The Broad Street Journal

Back To The Future For Iverson and Sixers

2009-12-02T16:06:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time in the late 1990s a young guard from Georgetown University was thought to be the future of the hapless Philadelphia 76ers. For a time he was. Things were turbulent and never boring during the Iverson era as, despite numerous personal and professional "issues," the point guard who looked to shoot first and pass fifth actually helped guide the Sixers to the finals against the Lakers in 2001.

And how things went downhill like a runaway train after that: Iverson proved uncoachable and was eventually traded.

Now that Iverson has alienated himself from Denver, Detroit and Memphis, both he and the Sixers have agreed that either a) he still has some alienating left to do in Philly, or b) they'd like to both live in the past and make believe the future is bright, uncertain, exciting, and a return to the N.B.A. Finals is just a few years around the corner. Don't be fooled.

Searching For Clues

2009-10-28T16:42:00.004-04:00

Everyone is looking for clues about what the outcome of the Amtrak Series will be. Sabermetricians have pointed to a defensive advantage the Phils have over the Yankees. Who knew Ryan Howard was a better defensive first-baseman than Mark Teixiera in 2009, anyway?

One of the most ridiculous of the so-called indicators thus far, from this home video made by the New York Times, is that the Yankees have never lost a World Series they've played in a year ending in nine. Interesting trivia, yes. But if you believe that nonsense you probably believe the world is ending in 2012 because they Mayans' calendar ends with that year.

Perhaps people are reaching for clues because the three-game preview of the World Series played at the Stadium back in May doesn't offer much. Here are the box scores:

Game 1, Phils won 7-3. Myers threw eight solid innings to get the win and Madson closed out the game with a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation. Myers gave up solo homers to, not surprisingly, Teixiera, A-Rod and Jeter. Rollins hit the overrated A.J. Burnett's first pitch out for a homer and the Phils also got dingers from Ibanez, Werth and Carlos Ruiz. Burnett lost, Wang finished up with three innings of two-run ball and saw his ERA drop to 25.00.

Game 2, Phils lost 5-4. Happ got the start and pitched six solid innings. The Phils got a three-run homer from some guy named John Mayberry, Jr. who played in right for some odd reason. Yes he hit a big homer, but Werth who was moved to left to make room for Mayberry in right, misplayed a ball. Could've been ruled an error but wasn't. Durbin and Madson held the lead till the ninth when Lidge came in and gave up a game-tying two-run homer to A-Rod. Moments later Lidge coughed up the game when Cabrera singled in the winning run.

Game 3, Phils won 4-3 in 11. Hamels gave the Phils a quality start with six innings of two-run ball. Jeter and Cabrera each had three hits for the Yanks; Victorino and Carlos Ruiz each had three hits for the Phils who took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Lidge blew another save, but not the game. Condrey came in for two scoreless and Ruiz gave the Phils the lead with an RBI double.

What can be gleaned? Hard fought baseball is in the near future. This is why they play the games.

Game One Tonight

2009-10-28T13:34:00.004-04:00

The Phils have been off for a week now and hopefully, if the weather cooperates, their hiatus will end tonight when the first pitch of the 2009 World Series is thrown sometime after 7:30 at Yankee Stadium.

In case you need a bit of priming for the Pinstripe Series, there is an interesting article from the Times's Tyler Kepner that compares Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez. The article has some good quotes from Jimmy Rollins and Joe Girardi.

Speaking of Girardi, on Slate.com Tim Marchman outlines Joe Girardi's propensity to overmanage ballgames. Marchman blasts Girardi for using seven relievers in the first five innings of Game 3 of the ALCS. Then he contrasts Girardi's approach with Manuel's more simple approach to managing a game. Evidently, Marchman wasn't watching Game 2 of the NLCS when Manuel used five pitchers in the eighth inning after having yanked Pedro Martinez, who tossed seven scoreless, two-hit innings. Either way, it's a good piece and makes some salient points about the nuances managing baseball. If the Series comes down to managing, Marchman give the Phils the edge.

Rollins Makes World Series Prediction

2009-10-27T11:49:00.003-04:00

Normally, there's no reason to tune into NBC's The Jay Leno Show, but last night Jimmy Rollins appeared via satellite from New York. In case you missed it, watch the segment below in which Rollins predicts a Phillies World Series win in five games. Rollins has proven himself quite the prediction virtuoso in recent years, particularly when those predictions involve outlasting teams from New York. Hopefully, the power Rollins has over the Mets will extend to the Bombers, too.

FILLING IN HOLES

2007-04-26T16:36:00.000-04:00

What's great about this year's draft is that it feels a bit like a bonus for the Birds. They're not rebuilding. They're not desperate. They're filling in holes. They're carefully selecting players than can make a team that by all accounts should once again win its division that little bit better. It's not about stopping the bleeding, it's about stocking up.

Or at least that's how it feels.

Still, other teams -- some of them quite good -- will undoubtedly make aggressive gains in the draft, and the Eagles can't waste the chance to get ahead.

***

WHAT THE BIRDS NEED

DBack

Being a Pitt man and a fan of local players, I'm holding out hope that Pittsburgh Panther Darrelle Revis will be available when the Eagles take the stage. Revis put together 11 starts as a true freshman in 2004, and got himself named a freshman All-American. In 2005, he took All-Big East honors with 41 total tackles, one tackle for loss, four interceptions, nine pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one blocked kick, then went All-Big East again the next year. On the side, he does some serious special teams work in the form of punt returns.

Who else? Michigan's Leon Hall, and -- maybe the most likely pick of all -- Texas's Aaron Ross. I believe any of these dynamic DBacks would have a serious chance of improving the Birds D in big ways.

Linebacker

Picking up Takeo Spikes was a huge step in the right direction, but the Eagles could benefit in a big way from a young stud linebacker ready to develop into a lean green wrecking machine. Sticking with my penchant for guys from close to home, I'm keeping fingers crossed the Birds get a shot at Penn State's Paul Posluszny. This guy has been called the greatest linebacker ever to play at Penn State. I think that's about all I need to say on the subject.

Running Back

I'm not a gambling man, but something tells me there is huge upside to be found in taking a chance on Louisville's Michael Bush. Yes, he broke his leg. Yes, he missed this entire past season. But the talent was more than obvious the year before, and the size! 6'2", 247! Remember when the New York Football Giants tried to sell Tiki and Dayne as Lightning and Thunder, but really it was more like Lightning and A Slow Bag of Gardening Manure? Imagine really having that kind of double threat, with Westbrook and Bush. And imagine not having to watch Donovan risk injury every time the Eagles get inside the 5-yard-line.

WHAT THE BIRDS DON'T NEED

Another offensive lineman.

Another mediocre wide receiver.

A player with an outsized sense of his own importance, or behavioral problems that will inspire the NFL to sit him down for a year or two. Which, I guess, is another way of saying, "Any Miami Hurricane."

***

The Eagles are coming off a good draft, and the potential is there for another. Still, we all know that you never, never know. I for one will be tuning in Saturday.

NYC Council Move Not Rational

2007-04-23T17:33:00.000-04:00

OPINIONS SOUGHT

New York City Council banned aluminum bats starting next school year in an overwhelming vote today. The group claims that they are trying to reduce risk to players getting injured or dying because young players "have less time to react" to batted balls. According to the article linked above, there is no statistical proof that balls hit with a wooden bat are safer than those hit with an aluminum bat.

This decision is wrong. It is not the government's place to run Little League and NYC high school baseball. All this decision will do is increase the cost to play baseball in New York. Wooden bats cost more to buy and must be replaced much more often.

Any thoughts on this topic?

Hamels K's 15!

2007-04-21T23:29:00.000-04:00

Cole Hamels dominated the Cincinnati Reds tonight, leading the Phillies to a much-needed victory. Hamels' performance was so over-powering not even Charlie Manuel could figure out a way to screw things up and lead the beleaguered team to another loss. The Phils even managed to turn a triple play, the first time the Phillies have done so since 1999.

Speaking of things the Phils haven't done in a while, tonight was the first time a Phillies pitcher struck out 15 or more in a game since April 5th, 1998 when Curt Schilling fanned 15 against the Atlanta Braves and defeated Greg Maddux, 2-1. I can't believe it's been that long. Hamels had a performance very similar to Schilling's that night: he threw 115 total pitches, 82 of them strikes. Schilling tossed 128 in that game, 87 of them strikes. Throwing strikes--what a novel idea...still works even nine years later.

By the way, the '98 Phils finished 75-87, third in the NL East.

THE WRONG KIND OF IDIOT

2007-04-19T10:36:00.000-04:00

The question is not, “Should the Phillies fire Charlie Manuel?” Phillie fans have answered that question and the answer is, uh, yeah.

The question is not, “When should the Phillies fire Charlie Manuel?” Phillie fans have addressed that one, too, and the answer is, uh, now.

The question is, “Who should the Phillies hire to replace Charlie Manuel?”

In figuring out what traits his replacement should possess, it’s important to ask one more question: “What’s the worst thing about Charlie Manuel?” I know, it’s a tough one. It’s kind of like saying, "What was worst day during the Siege of Stalingrad?" Or, “What was your least favorite thing about the Great Depression?” Or, “What’s the most annoying thing about watching an NBA game announced by Bill Walton?” But, considering the team he’s managing, I think I’ve figured out what Manuel is most obviously lacking: the ability to mentally prepare a squad for competition. In more colloquial terms, a little get up and go.

Think of the Eagles.

I know, it’s nice to do that, isn’t it?

Anyway, think of the Eagles. Is Andy Reid a tough guy, like Bill Parcells? Is he a manic football head, like John Gruden? Is he a nutty professor, like Bill Belichick? No, of course he’s none of these things. He’s a likable and level-headed football coach who seems to get along with any football player not named Terrell. And he wins. The point is, the Eagles don’t need a disciplinarian. They don’t need a hothead, and they don’t need an eccentric. Even under the seemingly gentle leadership of a guy like Reid, they’re ready to play. There’s a complex answer to why, I’m sure, but I’ll give you the simple answer: Brian Dawkins. He’s not the only Eagle who knows how to get excited for a game, but there is no player in professional sports who can set a tone more authoritatively than BDawk.

Do the Phillies have a similar player?

I love the way he talked trash before this season, and I love the way he’s playing right now, but unfortunately JRoll is not BDawk. Jimmy Rollins’s words and actions—as good as they are—are simply not heating the team up. For all of his get up and go, the team ain’t getting, and the team ain’t going, and they haven't done so in the early part of any season since Charlie Manuel came to town.

Ryan Howard is a huge talent, one of the biggest in the Major Leagues, but so far in his career he seems a quiet guy who likes to do what he does. Chase Utley has a bright future ahead of him, but at least on the field he doesn’t exhibit much leadership drive. And let’s not even worry about the arms; except for an old warrior named Flash Gordon, that’s an entire pitching staff praying for more days off.

And what happens if you do exhibit actual, impressive leadership qualities while playing for the Phils? You get shipped off to Siberia. I’m sorry, I mean Ottawa. (Phillies caps off to the guys at We Should Be GMs for their recent column on the sad-nay, tragic-status of short-lived city legend Chris Coste: http://pabaseball.blogspot.com/.)

The Phils need somebody who can walk into that clubhouse and put some fear into these guys when that’s what’s called for, and some confidence into these guys when that’s what’s needed. Vince Lombardi once said, “There are other coaches who know more about X’s and O’s. But I’ve got an edge. I know more about football players than they do.” And what a huge part of any coach’s job that is—to know your players. To know how to motivate them. To know how to help them become the best players they can become.

Charlie Manuel seems like a fine guy to me. If I met him, I’m sure I’d like him. (Hell, who among us hasn't been tempted to challenge Howard Eskin to a brawl?) But after all of the Phillies slow starts, all of the moments of indecision and confusion exhibited on the field (let alone what must go on in the locker room), I have to assume Charlie just doesn’t know his team.

Keep in mind that Manuel was brought in for one reason: to make an experienced veteran named Jim Thome feel comfortable. Well, he’s not dealing with a team of Jim Thomes-or, anymore, even one of them. He's dealing with a dugout full of guys who by and large have not witnessed all that much winning in the bigs-a dugout full of guys who to some serious degree need to be taught how it's done. Some teams need a brilliant skipper, some need a drill sergeant. This team needs a motivator, and that doesn't seem to be Charlie's role.

Manuel’s biggest problem isn’t necessarily that he’s an idiot. Teams coached by idiots have won before, and they will win again. His biggest problem is that he’s the wrong kind of idiot for this team.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE INEVITABLE: A Quick Look at the Eagles Off-Season Moves

2007-04-16T19:12:00.000-04:00

I’m sure that eventually the Phillies will give me a good reason to stop thinking about the Eagles. Until then...

THE GOOD: Linebacker

The acquisition of Takeo Spikes is huge. Big, athletic, and aggressive, Spikes brings a spark that the Eagles defense has been lacking. This is especially true of last year’s Birds D, which (obviously, through no fault of their own) was missing one of its two best players in Jevon Kearse.

But beyond providing a defensive playmaker, this move does two important things. First, it relegates Dhani Jones to a much smaller role. Anything that accomplishes that (trade, free agency, freak hot air balloon accident) is welcome. Second, it reflects an intriguing change of approach. The Eagles have for a few years been a team focused on quarterbacks, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, and defensive backs, leaving often gaping holes at wide receiver, linebacker, and (ignoring one notable exception, who until last year was better utilized as a receiver) running back. A big pick-up like this sends a message that the Eagles have made the linebacker spot a priority, and this will pay benefits all season against the run and the pass.

THE BAD: Wide Receiver

Kevin Curtis appears perfectly capable of being an excellent #2 receiver—which is to say the Eagles, what? Third #2 receiver? Great. Yeah, you can never have enough of those.

Part of the beauty of last season was that the team finished the way it did in spite of devastating losses. And while the crucial figure in the turnaround was no doubt Jeff Garcia, he wouldn’t have had half the impact he had without a serious deep threat, which opened things up not only for the throwing game but also for the much improved running game. And that deep threat came from Donte Stallworth. I’ve already heard from a number of fellow fans that Curtis has as much to offer as Stallworth had to offer when the Birds picked him up. Well, excuse me for getting all realistic on your faces, but I don’t see it.

Stallworth offered better size (6’0", 196 to Curtis’s 5’11", 186), a more impressive best season (70 catches, 945 yards, and 7 touchdowns to Curtis’s 60 catches, 801 yards, and 6 touchdowns), and better career numbers (233 catches, 3516 yards, and 28 touchdowns to Curtis’s 136 catches, 1714 yards, and 12 touchdowns) over a nearly identical number of seasons (6 to Curtis’s 5).

Oh wait, why am I worried? The Eagles also picked up Bethel Johnson. Yet another mediocre receiver. Whew!

I know I’m strengthening the stereotype of cynical Birds fans, but I have to call it like I see it: This is a definite and disappointing downgrade.

(Please God say you bring something more intimidating than that haircut.)

THE INEVITABLE: Quarterback

After the end of last season, like a lot of people I was cheering for the Eagles to find a way to keep Jeff Garcia on. I mean, how many times do we have to see Donnie M. injured before we’re allowed to cheer for a first-class back-up? That said, it was as clear to me as it was to anyone (anyone, that is, except for those crazy people who were hoping to see McNabb replaced by Garcia permanently) that Jeff had earned his day to play. It would have been unrealistic to expect him to stick around.

***

So in the big moves so far, the Birds have one big win, one big loss, and one unfortunate departure they couldn’t have stopped if they wanted to. Sounds something like a draw, right? And yet, in a way, we’ve gained ground. After all, our NFC East rivals keep on fighting tooth and nail to give us all new reasons to remain optimistic.

*The Giants have given up on key leaders like Luke Petitgout and Carlos Emmons and replaced potential (if not probable) hall-of-famer Tiki Barber with Reuben Droughns.

*The Cowboys have swapped legend Bill Parcells for journeyman Wade Philips.

*And the Redskins…ah, nevermind. Let’s stay focused on what’s relevant.

CBS Should Replace McManus

2007-04-07T07:55:00.000-04:00

Just a few days ago, March Madness concluded. Perhaps you remember this. Or, perhaps you are still waiting for CBS to come back from commercial. Luckily, as an Eagles fan, I do not watch on a regular basis CBS's coverage of the NFL. But, as a college basketball fan, I am forced to watch the NCAA tournament on the Commercial Broadcasting System. CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus must be replaced by CBS if they hope to remain a legitimate source for either.

CBS's coverage of the tournament consisted of more commercials (and the same ones over and over again... that John Mellencamp song is just annoying!) than it did anything else. In the early rounds, when there were multiple games on at one time, you probably experienced something similar to this: your game went to halftime and there was a commercial break. Back in the studio, Seth Davis and Clark Kellogg analyzed the first half of the game for about 8 seconds before Greg Gumbel said it was time to go peek in on another game. For about 4 minutes, you got to see this other game. Then, Gumbel said it was time to go back to your game. Long commercial break. After this break, Gubmel said, "Coming up, the second half!" Immediately, there was another commercial break. The play-by-play announcer then came on and said something like, "It's just about time for the second half to start." Then, yet another commercial break. Finally, after 12 minutes of commercials, the second half started. A couple of minutes into the second half, you were magically whisked to another game that was "closer" but also happened to be 15 seconds from a TV timeout, which, of course, you were subject to sit through again.

Even when there was not a commercial break, the play-by-play announcer would have to plug some CBS show at every stoppage of play, rather than allowing the color commentator to analyze something that had just occurred.

Furthermore, McManus continues to employ Billy Packer. Packer is widely considered to be a marginal announcer and not well respected. Yet, every year, when the championship game rolls around, there he is.

McManus is also in charge of CBS News, which is currently in 3rd place in the ratings. Of course, rather than attempting to develop a solution to the problem, he simply says that Katie Couric is the vicitim of a gender bias. He even went so far as to say that it's tough for her because she has to be concerned about "a lot of things the male anchor doesn’t have to worry about, like how she looks or what she is wearing." Yep. That's right. I remember many nights when Peter Jennings would be on screen in his blue jeans, the shirt he was wearing to paint the kitchen, and a baseball cap.

CBS should reconsider keeping this guy around if they want to remain a player in the News and Sports industries. McManus clearly doesn't know what he is doing.

Martini Chuck's Insanity

2007-04-06T10:24:00.000-04:00

Guys, I've impugned pretty much everything about Charlie Manuel on this here blog. Now, I'm going to impugn--basically the only thing left--the man's sanity. The brilliant physicist Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. It finally occurred to me, in the wake of yet another dismal start to a Phillies season, that Einstein's quote applies to Manuel and maybe even Phillies management.

Charlie Manuel insists on doing things the same way year in and year out, day in and day out. It's actually quite amazing how Manuel "manages" to do this without apparently noticing. Opening day, the Phils get a great start from Brett Myers and, going up against John Smoltz, the Phils' bats aren't exactly roaring, so they go to the 10th inning tied at three. Watching on a "gamecast," the minute Ryan Madsen's picture popped onto my computer screen I knew the game was going to be blown.

Game two: the Phillies are in practically the same situation and Manuel, for some incomprehensible reason, went back to Madsen. (Madsen's precipitously decreasing effectiveness is another discussion entirely). And, predictably, Madsen blew the game again. Phillies fans the world over get treated to another round of Charlie Manuel quotes like this: "Nobody likes to start the season at home by going 0-3, but sometimes that's a good measuring [stick] for your team. We'll see what kind of team we have."

By now, Manuel should know what kind of team he has! It's basically the same team he's always had: underachieving. Waiting around for Ryan Howard to bail him out with homeruns is not managing a baseball team.

Of course, all of this calls the sanity of Phillies management into question considering they insist on sticking with Manuel and getting the same squalid results: they started 1-6 in 2006 and 1-4 in 2005. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times! Manuel has got to go.

So When's the NFL Draft?

2007-04-06T07:35:00.000-04:00

It's been quite some time since we here at the Broad Street Journal have been posting information, but this post will look a lot like the last posts we made...

I know it's only April 6. I know there are 159 games to go. But the Phillies are 0-3. Aaron Rowand is claiming that two of the games were a coin flip and that they could have easily been 2-1 as they boarded the plane for Miami. But they're not.

The Phils have done an excellent job of one thing so far this week... showing their fans that some things never change. Utley is batting .357, Rollins has a .533 OBP, and Burrell is at .364. Great. But they have left 32 men on base. That's over 10 per game. Hitting with runners in scoring position haunted them all last season. And here we go again.

The bullpen, which was widely considered to be the weakest part of the team, has shown that they are. Strong outings by Myers and Hamels were wasted.

So what do we have to look forward to for the rest of the season? I'm scared to find that answer.

Deja Vu Phillies-Style: Trade Abreu

2006-07-31T07:34:00.000-04:00

Bye-bye Bobby Baseball; Phils subtract by subtracting

It must have been quite a sight to behold...perhaps something right out of the old west! Brian Cashman decked out in a Stetson cowboy hat, with a hankerchief over his face and a .45 pointed squarely at Pat Gillick's head. Pat Gillick quivering in fear, unable to reach his gun and offering Cashman, oh, just one of the best all-round players in the game today to spare him his silly life. And for good measure a mediocre right-handed pitcher who decided to become effective a week before the July 31 trade deadline. Phillies fans are lucky Cashman didn't gallop out of Philly with Ryan Howard and Chase Utley as well.

Well, it isn't the old west. In fact, it's real-life, present-day and it wreaks like deja vu all over again, the way only the Philadelphia Phillies can bring it to you. The Phillies trade a marquee player, coveted by basically every team in the league and get NOTHING in return. And this marquee player happened to be signed through next season. So it wasn't exactly like the Schilling and Rolen situations--the most recents scenarios in which the Phillies played Santa Claus in July and gave another team a marquee player. This trade feels particularly like the Schilling trade. Don't you get the distinct feeling that in five years Abreu will have won two or three World Series while the Phillies will still be spewing platitudes about "rebuilding"?

The core problem is Phillies management--ownership, GM and (this & last year) Manager--not the players, as is commonly believed. By and large, Phillies players deliver. One problem is, particularly this season, they have only one legitimate starting pitcher. How can a professional General Manager, in good conscience, allow a major league starting rotation to have only one legit Major League starter? It's incomprehensible. How many times this year have the Phils scored 6, 7 or 8 runs in a game and lost? If you throw just one more quality arm into the Phillies rotation, they would be leading the Wild Card race.

The next glaring problem is a winning attitude. The Phillies don't have it and that fault falls mostly on Manuel. He's not a great baseball mind, he's not a great motivator...frankly, he's not good at anything. He's proven that consistently.

If the Phils are bent on blowing up this season, then they should get rid of the actual problems: Bell & Lidle--which they did--Lieber, Nunez, Rhodes, Fultz and they should trade Rowand. Not because he's a problem, but because he has some decent value and he's wildly over-rated due to one spectacular catch. And deal Delucci, who also has some decent trade value.

"Baseball" people are saying that trading Abreu will free up the Phillies of $15.5 million next season. But, what about the gaping whole in the Phils' offense, particulary considering that they have only one starting pitcher? Look at Abreu's stats! Seems to me like the guaranteed 100+ RBI, 100+ Runs, 100+ Walks, 30+ Steals are WORTH the $15.5 million. Not worth the money: Lieber's $7.5 mil, Rhodes' $3.7, Lidle's $3.3, Bell's $4.7, Franklin's $2.6, Fultz's $1.2. Total bill: $23 million. Seems obvious.

Sadly, we knew that earmarked $23 million was a waste of money at the beginning of the season. The glaring question is: why didn't Pat Gillick know that was a colossal waste?

Were they smart, the Phillies could learn a lesson from the team that just robbed them blind. As hateable as the Yankees are, living in New York, I see it year after year. There's an expectation of winning and the front office does whatever it takes to put the team in the best position to succeed. Hence the Abreu acquisition. There's no reason the Phils can't do the same. They're in the 4th largest market, so crying Milwaukee Brewers is not an option.

Bottom line: the Phillies continue to alienate their fans by trading away top of the line talent for nothing. One can only wonder how long till they no longer have any fans left to alienate.

Time To End The Charlie Manuel Experiment

2006-06-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

Don't let the door hit you on the way out of Philly, Charlie

After the Phillies embarrassing three game sweep at the hands of the division-leading Mets, the Phillies are 33-33, a .500 team, some 9 1/2 games out of first. After 66 games in the 2004 season the Phillies, at 35-31, weren't much better.

I distinctly remember thinking that was the precise time to fire Larry Bowa and bring in a new direction/philosophy to help revitalize the team and salvage the season. Of course, the Phillies, guided by former GM Ed Wade missed that opportunity and ended up firing Bowa two days before the season ended while the Phillies won 11 of their last 14 games for close but no post-season 2nd place finish. The 2006 Phillies are at a very similar fork in the road and fans can only hope that today's GM can recognize what yesterday's GM could not. It's time for Pat Gillick to fire Charlie Manuel and end this mindless experiment with "Manuel-ball"--futile, painfully mediocre baseball.

Burrel; Inexplicably missing from the lineup in game 2

Here are the most compelling and recent reasons Manuel should be terminated: Prior to the sweep Manuel said that a bad series against the Mets "wouldn't kill" the team. How can a guy with as much baseball experience be so ignorant. That series was effectively the season and Manuel not only didn't have the vision to recognize the gravity of the series, but didn't have the Phillies prepared for the series on any level. Game two of the series saw Manuel bench Pat Burrel--after they'd already lost on Tuesday! Why is a player that has 33 career homeruns against the Mets (who hit two more in Thursday's 5-4 loss, to make it 35) and is one of the team's top all-around power threats NOT in the lineup in a crucial game of the most crucial series so far this year?

The Phillies' defense and pitching is despicable and that is a direct result of poor managing/preparation. And, of course, Manuel's continued use of David Bell, who committed two errors in the two games that he played in this series.

If Charlie Manuel isn't fired, then clearly Pat Gillick is asleep at the wheel while this runaway train of a season careens out of control toward disaster. Anything less than Manuel getting the axe is UNACCEPTABLE. The time is NOW if the Phillies have any desire to play post-season baseball.

Pitching Problems

2006-06-04T10:41:00.000-04:00

Demote him!

The Phillies have serious pitching concerns that need to be addressed sooner rather than later if they have any instinct to make the post-season. First, they need to demote Gavin Floyd to the minor leagues. Amazingly, Floyd is somehow 4-3, but every other stat is laughable. His ERA is a bloated 7.29( and it's JUNE!), he's only got two more strikeouts (34) than walks (32), and he's given up 14 homeruns in 54.1 innings pitched. Newsflash for Charlie Manuel and Pat Gillick: these aren't major league numbers! Do something about it, now.

If the Phillies are bent on having a minor leaguer fill that spot in the rotation, then I say bring up another minor leaguer and give him a shot. Floyd has had more than ample opportunity this year. At the very least, it's time to give someone else a fair shot.

The only reason that the Phillies are hovering just above .500 is because of Brett Myers. He hasn't surrendered more than three earned runs in any of his 11 starts so far this year and at times he's looked downright dominant. Lately, it seems like the Phils lose two or three in a row and then Myers' turn comes up and he stops the bleeding. Myers is becoming reminiscent of what Curt Schilling did for the miserable Phillies teams of the mid/late 90s. Entering Sunday's start against L.A., Myers has a 2.80 ERA and only a 4-2 record to show for it.

I wrote it in my 2006 season preview: pitching would utlimately decide the 2006 Phillies' fate. The pitching staff HAS to step up for the Phillies--or they need to be replaced. Clearly the hitting isn't the problem, although their hitting with runners in scoring position could improve somewhat. The time is now for the Phillies to shake things up with this uninspired pitching staff. Get some hungry minor leaguers up here and see if they can do something. As long as the Phils are going to give up these large quantities of runs--Lieber, 5.79 ERA; Lidle, 4.86 ERA; Madson, 6.04 ERA--they might as well let a few younger guys get some ML experience.

Rollin'!

2006-05-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

Rowand: Full tilt baseball

13 out the last 14! It's been quite a run, just the type of resurgence the Phillies desperately needed following the dismal and unforgivable start. Surprisingly, the pitching was the key factor in the sweep of Cincinnati over the weekend. That and, of course, Ryan Howard's timely heroics on Sunday.

However, there is always room for improvement. The Phillies need to start getting some run support for Brett Meyers who has been their only legit starter so far. Currently, he has the second WORST run support in the league. That has to change. The guy deserves a few wins if for no other reason than his sanity. Also, missing Rowand has the potential to hurt the Phils. He's been one of their most consistent offensive players so far.

Another issue is that of Abreu. Once again, he's the subject of trade rumors. The team chemistry is delicate and trading him now--even though he's not playing all that well--would not be wise. Abreu is a proven run producer and is consistently on base. His average may be sub-par right now, but he still leads the league in walks.

Right now, the Phils look good and they're headed for a big show-down next week with the Mets where they can take first a make a statement in New York. Let's hope it happens.

This Team Sucks

2006-04-22T07:57:00.000-04:00

I thought I was being reasonable when I predicted a couple of weeks ago that the Phillies would finish in 3rd place. I thought the Nationals and the Marlins would be bad enough that the Phillies would be able to muster enough victories to be a middle of the division team.

It appears as if I am going to be wrong. This team sucks. Unless something dramatically changes, they won't be able to finish in front of anybody.

Here are the current ERAs owned by the pitching staff: Brett Myers at 3.06 (good), Corey Lidle at 5.00 (bad), Gavin Floyd at 6.75 (worse), Jon Lieber at 7.99 (and he's our #1 starter), and Ryan Madson at 8.36 (my five year old daughter could do better). Their combined ERA is 6.24.

The bullpen? Save Rheal Cormier and Tom Gordon, it isn't much better.

Four of the Phillies eight starting position players are batting over .300. Rollins is just below that mark after a recent slump. Sounds good, right? They are batting .186 as a team with runners in scoring position. Way to come through when it counts, guys.

Of course, there's our manager, too. How many times will Shane Victorino replace Pat Burrell in the last third of the game? How stupid must Manuel be? Compare the numbers. Burrell is batting .250, Victorino .182. Burrell has 6 homeruns with 13 batted in, Victorino hasn't registered one of either yet. Burrell isn't that fast. So what? How many times are you looking to run in a tight game anyway? The Phillies have only 3 stolen bases as a team this year. Manuel's in-game decision making is horrible.

This team sucks.

It's time for a fan strike. They are a whopping 2-8 at home. They aren't a product the city of Philadelphia should endorse. Don't go to the games! It's time we send a message! We won't stand for this any more! Let's unite!

What are our demands? Fire Charlie Manuel. Get some pitchers who can keep the team ERA under 4. OK- maybe 5. Well, even under 6 would be an improvement. Teach some of those guys in the lineup how to come through in a meaningful situation.

It's time, ladies and gentlemen. Enough is enough. Philadelphia is behind only New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston in market size. So why does our team continually perform as if they are from Pittsburgh or Kansas City?

Welcome To Feud-Adelphia from Philadelphia Magazine

2006-04-15T18:35:00.000-04:00

Copyright 2004 Metro Corp. All Rights Reserved Philadelphia Magazine

April, 2004: Welcome to Feud-adelphia!

BYLINE: Edited by Benjamin WallaceHIGHLIGHT:IN THE CITY THAT STABS YOUR BACK, NO GRIPE IS TOO PETTY, NO TACTIC TOO CHILDISH, FOR THESE CITIZENS DEFINED AS MUCH BY THEIR ENEMIES AS BY THEIR FRIENDS
BODY:Reporting by JASON FAGONE, VICTOR FIORILLO, VICKI GLEMBOCKI, ROBERT HUBER, SASHA ISSENBERG, ROXANNE PATEL, RICHARD RYS AND MAUREEN TKACIK

Harry Kalas vs. Chris Wheeler

The skinny: Fear and loathing in a cramped Phillies broadcast booth.

In a nutshell: Just before Christmas, Phillies broadcaster Kalas, revealing that he'd hired a big-time L.A. attorney to play hardball with the team in contract negotiations, dropped a surprising personal nugget as well: His relationship with longtime boothmate Wheeler had become "uncomfortable," and he didn't want to work with him anymore. Kalas and Wheeler both joined the team in 1971 (Wheeler in PR, becoming a broadcaster in '77). They were once fast friends, hanging out on the road together. But now it's much worse than uncomfortable: Kalas and Wheeler don't speak outside the booth, and their banter on the air, where Harry refers to Wheeler as "Chris" instead of the preferred "Wheels," is chilly. That's because Harry the K and Wheels can't stand each other.

The start: Rich "Whitey" Ashburn had been Kalas's broadcast "color man," and their droll repartee was very popular. But heading into 1997, Ashburn was nervous. David Montgomery had replaced the retired Bill Giles in running the team, and Wheeler and Montgomery, Ashburn believed, were "joined at the hip." Ashburn warned Kalas not to trust Wheeler any longer and vented to a friend that spring: "I think I might be in trouble when Montgomery officially takes over. You know, Wheels is Monty's boy. Maybe I'll just retire after this season--I've done this too long to get lowbridged by the likes of Wheeler." Wheeler did replace him as Kalas's late-inning color man that year, and Ashburn, Kalas's best friend, died of a heart attack in a New York hotel room that September, during a Mets series.

The wife: Harry Kalas went to his wife one day in '98 with a confession: He had been seeing other women on the road. "Chris took a lot of calls from women who wanted to talk to Harry," Eileen Kalas says. "When Harry told me what he was doing, that caused a problem. The party was over." The Kalases went into counseling, Harry quit drinking, and now, Eileen says, "All our problems are resolved."

But in fairness: "The girls didn't just call Chris," Eileen calls back to add. "Harry would call the girls also."

Why Harry went public: "We talked about it in counseling," Eileen Kalas says. "It comes from me, to say something and stand up for himself. He never does.

"Wheeler says: Nothing except a statement the Phillies have told him to stick with: "I consider it a privilege and an honor to be part of the Phillies broadcast team. Who I work with and what innings I work are not my decision."

In Wheeler's corner: "Chris Wheeler is one of the finest guys I've ever met," Tim McCarver, a former Phillies catcher and broadcaster, told the Daily News in December, after Kalas complained publicly. "To have his name sullied in this way upsets me."

But Harry has Eileen: "What Chris does on the air is very subliminal--explaining the game to Harry and interrupting him," Eileen says. "Harry put in a complaint to the Phillies about Chris last year and this year." ... "Chris used Whitey in life and uses him in death [by mentioning him on the air]."

Charlie Manuel Quote of the Week

2006-04-09T11:19:00.000-04:00

“You never know, ... You stay with it until the end. It's like Yogi Berra said, it ain't over until it's over and the fat lady sings.”

Same Old Song and Dance...

2006-04-08T09:46:00.000-04:00

0-4, Charlie. Larry Bowa did as well. Really, couldn't you have gone to Chicago with Jim Thome?

2006 Phillies Prediction: 96-66 1st Place N.L. East

2006-04-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

Myers needs to dominate

Being a Philadelphia sports fan I am naturally afflicted with the occasional inability to see the state of Philadelphia sports as they are and often instead see them as I wish they were. Therefore, take my prediction with a large grain of Philadelphia soft pretzel salt.

This will be the year that, perhaps despite themselves, the Phils will finally win the N.L. East and make it to the post-season for the first time since '93. They can do it because Bobby Abreu will be consistently on base and driving in runs. Whatever happens with Rollins' hit streak, he seems to have turned the corner and is, though not ideal, an effective lead-off hitter. Big things will come from both of them. However, the emergence of Chase Utley is going to make the real difference with the Phils this year. Utley is clutch at the plate, drives in runs, hits for power and is solid in the field. Why he was still platooning until the middle of last season is one of the inexplicable mysteries of the universe. Barring injury, a full season will allow Utley to realize his potential. Hopefully Pat Burrell and Ryan Howard can build on the success they had last year, though Burrell still hasn't proven he can do it consistently. And Howard won't see nearly the number of fastballs that he saw last season now that everyone knows he is a legitimate power hitter. If those two can have big years, along with the others, the Phils' offense will be able to overcome the inadequacies of the pitching staff and carry them into the post-season--even though conventional baseball wisdom says pitching and defense win championships.

What to watch for:

Keys To Success In '06: Myers' and Lieber's ability to emerge as effective number one and two starters, giving the pitching staff some needed stability; the return of an effective Randy Wolf sometime in the middle of the season to give the starting rotation (and the bullpen) more depth.

Glaring Weaknesses: David Bell at third base, and by David Bell I also mean Charlie Manuel who is deluded enough to play this double-play and clutch error machine if he's healthy. More time for Bell on the DL = more wins for the Phillies; the much down-graded bullpen and Charlie Manuel's questionable late-inning moves could do the Phils in this year.

Dark Horse Effect: Ryan Madsen becoming a quality starter, which hasn't happened in his limited starts over the last two years; new G.M. Pat Gillick's ability to pick up another veteran starter, so Madsen can be moved back to set-up man role in the bull-pen. David Delucci was a good last minute addition, but it came with the expense of Robinson Tejeda, a good, young arm. Manuel's lineup: figuring out how to best maximize production from Abreu and Utley while protecting Ryan Howard and even Pat Burrell will be a challenge.

If nothing else, it should be interesting season for the fightin' Phils. Can't wait.

What Does 2006 Hold For the Phillies?

2006-03-31T23:40:00.000-05:00

The Good
Overall their lineup should produce plenty of pop. Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, Aaron Rowand, and Jimmy Rollins provide six quality hitters on an every day basis.

The Bad
Third base is a major problem for the team if David Bell is “healthy”. No Phillies fan should have any confidence that Bell will produce much more than ends of rallies at the plate. His defense is fine, but replaceable.

Also, Charlie Manuel still manages the team. Somehow, he didn’t get traded to the White Sox with Jim Thome.

The Unknown
Can the pitching staff do their part? Jon Leiber and Randy Myers have shown their worth, but they only make up 40 percent of the rotation. Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson most definitely have the stuff, but they are unproven. And what about the bullpen? Tom Gordon is a significant step back from Billy Wagner. Can Arthur Rhodes be consistent?

The Three Things That Must Happen For The Team To Be Successful
1. Ryan Howard must be a force in the middle of the lineup.
2. Bobby Abreu must have a more consistent season at the plate from April through September.
3. Gavin Floyd and Ryan Madson must produce many quality starts. This is the biggest question of all. Neither has shown at the big league level they are ready to be quality starters. If these guys falter, things could get real ugly.

The Prediction
Third place. Until Atlanta gets knocked off, they must be considered the division favorites. Also, one of these years, the Mets’ off-season moves are going to put them in the mix. Billy Wagner is a proven closer that will be 1000 times more reliable than Braden Looper ever was. The Marlins went through yet another fire sale. The Nationals should also struggle.

What Happens When the Unstoppable Force Meets the Immovable Object?

2006-03-29T18:05:00.000-05:00

What happens when the unstoppable force collides with the immovable object?

It has always been a philosophical question. It is a question to which there is no real-world answer.

Until now.

While Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats probably weren’t aware of just how immovable the object really was as they entered this season, they found out on Sunday just how tough it is to represent the city of Philadelphia and reach the summit.

It is true in just about every sport we know and accept. Look at the Eagles. The 21st century has been good to the franchise (well, Terrell Owens and his crap aside). But, did we win a Super Bowl? No. We came close. And we only came close after years of finishing tantalizingly close to the big game. Remember Buddy Ryan? Yeah, those teams were good, too. But no big prize.

Baseball? For five years, we have been hoping to just make the playoffs. In four of the last five season, we were in the hunt until the end or near the end of the season. But no invitation to the playoffs.

Hockey? I don’t think I can count how many times over the past 30 years the Flyers were supposed to be the team to bring home the Stanley Cup. In that time, we made the Stanley Cup finals 7 times. But no Stanley Cup.

Basketball? Only one Finals appearance since the last Philadelphia championship. We even won the first game in that series against the Lakers. We lost in five. No NBA championship.

College basketball? Well, since Villanova won the whole thing in 1985, the city has had four teams make it to the round of 8. One was the 1988 Villanova team, which was as surprising as the success in 1985. But the others… Temple entered the 1988 tournament as a number one seed. St. Joseph’s did the same with Jameer Nelson just a couple of years ago. The Wildcats did it this year. Each time, these number one seeds were unable to make it to College Basketball Mecca- the Final Four. Each time, these teams just one victory shy of the big show.

Heck, we can even throw horse racing into the mix. Smarty Jones came within a few feet of winning the Triple Crown, only to see a lead slip away as they came down the stretch.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the immovable object. The Philadelphia Curse. Yep, I said it. Forget Boston. How many championships have they won? We have the curse. And the curse won’t move- very often. It takes some strange circumstances to make the curse yield.

There wasn’t much expected of the 1980 Phillies. Many predicted them to finish 4th in the 6-team National League East. But things just went really, really well. The Curse had to relent. Things weren’t quite as charmed for the 1983 and 1993 teams. The Sixers had the same kind of mojo in 1983. Ditto the 1985 Wildcats.

The immovable object has a firm plant on this city.

This year’s Villanova squad looked like the unstoppable force. The problems these guys had overcome in the past four years to be as good as they were this year… well… c’mon! They must have been destined to win the whole thing this year. From the phone card incident to the airplane back from Providence in which they thought they might land in the Atlantic Ocean to the devastating injuries to their two dominant big men (Jason Frazier and Curtis Sumpter), it would have been easy for this team to pack it in. Instead, they proceed to dominate a great many opponents this year. They were ranked in the top ten all season. They rightfully earned a number one seed in the tournament.

They looked like the unstoppable force. But that’s not how things work around the City of Brotherly Love. They ran into the immovable object.

And the immovable object won. Again. And we wait. Again.

My compliments to the entire Villanova program for a job well done this season. You did the city proud. You did the city as proud as any team is allowed.

The Greatest Philadelphia Athlete Debate - Part 5

2006-03-26T16:12:00.000-05:00

Obviously, it is no easy task to decide who is the best Philly athlete I’ve ever seen play. Except for Rocky (sorry, Mike), all of the athletes so far selected have crossed my mind, as have a few others: Reggie White, Bernard Hopkins, Ron Hextall. One reader mentions Wilt Chamberlain. Clearly, Wilt is the most naturally gifted athlete ever to come out of Philly, but for the purposes of this debate, he came too early – I never saw him play. Another reader mentions Brian Dawkins – a great call, which made my decision even harder. But in the end, everyone who enters this debate designs their own qualifications for the best Philly athlete, and while I think it’s cute how everybody so far has picked an athlete who makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside, I’ve chosen a winner. My selection is a man who was utterly focused on winning and didn’t care if he looked good doing it, didn’t care if anybody liked him for it, didn’t care how he’d be remembered. My pick is Steven Norman Carlton.

The stats are there: a 3.22 ERA over 24 seasons, 4,136 strikeouts, and 329 wins. The consistency is there: no less than six times he won 20 games or more, 8 times he struck out more than 200 batters in a season (and once more than 300), and 16 times he pitched more than 10 complete games in a season (and in one season he pitched 30 of them). The accolades are there: 4 times he took home the Cy Young Award, 10 times he represented the Phils in the All-Star Game, once he was granted a Gold Glove, and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. And, of course, the championship is there. In 1980, the only season in the history of Major League Baseball that ended with the Phils as World Series Champs, Lefty went 24 and 9, struck out 286 batters, and held down an ERA of 2.34. More than that, in the 1980 postseason, Lefty went 3 and 0, putting the nails in the coffins of both the Astros and the Royals.

And might I also mention that over the course of his career he cranked out 13 home runs and 140 RBI and once batted .291?

But the clincher for Lefty is that he excelled at the hardest position in sports – and, I don’t mind saying, a position at which Philadelphia is often sadly lacking. He didn’t care if he was a fan favorite, didn’t care how many Carlton jerseys they sold at the Vet, didn’t care if people were mimicking his style or talking about his accomplishments. All he cared about was winning, and he did it often and with authority.

Oh, OK. You want a little charisma? You want to know that he had a little fire in his gut? Fine. Steve Carlton remains the only man I have ever seen swing at a pitch-out. I’m unable to remember what bizarre circumstances once led to his being intentionally walked, but it happened, and Lefty was so furious that he actually stepped across the plate and took a chop at it. How can you not like that?

Plus, he was a lifeguard. Bet you didn't know that.

Sir Charles was a fun guy to watch and listen to, Schmidty remains the best third-basemen of all time, Rocky ended Communism by punching out a roid-stuffed Russian, and Dr. J ushered in the most exciting era in the history of the NBA. But Steve Carlton was the best Philly athlete of my lifetime.

The Greatest Philadelphia Athlete Debate - Part 4

2006-03-24T09:58:00.000-05:00

Read Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of the debate.

The Doctor Is In; Circa 1984, opening a can of whoop-ass
By Tim Walton

They called him the Doctor for a reason. He fixed the problem the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA were facing. The team couldn’t win and the league was becoming bland and they both needed a house call. My greatest athlete in Philadelphia History has a big afro and could hang in the air for at least the time it takes me to get off my ass and go get a beer from the ‘fridge. The Doctor did it all.

The numbers are all there; 11 All Star appearances, an MVP in ’81, NBA first team 5 times, 3rd all time in scoring (combining ABA and NBA), but the most telling statistic for me was the winning. In the 5 years before Dr. J got to Philadelphia the Sixers won 9, 25, 30, 34, and 46 games respectively. In his 11 years the team never won below 50 games other than his final season as he made his farewell to the NBA (they still won 45 games that year). And lest we forget our last championship parade was in 1983 as he led us to the NBA title. So, the man was a winner and as far as I am concerned that is the only way one can achieve greatness in athletics.

If winning is not good enough for you than think about the greatest play in Philadelphia sports history, the most graceful, the most athletic, and you will see Dr. J swooping underneath the backboard for an improbable basket. That is what the man brought to the game. As much as people credit Bird and Magic with saving the game, it was the Doctor who came first. He brought the above-the-rim style to a league stuck to the hardwood. Would there be a Michael Jordan without a Dr. J? He had a class and a style that transcended sports.

He was not all offense, though. He leads the 76ers in career blocks (blocked shots became an official NBA statistic in the 1973-74 season) and is second to teammate Mo Cheeks in career steals. Dunking from the foul line was his legacy but the history books will not forget his defense. He played the game hard on both sides of the court.

There is one particular thing that stands out in my memory that makes the Doctor special. November 9, 1984, the day Julius Erving punched Larry Bird in the head. He became not just a great athlete but also a great person. He had been such a good citizen and ambassador for the game of basketball but on that day in November of 1984 he showed his fire. And beat the hell out of that boy from French Lick.

So, if I were to say that this man bring the whole package of greatness it would not be a stretch. The ROUND Mound of Rebound is no name for greatness and Michael Jack doesn’t offer much either but The Doctor sure has a nice ring. He had the personality of Charles without the big ass and big head and the greatness of Schmitty without being hated by his own city. As for Rocky, well, if a 5’6” Italian stallion stepped into a ring with Julius Erving he would beat his ass just like he whipped Bird.

‘NUFF SAID

The Greatest Philadelphia Athlete Debate - Part 3

2006-03-15T01:10:00.000-05:00

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of the debate.

The greatest athlete in Philadelphia history was a hard one for me to iron out. Sure I thought about obvious choices like Mike Schmidt, Charles Barkley, Joe Frazier, Bobby Clarke and Dr. J, but none of them seemed to stand out above the other.

Then I started to think out loud, “what if I built a brand new stadium in town, and opened it live on national television? Who would be the one athlete above all that symbolizes the spirit of athleticism in Philadelphia?”

Well, someone did just that, and they settled on the same man I did, Rocky Balboa. Though the “Italian Stallion” is purely a work of (Oscar-winning) fiction, when the Linc was introduced to the world on ABC’s “Monday Night Football,” it was Rocky who kicked off the festivities. In fact, it was so important to have Sylvester Stallone playing his signature role that they used him despite him being in production for a show on another network (NBC’s “The Contender”).

Released in 1977, “Rocky” recently spawned its forthcoming fifth sequel titled, “Rocky Balboa.” The original film won three Academy Awards, including best picture, and was nominated for seven more Oscars.

I lived for few years in Los Angeles, and the first athlete people there associate with the city is Rocky. Growing up in the Philadelphia area, I was able to learn about all of the great players who’ve donned the uniforms of my favorite teams. But out west, the Philly squads don’t exactly turn heads (a championship draught can do that).

When friends visit from out of town, one of the first things they all seem to ask is where the art museum is. Not that the art inside isn’t outstanding, but their reason for going is to run up the steps made famous by Balboa. I'd be willing to bet that no other act by a Philadelphia sports star is as imitated as that scene.

When a friend of mine, a Cowboys fan, lost a bet to me a couple of years ago, his payment to me was dinner and a photo of him wearing Eagles garb while standing next to the Rocky statue at the Spectrum. Rocky is so important to Philly's sports psyche that he has a statue outside of one of our sporting venues.

So as the debate continues, I ask the questions: What Philadelphia athlete has five movies completed, a sixth on the way, and a video game? What star was tapped to open the Linc live on national television? What local sports figure is emulated more than any other by people from all over America? The answer: Rocky Balboa.

The Greatest Philadelphia Athlete Debate- Part 2

2006-03-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

Read Part I of the debate here.

While it is arguable that Charles Barkley is the best player to don a 76ers uniform over the past thirty years, the player to call Philadelphia his home over that time is former Phillies thirdbaseman Michael Jack Schmidt. The reasons for this are as follows.

1. Schmidt is the best at his position ever.

Schmitty is widely considered the best thirdbaseman in the history of baseball. More than any other sport, baseball compares its athletes to those of other eras. None to play the hot corner before and none since has rivaled Schmidt’s combination of top-notch defense with career numbers at the plate that rival the all-time greats. Defensively, he won 10 gold gloves. Offensively, he hit 548 homeruns (currently 11th all time), drove in 1595 (currently 26th all time), and is 15th all time in walks. He led the National League 6 different years in homeruns. On top of that, he won 3 MVP awards and was named to the All-Century team in 1999 as the thirdbaseman.

2. He was fun to watch.

Like Barkley, he was fun to watch. Whether it be one of his game-changing homeruns or an all-in-one motion to field a bunt barehanded and gun down someone at first, Schmitty made the game interesting. If you were at a game when he came to bat, you know that the crowd’s electricity level instantly rose.

3. He knew how to have some fun.

While he wasn’t on the same level as Barkley, Schmidt knew how to have some fun every once in a while. Don’t you remember the wig incident?

4. He won a championship.

While an athlete shouldn’t necessarily be disqualified from this debate if he hasn’t won a championship (a good thing, too. That wouldn’t leave us with too many people from whom to choose), it is most definitely a plus to have done so. Schmidt was one of the driving forces behind the Phillies’ one and only World Series victory. In fact, Schmidt was the MVP of the 1980 World Series. Additionally, the Phillies won their division six times during Schmidt’s 18 year career. Can you think of another time in Phillies history when this has occurred? Neither can I. Thus, Schmidt was a leader on some of the best teams the franchise has ever had to offer.
All in all, the choice is clear. In the past 30 years, Mike Schmidt is the best Philadelphia athlete.

Greatest Philadelphia Athlete Debate - Part I

2006-03-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: The following debate is a five-part series in which every member of The BSJ will make an argument for the greatest athlete in Philadelphia Sports history. Since everyone writing is 30 years-old or younger the list will be limited to only those athletes that we actually saw play. Let the debate begin!

The Good Old Days With Philly's Finest

The greatest athlete in Philadelphia sports that I've ever seen is one Sir Charles Barkley. Mind you, Barkley was not an easy decision to reach on this topic-I seriously considered Pete Rose, Allen Iverson and even Randall Cunningham among other more obvious options like Mike Schmidt or Julius Erving.

I settled on Barkley for several reasons: of the major team sports basketball requires the most "athleticism" to play at the game's highest level; Barkley redefined what people thought of as a power forward; his lasting reputation as one of the 50 greatest players in his sport; and his personality which embodied the spirit of Philadelphia.

Unfortunately Barkley only spent eight of his sixteen NBA seasons in the great city of Philadelphia and many will contend that because he didn't deliver a championship over that period that he shouldn't be eligible for this debate. Winning a championship is important, but (lest you forget) Barkley's tenure in Philadelphia was tainted by the ownership of Harold Katz, whose competitiveness was a mere fraction of Barkley's. Barkley did, however, lead the team to several playoff berths and his first year in Phoenix (following the infamous trade for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang) he led the Suns to the Finals and won the league MVP. Barkley may not have an NBA Championship on his resume, but he does have two Olympic Gold Medals, won in 1992 and 1996 with the USA Men's Basketball team. You want accolades? Barkley's got those too: 11-time All Star; All NBA First-team 1988-1991, 1993; NBA MVP 1993.

Forget all of that, though. Barkley is the greatest because he was one of the most electrifying players to watch. He was listed at 6'6'', but was really about 6'4" and played the game with a tenacity that, perhaps, is still unmatched in the game. Despite being well undersized for his position Barkley's tenacious play translated into dominating the paint and the backboard. He managed to lead the league in rebounding in 1987 with 14.6 rebounds per game. He also led the league in offensive rebounds for three straight years, 1987-1989. Furthermore, Barkley was a prolific scorer. His career high for points per game was in 1988, at 28.3. That's an exact tie for Julius Erving's NBA career high. All of that amounted to him being named one of the 50 Greatest Players of all-time in the NBA.

In addition to his prowess on the court, "the round mound of rebound" was an entertaining individual. Barkley had the charisma and sense of humor that many other great Philly athletes, like Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Randall Cunningham, Allen Iverson, lack(ed). Barkley was an unpredictable guy who delivered many an amusing sound-bite and even the occasional punch for for an opposing player that might've rubbed him the wrong way. Remember Barkley exchanging fisticuffs with Bill Laimbeer? That was vintage Charles Barkley, as was his Nike commercial in which he warned everyone,"I am not a role model."

It was that swagger that best defines Barkley as the quintessential Philadelphia athlete. Philadelphia sports fans aren't role models either and Barkley embodied that in his play and his attitude . If ever there was a perfect fit, it was Charles Barkley playing basketball in Philadelphia. Pure synergy. Inch for inch (okay, not pound for pound) Barkley delivered more points, more rebounds and more thrills than a player his size should have.

Whether it was Barkley throwing down one of his trademark thunder dunks or mouthing off to the officials or getting in a bar fight off the court, he is the single most important athlete over the last 25-30 years in Philadelphia. That shame is that the Sixers let him get away.

The Genius is in the Stupidity

2006-02-25T11:35:00.000-05:00

Phillies president David Montgomery is a genius.

Only a genius with the best marketing skills imaginable could have come up with this one. The public won't know what hit them. Montgomery devised the most clever of plans to cover the $94 million payroll that Phils have this season.

Before we get to the genius part, let's recap...

In 2001, the Phillies made a bit of a surprise run at the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. They were in the race until the last few days of the season and it was fun to watch specifically because it was unexpected.

Ever since, the organization has been, one would think, trying to improve upon that team to make it to the playoffs.

By the way, just about everything has gone wrong with that plan- in case you forgot.

Gone are Scott Rolen, Kevin Millwood, Jim Thome, Larry Bowa, and, of course, Ed Wade. Remember, Wade was the guy who shouldered much of the blame for the underachievement- especially for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. So Montgomery fired him and replaced him with Pat Gillick, a man with general mangagerial success in the past.

"Hooray," said the fans of Philadelphia. "Maybe this guy can turn things around!"

Since his hiring, Gillick has made several strange moves and comments. The Ryan Franklin thing still confuses me. He tried to move Abreu, but just this week said he didn't try to do it.
I, for one, have become confused. This guy sounds like Ed Wade! Wade was the problem. Gillick was the solution. How is it that they are sounding so much the same?

Let's also recall that the Phillies drew 600,000 fewer fans in 2005 than they did in 2004. They drew 600,000 fewer fans when they were in the playoff race until the final day.

Yes, Matt, you say, but where is the genius in any of this?

How do you get fans back in the seats, given all that occurred that is listed above? Do exactly what David Montgomery is doing this year. Put Chris Wheeler on the television broadcast for all nine innings every day.

That's right. Nine innings of Wheels each and every game covered by the local networks. How many innings of Harry Kalas will you get if you tune into a Phillies broadcast? Six. How many innings will you get of Scott Graham? Three. How many innings will you get of Larry Andersen? None. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

"This is crazy! Wheeler is terrible! Kalas and Andersen are the best! They're the best anywhere! Why would they do this?"

All valid questions indeed. On the surface, it may appear as just another mindless move on the part of a team president who has done very little to remember during his tenure. But think about it a bit deeper. You are a Phillies fan. You go to a couple of games per year. Mostly, however, you like to tune in on the tube when you get the chance. But now, you are subject to more Wheeler, less Kalas, and no Andersen. It'll drive you insane. You'll turn off the game. You'll think that you will find other things to do with your time. But after a while, you'll start to wonder how those ol' Phillies are doing. Perhaps you give the television broadcast another try. Perhaps you don't. But what will inevitably happen is that your interest in the team and your loathing of Wheeler will come into conflict. How do you solve this problem? Hey, if you just go to the game, you won't have to listen to Chris Wheeler! There it is! There's my solution!

So more people feel compelled to go to games that to watch them. And ticket sales are on the rise...

Again, it takes a true genius to devise a plan such as this. David Montgomery should be commended. He has passed all blame for the franchise's failures onto Larry Bowa and Ed Wade. He already has Pat Gillick looking like he is confused. Now, this.

Only once in a lifetime does one get the opportunity for something so complex.

Bryant Gumbel or Rush Limbaugh?

2006-02-18T07:25:00.000-05:00

"Finally, tonight, the Winter Games. Count me among those who don’t like them and won’t watch them ... Because they’re so trying, maybe over the next three weeks we should all try too. Like, try not to be incredulous when someone attempts to link these games to those of the ancient Greeks who never heard of skating or skiing. So try not to laugh when someone says these are the world’s greatest athletes, despite a paucity of blacks that makes the Winter Games look like a GOP convention. Try not to point out that something’s not really a sport if a pseudo-athlete waits in what’s called a kiss-and-cry area, while some panel of subjective judges decides who won ... So if only to hasten the arrival of the day they’re done, when we can move on to March Madness — for God’s sake, let the games begin."- Bryant Gumbel on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

Bryant,

Thank you for your opinion concerning the Winter Olympics. I must agree that the ancient Greeks probably didn't spend much time ice skating or skiing. True enough. It is probably also true that the ancient Greeks didn't have a kiss-and-cry area. I wish we didn't either. (To be fair, those who were the earliest developers of football didn't know what hashmarks or the forward pass were, either, but let's not confuse the issue here.) Sure, there are some events that aren't all that interesting. I don't like any event that relies on judges to decide the outcome. So, there are some events I don't watch.

But let's get something straight. Most of the athletes in the Winter Olympics are not black because most of them come from countries that don't have too many blacks as their citizens. According to the CIA Factbook, most countries that send athletes to the winter games don't even have a percentage of black people listed in a breakdown of their ethnic groups.

So, Bryant, I ask you: if a country doesn't have black people living there, how are they possibly supposed to include them on their Olympic team?

But I suppose it would be more to the point to talk about the United States instead of the world in general since I suppose your comments were directed more at us than anyone else. Do you really think that the US Olympic team discriminates against any ethnic group? Do you really think they would sacrifice a chance at a medal just so their could be one more white face in the games? C'mon, Bryant. That's just dumb. The Olympics, at least in my lifetime, have always been about making political statements and inclusion more than anything else.

Remember Rush Limbaugh and his comment about Donovan McNabb? All he said was that he thought McNabb was overrated but the media gives him a pass because he is black. Wow! What an outrage! Fire the guy! Rush was hired by ESPN to stir things up. When he did, ESPN fired him. Your comment is more inflammatory than his, yet I doubt HBO is pushing you out the door. I wonder why?

But I digress. If you were trying to get people riled up, if you were hoping to boost your ratings/coverage, then kudos to you. The time I spent writing this piece is the most time I have thought about you or any show that you are/were on since you got caught mouthing the f-word about a conservative guest you interviewed on the CBS morning show a few years ago. But if your opinion about the Olympics and their ties to the GOP is you actual opinion, then you're an idiot.

Tip of the Iceberg?

2006-02-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

A story broke today that former Flyer Rick Tocchet funded a lucrative gambling ring that included a New Jersey state trooper and Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet Jones. According to the story on foxsports, New Jersey police found that the ring had processed in excess of 1000 wagers totalling over $1.7 million. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the ring also had ties to the mob.

Tocchet is currently employed as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Coyotes, so it is important to get to the bottom of this. The reports indicate that hockey players involved in the ring (and Tocchet) were not involved betting on their own games of fixing games.

What are the ramifications of this unearthing? It would be naive to think that there aren't many other athletes who are involved in gambling- whether it be legal or illegal. But the key for hockey- or any other sport- is that no links are found to betting by athletes on the games in which they compete (or coach). Anything else will be forgotten by fans. But if this leads to more athletes betting on a great many games and if there is any connection found to betting on their own games... well, this might just the tip of the iceberg. It's hard to imagine that the public at large would stand for evidence of game fixing, point shaving, or the like.

Athletes gamble? So what. A lot of us do and a lot of us like it. But if someone on my team bet either for or against his own team? Now there's a great deal more at stake than what he is letting on. I paid good money to watch this team and I want an honest game. The same would hold true if it involved someone on the opponent of my team.

I hope this is the end of it. But something tells me that with all of the pro athletes out there, the amount of gambling that occurs in our country, and the "nobody can touch me" attitude that many of these athletes now have, this just might be the tip of the iceberg.

Time To Get Those Trade-Winds A-Blowin'

2006-02-02T13:40:00.000-05:00

Maybe McNabb wants out of Philly

I was going to write a column about how, now that the dust from the Eagles' worst season in six years has settled, the team should try to work through the issues with Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb and figure out a way to keep Owens and return to 2004 glory. But, instead this column is about why the Eagles should keep Owens and trade golden boy, Donovan McNabb.

McNabb is living a lie and the worst part about the lie is that he is lying mostly to himself. McNabb is not only a divisive force on the Eagles, but he is self-destructive and the Eagles should cut their losses now by trading him immediately. If you didn't see the McNabb interview on ESPN, you can read it right here--provided you're able to follow him aimlessly wandering from first-person point of view, to second-person and back to first-person. Granted, this is clearly another case of ESPN stoking the flames of disdain between Owens and McNabb to generate ratings, but try to see through the all of the propaganda and hear what McNabb is actually saying.

About the distraction that T.O. allegedly caused the Eagles this season, McNabb claimed it didn't bother him, but it negatively affected some of his less focused teammates. Hello! That's a back-handed, passive-aggressive criticism of his teammates. Yet the media portray McNabb as the model teammate. If McNabb has a problem with the way his teammates handled things this past season, he should have taken some of his own advice and spoken to those individuals face to face.

About the infamous Brett Favre comment (remember--T.O. didn't even make the comment), McNabb said that because Owens agreed that Favre (a white quarterback) would be better for the Eagles, that was some sort of black-on-black crime (a gross misnomer) and it was tantamount to McNabb having said that the Eagles would be better off with "Steve Largent or Joe Jurevicious." McNabb is wrong on so many levels it's difficult to decide where to begin skewering him. First of all, Largent has been retired since 1989. So, if Largent were actually a better player than Owens, then McNabb is still living in and commenting on the wrong decade. Apparently, in McNabb's twisted reality, it's politically incorrect to compare or contrast Donovan McNabb with a white quarterback. When the race card is played by someone else, McNabb is great at playing the poor little victim, but, McNabb has now conveniently used the issue of race, rather poorly I might add, to further his own agenda against Owens. His assertion, aside from being hypocritical, is preposterous.

McNabb goes on to divulge the details of a phone conversation he had with Owens in 2004. McNabb claims he told Owens, "I brought you here for a reason, for people to understand the chemistry that we have and the things we can do, which will lead us to winning a Super Bowl.'" Look at the tremendous ego McNabb has, all of a sudden thinking he is QB, coach and GM all at once. Get over yourself, Donovan.

McNabb is arrogant, insecure, passive-aggressive and (worst of all) an over-rated quarterback. It's no wonder a player of Owens' caliber couldn't get along with McNabb or deal with having to constantly defer to a player that shows up to camp portly from all of that Campbell's chunky soup his mom feeds him. If the Eagles have any desire to remain competive, in what is now a much stronger NFC East than the division they dominated for four years, they will keep Owens and trade McNabb for a quarterback who is a more accurate passer and who isn't nearly as self-absorbed.

In the interview, McNabb goes on ad-infinitum about how if you have a problem with him, go talk to him, face to face. I wonder if McNabb will have me over for a delightful little, face to face chat. Unfortunately, that's about as likely as the Eagles shipping him out of town.

NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLE WE’VE SEEN

2006-01-31T08:15:00.000-05:00

During the week leading up to last year’s Super Bowl, I was a wreck. I was nervous and I was excited. I was simultaneously steeling myself for soul-blistering disappointment and preparing myself for three liver-scorching days of celebration. It was great.

So it killed me this year to watch my Eagles stumble through one of the least impressive seasons imaginable. Contract disputes, injuries, heart-breaking losses, merciless poundings—we proud, stupid Philly fans suffered it all. So no one out there deserves to be as down this week as we all are. Patriots fans? No way. They’ve enjoyed more than their fair share of success. Bears fans? Ah, no one expected them to be there anyway. Colts fans? Close call, but at least they had fun during the regular season. We had it worst. So what bothers me is all these commentators complaining about how much they pity themselves having to cover this week’s championship bout.

Take Skip Bayless. This week he posted on ESPN.com’s Page 2 an article entitled “Wake me up when it’s over.” http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=bayless/060130 In attempting to articulate that this year’s Bowl will be a snooze fest, Skip offers up a whine fest, blah blah blahing about how Detroit will host a dud because this game “feels like a game without a favorite.”

Wait. You mean, the teams are evenly matched? The shame!

This is not only an idiotic op-ed piece, it is further evidence of the ESPN-ification of sports.

Exhibit A: He scoffs at the Steelers’ luck, making clear that they might not have beaten the Bengals if Carson Palmer hadn’t gone down, pointing out that they wouldn’t have passed by the Pats if they’d had to, noting that they wouldn’t have defeated Denver if Roethlisberger had been picked off more often. Then he likewise laughs at those lucky Seahawks.

Hmm, good points, Skip. Oh, but they did win those games? And they are in the Super Bowl? So all of that is irrelevant? I mean, has Skip ever seen a team get to a championship game – in any sport? Has he never noticed that a lot of things have to go a team’s way – and that that’s what makes it exciting? And what’s Skip cheering for here, anyway – a team to win every game on the road to the Super Bowl by more than 40 points?

Exhibit B: Not until paragraph 28 – 28! – does Skip even consider whether the actual game will be any good. When he gets around to it, he begrudgingly admits that “this matchup is pretty intriguing” and features “two very likable teams and coaches.” Up until this point, all Skip is concerned with is the potential lack of highlights, the various subplots, and who among the game’s players has a chance of becoming “this game’s breakout Madison Avenue star.” At one point he even says, “I’m starting to missing T.O.” Yeah, well, I’m starting to think Skip’s tuning in more for the Stones and the commercials than the Steelers and Seahawks.

Who said this game won't be exciting?!

The truth is that we football fans are lucky: a great Super Bowl is on tap, featuring two excellent coaches – one of whom has a chance to solidify a legendary legacy – and a smattering of some good players, young and old, whose refusal to offer up off-the-field antics allows us to concentrate on the game itself. In fact we’re so lucky that even I, a Philly fan, can see it.

And the bottom line is, if you’re not from Philly (or, OK, maybe Indianapolis) keep your complaints to yourself.

Oh, and if you’re the Worldwide Leader in Sports, maybe take an interest in the actual game, and suggest to your columnists they do the same.

Next up, Cecil Fielder!

2006-01-26T01:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, ESPN said the Phillies have had "very preliminary" talks with those who represent Mike Piazza about signing the Philly suburb native. Shortly thereafter, a source hushed the story, pointing out that the Phils don't have an opening for Piazza.

May I say: I hope that guy's right.

Look, Piazza has put together an amazing career and I'm ready to admit there still might be a little juice left in his bat. Plus, I love the idea of signing a Cooperstown-bound local as much as the next guy. But to my mind, there are two obvious things that make this rumor a little tough to swallow.

1) THE NATIONAL LEAGUE DOES NOT ALLOW DESIGNATED HITTERS!

That's right, they still don't allow it! Mike Piazza is one of the best hitters to ever ruin a pair of knees behind home plate. For his sake, I wish somebody had decided early on that, "Hey, maybe this really good hitter should play first base or outfield or something!" But nobody decided that, and his body has paid the price. Some people can continue to produce at Piazza's age. All signs indicate that -- though I don't blame him for it -- he can't. So I'm having trouble warming to the idea of the Phillies signing up a guy designed for a position that doesn't exist on their team. I mean, if they wanted to go that route, there are plenty of options -- Cecil Fielder...Jim Thome -- oh, nevermind that one.

Hey, you -- need a job?

2) He'd cost too much money.

The Phillies have plenty of holes to fill. Paying Piazza a ton of cash to fill none of them probably isn't the right approach.

It seems a distinct possibility that this is all just blather -- a rumor that will run its course and fade away. Let's hope so. If not, I daresay things suddenly seem a great deal more dire for the Phils.

What if ESPN Covered the Olympics?

2006-01-23T12:07:00.000-05:00

Note: What follows is the second installment hypothesizing what the United States would suffer through if ESPN covered the Winter Olympics. In today's piece, the outgoing Sunday Night Football crew of Mike Patrick, Joe Theisman, and Paul McGuire cover ladies' figure skating...

Patrick: Hello everyone, along with Joe Theisman and Paul McGuire, I’m Mike Patrick. Tonight, the ladies take center stage in what is easily the most anticipated event of this entire Olympic Games. Ladies’ singles figure skating. It doesn’t get any better than this! Joe, in your mind, is there anything that can compare with ladies figure skating?

Theisman: Not in the context of the Winter Olympiad. For four years, all of us have been waiting for this moment. The fans, the coaches, the officials, and, of course, the skaters. Now the moment is here. The question is this: which of these skaters has the focus, the drive to bring home the gold medal.

Patrick: And, Paul, this is a unique night, indeed, as there are 12 different countries represented in the 12 finalists here tonight.

McGuire: But it wasn’t supposed to be this way. The U.S. has had a tough go of it so far. Two of the three skaters fell during the preliminaries, leaving only Sasha Cohen in the competition tonight. It’ll be interesting to see how she reacts to the pressure.

Patrick: Speaking of Sasha Cohen, she is on the ice and ready to go! She will be attempting a Triple Lutz and a Triple Sowcow during this performance. The level of difficulty is off the charts! If she is able to pull it off, she will be putting a lot of pressure on the other skaters to follow!

Theisman: The thing about Sasha Cohen is that she is a bit of a gunslinger. She never seems to do anything by the book.

McGuire: She’s the ladies’ figure skating equivalent of Brett Favre. She improvises when necessary in a sport that doesn’t traditionally allow for a great deal of improvisation.

Theisman: Speaking of Brett Favre… If you’re watching, Brett, PLEASE come back and play next year. The Packers need you and the NFL needs you.

Patrick: Brett, we need you. We love you. Please play some more football.

Theisman: Here comes the most difficult part of the program- the Triple Lutz/Triple Sowcow combination.

Patrick: SHE GETS THROUGH THE TRIPLE LUTZ! AND NOW… OH SHE JUST MISSED LANDING THE TRIPLE SOWCOW. That’ll definitely lead to a deduction in the scoring. Now her performance is over. While we are waiting for the scoring, we are unveiling a new wrinkle in the coverage of figure skating. It’s called ESPNJudge. Even though instant replay isn’t available to the judges here tonight, we will present the performance as though it were available. In this situation, Cohen’s coach would have thrown the red flag because there may have been some debris on the ice just at the spot where she was attempting to land the triple sowcow. So here is the replay of that moment, in extra slow-motion.

McGuire: See- she loses her footing right… THERE! That’s where she started to fall. I don’t see any debris. If this were a real situation, I think the call would stand.

Theisman: No, Paul, you’re wrong. Look a little closer. There is definitely an ice shaving there. That could be construed as irrefutable visual evidence to overturn the call and not cost her the mandatory deduction for the fall.

Patrick: Remember, the call on the ice would have been that there was NO interference by the ice. There must be irrefutable visual evidence, as according to the rules that ESPN has enforced on ESPNJudge, to overturn a call on the ice. The poll on ESPN.com indicates that 55% of you would let the call stand. Great job, loyal ESPN.comers.

And the beat goes on…

Phillies to Raise Ticket Prices... Bad Move

2006-01-21T17:05:00.000-05:00

The Philadelphia Phillies have announced their regular season ticket prices for the 2006 season and their announcement included a new wrinkle- variable ticket pricing. 45 of their 81 home dates will have tickets that cost more than the other 36. The increase occurs during the middle of the season, when the weather is warmer and more people are inclined to engage in outdoor activities. Tickets for the beginning and end of the season will remain at 2005 prices.

According to the Phillies, every other team in the National League East uses this method and the increase has nothing to do with who is on the schedule- just when they are on the schedule. The hikes represent an increase of between 6 and 10 compared to last year's prices (or even some of this year's prices).

While the Phillies have the right to charge any amount they wish for attendance to their games, it really doesn't look good to be raising prices this year. For the past five seasons, the hype has most definitely been greater than the results, which has led to a change in manager and general manager, along with some significant changes on the roster. The most notable of these changes is, of course, the departure of Jim Thome. Just last week, new General Manager Pat Gillick was quoted as saying that he realizes this team, at this point, is not a contender in their division.

What kind of message does this send to the fans of Philadelphia? "We know we have underacheived. We know we aren't in a position to take the division. But we want more money from you guys this year."

If people are willing to pay the increase, then this column is worthless. But I think the organization needs to reconsider this move. The team saw a significant drop in attendance between 2004 and 2005- about 600,000 people fewer in a year when they were in the playoff hunt even after they had concluded their last game. With fewer illusions of grandeur for 2006, it would seem that attendance should drop again. Wouldn't the more prudent action be to tell the fans that they are holding the line on prices this year (or, get ready for this... drop prices a bit) because we know we need more time to get this team where we want it to be? Wouldn't it be a good PR move to try to get fans back in the stands at this point?

Raising ticket prices is not consistent with the messages the Phillies have been sending this winter. They dealt Thome. They have been trying to deal Bobby Abreu for quite some time. The general manager has already said the team needs work. Everything they are saying indicates that they don't expect as many wins as last year. Why would fans want to pay more for a product they know is worse?

Esche is Back in a Big Way

2006-01-21T16:42:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh, the Flyers defeated the Penguins by a score of 2-1. Their success on this warm January day can be summed up in only two words.

Robert Esche.

In his first game in a month due to a groin muscle problem, Esche faced 33 shots and stopped 32 of them. He was quick with the arms and legs and he was stingy with the rebounds. In short, he looked amazing on a day the Flyers needed their netminder to be as such. The lowly Penguins were fiesty and their goalie Marc-Andre Fleurry was almost as strong as Esche.

Flyers fans should be encouraged by Esche's performance. While the offense struggled to light the lamp today, they were still able to secure two points in what has quickly become a crowded leaderboard in the Eastern Conference. Even with the victory, the Flyers trail the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes in the standings. The difference between the top seed and the third seed in the playoffs could be only a couple of points in the standings, but could be huge in terms of opponents. The top seed will likely get a team who squeaks into the playoffs such as Toronto, Tampa Bay, or Montreal- each of whom are struggling in many aspects of the game. If the playoffs started today, the third seed in the East would get the New Jersey Devils, who have currently won 9 in a row and have a history of playoff success.

The Flyers have been playing good hockey since Christmas. They have done so without the help of Robert Esche. If he can continue to play the way that he did today, the Flyers should be in good shape come April.

A College Football Legend, a Bunch of Angry Women, and Two Lessons Worth Learning

2006-01-12T18:21:00.000-05:00

The day before his Nittany Lions won the Orange Bowl, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno was asked about accusations that Florida State middle linebacker A.J. Nicholson had sexually assaulted a woman. In answering, Joe said this:

"There's some tough—there's so many people gravitating to these kids. He may not have even known what he was getting into, Nicholson. They knock on the door; somebody may knock on the door; a cute girl knocks on the door. What do you do?

"Geez. I hope—thank God they don't knock on my door because I'd refer them to a couple of other rooms. But that's too bad. You hate to see that. I really do. You like to see a kid end up his football career. He's a heck of a football player, by the way; he's a really good football player. And it's just too bad."

In reaction, Joanne Tosti-Vasey, president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Organization of Women, said she was “appalled” and demanded that Penn State can Paterno.

Not a JoePa fan.

At first I figured the story would disappear. Then I saw it on SportsCenter and reminded myself that the folks at ESPN can take a two-second clip of a high school soccer player picking his nose and turn it into a mini-series. So we might as well talk about it.

There is nothing funny about sexual abuse. It’s even less funny when it involves a seriously huge dude imposing himself on a woman. So I don’t know why JoePa felt the need to make a ha-ha. In fact, why does it happen so often that people speaking in public get themselves in trouble by flexing their funny muscles at the exact wrong moment? Remember that time President Bush showed reporters a picture of himself looking under furniture in the Oval Office and said, “Nope, no weapons over there.” See? Not funny. Of course, unlike the President, JoePa often is very funny. But not this time.

"Hey, this guy's even less funny than me!"

Lesson #1: When you speak publicly on tough issues, just say the right thing and shut up.

So I sympathize with Ms. Tosti-Vasey’s frustration at JoePa’s facetious remarks, but I also think it’s clear that she's off-base. It’s clear that the situation upsets Paterno. He’s devoted his life to working with young men—serving not only as a coach, but also as a father figure. Making a bad joke doesn’t make him a bad man.

Also, Ms. Tosti-Vasey is being ridiculous in calling for his dismissal. Does she honestly believe Penn State will fire the 79-year-old legend? Probably not. She probably figures, “To make as much noise as possible, you have to make as much trouble as you can.” The problem is that she’s undermining her understandable anger by making ludicrous demands.

Lesson #2: Don’t hurt your chances of achieving the things that matter by asking for things that don’t.

I think we all know that Joe’s not losing his job over this, but it’s one of those ugly incidences that easily could have been avoided—and should have been.

What if ESPN Covered the Olympics?

2006-01-10T20:02:00.000-05:00

Note: The following is the first installment over the next few weeks leading up to this year's Winter Olympics hypothesizing that to which the United States would be subjected if the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports was the network covering the games...

SportsCenter following the Opening Ceremonies
hosted by Stu Scott and Mike Greenberg

Scott: Coming up on da 'Center- in depth coverage of the mayhem you just saw right here on ESPN! Winter Olympic Opening Cermony craziness like you've never seen before!

Greenberg: Hello, I'm Mike Greenberg along with Stuart Scott and you are watching SportsCenter. The opening ceremonies at the Olympics have never been known to be anything more than a waste of time, but that all changed in Torino, Italy tonight. For details, I turn it over to Stu.

Scott: This was wild-crazy. As the Russian team was entering the stadium, watch the fan in the crown waving a flag from France . He drops the flag, RUNS OUT ONTO THE CONCOURSE, and gives Vladimir Allyonov, Russia 's premier giant slalom skier, a HANDSHAKE. Then he tried to go back into the stands, but the security guards tackled him and brought him into custody! John Clayton was at the Opening Ceremonies tonight and joins us now LIVE for an update. John, could you please rehash what you saw?

Clayton: Well, actually, Stuart, I didn't see the event itself. I was attempting to get interviews with some members of the US team.

Scott: But, I mean, let's be real, didn't the whole place erupt when this went down?

Clayton: Not really.

Scott: But I mean, c'mon… what about all the security guards that just flat-out tackled the guy?

Clayton: Actually, there were only two security guards. And they didn't tackle the fan. They just led him out of the stadium into a holding area where he was later released after having his tickets for the games revoked.

Scott: John Clayton tellin' us how it is. For more analysis on this crazy story, we turn it over to our Winter Olympic expert desk and Mark Schlereth and Sean Salisbury. My boys, how will this incident affect Allyonov?

Schlereth: Allyonov is a giant slalom skier. And giant slalom skiers aren't affected by things like this. Giant slalom skiers see the mountain and take the mountain. Giant slalom skiers are only interested in one thing: giant slalom skiing. Opening ceremonies don't affect giant slalom skiers. Handshakes don't affect giant slalom skiers. Only things that happen on the giant slalom course affect giant slalom skiers.

Salisbury: SCHLERETH! YOU ARE WRONG! HERE'S WHY YOU ARE WRONG! THIS IS ONE OF THE TOP FIVE INCIDENTS TO EVER HAPPEN AT THE OPENING CEREMONIES EVER! ALLYONOV IS DONE! DONE! THERE'S NO WAY HE CAN RECOVER FROM THIS INCIDENT!

Greenberg: Thank you, gentlemen, for your insight. Coming up after the break, we'll head back to Torino for more on how this could affect the rest of these Olympic Games…

What?

2006-01-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

"He's going to pitch better than 15 losses," Gillick said, speaking of the latest addition to the Phillies rotation, Ryan Franklin. "If he loses 15, I'd bet he wins 16 or 17. I think he's a better pitcher than the numbers indicate."

Sixers' Missing Ingredient On Team They Just Beat

2006-01-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

Iverson needs a better center to lead the Sixers deep into the playoffs

Now that the Eagles season is officially over perhaps Philadelphia will start paying attention to the 76ers basketball squad. At a glance the Sixers seem to have all the necessary components to run away with the mostly hapless Atlantic Division and even compete a little in the playoffs before they run into the steamroller that is Detroit. Yet after last night's 111-98 win over Sacramento the Sixers are hovering just one game over .500 at 16-15.

Despite Allen Iverson having one of his best seasons ever (33.7 points per game, 7.4 assists per game and 2.23 steals per game) and a healthy Chris Webber that has been putting up some quality numbers (19.6 and 10.4 per game) the Sixers can't seem to grab the division by the throat. The Sixers even have a few solid, young role players. Andre Iguodala is explosive and is on the cusp of being as good as, if not better than, Richard Jefferson. Kyle Korver is the perimeter shooter that the Larry Brown Sixers never had and other parts of his game are improving. John Salmons is a servicable player coming off the bench. Offensively, coach Maurice Cheeks has the Sixers scoring more points per game (102.9) than everyone other than Phoenix. The team has the veteran leadership and experience of Webber and Iverson.

Miller would look great in a Sixers uniform

The one glaring void is right in the middle. I want to love Samuel Dalembert, but he's just not the presence the Sixers need in the middle. Dalembert is an amazing shot blocker (third in the league with 3.17 per game) but he also racks up a lot of personal fouls and lacks the strength the Sixers need in the low post. Dalembert is great, but I'm not convinced he's a real center.

The type of center the Sixers need is the one who put up 36 points against them last night. Brad Miller. He's not an elite center, but he's physical, he runs the court well and he is fiercely competitive. Miller's personality would fit well with the Sixers and even though he wouldn't block as many shots as Dalembert, he would give the Sixers the toughness inside that they need to be a legitimate contender in the East.

Billy King and Cheeks should make a concerted effort to coax Brad Miller from Sacramento, a team that is underachieving this year and is in serious danger of missing the playoffs. He could give the team that push that Mutumbo gave the Sixers in 2001. Otherwise, Iverson can average 40 a game and the Sixers will continue wallowing in mediocrity.

It's Time to Figure Out What's Next

2006-01-02T11:03:00.000-05:00

At long last, the 2005 season is over for the Philadelphia Eagles. For many fans, it was a season that stirred up old memories- memories of past regimes. It stirred up memories of seasons led by inept coaches such as Ray Rhodes and Rich Kotite. It stirred up memories of days when wins were hard to come by and games like yesterday were the norm. The Eagles had every opportunity to beat the Redskins, but they made sure to grab defeat from the clutches of victory.

The obvious question is this: what’s next? How do the Eagles go about preparing for the 2006 campaign that will feature games against the Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers, Jaguars, and Colts? Andy Reid should be given every opportunity this off-season to show that he deserves to keep his job. This is the first seasonal step backward since he arrived in 1999. But it is obvious that some changes need to be made. Most of these changes need to be made on only one side of the ball- and it isn’t the side that grabbed most of the attention this year.

The Eagles’ offense was poor for the second half of the season, but most of the feature positions were filled by backups. Donovan McNabb will come back healthy. There should be no problem with the starting quarterback. But this season showed that the Eagles do not have a backup quarterback that is capable of being reliable for an extended period of time. More than anything else, Mike McMahon showed Philadelphia why he was unable to succeed in Detroit. For every instance where he showed his talent and potential, he followed it up with an inexcusable mistake. Koy Detmer has also shown over time that he can be a useful backup, but he also is not going to be someone who will lead a team to the Super Bowl. The Eagles need to find a better second string quarterback.

The Eagles might be OK at running back. The combination of Brian Westbrook, Ryan Moats, and Bruce Perry could work. Moats is not a threat in the passing game, but his speed should be enough to serve as a role player. The Eagles are high on Perry, and his performance yesterday could be enough to land him a spot getting some important carries next year.

At wide receiver, the Eagles are obviously not as strong without Terrell Owens, but they do have more talent at the wideouts than they did before Owens’ arrival. Reggie Brown, Greg Lewis, and Todd Pinkston will most likely be the first three on the depth charge. These three are not likely to run freely from all the defenses they face, but they should be adequate.

Overall, the Eagles offensive line is in pretty good shape. Jon Runyan is a free agent, but the Eagles should seriously consider letting him go. His play has started to deteriorate and he has committed some costly penalties recently. Other than Runyan, the line should be OK for next year.

The defense, however, will require a great deal more work. Remember that the offense lost McNabb, Westbrook, Owens, center Hank Fraley, and Pinkston this year. That’s a heck of a lot to absorb. On the other side of the ball, however, the injuries were not as severe. Brian Dawkins, Sheldon Brown, Michael Lewis, and Jeremiah Trotter played all season. Lito Sheppard was around for most of the season. Week after week, the Eagles defense would give up big plays. These were the same guys that were all chosen for the Pro Bowl last year. What Reid needs to determine is whether the problems on defense stem from the players having lost a step or from a lack of defensive play calling by defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. Something went terribly wrong on defense this year. In order for the Eagles to reclaim a spot as one of the top teams in the NFC, that problem needs to be addressed first.

Except for Bill Cowher, all NFL coaches face a time when they need to show that they can handle adversity or they pay for it with their job. This is most likely that time for Andy Reid. It was only one bad season, but in this league and in this city, that is about the extent of a coaches’ margin for error.

2005 was a disaster. Andy, you better figure it out by next fall or else you might get a pink slip.

Back For the Future?

2005-12-23T14:44:00.000-05:00

Eagles fans… think back. Think back through the mists of time. The year was 2003. Things were different then. Terrell Owens was still playing on the opposite coast (well, was still playing at all). The Linc was brand new. Expectations were high. Things were good.

Things were different back then- especially at the position of running back. The Eagles touted the “three headed monster” of Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter, and Brian Westbrook. The running game was something other teams feared. During that season, Staley rushed for 463 yards combined with 382 receiving yards. Buckhalter had 542 yards on the ground and 133 through the air. Westbrook tallied 613 yards with his legs and was able to secure 332 yards with his hands.

Individually, none of those numbers stand out. But collectively, they ran for 1618 yards and collected 847 receiving yards. Collectively, they tallied 20 rushing touchdowns and 7 receiving touchdowns. One must admit that these were impressive numbers from the running back position. One must also admit that the 2005 running game left a great deal to be desired.

With all that has gone wrong this season, it is difficult to find something- anything- that can ease the pain of those in Eagle Nation. But one person has shown some promise. One person has shown that he might just belong. One person gives some hope for the future.

That person is a rookie from the football factory Louisiana Tech. That person is Ryan Moats.

On 39 attempts this season, Moats has collected 242 yards. That’s an average of 6.2 per carry. 10 of his 39 carries have gone for first downs. His percentage of 25.6 in that category compares well with Seattle’s Shaun Alexander (28.9%), New York’s Tiki Barber (20.4%), and Indianapolis’ Edgerin James (26.2%). He has also scored 3 touchdowns in only 5 games. Not bad for a guy playing on an offensive unit that is comprised of mainly backups.

The results so far have been good. They have been encouraging. Eagles fans can look to 2006 with some anticipation. Perhaps a backfield of Westbrook and Moats can be productive. Both have shown that they have talent. For the Eagles to return to the top of the conference, their running game must look more like it did in 2003 than it did in 2005.

Will Moats help that cause?

Pennsylvania’s College Football Powerhouses: A Study in Contrasts

2005-12-21T16:27:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the AP overwhelmingly selected Penn State’s Joe Paterno as Coach of the Year. Putting behind him a few years dominated by scathing criticism and calls for his dismissal, 79-year-old JoePa led the Nittany Lions to a 10-1 record and an Orange Bowl berth. Even more impressively, to my mind, Penn State achieved all of this without absolutely dominating any single offensive or defensive category. They simply played as a team, performed well across the board, and did what they had to do in each game to win. Heck, their one loss—a 27-25 thriller in Ann Arbor—might have been their hardest-fought battle of the year. In other words, it wasn’t just an old coach on the sideline, it was old school football—and it was great to see.

Man of the Year in 1986...
Man of the Year now.

Having graduated from Pitt, I’m sure that at some point I signed a piece of paper saying that I forfeit my first-born or waive the rights to all of my possessions or something like that if I ever speak well of Penn State. But last year I was one of those guys who swore up and down that JoePa’s time had come and gone and that he should do the program a favor and step down. This wasn’t based solely on the team’s lackluster record, mind you. The word I kept hearing was that Pitt was grabbing up the in-state recruits and out-of-state recruits were going to schools with hipper coaches, flashier schemes, and quicker routes to playing time. Penn State (I joined the chorus in saying) was doomed for the foreseeable future. So I feel the need to apologize.

JoePa, that was my bad.

And really, any legal rights Pitt has on my attention span were forfeited this year when former Panther Dave Wannstedt traded in South Beach for the banks of the Monongahela River and dragged Pitt through a 5 and 6 season against one of the least impressive schedules ever assembled. (Yeah, but we killed Youngstown State!) What’s worse, anybody who had watched a Dolphins game in the last 2 or 3 years knew everything they needed to know to beat Pitt, because all Wanny did all year long was repeat the mistakes he had perfected in Mami.

Pitt's fearless leader.

Just two or three years ago, it seemed that the Pennsylvania college football pendulum had swung to the West, but that turnaround just hasn’t come to pass. Instead, we’ve ended up with a funny little juxtaposition: In one corner, an old-timer with a glorious past, a surprisingly successful present, and new hope for the future; in the other corner, a new coach with a lousy moustache and a lot of work ahead of him.

28 Going On 45

2005-12-17T18:09:00.000-05:00

I've seen the future and the hardware shines bright

Late last night I sat down in my recliner, flipped through the 400 channels of digital cable and, after watching about 2 hours of SportsCenter, settled on the Jennifer Garner chick flick 13 Going on 30. Still awake when the film reached FIN, I went into my sports room, sat down with a beer and began to think, what would my life be like in 17 years, when I’m 45?

Then I started to think about Philadelphia sports 17 years in the future. I took a swig of beer, and rested my head against the wall. Must have been a little too hard, though, as one of those turnstile-gift bobble head Mike Schmidt dolls dropped down from a shelf above and knocked me on my head.

Suddenly, I woke up, in a strange place. There were Phillies World Series pennants on the wall from 2019, 12-year-old twins begging for lunch money, and the mirror showed me an image of a salt and pepper haired older man with a fading mustache. Frightened, I asked one of the kids their names?

“I’m Sonny and he’s Fredo,” one said. I immediately knew they were my sons. Who else would name their kids after characters in The Godfather?

“Honey? Get the kids ready for the bus,” a woman’s voice boomed from another room. I was scared as hell to find out to whom I was married. Wedding photos framed on the wall revealed she was cute, but it was an old photo. Then I saw her. Beautiful. She handed me a glass of orange juice, and I dropped it. When I bent over to clean up the spill, I slipped and whacked my head on the floor. I went out like a champion who fought one fight too many.

When I came too, I was in the parking lot of Commerce Bank Field (they had conveniently taken over every stadium in town) tailgating at an Eagles-Cowboys game, which was for the NFC Championship. I looked at someone’s newspaper and the date was January 23, 2022. The Birds, playing for head coach Brian Westbrook, had reintroduced the West Coast Offense, which had become passé by 2010. The Eagles won the game, and then beat the Jaguars in Super Bowl LVI. It was the Eagles second title, with the previous victory coming in 2008 over the Kansas City Chiefs. I went to the tickertape victory parade in Center City. Some jerk in one of the offices decided to throw his stapler out the window, striking me in the back of the head and ending my elation.

Can Jim Boeheim end the Sixers 39 year NBA Championship drought?

Magically I arrived at my next stop, a Temple University men's basketball contest, where John Chaney was finally ending his coaching tenure, just two months past his 90th birthday. Chaney had taken a page out of Jay Leno’s book, announcing his retirement five years earlier. At the same time that he made his announcement, James Kingston, an 8th grade point guard from Birmingham, AL, was being considered for the cover of Sports Illustrated. Chaney’s announcement beat him out of it. But Kingston was a tough kid, and made the cover four times over the next four years, with the last one reading, “Hoo, Hoo, I’m an Owl.” Kingston, and many of the other top McDonalds All-Americans got together and decided to play for Chaney, looking to win the coach his first ever championship. It worked, and in his final season, Chaney cut down the nets of March for first time in his illustrious career. I was celebrating in the aisles and jumping up and down, the last time missing the step and taking a bad tumble.

My next vision was game 7 of the NBA Finals at the old, dingy Commerce Bank Center. Sixers Head Coach Jim Boeheim, whose transition to the pros was rocky, had taken over a dismal club in 2019. His winning percentage in the league was below .300, and this would’ve likely been his last chance at redemption. It worked. The players bought into his system, and competed the next two seasons with no one standing out as a star. Their starting lineup was like a revolving door, with players receiving an equal amount of time on the floor. It was a revolutionary approach, but for a team of cast-offs, past-their-prime veterans, and hapless rookies, they had nothing to lose. The gamble paid off, and the Sixers hoisted the trophy for the first time since 1983, beating, who else, the Los Angeles Lakers. I was loving it, but I knew my time was about to end there, so I picked a fight with the meanest cholo-looking Lakers fan I could find, let him hit me with a good one, and went out like a light.

I eagerly awoke on an unseasonably warm October night. I was sitting on the first base side of the brand new Veterans Stadium at Commerce Bank Park, built on the same site as the original Veterans Stadium. After retro fields went out of style in 2013, the city council devised a plan to build an L-shaped skyscraper with a ball field as the centerpiece, and the Philadelphia skyline as the backdrop. It featured a retractable roof, could be easily converted into any nouveau or retro style should tastes change, and also served as a great business rental opportunity. The aging Darren Daulton was at the helm, with a coaching staff that consisted of Mike Schmidt, Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk and Von Hayes. With their knowledge of the game, the team could do nothing but win. It was their third title in four years, and second consecutive.

Harsh reality of 2005

With the loud crash of a bottle of suds falling from my hand and smashing on the floor, my odyssey into the perfect sports world abruptly came to a halt. Because my glimpse of the future was so vivid, I immediately ran for my sports almanac. It confirmed that I was back in 2005, and reminded me of the 22-year drought of serious hardware.

I got knocked on the head in a city that hadn’t seen a title in 22 years, and in one magical journey I witnessed four championship victories. If my fantastic voyage is any indication, Philadelphia will be sports town U.S.A. in 2022.

Quick Hits For the Weekend

2005-12-16T15:26:00.000-05:00

The Flyers continue to suffer from injuries seemingly every time out. Robert Esche and Mike Richards are the latest casualties. While they still stand only four points behind the Rangers, they have slipped to fifth in the Eastern Conference. There’s a long way to go, but with the Olympics making travel schedule nightmares come February, they better start banking some wins now.

Villanova seems to be on Christmas break. Between now and their big match up with fourth ranked Louisville on the fifth of January, they have only two games. They play La Salle on the December 22 and Temple on December 31. Not much in the way of a tune up for the upcoming difficult Big East schedule.

Alex Rodriguez is an idiot. He has decided to forego this spring’s World Baseball Classic because he can’t decide which country for which to play. He was born in the United States, but his parents were born in the Dominican Republic. He’s an American. He should be playing for the United States. But, I guess A-Rod just isn’t interested in playing.

Terrell Owens is quoted in the January edition of GQ as saying that he felt “disrespected” by his Eagles teammates. He said they thought he was selfish for trying to come back for the Super Bowl. He said that he felt “used” by the Eagles. He said that the media has it out for him. Oh, man. C’mon. T.O.- the problems in your life can all be traced to one source- YOU! If you would just shut up for once- ONCE!- perhaps you would still be playing football. Perhaps you would have an opportunity to make more money. Perhaps 80% of the football world wouldn’t tune you out as soon as you open your big, fat mouth… but, that’s just me.

I was pleased to see the Phillies deal Vicente Padilla this week. I have spent too many hours worrying when he would self-destruct during an outing that seemed to be going well- too well. Almost like that calm before the storm thing. I’m not sure I like what they got in return- mainly because I don’t know what they got in return yet.
Pat Gillick still sees that the Phillies need help with their starting rotation, but there doesn’t seem to be much happening. Look for the Phils to be at least one arm short again this year.

The Great McNabb Debate – Part IV

2005-12-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

Read Part I, Part II & Part III of the Debate

Which quarterback is truly elite? I'll tell you who's not...or at least not yet.

Two days ago, on this blog, Matt said plenty in response to Andrew’s December 12th column—namely:

1) Donovan McNabb is one of the league’s top quarterbacks
2) Jake Plummer is not

But one of Andrew’s points requires specific condemnation—that point being that Ben Roethlisberger is a better quarterback than Donovan McNabb. When I first read it, I brushed it off, figuring that Andrew was on some mood-altering drug since realizing that T.O. would never again wear an Eagles uniform, and that the drug was impairing his judgment. But then Ahamed Iqbal, a loyal BSJ reader, showed support for the notion, writing on this blog, “Brady, Manning, Palmer and maybe Big Ben are definetely above him.” Now, I know Andrew can go off the deep end sometimes, but Ahamed? Ahamed, I count on you to be the voice of reason around here! Well, it looks like this time around that voice of reason will have to be mine.

Let’s begin with the obvious: Including the postseason, the kid has 26 games under his belt. He simply doesn’t have the record to be considered a premier QB. But that doesn’t matter to Andrew or Ahamed, so let’s look at the numbers.

Clearly, we have to concentrate on last year. Big Ben’s most impressive stat was his 66.4% completion percentage. But Donovan was right behind him at 64%. How about yardage? With only one less start, Ben had—count ‘em—more than 1200 less passing yards. TDs in the air? Ben: 17. Donovan: 31. TDs on the ground? Donovan had 3 to Ben’s 1. And my favorite QB stat—Donovan: 8 interceptions in 469 attempts; Ben: 11 picks in only 295 tosses.

This is getting embarassing. Oh wait—Andrew credits Donovan’s success to the West Coast offense. Yes, it’s a pass-friendly offense. But you know what else is pass-friendly? A good running game. Last year, Jerome Bettis racked up 941 yards and ex-Eagle Duce Staley put together 830. Much as I like him, Brian Westbrook’s 812 rushing yards don’t stack up. Everybody knew Donovan was passing on almost every play.

As for receiver support, Terrell Owens is the most talented receiver in football. But Hines Ward is excellent in is own right. Take 2002: 112 catches, 1329 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns. So with the Great Roethlisberger, he must have blown those numbers away, right? No. 80 catches—and only 4 touchdowns.

How about defensive support? I have no complaints with last year’s Eagles defensive squad, but how did those Steelers rank? In yards: #1. In points: #1. Not bad.

But one of Andrew’s biggest problems with McNabb is his performance in big games. Should I even go here? Is it even fair? No, but oh well. Roethlisberger’s sudden fall from grace in last year’s postseason was sad. The wunderkind got whupped two weeks in a row. Against the New York Jets he threw 2 interceptions that almost cost the Steelers the game. Against the Patriots, he was picked 3 times, fatally wounding an already struggling Steel City defense.

Also, Ben’s a graduate of the Brett Favre school: he’s exciting but reckless and often hurts his team by pulling out playground moves more suited to athletic quarterbacks lke Daunte Culpepper, Michael Vick, or (yep) Donovan McNabb.

Don't get me wrong: Big Ben's time will come.

I like Ben Roethlisberger. He seems like a good, hard-working player, as well as a nice guy. He has a real future in football. But to compare him with McNabb is silly. In fact, it doesn’t hold up under even the slightest scrutiny.

The Great McNabb Debate- Part III

2005-12-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

Donovan McNabb. The Pride of Philadelphia. The Most Overrated Quarterback to Ever Walk the Earth. An OK Guy to Lead the Team.

Well, which is it?

Contrary to what some may believe, there are few men in the NFL who should be picked before McNabb to lead your franchise.

Before we get to the numbers, let’s clear up some items put forth by our esteemed editor-in-chief. First, Andrew claims that the Eagles’ QB is “uncoachable” because he was attempting to play this season through an injury. Andrew states, “Any other player--including Owens--would've been put on IR, but McNabb was allowed by Andy Reid to indulge his massive ego and prove he's a warrior who will play through an injury. All he proved was that he was foolish and that his own agenda is more important than the Eagles winning. So, yes, he is uncoachable. Clearly.” Since Reid took over the Eagles, there have been now at least four situations that have involved serious injury where a player attemped to either play through the injury or rush back from injury. The first was during the 2002 season when McNabb broke his ankle. He broke his ankle in the middle of November and was back in time for the playoffs. The Eagles didn’t put him on IR- they said hurry back. Secondly, last year Terrell Owens broke his ankle- in the middle of December- and was back for the Super Bowl. The doctors told him his season was over. It would have been easy for the Eagles to put him on the IR list. They didn’t. He played. He played well- very well. The third is McNabb this season. The last is Brian Westbrook, again, this season. The Eagles did finally decide to put Westbrook on IR, but they were contemplating trying to bring him back. They made the correct decision since there is nothing left this season for which to play, but they thought about it. The Eagles regularly allow their guys to try their hardest to play. So, why not their star quarterback?

Next, when I said that he might not be able to be on the sidelines, I meant that sometimes surguries don’t allow you to be able to stand for an extended period of time. It might not be physical exhaustion. It might simply be that there could be too much pain to actually do it.

Now, on to the numbers…

Andrew mentioned several quarterbacks he thought would be a better fit for the Eagles. As such, I believe that it is important to compare McNabb to each of these players.

McNair (Tennessee), Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh), Brees (San Diego), Plummer (Denver), Johnson (Minnesota), Bledsoe (Dallas), Culpepper (Minnesota).

Player Team Comp % Rating Tot TD/Int Composite
McNabb Eagles 10.35 7.92 1.00 6.42
Brady Patriots 5.54 6.13 5.20 5.62
Roethlisberger Steelers 1.00 1.00 4.59 2.20
Bledsoe Cowboys 11.86 10.82 10.33 11.00
Culpepper Vikings 2.10 4.68 4.92 3.90
Favre Packers 5.95 6.83 7.28 6.69
Johnson Vikings 5.68 7.84 7.82 7.11
Plummer Broncos 12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00
Brees Chargers 4.99 7.27 7.29 6.51
Palmer Bengals 2.51 5.25 5.80 4.52
Manning Colts 2.79 3.67 4.37 3.61
McNair Titans 8.70 8.23 5.15 7.36

The chart above shows a ranking of the quarterbacks in question. The lower the ranking in each column, the better. A ranking of one indicates that person has the best career ranking in the category. A ranking of 12 indicates that you are Jake Plummer. In between, rankings are weighted according to linear differences between the best and the worst in the category. The Composite result is an average of the quarterbacks’ rankings in each of the three categories. Completion % and QB rating are straight up. Total TDs/Interceptions is total passing and rushing touchdowns divided by interceptions thrown. All data are based on career numbers.

As you can see, Big Ben comes in first. Given his short career and the fact that he passes the ball about twice a game, I don’t see him as the game breaker some of the other guys are.

Peyton Manning comes in second. He is better than all of these guys, so this makes sense.

Daunte Culpepper is next. A good quarterback, indeed. But his numbers have struggled mightily without Randy Moss. This is not to say he isn’t a good quarterback, but he also lacks the playoff experience McNabb has. I’ll take McNabb.

Carson Palmer is fourth. This guy is going to be good for quite some time. But, as of now, he is inexperienced. This could hurt in a big game. I’ll take McNabb.

Fifth is Tom Brady. OK- this guy also has three Super Bowl rings to his credit. Well, perhaps there is an argument to be made that this guy is better to have in the lineup than McNabb.

McNabb is next.

Then, there is everyone else. (Jake Plummer, Andrew? Really?)

So, of the five QBs who scored better than McNabb, I believe it is clear cut that only two of them have the real credentials to be picked ahead of him. That puts Donovan J. McNabb in pretty good company. Don’t you agree?

The Great Donovan McNabb Debate -- Part II

2005-12-12T09:25:00.000-05:00

Read Part 1 Here

The Pride of Philadelphia

For disciples of Donovan McNabb, this column is not going to be a picnic, but it will be a necessary dose of reality about the wildly over-rated quarterback. That's correct...OVER-rated.

My cousin Mark listed some clever statistics below in PART 1 that, at a cursory glance, seem to support his claim that McNabb is only second in the NFL to Peyton Manning. Let me begin to debunk that myth. First, McNabb's career completion percentage, below several of the better quarterbacks out there, is only as high as 58% because of the great number of screen plays and short yardage passes the Eagles have been forced to run over McNabb's career. Mark even supplied the evidence as for why -- because he simply can't throw a pass over ten yards with any regular accuracy.

Next, on the surface McNabb seems to have impressive passing yardage totals, but do not be deceived. He has been playing in Andy Reid's west coast offense which grossly favors the pass over the run. Naturally the more pass plays you run, the more passing yards you will rack up.

Although until last year McNabb had a dearth of talent at the wide receiver position, for the last year and a half he had one of the greatest receivers ever to play the game as his main target. And as a result McNabb put up the most impressive passing statistics of his career over that period. But, before the arrival of Terrell Owens, McNabb did have a couple of quality players to throw the ball to. Chad Lewis, Deuce Staley, L.J. Smith, Brian Westbrook, Dorsey Levens were all great players to toss short passes to and those players helped increase McNabb's yardage and completion percentage. Of course with Owens on the field he made anyone else on the field more open and available for McNabb deliver the ball to. That's why McNabb and virtually everyone else on the Eagles offense (even Todd Pinkston) had career years in 2004.

Is Mama McNabb feeding baby Donovan too much chunky soup?

As far as intangibles go, McNabb is mostly over-rated there as well. His galvanizing Philadelphia fans is more of comment on the gullibility of Philadelphia fans than it is on McNabb's intangible presence. Frankly, McNabb has a tremendous ego, perhaps even larger than Owens. But, McNabb is unable to admit this fact and unfortunately, because even Andy Reid bows to McNabb's massive ego, he is practically uncoachable. I'll give McNabb loads of respect for throwing four touchdowns on a broken ankle against Arizona a couple years ago, but that is just one game. Trying to play through a whole season injured is plain foolish and any other player that would have tried something so stupid and selfish would have been curbed by Andy Reid. One positive about McNabb is that when he's out on the football field, he (often) is having fun. That's important and cannot be said for all players. However, in big games his performance and his leadership, thus far, have been seriously lacking. Furthermore, I think his off-season preparation leaves something to be desired. McNabb, no doubt a great athlete, often looks out of shape and even portly at times out on the field. He's not nearly the physical specimen that Terrell Owens is or even Michael Vick, if you need another QB to compare to. And it's unclear whether he has the genuine respect of his teammates. Instead of watching yesterday's game against the Giants on the sideline with the team, McNabb sat in the luxury box with his mom--a man of the people if there ever was one.

Overall, McNabb is just an average QB. Maybe slightly above average. But here are the QBs that are better than him...in no particular order: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Bledsoe, Daunte Culpepper, Steve McNair, Brett Favre, Brad Johnson, Jake Plummer and this year Drew Brees and Carson Palmer are better.

The Great McNabb Debate - Part I

2005-12-09T16:19:00.000-05:00

I know it’s not nice to talk about a guy who can’t defend himself because he’s laid up with a sports hernia, but oh well. The Great McNabb Debate rages on. The other day, Brett, a loyal BSJ reader, mentioned in a comment on this blog that “Donovan is NOT a great QB—we all need to accept this.” I hear you, Brett. But right now, there is only one great quarterback—Peyton Manning. After that, Donovan McNabb is as good as it gets.

1. Numbers

How efficient is he? Donovan’s career completion percentage is 58.4% with a best (last year) of 64 %. Manning and Daunte Culpepper are more impressive, with averages of 63.9% and 64.4%, respectively, and bests of 67.6% and 69.2%. But he’s on par with Tom Brady (61.7%/63.9%) and Brett Favre (61.5%/65.3%) and way ahead of Michael Vick (54.2%/56.4%).

Look at it another way: How many interceptions does he throw for every TD? Donovan has a career 49% rating (interceptions/TDs). Peyton the Great is up at 53% and Brady the Bowl-Winner is at 54%, Favre and Culpepper keep each other company at 63% and 64%, and Vick makes me laugh with 73%.

Yardage? Donovan’s 3,875 yards from last year isn’t earth-shattering, but it’s better than Brady or Vick have ever put up, and Culpepper’s only beaten it once. Touchdowns? His high through the air is 31, which Vick and Brady have never touched, and Culpepper and Manning have beaten only twice apiece—and only Culpepper has more TDs on the ground.

2. Intangibles

No player in recent memory has galvanized Eagles fans like McNabb. Charismatic, hard-working, and clean-living, he lets us and his teammates concentrate on the game by never instigating any unnecessary drama. He’s also often done the unthinkable, busting memorable moves and in one game throwing four touchdown passes on a broken ankle.

3. Team Success

As I stated in my last post, since 2000, when McNabb took over, the Eagles are 64 and 28—as compared to, say, the Patriots’ 60 and 32—and they’ve won the NFC East four times and the NFC once.

4. Extra Credit

Even Donovan’s harshest critics can’t deny that he possesses true game-breaking potential. There’s always the possibility he’ll break a play that changes the game completely, whether it be a daring run or a deep pass. Also, no other QB has suffered such inadequate receivers. With the obvious and crucial exception of T.O., Donnie has never had a serious and consistent option.

Big talent. Little box.

So why all the frustration? A few reasons—and, yeah, they’re big ones.

1) He can’t throw a ten-yard pass. If hitting a receiver in the toes was good, he’d be Johnny Unitas.

2) He’s a Mama’s Boy. Can’t he balance those soup commercials with a Colt 45 ad or something?

3) He got tired in the Super Bowl. Allegedly.

Is Donovan McNabb overrated? Yes. He’d have to be. People love the guy like he carried scores of elderly people out of a burning building when, really, he’s nothing more than an above average QB. But he is that, and except for Peyton Manning, there’s nobody better.

Watch These Wildcats

2005-12-07T17:58:00.000-05:00

Over the past several weeks, the Eagles and Phillies have dominated the Philadelphia sports scene. Of course, this makes sense considering the headlines that they have submitted to our fair nation. But, now that the Eagles have proven beyond all shadows of a doubt that their season is over and it is still months until baseball season, I suggest paying attention to the basketball team from Villanova University.

The Cats are currently ranked 4th in the country in both the AP and Coaches' polls. They are 5-0 including two nice early season victories over current #8 (then #5 Oklahoma) and a fiesty Bucknell team that has quickly gained a reputation for knocking off their biggest opponents. Success and expectations early in the season don't necessarily translate to success in March, of course, but it is my thought that this team has what it takes to make a run at the whole thing.

Here's why.

Led by guards Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Mike Nardi, and Kyle Lowry, this team is quick. They can pressure anybody, force turnovers, and make moves on defenders like you've never seen before. They know how to put up a bunch of points in a hurry and they have just enough presence inside to be a force with Jason Fraser and Will Sheridan.

Also, they've already proven that they can play in the big game. In actuality, they beat North Carolina in the tournament last year, only to have their victory erased by the worst call in basketball since the 1972 Summer Olympics. If that call hadn't been made, it is reasonable to think that they would have been a Final Four team last year.

Jay Wright has this team on the right track. Not only do they have the talent, they will most certainly be prepared for tough competition later in the year. Their schedule this year includes the afore mentioned games against Oklahoma and Bucknell, Big Five games against St. Joe's, Penn, and Temple, conference games against #5 Louisville (twice), #3 Connecticut (twice), Syracuse (twice), and West Virginia, and a non-conference game in January against #2 Texas.

This could be a special year on the Main Line. I suggest that you follow the Cats.

Loss is Reid’s Low Point—Not His Legacy

2005-12-07T09:37:00.000-05:00

I BLAME MY HANGOVER ON YOU, DREW ROSENHAUS!

Monday night was my company’s holiday party. Apparently, my president wasn’t concerned about ruining my Monday Night Football plans. But she did me the favor of ending the party at nine, so I figured I’d get out of there, find a burger joint with a big TV, and resume my normally scheduled programming. But by the time I got there, it was already too late for small pleasantries like food—it was time to throw down a few drinks and cope with the chaos unfolding at the Linc.

Monday night might have been the worst the Eagles will play in my lifetime—or at least I hope so. But the fact that it came as such a shock to me is the good news: Despite uncountable injuries and poor play so far this season, I expected my Eagles to play hard and put the Seahawks (who I thought overrated) in their place.

Why should I be so bold as to expect such things? 1) For the last five years, the Eagles have been good. 2) They’ve succeeded before despite injury—two years ago when Donovan McNabb went down, they kept finding ways to win; last year when T.O. went down, they found their way to the Super Bowl. Monday night they didn’t find much—least of all the pride to compete—but I expected them to win, and I will expect the same thing this upcoming weekend.

Calls for Reid’s dismissal are ludicrous. In 1999, the Eagles went 5 and 11. They were outscored 357-272. Since then, they have gone 64 and 28, won the NFC East three times, won the NFC once, and played in their first Super Bowl since Ron Jaworski was the NFL’s top QB. The have succeeded because as a franchise they maintain a steady vision of how to achieve success. Monday night was an abomination, but it was also a game played without Donovan McNabb, Terrell Owens, Lito Sheppard, Correll Buckhalter, Hank Fraley, Todd Pinkston, Tra Thomas, and Jerome McDougle, among others. An injury problem is one thing, but this is more like the Black Death.

Should they have lost 42-0? Absolutely not. Should Reid be fired during this season or directly after it? Absolutely not.

There is a fundamental disagreement on the editorial board here at the Broad Street Journal. As you know, Andrew believes the Eagles blew the T.O. situation; I believe T.O. blew the Eagles situation. But at this point, T.O.’s absence is just one of many problems. The Eagles’ ship took on a whole lot of water Monday night, just as I took on an unwise amount of alchohol. But Andy Reid will right this ship. A steady presence at the helm, he’s steered this ship straight for five years and he’ll do it again. So, while I secured yesterday’s hangover while cursing Reid and the boys in green and black, I also dedicated at least one of those drinks to the better days in the future—with Reid still in charge.

Eagles Humiliation Worst Since '98

2005-12-06T08:26:00.001-05:00

Time to send the big boy packing?

First, to respond to Matt's rebuttal to my "what if" scenario (read both below), he makes several good points about how things may have played out differently in the long run, allowing Owens to wind up in Washington and, perhaps, Brad Johnson playing QB for the Eagles right now. A quick note about Johnson--he is undefeated this year. Nevertheless, things have gone well over the years since Rhodes' firing. The crux of my argument wasn't that Lurie has done a horrific job as owner, it was that he made a titanic mistake in how he chose to handle Owens and, had he taken a more Croce-like diplomatic and patient approach rather than allowing his ego to get in the way, Eagles fans wouldn't have witnessed the franchise's worst loss in thirty years and maybe longer last night (I got tired of sifting through Eagles history to go back further).

Frankly, I prefer seeing Owens celebrate in the endzone (but that's just me)

Matt invoked the name Ray Rhodes. Well, it was Ray Rhodes who, in the 1998 season opener, "led" the Eagles to a 38-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. I researched back in Eagles' history to 1976 (the year of my birth) and could not find a more lop-sided Eagles loss than what took place in Philadelphia last night. Let me throw a couple of names at you. Rich Kotite. Marion Campbell. Now that your done wincing at the site of those two synonyms for ineptitude, get a load of this. Neither of those coaches ever presided over this bad of an Eagles loss. Andy Reid has entered rarified air with last night's dud performance. He has made history.

So, what to do? Well, it might be time for the Eagles to re-evaluate whether Andy Reid is the right man to coach the Eagles. I know, I know...people will point to four straight trips to the NFC Championship game and an appearance in the Superbowl to rationalize that this season is an aberration. But, some of that success can be attributed to a weak division and a weak conference. And Reid's inability to coach in big games cannot be overlooked either.

What does Reid have the Eagles doing all week? They can't be practicing

Some people, stupidly, will continue to blame Owens. I can't imagine Owens would have allowed himself to be pushed around by the Seattle defensive backs like Greg Lewis did last night. Feelings of nostalgia for the NFC Championship game against Carolina nearly overcame my feelings of nausea last night watching the hapless Eagles. I was waiting for James Thrash to run out and line up in the slot for a a squad that played like a high school team.

Now is the time for the Eagles to deal with their reality. Otherwise this could be the first of several looming losing seasons.

Mistakes.

What If? That's a Tough Question

2005-12-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

In response to Andrew's final paragraph in his post about how things have go wrong for the Eagles, I must say that it is not reasonable to expect that if Pat Croce had been able to beat Jeff Lurie to the punch that the same situation would have existed in the Eagles organization this year.

Imagine this scenario...

Perhaps Croce wouldn't have fired Ray Rhodes as quickly as Lurie did. Instead, Rhodes is allowed to coach the Eagles one more season. In the process, Andy Reid is hired instead by the Washington Redskins. The Eagles, with the second selection in the 1999 draft, decide that Ricky Williams is the best choice for their franchise. Rhodes touts him as a tough guy who just knows how to play football. McNabb, in turn, finds his way to the Redskins and Reid.

Also- remember how long it took Philadelphia to get their act together to get Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens' Bank Park built? Remember how Pittsburgh and Philadelphia were given the money by the state at the same time, but Pittsburgh had their stadiums built 2 or 3 years before Philly? Jeff Lurie wanted a new stadium from the day that he bought the organization. He talked of moving them if he didn't get a new stadium. Perhaps the stadium thing wouldn't have been as high on Croce's list of things to get done. Lurie pushed and pushed and pushed for it and it still took five years to happen. Perhaps the Eagles would still be in the Vet if Croce was the owner. If so, it might me reasonable to say that Ricky Williams would have decided to move on much earlier, as nobody wanted to play in that dump. Perhaps the Eagles QB would currently be Brad Johnson.

And finally, with the Eagles not on the doorstep of a Super Bowl championship, perhaps T.O. would have thought that Baltimore didn't look so bad compared to Philadelphia. Why go play in that dump for a franchise with no hope for the future?

The point is that it isn't not fair to say that the Eagles would have been as successful if Pat Croce had bought the team. Every event that occurs on this Earth is both affected and affects everything else that happens. The particular string of events that have unfolded for the Eagles over the past 7 years have occurred because of the moves Lurie and Reid have made. If those two men hadn't been there, I believe that it is more likely that the Eagles would be worse off today than they are.

Don't sell Lurie and Reid short. They have built the franchise into a model that many other franchises are trying to emulate.

For Phils and Gillick, Things Looking Good…Then Kind Of Bad…Then Pretty Good…Then Bad Again

2005-12-01T10:09:00.000-05:00

When Jim Thome came to town, I was more excited than I had been since the organization released that VHS version of “Whatever It Takes, Dude.” In this corner, a 32-year-old guy coming off a 52-home run season! In the other corner, a team in need of leadership and power! What could be better? And it was great…until his back gave out. Now Jim’s 35 and rehabbing an injury that will probably never go away. Oh, and what’s this? The Phils have a young Rookie of the Year at first base. Put it all together and you end up with the Phils making the right choice—a tough one, but the right one—by sticking with promising young slugger Ryan Howard and letting Ol’ Jim designate a few hits in the A.L.

Then Billy Wagner signs with the Mets. OK, see, this is bad. Really bad. Why, exactly?

1) We like Wagner. (As a rule of thumb, we like anybody who converts 38 of 41 save chances and establishes an ERA of 1.51.)

2) We don’t like the Mets.

3) We don’t want Tom Gordon. (Not only is he inferior to Wagner, but he’s 38.) Also, the way teams across the league are scrapping for anybody who a) has a faint pulse and b) has ever closed a game, successfully or unsuccessfully, in his life, whoever we get is going to cost too much. So I wish they’d just payed top dollar for proven talent.

But then I read about Abraham Nunez. Not that I had any clue who Abraham Nunez was, but it quickly became clear that he was an infielder. Dare I dream it? Might this mean the end of the David Bell era? (Look, I realize that Bell isn’t the Antichrist. Heck, he’s not even the worst guy they could have at the hot corner. After all, this is a guy who in 2004 hit .291 with 18 homers and 77 RBI in 143 games. But those numbers took a significant dip this past year, and he remains a charmless and flat-footed Phil.)

But then Pat Gillick clarified: David Bell remains the starting third baseman.

So, a lot of ups and downs during Gillick’s first days. The big up is that Ryan Howard is safely tucked away. The big, big, big down is that Billy Wagner is moving to Queens. The result is that Pat Gillick has a lot of work ahead of him.

Oh, and Pat? Julio Santana’s nice and all, but I hope you’re also aiming a little higher than that.

Wagner Sends Mixed Messages

2005-11-30T17:20:00.000-05:00

Billy Wagner officially signed with the New York Mets this week. In doing so, he left behind a franchise that has been struggling over the past few years to overtake the Braves and become the team to chase in the National League East.

Wagner leaves Phillies fans, however, confused as to what he really thinks of the Phillies organization. Granted, to read the Philadelphia Inquirer article seems to leave little doubt about his opinion. He is quoted as saying such things as "There's a difference between winning and being competitive... In the end, I thought [the Phillies] were more interested in being competitive than winning." He also says that the Phillies were too worried about his age and his health. He said that the Mets are an organization committed to winning a World Series.

Not so fast, Billy.

I will agree that the Phillies most definitely have had a tough time competing, let alone winning. I can't dispute that you would know better than me what is going on behind the scenes in South Philly.

But I can't understand your angst, given that you talked extension with the team this summer. I can't understand your frustration when you said that you were looking for a place for your family to live and you would prefer that it wasn't New York. I can't understand your believing that you have a better shot at winning the World Series with the Mets. Look at how much money they throw around and look at where it gets them. Carlos Beltran is the best example.

At the end of the article, you allude to the fact that anyone would have taken the money. You're probably right. I would have. But let's not confuse issues here. If you want the money, fine. Leave. You throw 100 miles per hour and someone is willing to pay you a ton of money to do it. Good for you. But don't say you are leaving because the Phillies don't have as good a chance to win the Series as the Mets.

Truth is, Billy, at this point, neither team has a chance.

How Did It All Go So Wrong?

2005-11-28T17:12:00.000-05:00

Will the Eagles' loss end up being the Cowboys gain?

Now that Terrell Owens’ career in Philadelphia is officially over, I’m still baffled at how the relationship between the star wide receiver and the Philadelphia fans went so bad so quickly. Even though I’ve lived in New York City for the last five years, having grown up in the Philadelphia suburbs I still share and understand the passion and frustration of Philadelphia sports fans. Owens seems to me like the type of player that Philadelphia should love to love, but just the opposite has occurred.

Consider the Terrell Owens era in the context of another Philadelphia athlete of Hall of Fame pedigree, Allen Iverson. The city has embraced Iverson to the point that his name is now synonymous with Philadelphia. But, remember all of his off-court problems? Domestic disputes, illegal weapons possession, controversial rap lyrics. And what about his on-court problems? Missing and showing up late to practice, his infamous “it’s just practice” press conference and mediating by Pat Croce to convince Larry Brown not to trade him to Detroit. All Owens did try was to get more money from his employer. Owens wasn’t personally asking each fan for a hand-out. He said some things that people found a little offensive, perhaps because they fear coming to grips with the reality of the franchise quarterback. He parked in Andy Reid’s parking spot one day. Certainly no disrespect is meant to Iverson, but Owens’ “problems” literally pale in comparison to Iverson’s, which is why I find the fans’ about-face toward him so perplexing. Where did Philly fans’ sense of humor go? Parking in Andy Reid’s spot is funny.

Many more "problems" than Owens

Somehow the local and national media, the fans and Eagles’ management converged to create the perfect storm of hostility, powerful enough to sweep Owens’ out of town. Led by captain ignoramus, Howard Eskin, fans actually buried an effigy of Owens in a coffin. That is ludicrous. Frankly, I thought Terrell Owens was fun. Remember all the TD celebrations, the wing flapping, the Monday Night Football promo with Nicolette Sheridan, the Superbowl? Those are reasons to like Owens, not vilify him.

Owens’ contribution on the field is indisputable. He simply made the Eagles a better team. And now that he’s gone they are a worse team, perhaps when they will need his abilities the most. The NFC East division that the Eagles have dominated for the last five years has gone through a power shift. The Giants, Cowboys and Redskins are all legitimate playoff contenders and the Eagles aren’t even as good the 2003 version that reached the NFC Championship game by the 4th and 26 miracle and only managed three points against Carolina.

What if?

Eagles management profoundly botched this situation. Iverson’s former boss Pat Croce has been vocal in the past about the fact that he wanted to buy the Eagles, but Jeffery Lurie beat him to it. We can only dream about how the patience and finesse with which Croce likely would have handled Owens and how a more diplomatic approach might have kept T.O. in Eagle green and, like Iverson, in the Philly fans’ good graces.

Bloch-Head! Arbitrator Rules Against Terrell Owens

2005-11-23T16:38:00.000-05:00

Independent arbitrator Richard Bloch ruled against Terrell Owens and in favor of the Philadelphia Eagles today, upholding the suspension.