Is it the early 2000's or 2009?

I am in a state of disbelief. My prediction for the Eagles game, as many other Philadelphians, was that the Eagles would topple the Giants. I felt better about that game than the Vikings game believe it or not. Did I actually believe that the resurgent Eagles could take down the defending Super bowl champions? Yes. I actually did. You may be asking yourself how on earth I could possibly be predicting an Eagles victory with Donovan McNabb at the helm and Andy Reid calling plays, after writing a piece called "End of an Era and Week 13 Picks Part 1." Well every other NFL journalist is asking themselves precisely the same question. If you have watched an ounce of ESPN this week or read anything on football you will have read something like "everyone counted the Eagles out" or "who woulda thunkit after McNabb was benched in week 12?" So I will no reiterate the point. You get it. McNabb was benched, people called for Reid's head, the season was over, yadda yadda yadda.

That is all over and done with. It's in the past. Know what else is in the past? The Eagles 48-20 demolishing of the very same Cardinals they are playing in the NFC Championship game this Sunday at 3 pm. Except one thing. These aren't the very same Cardinals. They beat the coach of the year and the rookie of the year two weeks ago and won their game versus the Panthers in the first quarter. And what is the big revelation that Ken Whisenhunt had about the offense? To run the ball (sound familiar Eagles fans?)

Well I am here to tell you to put your fears aside. The Arizona Cardinals may have started to run the ball, but not terribly effectively. All this talk of Edgerrin James and his "fresh legs" is nothing to fret about. I drafted this loser three years ago in the first round of my fantasy draft and he had a majorly disappointing season. So while I may hold a grudg-errin against Edgerrin it has nothing to do with my feelings on his 2009 playoff performance. The man couldn't win the big one for the Colts during his tenure in Indy and he sure as hell won't do it in Arizona.

Another big point. For those analysts and Cardinals believers who continue to point to the run game as the reason for their success, look no further than the Eagles playoff success versus the run. The best back the league has to offer, Adrian Peterson was nonexistent in the second half. Brandon Jacobs may have gained 92 yards on the ground, but he (and the rest of the Giants) were kept out of the end zone. The Iggs also stuffed him twice on 4th and short situations. Stopping Edge shouldn't be a problem after the running backs we experienced the first two rounds.

For all the talk of the Cardinals newfound running game, it's nothing special. Bear with me for some stats here. During the season the Cardinals ranked last in rushing yards per game and second last in yards-per-carry with 3.5. Their playoff rushing numbers yield an underwhelming 3.2 yards-per-carry which would drop them down to the only spot below them in that category - last.

The truth about the Cardinals is that they are a good team. Good but not great. They beat a rookie Quarterback and rookie Coach with their experienced old man Warner leading the pack. They beat a team coming off a bye week (one of three bye teams to lose this weekend), a Panthers team with the 18th ranked defense. Impressive win? Of course. Match this dynamic offense against the 3rd ranked defense and a different old man wins this matchup - Jim Johnson. Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown are better than the Panthers' Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas. Brian Dawkins over Carolina's Chris Harris any day, not that either of those comparisons needed to be made. Fitzgerald and Boldin will get their catches, but not the ones that matter most.

Some things that need a-fixin' from the Giants game...

-Brent Celek needs to make wide open catches

-Kevin Curtis needs to make wide open catches

-McNabb needs more consistent protection

-The offensive line needs to open up some holes for Westbrook

-More Buckhalter!

-8 penalties for 61 yards is too much. Cut it in half.

-David Akers cannot be counted on to make midfield tackles

My crystal ball shows me an Eagles victory. 31-17

Go Eagles!

Believe in Hope

With a new year brings an all new reason to hope for the city of Philadelphia. Coming off the city's first championship in 25 years, who is to say that it cannot be done again? Exhibit A: The Philadelphia Eagles.

2008 went down as perhaps the most up and down season in Eagles History. Sure, they have started hot before and gone cold. But never have we seen such such unbalance. The 08 Birds never won more than 3 games in a row. They lost 2 in a row once and had a three game skid which included two losses and a tie. They scored less than 10 points twice, and more than 40 points three times. No one really knows what to expect. Something that those of us who don't quite believe can do however, is to hope. I believe in hope.

We turned the corner when McNabb came back from his benching and won three straight. Then a 3 point offensive showing to a couldn't-be-colder Redskins team? Then, of course, a 44-6 domination over a team so embodied by its singular personalities, the Dallas Cowboys.

After a sloppy first half with classic Andy Reid 3rd and 2 long passes leading to a few punts, the Eagles completely dominated the Vikings in the final 30 minutes, holding their running game to just 17 yards on 8 carries. The defense made the stops when it needed to make them.

On to the next contest. Those New York Football Giants. Defending Super Bowl Champions and current NFC Regular Season Champs. Who is the favorite? By all means the Giants. Who is going to win? The Philadelphia Eagles. What kind of ludicrous statement is that to make, you may be asking. Why would I pick the Eagles over the Giants at the Meadowlands? Besides the green that runs through my veins, there are quite a few reasons. I will lay them out for you here...

1. Playing at the Meadowlands. So far this season the two contests between these bitter rivals has been won by the visiting team. Eagles won in NY, Giants won in Philly. This is one theory that offers up an Eagles double-you, but not one that I would put too much stock into.

2. The Giants have lost 3 of their last 4 games. Albeit one took place in the week 17 resting of their starters in the second half. Make that a win and they are still only 2-2. Anyone watching Eli play the first half in the Giants week 17 loss to the Vikings could see that Manning was not his usual self. In the last four games of the season, Manning threw just 2 touchdowns and two picks, was sacked 12 times, and fumbled twice.

3. Try to think back to last year. This wasn't much of a story line at this moment in 2008 as the Giants snuck into the playoffs without too much noise. There was tremendous support from the Giants' fans to have their franchise quarterback traded and their moody coach fired. Fans wanted the Giants to lose even though they were in the playoffs. Does this sound familiar my fellow Philadelphians? For how long have we been dialing WIP's number and calling for McNabb's head? After how many called passing plays on 3rd and 1 have we wanted Andy Reid out of our beloved city? Hey, I'll admit it. I have never been shy to bash the Eagles - namely McNabb and Reid. Many are still not satisfied with our position now. Again, I am not. I always want a Super Bowl. But at the same time, I am realistic. Big Red and Five will be back next year, and it seems like they both give us the best chance to win.

So while those in New York were throwing Tom Coughlin under the proverbial bus, we have done the same to Reid. The Giants have made the "sneaking into the playoffs quietly and winning the Super Bowl" story quite old to everyone already. How many times have you heard the phrase, "this year's Giants?" And how many times have the Eagles been attributed to that phrase? Almost every time. We are in a great position heading into Sunday's game.

4. And last but not least, just as you thought I wouldn't mention it - Plaxico Burress. This man has been the definition of an Eagles Killer. Look at his career stats versus the Eagles (as a Giant, not a Steeler). 7 games, 32 receptions, 516 yards, 5 touchdowns. In last years playoffs, Eli Manning trusted Burress with 25% of his completions, more then 25% of his yards, and added a touchdown in the biggest game to take down the all-mighty Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Without Plax, the Giants went a mediocre 3-3 in their last 6 games. Before? 9-1. 2 of the three wins were legitimate, beating the number 2 seed Carolina Panthers in overtime and the opponent of the Panthers this Saturday - the Arizona Cardinals.

Without Plaxico, a receiver who has shredded the Eagles Secondary apart for the past 3 and a half seasons, the Giants become much less scary. Their offense now has to rely on Domenik Hixon as their number 1 wideout which puts more pressure on banged up monster running back Brandon Jacobs.

So I will ignore the obvious reasons why we may not win this game (Akers can't kick for squat against the G-Men, we never know when Reid will abandon the run, it IS a home game for the Giants, and the Giants are supposed to win)

Now let us take a look at the weather conditions for the game. It will be a high of 33 and a low of 21 with only a 10% chance of precipitation. The wind impact is one to take notice of, right now being listed as 13 miles per hour North/Northwest. Should make for an interesting day of passing and kicking.

My prediction for the Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants playoff game for a trip to the Conference Finals: Eagles 27 Giants 20

Do I believe? I don't know. But I can sure as hell hope.

Go Eagles

A Christmas Story of Awards

It is Christmas Eve (soon to be Christmas) and to honor everyone's favorite Christmas Classic, A Christmas Story, I will give out my year-end awards with regards to Ralphie and his world.

The Leg Lamp Smash Award: 

Did the old man really think that he would be able to get away with showcasing his beloved leg lamp in his window for all of Cleveland Street to see? He had to know that one day soon his "major award" would come to a major downfall. The Eagles were just playing too well. We were running the ball like a normal team. We were beating the teams we were supposed to beat, and even ones we weren't (the Giants). All we had to do was win our two last games. We were looking forward to playing the Cowgirls next sunday to decide our playoff berth. We shouldn't be concerned the the Redskins. Losers of 5 of their last 6? The self-proclaimed "worst coach in the world" in Jim Zorn? Come on. We went down to the basement to play with that dadgummit, blasted, stupid furnace. As soon as we got into our fight with the furnace, Andy Reid decided to play the part of Ralphie's mom. He picked up his water can and smiled a sly smile and walked to the living room. Sure, he wants his team to grow emotionally and intellectually. Why not pour some water on them to further their growth? While "watering" his team he accidentally smashes the leg lamp. And with the lamp goes the Eagles' playoff hopes.

The Aunt Clara's Bunny Costume Award: 

Sunday, November 23, 2008. Andy Reid brings in Kevin Kolb to replace Donovan McNabb. Philadelphia freaks out. ESPN freaks out. The sports world freaks out. Is the McNabb era finally over? Is this is how it is going to end? Yep, Ralphie has to wear the costume. We are forced to see our beloved protagonist wear an energizer bunny costume - the same 9-year-old who we see as a cowboy brandishing Red Ryder's peace-maker in his kitchen. Frankly, it is demeaning. Ralphie barely has time to say a word before the old man asks him if he wants to take it off. Andy Reid gives Kolb 2 quarters of misery before pulling the plug. McNabb comes back in and leads the team to victory three straight weeks. Ralphie gets his BB Gun.

The You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Award: 

This is presented to Andre Iguodala. Rather than taking that step forward that we all expected after the great second half run the Sixers had last year, Iggy melted away in the playoffs. No matter though. Iggy was able to shoot our eyes out - it became hard to watch - and come up with a great icicle lie to keep his days in Philly for 5 more years, just as Ralphie was able to keep his BB-Gun. One new contract later, Iggy has continued to shoot our eyes out, it becomes more painful to watch each and every day. Congratulations to Andre Iguodala.

The Ooohhh Fudge Award: 

Here's to Chase Utley. "World Champions. 

World FUDGING Champions!" Only he didn't say fudge. He said

the word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the

F-dash-dash-dash word. But as Utley later said, kids shouldn't curse, but if they are 29 and won the World Series, they can say that (and just to clarify, it wasn't Ralphie's fault that the nuts and bolts went flying everywhere. His dad knocked them out of his hand).

The Scut Farkus Affair Award: 

If the sports Gods are Scut Farkus, Ralphie is our Phillies. Scut Farkus has been the Penguins, Devils, Red Wings, Patriots, Cowboys, Mets, Marlins, Rockies, Lakers, Pistons, etc. over the years. The Phillies finally stood up to Scott Farkus and looked him in his yellow eyes. He had yellow eyes. SO HELP ME GOD YELLOW EYES! The Phillies beat the odds after Johan Santana was brought to New York to bring the Mets back to the top. They beat the unbeatable C.C. Sabathia with the most crushing grand slam in Phillies history. They beat the Dodgers with an entire team effort, capped by the moment Matt Stairs drove the ball deep into right field - also the moment blood was drawn by Ralphie from Scut's nose. And they beat the team of destiny when Ralphie raised his Red Ryder BB Gun in his living room - the World Series Trophy in Citizens Bank Park.

The It's a beautiful turkey, it really is, but it's smiling at me Award:

Alexander Ovechkin had himself one hell of a year. A year for the record books. 65 goals. Good job. But as soon as the playoffs started and every analyst possible picked Alexander the Great and his Capitals to win the series, a fire was lit under the Flyers. By the time game 7 rolled around, they had enough of Ovechkin's toothless smile.  "It's a beautiful turkey, it really is, but it's smiling at me..." said thousands of Philadelphians. Joffrey Lupul and the Flyers listened carefully, took a knife and chopped that Turkey's heads off. Montreal Canadians, here we come.

The Bumpass's Dogs Award and the But it was gone, all gone! No turkey! No turkey sandwiches! No turkey salad! No turkey gravy! Turkey hash! Turkey a la King! Or gallons of turkey soup! Gone, ALL GONE Award: 

To the Penguins and Flyers respectively. Game 5 of the 2008 NHL Eastern Conference Finals. The Penguins had picked at our turkey for days. They took little bits of it while we were out of the room tending to BB Gun shot out eyes.

Then we sat down to read the paper. We should relax right? We just won game 4 in convincing fashion, a 4-2 win. The Bumpass's dogs came in while we were reading the paper and scored a quick goal or two. Did we notice? No, we continue to read the paper. Then the rest of the Bumpass's Dogs come in and tear the turkey apart. We get torn apart to the tune of 6-0 and that is the end of the Flyers season. While we may have been introduced to Chinese Turkey, we didn't get all of those damn delicious leftovers. 

The Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra Award:

To Tadahito Iguchi, So Taguchi, and Arron Asham.

The Santa Boot in the face Award: To injury prone and career loser, Elton Brand. Baron Davis decides to sign with the Clippers, seemingly to play with one of the best power forwards in the game. One would not just sign with the Clippers for fun, it just doesn't happen. Brand puts on Santa's shiny black boot and kicks the franchise in the face. He signs with the Sixers and a few months later he finds himself in that poofy pool of fluff that Ralphie finds himself in. The injury bug has kicked him in the face with that same boot. Ho! Ho! Ho! Not so jolly.

Feel free to offer up your own awards by commenting on this post. I hope everyone has themselves a great 24 hours of A Christmas Story, a great Christmas, some tasty food, not too many bellyaches, some useful presents, and a Happy Chanukah as well.

Week 16 NFL Picks

This is the time of the year when those cold weather games really take effect on teams. This is why I am basing a lot of my picks around the cold weather nonsense that we saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overcome at the Vet in 2002. Cold weather games will be denoted by a *. Snow will have two asteriks **

**CLEVELAND over Cinci

ST LOUIS over San Fran

**New Orleans over DETROIT

*Pittsburgh over TENNESSEE

KANSAS CITY over Miami

**NEW ENGLAND over Arizona

San Diego over TAMPA BAY

Houston over OAKLAND

DENVER over Buffalo

**SEATTLE over NY Favres

**MINNESOTA over Atlanta

Eagles over WASHINGTON

**NY GIANTS over Carolina

CHICAGO over Green Bay

Don't take my word on the snow actually falling - that's just the forecast. There are supposed to be 6 games today with a chance of snow. Should make for a very interesting day of football. Lots of turnovers. Probably a really bad day to bet. A lot of gimmes become games that no one expected to turn out the way they do.

With that, Happy Chanukah, and here in Abington we got ourselves a White Chanukah.

Season: 42-32

School's out for... Chanukah

In honor of the end of the fall semester I have decided to hand Philadelphia it's report card for all of 2008. My grades have just been posted and while some resemble the Sixers more so than the Phillies, they all count towards my GPA, just as every one of our beloved teams (except the Soul, Wings, and Kixx) represent our beloved city - Philadelphia. It has been a hell of a year, with many ups and downs. While it is safe to say this for just about any year, it's hard to top '08.

First and foremost, more foremost than any team I have ever rooted for, are the World Series Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Offense: The Phils were 3rd in runs, 1st in home runs, 2nd in RBI, 3rd in stolen bases (although 1st in percentage), and 2nd in wins in the entire National League. Add in playoff numbers and it is safe to say that the offense would probably be number one in just about every category. With the most potent infield in the game, Howard, Utley and Rollins are a formidable trio. When one is not hitting, the others are. In most cases however, you will find it hard to get around all three of them in one game. Pat Burrell finally cemented his place in left field for Phillies eternity. Regardless of where he signs, he will be a lifelong Phillie and a fan favorite. More to come on Pat the Glove in another post. Grade: A+

Defense: Adding Pedro Feliz was one of the least publicized moves of the offseason. But what it did for this team was more many can understand. We added the best defensive third baseman in the national league. Add that two now 2-time gold glove winner Jimmy Rollins and one of the best fielding and smartest second basemen in the game in Chase Utley and you have a pretty leather-y infield. Even the DH with a glove on his hand picked up his defense in the final quarter of the season. Pat Burrell may not be fast, but he lets singles be singles. He doesn't turn them into doubles. Oh yeah and he lead Major League Baseball with 12 outfield assists. Boo-ya. Shane Victorino added a gold glove to his resume, and Jayson Werth proved to be a starting right fielder, by no means an easy task. Carlos Ruiz showed in the World Series why batting average is overrated, by calling some of the best games that anyone has ever seen out of Cole Hamels, not to mention an unheard of like Joe Blanton. The Phils finished 3rd in the NL in fielding percentage and 3rd in all of baseball as well. Grade: A-

Pitching: 4th in ERA, 2nd in saves, 1st in blown saves, 3rd in shutouts, and 1st in overall bullpen. Pitching was supposed to be the problem wasn't it? Only having two proven starters in injury plagued Cole Hamels and Senior Citizen Jamie Moyer while relying on a head case to make the switch back from closer to starter, rookie semi-sensation Kyle Kendrick and... the pitcher who must not be named...

...

... fine, I'll say it. Adam Eaton (Lightning crashes). And here come some more parenthesis... (Look, Adam Eaton is a nice enough guy. To bash Gillick on this signing is not fair. Every general manager makes brilliant decisions and some that couldn't be more idiotic. To boo Adam Eaton is not fair. He did not hold out for the most money that he could find. He did not turn down teams offering him money left and right. He was sort of sitting around when the Phillies shoved an unprecedented 24 million dollars in his face. I'm sure he said something along the lines of, "wait you want me to do what with that ball? Pitch it? In a starting rotation? In Philadelphia? For HOW much money? OK sure, but just remember, YOU asked ME." This is not a bad guy. Anyone expecting him to be even a competent fifth starter was expecting too much. This man even got shelled in Single-A ball. Nice guy and I hope he enjoys his paycheck, as long as he is enjoying it far away from the Phillies)

To continue, an unbalanced closer, and the worst bullpen in the league in 2007. Add it all up and... the best rotation in the National League. World Series Champs. Wahoo! Grade: A+

2008 Grade: A+(plus)+(plus)+(plus)+(plus)+(plus) in honor of Ralphie's Red Ryder Carbine Action Two-Hundred Shot Range Model Air Rifle BB Gun Essay

Philadelphia Flyers. The worst team in the league from 2006-2007 couldn't even win at being the worst which is why they received the number 2 draft pick instead of the number 1. We all knew what to expect after that short lived playoff birth in 05-06. We saw that our defenseman pretty much forgot how to skate and that our big signing, Peter Forsberg, was a diva with a "boot-fitting" problem, something unbeknownst to, oh say anyone who has ever watched hockey. Forget about that lost season. It was necessary to bring in the talent that got us to where are now. After an improbable run to the Eastern Conference Finals where we got shelacked by the Penguins, we knew what we had. 2008 has been kind to the Flyers. The rebuilding process is supposed to take a few years, not one year.

Offense: The most consistent power play in the NHL is lethal. Add Simon Gagne, back with vengeance (he can keep the 07-08 season's motto since he didn't really get to use it that much), Captain Mike Richards, ankle-blood-clot-free Kimo Timonen, and newfound MVP Jeff Carter to the equation, they are pretty much a given to score on the power play. The problem comes in the form of 5-on-5 ice time. This team gets its goals, but is pretty reliant on the power play. This can become a problem in the playoffs where the referees are less likely to take over a game. They let the players play, thus subtracting the Flyers main scoring threat. Grade: B+

Defense: Inconsistent? Surprisingly no. The first month of the season saw the Flyers learning how to play with speedster Luca Sbisa and without Ryan Parent or Randy Jones. Throw in Andy Alberts and take away part of the team's heart in Derian Hatcher, the team was out of sync defensively. Trading insane, wanting to hit anything that moves, forgetting that talent is supposed to be used, former first round pick Steve Downie for young defensive stud, Matt Carle, really breathed some life into the Flyers D. The reason that the Flyers lead the league in shorthanded goals is because of their defense-first approach. Worry about stopping the other team and our own chances will come. Richards is playing like the penalty killer that we have always known he is, Gagne is back from injury, and Carter recently learned how to commit his body to staying behind the blue line. Grade: B+

Goaltending: Biron has stepped up his game when he needs to. He seems to defeat his childhood rival team in the Montreal Canadians, and when the going is good, Biron is a steady goaltender. Nittymaki is an above average backup, making up for the average goaltender that Biron is. He can step in and easily dominate the Atlanta Thrashers, and when it comes to real NHL teams he can compete too. Grade: B-

2008 Grade: B

Oh those Eagles. It's always something with them isn't it?

Offense: Donavon McNabb. Based on what we have seen from Five, it is apparent that he might be a little crazier than we all thought. Sure the benching against the Ravens scared him into becoming the QB we've been used to seeing for a decade, but why does an all-pro quarterback need to be scared into losing his job to save himself? When on, McNabb is as good as a passer as he has ever been. He threads the needle and if need be he can run a little bit too.

Westbrook is the monster that we have come to expect out of Route 36 when healthy. We all know that. He can block, run, catch, and apparently run down 98 yard interceptions too. The wideouts don't boast big names besides rookie sensation The Sean Jackson, yet they are not the problem. They get open and give McNabb the opportunity to make plays. The tight end position has a week-to-week success rate. The one thing that never changes is my heart stopping every time LJ Smith runs with the ball... does he not threaten to fumble after every catch? The O-Line seems to be missing Shawn Andrews, but John Runyan has given the Eagles a reason to bring him back for one last contract and maybe another after that. But for the love of God, can we get a real fullback? Grade: B-

Defense: A deep secondary forces the opponent to run in situations where they might pass. Our run defense has been nothing short of dominant for the most part. Removing Omar Gaither for Akeem Jordan has improved the run defense even more. Maybe that 5th round draft pick who was supposed to be the heir apparent to Jeremiah Trotter didn't pan out too well. Lito Shepard has not been a distraction. He is not happy yet has been as professional as a former pro-bowler can be in his situation. He bears no ill will towards Asante Samuel. I'm guessing that he will follow up this season with a starting job on some mid-range team and he will probably do pretty decently. Pro bowl numbers? No, but numbers worthy of a starting position. Trent Cole may not be on pace for as many sacks as he had last year (12.5) but he has not lost an ounce of ferocity in his game. Darren Howard lost some weight and has contributed 8 sacks to the overall 3rd best defense in the NFL. They seem to have dropped that "bend but don't break" label too. Grade: A-

Special Teams: Looks like it's time to draft a new kicker. David Akers is definitely average, and is above average on some days, but his contract does not warrant keeping someone around who does not have the ability to kick a 50 yarder. Our return game is above average on both levels. Desean Jackson needs to learn that taking 8 yards is better than scrambling backwards and eventually falling forward for 2 yards. I respect that he wants to do more than we have become accustomed to in Philly, but a mediocre return is always better than trying to do too much and ending up with nothing. Quintin Demps is a major improvement in the kicking return category. Grade: B

2008 Grade: C Why is this letter lower than ALL of the grades so far? Not that this question needs to be answered by anyone who has watched this team play all season, but this team has not had it together for 2008. Tying the Bengals, benching an all-pro QB, blowing a 14 point lead over the now inept Redskins, losing the game on the goal line to the Kyle Orton lead Bears, and week after week of red zone failures leads to a C grade for the year. And that's being nice.

And the forgotten team. The team that fans forget to buy tickets to enjoy. That fans forget to watch on TV. Why? Because there are no results.

Offense: After getting semi-excited about that first round playoff exit last year, where the games played in Philadelphia were not even closed to being sold out, the team has taken a gigantic step backward. Signing Elton Brand to a 5 year mega-deal and locking up Iguodala for the prime years of his unproductiveness looks like it will only keep us in the basement for another few years. Elton Brand is slow and it looks like out of shape. Anyone who gets injured twice in his first 25 games with the team is not worth a hefty 16 million dollars a year for five years. And for those that argue and say that Iguodala's 4 points in a win over Milwaukee is fine because it led to a win - well it isn't even close to being fine. Paying that much money to someone who shoots 2-14 and cannot get to the line in a win over a bottom 10 team only points towards disaster. Oh and Sammy Dalembert is completely untradable now. Grade: D

Defense: Iggy's defense has shown spurts of life here and now but again, it is not enough to warrant his contract. While only allowing 94.6 points a game, a solid 8th in the league, the team isn't shutting down when it needs to. Sammy Dalembert averaged 2.3 blocks a game a year ago, now that is down a whole block to 1.3. His rebounding is down by more than 2 a game and his points per game have been cut in half, just to keep with the trend of regression. While the beginning of '08 looked nice for Sammy, his shortcomings this year may keep him from ever really breaking out. Grade: C

2008 Grade: C- The team moved in the right direction, but their inability to take another step forward has bad implications for this team. One coach and a star player down less than two months into the season and the few fans that actually care may be in a state of apathy by midseason.

So long 2008. You have been the best sports year of my life thanks to the Phillies. A good quote to look forward to from Jimmy Rollins, ""You don't repeat a World Series," Rollins said. "You don't repeat a game. You don't repeat a pitch. You don't really repeat a swing. You just try to do it again. And that's different."

Lets hope for a "different" kind of year in 2009.

NFL Week 15 Picks

Here are my picks for Week 15 of the NFL

Tampa over HOTLANTA

Washington over CINCI

INDY over Detroit

San Diego over KANSAS CITY

ST LOUIS over Seattle

MIAMI over San Fran

BRETT FAVRE over Buffalo

Tennessee over HOUSTON

Green Bay over JACKSONVILLE

ARIZONA over Minnesota

CAROLINA over Denver

BALTIMORE over Pittsburgh

New England over OAKLAND

NY Giants over DALLAS

EAGLES over Cleveland

Season: 35 - 24

Random Thoughts

A different type of post this morning. Rather than a specific topic to be discussed, I'll be going on a rambling tangent of sorts.

- I didn't get to watch the Flyers tonight, as I was attending a post-funeral for Josh Uram, father of Dave Uram who writes for South Broad Street, another blog I write for. Before I go on with this post, I just want to say that Josh will be greatly missed. He was a great man, doctor, father, and community man.

- Having said that, I watched the replay at 1:30 in the AM. The Flyers showed real character coming back from a referee-induced 5-1 deficit last night. While the first few goals could have been saved by Nittymaki, the refs did their best to ensure a 'Canes victory. Midway through the second, just after the Flyers made it look like this could be a semi-interesting game with a Hartnell deflection goal, the refs decided to turn a blind eye to any cheap shots taken by the Hurricanes, and instead punished the Flyers - and heavily. After three fights broke out on the ice, Aaron Asham was slapped with an instigation penalty for his fight with Scott Walekr and Andrew Alberts was given two penalties for roughing Scott Walker. This all resulted in a 5-on-3 advantage for the Hurricanes. After former Flyer Joni Pitkanen scored on the 5-on-3, Eric Staal decided to show up to the NHL. After taking most of the first quarter of the season off, he poked in his second goal of the night on a four minute Carolina Power Play, to go along with an assist. The third period, was quite a different story. Hartnell played like a man with something to prove and skated all over the 'Canes for a hat trick. Adding goals were Scottie Upshall and Simon Gagne. Richards and Gags scored in the shootout after a scoreless overtime to give the Flyers their biggest comeback victory in team history. This shows how scary this team can be if referees don't make every effort to give away the game -although anyone who watched the playoffs last year knows that the NHL has a bias against the Flyers.

-Terrell Owens has decided that Tony Romo and Jason Witten are in together on a plot to keep the ball from TO. They are devising plays together when they share a room on roadtrips. Romo is deliberately throwing the ball to Witten even though TO is open. I could spend the time coming up with a few witty lines to make sense of how moronic this is, but it's just not worth my time. If you have anything clever enough to say on this subject, leave it in the comments.

-The Eagles appear to have a fair shot to make the playoffs. If they can win their final three games they stand a fair chance at grabbing the final playoff spot. And as the Giants proved last year, a hot streak late in the season means anything can happen. And with the potential that this team has, they could be very scary. Key word there: Potential.

-The Mets receieved J.J. Putz in a three-team-trade. This now means that they have two closers. Putz will play the role of set-up man in the eighth, while K-Rod will close out ball games. The Mets really improved their main priority thus far in the offseason - their bullpen. Although the Phillies still had the best bullpen in the league last year and I see no reason why that should change. With the resigning of Burrell, all signs point towards an even stronger season from the Phightins.

-The Panthers are asking for a first rounder, a top prospect, and an everyday player for 24 year old defenseman Jay Bouwmeester. This is a bit ridiculous in my eyes. Maybe a prospect and an everyday player, or a first rounder and everyday player. But for a defenseman who is performing way below the standards he has previously set for himself, the Panthers should consider being a bit more lenient in their demands.

-Trivia Question: What is the Carolina Hurricanes mascot's name? Answer at the end. (The answer is obviously ridiculous)

-Have you watched the Sixers play recently? While I am trying not to be too critical until 25 games into the season (we're at 22 right now), things are looking less than inspiring. Elton Brand seems to play his own game, and the four other players on the court play a different game. There is no cohesiveness. Of course when Iguodala is on the court the formula is Brand playing his own game, Iggy playing his own game, and the other three players playing a different game. Iggy needs to reevaluate his game and fast. Soon it will be too late to change the inevitable first round loss to the Pistons/Celtics coming from our 7th or 8th place seeding.

-I don't know why ESPN is even wasting Bottom Line space by talking about a possible Arena Football League season cancellation. No one watches,  no one cares, thus no one wants to read about it on the bottom line. Hell, I'd rather read the same "Yankees and C.C. Sabathia agree to terms on a 7-year 161 million dollar deal" announcement over and over then waste my time being tricked into reading about the AFL.

-Sean Avery is funny. All he did was give the NHL press.

-LeBron James is 6 foot 8, 273 pounds according to ESPN on Wednesday night. This man played wide reciever in high school. Can you imagine a receiver of that size going across the middle? He might be a better receiver than he is basketball player. I can't imagine that is possible, but the thought is just plain scary.

-Pitt basketball is number 3 in the nation, and no one is really caring to notice. Continue to ignore us and we'll somehow sneak our way into the tourney as a #1 seed.

-The Phillies traded former '04 second round pick Jason Jarimillo for former big-league Pirates catcher Ronnie Paulino. Both are young, both haven't panned out. Maybe a change of scenery will help.

-Cole Hamels is completely justified in calling the Mets chokers. Any Mets fan who disagrees is not being truthful about their ballclub.

-I love Scott Hartnell.

-Trivia Answer: Stormy the Ice Hog

The Big Names Are Not Always the Biggest Moves

If we look back to last year at this time, what had the Phillies done to improve their team? First they allowed Aaron Rowand and his leadership to go San Francisco where the Giants showed why they are one of the worst-run franchises in sports (see Zito, Schmidt...). They decided that Jayson Werth, someone who had cracked 100 games just once in his big league career, a year in which he batted .234, would be starting in right field. The other starter in right field was to be Brett Favre look-alike, Geoff Jenkins, who in the previous season hit .255, his worst average since oh-two. They traded away quite possibly the fastest man in the major leagues in Michael Bourn along with fan favorite Geoff Geary to the Astros. In return? We received a closer who had lost his job three times in the past year, someone known for his inopportune ability to give up a big home run (i.e. Albert Pujols) in Brad Lidge. Sounded perfect for Philly at the time - a city known to get on a player the second something goes wrong. Along with a former star-closer, we received some utility man - a baseball player with a hefty blonde beard.

(Nothing is wrong with a healthy blonde beard... over 40 days long thanks to the Flyers improbable playoff run. Let's hope this year's is longer.)

The Angels signed Tori Hunter to an enormous contract worth 90 mil over 5 years. If a percentage of that money is for his leadership, then I applaud them. If not... well... enjoy your investment.

The Braves picked up Tom Glavine for a cool 8 million dollars. They got a solid 13 starts and 2 wins out of him.

The Dodgers shelled out 36 million over 2 YEARS for Andruw Jones, who apparently worked hard at spending that money on ice cream while batting .158 in 75 games.

The Yankees decided to commit 27.5 million dollars a year on one player, A-Rod. Looks like half of that money will be going to his ex-wife now, as that marriage is not the only thing he lost last year.

Randy Wolf, Carlos Silva, Luis Castillo, the list goes on and on. Looking at the Phils, they hardly made much of a splash in the free agent pool. They made small moves and spent less on a few players than many teams spent on one player. What I'm getting at, is that the big names don't necessarily add up to a World Series Trophy... which we now have.

The Yankees throwing out over 140 million dollars for 7 years of C.C. Sabathia just to make sure that C.C. knows who has the money to top the Santana deal (137.5 over 7 years) may not be the smartest way to spend what is equivalent to more than the Marlins entire team payroll for 2008. The Mets deciding to spend 37 million plus incentives on Francisco Rodriguez may look good at the present. So did signing Barry Zito to what was then the richest contract for a pitcher. "K-Rod" as Francisco has come to be known, is not living up to the K part of his nickname, which stands for strikeout, for those who do not know. His strikeouts per 9 innings dropped dramatically by almost 2 strikeouts last year, and have steadily dropped since 06, which was also his best year with regards to ERA and saves to blown saves ratio. The bottom line, is that this is a good signing. It is the correct move by the Mets organization, just as signing Jevon Kearse in 2003 was the right move. It looks good on paper, but lots of signs point to trouble in the future. K-Rod's '08 postseason line for the best-in-the-AL Angels? A loss and an ERA of almost 8. He walks into New York with the record for most saves in a season, lots of money, high expectations and a slider that isn't doing the wonders that it once did.

What did that blonde bearded dude do for the Phillies in 08? Only scored the game winning run in game 3 of the world series and game 5, which gave Philly its first championship in 25 years. And that head-case, Lidge? Only went 48 for 48 in save opportunities overall including a 1.95 era and 92 strikeouts in 62 regular season games. Pedro Feliz? The signing that no one outside of Philadelphia even cared to notice had the second best fielding percentage in the National League and drove in the aforementioned Eric Bruntlett for the World Series winning hit.

Some big signings work out. Many do not. It's hard to argue with a lot of signings, but the ones that matter are the Bruntlett's, the Feliz's, and the Chad Durbins. They help solidify ballclubs. With all that said, I would love to sign Derek Lowe and keep Jamie Moyer and Pat Burrell, but let's hope that we can pick up another Bruntlett for the departure of So Taguchi and another Scott Eyre for the gone-in-longer-than-a-Flash Tom Gordon. Here's to hoping that K-Rod finds as much success with the Mets has Andruw Jones has with the Dodgers!

NFL Week 14

Reggie Brown is sitting. He's not hurt, and he apparently didn't do anything wrong. I have said all season that this was probably his last season in green and white, and now that such receivers as greg lewis and jason avant are starting over him, it appears that the Birds will part with him and his bloated salary after this season.

With that said, here are my Week 14 NFL Picks (home team in CAPS)

Jacksonville over CHICAGO

Minnesota over DETROIT

GREEN BAY over Houston

TENNESSEE over Cleveland

INDY over Cinci

Hotlanta over NAHLINS

Philadelphia over NYG

DENVER over KC

BUFFALO over Miami

Brett Favre over SAN FRAN

New England over SEATTLE

St Louis over ARIZONA

PITTSBURGH over Dallas

BALTIMORE over Washington

Tampa over CAROLINA

Season 27-17

Once again the Eagles' season is on the line. If they win, then they stand a much better chance of making it to the playoffs. I had a dream that the Eagles annihilated the Giants, 35-13. So I'm picking my team. Go Eagles

The Many Faces of Scott Hartnell

If you are a casual hockey fan and watched the Flyers-Lightning game on Tuesday, you saw what you probably consider to be one of the most stupid plays by a player who does not deserve to feel the ice with his skates ever again. If the "casual hockey fan" applies to you, then you don't know Scott Hartnell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt5bb2BZsHs

Right off the bat, I will tell you that Scott is my favorite Flyer. His numbers may not be the flashiest (24 goals, 19 assists in 80 games in 07-08). His fighting may not be the most punishing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt5bb2BZsHs&feature=related). His hair may not be the most well-kept.

 But the point is that Hartnell will play in every game, fight against the best, and grow his hair out as long as he wants. And as an added bonus he'll sometimes "forget" how to skate and crash into the opposing team's goalie every once in a while.

Go ahead and laugh at the glove-throw. Hartnell admitted that he was tired and did the first thing that came to his mind to try to save the game for his team. So he threw part of his equipment at Ryan Malone, hoping to distract him on a breakaway that could have potentially stole the W away from the Flyers (apparently Biron felt the need to make up for it by giving away the game to the Devils two nights later). Malone received a penalty shot. Biron got a skate on the puck and sent the game into overtime, where Mike Richards had other ideas.

The point of this post is not about the Flyers and their inconsistencies in net, their ever-changing defense, or their seemingly unstoppable offense - it is about the Hart(nell) of the team. This is a player who has the intangibles - size, skill, personality, fire, and above all, heart. This is a man who is not going to net you 40 goals a year. He's not going to skate coast-to-coast with the Simon Gagne's of the NHL. But the man can play. Just by watching him it is evident that Scott Hartnell is someone who tries his hardest when he is on the ice. He may get sidetracked in exactly what he is supposed to do out there, as evidenced by his recent third period benching against the Islanders, but he is always trying to bring himself to the game. He doesn't allow the game to come to him. His finesse is not what will kill a team, but rather his ability to bring himself and everything that comes with himself, to the game.

Look no further than the NHL's top goal scorer, Jeff Carter, to see how valuable a player like Hartnell is. Carter's 18 goals are the byproduct of the six-foot-two, two-hundred and ten pound man who stands a stride from the crease, throwing his body into the opposition regardless of their size. On the power-play, Hartnell draws bodies to him in front of the net, opening the offensive zone for the rest of the team. If someone takes a cheap shot at a teammate, Hartnell will let them know about it - with force. He may take a bad penalty, or not think sometimes, but you can always count on Hartnell to give you his all.

Hartnell's presence on the ice can always be felt. Whether banging bodies in front of the goal, getting into a fight, "tripping" into a goalie to take him off his focus, or throwing a glove at Ryan Malone on a breakaway that could decide the game - he'll be noticed.