Spring Training Phillies Report: Position Players

Fresh off my annual trip to Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training in Clearwater, Florida, I have returned with some observations that the baseball public might like to be made aware of. I am not a baseball scout, nor am I always separate from my obvious Phillies fandom so take these for what you will. Remember a few things as you read...

1. I only saw 3 games in person.
2. I, just like the rest of you, put a lot of my knowledge and opinion on what the public feeds me. I have tried to abandon these perceptions for this article.
3. I will try my hardest to give you what I believe to be the 100% truth, no fabrications.

Here is my offensive preview based on what I have learned at Spring Training and over the years as a die-hard Phillies fan.

Starting Lineup
Leadoff: Jimmy Rollins - Jimmy's defense appears to be as strong as ever. With a proclamation that he intends on stealing 50 bases this year, it would certainly help if the catalyst took some more pitches. Having a more prototypical two-hole batsman behind him (we will touch on this in a moment) should give Jimmy the confidence to take some pressure off of himself. A leadoff single is as good as a walk, just as a screaming liner that is snared by a glove is still an out. Keeping in mind that spring training games are for getting swings back, we can only wait until the 2010 campaign commences to see if Jimmy changes his approach at the plate. For one thing though, there is no way Jimmy repeats that horrendous first half of 2009.

Two-Hole: Placido Polanco - Lake Placido returns to Citizens Bank Park after a 4 and-a-half year absence. Polanco doesn't need time to adjust to the raucous and demanding atmosphere at The Bank, seeing as he spent parts of 3 years here. Offensively, the Phils need Polanco to keep doing what he has been doing since he became a regular for the Cardinals back in 2000; make contact, don't strike out, move the runner over, come up with some timely hits. All in all - keep the lineup moving. Polanco doesn't need to be an all-star for this team to consistently win. While Polly may not launch as many homers as his predecessor, Pedro Feliz did, his ability to "give himself up" will help the Phillies with something that they have consistently struggled with over the past few years; the old baseball colloquium known as, "small ball." With mashers at the plate up and down the order, the Phils sometimes get a little too happy. This sort of happy isn't necessarily a good thing. Pull happy, home run happy, power happy - they all add up to the same thing - all or nothing. Runs or strikeouts. With Polanco, expect more runners being moved from first to third and across home plate.

Defensively, I have my concerns with Placido. As anyone who has watched the Phillies over the past couple of years has seen, Pedo Feliz has been as defensively sound as they come. Polanco has been as good as you can be at second base, winning 2 Gold Glove awards in the past 3 years. The move to third, however, comes with less reaction time, more balls hit your way, and a longer throw to do it all in. Now it's not like Polanco hasn't played third before, but he was never a gold-glover at the position. On the surface there will be no statistical changes between Feliz and Polanco - Polanco's glove will be just as consistent. The throw is where the newbie may encounter some problems. I'd expect a few more infield singles attributed to our new third baseman.

My predicted verdict? Good signing. Polanco will pick it all up eventually and the textbook precision with which he approaches every at bat will help the Phils atop the National League Runs Scored.

Three-Hole: Chase Utley - The greatest second baseman in baseball shouldn't experience any setbacks. If there is anyone who can be expected to bounce back or fix a mistake, it is Chase Cameron Utley. After some ugly defensive mishaps in the NLCS last year, Chase was able to move on quicker than anybody as evidenced by his record-tying World Series performance. His 5 homers in one World Series tied him with Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson. With a more reliable bench and with a team favored to win basically every game they play, Utley should see a few more days off this summer. Charlie Manuel has stated that he knows the special team he has and he doesn't want to put it in jeopardy by overusing anyone. That said, it's hard to sit down a competitor like Chase because with it go a chance for another amazing hit or perfectly demonstrated base running. Also, the Phillies don't have the most able middle-infielder to back him up. Barring injury, Chase should expect to sit just a handful more games than he has in the past. I'd also expect Chase to cut down on the right field bombs as he makes an effort to spread the field with his bat, thus making the infield play him normally and without the popular as ever shift.

Cleanup: Ryan Howard - If there ever was an unappreciated athlete in Philadelphia, it's Ryan Howard, not Donovan McNabb. We Philadelphians sometimes take for granted that we have the single most powerful hitter in the game. Heck, he may be the most powerful hitter of the past few decades if not for performance enhancing drugs. The questions with Howard as always: Will he cut down on his strikeouts? Will he erase all talk of slow starts with another impressive April? Will he ever come close to his mammoth sophomore season again (.313 average, 58 homers, 149 RBI)? The answer to the last question - it doesn't matter. The Phils don't need Howard to set records year after year, so long as he continues to do what he has done. It is not a question of MVPs, but rather a question of seizing the moment as Ryan showed us so often last October.

The Protection: Jayson Werth - The beard, yeah, I know. Don't say I didn't acknowledge it. As for the contract situation, we will cross that bridge when we get to it. For the moment, expect an even better season out of this athlete. Near the top of the pack in every power category, with speed and excellent fielding in right. The only thing that can slow Werth down is injuries, something he has had plenty of in the past. Barring injuries, Werth has the power to improve upon the 36 homers and 99 ribbies he blasted last year.

Sixth: Raul Ibanez - I would not expect a first half like Ibanez put up last year. If we are treated to half of that we will be lucky. Not only is Raul 37 years old, but he is coming off the longest season of his career. Not to mention, he practically carried the Phillies on his back for a month or so last year. With a full year of Ben Francisco and other bench additions, I would expect Rauuuuuuul to play in about the same number of games as last year, with no injuries. He probably won't match the excitement that he created in his MVP-caliber first half last year, but he will still be more consistent than Pat Burrell. Also, remember this: we counted on Pat the Bat to protect Ryan Howard. Ibanez, his replacement, is protecting the guy that is protecting Ryan Howard. Just some food for thought.

Seventh Heaven: Shane Victorino - Well my grandmother will be a little unhappy when she doesn't get to see Shane's excitable personality in the first inning every single game, but she will experience the continued happiness of Phillies winning. Shane's "demotion" to the seventh spot in the order is anything but that. As one of Major League Baseballs most beloved players, Shane's off-the-wall playing style did him well hitting right behind JImmy Rollins. In pure baseball terms though, Shane is much more suited to be somewhat out of the way. As a free swinger and free spirit, Shane's playing style sometimes didn't take the Phillies exactly where they needed to go. Because of Shane's penchant for swinging the bat and doing everything he can as fast as he can, he wasn't the best player in situational baseball. Sure, he has been a clutch hitter, as we have seen in the playoffs for the past two years. Shane will breathe life into the bottom third of a batting order that pretty much lacked anything unexpected for the past two years. With Pedro Feliz and Carlos Ruiz, teams knew exactly what they were going to get. Not much power, no speed, not a lot of opposite field hitting. Replace Feliz with Victorino and you have a singles hitter that can hit for the same, if not more, power, steal bases and create some excitement while the team waits for Jimmy to start things off again.

Eighth: Carlos Ruiz - Last October, America was treated to a small slice of knowledge that even very few Philadelphians know: Carlos Ruiz is a winner. Ruiz has a knack for getting that big hit when the other team thinks it has the next two batters off. With catalyst number 2 hitting in front of him (Victorino), Ruiz will be granted a lot more chances to showcase his abilities. One question that everyone should be asking themselves is how often Ruiz will be spelled of his catching duties. Will new backup, Brian Schneider, handle an individual pitcher such as Roy Halladay, or will the Ruiz-Schneider tandem be able to work with any pitcher on the Phillies Roster?

Bench: Brian Schneider - Veteren on his third NL East team. Should be an improvement over Coste/Bako.
Ross Gload - a 33 year old with barely any mileage on him. Solid starter for the Royals in '08. Should be another Greg Dobbs of '08 (although asking Gload to lead the league in pinch hitting in back-to-back years is a lot to ask for).
Greg Dobbs - Based on what I've seen in Florida, Dobbs is looking healthy. I saw him hit three balls hard, all went for extra bases, all were to the opposite field. It's unclear if Dobbs will be prone to overuse because of his injuries last year, but expect a bounce back season.
Juan Castro - I would have personally kept Eric Bruntlett over this 37-year-old journeyman, but I guess it's hard to justify keeping a .171 hitter, even if he DID score the winning run of the 2008 World Series. Just sayin'. Castro should be the last option off the bench to pinch hit (other than the second catcher). If an infielder goes down for an extended period of time, it would probably be unwise to use Castro and expect to keep the same production up. I'm not expecting a lot out of him.
Ben Francisco - Ben could start for just about half the teams in baseball, so it is essential that he stays productive with the Phils. As the most important man off the bench, keeping Francisco in game-shape and prepared will be key for the Phils if they expect some consistency out of their 4th outfielder. He will be given more starts in left this year to give Raul Ibanez a break.


Overall, expect a banner year from the boys of summer both on the offensive and defensive side. The bench should be better, which can only help an aging Raul Ibanez. That is all for now my friends, check back in soon for my Pitching Report. Also, check the new poll and feel free to leave comments on facebook, email, or the blog itself.

How the Mighty Have Fallen

NBA All-Star Weekend is for dunk contests, behind the back passes and putting on a show. This weekend highlights the world's most athletic men and their ability to even soar over one another. That is NBA All-Star Weekend. Every other NBA game should always be business.

As a die-hard sports fan, I try to watch as many sporting competitions as possible. For the past 8 days and for the next 7 I have become Team America's biggest supporter. From snowboarding, a personal hobby of mine, to curling, to even watching Johnny Weir blow two-fingered kisses to his disturbed, yet somewhat amazed crowd, the Olympics have been tons of fun. It's sports. That word, sports" is all that is needed to draw me in. Unless Goodfellas or Transformers are on an HD channel, it's sports all day, every day. So when my favorite basketball player, DeJuan Blair, came to town with the San Antonio Spurs to face my 76ers, I decided that I had to be there. Putting aside the hustle, power and rebounding dominance that Blair shows on the court, it's going to take a lot for me to go to another 76ers game in the near future. What I experienced on Friday, February 19, 2010 deeply saddened me.

The pre-game warmups for the all-world Spurs included layup drills, catch-and-shoots and rebounding drills. The 76ers though, instead decided to wow the half-full arena with the worst preparation I have ever had the misfortune to watch. Andre Iguodala, the Sixers franchise player, the 80 million dollar man, warmed up by throwing himself alley-oops off the backboard. Rodney Carney (so nice we had to sign him twice) threw down windmills reminiscent of a street-baller. "Slammin" Sammy Dalembert missed a dunk and proceeded to follow up his rebound by air-balling a fadeaway 10-foot jumper. The dichotomy between these two shoot-arounds was really all one would need to know about the state of each franchise.

As a little history lesson, here are some surprising facts about the NBA:

-Just 13 out of 30 current franchises have won a Larry O'Brien Trophy (The NBA's lame championship trophy)

-Just 8 of those 13 teams have won multiple Championships. 8 out of 30 teams. The 76ers are one of them. So are the Spurs.

The Philadelphia 76ers aren't just another franchise searching for an NBA identity. No matter how many Conference Finals the Nuggets or Cavaliers make, they do not have the hardware. There are plenty of teams with continued regular season success such as the Suns or Jazz, but they have repeatedly failed to seal the deal. In a league that is disguisedly dominated by a few teams, it is easy to forget that the Sixers were once a proud member of the select few successful NBA teams.

Attending the Sixers-Spurs game on Friday night truly opened my eyes to what has frankly become a breeding ground of bedlam. The nonstop circus routine that lasts from before tip-off until Willie Green's last contested three is sickening and extremely tiring. Blaring rap music with the heaviest bass imaginable invades my ears and blocks any coherent thoughts from formulating in my head. Having a conversation becomes a game, with constant interruptions to allow Sixers PA Announcer, Matt Cord, scream, "Aaaandreee Eeeeg-ah-dala-dala-dala-(dala)-(dala)." Samuel Dalembert's rare 2-point basket becomes a cause for celebration - "Slllaaaaammmin Sammmmy Dal-um-bear." Slammin? Really? Does 7 points per game constitute a nickname such as "slammin?" Let's wait for some new accomplishments before we start lauding a collective group of losers with nicknames.

Hip-Hop, the 76ers obnoxious, ghetto-themed mascot, is constantly in the crowd's face. With a high-pitched whistling noise attached to his mask, you are guaranteed to hear Hip-Hop from almsot anywhere in the stadium. I put up with 5 minutes of the fake-muscled bunny rabbit spraying silly-string at 3 children. What ensued was the entire section smelling like aerosol for the rest of the quarter.

Through this unceasing noise and mayhem are people that just want to watch a good, competitive game of basketball. A middle-aged man sat alone in front of my friend and I pointing at players, shouting instructions, and throwing his hands up in disbelief as Andre Iguodala settled for in-your-face clankers with 15 seconds left on the shot clock. This poor man, he spends money to come and watch professional basketball on a Friday night and is instead treated to a game lacking planning, defense, or strategy.

In short, this isn't basketball. This is a spectacle, something that can be out-done by most minor league hockey teams and almost any competitive high-school sporting event. If the Sixers want to end up like the Phantoms and move to Adirondack, effectively into obscurity, they need only to continue this never-ending circus. Coach Eddie Jordan gets my vote if the organization is looking towards a ringleader to lead a team of clowns.

If a circus is not the Philadelphia 76ers goal, then drawing families out to witness insufferable acts and stunts needs to end today. Putting a team on the floor to win basketball games should be the goal. Winning brings crowds, winning brings revenue - not bunnies on steroids or cranked up PA systems. Just 9 years ago, a time that feels like an eternity, this was a franchise on the rise. With an inspired season and a crushing loss to the Lakers, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before the Sixers recaptured the glory days of old.

The Sixers basketball identity isn't gone, it's just lost.

Week 17 NFL Picks

We have finally arrived at week 17 after a season of terrible teams, dominant teams, mediocre teams, and personal fantasy meltdowns. We have gone from a discussion of a probable Super Bowl matchup between two undefeated teams to unsure of who the favorite from each conference is. The NFL is always exciting and while I poke fun at the league sometimes, at the end of the day it consistently provides storylines and interesting plot twists. Again my beloved Eagles have a meaningful game on the last day of the season, something I don't give Andy Reid and Company all that much credit for. It's been a quick regular season, so without further ado, my last picks of the regular season.

(Home team in CAPS)

Indy over BUFFALO

Here's my question: If you're going to rest your starters at all, why not rest them the whole game? Isn't there just as much chance of a player getting hurt in the 1st quarter as there is in the 4th? If the argument is for the rest and subsequent improved health of your starters, don't play them at all! Other than that, to quote Herm Edwards, "You play, to win, the game."

Jacksonville over CLEVELAND

The Jags need more to happen to get into the playoffs than the Eagles needed last year. I can't imagine two years in a row where three or more teams lose thus propelling an undeserving team into the wildcard round. That being said, Jacksonville still needs to win.

Chicago over DETROIT

Know what Brett Favre said to Jay Cutler in their little fraternity of quarterbacks talk after last weeks upset win over the Vikings? "Jay, I know it feels good to win this game right now. And that's all that matters, that YOU won the game. You made the right choice by leaving Denver on your own terms and throwing interceptions that you thought might be miraculously pulled down by one of your unworthy receivers. It's all about you Jay, the team doesn't matter. Way to go. Wrangler jeans."

San Fran over ST. LOUIS

So is Mike Singletary really that good of a coach? I mean the team didn't make the playoffs in his second year and have juggled starting QB's. Is anyone outside of Missouri and California's Bay area going to watch this game or even remember the outcome?

Pittsburgh over MIAMI

Steelers are getting into the playoffs. It's really not that difficult. Houston will lose to New England. The Jets will lose to Cinci. Steelers become "the team that nobody wants to face" and it's basically all we here about next weeks AFC Wild Card round. Jim Rome, Skip Bayless, Woody Paige - rev up your Steelers engines.

MINNESOTA over NY Giants

Two teams that are as cold as ice. The Giants have nothing to play for except whatever pride they have left from their 2008 Super Bowl team. Shootout ensues, the slightly less cold Vikings prevail.

TAMPA over Hotlanta

Really not much to say on this snoozer.

Naaaahlins over CAROLINA

Should be closer than expected. Is Matt Moore playing solid for the Panthers? By all means, yes. Is he the answer? No.

New England over HOUSTON

Oh Texans. 90% of America picked you as the "surprise" Wild Card team of the year. So many people picked you, in fact, that it was no longer a surprise. You are hanging on by the thinnest of threads. I don't want you getting in though. It would just be boring.

Green Bay over ARIZONA

One of the most interesting match-ups of the final week. Arizona hasn't looked stable for a long period of time this season. The Packers ripped off a 5 game winning streak against a bunch of nobody's. A secret that most football fans have failed to realize - neither of these teams is really that good.

SAN DIEGO over Washington

What is the longest winning streak that a Super Bowl team has had before hoisting the Lombardi Trophy? Might that answer be made irrelevant by the Chargers?

Tennessee over SEATTLE

Well it was fun while it lasted Titans. Sort of like the first 10 minutes of the Temple-Kansas basketball game yesterday.

Baltimore over OAKLAND

Whooooo are you (Ra-vens, Ra-vens), I really wanna know, Whoooooo are you (Ra-vens, Ra-vens)

Eagles over DALLAS

Round 2. Last year the Eagles put on the worst beating in the history of this legendary rivalry. 44-6. Will this years triumph be as one-sided? No, but it will be convincing. The Eagles have historically been made for December and early January, we all know that. We also know the Cowboys' side of the December - early January story. The real question is: does this win propel the winner onto greater things?

Kansas City over DENVER

After watching the Eagles-Broncos game last week, I realized that the Broncos entire offensive game plan goes through Brandon Marshall. He had about 13 targets and 8 catches, dropping the other 5 balls because he was scared of Sheldon Brown laying the smacketh down on him. Denver can only hope that the Chiefs hand them countless turnovers or this one could look mighty similar to Broncos fans.

Cinci over NY JETS

Lots of field goals in this one, the trademark for the Bengals. Which is also why they will lose in the first round of the playoffs.

Season: 157 - 80

**Check out the New Poll**

A Christmas Story of Awards

It's that time of year again folks, time for my annual, traditional, once-a-year, yuletide Christmas Story of Awards. Time to take a step back in time to the 1940's or maybe even early 1950's - no one really knows. Time to rejoin the Parkers for yet another quirky 24 hours of a Christmas Story. Here at PhiladelphiaVoice we will take a look back on the year in sports, more specifically Philadelphia sports. So drink your cup of Ovaltine and enjoy: A Christmas Story of Awards.

The Broken Leg Lamp Award

This one goes to Flyers General Manager, Paul Holmgren. You traded draft picks, 19-year-old defenseman Luca Sbisa, and power play extraordinaire Joffrey Lupol for what appeared to be a healthy, dynamic 36-year-old defenseman in Chris Pronger. So you seem a bit surprised when your major addition plays like - surprise! - a 36-year-old defenseman. Pronger was brought into Philadelphia to be the puck-clearing defenseman that could put a body on Sidney Crosby and provide the necessary leadership to get the Flyers over the proverbial hump. Whoops. What happens when you place your entire season on an aging defenseman? Derian Hatcher all over again - that's what happens. Only with a 7 year contract instead of a 4 year contract. After spending a few days glowing in the window in the earlier parts of the season, the leg came crashing down. The Flyers are 0-3 against Crosby and the defending champs and the Kid has tallied goals in the past two games. So much for shut down defenseman.

The Aunt Clara's Bunny Costume Award

Cole Hamels - step on up! After enjoying all the honors that come with being World Series MVP - TV commercials, Late Night appearances, being heralded as the next "big thing," Cole Hamels. Another new situation in his life - reality star wife, Heidi Hamels. After reading an article in Sports Illustrated called "The Fabulous Life of Cole Hamels," my dad subsequently decided that his career was at least temporarily put aside. And boy, was he right. Hamels' new wife might has well have forced a pink bunny costume on Hamels because some of the comments that he made and the way he behaved were more like the way you'd expect a SoCal 25-year-old to act, not the World Series MVP. We were treated to rolled ankles that lead to frustration and thrown gloves. Struggles on the field that allllmost went away but came crashing back with home run ball after home run ball. Hamels behaved like the ultimate pink bunny when he expressed his desire for the season to "just end already" during the middle of the World Series. All that being said, I expect Hamels to step out of Aunt Clara's pink bunny suit in 'oh-ten. After all, the dude is only 25 and on the Phillies - life can't be that easy all the time right?

The You'll Shoot Your Eye Out Award

Last year Andre Iguodala was the recipient of this unfortunate award. This year he has the honor passing it to - himself! That's right ladies and gents! The first ever two-time award winner. Andre has the distinction of leading the team with the 3rd-worst record in the NBA. He has refrained from making any of his teammates better. Is it ever a good sign for the future when your star player puts up less than 15 points in a game through a quarter of the games in a season? (Let's not mention Elton Brand...) Iguodala's field goal percentage is the worst of his entire NBA career, and his three point percentage is his third-worst. Not very inspiring. So grab that Official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and a thing which tells time, and get to work Andre!

The Ooohhh Fudge Award

Chase Utley and his potty mouth were a perfect fit for this award last year. This year it goes to none other than Gary Matthews Sr. Sarge got a little off topic during a Phillies radio broadcast. I'll leave the laughs to you.

The Scut Farkus Affair Award

To the Philadelphia Eagles, for rising up against the NFL playoff system and sneaking in at 9-6-1. After crushing teams for years, it turned out that a 9 win season and a tie against the lowly Bengals was enough to propel the Eagles to the NFC Championship game. Way to triumph over the NFL playoff system Eagles! Just don't get too far after the Championship game.

The It's a beautifulturkey, it really is, but it's smiling at me Award

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

The Philadelphia Phillies. While returning to the World series for a second straight year can be considered a successful season, all the pride and glory was snatched away by those neighbors to the north, the New York Yankees. After a 1-0 series lead thanks to a beautiful Cliff Lee performance to be remembered for the ages, the Bronx Bombers put on a show with their bats. They tore Cole Hamels to shreds, put a fitting end to Brad Lidge's season, and tore Pedro a new one in game 6. So close, and ripped away. Let's not deprive the Old Man of his turkey this year fellas. Remember how good that turkey tasted in '08? A second helping in three years would be nice.

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

To Arron Asham and Chan Ho Park

The Santa Boot in The Face Award

To Cliff Lee. Thanks for those memorable games in late July, August, and September. And, oh yeah, those wins in October and the complete game against the Yankees in Game 1 of the World Series was nice too. Bye!

Happy Holidays everyone!

Week 16 NFL Picks

Home team in CAPS

San Diego over TENNESSEE

HOTLANTA over Buffalo

CINCI over Kansas City

Oakland over CLEVELAND

GREEN BAY over Seattle

PITTSBURGH over Baltimore

MIAMI over Houston

NEW ENGLAND over Jacksonville

NAAAAHLINS over Tampa

Carolina over NY GIANTS

SAN FRAN over Detriot

ARIZONA over St. Louis

INDY over NY Jets

EAGLES over Denver

Dallas over WASHINGTON

CHICAGO over Minnesota

Season: 145 - 76

**Check out the new poll**

Week 15 NFL Picks

I am currently in Vermont and want to get out on the slopes sooner rather than later, so my picks today are for history's sake rather than mine and your entertainment value.

Indy over JACKSONVILLE

NAAAAHHHLINS over Dallas

New England over BUFFALO

Arizona over DETROIT

TENNESSEE over Miami

KC over Cleveland

Houston over ST. LOUIS

NY JETS over Hotlanta

DENVER over Oakland

SAN DIEGO over Cinci

Tampa Bay over SEATTLE

BALTIMORE over Chicago

IGGLES over San Fran

(thank you for the 4:15 start snowstorm!)

PITTSBURGH over Green Bay

Minnesota over CAROLINA

NY GIANTS over Washington

Season: 134 - 71

Week 14 NFL Picks

Well the holiday that explains all miracles, Hanukkah, certainly falls at an opportune time for the Birds this year. The last game at Giants Stadium would certainly seem like a perfect opportunity to repeat the Miracle at the Meadowlands and effectively sever the Giants playoff hopes. We will get to that prediction in just a little bit. First let's get to my Week 14 NFL (a.k.a. the start of fantasy playoffs) picks.

Pittsburgh over CLEVELAND

Yet another wrong Thursday night pick. Isn't it time to abandon this whole Thursday Night Football thing? No one looks forward to watching these games, it hurts teams that need normal rest towards the end of the season, and I get almost every one of them wrong. This needs to end.

Naaaaahlins over Atlanta

We saw what the Falcons did without their starting QB and running back, and now their best pass rusher in Justin Babineaux was charged with possessing 1 and 1/2 ounces of the finest Hotlanta herb. Not exactly inspiring for a potential playoff team? This is the game that finally ends their back-to-back playoff dreams.

Green Bay over CHICAGO

The Packers are finally rounding into form while the Bears are surprisingly only 5-7. That has to be somewhat inspiring given Jay Cutler's Jake Delhommeian achievement, carrying more interceptions than touchdowns into Week 14.

TAMPA BAY over NY Jets

Not really an upset since the Jets will be starting Kellen Clemens for the first time since 2007.

Miami over JACKSONVILLE

MoJoDrew seems like he's dropped off the face of the earth huh? I see a return of his fantasy impact this week despite a convincing W by Chad Henne and co.

BALTIMORE over Detroit

Make or break game for Baltimore's withering playoff hopes. I say it's make.

HOUSTON over Seattle

Thank the football gods that there is fantasy football or I doubt anyone would think to watch this one.

INDY over Denver

This loss should make for a very interesting AFC wildcard picture. I think it gets even more interesting in the manner in which the Broncos will lose. After today they will not appear deserving of a playoff spot.

Buffalo over KC

And the winner for "Weekly Worst Game of the Week" goes to...

MINNESOTA over Cinci

I'd pick this to be an upset if the visiting team wasn't called the Cincinnati Bengals.

NEW ENGLAND over Carolina

Who would have thought that the AFC East would be the definition of Mediocre. After the Steelers' stream of horrendous gut-check performances this year, I don't think any legendary team or coach is safe. Given that, I think the Patriots eek this one out.

Oakland over WASHINGTON

Don't bet against the Raiders at home against another bad team.

TENNESSEE over St. Louis

Another dominating win by Vince Young even though he'll look like crap in doing so.

San Diego over DALLAS

Come on fantasy players on San Diego! (Rivers, Kaeding, Defense, LT) unless I make further adjustments

Eagles over NY GIANTS

The dominance continues. The Eagles secondary is too good for Eli. The Eagles receivers are too good for the Giants' secondary. Giants O-line is hurting, Eagles linebackers seem to be forming some continuity. The only thing that can stand in the Eagles way of victory is the wind and rain that will surely douse the stadium and potentially David Akers' kicks.

Arizona over SAN FRAN

The Cardinals are peaking at the right time. This is not a team anyone wants to play come playoff time.

Season: 122 - 67

Keep an eye out for my annual Christmas Story of Awards to come in the next week.

**Check out the new poll**

Week 13 NFL Picks

After the most compelling week in Philadelphia sports in the past month, the Eagles have received zero attention despite a very lame two-game winning streak. The return of Allen Iverson and Placido Polanco coupled with the Flyers firing their 56th coach since Terry Murray has left very little room for any Eagles-Falcons talk. To be honest, I haven't thought about it even once other than the devastating news that Desean Jackson is out for my fantasy team.

So without further ado, Week 13 is upon us.

(Home team in CAPS)

NY Jets over BUFFALO

Told you Mark Sanchez sucks. Everyone loved him after 2 weeks but it was only too plain to see that HE LEFT COLLEGE TOO EARLY AND HE PLAYS FOR THE JETS. Duh.

Eagles over HOTLANTA

No Matt Ryan or Michael Turner makes the Falcons a very dull boy, er - team. Despite Hotlanta's perfect record at home, it would be an enormous upset if they can defeat the Eagles. Jason Avant has picked his game up, proving that he was the right choice over Hank Baskett. No Desean does add a little shake-up to an inconsistent offense, but Brent Celek is due for a big game isn't he? And Shady McCoy has looked more dominant each week.

CHICAGO over St. Louis

Jay Cutler is a spoiled baby.

CINCINNATI over Detroit

I am a big believer in "if you have never been good, there is no truth to your supposed "good" record right now. Yes, I am picking the Bengals, but it will be ugly. No team where 1 in ever 5 players has been charged with a felon should ever win in a division with the Steelers and Ravens.

PITTSBURGH over Oakland

After the Steelers last Super Bowl victory they failed to make it back to the playoffs. Looking like we may see a repeat performance.

INDY over Tennessee

Vince Young is riding high, but if anyone can steal the spotlight from him it is Peyton Manning. He has found a way to completely steal the moment in any NFL game, that is when he is not too bothered by Justin Timberlake's googly eyes.

Denver over KC

Kansas City has a slight gleam of hope after winning 2 out of their last 3. Denver had a dominating win over the Giants, but hey - Eli Manning will probably be out for the season after the G-Men lose their next few games. This is a meaningless game in the end, because Denver will finish a win or two short of the playoffs. Josh McDaniels' enthusiasm is cute though.

New England over MIAMI

I recently realized that Tom Brady has the same chin dimple as Andy Pettitte. The only reason I know this? Because whenever either of them is on TV, the HD really feels the need to zoom in on their faces every opportunity they get.

Naaaahlins over WASHINGTON

Is there any way that we won't see a Colts - Saints Super Bowl? It really doesn't look like any single team could really stand in the way of this happening. It will be sad to see how bad the Eagles are when the Saints tear apart the Redskins, a team the Eagles beat by 3. But hey - a win's a win.

Tampa over CAROLINA

No Deangelo Williams and a continuation of the Jake Delhomme era doesn't leave a lot of hope for the Panthers' future. I look for a letdown against the Bucco's this weekend.

Houston over JACKSONVILLE

Houston has to win an important game sometime don't they?

San Diego over CLEVELAND

The Chargers are the only team that can challenge the Colts in the AFC, but that is only if LT stays healthy. He hasn't played in the playoffs seemingly in years, can he make it this year?

NY GIANTS over Dallas

One last win for the Giants before it all comes crumbling down. This also creates a very big mish-mash atop the NFC East with confusing tie-breakers and match-ups still left to be played against each of the three teams.

San Fran over SEATTLE

The Niners' last chance to save their season with a potential division-taking game with the Cardinals next week. Put up or shut up Mr. Singletary.

Minnesota over ARIZONA

Yet another road win this week, bringing my grand total to 10 road wins this week. Don't know if I've ever done that. The-Quarterback-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named continues his MVP campaign.

GREEN BAY over Baltimore

Interesting Monday Night game isn't it? Two playoff hopefuls from different conferences in a very important game for both teams' seasons. A great young quarterback matchup. Home team wins this one.

Season: 112-61

**Check out the poll**

The Call

No, not The Backstreet Boys' 2001 hit song.

No, not Babe Ruth's called shot in the 1932 World Series.

Not even Ed Stefanski's call to agent Leon Rose asking if a certain free agent was interested in a place called home.

This call, my friends, was a call made by yours truly on Saturday, November 28th at 12:09 P.M. The recipient of the call? Well, technically an automated system. But the eventual recipient was Brian, a ticket salesman working for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers... remember them? They run up and down a court with a basketball and actually play right here in Philadelphia! Whats that? They don't sound familiar? I don't blame you, I don't see how anybody could pay much attention these days. Ranking second-to-last in attendance for the 2009-2010 season is the result of a pretty thrill-less team.

Here's an actual transcript of my little chit-chat with Brian.

Brian: This is the 76ers box office, my name is Brian how may I help you?

Zach: Hey Brian, how's it going? (I'm genuine, what can I say?)

Brian: Uh (obviously not expecting my bona fide sincerity), good. Yourself?

Zach: Can't complain. I'm actually calling for one reason. I want to buy tickets to a Sixers game, but only if you guys sign Allen Iverson.

Brian: Oh, well do you want to buy some tickets now in case they sign him?

Zach: No, I have no interest in the Sixers right now. I can guarantee you though, that if the Sixers re-sign Iverson, I will buy tickets. If you happen to talk to the front office tell them that. I'm dead serious.

Brian: Ok, can I write down your name and number?

Zach: Zach Leon, 215 603 8925. Hope to hear from you soon.

Let's flash forward to today, Wednesday, December 2nd at 3:30 PM.

(I'm sitting in an appointment with my advisor)

Zach: Can't I petition to have that class count for International Studies? (Sudden jolt as I feel a vibration in my pocket.) Sorry, can I take this?

Phone: Jack?

Zach: Do you mean Zach? This is Zach.

Phone: Yeah, sorry. Zach. This is Brian.

Zach: ...Brian...

Brian: Brian from the Sixers. You said that you'd buy tickets if we signed AI.

Zach: Oh yeah, I'm in a meeting. I promise I'll call you back.

Brian: I look forward to hearing from you.

So is that all it takes? A little determination from a fan to call the team instead of the sports radio airwaves? Hardly. I know that my plea for the return of Allen Iverson had at least a stake in his homecoming. I, along with the rest of Philadelphia, am bored of watching a bunch of second-tier draft picks run around the floor, dunk miss wide open three's, and allow anyone who knows how to dribble a basketball blow by them on the way to the cup. Turns out that a little effort by the fan base can really go a long way.

The 76ers are a team in desperation. Without a single player averaging over 20 points per game since Iverson's departure, this team hasn't had a single player with the ability to take over a game. And after watching years and years of basketball, that is huge. The absence of a go-to-guy has resulted in just 13 playoff wins since that memorable championship run in '01. Now that statistic wasn't meant to depress you, after all there are teams with much worse stretches than that over the past 8 years. Add Allen Iverson to a playoff team that is on the bubble of a series win and the Sixers are back. Back in the news, back in the game, back in contention. The fact that we had 13 playoff wins in that time without a single All-Star? That is unbelievable! How can we expect to win a playoff series when Andre Iguodala is your franchise player? I mean, he's been a Sixer for 5-plus years and I still rely on the Google Search bar at the top righthand corner of my web browser to spell his name! Things aren't allowed to go well when your star player has an un-spellable name 5 years after he was drafted. There's got to be a formula for that somewhere...

Think about this for a minute, the last time Allen Iverson was given free rein to do whatever he wanted when he was on the floor was a little over a year ago when he played every. single. game. All 82. That season Iverson averaged 26 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 3 rebounds a game. Vintage AI. After that season he ventured to Motown where he started a game, sat on the bench the next, back and forth until a "back injury" forced him to sit out the rest of the season. I don't think there is anyone out there who believes that Allen would quit a season if he was starting and getting his shots. Iverson was unhappy, didn't get what he wanted on the court and thus pouted and let what I am sure was a real injury become more than it really was.

The argument against bringing back Iverson is that it will hinder the development of our younger players. Well, this just in people: we are in "Win Now Mode." That's why Iggy and Elton Brand are making 13 and 14 million dollars this year respectively. Either that or our front office is even more inept than it was during the Billy King era. I tend to believe that fielding back-to-back playoff teams that took each series to 6 games (one against the eventual Eastern Conference Champs) points towards something positive.

A 5-13 record to start off the 2009-2010 campaign is not the something positive I, or anybody else, had in mind. Is the development of our younger players really supposed to override making the playoffs? Could we really be doing any worse at this juncture in the season? 2 of our 5 wins are against the winless Nets (who as of Wednesday, December 2nd stand at 0-18, the worst start to a season in NBA history). They didn't even start their All-Star point guard, Devin Harris, in either of those games. And, oh yeah, the Sixers topped off those wins by a combined 6 points! I'll let that sink in...

So I ask you: is taking shots away from Willie Green, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and "Slammy" Dalembert really a bad thing? Shouldn't we be rejoicing? For God's sake - Allen Iverson is back! He has arguably a better supporting cast than any one of his first 10-plus seasons in Philadelphia. His legs, back, body (and mouth) are completely fresh. This man is not even 6 feet tall, only 165 pounds and is 34 years old. His knees aren't causing him problems like many aging 6 foot 6 stars. Iverson's most recent complete season produced the numbers that Philadelphia is accustomed to seeing out of "The Little Guy" as Larry Brown affectionately called him. The man who goes out on the court for "the game I die for" has returned. And with his reemergence maybe we will be treated to what few have witnessed so far. Check out this article on the real AI, something that has stuck with me since it's publication nearly 6 years ago.

He's back folks. Get ready for some jersey-logo thrusting. Some ear-cupping to the crowd. Some drives to the hoop that will resemble David versus Goliath. Some practice (key word there - some practice).

My goal with my conversation with Brian? To bring back The Answer. And guess what? It worked.

Week 12 NFL Picks

My Week 12 Picks. Be on the lookout for an article on fighting in the NHL soon to come.

(Home team in CAPS)

Thanksgiving Games

Green Bay over DETROIT

DALLAS over Oakland

Giants over DENVER

The rest...

HOTLANTA over Tampa

Not sure anyone saw such a up-and-down year for Matt Ryan and the Falcons but they are not looking good to make the postseason. A win over Tampa will at least ease the suffering.

Miami over BUFFA...

Snooze, Yawn. Woah, excuse me - I didn't realize that I dozed off while typing that one.

CINCI over Cleveland

Still don't believe in Cinci, just too many field goals. I'll give their defense some credit though.

Seattle over ST LOUIS

Another "Worst Game of the Decade" nominee.

Carolina over NY JETS

The Jets are falling, the Panthers are rising. Simple as that.

EAGLES over Washington

After consecutive wins over the Bears and the Redskins, 610 and 950 will finally have callers with confidence, false confidence mind you. These two wins only count in the win column as far as I am concerned. They do nothing to make me feel better about the Eagles. Did anyone else realize that if Jay Cutler had connected with 2 of those 5 home run balls he missed last Sunday night that the game wouldn't have been close? His receivers were WIDE open.

Indy over Houston

I guess this is fun since the exact same matchup went on 3 weeks ago, and a good one at that. Can't imagine Indy not having figured out the Texans after playing them once and barely escaping with a win.

SAN DIEGO over kc

Other than the unbeatens, the Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL. Don't hold your breath on LT because he's having his best stretch of games in more than a year.

Jacksonville over SAN FRAN

The 'Niners are crumbling and it's happening fast. After a promising start, they showed that they are not f'real.

MINNESOTA over Chicago

I'd look for a closer game than anticipated. I know Jay Cutler is currently the worst QB in the NFL, but I'm a big believer of breaking out of slumps at the wrong time. Cutler is due for a good one at some point.

Arizona over Tennessee

This is where Vince Young's perfect record must come to an end, as will the Titans' slim playoff hopes.

Pittsburgh over BALTIMORE

I'm sure I will have jinxed this one. Away, no Big Ben, no Troy Polamalu - it all adds up to a definite loss at Baltimore right? No. I'll take the defending champs tonight. The Ravens have proved to be a lot softer than we all thought and if there is any NFL team that defines the word "team," it has to be the Steelers.

New England over NAAAAHHHLLINS

It's time. Poetic justice right? The last perfect team upsets the weaker of the two current unbeatens. The Saints have just been playing too flukey to keep this one going.

Season: 103-54

**Check out the new Poll!**

Keep an eye out for that fighting post, should be up by either late today or sometime tomorrow.

Week 11 NFL Picks

CAROLINA over Miami

These Thursday games just aren't happening for me. Two admittedly wrong picks announced 3 days after the fact.

DALLAS over Washington

Just when you think Washington is completely hopeless, they beat the Denver Broncos. But I remain under the impression that the Broncos are actually deceiving everyone, evidenced by their 3 straight losses. Dallas wins at home to remind us how bad the Broncos actually are.

DETROIT over Cleveland

It seems to be getting just a little old; every week I proclaim that there might not be a worse game in the history of the NFL. Again, we are treated to a pair of 1-8 teams vying for "worst team in the NFL." This 2009 season has officially been a painful one to watch for just about any NFL fan.

GREEN BAY over San Fran

And suddenly Green Bay is back in the game. Thanks to the Eagles, the Giants and - you guessed it, San Fran - the Packers are very much alive for a playoff birth. The Packers can crush the 'Niners season with back-t0-back home W's.

Pittsburgh over Kansas City

"The day that Marvin Lewis sweeps a season series from the Steelers when the division lead is up for grabs is the day that Elton Brand ever comes close to averaging a double-double again (9 points and 5 rebounds per game as of today)." Yep, I said that a week ago. The good news - looks like Elton Brand is on his way back to being an All-Star!

NY GIANTS over Hotlanta

Can the G-Men really lose 4 games in a row? This one is sure no gimme, in a potential game of the Wildcards, this one is important for both teams, but probably a little more important to the Giants with Divisional Title hopes still in grasp. That's why the Giants pull this one out at home.

Nahhhhhlins over TAMPA

The Saints only have 1 game that they could lose (on paper) for the rest of the season, which is next week versus the Patriots. On other words: they have a really good chance of going undefeated in the regular season

JACKSONVILLE over Buffalo

Dear Buffalo,

When you lose this week you will officially be in discussion for "Worst Team in the NFL" along with Detroit, Tampa, Oakland, Washington, and Kansas City, quite an extensive list. No one really seems to know just how bad you actually are, but fear not because you have the chance of showing off your stink-ability (yes, I wrote that) in Jacksonville today.

Love,

Zach

Indy over BALTIMORE

If ever there was a game that could save a season and ignite a fire under Ray Lewis and company, this would be the one. Lose this, and the playoffs are going to be a stretch for what originally looked like a sure-thing. Having the home crowd could really affect this game, but what will affect it further is the fact that Peyton Manning is on the other side. Will this man ever lose another big game? The only question here remains - just how big of a game is this for the Colts?

MINNESOTA over Seattle

While watching the Lions hang around with the Vikings last weekend, the Vikings showed just how good they are. They managed to turn a relatively close game for 3 quarters into a 17 point blowout. Even on a not-so-hot day, the Vikings didn't even make it close.

Arizona over ST LOUIS

Can the Cardinals pull away at last? Now that their running game is taking shape with Beanie Wells, they are looking much more formidable.

NEW ENGLAND over NY Jets

Bye-Bye Jets season.

Cincinnati over OAKLAND

Is Cinci actually for real? The team with 8 arrests in one season can't possibly be a first place team over the Steelers and Ravens can they? When will they lose a stinker?

San Diego over DENVER

The Chargers are hot, the Broncos are not.

Eagles over CHICAGO

I don't have much to say on the Eagles right now. All I know is that last weeks loss wasn't that bad because Dallas lost too.

TENNESSEE over Houston

The Vince Young experiment is looking good for right now. But all Vince Young-isms aside, how is this the Monday Night Game? I could understand a 4:15 game because of the "you stole our team" rivalry thing, but... Monday Night Football? Really NFL schedule-makers? Really?

Season: 90-51