How screwed up is the NFL when a 9-7 team (Arizona) is hosting an 11-5 team (Atlanta), and an 8-8 team (San Diego) is hosting a 12-4 team (Indianapolis)? And even though Miami and Baltimore have identical records, Baltimore technically finished ahead of Miami because they beat them head-to-head, so that makes three of the four road teams this weekend with better records than their home opponents. And if the Eagles hadn't blown the Washington game, all four road teams would have had better records than their home counterparts. I'd be surprised if that even happened twice in one playoff week before this season.
It's a consequence of the eight-division alignment the NFL now employs: you get a weak 8-8 division winner like San Diego hosting a playoff game while New England at 11-5 is sitting home (not that I feel sorry for Belechick). I know such occurrences happened occasionally in the old six-division alignment, but that problem was largely resolved when they added a third wildcard to each conference. Things were running pretty smoothly from that point on until they decided to realign into eight divisions. Unfortunately, the NFL has backed itself into a corner. They can't add more playoff teams (that would just dilute the quality and turn the NFL into the NHL), and they'll never return to a six-division alignment, so it will probably become fairly common to see teams with double-digit wins sitting at home for the playoffs while 8-8 teams move on. We may even one day see the unthinkable scenario of a 7-9 team hosting a playoff game against a 13-3 team--it could happen, and that would be a major embarassment for the league.
At the very least, the NFL should rethink giving automatic higher seeds to division winners, because there's no way that San Diego and Arizona deserve to host playoff games.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sometimes the Long Shot Comes In
Who would have thought we'd be sitting here on Monday talking about the Eagles' upcoming playoff game? Nobody. Who in their right mind thought Tampa would lose at home to a lousy team like Oakland, blowing a ten-point lead in the process? Nobody. Who thought the Eagles would put a spanking on the Cowboys the likes of which have rarely been seen in Eagles history? Nobody. The Bears losing in Houston wasn't terribly surprising, but the chances of both Chicago and Tampa losing were pretty small. In fact, you probably had a better chance of winning the lottery than witnessing the confluence of events that occurred yesterday to allow the Eagles to sneak into the playoffs. Then again, it's been that kind of wacky season (the Chargers rallied from a 4-8 record to win their division for god's sake).
I'm not surprised the Eagles beat the Cowboys (though, in my understandable dejection after the Washington debacle I said something much different), but the way they did it was certainly shocking. Playoffs or no playoffs, that was one of the more enjoyable games in Eagles' history. The Cowboys, with eight days of rest and a playoff spot on the line, flat-out choked like the frauds they are. Of course the Eagles had something to do with that, particularly the defense that is playing as well as any in football right now. It doesn't get much sweeter than demolishing the Cowboys, especially given the bonus of sending them home for the postseason. I'm glad Reid finally discovered that Buckhalter is still on this team. He and Westbrook would make a formidable tandem if Reid would just use them. I hope he has finally gotten the message that you have to run to win, but how many times have I said that in the past? I won't hold my breath that he's suddenly a changed man, but we can at least hope that he'll continue the trend for the playoffs.
The Eagles have been largely representative of this year's NFL as a whole. One game they look unbeatable, the next they look like they can't get out of their own way. Thankfully, against the Cowboys, we got the former. Now the question becomes which Eagles team we'll see in the playoffs. When they play like they did against Washington, they are capable of losing to anyone, but when they play like they did yesterday, they are capable of beating anyone. And really, does anybody in the NFC playoffs scare you? If the Eagles can get on a roll with the way the defense is playing, they have just as legitimate of a shot as anyone. The Giants proved last year that if you get hot at the right time, it doesn't matter how many road games you have to play.
As for the game itself: Minnesota is a very beatable team. Defensively, the Eagles just need to stack the line and force Jackson to beat them through the air. Peterson is a monster, but the Eagles did a good job of stuffing him last year, and I have faith in Johnson to come up with an effective scheme for containing him once again. On offense, they may have to throw more than we want them to because Minnesota is so good against the run, but it would be a mistake to abandon the running game altogether, so please, Andy, learn from your past mistakes for a change!
My prediction: I just don't see Minnesota being able to put that many points on the board against the Eagles' defense, and I think McNabb and the offense will do just enough to pull this one out, even if Reid goes brain dead and throws 80% of the time again. Experience wins out in this one: Eagles 20, Vikings 10.
I'm not surprised the Eagles beat the Cowboys (though, in my understandable dejection after the Washington debacle I said something much different), but the way they did it was certainly shocking. Playoffs or no playoffs, that was one of the more enjoyable games in Eagles' history. The Cowboys, with eight days of rest and a playoff spot on the line, flat-out choked like the frauds they are. Of course the Eagles had something to do with that, particularly the defense that is playing as well as any in football right now. It doesn't get much sweeter than demolishing the Cowboys, especially given the bonus of sending them home for the postseason. I'm glad Reid finally discovered that Buckhalter is still on this team. He and Westbrook would make a formidable tandem if Reid would just use them. I hope he has finally gotten the message that you have to run to win, but how many times have I said that in the past? I won't hold my breath that he's suddenly a changed man, but we can at least hope that he'll continue the trend for the playoffs.
The Eagles have been largely representative of this year's NFL as a whole. One game they look unbeatable, the next they look like they can't get out of their own way. Thankfully, against the Cowboys, we got the former. Now the question becomes which Eagles team we'll see in the playoffs. When they play like they did against Washington, they are capable of losing to anyone, but when they play like they did yesterday, they are capable of beating anyone. And really, does anybody in the NFC playoffs scare you? If the Eagles can get on a roll with the way the defense is playing, they have just as legitimate of a shot as anyone. The Giants proved last year that if you get hot at the right time, it doesn't matter how many road games you have to play.
As for the game itself: Minnesota is a very beatable team. Defensively, the Eagles just need to stack the line and force Jackson to beat them through the air. Peterson is a monster, but the Eagles did a good job of stuffing him last year, and I have faith in Johnson to come up with an effective scheme for containing him once again. On offense, they may have to throw more than we want them to because Minnesota is so good against the run, but it would be a mistake to abandon the running game altogether, so please, Andy, learn from your past mistakes for a change!
My prediction: I just don't see Minnesota being able to put that many points on the board against the Eagles' defense, and I think McNabb and the offense will do just enough to pull this one out, even if Reid goes brain dead and throws 80% of the time again. Experience wins out in this one: Eagles 20, Vikings 10.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Half A Yard Short: A Microcosm for the Whole Season
First, let's face facts: the Eagles season ended in Washington. They're not going to the playoffs. Tampa Bay is not going to miraculously lose at home to the hapless Raiders. And even if the unthinkable happens and Tampa loses, the Eagles still need either Minnesota or Chicago to lose. And even if the miracle of all Christmas miracles happens and both of those scenarios come to pass, the Eagles still must beat the Cowboys—and after watching that pathetic effort against a bad Washington team, does anyone believe that is going to happen?
The Eagles were already given the opportunity to control their own destiny when Tampa lost to San Diego—and they flat-out blew it. They came up smaller than small when everything was on the line. The game itself isn't even worth writing about, so I won't rehash what happened, other than to marvel at Reid's undying stubbornness in throwing the ball 80% of the time on a blustery, windy day while giving Westbrook all of ten meaningful carries. This blurb from Phil Sheridan's article says it all:
"Take away the two junk runs at the end of the first half and the Eagles called just 12 runs while attempting 48 passes (not counting two McNabb spikes). That's an 80/20 split, if you're interested in percentages. That's just stupid, if you're interested in adjective."
I've outlined in several previous blog entries why Reid should be fired, so no need to go there again. This season has convinced me more than ever that Reid's past success was due primarily to Jim Johnson's defense and Donovan McNabb's talent. Now that McNabb, several years and major injuries later, is no longer capable of winning games by himself, Reid's shortcomings have been laid bare. I don't know how many more times he has to miss the playoffs, how many more times his team has to fail to show up in big games, before Lurie will finally pull the trigger.
If I thought there was any chance Reid would be fired, I would strongly consider rooting for them to lose this week. But as it is, we should savor what could well be McNabb's final game as an Eagle. The greatest quarterback in franchise history will no doubt be made the scapegoat this offseason—not the receivers who perpetually lead the league in drops, and certainly not the coach who thinks a running game is some movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If nothing else, the Eagles have the opportunity to drag the stinkin' Cowboys down with them into playoff oblivion, and that would at least be some small consolation.
The Eagles were already given the opportunity to control their own destiny when Tampa lost to San Diego—and they flat-out blew it. They came up smaller than small when everything was on the line. The game itself isn't even worth writing about, so I won't rehash what happened, other than to marvel at Reid's undying stubbornness in throwing the ball 80% of the time on a blustery, windy day while giving Westbrook all of ten meaningful carries. This blurb from Phil Sheridan's article says it all:
"Take away the two junk runs at the end of the first half and the Eagles called just 12 runs while attempting 48 passes (not counting two McNabb spikes). That's an 80/20 split, if you're interested in percentages. That's just stupid, if you're interested in adjective."
I've outlined in several previous blog entries why Reid should be fired, so no need to go there again. This season has convinced me more than ever that Reid's past success was due primarily to Jim Johnson's defense and Donovan McNabb's talent. Now that McNabb, several years and major injuries later, is no longer capable of winning games by himself, Reid's shortcomings have been laid bare. I don't know how many more times he has to miss the playoffs, how many more times his team has to fail to show up in big games, before Lurie will finally pull the trigger.
If I thought there was any chance Reid would be fired, I would strongly consider rooting for them to lose this week. But as it is, we should savor what could well be McNabb's final game as an Eagle. The greatest quarterback in franchise history will no doubt be made the scapegoat this offseason—not the receivers who perpetually lead the league in drops, and certainly not the coach who thinks a running game is some movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. If nothing else, the Eagles have the opportunity to drag the stinkin' Cowboys down with them into playoff oblivion, and that would at least be some small consolation.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Eagles Still on the Outside Looking In
Last week the Eagles pummeled the Browns into submission, but their third consecutive win still wasn't enough to get them back to the inside track of the playoff hunt, thanks to Tampa Bay, whose loss to Atlanta just closed the window of opportunity a little more. The Eagles now must hope that either Atlanta loses to Minnesota or Tampa Bay loses to San Diego, because both teams have very easy games next week.
Things haven't changed for the Birds—they still must run the table to have any shot at the playoffs, and to do so, they must play better than they did last week. Even though they blew out the Browns, it was a very sloppy game (they probably should have won by 40 points against a Browns that barely even showed up). Nevertheless, the Eagles should beat a slumping Redskins team, which (if things fall right) would have them battling Dallas in the last game of the season for that final playoff spot—and nothing would be sweeter than securing a playoff spot by sending the 'Boys packing.
But for this weekend at least, the Philly faithful will be huge San Diego and Minnesota fans, because if Atlanta and Tampa both win, the season is probably over.
Things haven't changed for the Birds—they still must run the table to have any shot at the playoffs, and to do so, they must play better than they did last week. Even though they blew out the Browns, it was a very sloppy game (they probably should have won by 40 points against a Browns that barely even showed up). Nevertheless, the Eagles should beat a slumping Redskins team, which (if things fall right) would have them battling Dallas in the last game of the season for that final playoff spot—and nothing would be sweeter than securing a playoff spot by sending the 'Boys packing.
But for this weekend at least, the Philly faithful will be huge San Diego and Minnesota fans, because if Atlanta and Tampa both win, the season is probably over.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Eagles Manhandle Giants
It's late to be posting this so I won't write much, but I couldn't let the week go without celebrating a victory over that hated team from North Jersey. The Eagles dominated the game from start to finish; the Giants' offense didn't so squat until garbage time. I hope Reid took some notes. This is what happens when you don't abandon the running game and you keep pounding it in there: you wear the opposing defense down and dominate in the second half, though we probably have Mornhinweg to thank more than Reid since he was clearly calling the plays again.
It's great to see them playing this well now, but I still fear it may be too little, too late. You can't help but wonder where the team would be if Reid hadn't gone brain dead and pulled McNabb against the Ravens. Oh well, at least they control their own destiny within the division now (thanks to the Cowboys' meltdown against the Steelers). If the Eagles run the table, they will finish second in the division. However, that still may not be good enough to reach the playoffs because they still need Atlanta to lose one more time, though that could happen as early as this week against Tampa Bay.
Bottom Line: the Eagles are in much better shape than they were two weeks ago, but they still need a little help and obviously have zero margin for error.
It's great to see them playing this well now, but I still fear it may be too little, too late. You can't help but wonder where the team would be if Reid hadn't gone brain dead and pulled McNabb against the Ravens. Oh well, at least they control their own destiny within the division now (thanks to the Cowboys' meltdown against the Steelers). If the Eagles run the table, they will finish second in the division. However, that still may not be good enough to reach the playoffs because they still need Atlanta to lose one more time, though that could happen as early as this week against Tampa Bay.
Bottom Line: the Eagles are in much better shape than they were two weeks ago, but they still need a little help and obviously have zero margin for error.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Eagles Crush Cardinals . . . and I'm Mad
It was a dominant effort from start to finish on both sides of the ball . . . so why am I angry? Because it's probably too little too late, because this is the team they should have been all season, because this is the way they are capable of playing when their heads are in the game and the coach isn't going brain dead. The Cardinals were overrated anyway coming out of the dismal NFC West, but to dominate any NFL team like that takes the type of talent we've known they possessed all year. That's what makes this victory more frustrating than gratifying, knowing what should have been. Yeah, it was fun to watch this game (Westbrook gets more than one consecutive carry and look what happens!), but also bittersweet because they still have almost no shot at the playoffs. It reminds me of last season when the Eagles were playing the best football in the NFC over the final third of the season when it didn't matter anymore.
So Reid may get them playing well enough down the stretch to save his job (not that his job is ever in much jeopardy with Lurie being so in love with him), but what's the point? It's going to be the same crap next year when Reid reverts back to his stubborn, pass-happy self, making the same lousy decisions he makes every year . . . only this time he won't have McNabb to scapegoat since Donovan will likely be somewhere else helping some other team make the playoffs . . . and we'll see for perhaps the first time in Reid's career what kind of coach he really is when he doesn't have a stud quarterback to make his predictable, one-dimensional offense look good.
By the way, the refs were flat-out awful in this game. This has to be one of the worst officiated seasons I can remember.
So Reid may get them playing well enough down the stretch to save his job (not that his job is ever in much jeopardy with Lurie being so in love with him), but what's the point? It's going to be the same crap next year when Reid reverts back to his stubborn, pass-happy self, making the same lousy decisions he makes every year . . . only this time he won't have McNabb to scapegoat since Donovan will likely be somewhere else helping some other team make the playoffs . . . and we'll see for perhaps the first time in Reid's career what kind of coach he really is when he doesn't have a stud quarterback to make his predictable, one-dimensional offense look good.
By the way, the refs were flat-out awful in this game. This has to be one of the worst officiated seasons I can remember.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Reid Loses His Mind
First off, I would like to thank the Ravens for putting Eagles fans out of their collective misery. Now that we know the playoffs are over, we don't have to spend the rest of the season biting our nails only to have our hearts broken at the end. And better yet, we can now enjoy Thanksgiving with our families without worrying about getting home in time for the game against Arizona.
On to Reid. I knew it would happen eventually and he finally did it. Reid finally made Donovan McNabb the scapegoat for all of his own shortcomings, and in the process he threw away the game and the season just to make a point about nobody's job being safe. Only a complete moron would pull his starting quarterback at halftime of a 10-7 game with the season on the line. Was Donovan playing well? No. But the defense was playing well and they were THREE POINTS DOWN!!! That's not the time to make such a drastic change when you still have a shot at the playoffs! Who in their right mind would throw an inexperienced quarterback to the wolves like that against a defense like the Ravens? Did Reid honestly think Kolb would provide a spark? Please. It was nothing but a desperate move by a desperate man who has simply run out of answers.
Most coaches get better with experience but Reid has regressed (a delay of game penalty when you're running a no-huddle offense? Really???). He makes mistakes that rookie head coaches make. He doesn't know what the hell he's doing anymore and it's painfully obvious that things will never get better as long as he's the coach. Yes, he brought us several successful seasons, but this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league and he will now have missed the playoffs for three out of the last four years. At some point you have to realize that it's not working anymore and that it's time to move on. I wish Lurie would show some guts and fire him tomorrow. The season is already lost anyway, so what's the point of keeping him around? Let Jim Johnson take over. Even if it's just for the rest of this season, he has earned the opportunity to finally be a head coach in this league. If Lurie lets Reid keep his job after this embarrassment, he's an even bigger idiot than Reid.
As for McNabb, he is not blameless in what has become of this dismal season, but no quarterback is going to be successful in a system that requires you to drop back to pass 60 times per game while paying nothing but lip service to any semblance of a running game. I really don't want him to go, but perhaps a change of scenery is what he needs. In any event, it looks like the cabal of McNabb haters in Philly will finally get its wish after this season. If this is indeed the end of the McNabb era, I wish him well. I am sure that he will start somewhere else next year and have tremendous success . . . and those same McNabb haters suffering through a 4-12 season with Kolb at the helm will rue the day he left.
On to Reid. I knew it would happen eventually and he finally did it. Reid finally made Donovan McNabb the scapegoat for all of his own shortcomings, and in the process he threw away the game and the season just to make a point about nobody's job being safe. Only a complete moron would pull his starting quarterback at halftime of a 10-7 game with the season on the line. Was Donovan playing well? No. But the defense was playing well and they were THREE POINTS DOWN!!! That's not the time to make such a drastic change when you still have a shot at the playoffs! Who in their right mind would throw an inexperienced quarterback to the wolves like that against a defense like the Ravens? Did Reid honestly think Kolb would provide a spark? Please. It was nothing but a desperate move by a desperate man who has simply run out of answers.
Most coaches get better with experience but Reid has regressed (a delay of game penalty when you're running a no-huddle offense? Really???). He makes mistakes that rookie head coaches make. He doesn't know what the hell he's doing anymore and it's painfully obvious that things will never get better as long as he's the coach. Yes, he brought us several successful seasons, but this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league and he will now have missed the playoffs for three out of the last four years. At some point you have to realize that it's not working anymore and that it's time to move on. I wish Lurie would show some guts and fire him tomorrow. The season is already lost anyway, so what's the point of keeping him around? Let Jim Johnson take over. Even if it's just for the rest of this season, he has earned the opportunity to finally be a head coach in this league. If Lurie lets Reid keep his job after this embarrassment, he's an even bigger idiot than Reid.
As for McNabb, he is not blameless in what has become of this dismal season, but no quarterback is going to be successful in a system that requires you to drop back to pass 60 times per game while paying nothing but lip service to any semblance of a running game. I really don't want him to go, but perhaps a change of scenery is what he needs. In any event, it looks like the cabal of McNabb haters in Philly will finally get its wish after this season. If this is indeed the end of the McNabb era, I wish him well. I am sure that he will start somewhere else next year and have tremendous success . . . and those same McNabb haters suffering through a 4-12 season with Kolb at the helm will rue the day he left.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Eagles Beat Bengals
At least that's what the headline should read. Today's game has caused my mind to break with reality, and I now live in an alternate universe. In this happy place, my beloved football team did not tie the cellar-dwelling Bengals, they blew them away. The Eagles' offense did not look like crap all game, they came out and took care of business like the playoff-bound team they are.
In this blissful nirvana, McNabb did not drop back more than 60 times to pass. On the contrary, Andy Reid took the pressure off his struggling quarterback by giving Brian Westbrook more than 20 carries . . . and he actually handed him the ball more than once in a row on several occasions!
In this euphoric world, Reid finally discovered that running the ball is a strategy, not an afterthought. He realized that he has the largest offensive line in the NFL and he rode them to victory. He allowed them to fire off the ball instead of dropping back into pass protection all game, wearing the other team down so that when he needed to convert a third-and-short, it was no problem because the Bengals' defensive line was on its heels from being pushed backward all game.
Yes, all of this happened in my happy place.
Now, back to reality.
They say in sports that a tie is like kissing your sister, but I don't think that applies here. When you need a missed field goal to barely escape losing to a 1-8 team, you are kissing something much worse than your sister. And to quote Forrest Gump: "That's all I have to say about that."
In this blissful nirvana, McNabb did not drop back more than 60 times to pass. On the contrary, Andy Reid took the pressure off his struggling quarterback by giving Brian Westbrook more than 20 carries . . . and he actually handed him the ball more than once in a row on several occasions!
In this euphoric world, Reid finally discovered that running the ball is a strategy, not an afterthought. He realized that he has the largest offensive line in the NFL and he rode them to victory. He allowed them to fire off the ball instead of dropping back into pass protection all game, wearing the other team down so that when he needed to convert a third-and-short, it was no problem because the Bengals' defensive line was on its heels from being pushed backward all game.
Yes, all of this happened in my happy place.
Now, back to reality.
They say in sports that a tie is like kissing your sister, but I don't think that applies here. When you need a missed field goal to barely escape losing to a 1-8 team, you are kissing something much worse than your sister. And to quote Forrest Gump: "That's all I have to say about that."
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Ban the Shootout
Once again this week we had to watch the Flyers lose an overtime game via the dreaded shootout, one of the many idiotic "improvements" Gary Bettman has made to the NHL. I won't even get into the myriad other ways he has destroyed the sport (like expansion run wild, turning the NHL into the No Hit League, or letting stick-swinging cheap-shot artists run amok because players can no longer police such incidents without facing suspension . . . and does anybody remember the glowing puck?). It's as if Bettman's ultimate goal is to turn the NHL into a live-action video game.
I'm not just against this format because the Flyers' all-time shootout record is 8-20 (though that certainly contributes to my discontent), but because it's ridiculous to decide a professional sporting event with a gimmick that favors individual achievement over teamwork. It doesn't matter that the teams battled back and forth all game to arrive at a stalemate, we're going to decide the winner by letting a bunch of finesse players flash their skills. It would be like deciding a basketball game with a slam dunk competition, a football game with a field goal contest, a baseball game with a home run derby . . . or home field advantage in the World Series by the winner of the—umm, never mind.
In the Flyers' latest shootout loss, they had stormed back from a 3-goal deficit against the high-flying Penguins to take a one-goal lead, only to have the Pens tie it late and send it into overtime. A game like that deserves to be decided by the teams on the ice or not at all. Expand the overtime from five to ten minutes, and if it's still tied, let it remain a tie. Don't reward one team for having more finesse players—it's an insult to true hockey fans as well as to the players who busted their tails all game long. The NHL would never decide a playoff game with a shootout, so why should the regular season standings be affected by such a farce?
I'm not just against this format because the Flyers' all-time shootout record is 8-20 (though that certainly contributes to my discontent), but because it's ridiculous to decide a professional sporting event with a gimmick that favors individual achievement over teamwork. It doesn't matter that the teams battled back and forth all game to arrive at a stalemate, we're going to decide the winner by letting a bunch of finesse players flash their skills. It would be like deciding a basketball game with a slam dunk competition, a football game with a field goal contest, a baseball game with a home run derby . . . or home field advantage in the World Series by the winner of the—umm, never mind.
In the Flyers' latest shootout loss, they had stormed back from a 3-goal deficit against the high-flying Penguins to take a one-goal lead, only to have the Pens tie it late and send it into overtime. A game like that deserves to be decided by the teams on the ice or not at all. Expand the overtime from five to ten minutes, and if it's still tied, let it remain a tie. Don't reward one team for having more finesse players—it's an insult to true hockey fans as well as to the players who busted their tails all game long. The NHL would never decide a playoff game with a shootout, so why should the regular season standings be affected by such a farce?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Here We Go Again
The media just can't resist a juicy story about those "boorish" fans from Philadelphia booing somebody. In this case, the claim is that they booed our Vice President-elect...
Biden Booed
Yeah, they're really going to boo the guy they just voted for. This is another idiotic non-story by media morons who don't do their homework.
The fans were booing the call on the field. Eli Manning had just thrown a ball into the dirt that should have been intentional grounding. It wasn't called, which caused the fans to boo at the same time NBC happened to be showing Biden on TV. Then the fans saw the replay on the jumbo screens and began to boo even more. And each time the replay was shown, they booed even more. In fact, I doubt the fans even knew Biden was on camera at that time. When you're at a sporting event, you don't see what the people see on TV at home, and any reporter doing just the tiniest bit of research would know that. But they'd rather just jump on a sensationalist story, because hopping on the "bad Philly fans" bandwagon is the easy thing to do—it doesn't require any actual journalism.
I remember when I was watching it last night thinking, "Oh great they have to show Biden at the exact moment the fans are booing a call. The media is going to jump all over that." And sure enough, they did. Nice job, CNN.
By the way, according to some people who were actually at the game, Biden was cheered when he was shown on the big screen at a different moment in the game. Nuff said. Next non-story, please.
Biden Booed
Yeah, they're really going to boo the guy they just voted for. This is another idiotic non-story by media morons who don't do their homework.
The fans were booing the call on the field. Eli Manning had just thrown a ball into the dirt that should have been intentional grounding. It wasn't called, which caused the fans to boo at the same time NBC happened to be showing Biden on TV. Then the fans saw the replay on the jumbo screens and began to boo even more. And each time the replay was shown, they booed even more. In fact, I doubt the fans even knew Biden was on camera at that time. When you're at a sporting event, you don't see what the people see on TV at home, and any reporter doing just the tiniest bit of research would know that. But they'd rather just jump on a sensationalist story, because hopping on the "bad Philly fans" bandwagon is the easy thing to do—it doesn't require any actual journalism.
I remember when I was watching it last night thinking, "Oh great they have to show Biden at the exact moment the fans are booing a call. The media is going to jump all over that." And sure enough, they did. Nice job, CNN.
By the way, according to some people who were actually at the game, Biden was cheered when he was shown on the big screen at a different moment in the game. Nuff said. Next non-story, please.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I'm Done with Reid
When Reid called those two runs at the end of the game I literally screamed. As badly as the Eagles were outplayed for most of the game and as horribly as their run defense was gashed by the Giants' running game, they still had a chance to win at the end. McNabb had just led them to a score, the defense came up with a huge stop, and McNabb was marching them down again for the potential game winning touchdown . . . so what does Reid do? He takes the ball out of McNabb's hands, just as he did against Chicago and Washington, and the results were exactly the same—a loss. How can you not give McNabb the chance to win the game???? Again????? And people wonder why he hasn't had a 4th quarter comeback in so long.
Here is what I wrote after the Chicago game: "McNabb got the team down to first and goal with a chance to win the game but he wasn't even given ONE opportunity to throw the ball. He's your best player, put the ball in his hands!!!"
And here is what I wrote after the Washington game: "On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen?"
Sound familiar? Reid did the same thing again tonight, only this time it was on his own 43-yard line and he had no timeouts, which makes the run calls all the more mind boggling. I have to ask again, does he not trust McNabb to win the game for him? Or is he just incapable of learning from his mistakes? My vote is for the latter. Case in point: he once again made a frivolous challenge that cost his team a pivotal timeout. The second challenge was necessary, but the first one was just plain dumb.
His mismanagement of Westbrook throughout the game was a disgrace as well. I love Jackson as much as the next guy, but Westbrook is what makes this team go. Sometimes Reid gets too cute with Jackson (like with that ill-fated screen pass in the first half) and completely forgets about Westbrook. Reid should have been running lots of screens to Westbrook to counter the Giants' pass rush, but the Eagles' most dangerous weapon only had three receptions all game. He didn't catch his first pass until the last drive of first half and had just one catch in the entire second half.
The broadcasters kept talking about the running game not working, but that's just B.S. Of course the running game isn't going to work when you NEVER try to run (except when the game's on the line, of course). When the 4th quarter began, Westbrook had a grand total of NINE carries—in a game they were never out of. And the carries were so spread out that he never had the chance to get into any kind of rhythm.
Despite all of that, the Eagles still could have stolen this game at the end, but as I've said before, "woulda coulda shoulda" is the realm of mediocre teams, which the Eagles have proven themselves to be. Even with a 5-4 record, the odds are against them making the playoffs. Forget about the division, that's over, but their wild card chances are looking pretty remote as well. The Eagles have the third toughest schedule for the remainder of the season, they have three teams in their own division ahead of them, and they have horrible division and conference records. They need to go at least 5-2 (maybe even 6-1) for the rest of the season to even have a shot, but the more likely scenario is that the Eagles will miss the playoffs for the third time in four years.
Reid is obviously not the only reason they lost tonight (the so-called 8th-ranked run defense played the biggest part), and he's not the only reason they are sitting at the bottom of the NFC East, but his awful decisions add up over the course of a season (and a career), and those two running plays at the end were the last straw for me. He has driven me crazy over the years with his often baffling play calling, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt because his teams were always competitive and he reached four straight championship games and a Super Bowl. But it is painfully apparent that he has reached a plateau as a coach and he's not going to get any better. He doesn't learn from past mistakes and rarely adjusts to what's happening during the game. He still has good qualities in a coach, but play calling and game management have never been among them, and he's had ten years to improve. Unless he is willing to give up the play calling once and for all (which he won't), I want him gone.
Here is what I wrote after the Chicago game: "McNabb got the team down to first and goal with a chance to win the game but he wasn't even given ONE opportunity to throw the ball. He's your best player, put the ball in his hands!!!"
And here is what I wrote after the Washington game: "On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen?"
Sound familiar? Reid did the same thing again tonight, only this time it was on his own 43-yard line and he had no timeouts, which makes the run calls all the more mind boggling. I have to ask again, does he not trust McNabb to win the game for him? Or is he just incapable of learning from his mistakes? My vote is for the latter. Case in point: he once again made a frivolous challenge that cost his team a pivotal timeout. The second challenge was necessary, but the first one was just plain dumb.
His mismanagement of Westbrook throughout the game was a disgrace as well. I love Jackson as much as the next guy, but Westbrook is what makes this team go. Sometimes Reid gets too cute with Jackson (like with that ill-fated screen pass in the first half) and completely forgets about Westbrook. Reid should have been running lots of screens to Westbrook to counter the Giants' pass rush, but the Eagles' most dangerous weapon only had three receptions all game. He didn't catch his first pass until the last drive of first half and had just one catch in the entire second half.
The broadcasters kept talking about the running game not working, but that's just B.S. Of course the running game isn't going to work when you NEVER try to run (except when the game's on the line, of course). When the 4th quarter began, Westbrook had a grand total of NINE carries—in a game they were never out of. And the carries were so spread out that he never had the chance to get into any kind of rhythm.
Despite all of that, the Eagles still could have stolen this game at the end, but as I've said before, "woulda coulda shoulda" is the realm of mediocre teams, which the Eagles have proven themselves to be. Even with a 5-4 record, the odds are against them making the playoffs. Forget about the division, that's over, but their wild card chances are looking pretty remote as well. The Eagles have the third toughest schedule for the remainder of the season, they have three teams in their own division ahead of them, and they have horrible division and conference records. They need to go at least 5-2 (maybe even 6-1) for the rest of the season to even have a shot, but the more likely scenario is that the Eagles will miss the playoffs for the third time in four years.
Reid is obviously not the only reason they lost tonight (the so-called 8th-ranked run defense played the biggest part), and he's not the only reason they are sitting at the bottom of the NFC East, but his awful decisions add up over the course of a season (and a career), and those two running plays at the end were the last straw for me. He has driven me crazy over the years with his often baffling play calling, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt because his teams were always competitive and he reached four straight championship games and a Super Bowl. But it is painfully apparent that he has reached a plateau as a coach and he's not going to get any better. He doesn't learn from past mistakes and rarely adjusts to what's happening during the game. He still has good qualities in a coach, but play calling and game management have never been among them, and he's had ten years to improve. Unless he is willing to give up the play calling once and for all (which he won't), I want him gone.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Beautiful Day
I wake up on November 5th, 2008
And look out the window.
Dark clouds loom overhead
But my eyes see a bright blue sky.
I open my front door
And walk into the morning.
A chilly rain beats down
But my skin basks in the glow of a blazing sun.
In the words of Harrison:
It's been a long cold lonely winter
But here comes the sun
And I say it's all right.
Is this possible?
Can we as a people change
A bitter frost
Into a warm summer breeze?
Yes we can.
And look out the window.
Dark clouds loom overhead
But my eyes see a bright blue sky.
I open my front door
And walk into the morning.
A chilly rain beats down
But my skin basks in the glow of a blazing sun.
In the words of Harrison:
It's been a long cold lonely winter
But here comes the sun
And I say it's all right.
Is this possible?
Can we as a people change
A bitter frost
Into a warm summer breeze?
Yes we can.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Notes from the Championship Parade
By now everyone has seen the amazing footage of the Phillies' championship parade through streets filled with what some estimates have put at over two million people, so I'm not going to spend time rehashing what other journalists have already discussed. Instead I am going to write about my experience from a personal perspective.
When the tickets became available online for the parade I tried simultaneously for tickets to both Citizens Bank Park (the main show) and Lincoln Financial Field (where, at the time, all we knew was that we would be able to watch the festivities on the giant screens with the possibility that a couple of players might stop by). I was unable to obtain tickets to the Bank, but managed to score two lower-level tickets to the Linc. The tickets to both parks, by the way, were free, so kudos to both parks for not gouging the fans. At the same time, shame on some of the parking vendors who were charging as much as $30, and an even bigger thumbs down to the a-holes who were selling tickets to both parks online for hundreds of dollars within moments of getting them for free. Most of the true fans were shut out of the celebration because of these greedy bastards. One guy actually made the trip to the Linc and had his young son stand outside the gate holding up a sign that said: "Have Tickets, Make Offer." Real classy.
So I printed out the two tickets to the Linc and crashed at my buddy's house that night in South Jersey so I wouldn't have to wake up as early (being a very late night owl, getting up an extra hour early to make the trip down from Central Jersey would have been rough). As it was, I only managed three hours of sleep, but I wasn't driving into the city so I didn't care. We decided to leave around 9-9:30am to avoid the worst of the traffic. We had considered taking the high speed line in, which many city officials were recommending due to the expected heavy traffic volume but I'm glad we didn't—reports had waits of over two hours to even get a seat on the train.
By driving we got into the city very quickly, though parking was already filling up everywhere. We entered a free parking lot, but when no spots were available we decided to park on the side of a road exiting the parking lot behind a locked gate. The guy who parked in front of us said they never ticketed there and he was sure the gate would be open at the end of the day, so we took the chance, and it wound up being a good move as we were able to zip right out of there on our way home.
Anyway, it was around 10am and we decided to walk around for a while soaking in the atmosphere. The streets and lots around the stadiums were already flooded in a sea of red— people cheering, high-fiving, and waving at all the cars driving by beeping their horns. Everybody was friendly, chatting with strangers as if they were the oldest of friends. It's amazing what a championship can do for a city, though I would point out that, contrary to popular myth, the majority of Philly fans are always friendly, but it was definitely ratcheted up on this day.
A man was walking around snapping photos for the Phillies web site, and he took the following shot of me and my friend, Bruce. The Linc is in the background and we're holding championship signs that were being handed out for free. It wasn't until later that I realized the signs were from a [gag] country music station. Oh well. I'm wearing an old raggedy Phillies hat barely held together in the back, as it is the only piece of Phillies paraphernalia I own. Most of my stuff is Eagles and Flyers, which is why I am wearing an Eagles jacket over a McNabb jersey, but I wasn't the only guy there with Eagles gear on, so I didn't feel out of place, and since my tickets were for the Linc anyway, it seemed an appropriate mixture of the two sports.
They put a giant "PROOF" over the picture in order to force you into buying something, but it's good enough for the purposes of this blog. I foolishly forgot to bring my camera, so this is currently the only shot I have, though Bruce and my uncle (who we met up with later) both took a lot of photos throughout the day and have promised to send them to me.
After a while of walking around we met up with my uncle at the Linc gate. He had managed to secure six tickets for his entire family, though the tickets were only available in pairs so we would all be sitting separately. In the meantime we got lunch at the concessions (a cheesesteak, fries, and snapple for $16!) and then hung out together in the lower level since the stadium wasn't full yet. After a while we realized that the stadium probably wasn't going to fill to capacity as many people had likely got the free tickets and then decided not to come, while others had only got the tickets with the intention of selling them and had hopefully ended up stuck with them. Thus, my uncle decided to stay where he was with his family while Bruce and I headed to our assigned seats.
We were about 20 rows up from the field in the shaded end zone so it was pretty cold. I noticed many empty seats down lower in sunny sections, so we decided to move all the way down to the bottom of one of these sections right next to an entrance tunnel and hang out there until somebody came to kick us out. As it would turn out, nobody ever came to boot us out so we got to enjoy all the festivities from fantastic seats. My uncle and his family were able to eventually join us (the beauty of cell phones) so we all ended up getting to sit together.
We soon learned that not only were some players dropping by the Linc, but the entire team would be coming to do a victory lap with the trophy and make speeches, so although we were shut out of the main event, we were getting a nice ceremony of our own, making the trip more than worth it. Then we just sat back and watched the parade on the giant screens, reveling in the cheers of the crowd as each new player showed up on screen. This was when the championship really hit me. Of course I was happy and jumped out of my seat when Lidge threw the final pitch to clinch the World Series, but over the next day I wasn't feeling as euphoric as I thought I would. That all changed when I was able to experience the celebration among thousands of fans in the stadium, and millions in the streets.
Finally, the players arrived. The coaches led the procession, coming right up to the stands, where I high-fived Milt Thompson as he walked by. Next came Charlie Manuel on a cart that held the championship trophy. Then the rest of the players followed on foot, doing a victory lap around the stadium before winding up at the podium, where we heard speeches from Manuel, Victorino, and Moyer, to thunderous cheering and applause. After the festivities ended we decided to leave and listen to the main ceremony on the radio so we could beat the worst of the traffic. We got to see a championship ceremony live, so we didn't feel the need to watch another one on TV from across the street, and we could always catch the highlights later.
Beating traffic, however, was easier said than done. It still took us a good hour to get out of the city, but considering how bad it would later get, that was nothing. Overall, it was a tremendous experience and I'm glad I went. If you live within driving distance of your favorite sports team and they win a championship, I highly recommend attending at least one victory parade in your lifetime, especially if it's in Philly, where our two-million-strong, multi-stadium celebration dwarfed any other city's.
Now I want to see another parade in February—Go Eagles!
When the tickets became available online for the parade I tried simultaneously for tickets to both Citizens Bank Park (the main show) and Lincoln Financial Field (where, at the time, all we knew was that we would be able to watch the festivities on the giant screens with the possibility that a couple of players might stop by). I was unable to obtain tickets to the Bank, but managed to score two lower-level tickets to the Linc. The tickets to both parks, by the way, were free, so kudos to both parks for not gouging the fans. At the same time, shame on some of the parking vendors who were charging as much as $30, and an even bigger thumbs down to the a-holes who were selling tickets to both parks online for hundreds of dollars within moments of getting them for free. Most of the true fans were shut out of the celebration because of these greedy bastards. One guy actually made the trip to the Linc and had his young son stand outside the gate holding up a sign that said: "Have Tickets, Make Offer." Real classy.
So I printed out the two tickets to the Linc and crashed at my buddy's house that night in South Jersey so I wouldn't have to wake up as early (being a very late night owl, getting up an extra hour early to make the trip down from Central Jersey would have been rough). As it was, I only managed three hours of sleep, but I wasn't driving into the city so I didn't care. We decided to leave around 9-9:30am to avoid the worst of the traffic. We had considered taking the high speed line in, which many city officials were recommending due to the expected heavy traffic volume but I'm glad we didn't—reports had waits of over two hours to even get a seat on the train.
By driving we got into the city very quickly, though parking was already filling up everywhere. We entered a free parking lot, but when no spots were available we decided to park on the side of a road exiting the parking lot behind a locked gate. The guy who parked in front of us said they never ticketed there and he was sure the gate would be open at the end of the day, so we took the chance, and it wound up being a good move as we were able to zip right out of there on our way home.
Anyway, it was around 10am and we decided to walk around for a while soaking in the atmosphere. The streets and lots around the stadiums were already flooded in a sea of red— people cheering, high-fiving, and waving at all the cars driving by beeping their horns. Everybody was friendly, chatting with strangers as if they were the oldest of friends. It's amazing what a championship can do for a city, though I would point out that, contrary to popular myth, the majority of Philly fans are always friendly, but it was definitely ratcheted up on this day.
A man was walking around snapping photos for the Phillies web site, and he took the following shot of me and my friend, Bruce. The Linc is in the background and we're holding championship signs that were being handed out for free. It wasn't until later that I realized the signs were from a [gag] country music station. Oh well. I'm wearing an old raggedy Phillies hat barely held together in the back, as it is the only piece of Phillies paraphernalia I own. Most of my stuff is Eagles and Flyers, which is why I am wearing an Eagles jacket over a McNabb jersey, but I wasn't the only guy there with Eagles gear on, so I didn't feel out of place, and since my tickets were for the Linc anyway, it seemed an appropriate mixture of the two sports.
They put a giant "PROOF" over the picture in order to force you into buying something, but it's good enough for the purposes of this blog. I foolishly forgot to bring my camera, so this is currently the only shot I have, though Bruce and my uncle (who we met up with later) both took a lot of photos throughout the day and have promised to send them to me.
After a while of walking around we met up with my uncle at the Linc gate. He had managed to secure six tickets for his entire family, though the tickets were only available in pairs so we would all be sitting separately. In the meantime we got lunch at the concessions (a cheesesteak, fries, and snapple for $16!) and then hung out together in the lower level since the stadium wasn't full yet. After a while we realized that the stadium probably wasn't going to fill to capacity as many people had likely got the free tickets and then decided not to come, while others had only got the tickets with the intention of selling them and had hopefully ended up stuck with them. Thus, my uncle decided to stay where he was with his family while Bruce and I headed to our assigned seats.
We were about 20 rows up from the field in the shaded end zone so it was pretty cold. I noticed many empty seats down lower in sunny sections, so we decided to move all the way down to the bottom of one of these sections right next to an entrance tunnel and hang out there until somebody came to kick us out. As it would turn out, nobody ever came to boot us out so we got to enjoy all the festivities from fantastic seats. My uncle and his family were able to eventually join us (the beauty of cell phones) so we all ended up getting to sit together.
We soon learned that not only were some players dropping by the Linc, but the entire team would be coming to do a victory lap with the trophy and make speeches, so although we were shut out of the main event, we were getting a nice ceremony of our own, making the trip more than worth it. Then we just sat back and watched the parade on the giant screens, reveling in the cheers of the crowd as each new player showed up on screen. This was when the championship really hit me. Of course I was happy and jumped out of my seat when Lidge threw the final pitch to clinch the World Series, but over the next day I wasn't feeling as euphoric as I thought I would. That all changed when I was able to experience the celebration among thousands of fans in the stadium, and millions in the streets.
Finally, the players arrived. The coaches led the procession, coming right up to the stands, where I high-fived Milt Thompson as he walked by. Next came Charlie Manuel on a cart that held the championship trophy. Then the rest of the players followed on foot, doing a victory lap around the stadium before winding up at the podium, where we heard speeches from Manuel, Victorino, and Moyer, to thunderous cheering and applause. After the festivities ended we decided to leave and listen to the main ceremony on the radio so we could beat the worst of the traffic. We got to see a championship ceremony live, so we didn't feel the need to watch another one on TV from across the street, and we could always catch the highlights later.
Beating traffic, however, was easier said than done. It still took us a good hour to get out of the city, but considering how bad it would later get, that was nothing. Overall, it was a tremendous experience and I'm glad I went. If you live within driving distance of your favorite sports team and they win a championship, I highly recommend attending at least one victory parade in your lifetime, especially if it's in Philly, where our two-million-strong, multi-stadium celebration dwarfed any other city's.
Now I want to see another parade in February—Go Eagles!
Solid Win for Eagles over Seahawks
It took a while to get going, as the Eagles once again played a shaky first quarter, allowing a long touchdown and doing virtually nothing on offense. After that, however, it was all Eagles as they dominated the rest of the game on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams, with Akers finally seeming to get on track after a two-season slump. McNabb was near perfect after the first quarter and Curtis looks like he is back at full speed from sports hernia surgery, but the star of the game was Celek. I've liked him from the beginning, and remember thinking last year that he could be special if given the chance.
Celek was a big reason why I couldn't have cared less whether they re-signed LJ this past offseason. He doesn't have the speed and physical gifts of the elite TEs, but he catches everything you throw at him, and he was certainly fast enough to make some big plays today. However, we need to be realistic—Celek is not going to put up huge numbers like today very often, but I'll settle for a guy who's dependable and can stay healthy, something LJ has never been able to do. Chad Lewis was a guy without great physical tools, but McNabb knew he could count on him when he needed a big catch, and that is something that has been missing from the Eagles' arsenal ever since Lewis left. I believe Celek can be that guy for McNabb, and sooner rather than later. LJ may have the talent of an elite tight end, but we have rarely seen it during his tenure in Philly, whether due to injury or inconsistency. I know LJ is making a lot of money, but at this point Celek has earned the right to show whether he can be the long-term option. We already know LJ won't be.
It's still hard to get a good bead on the Birds though, as they have now won three straight over mediocre-to-lousy teams. Next week will certainly give us a good idea of where the Eagles are when they host the Giants. I am still not convinced the Giants are as good as their 7-1 record, but it will nevertheless be a big test for the Eagles, and it is a must-win game, as a loss would essentially knock them out of the division race.
Celek was a big reason why I couldn't have cared less whether they re-signed LJ this past offseason. He doesn't have the speed and physical gifts of the elite TEs, but he catches everything you throw at him, and he was certainly fast enough to make some big plays today. However, we need to be realistic—Celek is not going to put up huge numbers like today very often, but I'll settle for a guy who's dependable and can stay healthy, something LJ has never been able to do. Chad Lewis was a guy without great physical tools, but McNabb knew he could count on him when he needed a big catch, and that is something that has been missing from the Eagles' arsenal ever since Lewis left. I believe Celek can be that guy for McNabb, and sooner rather than later. LJ may have the talent of an elite tight end, but we have rarely seen it during his tenure in Philly, whether due to injury or inconsistency. I know LJ is making a lot of money, but at this point Celek has earned the right to show whether he can be the long-term option. We already know LJ won't be.
It's still hard to get a good bead on the Birds though, as they have now won three straight over mediocre-to-lousy teams. Next week will certainly give us a good idea of where the Eagles are when they host the Giants. I am still not convinced the Giants are as good as their 7-1 record, but it will nevertheless be a big test for the Eagles, and it is a must-win game, as a loss would essentially knock them out of the division race.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
World Champions!!!
Curse, schmurse!
The Phillies were not going to be denied tonight. Every time the Rays tied it, the Phils grabbed the lead right back, and fittingly, Lidge clinched the championship with a strikeout. Then the fireworks started, the champagne flowed, and the streets flooded with Philadelphians in a massive party that is probably still going strong as I write this. I've never seen anything like those crowds in the streets. It was like Times Square on New Year's Eve.
What an incredible postseason the Phillies put together. The so-called experts picked them to lose every single series, and all they did in response was rack up an 11-3 record and go undefeated at home. Everybody on this team contributed at some point in the playoffs; there were no weak links. And Manuel, who I've never been the biggest fan of, deserves a lot of credit as well. He pushed all the right buttons and got this team to play like champions.
By the way, it turns out the Tampa fans were right after all when they sang "na na hey hey goodbye" . . . that was indeed the last time they were going to see the Phillies :-)
I was 12 years old the last time a Philadelphia team won a championship (and 9 when the Phillies did it). Although I have memories of those moments, they are somewhat fleeting. This championship, after 25 years of close calls and heartbreaks, is the first one that really belongs to my generation. How sweet it is!
The parade to celebrate the Phillies' heroic slaying of the city's 25-year-old demons will appropriately take place on Halloween. I plan on attending . . . hope to see some of you there!
The Phillies were not going to be denied tonight. Every time the Rays tied it, the Phils grabbed the lead right back, and fittingly, Lidge clinched the championship with a strikeout. Then the fireworks started, the champagne flowed, and the streets flooded with Philadelphians in a massive party that is probably still going strong as I write this. I've never seen anything like those crowds in the streets. It was like Times Square on New Year's Eve.
What an incredible postseason the Phillies put together. The so-called experts picked them to lose every single series, and all they did in response was rack up an 11-3 record and go undefeated at home. Everybody on this team contributed at some point in the playoffs; there were no weak links. And Manuel, who I've never been the biggest fan of, deserves a lot of credit as well. He pushed all the right buttons and got this team to play like champions.
By the way, it turns out the Tampa fans were right after all when they sang "na na hey hey goodbye" . . . that was indeed the last time they were going to see the Phillies :-)
I was 12 years old the last time a Philadelphia team won a championship (and 9 when the Phillies did it). Although I have memories of those moments, they are somewhat fleeting. This championship, after 25 years of close calls and heartbreaks, is the first one that really belongs to my generation. How sweet it is!
The parade to celebrate the Phillies' heroic slaying of the city's 25-year-old demons will appropriately take place on Halloween. I plan on attending . . . hope to see some of you there!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Phils Foiled by Mother Nature
Well, we'll have to put that parade on hold for at least another day, as tonight's game was suspended due to rain. Contrary to what the broadcasters were blabbering about (more on them later), this blustery rain delay has clearly favored Tampa. There's no doubt in my mind that under normal conditions Hamels would have shut this team down.
For those inclined to believe in curses, they can't be too comfortable with a game in which Hamels was cruising until the downpour and subsequent horrible conditions caused Rollins to bobble a ball that might have prevented the Rays from ever scoring that second run. And one can't help wondering how much the downpour had to do with the Phillies hitting three straight popups in the top of the 5th with two men on. However, both teams had to play in the same conditions so I'm not going to blame rain for the Phillies' consistent inability to bring home runners in scoring position. One thing that can be blamed on the rain, though, is the loss of Hamels, who had thrown only 75 pitches through six innings. He was clearly on his way to at least an 8-inning performance, but now the Phils must turn to the bullpen much earlier than they otherwise would have—and that clearly benefits Tampa Bay.
But you would never know that listening to the biased broadcasters. I don't know whether McCarver is overcompensating for being an ex-Phillie, but he has been terrible; they both have been blatantly one-sided. Listening to these guys talk, you might think that the Phillies have done absolutely nothing to win in this series except to be the beneficiaries of a bunch of bad calls. All these broadcasters did for the entire game was whine about bad calls against the Rays and then boohoo about how the sloppy conditions really hurt the Rays: "Whaaa! No fair, this rain affects their running game!" As if the Phillies don't have a strong running game of their own that would be impacted. And then later on: "Yipee! The Rays just tied the game under horrendous conditions, aren't they great?"
They've been like this all series: playing up Tampa; playing down Philly. We'd get more balance if we were listening to a broadcast out of Tampa Bay. These guys are a disgrace.
Anyway, we must have faith. The rains pouring down may lead some to believe that the curse of William Penn is once again rearing its ugly head—sports fans in general are a superstitious bunch, especially in Philly where our championship futility has reached near mathematically impossible proportions—but the Phils are still ahead 3-1, they still have the better pitching and defense, and they have hit better than the Rays for the entire series. There's no reason why they shouldn't still win this thing. So take a breath and come back Tuesday night to watch our Fightins make history. Go Phils!
For those inclined to believe in curses, they can't be too comfortable with a game in which Hamels was cruising until the downpour and subsequent horrible conditions caused Rollins to bobble a ball that might have prevented the Rays from ever scoring that second run. And one can't help wondering how much the downpour had to do with the Phillies hitting three straight popups in the top of the 5th with two men on. However, both teams had to play in the same conditions so I'm not going to blame rain for the Phillies' consistent inability to bring home runners in scoring position. One thing that can be blamed on the rain, though, is the loss of Hamels, who had thrown only 75 pitches through six innings. He was clearly on his way to at least an 8-inning performance, but now the Phils must turn to the bullpen much earlier than they otherwise would have—and that clearly benefits Tampa Bay.
But you would never know that listening to the biased broadcasters. I don't know whether McCarver is overcompensating for being an ex-Phillie, but he has been terrible; they both have been blatantly one-sided. Listening to these guys talk, you might think that the Phillies have done absolutely nothing to win in this series except to be the beneficiaries of a bunch of bad calls. All these broadcasters did for the entire game was whine about bad calls against the Rays and then boohoo about how the sloppy conditions really hurt the Rays: "Whaaa! No fair, this rain affects their running game!" As if the Phillies don't have a strong running game of their own that would be impacted. And then later on: "Yipee! The Rays just tied the game under horrendous conditions, aren't they great?"
They've been like this all series: playing up Tampa; playing down Philly. We'd get more balance if we were listening to a broadcast out of Tampa Bay. These guys are a disgrace.
Anyway, we must have faith. The rains pouring down may lead some to believe that the curse of William Penn is once again rearing its ugly head—sports fans in general are a superstitious bunch, especially in Philly where our championship futility has reached near mathematically impossible proportions—but the Phils are still ahead 3-1, they still have the better pitching and defense, and they have hit better than the Rays for the entire series. There's no reason why they shouldn't still win this thing. So take a breath and come back Tuesday night to watch our Fightins make history. Go Phils!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Phils Bats Spring to Life as they Clobber the Rays, 10-2
Is this really happening? Are the Phillies really just one win away from a championship? Are they really just 27 outs from breaking the curse of William Penn and releasing this city from 25 years of championship futility? As Philly fans whose hearts have been broken so many times in the past, we have learned to take every step toward salvation with a grain of salt, but with a 3-1 lead, the odds are overwhelmingly in our favor. If we don't win this year, we never will.
The bats came alive big time tonight, and Howard could not have picked a better time to go on one of his patented hot streaks. It's also no coincidence that the runs finally started coming when Rollins finally started hitting. Up and down the lineup, almost everyone contributed.
Meanwhile, Blanton, except for a couple of mistakes, was absolutely dominant tonight, and how about going deep? You know it's your night when that happens. When all the big-name trades happened back in the summer, Blanton largely flew under the radar in most people's eyes as yet another half-hearted acquisition by a franchise not willing to pull the trigger on a major deal (I admit to being less than excited myself, though I never hated the move), but all Blanton has done since arriving in Philly is win. Meanwhile, the more glamorous acquisitions like Sabathia and Ramirez are currently watching the series on TV.
On a side note, thumbs-down to this umpiring crew for some big-time blown calls against both teams. During the previous couple of games those bad calls mostly favored the Rays, but tonight one bounced our way after the third-base ump called Rollins safe when he was clearly out, leading to the Phils' first run. Thankfully, the bad calls have not determined the outcomes of the games, but come on, this is the World Series—blowing that many calls is simply unacceptable—both teams deserve better.
Anyway, this was the Phillies' night, and now they have a chance to close this series out in front of the hometown fans with their ace on the mound. You couldn't write a better script. Go Phils!
The bats came alive big time tonight, and Howard could not have picked a better time to go on one of his patented hot streaks. It's also no coincidence that the runs finally started coming when Rollins finally started hitting. Up and down the lineup, almost everyone contributed.
Meanwhile, Blanton, except for a couple of mistakes, was absolutely dominant tonight, and how about going deep? You know it's your night when that happens. When all the big-name trades happened back in the summer, Blanton largely flew under the radar in most people's eyes as yet another half-hearted acquisition by a franchise not willing to pull the trigger on a major deal (I admit to being less than excited myself, though I never hated the move), but all Blanton has done since arriving in Philly is win. Meanwhile, the more glamorous acquisitions like Sabathia and Ramirez are currently watching the series on TV.
On a side note, thumbs-down to this umpiring crew for some big-time blown calls against both teams. During the previous couple of games those bad calls mostly favored the Rays, but tonight one bounced our way after the third-base ump called Rollins safe when he was clearly out, leading to the Phils' first run. Thankfully, the bad calls have not determined the outcomes of the games, but come on, this is the World Series—blowing that many calls is simply unacceptable—both teams deserve better.
Anyway, this was the Phillies' night, and now they have a chance to close this series out in front of the hometown fans with their ace on the mound. You couldn't write a better script. Go Phils!
Two down...
The Phillies managed to scratch out a last minute victory doing what they failed to do most of the season: playing a little small ball. Great baserunning by Bruntlett (for once I was glad that Burrell wasn't still in the game) put the Phils in a position to win on what amounted to a glorified suicide squeeze by Ruiz (who has actually been one of the more valuable offensive players in this series). It was fitting that Tampa helped give away the game after that horrible call at first base in the 7th gave them two free runs. The umpiring in this series overall has been well below the standards one would expect in the World Series, though it thankfully has not affected the outcomes of any of the games.
I had a feeling Moyer was going to pitch well in this game and he didn't disappoint, though the aforementioned horrible call cost him perhaps his only chance at a World Series win—Moyer busted his butt on that play and deserved a better fate. Still, I know he'd much rather have the championship ring anyway, and thanks to his performance (along with big hits by Ruiz, Utley, and Howard), the Phillies are one step closer.
I had a feeling Moyer was going to pitch well in this game and he didn't disappoint, though the aforementioned horrible call cost him perhaps his only chance at a World Series win—Moyer busted his butt on that play and deserved a better fate. Still, I know he'd much rather have the championship ring anyway, and thanks to his performance (along with big hits by Ruiz, Utley, and Howard), the Phillies are one step closer.
Baby Steps for the Eagles in Victory over Atlanta
This one was a little close for comfort but a win's a win. The Eagles caught a break with that bad muffed punt call, but I don't think Atlanta was going to score again anyway, and the Birds had their share of bad calls go against them (like the brutal roughing call on Cole). The inability to score from in close continues to be worrisome, though I think Westbrook was in on 2nd goal with his second effort (the same play as the offsides penalty), but the refs blew the whistle early. Still, Reid better figure out a way to punch it in. Stop with the fancy wishbone looks and shovel passes and just put the ball in the hands of your best players. He finally tried a sneak but he didn't spread the defense out and it failed—now we'll never see another one.
Anyway, what a difference a healthy Westbrook makes to the offense. They still have a ways to go before my confidence is restored (relatively close wins against mediocre teams like Atlanta and the 49ers aren't exactly awe inspiring) but they seem to be headed in the right direction.
Anyway, what a difference a healthy Westbrook makes to the offense. They still have a ways to go before my confidence is restored (relatively close wins against mediocre teams like Atlanta and the 49ers aren't exactly awe inspiring) but they seem to be headed in the right direction.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
It's a Series, Phils Fall, 4-2
The story of Game 2 was stranded runners. The Phillies got away with it last night with Hamels dominating, but not tonight. This was a very winnable game as Myers did not pitch badly (three earned runs over seven innings should have been enough to win the game), but the offense was woeful with runners in scoring position. Of course it didn't help that the home plate umpire was atrocious—he cost the Phils a run in the second inning with that non-strikeout call and he cost them an out in the 9th with that horrible missed call on Rollins. But the bottom line is that the Phillies should never have put themselves in the position of needing good calls by umpires. Championship teams take care of business regardless of any calls they may or may not get. If the Phils want to stay in this series, the offense better find a way to start knocking in runs. Twenty-two stranded runners in two games is a disgrace.
At least in the 9th inning the Phillies put a little scare into those obnoxious Tampa fans who started singing "na na hey hey goodbye" in the 8th inning. Apparently they forgot that their team blew a 7-run lead late in a game last series, and they obviously are too ignorant to realize that you don't sing that song unless your opponent is about to get eliminated, not when you're down 1-0 in the series. Great sports fans down there in Tampa.
Anyway, we get the next three in Philly. A home sweep is probably too much to ask, but we should at least take two of three and head back to Tampa with a 3-2 lead. We really need the Moyer who pitched so well in the regular season to show up on Saturday . . . and the offense better wake up.
At least in the 9th inning the Phillies put a little scare into those obnoxious Tampa fans who started singing "na na hey hey goodbye" in the 8th inning. Apparently they forgot that their team blew a 7-run lead late in a game last series, and they obviously are too ignorant to realize that you don't sing that song unless your opponent is about to get eliminated, not when you're down 1-0 in the series. Great sports fans down there in Tampa.
Anyway, we get the next three in Philly. A home sweep is probably too much to ask, but we should at least take two of three and head back to Tampa with a 3-2 lead. We really need the Moyer who pitched so well in the regular season to show up on Saturday . . . and the offense better wake up.
Good First Win
Three to go, as the Phillies took Game 1, 3-2. I was getting nervous with all the runners the Phils were stranding, but the pitching from Hamels, Madson, and Lidge was phenomenal, as was the defense with a couple of key double plays. Utley's two-run blast set the tone, and Hamels did the rest. After a slow start, Utley is putting together one hell of a postseason.
They can't keep getting away with stranding all those runners, though. One thing I would change is the DH. Coste has really slumped in the second half of the season. I would go with Dobbs, Jenkins, or Stairs. And even though he got a couple of hits, I still disagree with Werth hitting in the 2-hole instead of Victorino.
Anyway, the first game in any series is huge and the Phillies found a way to win. Here's hoping Myers pitches well tonight and the Phils' big bats wake up.
They can't keep getting away with stranding all those runners, though. One thing I would change is the DH. Coste has really slumped in the second half of the season. I would go with Dobbs, Jenkins, or Stairs. And even though he got a couple of hits, I still disagree with Werth hitting in the 2-hole instead of Victorino.
Anyway, the first game in any series is huge and the Phillies found a way to win. Here's hoping Myers pitches well tonight and the Phils' big bats wake up.
Monday, October 20, 2008
World Series, Baby!
I have to admit that of all the Philly teams with the potential to win a championship, I would have placed the Phillies third behind the Flyers and Eagles. That was prior to the season, before we saw how good the Phillies' pitching staff was to become, particularly the bullpen. As the season began, most people thought the Phillies would give up a lot of runs and score a lot of runs, but virtually the opposite happened. The pitching staff kept the Phillies in almost every game, while the supposedly potent offense would go through long stretches of struggling to score runs and a frustrating inability to manufacture runs without the benefit of a home run. That has continued in the postseason to some degree, but the offense has also found a way to produce runs when it counts, particularly with two outs, as they showed again in Game 5 against the Dodgers.
Another sometimes unappreciated aspect of the Phillies postseason success is their fantastic defense, especially the infield. Feliz, for instance, may be mostly a waste at the plate, but at third base you know he's going to gobble up almost everything that comes his way. Also, the ability to easily turn a double play to escape a jam cannot be underestimated—it can often mean the difference between winning and losing—and Utley and Rollins are among the best at it. Meanwhile, Victorino covers so much ground that he could practically play the entire outfield by himself, ala Bugs Bunny against the Gas House Gorillas. People can talk about offense and home runs all they want, but defense and pitching wins championships. The Dodgers found out the hard way in Game 5 what can happen when you don't play good defense.
Speaking of pitching, Hamels is showing the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when he didn't have his best stuff early on in Game 5, he fought through and eventually dominated. When he's on the mound you never have to worry about being out of a game. The outcome of the series with Tampa, however, will hinge on the performance of the 2-4 pitchers. Myers has actually been more of a hero at the plate than on the mound, but he has also pitched effectively enough to help the Phillies win his two starts. Unfortunately, he won't be able to add to his postseason legend at the plate since both of his scheduled starts are DH games, but it also may allow him to pitch more deeply into games. Since coming back up from the minors, he has been mostly dominant (except for a couple of late season starts), so the hope is that we'll continue to see that Myers and not the one who began the season. Moyer is perhaps the biggest question mark, as he has been shelled in his two postseason starts. He is the consummate professional, though, so I have faith that he can recapture the ageless magic he displayed during the regular season. Blanton, for his part, has been solid since coming to the Phillies. He eats innings and keeps the score manageable, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue.
It's hard to make a prediction because I admittedly know little about Tampa as I don't follow the American league much. What I do believe is that the Phillies' pitching and defense will keep them in almost every game, and if the offense can keep coming up with clutch hits, they have a great chance. Everyone seems to be picking Tampa, but they also all picked the Dodgers, and we know how that worked out. I'll say Phillies in 6.
Go Phils!
Another sometimes unappreciated aspect of the Phillies postseason success is their fantastic defense, especially the infield. Feliz, for instance, may be mostly a waste at the plate, but at third base you know he's going to gobble up almost everything that comes his way. Also, the ability to easily turn a double play to escape a jam cannot be underestimated—it can often mean the difference between winning and losing—and Utley and Rollins are among the best at it. Meanwhile, Victorino covers so much ground that he could practically play the entire outfield by himself, ala Bugs Bunny against the Gas House Gorillas. People can talk about offense and home runs all they want, but defense and pitching wins championships. The Dodgers found out the hard way in Game 5 what can happen when you don't play good defense.
Speaking of pitching, Hamels is showing the world why he is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Even when he didn't have his best stuff early on in Game 5, he fought through and eventually dominated. When he's on the mound you never have to worry about being out of a game. The outcome of the series with Tampa, however, will hinge on the performance of the 2-4 pitchers. Myers has actually been more of a hero at the plate than on the mound, but he has also pitched effectively enough to help the Phillies win his two starts. Unfortunately, he won't be able to add to his postseason legend at the plate since both of his scheduled starts are DH games, but it also may allow him to pitch more deeply into games. Since coming back up from the minors, he has been mostly dominant (except for a couple of late season starts), so the hope is that we'll continue to see that Myers and not the one who began the season. Moyer is perhaps the biggest question mark, as he has been shelled in his two postseason starts. He is the consummate professional, though, so I have faith that he can recapture the ageless magic he displayed during the regular season. Blanton, for his part, has been solid since coming to the Phillies. He eats innings and keeps the score manageable, and there's no reason why that shouldn't continue.
It's hard to make a prediction because I admittedly know little about Tampa as I don't follow the American league much. What I do believe is that the Phillies' pitching and defense will keep them in almost every game, and if the offense can keep coming up with clutch hits, they have a great chance. Everyone seems to be picking Tampa, but they also all picked the Dodgers, and we know how that worked out. I'll say Phillies in 6.
Go Phils!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Phillies Climb 'Stairs' to Victory
I know, I know, horrible pun, but I couldn't resist. The Fightins are now one win away from the world series after tonight's gut-check come from behind victory. They trailed by two and were down to their last five outs, but one thing about this lineup is that, even when they are struggling, they are never out of a game. It's always only a matter of time before they have one of those offensive explosions in an inning. Sure, you'd like to see them score in more innings, but they're getting it done when it counts--three more runs tonight with two outs.
Tonight's heroes: Victorino (arguably the Phillies' playoff MVP to this point) and Stairs, whose massive two-run blast put the Phillies ahead to stay (now there's a little late season acquisition by Gillick that has paid huge dividends). Also providing heroics was Utley who, besides getting three hits, made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th that saved two runs and kept the Phillies in the game. At the time I thought that could prove to be a turning point, and indeed it was. Things got a little dicey with Lidge when yet another inning was kept alive by a strike-out-wild-pitch (the same thing happened to Myers in Game 2—I've never seen that happen twice in such a short span of time—isn't Ruiz in the lineup because of his ability to block those kinds of pitches?), but in the end Lidge closed the door as he has all season.
Now the Phils enter Game 5 with a chance to clinch their first World Series berth in 15 years. It's a shame it won't be at home (I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format; it should be 2-2-1-1-1 like the other sports) but this team is more than up to the task of taking another one in LA, especially with their ace on the mound. Go Phils!
Tonight's heroes: Victorino (arguably the Phillies' playoff MVP to this point) and Stairs, whose massive two-run blast put the Phillies ahead to stay (now there's a little late season acquisition by Gillick that has paid huge dividends). Also providing heroics was Utley who, besides getting three hits, made an outstanding defensive play in the 6th that saved two runs and kept the Phillies in the game. At the time I thought that could prove to be a turning point, and indeed it was. Things got a little dicey with Lidge when yet another inning was kept alive by a strike-out-wild-pitch (the same thing happened to Myers in Game 2—I've never seen that happen twice in such a short span of time—isn't Ruiz in the lineup because of his ability to block those kinds of pitches?), but in the end Lidge closed the door as he has all season.
Now the Phils enter Game 5 with a chance to clinch their first World Series berth in 15 years. It's a shame it won't be at home (I'm not a fan of the 2-3-2 format; it should be 2-2-1-1-1 like the other sports) but this team is more than up to the task of taking another one in LA, especially with their ace on the mound. Go Phils!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Well, we knew it wasn't going to be a sweep...
The Phillies fell in Game 3 thanks in part to a listless performance from the offense, which pretty much went to sleep after the Phils found themselves in a 6-1 hole. Kuroda certainly had a lot to do with it, but some of the problems with this lineup are becoming magnified in the postseason (i.e. all of the strikeouts and the inability to manufacture runs). For his part, Moyer, after being the Phillies' second best pitcher during the regular season, has been a big disappointment so far in the playoffs, though you also have to give credit to the Dodgers for jumping on him early and knocking him out.
The only real drama in the game came from the retaliation shenanigans as the Dodgers overreacted to a couple of perceived intentional hit batsmen. Now let's get real: Myers' pitch in game two obviously slipped out of his hands; he's not going to throw behind Ramirez, despite his fiery reputation. And Moyer clearly had no intention of hitting anyone when he was ahead in the count 0-2 with no outs and a run already in. But the Dodgers did what they felt they had to do, fine, and Victorino reacted understandably after having a ball aimed at his head (there's a right and wrong way to retaliate), and after the inning the benches momentarily cleared, giving resident punk Ramirez his chance to act like one of those drunk guys at a bar who says to his buddy, "hold me back," and then proceeds to act like a wild man.
Oh well. The Phils need to put this one behind them and get back to the business of closing this series out. They get Lowe on short rest in Game 4—that would be a good time to start.
The only real drama in the game came from the retaliation shenanigans as the Dodgers overreacted to a couple of perceived intentional hit batsmen. Now let's get real: Myers' pitch in game two obviously slipped out of his hands; he's not going to throw behind Ramirez, despite his fiery reputation. And Moyer clearly had no intention of hitting anyone when he was ahead in the count 0-2 with no outs and a run already in. But the Dodgers did what they felt they had to do, fine, and Victorino reacted understandably after having a ball aimed at his head (there's a right and wrong way to retaliate), and after the inning the benches momentarily cleared, giving resident punk Ramirez his chance to act like one of those drunk guys at a bar who says to his buddy, "hold me back," and then proceeds to act like a wild man.
Oh well. The Phils need to put this one behind them and get back to the business of closing this series out. They get Lowe on short rest in Game 4—that would be a good time to start.
Eagles Finally Show Signs of Life in Victory over 49ers
Nothing to get too excited about here; they beat a team they were supposed to beat, but they do deserve credit for showing some character in coming back from nine points down in the 4th quarter, and the defense came up huge in the 4th quarter after playing crappy for much of the game (way too many missed tackles). There are still plenty of things to be concerned about (the suddenly porous run defense, the inability to kick a long field goal, leading the league in dropped passes, etc.), but in a week when Washington and Dallas did the Eagles huge favors by losing to inferior teams, it's a step in the right direction.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Brett Myers: Offensive MVP?
Just kidding, but it's pretty amazing what Myers has done with the bat—he's hitting .800 this postseason and his three-hit, three-RBI performance tonight was a big key to the Phillies victory. On top of that he pitched well enough to win in spite of likely being worn out from all the base running he did. There were many other heroes tonight as well. Victorino continues to get it done at the plate and in the field: his catch in center field may have been even bigger than the four runs he knocked in tonight.
The rest of the offense is finally showing signs of life, too, after being mostly dormant in the Milwaukee series. They batted around in two consecutive innings and scored eight runs without needing a home run to do so. Now they will never be accused of playing small ball to manufacture runs, but they have shown an impressive ability this postseason to get key hits with two outs--and those are the types of things that win in the playoffs. Howard, however, continues to struggle mightily in the postseason. If he ever gets going, look out.
The first game was vintage Hamels. For a while it looked like he might get his typical run support but he kept them in the game long enough for the offense to finally break through in the 6th. The bullpen has been stellar, with Lidge closing the door on consecutive nights, and the Phillies find themselves heading to LA just two wins away from the World Series. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I'm trying to temper my excitement, but as infrequently as the Phillies have been in this position in their history, I'm going to enjoy the run as far as the Phils can take us. I'll save my apprehension for the Eagles :-)
On a more sour note, I have to give a wag of my finger (to borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert) to Flyers' owner Ed Snider for having Sarah Palin drop the first puck in the team's home opener. He's free to support whoever he wants, but by inviting her to the opening day ceremonies in the middle of an election, he's blatantly injecting his personal politics into sports . . . where it doesn't belong. It's in poor taste and I've lost a lot of respect for Snider as a result. He's not doing Palin any favors, either. Has he forgotten that Philly is a blue city? The fans will boo her mercilessly.
The rest of the offense is finally showing signs of life, too, after being mostly dormant in the Milwaukee series. They batted around in two consecutive innings and scored eight runs without needing a home run to do so. Now they will never be accused of playing small ball to manufacture runs, but they have shown an impressive ability this postseason to get key hits with two outs--and those are the types of things that win in the playoffs. Howard, however, continues to struggle mightily in the postseason. If he ever gets going, look out.
The first game was vintage Hamels. For a while it looked like he might get his typical run support but he kept them in the game long enough for the offense to finally break through in the 6th. The bullpen has been stellar, with Lidge closing the door on consecutive nights, and the Phillies find themselves heading to LA just two wins away from the World Series. There's a lot of baseball left to be played, and I'm trying to temper my excitement, but as infrequently as the Phillies have been in this position in their history, I'm going to enjoy the run as far as the Phils can take us. I'll save my apprehension for the Eagles :-)
On a more sour note, I have to give a wag of my finger (to borrow a phrase from Stephen Colbert) to Flyers' owner Ed Snider for having Sarah Palin drop the first puck in the team's home opener. He's free to support whoever he wants, but by inviting her to the opening day ceremonies in the middle of an election, he's blatantly injecting his personal politics into sports . . . where it doesn't belong. It's in poor taste and I've lost a lot of respect for Snider as a result. He's not doing Palin any favors, either. Has he forgotten that Philly is a blue city? The fans will boo her mercilessly.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Phillies Save My Sunday
I never thought I'd say this during football season, but thank God for the Phillies. They saved what could have been an utterly dismal Sunday in Philly after the Eagles' pathetic performance (more on them later). The Phils rebounded nicely from a poor effort last night to close out the series. Blanton delivered a stellar pitching performance and the offense (courtesy of Burrell and Rollins) finally showed signs of life. The Dodgers will be tough, but if the Phillies continue to get the pitching they got in this series, they will have a great shot. The offense still needs to pick it up more, though. Going into this game they had scored in just 3 of their 25 at-bats. Today they scored in three innings, so hopefully that is a sign of better things to come, though we still need to see more out of Utley and Howard if the Phillies hope to go deep. But today is a day of celebration. Tomorrow we can start thinking about the NLCS. Go Phils!!!
On to the Eagles. Obviously, they are not as good as I thought they were. They were looking good after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then they just fell apart. The great run defense suddenly imploded—of course it doesn't help when the inept offense is keeping you on the field all game—but 203 yards rushing is just abysmal. Reid looks lost on the sidelines. Case in point: as if hearing the complaints from last week's failure to throw the red flag, today he decided to blow a timeout on a useless challenge that wasn't even close. On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen? Besides taking it out of his hands at the goal line, he almost never went downfield today against a vulnerable Washington secondary. Everything was in close: screens, quick hitters, etc.
One more thing, to the Redskins: it must be nice to have a reliable kicker. I remember when the Eagles used to have one. Obviously, 50 yards is no chip shot, but Akers has only hit one field goal outside of 40 yards all year. It's looking eerily similar to last year when he went 2 for 10 on field goals longer than 40 yards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Akers for this loss, everyone deserves a share of the credit, but his output over the last two years is unacceptable.
At this rate it's beginning to look like another long season: they are two games behind the third place team in the division, they're 0-2 in the division, and 1-3 in the conference. It would take a huge winning streak to even get back into this thing, and I just don't know if they have it in them. They should at worst be 4-1, but dumb mistakes and missed opportunities have cost them dearly. However, we can talk woulda, coulda, shoulda all we want, but at some point, you are what you are, and right now: the Eagles are a mediocre football team, and their record reflects it.
On to the Eagles. Obviously, they are not as good as I thought they were. They were looking good after jumping out to a 14-0 lead, but then they just fell apart. The great run defense suddenly imploded—of course it doesn't help when the inept offense is keeping you on the field all game—but 203 yards rushing is just abysmal. Reid looks lost on the sidelines. Case in point: as if hearing the complaints from last week's failure to throw the red flag, today he decided to blow a timeout on a useless challenge that wasn't even close. On top of that, pass-happy-Reid has suddenly become Mr. Smashmouth at the goal line, as the Eagles were once again stymied from in close on consecutive running plays. Has Reid lost all confidence in McNabb's ability to make something happen? Besides taking it out of his hands at the goal line, he almost never went downfield today against a vulnerable Washington secondary. Everything was in close: screens, quick hitters, etc.
One more thing, to the Redskins: it must be nice to have a reliable kicker. I remember when the Eagles used to have one. Obviously, 50 yards is no chip shot, but Akers has only hit one field goal outside of 40 yards all year. It's looking eerily similar to last year when he went 2 for 10 on field goals longer than 40 yards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming Akers for this loss, everyone deserves a share of the credit, but his output over the last two years is unacceptable.
At this rate it's beginning to look like another long season: they are two games behind the third place team in the division, they're 0-2 in the division, and 1-3 in the conference. It would take a huge winning streak to even get back into this thing, and I just don't know if they have it in them. They should at worst be 4-1, but dumb mistakes and missed opportunities have cost them dearly. However, we can talk woulda, coulda, shoulda all we want, but at some point, you are what you are, and right now: the Eagles are a mediocre football team, and their record reflects it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
CC Who?
After vanquishing the mighty CC Sabathia last night the Phillies have taken control of the series. The obvious heroes are Victorino, who hit the dramatic two-strike, two-out grand slam in the second on his way to a three-hit game, and Myers, who settled down nicely after surviving a first-inning, bases-loaded scare, to hold the Brewers to just two runs over seven innings. His biggest contribution, however, was at the plate. In the second inning, the light-hitting (and that's generous) pitcher worked a two-out walk in a nine-pitch at-bat as the crowd roared with every fouled pitch and taken ball, appearing to rattle Sabathia in the process, and setting the stage for Victorino's slam that blew the game wide open. Then Myers did it again in the 4th, flying out after a 10-pitch at-bat . . . Sabathia would not survive the inning. Later in the game Myers added a single for good measure.
The offense continued its feast or famine output, though, scoring all of its runs in just one inning, but it's hard to complain about that when your team tags Sabathia for five runs. To win a game against arguably the best pitcher in baseball while your 3-4-5 hitters go 0-for-10 is pretty amazing. To do it on the backs of a little outfielder not known for his power and a pitcher not known for his hitting is the stuff of legend.
The offense continued its feast or famine output, though, scoring all of its runs in just one inning, but it's hard to complain about that when your team tags Sabathia for five runs. To win a game against arguably the best pitcher in baseball while your 3-4-5 hitters go 0-for-10 is pretty amazing. To do it on the backs of a little outfielder not known for his power and a pitcher not known for his hitting is the stuff of legend.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
One Down...
Well, the Phillies made it much more interesting than they had to, thanks to Manuel's decision to not let Hamels finish the game. He had a manageable pitch count and was pitching lights out, while Lidge has been struggling recently. As much as the team is going to need Lidge in the playoffs, this might have been a good game to let him rest while Hamels finished what he started. Hamels said the right things after the game, but I'm sure he would like to have pitched the complete game. On the other hand, I can see the argument for not overworking your ace in the first game of the playoffs, and that is what Lidge gets paid for. In the end, after a few frayed nerves, it worked out, so no worries. Let's just hope Lidge's high pitch count yesterday won't have an impact on the rest of the series.
Anyway, what can you say about Hamels? He's a bonafide stud that would have been a 20-game-winning Cy Young contender if the Phillies had given him any run support this year. He didn't get much support again in this game, but this time it didn't matter; nobody was scoring on him. We haven't seen a playoff pitching performance in this town like that since Curt Schilling in '93 (not that there have been many playoff games in the years since). The offense needs to pick it up, though, if the Phillies are going to advance. One error-filled inning of scoring isn't going to cut it on most days. Today will be tough with Sabathia, but hopefully the Phils can make it a short series so we only have to see him once. And let's hope the right Brett Myers shows up today.
Go Phils!
Anyway, what can you say about Hamels? He's a bonafide stud that would have been a 20-game-winning Cy Young contender if the Phillies had given him any run support this year. He didn't get much support again in this game, but this time it didn't matter; nobody was scoring on him. We haven't seen a playoff pitching performance in this town like that since Curt Schilling in '93 (not that there have been many playoff games in the years since). The offense needs to pick it up, though, if the Phillies are going to advance. One error-filled inning of scoring isn't going to cut it on most days. Today will be tough with Sabathia, but hopefully the Phils can make it a short series so we only have to see him once. And let's hope the right Brett Myers shows up today.
Go Phils!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
It's All on Andy
I guess it's only fitting that my initial post will be a rant about the Eagles. This is what I had to say following the Eagles/Bears debacle on Sunday night:
The Bears were a team of great fortune tonight. Their first touchdown was caught out of bounds, their second was gift-wrapped by Jackson's muffed punt, their third TD drive was only kept alive by a horrible spot on third down, their field goal was made possible when the refs failed to flag Orton for intentional grounding, and the top view of Buckhalter's carry at the end of the game showed the ball clearly breaking the plane.
That being said, the Eagles did everything in their power to lose to a vastly inferior team tonight. This game was an utter disgrace and one of the worst coaching performances of Reid's career. Why is he suddenly afraid to throw the red flag??? He could have challenged three different plays: the Bears' first TD that was out of bounds, the spot of the ball that kept Chicago's third TD drive alive, and Buckhalter's 4th down carry, but he kept the flag in his pocket all game. He did the same thing against Dallas two weeks ago when Baskett recovered that fumble in the end zone. I just don't get it. Maybe the refs wouldn't have had the guts to overturn the Buckhalter run, but how can you not even try? Everything was on the line there; screw saving the timeout.
Of course it wouldn't have been necessary if the play calling hadn't been so horrible at the goal line. The McNabb-hating morons are going to blame him again and call him a choker, but this one is entirely on Reid. McNabb got the team down to first and goal with a chance to win the game but he wasn't even given ONE opportunity to throw the ball. He's your best player, put the ball in his hands!!! Whatever happened to rolling him out and giving him the option of throwing or running it in? Or how about spreading the field and letting him sneak it in? It's a higher percentage play than trying a tight-formation run into the middle of the Bears defense! I never thought I'd see the day when Reid would try four straight runs; he sure picked a hell of a time.
I am sick. It's almost impossible to lose a game where you force four turnovers and outgain the opposition by nearly 100 yards, but they found a way. Westbrook or no Westbrook, championship teams don't lose games like this. That Bears team stinks—and what does that say about the Eagles?
Some other observations: Akers is no longer reliable outside of 40 yards, Rocca is still too inconsistent, and Booker is a waste of a roster spot.
The Bears were a team of great fortune tonight. Their first touchdown was caught out of bounds, their second was gift-wrapped by Jackson's muffed punt, their third TD drive was only kept alive by a horrible spot on third down, their field goal was made possible when the refs failed to flag Orton for intentional grounding, and the top view of Buckhalter's carry at the end of the game showed the ball clearly breaking the plane.
That being said, the Eagles did everything in their power to lose to a vastly inferior team tonight. This game was an utter disgrace and one of the worst coaching performances of Reid's career. Why is he suddenly afraid to throw the red flag??? He could have challenged three different plays: the Bears' first TD that was out of bounds, the spot of the ball that kept Chicago's third TD drive alive, and Buckhalter's 4th down carry, but he kept the flag in his pocket all game. He did the same thing against Dallas two weeks ago when Baskett recovered that fumble in the end zone. I just don't get it. Maybe the refs wouldn't have had the guts to overturn the Buckhalter run, but how can you not even try? Everything was on the line there; screw saving the timeout.
Of course it wouldn't have been necessary if the play calling hadn't been so horrible at the goal line. The McNabb-hating morons are going to blame him again and call him a choker, but this one is entirely on Reid. McNabb got the team down to first and goal with a chance to win the game but he wasn't even given ONE opportunity to throw the ball. He's your best player, put the ball in his hands!!! Whatever happened to rolling him out and giving him the option of throwing or running it in? Or how about spreading the field and letting him sneak it in? It's a higher percentage play than trying a tight-formation run into the middle of the Bears defense! I never thought I'd see the day when Reid would try four straight runs; he sure picked a hell of a time.
I am sick. It's almost impossible to lose a game where you force four turnovers and outgain the opposition by nearly 100 yards, but they found a way. Westbrook or no Westbrook, championship teams don't lose games like this. That Bears team stinks—and what does that say about the Eagles?
Some other observations: Akers is no longer reliable outside of 40 yards, Rocca is still too inconsistent, and Booker is a waste of a roster spot.
Welcome
Welcome to my sports blog. I spend so much time writing about Philly sports in emails to people that I decided to convert them to blog entries. I may write about other things from time to time, but the focus will be primarily on my favorite sports teams, such as the Eagles and Flyers, some Phillies, and maybe the Sixers on occasion. I'm not reinventing the wheel here, just having some fun . . . or more likely, as a long suffering Philadelphia sports fan, venting :-)
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