Even Steven

Eagles close out 2007 at the .500 mark

The Dr. Jekyl version of the Eagles' offense showed up yesterday as McNabb had good numbers, but they failed to generate many points.

The defense shined of course, but yesterday summed up the frustrations of this season.

The defense generated zero turnovers, while allowing very few points. And, the Eagles had four trips within the opponent's 30 yard line and had just two touchdowns.

They were minus 2 in the turnover battle and it reflects their last place standing in the NFL statistically in plus/minus and turnovers.

No wonder why this team was last place in the NFC East and the only team to not make the playoffs.

They can say all they want about how they're a "hair off", "right there" and how injuries derailed their season.

Truth be told, this team needs a safety, playmaker at corner who doesn't get hurt when the wind blows like Lito Sheppard, stud receiver, another pass rusher, tight end, and help on the offensive line.

In other words, they have a lot of work to do and cannot sit pat like the Phillies.

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Happy Trails Korver



Ashton Kutcher's look-alike, a.k.a. Kyle Korver has been shipped to Utah for a scrub named Gordon Giricek (cap relief) and a future 1st.

Giricek has an expiring contract, which will enable the Sixers to be $10 million under the cap after this season. That's how it stands now.



Let's hope they move Andre Miller and get rid of his hefty $10 million salary. And, if Ed Stefanski can move the praying mantis then I'll call him a genius.

And, in other news the Sixers got shellacked last night in the 4th quarter by the hottest team in the NBA. Just imagine how good the Blazers will be when Greg Oden comes back.

That's gonna be fun to watch unlike the 76ers.

Satisfied with Mediocrity?

The Eagles seem to be content with ending up at .500



The more you hear about the Eagles of late is that the organization is very happy with the team's performance in the past few games. You'd think they made the playoffs with the way they're talking.

What's more disturbing is how they're begging you to notice that Kevin Curtis had 1,000 yards this year.

Whooptee-friggin-doo! Let's throw a parade. I forgot that averaging 70 receiving yards a game was such an accomplishment.

He and 20 other receivers have over 1,000 yards on the year. And, there are seven more who could reach the great 1,000-yard plateau. And, 19 receivers reached the mark in 2006.

Wake up! It's not that big of a deal, just like a .500 record isn't a big deal. I find it disturbing how they’re going out of their way to prove that Curtis is a great signing. He’s a nice receiver, but they need more since Reggie Brown isn’t a difference maker.

Difference makers help one win in this league.

While, their team was in the top 10 in offense and defense, they were second to last in takeaways. And, they are the only team in the NFL to not have a touchdown either on defense or on special teams.

They need playmakers. And, don't give me Bob Sanders either. Sure, he's having a great year, but he also played a grand total of 10 games in 2004 and 2006. He could be another Jevon Kearse all over again. They need to draft a young play-making safety, and his name is Kenny Phillips from the U.

The Eagles are talking like this season is one big moral victory. Close against New England, a few plays go this way, and bam they're a 12-4 team.

Mediocre and bad teams lose close games for a reason. See above for proof.

They need difference makers before they can call themselves a Super Bowl contender again.

End of story.

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Flyers end losing streak

Look-it’s a hockey team, a hockey team that no longer has an endless losing streak.

The Flyers took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 last night.

They now head on the road for a 6-game road trip starting in Tampa Bay tomorrow night.



Gulp….Good Luck!

Staying or Going?

Signs point toward McNabb staying



This year we've seen a whirlwind of rumors passing through. And, I never believed for a second the Chicago rumors. That was something some Bears fan probably put out there on a message board and it somehow grew legs.

Would McNabb stay or go? It's been the $60,000 question.

Now after winning two games down the stretch it appears that #5 will return next year.

Unfortunately, this question won't be completely answered for a while and it will overshadow the things this team should do in the offseason, like landing a stud safety, wide receiver, punt returner, and pass rusher.

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Phillies make another snoozer move

The Phillies now have another "Guch" on their team after seeing Tad Iguchi leave for the west coast.

They signed former Cards outfielder So Taguchi to a one-year deal.

Man, this team is just chock full of moves. This ownership is sure committed to ehhh...winning their way.

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Sixers knock off Heat 96-85



Meanwhile, the Sixers are playing themselves out of a good lottery pick.

With a win last night over the hapless Miami Heat (look how far they've fallen since winning a title just 18 months ago) the Sixers are 12-16 and headed towards the middle of the pack.

Didn't they make this mistake last year and how many years now? Why the hell don't they just tank it?!

One of the main problems with this team is they've been mediocre when they've had 1st round draft picks.

Ed Stefanski needs to put a tank order in place. Hopefully, this road trip out West will get the job done.

Now What?

Eagles finishing season on a great note, but will they stand pat?



By now, you've surely heard it all. The Eagles are 7-8 and coming down the home stretch stronger than they have played at any point this season. They've lost five games by less than 5 points.

What if they got breaks in 3 of those games? Or, in 4 of them? Or, god forbid all 5 of those games?

They'd be a possible 12-win team at this point and vying for the #2 seed in the conference.

It's almost like somebody who plays the lottery fantasizing about what they'll buy if they win. They envision talking to a financial advisor, where they'll purchase their coveted property, vacation spots, and blah, blah, blah. And, then they of course don't win the lottery...

Then what?

That brings to the Eagles. If they go 8-8 this season then what? Will they stand pat because they feel they are just a "hair off?"

That would be a foolish mistake. Sure, they could theoretically be 12-3 right now and on their way to 13 wins. And, I could win the power ball, but that doesn't mean I'm going to waste my money on it.

With that said, the one thing we can take away from this late finish is that McNabb can run again. It was a relief to see him bust that 40-yard run on the opening drive yesterday; he's been doing more of that. But, he looked explosive. And, he will be back next year. The Eagles are on the right track by brining him back, but need to do much more than that.

The Eagles need impact players at skill positions on both sides of the ball. My wish list, keeping with Christmas spirit is the following in order of priority:

#1-an impact play-making safety that can also return punts
#2-a stud wide receiver
#3-an impact pass rushing defensive end to be paired with Trent Cole
#4-a play-making linebacker that can create turnovers
#5-a tight end (via trade or through the draft)

My first priority is to draft a play-making safety that can return punts, in the mold of Ed Reed. And, Kenny Phillips out of Miami is just what the doctor ordered. He's 6-2, 200 pounds, and runs a 4.40 in the forty. The Eagles will have to trade up into the top 10 to get him and I know you're thinking how things wound up when they traded up to get another player out of Miami named Jerome McDougale. But, you can't be risk averse in this business because of the past. Just because TO blew up in their faces doesn't mean they shouldn't go after Chad Johnson. And, the same goes for trading way up to get a top-notch player to fill a serious need. Miami is known for their safeties-namely Ed Reed and Sean Taylor, and he is in that same mold. And, with Dawk getting older they need to find his replacement.

By drafting Phillips and getting him to return punts as well, you solve two problems. And, then I'd like to see the Eagles acquire Chad Johnson via trade. And, in free agency they'll need to target a serious pass rusher to compliment Trent Cole. And, acquiring a play-maker at linebacker is certainly in order because Takeo Spikes was ineffective this year at creating turnovers (which was his MO throughout his career) and looks to be a few notches below his former self. And, after the debacle known as LJ Smith, they will need to get a tight end. Right now, Fred Davis out of USC looks to be the top tight end chosen and is slated to go in the 1st or 2nd round.

The Eagles have much work to do. And, they shouldn't fool themselves by thinking they're right there because they fell 3 points shy of knocking off the Patriots, shutting down the Cowboys, and lighting up the Saints.

That is fool's gold.

At least Eagles' front-man and propagandist Dave Spadaro has no illusions about it; he said on the Morning Show on 610-WIP today that there is work to be done.

The Reids Talk

Andy and Tammy Reid do exclusive interview with Philly Magazine about their sons

Andy and Tammy Reid have finally spoken about their sons and the interview will appear in Philly Magazine on December 29th.

In addition, Andy Reid will answer questions about his sons related to this interview at his press conference today.

In the interview they discuss the trials and tribulations with their drug-addled sons Brit and Garrett Reid.

On the Morning Show on WIP Angelo Cataldi had the whole interview and gave some sneak peeks. Apparently things got so bad with Britt Reid that he was homeless in Arizona while the Eagles were off their second straight NFC Championship appearance.

The Reids did everything possible for their sons and they still were getting in trouble. It's a testament to Andy Reid's strength as a person that he could focus on coaching while having all of this going on in his life.

The interview will come out in the Philadelphia Magazine on December 29th.

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Charlie Manuel a poet?

For those of you who think Charlie Manuel is a dope, here's proof he isn't or at least wasn't (when he wrote this poem) about then-team mate Harmen Killebrew. He was apparently very fond of the Hall of Famer.

It's a very well written and nice tribute to the Twins great.

This is courteousy of Philly.com and the poem also appeared on the Cleveland Indians' website when Manuel was their manager.
My Most Memorable Day
By Charlie Manuel

It was a warm day in August when history was made,

And the fans in the boxes were looking for shade.

The bases were loaded, it was the last inning.

From the sound of the crowd, you knew we weren't winning.

When out of the dugout came No. 3,

The last hope for the Twins it was sure to be.

Now legend tells of Casey at the bat,

But today it was the Killer who tipped his hat.

Cursing and swearing came from the stands,

When Harmon was waved back by Rigney's hand.

An astonishing look came over the Brew's face,

When Rigney said, "Manuel is taking your place."

A disbelieving look as he turned around,

Placed his bat in the rack without a sound.

Then from the bench came No. 9,

Who'd been warming the pine for a long, long time.

As he stepped from the dugout came a yell from the stands,

"You can't hit, Manuel, the Killer's our man."

Never before in history had they pinch-hit for the Brew,

Especially with some hillbilly hitting .182.

This was a mockery, a dirty rotten shame,

To pinch-hit for a man who's a sure Hall of Fame.

But Charlie heard not a word as he strode to the plate.

He only noticed the crowd's eyes; they were filled with hate.

"God, help me this one time," kept going through his mind.

"If I ever get a hit, let it be this time."

Jim Palmer looked in and thought, "This should be a cinch,

I'll throw three by this rider of the bench."

Down came the ball with a little white glare,

As Manuel stood watching for he knew it was there.

"Strike one," came the call from the man in blue,

And four pitches later it was 3 and 2.

Now everything rode on the very last pitch.

Would Charlie stay a poor boy or would he suddenly be rich?

The crack of the bat and a long drive to right,

The back of Blair's uniform is the only thing in sight.

The roar from the stands gave a deafening scream . . .

Then Charlie fell out of bed, it was only a dream.

Back Pedaling

McNabb downplays the disagreement between he and Oliver



So did he or didn't he say it? That's the $50,000 question this week.

McNabb yesterday downplayed the disagreement between he and Oliver and wouldn't commit to exactly what he did or didn't say.

According to Les Bowen, "Oliver has said she was surprised that McNabb denied her characterization of his remarks. Yesterday, McNabb seemed to want to play down their disagreement, while implying that whatever he might have said, he didn't understand it would be beamed to the Fox audience, with his named attached."

And, he then claimed that this "is over" and he's moved on to focus on the Saints game.

Then, why even address it? Rather than put the fire out, it's still raging on throughout the airwaves of talk radio.

I'd like to think there's a better than 75% chance McNabb will be back, but with this latest controversy I think it could spiral things to a bitter divorce.

I hope I'm wrong, because McNabb is the best QB for this organization right now. And, for those who yearn for Kolb to take over, you don't know what you're getting with him. I'd rather see them develop him over a few years rather than throw him to the wolves. Remember Kolb hasn't practiced with the first team offense at all this season. He'd essentially be a rookie next year.

-----------------------------------------

Phils sign Jenkins

Whoo Hoo! Here's that splash we've been waiting for. It's like King Kong Bundy diving into a kiddy pool.

Ok-I'm exaggerating a tad bit there. They inked Geoff Jenkins to a two-year deal.

I didn't think the Phils should have signed him a month ago and don't think they should now.

He had his best seasons between 2003 and 2005 when he averaged 27 homers, 90 RBI, while batting over .290 in two of those seasons.

His numbers have fallen off precipitously in 2006 and 2007, when had 17 and 21 homers with just 70 and 64 RBI respectively in both seasons. And, he struck out 120 times both seasons. Added to that, his average dipped to .271 in ’06 and .255 in ’05. In other words, he’s a poor, poor, POOR man’s Pat Burrell.

Do the Phillies really need an unproductive bat in their lineup, and one with that many strikeouts? Their lineup is loaded with K's as it is.

But, the ownership could care less. They just want to get somebody on the cheap that they can trot out in right field.

And, the Phils also signed Chad Durbin, who'll compete for a spot in the rotation. He's a step up from Eaton.

---------------------------

Cole snubbed from Pro Bowl

Jevon Kearse's biggest contribution this season came in the form of the "snub" chant he led in the Eagles' lockeroom after Trent Cole was snubbed from the Pro Bowl.

Just how the hell can someone who's second in the NFL in sacks be left off the team?

The players need to stop having such a say in the voting process. They've obviously taken too many hits to their heads.

He Said She Said

Pam Oliver stands by her report and McNabb denies it



Another week, another phase in the Donovan McNabb soap opera.

Pam Oliver said she feels shocked and dumbfounded that McNabb is denying everything brought about in her report in which said he feels his days are numbered and the organization is distancing themselves from him.

McNabb on the other hand said he wants to be here 8 more or 9 more years.

This is probably a case where McNabb was doing his "woe is me" routine to her and she construed it as him feeling like he's unwanted in Philly.

That doesn't necessarily mean he wants out. He's an overly-sensitive athlete who sometimes complains a tad too much.

I'm putting my money on him being back next year as I said all along. If you think he doesn't have at least a few good years left then you're fooling yourself. And, if they go and get Chad Johnson for him next year. Look out.

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Giles not shocked about the dude doing the juice



Bill Giles said yesterday that he's not shocked at all about Lenny Dykstra being on that thing known as "The List" that came out Thursday.

He said it doesn't surprise him all since one year he got "really bulked up" after being skinny the year prior.

Duh?

Big D

Eagles' D shuts down Dallas; Eagles win 10-6

The Eagles did what no other team did yesterday and that's completely shut down and embarrass their offense physically and mentally.

Tony Romo was made to look like Ryan Leaf yesterday. And, for those of you with good memories you'll know that he actually faced the Eagles in a Cowboys uniform back in 2001.

There were so many moments to take away from yesterday-the key turnovers by the Eagles, McNabb getting his elusiveness back, Westbrook's brilliant decision to kneel on the one-yard line to run the clock out, McNabb's rebuttal to Pam Oliver's comments, and Reid's defense of McNabb.

I was amazed to actually see Reid step outside the box and even address the comments made by Oliver.

"If he didn't show you today," Andy Reid said, "he'll never show you. If you can't love him for what he did today . . . then, I don't know. He has been doing it for nine stinking years and he just keeps playing. You're never going to make everyone happy. I think 90 percent of the people love him to death and the 10 percent that don't - those are the [ones] people listen to."

And, face it not many people (including yours truly) expected the Eagles to get a W. And, they did. Does this mean they're suddenly the best team in the NFC? Probably not. They still have too many holes to compete with the big boys yet in the playoffs and the playoffs are a whole different ballgame.

What this does show us is that if they make the moves they should this off season then they're a serious contender. They battled the best team in the NFL tough and should've won. And, they beat the second best team. And, really it wasn't even as close as 10-6. It could have been 24-6 or worse.

And, another thing is certain; McNabb will finish out the season-at least.

Shocker

Eagles stun Cowboys with 10-6 victory in Big D

Say it isn't so. The Eagles have once again done the unthinkable and gone down to Texas Stadium and upset the Cowboys.

Make it two straight years that the Eagles have gone into a Dallas an underdog and beat the Cowboys. This game wasn't really that close either.

It was a one-sided affair and if the Eagles had any kind of offense, it would have been a 3-touchdown game.

Chalk this up to a great game plan by Jimmy Johnson and great execution by his players. Lito Sheppard, who I've been ripping this season for being as fragile as a child with progeria was huge-totally shutting down TO, to the tune of two catches and 37 yards.

And, while the Eagles' offense was hideous once again, McNabb deserves mucho credit for coming up with big plays with his feet. It felt a lot like 2000 again when he had to make plays with his feet to keep the team in the game. And, don't forget B West either. But, #5 stepped up where the majority of his cohorts didn't.

And, can we just admit once and for all that huge upgrades are needed on offense? The offense is quite frankly offensive. Reggie Brown, Hank "Broken" Baskett, and Kevin Curtis are collectively a garbage unit. Trading for Chad Johnson should be priority number one this off-season.

Surely, the biggest thing to come out of this game won't even be about the game itself. Rather it will be about Donovan McNabb's alleged comments to reporter Pam Oliver before the game when he supposedly told her that he thinks his time will be up.

Here, the Eagles won their biggest game of the year and came up huge in a big spot, but everybody will focus on comments that we don't even know are true.

That will overshadow a great win.

And, isn't that we should be focusing on?

No Juice

Eagles match up with Cowboys is the quietest build-up in years



I can't recall a week leading up to an Eagles-Cowboys game being this quiet during the Reid/McNabb era. Even in 2005 there was still some juice. After all, the Eagles weren't done yet.

My, my, my how the tide has turned. The Birds are 5-8 and the Cowboys 12-1. This is reminiscent of 2004 when the Eagles were the team to beat and the Cowboys were the team that got beat. The proverbial worm has made a complete 180.

A few weeks ago if you asked me I thought the Eagles would have a chance considering how they played against New England, but all of that good emotion and momentum went out the window once they bumbled against Seattle.

I won't jump on the Kolb bandwagon just yet and say play him. For the sake of the team, they have to try and win this Sunday, but after they lose then Kolb should get the nod against the Saints.

Reid won't do that. He already said he wouldn’t.

And, we all know what the big man says, goes.

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L.J. Smith is on the fritz once again



No big surprise here, but your starting tight end of the Eagles-L.J. Smith ahs yet another injury.

No way to play in a contract year. Not that the Eagles would re-sign him anyway, nor do I think they should.

He's injury prone, makes too many mistakes, disappears for too many games, and isn't a team player.

This sums up L.J. Smith. Last month he said publicly that he didn't think he'd back because of "the contract."

The Eagles should target a tight end on draft day. Let's hope this time they don't make the same mistake twice as they did with Smith (the Cowboys picked Witten after the Eagles took Smith).

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No Mo next year?

Phil Jasner wrote in his column today for the Daily News that he doesn't think Mo Cheeks will be back.

Neither do I. Nice guy, a legend as a player, decent coach, nothing special.

Nothing special and just adequate doesn't do it for me.

Leaked!

The "Mitchell Report" is supposed to come out at 2 PM today EST, but a lot of names got leaked. Here are the names on the report according to CNBC.com:

Brady Anderson, Manny Alexander, Rick Ankiel, Jeff Bagwell, Barry Bonds, Aaron Boone, Rafaeil Bettancourt, Bret Boone, Milton Bradley, David Bell, Dante Bichette, Albert Belle, Paul Byrd, Wil Cordero, Ken Caminiti, Mike Cameron, Ramon Castro, Jose and Ozzie Canseco, Roger Clemens, Paxton Crawford, Wilson Delgado, Lenn y Dykstra, Johnny Damon, Carl Everett, Kyle
James A. Finley / AP
Farnsworth, Ryan Franklin, Rich Garces, Jason Grimsley, Troy Glaus, Juan Gonzalez, Eric Gagne, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Jose Guillen, Jay Gibbons, Juan Gonzalez, Clay Hensley, Jerry Hairston, Felix Heredia, Jr., Darren Holmes, Wally Joyner, Darryl Kile, Matt Lawton, Raul Mondesi, Mark McGwire, Guillermo Mota, Robert Machado, Damian Moss, Abraham Nunez, Trot Nixon, Jose Offerman, Andy Pettitte, Mark Prior, Neifi Perez, Rafael Palmiero, Albert Pujols, Brian Roberts, Juan Rincon, John Rocker, Pudge Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Scott Schoenweiis, David Segui, Alex Sanchez, Gary Sheffield, Miguel Tejada, Julian Tavarez, Fernando Tatis, Maurice Vaughn, Jason Varitek, Ismael Valdez, Matt Williams and Kerry Wood.

Ouuuuta Heeeere!!!

Aaron Rowand signs with the Giants for 5 years

This was a Dave Montgomery special yesterday. When Pat Gillick was interviewed and said they wouldn't go beyond 3 years because they felt "he would get hurt"-he meaning Rowand it was straight from Dave Montgomery.

Yesterday is further proof that Gillick is just a puppet for ownership and has no autonomy whatsoever. And, Gillick got testy when grilled about the Phillies' budget. He said they're not cheap and they just want to spend money wisely.

That's a crock of shit! If that's such a truism, then what do they have to say for themselves about wasting $10 million on Freddy Garcia, Adam Eaton, and Wes Helms?

This team will never do everything it takes like the Red Sox or the Mets or the Tigers as long as Dave Montgomery is here.

Watch him raise the ticket prices again just to screw the fans. So, I'm putting out a reward for Dave Montgomery. Somebody arrest this man!

New Era

Flyers route the Penguins 8-2 behind double hat trick




Last season the Flyers were owned by the Penguins in a historically atrocious season, having lost all eight contests. This year the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction. Last night, they walloped the Pens 8-2 behind a pair of hat tricks, which gave them their third straight win over the Pens.

What a difference a year makes. Last season the Flyers lost all of their match-ups with the Penguins.

The Penguins went into South Philly the up and coming team in the NHL, riding a 4-game winning sreak, with Crosby and Malkin the fearsome duo and the NHL’s brightest young stars. But, the Flyers handed their asses to them. And, the Flyers have some serious talent of their own in Briere, Richards, et al.

This game is reminiscent of the Eagles' romp over the Cowboys in 2000-the infamous "Pickle Juice Game" which marked the beginning of their winning era. They punished the Penguins physically in more ways then one. They didn't waste anytime taking the gloves off as the first fight occurred 20 seconds into the game.

Lupol and Umberger completed hat tricks for the Flyers. And, then the hats rained upon the ice from the crowd of 19,000 plus in attendance.

Lupol ended up with 6 points on the night. He's the first Flyer to do so since Eric Lindros, back in '97 when the Flyers last went to the Cup Finals. And, the last time the Flyers had dual hat tricks was way back in '86, when yours truly was just a little tot in first grade.

Welcome in a new era of Flyers hockey. It's going to be a fun ride back up.

And, a rivalry between the Flyers and Penguins has been born after last night's battle.

38%-The Eagles get a failing grade

A look at the Eagles' draft classes between 2001 and 2006

Breaking down the Eagles' drafts since 2001 you see why this team is where they're at today.

First off, I chose to start with 2001, because anything before that is too far back to really count as "this" current team sans McNabb of course.

It's unfair to really grade their picks from 2007 so I'm sticking to the 2001 through 2006 seasons. Over these six seasons the team had a total of 49 picks. I won't count Winston Justice or Max Jean-Gilles since the jury is still out on them. They simply haven't played enough to get a read on them-to be fair. So, we'll count 47 of their picks over this span.

I broke down the players into five simple, self-explanatory categories: stud, good player, nice player, scrub, and bust.

Out of all of their picks in the six drafts they have drafted four studs: Westbrook, Andrews, Sheldon Brown, and Trent Cole.

There are four you can call good, solid players in Burgess, Lito, Patterson, and Bunkley.

And, then the nice players (total of 10) would be guys like Michael Lewis, Omar Gaither, Raheem Brock (who got released but played well with Indy), JR Reed, Buckhalter, Reggie Brown, Herremans, and GoCong. Avant is just ok, but I'll put him in the nice player category. And, A.J. Feeley falls in this category since he's been a nice back-up QB for this team despite the meltdown against Seattle. So, there's 10 in that category and 9 of them have had an impact with this team since Brock was cut right away.

That means 18 of their 49 picks (47 we'll count, excluding Justice and Gilles) have had any impact on this team. 29 have been busts or scrubs. They say if you're successful 50% of the time in the draft you're doing a good job. The Eagles have been successful 38% of the time if you count those 47 picks. Correct me I'm wrong, but that's well below average.

The two key drafts that have killed this team are in 2004 and 2005. Look at the slop they drafted. In '04 they hit a homerun with Andrews and JR Reed has been a nice player and contributing once again as a back-up, but look at the scrubs they drafted. How many of those players are even in the league anymore? Out of 8 picks, they got one starter out of that draft in Andrews.

And, in 2005 it wasn’t as ugly, but they squandered so many picks. They had a total of 11 picks and Mike Patterson, Reggie Brown, Trent Cole, and Todd Herremans are the only ones who've made positive or better contributions. And, really Reggie Brown is just a third receiver and took a step back this year. Don't give me Considine. He's a scrub. They had 20 picks in those two years and came up with just six players and J.R. Reed was almost out of the NFL for good after his meltdown in the Green Bay game. So, they were close to just having one player of value remain out of 8 picks from their 2004 draft!

Teams are built through the draft and the Eagles' brain(dead)trust of Heckert, et al. has left them with a lot of holes on defense and at skill positions on offense.

This team will point to their 2002 draft and pound it down our throats like propaganda. They hit two homeruns with Westbrook and Sheldon. And, Lito is a good player when he's on the field, but over the past three seasons he's been banged up more than a car in a monster truck rally.

Busts in the top 3 rounds have marred this franchise. It hasn't happened once or twice; it's a pattern. Look at the names below and ye shall see.

Where there's smoke there's fire. The Trenton Times' Mark Eckel reported last month that Tom Heckert has jettisoned the quality scouts since the 2002 draft and replaced them with his flunkies.

Looking at the '04 and '05 draft classes it looks painfully obvious that there are people involved with the draft process that have no business working in the NFL. They'd be hard-pressed to qualify as scouts for the Arena league.

The spin-doctors and propagandists will point to the Eagles' 2002 draft and if you bring up Matt McCoy or Jerome McDougale they'll give you Westbrook, Andrews, and Cole. Ok-they hit a few homeruns. Who doesn’t?

How about the schleps like Billy McMullen, Jamal Green, Matt Ware, Trey Darilek, Scott Young, Jeremy Bloom, Quinton Caver, Freddie Milons, Norman Lejune, Ryan Moats, Adrian Clarke, Scott Peters, Tyreo Harrison, and Dexter Wynn who've never made an impact? More often than not this team has made poor draft picks.

Face it, 29 of their 49 picks in this span have been busts or scrubs. And, it all adds up.

In sports the whole is greater than the sum of the parts and these parts have added up to a combined 21-24 record over the past 45 games.

2005 isn't an aberration; it was the beginning of the downfall. And, the draft is where it began.

I didn't even mention their lowrent free agent acquisitions.

You be the judge. The numbers don't lie.

2001 Draft

1-F. Mitchell-bust
2-Q. Caver-bust
3-D. Burgess-good player
4-C. Buckhalter-nice player
5-T. Stewart-scrub
5-A.J. Feeley-nice player

2002 Draft:

1-Lito-good player, now oft injured
2-M. Lewis-nice player
2-S. Brown-stud
3-B. Westbrook-stud
4-S. Peters-scrub
5-F. Milons-scrub
6-T. Harrison-scrub
7-R. Brock-good player, cut right away though

2003 Draft:

1-J. McDougale-bust
2-L.J. Smith-nice player, oft-injured, ultimately didn't live up to expectations
3-B. McMullen-bust
4-J. Green-scrub
6-J. Bridges-scrub
7-N. Lejune-scrub

2004 Draft:

1-S. Andrews-stud
3-M. Ware-bust
4-JR Reed-nice player, bad injury killed speed, but still servicable back-up
4-T. Darilek-scrub
5-T. Tapeh-scrub
6-A. Hall-scrub
6-D. Wynn-scrub
7-A. Clark-scrub
7-B. Perry-scrub
7-D. Furio-scrub

2005 Draft:

1-M. Patterson-good player
2-R. Brown-nice player
2-M. McCoy-bust
3-R. Moats-bust
4-S. Considine-scrub
4-T. Herremans-nice player
5-T. Cole-stud
5-S. Young-scrub
6-C. Armstrong-scrub
7-K. Marshall-scrub
7-D. Bergeron-scrub

2006 Draft:

1-B. Bunkley-good player
2-W. Justice-jury still out
3-C. GoCong-emerging-chance to be really good
4-M. Gilles-jury still out
4-J. Avant-ok player
5-J. Bloom-bust
5-O. Gaither-nice player-chance to be better
7-L. Ramsey-scrub

2007 Draft:

2-K. Kolb
2-V. Abiamiri
3-S. Bradley
3-T. Hunt
5-C.J. Gaddis
5-B. Celek
6-R. Barksdale
7-N. Iloa

Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com

Done

Eagles lose to Giants 16-13 and are done



In today's "day after" press conference Andy Reid said the Eagles are still "within striking distance" and that's the "good thing" about it.

All this despite them being 5-8, staring down the barrel of their second losing season in three years, he feels this team is still in it.

The game yesterday was a microcosm of the Eagles' train wreck of a season. And, don't kid yourself this season is a disaster.

They failed to take advantage of huge opportunities, for instance when they recovered a fumble on the 8-yard line they didn't do a damn thing in three plays and ended up with a field goal.

Yet again, they lost another close game.

They just aren't a good team. They're 2-5 at home, 1-4 in their division, and have lost their last three games by a combined 10 points.

For the coach to try and pass this team off as a playoff contender is a joke.

They are in striking distance of the toilet; that's about it. Their offense isn't good enough. Their defense isn't good enough. And, their special teams stink. This team has more holes than a battered battle ship.



Andy Reid also said, "he has to do a better job of putting them in a better position." No wait, he said that last week, the week before, and on December 10th 2005.

The best thing this team can do now is to start playing their younger players and get a look at what they have. It is in their best interests to go 6-10 or 5-11 and get a better draft slot.

Sure, this team could theoretically win three straight and get in the playoffs at 8-8. I could theoretically win the lottery too, but you don't see me wasting my money on it.

The Birds are cooked like a piece of Boston Chicken.



And, the coach needs to stop insulting the intelligence of the great fans of this team and the media.

McNabb Will Be Back

He'll be back
Joe Banner says McNabb will be back next year.



Yesterday Joe Banner sat in studio on Howard Eskin's show on 610-WIP for an extended interview. He was there for an hour and 20 minutes and fielded questions from both Howard and fans who called in.

This marks his third appearance in studio where he has fielded questions from the fans.

Say what you want about Banner, that he's sinister, or a spin doctor, or unwilling to think outside "their box", but he will make himself public at times.

Sure, there was some of the usual spin, like how Westbrook has been one of the top-4 highest paid running backs over the past two years, how they evaluate their skill positions as a group and not individually, or that Donte Stallworth wanted a mega-deal so that's why he didn't return. This is in sharp contrast to what has been said about him signing with the Patriots because Rosenhaus didn't tell him what the Eagles' offer was. What do you believe?

One fan made a great point to Banner and said, "instead of just getting Kevin Curtis to replace somebody, why not get Curtis and Stallworth?" Of course, Banner responded by stating that Stallworth wanted the mega-deal. That is true though. The Eagles have been looking to just simply replace players and not replace them, but also improve at their skill positions.

Banner was humble at times and admitted they have made mistakes and there are certain free agents they should have signed.

The biggest surprise of this interview was when he said he "can't envision a situation in which he's (McNabb) not our quarterback next year." So, he all but said McNabb would definitely return next year. One could read into this and say he had to say that so they don't diminish #5's value, but Eskin grilled him again about it and Banner seemed adamant that McNabb would be back.

What I took away from this interview is that Banner knows this team needs to retool and they can't afford to just move on from the McNabb era. There is too much good football left in him. And, if they go and get Chad Johnson then we can look forward to a 2004-type season all over again.

But, they can't stop there.

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The Phillies come out of the winter meetings with next to nothing

Aside from a couple of rule-5 draft picks, the Phillies did nothing to improve their team. And, now Gillick is saying he doesn't expect them to add a pitcher.

"We make big splashes in little water puddles", said Gillick in regards to never making splashes in free agency or off season trades.

Great. So, he tells us they'll improve at pitching and make that their top priority and they've failed.

What does that mean now? Will they re-sign Rowand? Or, did the owners smack him on the hands and tell him not to reach in the cookie jar for some extra money.

I'd be inclined to say the later occurred.

It looks like the same old Phillies again and the owners don't give a (expletive deleted) what you the fans think.

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Old School Ed Stefanski footage

Back in the day Sixers newly hired GM Ed Stefanski worked college games on Prism with current Sixers color commentator Mark Zumoff.



Pretty fun stuff to watch.

Mac Attack

McNabb is back at practice and lashes out at the critics



Never a dull moment with the Eagles, even when they're on the fritz.

McNabb is back at practice and all is hunky-dory as they get ready to face the Giants, who they should have no problem in beating on Sunday right?

Not so fast. McNabb stirred up some irons in the fire at his press conference yesterday.

Naturally he brought up the 5-7 mark and went to say he has nothing more to prove.

He capped off the press conference by saying the following:

"A lot of you have written articles to get me out of here, and I'm still here," McNabb said. "I'm interested to see . . . how you guys go, after this wonderful [news] conference."

Some people call him McMope for his moping ways. And, some call him McWhiner. I'm not in disagreement about the complaining. He complains more than that dope in your fantasy league who bitches about who their team has all the injuries and has nothing but bad luck.

This organization is planting a lot of this stuff in the media and the spin doctors are running with it. However, he should just ignore it and let it go.

But, that's not who McNabb is. He's thin-skinned and easily affected by the public.

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Sheppard to return?

Lito Sheppard said he'll play

Who wants to bet he'll be limping off the field by the third quarter?

I got 20 on it. Any takers?

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Sixers' new era begins with loss

The Sixers started the Ed Stefanski era out with their awesome home throwback uni's from 1983, which is their last championship and the last championship by any major team in Philly.

They went up against Boston and fault them and gave it college try, but didn't have enough in the ole tank.

The result was a 113-103 loss.

And, I'm ok with that. They are now 5-13 and on pace for 23 wins.

With that said, I'm going to begin the Sixers' lottery watch. They now posses the 4th-worst record in the NBA.

Minnesota 2-14
Seattle 4-15
Miami 4-13
Philadelphia 5-13

Your 76ers are currently 4 games behind the T-wolves for the worst record.

New Boss

New Sixers GM Stefanski speaks the part

Ed Stefanski has been making the rounds on the talk shows, TV, and in print. And, from everything I've heard about him and hearing him on the shows, he is the real deal.

He was the GM of a Nets team (and apparently the brains behind it) that went to the Finals in 2002 and 2003. His has a great basketball mind and is also a successful businessman having run a mortgage company before rising up through the ranks in the NBA arena in 1999.

And, most importantly he has Philly roots. He's lived in this area his whole life and is a "four-for-four" guy meaning he's a huge fan of all the teams. So he feels our pain.

I love the choice. And, he is a man on a mission.

Now, the Sixers have to do three things. That's trade Miller, Dalembert, and tank the rest of the season.

If you think the Sixers missed the boat on a franchise player last year, think again. There are some serious studs in this draft. Kansas State's Michael Beasley is the real deal. Watch him. If you saw him last night against Notre Dame in the Jimmy V Classic, you got to see a serious baller. He's as good as Kevin Durant. And, Derrick Rose, the great point guard phenom out of Memphis is no joke either. O.J. Mayo has the skills to be a Michael Redd type player, or better. And, if they don't land one of those three, the big man DeAndre Jordan out of Texas A and M is seen as a possible great big man.

Now we can begin to get excited about the Sixers again, because it's always nice to look forward to a team that is headed in the right direction and on the way back up. And, they can only go back up from here.

It starts now.

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Phillies could turn to Tad Iguchi to solve their woes at third base

In an interesting turn of events, the Phillies may have the solution to their third base issues. And, that's re-signing "The Guch." Yep, Tad Iguchi could be the man at the hot corner come opening day.

One thing though; they have to overcome a big obstacle in the rulebook.

The Phillies released Iguchi after the season, because he hadn't been signed to an extension (they wanted him to play 3rd and he refused) before a November 15th deadline as required in his contract.

Ighuchi has changed his stance and said he'd be interested in playing third for the Phils, but this is a definite roadblock. He won't sign with the Phillies unless he can get a permission slip from the commish's office.

Iguchi's agent said there's a 50/50 shot of things panning out.

----------------------

Last four games will determine the future for McNabb

If the Eagles win out then #5 will make things awfully difficult on the front office.

If they lose against the Giants and Cowboys, then expect Kevin Kolb to make his debut.

FIRED

Billy King has been fired as GM of the Sixers

As expected (late last night) the Sixers have formally announced the firing of Billy King and his replacement has been announced.

Ed Stefanski will be King's replacement. Stefanski was the GM of the Nets since 2004 and served under Rod Thorn, who was the architect of the teams that went to the NBA Finals two straight years.

The Sixers are in a position to be rebuilt from the ground up, which is the best thing going for them. They will be among one of the 3 or 4 worst teams by the end of this season and if Stefanski can move Andre Miller in a trade and lose that salary, they'll be looking at a payroll of just under $30 million. And, if Stefanski can pull off the unthinkable and move Samuel Dalembert's enormous contract they'll be at $20 million.

First things first, Stefanski has to evaluate Mo Cheeks' future with the team. He's done an adequate job with inadequate talent. He's a nice guy, a legend in Philly, but not coaching material. Adequate isn't good enough.

This was the right thing to do for the Sixers. King did a horrific job over the years-no need to repeat the "known knowns" blow-by-blow to quote one Donald Rumsfeld. His trades and signings were atrocious and set this team back for years. Many of those bad contracts are up and Webber's will come off the books at season's end. And, Andre Miller remains the last part of Iverson's money in effect, but he is movable.

It is in the Sixers' best interests to move Miller's money and try and move Dalembert for players with less years. There is no way in hell a team will give them an expiring contract or contracts for him so they just have to take back 2 or 3 years worth of contracts back since he still has 4 years remaining on that $60 million dollar (including this year).

This move was motivated more by the horrible attendance. The Sixers' attendance has dropped from over 20,000 a game in 2001 to around 10,000.

When you watch the games now, that arena looks and sounds like a crypt, just like it did in the days of Charles Shackleford, Shawn Bradley, and Sharone Wright.

Here is video of the press conference.


------------------------------------

Reid gets testy again

Andy Reid continues to just thumb his nose at the fans and the media. God forbid anybody ask him a tough question.

They should just throw him softballs. Afterall, His Majesty has won how many Superbowls?

I must have forgot that his teams have won zero titles. You'd think he was Vince Lombardi with the way he acts at these press conferences.

Enough is enough. It's time for a regime change. This coach can't get it done and he doesn't even give a damn if you the fans get an answer.

Maybe he doesn't have one.

He doesn't seem to care either way.

------------------------------------

McNabb likely to return against Giants

One thing we can take away from that joke of a press conference held by Reid is that #5 will likely return to practice on Wednesday.

For those of you who buy that propaganda being put out there by the Eagles about McNabb not running the offense the right way, you can forget about this team making the playoffs with anybody other than McNabb.

And, make no mistake about it, this business with "other quaterbacks running the offense more efficiently" is being put out there by Joe Banner and his henchmen. I know this from talking to someone in the know, who was asked to bad mouth McNabb in the papers.

The fact is, McNabb strength’s are more geared towards an offense with balance, a downfield threat and a tight end that can play, of which the Eagles possess none.

Litto Sheppard is on the fritz again

Lito Sheppard is on the fritz again

When people talk about injury-prone players on the Eagles, normally McNabb, Jerome McDougale, and Dawkins (lately) come up.

Lito Sheppard trumps all of them. He's like the girl of your dreams you chase in college who makes you think you have a chance only to turn you down and tease you.

He was banged up this season then allegedly getting healthier and he left the field in the third quarter by "irritating his knee."

"I just pray for him and hope he's OK," Brown said, after fending off a question about whether Sheppard was struggling with his knee well before he left the game. "We've got some great trainers; I'm assuming if he's out on the football field, he's well enough to play."

I'm praying the Eagles draft a cornerback to replace Sheppard who doesn't get hurt when the wind blows.

-----------------------------

Wolf goes to Padres

Imagine that Randy Wolf signed with another California team. As I expected, he would not return to the Phillies. I have a good source who told me Wolf hated playing in Philly and he wanted to stay in Cali.

And, it's probably not a bad thing. He's a talented pitcher, but the Phillies don't need to put their money into another starting pitcher with an injury history.

They need to put their money on Aaron Rowand. Their best bet for improving their pitching in the near future is by grooming talent and with former Tampa Bay GM Chuck Lamar as the head of professional scouting you can bet your ass that their minor league system will improve in a big way.


The only pitchers on the open market are over the hillers like Bartolo Colon. And, the Phillies wouldn't give up what it takes to get Johan Santana. If they had a great farm system, that's another story. Maybe then they wouldn't have to give up Chase Utley and two prospects to land someone of Santana's ilk in a trade.

Heart Breaker

A.J. Feeley gets owned by Lofa Tatupu

Seems like everybody but A.J. Feeley knew that Seahawks 'backer Lofa Tatupu played for the opposing team.

Just no excuse for three picks like that.

I was close to buying into the spin being put out there about Feeley being "more efficient at running this offense." I was THIS close. But, then I came to my senses and realized that this is bunk coming out of the organization because they want to get rid of McNabb after the season.

For those of you who thought Feeley was the panacea for this season, guess again. He buried them. He has seven picks over the past two games and two losses.

The Eagles' defense shouldn't get off much easier either. They gave up 28 points and while they weren't handed a good deck (with the offense having turned it over twice in the beginning of the game) they needed to come up bigger than that.

They dropped two interceptions and last week there were at least three interceptions they could have had against Brady that resulted in drops.

A lack of turnovers has been a chronic weakness for the defense this entire year.

No wonder why the plus/minus differential for the Eagles is -9 on the year. And, those numbers just don't equate to winning football.

The Eagles are still "mathematically alive" for the playoffs, but they are "logically dead" to reach them in my book. They cannot lose games the way they have this year and be a playoff team. It's just too much; losses to the Packers, Bears, Cowboys, Redskins, Giants, Patriots, and now the Seahawks were all brutal, crushing defeats and illustrate just how many holes this team has.

I'll save that for another day though breaking down where they need to start.

McNabb should be a shoe-in to start next week unless Andy Reid is a sadist and wants to torture the populace any longer with Feeley's lackluster play.

After the third interception I was choosing between watching this or rather watching a snuff film. It was sickening to watch.

Take your pick-no pun intended.

Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com