina and a lowly Florida State squad. They did win the games instead of lose them, and the game they did lose was to a tough opponent on the road. Considering the fact that the tough SEC teams knocked each other around this season, the rankings may seem misleading. But even then, there doesn't seem to be anything that really stands out and yell "Florida should play for the championship!" Is there?

Michigan is a tough one too. They exploited the over-hyped Fighting Irish and went down to the last minute against Ohio State. In between? Solid wins in a Big Ten conference that was probably a little down from last year, except for Wisconsin. So you could make that argument either way.

I'll stand by my philosophy that if you didn't win your own conference championship, then you shouldn't be allowed to play for the national championship (ie Nebraska a few years ago against Miami). How can you proclaim to be the best when you're not even the best in your own conference? Florida should be playing for the BCS Championship for this reason.

I know that Notre Dame probably got lucky with their bowl situation with Arkansas losing as well as Rutgers, but once, just once I'd like to see the bowls not take Notre Dame because of their name. Let's look at their schedule real quick...

September 2 at Georgia Tech W 14-10
September 9 No. 19 Penn State W 41-17
September 16 No. 11 Michigan L 47-21
September 23 at Michigan State W 40-37
September 30 Purdue W 35-21
October 7 Stanford W 31-10
October 21 UCLA W 20-17
October 28 at Navy W 38-14
November 4 North Carolina W 45-26
November 11 at Air Force W 39-17
November 18 Army W 41-9
November 25 at No. 3 USC L 44-24

It is clear that did not rack up their record against quality opponents (and yes I realize Penn State was a win, but have you seen PSU's offense this year?). Navy, North Carolina, Army, Air Force, Stanford are not exactly making anybody shake in their boots these days, are they? But Notre Dame will get invited to a BCS bowl because they are Notre Dame and they did "qualify" with a top 10 BCS ranking. And just like the NCAA basketball tournament, worthy teams will get left out of the big picture (I'm looking your way SEC teams).

The bowl selections will be completed tonight so I'll be eager to write what I think about them in the next couple of days.

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Big Five Prediction!

I realize that Villanova has already played Penn but my Big Five prediction is long overdue! So here it is...

1. Villanova
2. St. Joe's
3. Penn
4. Temple
5. LaSalle

And watch out for the Penn State Nittany Lions to make a run for the NCAA bubble teams because they're off to a good start, while Bucknell, who was supposed to be Top 25 worthy has done nothing to help themselves early in the season.

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Post Turkeyday Blog

Well it's Tuesday now so we probably have all had our dose of Thanksgiving leftovers and had a chance to digest the happenings in the sports world and such.

My quick observations and thoughts from the past weekend:

- USC has earned the right to play for the national championship so far, but Florida has a legit argument as to why they should be playing Ohio State instead.
- The Eagles defense is the top problem to deal with, not the offense.
- The Phillies aren't exactly in the World Series talk with the signing of Eaton, but it's not exactly a terrible move.
- The Flyers should start focusing on the draft about two weeks ago.
- With football grabbing the attention on Thanksgiving weekend, you may have missed the college basketball season in full swing.
- If the Red Sox can't sign the Japanese pitcher, then they should be ashamed of themselves to no end (remember, they paid about $50 million just to talk to him).

I know I haven't given my thoughts on the college basketball scene yet, but stay tuned, it'll be up by week's end.

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Ode to Ryan Howard

Congratulations Ryan Howard! You have been voted National League MVP! What are you going to do now?

While we'll skip any plug for Mickeytown USA, we should commemorate Howard's first of (maybe of a few) MVP awards. On a day following up another dreadful Eagles loss, a weekend of mediocrity with the Flyers and Sixers, the day that Alfonso Soriano (a player aimed by the Phills to possibly protect Howard in the lineup) signed with the Cubs, and on the same day that former Eagle player from the Buddy Ryan defense that is so heralded in the Philly area, Andre Waters, was found to have committed suicide, it is none other than the genuine, pure, and likeable Ryan Howard who brings a smile to everybody's faces on the cold dreary days of November.

Howard deserved the MVP award without a doubt. You could make a good case for Albert Pujols as well, but Howard is exactly the kind of player and person you want to see win the award. Let's face it, how much more unlike Barry Bonds can he be? Howard is a power hitter and a threat at the plate every chance he gets, but what's more is his genuine relationship with the fans of Philadelphia. In his short time here he has done nothing to alienate the fans and everything to re-energize them. The Phillies may not be World Series contenders anytime soon, but Howard, alongside Chase Utley, provides a reason to be interested in the club from April through September, and possibly October in the future.

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The Greatest Game Ever Played

Did you see the Michigan-Ohio State regular season finale? I was hesitant to think it would live up to the pregame hype. I was wrong. As much as I may dislike the Buckeyes, I am able to put my prejudice aside to state what a great game that was. And because I have seen it, I am in the party that declares that there should be no rematch for the championship game, unless Michigan finds itself as the only one loss team (or tied with Notre Dame). It may be difficult for the rematch to happen with USC and Florida still in prime position to get their shot at the Buckeyes, and I realize that there is a computer system put in place to determine these results for us.

As a supporter for some form of a playoff system I will always cry fowl at whatever the BCS throws our way, but at the same time, if so many people have a problem with it, then why do their conferences continue to support such a system. If the SEC has a problem with a one loss Florida not playing for the championship, then they should make the first move and pull out of the BCS games all together. Same with the Pac Ten, Big East or whoever. That is the only way a change will ever happen. And because a conference would never give up all the bowl money that would come their way, obviously we will be stuck with this format for quite some time. The BCS does do one thing right though, and that is to create more debates and conversations about college football.

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Judgment Day

So ESPN is hyping this Saturday as Judgement Day in college football. I find it hard to argue that when the top two teams in the country are meeting in the last regular season game for a spot in the national championship game and the third team in the BCS is battling an in state rival for the Pac 10 championship and the prospect of playing the winner of Ohio State-Michigan. This is an exciting weekend for college football fans, not just for these two games but for a slew of other rivalry games (Alabama-Auburn is a great one, Harvard-Yale is a classic, Lehigh-Lafayette too) and the start of the division two and three playoffs. College football is great, so let's enjoy the games, the rivalry games, the playoffs, the Heisman and Harlon Hill candidates, and the debates about who should be in the championship game. For the record I say that the loser of Ohio State-Michigan should not play for the championship.

As for the Big East, I don't think they will get a team in the championship game, even if Rutgers does go undefeated. First of all, as good as the Rutgers defense is, I don't know if they can contain Steve Slaton or Pat White nearly enough when they play West Virginia. And make no mistake, even if you shut one down, which is near impossible, you won't shut the other down. And if WVU runs the table the rest of the way they need a lot to happen. Louisville has already squandered their opportunity as well.

And for the Notre Dame fans crying their way to the title game, please. Once again Notre Dame has a very respectable record, but compare their record to a one loss team from the SEC and it is easy to determine which team would be more deserving of a shot in the BCS title game. Like last year, and every year, Notre Dame piles up wins and stats against lesser opposition like Navy, Army, Air Force. If Notre Dame beats USC then we have a debate, but if they end up with the same record as Michigan, how do you make that argument?

Speaking of the SEC, their shot at getting a championship game spot are also slim. They will be big Notre Dame fans next week, and I suppose Ohio State fans this week. But don't expect everything to work out the way the SEC seems to always think it should. Their teams have flaws just like everyone else, plus they may all knock each other out along the way through the SEC championship.

And now this weekends six pack of games for you.

Eagles over Titans
Saints over Bengals
Chargers over Broncos
Penn State over Michigan State
Ohio State over Michigan
West Chester over Bryant

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Finally

Finally, for the first time all season, I won a football pool. My fantasy team may have been blown out of the water, but it feels good to have won the football pool no matter what happens Monday night.

It was nice to see the Eagles pick up a win over the Redskins, and to see the defense play well. Despite scoring 20 points, I still think there were issues with the offense at key times. Playoff teams score ate least once when they get three consecutive drives starting on the opposing team's half of the field, and do not go three and out. I'd like to see improvement in that situation.

I didn't have it in my blog, but my AIM profile can verify that I went 5-1 in my Weekend Six Pack (I picked the Steelers, Eagles, Bears, Penn State, Shippensburg, and Tennessee who lost to Arkansas).

So finally the hoopla can begin for Ohio State - Michigan. I'd rather see Michigan pull it out, but that's just for pure disdain for the Buckeyes. Either way, I'm looking forward to an awesome game from these two bitter rivals. I guess though, that my BCS dream matchup of Rutgers-Boise State is out of the question.

Is anyone else glad to see college basketball getting started up once again? Who wouldn't be? What with Duke about to be shown 50 times this year once more, even though they only play 30 some games, ESPN will find a way to give us more and more Duke. Even though I suppose it's a little late, I'll be putting together my thoughts on some college basketball of local interest in the coming week, so stay tuned.

The more I see, the more I'm confirming my belief that the Flyers really just aren't any good. I'm thinking more and more that they do stink and they can't turn it around to the way the Flyers are accustomed. New rules, new league, same old Flyers. Doesn't quite work.

Remember when the Sixers were undefeated? That was a nice week. Now they're battling it out for the 8th seed. It's a good thing there's a lot of basketball to play!

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Weekend Preview

What a weekend in the world of sports we have ahead of us. From the start of the World Series, to some great college football games there is almost no better way to spend a fall weekend.

I love the fact that the Mets lost in the NLCS. Congrats Cards. But it was a classic ?Game Seven. Anytime you have a Game Seven, it is worth watching despite rooting interests, and last night's Game Seven between the Mets and Cardinals was no let-down. Great plays, great pitching, a clutch hit in the 9th inning and the Mets losing. Can it be any better? Now that the Cardinals, who were within inches of pulling off the biggest late season collapse in history (don't worry Phillies, that honor still belongs to your 1964 team), are on the World Series to face the Detroit Tigers, who went through their own late season slump and actually entered October with the Wild Card, I think we're in for a good series. I'm going to say though that the pitching for Detroit is just superior to that of the Cardinals, and I'll take the Tigers to win it all in six games.

Penn State quarterback Anthony Morelli was cleared to play against Illinois. I don't think Morelli is really needed against the Illini because I believe, at home, that Penn State should still win the game just on their rushing attack, but the news that he is cleared is good news. Look for Morelli to have a good rebound game. The toughest part of the season is done for the Nittanys and I wouldn't be surprised if they win out and head to the Outback Bowl or Alamo Bowl.

Kudos to the Florida International University football program for kicking two of their players off the team, and suspending others indefinitely for their actions against Miami. On the flip-side, Miami took a stand against some of their players for one game (against Duke). Those players will get to play in the important games after Duke. The U says they will take a zero tolerance policy form this point on and will not hurt the kids financially (thus the reason they are still on the team, and school). I say it is too little, too late. Zero tolerance should be given all the time in this situation. All these players did was jump off the sideline and beat their opponents with helmets and kicked them while they were down, thus embarrassing your football program yet again, and your school. And NOW you enact a zero tolerance policy? I guess we'll find out if they are serious or not, because this kind of problem will happen again in Miami, just as it does every other year or so.

NOW CALLING ALL FLYERS! ATTENTION: THE NHL SEASON STARTS ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5. Feel free to join in when you feel ready.

And now the Weekly Six Pack. I was 5-1 last week, updating my season total to 21-3. Pennsylvania football fans will be happy with my picks, unless you're attending homecoming festivities in the Cumberland Valley...

Eagles over Bucs
Colts over Redskins
Steelers over Falcons
Penn State over Illinois
Clemson over Georgia Tech
IUP over Shippensburg

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Broadstreet Wussies

I don't know exactly what the Flyers are doing at this point, but it sure isn't playing hockey. The Flyers lost last night by a score of 9-1. 9-1! Unheard of! With the loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the team who ousted the Flyers from the playoffs last season in embarrassing fashion, the Flyers drop their record to 1-4-1. They have scored 12 goals and given up 26. The power play percentage is at 8.9%, higher than only three other teams (Ottawa, Calgary, and Tampa Bay). The penalty kill is at 82.4%, which is in the lower half of the league.

Now, with the understanding that the NHL season is a long one and there is plenty of time to get better, I still feel it is vital that the Flyers make changes now because at the end of the season we will all be looking at their playoff seeding, if there is one, and thinking that they missed home-ice advantage by a point here against this team, two or three points there against another. Early season struggles can be overcome but the necessary changes must be made from the top down.

It is obvious to me that the people in charge of the Flyers are still neglecting to change their game for the new NHL and they have a sense of stubbornness to do so. Need proof? Look at the 9-1 loss. The new NHL is all about speed and skating. Physical presence is not as big a factor as it used to be. Having Petr Forsberg is tremendous but he is only one player. Bob Clarke, backed by Ed Snider, has an inability to adjust to the new NHL and a change must be made for the Flyers to adapt to the league. More proof that the Flyers are stuck in their 1970's past? Have you seen the commercials airing now celebrating the Flyers' 40th anniversary? I'll say I'm paraphrasing because I forget the exact slogan, but it is Forty Years and Still Fighting, accompanied by clips of Flyers fights through the decades. I'll let it slide because it is an anniversary, but after this I wish to see no more of this "we're bigger and tougher than you and if we can't keep up with you we'll shove you around a little bit" hockey.

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Fantasy update: I was a little premature in my writing about my fantasy football matchup this past weekend. Thanks to Rex Grossman's poor performance (6 turnovers) leading to a fantasy score of -9 points, and a big night from Anquan Boldin, I pulled off a miracle come from behind victory to stay undefeated, and continue to lead in the points department. Thanks Rex!

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