25 Years

Tomorrow marks 25 years without a championship



It's that time of the year again, which has become a day of mourning for Philadelphia fans and maybe even a holiday for some-the negadelphians.

May 31st 1983 was the last day that a major sports team in Philadelphia won a championship as you know, but tomorrow isn't just any anniversary; it's the 25th year without one.

Woo hoo! Philadelphia now owns the dubious distinction of being the only major city with 4 sports teams to go 25 years without a title.

At least we're first in something.

When they run polls on espn.com about the most tortured fans we can't even win that. We still lose out on that.

I won't resort to a cliche blog today and have sentence after sentence starting with something like "Only in Philadelphia can..." or "You know it's Philadelphia when..." and I won't rehash what I've done a hundred times already and open up old wounds by posting a photo of Ronde Barber racing down the sideline or Joe Carter celebrating his game-winning homer off Mitch Williams.

This drought is at this point beyond ludicrous and defies logic. Every season that goes in the odds of going this long without a title increase like the oil prices.

I'm not a statistician so I don't know the odds of a city going this long (98 seasons) without a title, but they have to be pretty damn high.

And, looking at this thing mathematically it's not hard to see why it's gone on so long; ownership. The Sixers and Flyers are owned by one entity, the Eagles are owned by another entity that does it their way, and the Phillies owners have been stingy and cheap and trying to do it their way.

When you have 50% of the teams represented by one owner-Ed Snider that means you take one additional voice out of the equation. The other 25% is consumed by an entity that doesn't do everything it takes to win in the Phillies. And, the Eagles who started to look like an ownership that would do everything it takes every year (during the early 2000's) they have failed us.

Cities with four different ownerships have better odds. And, when you have one of those ownerships committed to trying to profit that really brings down your odds.

Make sense?

Right now the Flyers have the best shot at winning. Ed Snider is the best owner in the city and this Flyers team is young and already after a rebuilding year were among the last four remaining teams in the playoffs.

They are followed by the Phillies and then the Eagles. The Eagles will be much better this year. Right now I see them as a 10-11 win team, but we've all been down the road with them before.

I know the Sixers are becoming a sexy pick for an up and comer, but without a bona fide superstar I don't see a title anytime soon. Who knows, Thaddeus Young might develop into one, but that's an if.

Ifs don't win in sports and we know that better than anybody.

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Lito story is BS

Let me say one thing about the Lito Sheppard rumor that was put out there by 950 ESPN. It was a rumor meant to get their name out there!

I make no bones about it; I'm loyal to WIP and not just because I'm friends with Brian Startare, the great host on there.

In the radio business it's all about the bottom line and 950 needs to do everything they can to get listeners. I'll be honest, I've tried listening to them but every time I try to tune it in it's nothing but static. I say this, if you're trying to become a competitive station in this market, get a stronger friggin' frequency!

Anyhow, back onto Lito. He won't play WR for the Eagles. Now as G Cobb said on 610's Morning Show he did say the Eagles may offer him the opportunity to get a few snaps on offense, but it's more of a gimmick than anything else-a gesture if you will because cornerbacks idolize Deoin Sanders who set the benchmark for playing all over the place.

Get Out Them Brooms

Phillies complete sweep of Rockies as Eaton earns first W of the season



Call this one "The Revenge Over The Bottom Feeders." It's amazing what a difference 8 months makes.

The Rockies went on an unbelievable run last year winning some 23 of 24 games on their way to the buzzsaw otherwise known as the 2007 Boston Red Sox.

But this year they are a bona fide bottom feeder, having been decimated by injuries and reaching the deep depths of the Mariana Trench of baseball, sporting a 20-33 record.

Just look at the NL West. Could this be the worst division ever? Just last year four of the five teams were in contention for the playoffs and now all five teams have combined for a .445 winning percentage and that's including Arizona, who has a 30-23 record.

Adam Eaton finally got his first W of the year and surprisingly is 1-3 nearly 2 months into the season. Many point to the fact that he's not "that bad", but lets face it, he was winless in his first 10 starts and the Phillies were 4-6.

He's not awful certainly, but he's not a major league pitcher and they owe him $17 million over the next two seasons.

At any event, the Phillies are among the upper crust of the majors at this point and with Florida coming to town they can vault to the front of the NL East and we'll begin the discussion of the T-word.

Who should they go after? Obviously Jake Peavy would the pitcher I'd want from the Padres, but unless the Pads' GM is on crack and heroin there's no way in hell they Phils will pull that off.

Perhaps, they could get Chris Young off the Padres or Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain from the Giants. They are all three good young pitchers, but do the Phils have the ammo to pull it off? Carlos Carrasco and Josh Outman are both top-50 prospects in the Phillies' farm system and perhaps that would be enough.

The Fightins take on the Marlins tomorrow night at The Bank at 7:05. Myers will go up against Mark Hendrickson.

Another Night On The Offensive

Phillies rack up 7 runs in first 2 innings and that's all they needed



Make that 38 runs in 15 innings. Yep, from the 5th inning of Sunday's game to the 2nd inning of yesterday's game the Phillies were putting up runs at a 2.58 per inning clip.

I bet if you go through their history this is the best 15 inning stretch offensively they've ever had. And, it continued in last night's stormy affair against the Rockies.

It's amazing that this game only got delayed once with the way the T-storms were rolling through PA last night and they nearly got through until the 8th inning as the game was delayed finally.

When they resumed I was stunned to see Brad Lidge being used in a 4-run game. Why in the world would Manuel bring him in when the game was 7-3 at the time? In cases like this you have to save your closer, because lord knows they might need him again tonight and the next night and the next.

Other than that this was another nearly flawless game for the Fightins and a much encouraging game from Kendrick who allowed just two runs in 7 1/3 innings.

Tonight they'll take on the Rockies at 7:05 as they go for the sweep.

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Hugh takes a shot at Justice

In today's Daily News Les Bowen talks about his conversation with Hugh Douglas from last night when Hugh ripped Winston Justice, not for his ability, but his heart.

"It just doesn't look like he has any fight in him. If you look at his demeanor, it's like he's not even a football player", said Douglas.

Ouch! Can you be any more harsh.

Having played in the trenches for many years Hugh definitely knows a lineman when he sees one, but Justice was for all intents and purposes a rookie last year and probably over his head.

I think one horrific game against the Giants hardly determines a player's career. Justice deserves more than that at this point.

Revenge Served Hot

Phillies score 35 runs in 2 games



Looks like whenever I point out the bad points of the Phillies they prove me wrong.

First on Sunday, I wrote about their disastrous weekend against the Astros in which they lost a pair of 4-3 games in excruciating fashion. And, during the game on Sunday they looked dead in the water when Hamels got lit up for 6 runs in 4 innings.

Something happened at the point in time when Hamels walked off the field after they recorded the final out of the 4th inning.

Call it the worm turning, good karma, or a change in the feng shui, but whatever it is, the Phillies have put 35 runs in the past 2 games, and 31 in their past 13 innings.

What's even crazier is that Ryan Howard accounted for just one hit and 3 RBI in these past two explosions.

Utley, Coste, and Feliz went 10 for 18, with a pair of dingers, and 14 RBI and Utley had a career-high 6 himself.

Even Taguchi got into the act. More play like this and we can start using the nickname "The Guch" for him.

It was absolutely wonderful to see the Phillies beat the snot out of the Rockies who embarrassed the Phils in the playoffs last year. Sure, they are short-handed, but you play who you play so, tough shit.

There are a few certainties in life. One is death, another is taxes, and another is that Andy Reid will throw the football to the point of obsession.

And, another is the Phillies' offense heats up in accordance with the rise in the temperature.

The Phils will look to continue their offensive ways tonight, same time, same place.

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Channel Surfing

Raise your hand if you were rooting for the Red Wings to beat the Penguins into submission. And, also raise your hand if you're rooting for the Celtics to beat the Pistons.

I am one of a few I'm sure because it's anathema to root for the Celtics if you're a Philly fan, but in this case I am. The main reason is I am not old enough to remember the old days of the Celtics-Sixers rivalry in the 80's. Sure, I hate them when they play the Sixers and love to see them lose, but the team I hate now is the Pistons because they have knocked the Sixers out of the playoffs in their last three playoff appearances.

Detroit envy...

Talk about having it all. Detroit fans may have the Lions, but look at how dominant the Red Wings and Pistons have been. And, right now they have two teams playing at home at the same time deep in the playoffs.

It just isn't fair.

Highs and Lows

Phillies are 13-11 in May and back to their old ways on offense



With the Phillies' 15-6 win yesterday in Houston, it marked the second time in the past 6 games in which they scored over 12 runs, but it also marked the second time they scored more than 12 runs after consecutive games of failing to score more than 3.

In the Washington series, they scored 1 run total in two games and then exploded for 12. And, yesterday they put up 15 after two frustrating losses in which they lost 4-3 both times.

Pictured is a graph of the Phillies' offensive output since May 1st. As you can see it moves up and down like an EKG. They played every game this month with exception to the 12th, which is why it's empty on that date.

All told they are 13-11 in the month of May and they have averaged 7.15 runs a game in their losses and just 3.09 runs a game in their losses.

Talk about a disparity. And, while they have scored a total of 93 runs in their thirteen wins, 48 of those runs came in four of those games.

Looks like the Fightins are back to their old ways which have marred this franchise for much of the 2001-2007 era, with the exception of last summer of course when they consistently scored runs. Basically what you see is mediocrity when you score runs in this fashion. They can't seem to get Utley, Howard, Rollins, and Burrell going consistently at the same time. It might be two of the foursome one night, or the other two on another night, but rarely all four go at the same time and when they do; it's an offensive explosion like yesterday.

Don't get me wrong, it's great to see them score 15 runs in a romp especially over a team who stole a couple wins this weekend, but I want to see more consistency out of them. When you have a disparity like that of 4 runs a game in wins and losses it's not a good thing. This lineup is capable of consistently producing, but they are also capable of getting into those 3-game funks where they strike out a lot, fail to manufacture runs, and struggle to put up 3 runs. And, then they explode with homerun after homerun.

That's not winning baseball. And, on the flip-side the starting pitching hasn't been getting it done either. Myers deserves another few chances, but if he can't get it together by mid-June maybe they should consider moving him to a team in need of a closer for an effective starting pitcher.

The Fightins take on the Rockies tonight at 7:05.

Disastrous Weekend

Phillies lose two straight heartbreakers to Astros and are in a dogfight to win today after Hamels' worst start of season



It was bad enough to see the Phillies lose a frustrating game on Friday night, but it got even worse last night when they nearly came back and Steve Smith (the third base coach, reared his ugly head.

And, to add insult to injury, Cole Hamels had a total stinker today, giving up 6 runs in 4 innings of work.

After the nearly 20 minute delay today, it totally threw Hamels off his game as his first pitch to Carlos Lee went into the left field bleachers- a total moon shot.

All of the Phillies' good will from April has gone down the tubes as they are basically a game better than they were last year at this time.

So, is this team really better than last year? Right now they're not. Brett Myers is killing this team. So, is Pedro Feliz and Shane Victorino.

In fact, if Victorino comes up again in the 9th inning I think I'm going to just shut my TV off so as not to torture myself again with another crushing disappointment. Seriously, how many games in a row will this guy come up to bat in a clutch situation and blow it?

The Astros are hardly a world beater, but the Phillies have made them look like a World Series team this weekend.

Right now the game is knotted up at 6, but if your ace pitcher gets rocked and is out of the game within 4 innings the odds are you're not going to win especially considering how the past two games have gone.

The Bat Comes Through

Pat Burrell hits pinch-hit homer in 8th to lead Phils to 7-5 win



Last night was a homecoming of sorts for the Phillies who went to Houston for the first time to face the Astros since Ed Wade took over. For some reason Comcast decided to keep focusing on Wade during the game, which was rather annoying.

Pat Burrell was the latest Phillie to wake up from the dead after Ryan Howard's recent renaissance, who is hitting .304 since May 7th (17 for 26).

Burrell has been a flat out bottom feeder, hitting just .143 with a homer and 2 RBI in his last 15 games. So, Charlie Manuel decided to let the bat rest and step in as a pinch hitter.

The move resulted in a victory for the Phillies.

Who said that Charlie Manuel makes nothing but bad decisions? This was a tactical decision of brilliance and one that hopefully will get The Bat back on track.

In addition to the homecoming for the Phils it was one for Brad Lidge, who pitched against his former team for the first time and he was money once again, notching his 12th save.

The Phils will go back at them again tonight, same time, same place.

Is He Back?

Ryan Howard has 2 homers and 4 RBI in 12-2 romp over Nats



Don't look now, but Ryan Howard is almost at the mendoza line. Woo hoo!

With last night's big performance, which was was his best game of the year so far, Howard is now hitting .195.

He had 3 hits on the night, including 2 homers, and 5 RBI. Perhaps it helped that he went up against minor league pitching, but sometimes facing bottom feeders is the best remedy for a player to get off the schnide.

My friend Mark has been ripping on Howard all year. In fact, he emails me every day about it and asks me why I'm not more harsh on him. He jokes and accuses me of even being a cronie of the Phillies.

That couldn't be further from the truth. I have been ripping Howard. Nobody could defend his play and abominable defense this year. It would be like a vegetarian defending Jeffrey Dahmer's right to cannibalism.

After last night it is pretty clear that Howard is almost back from the dead. So, take that Mark!

Last night it wasn't just Howard who woke up. Bear in mind, the Phillies had just 9 runs combined in the previous four games, which rings of the old days of the Phillies who would stink it up on offense for a few games and then explode.

Feliz and Victorino each had big games of their own going 3 for 5. And, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley chipped in with 2 hits a piece. Pat Burrell and Werth each failed to join in on the bash party. Burrell, who has been stone cold as a corpse in Siberia, is hitting .271 now.

The Phillies travel to Houston tonight and the game starts at 8:05. Kyle Kendrick is on the hill against Roy Oswalt.

King of the Hill

Cole Hamels shines once again, leading Phils to 1-0 victory



Sure, he didn't get the victory last night, but the hottest player in town and the hottest pitcher in the majors right now was a key reason why the Phillies won this one last night.

And, the Phillies' offense nearly blew a magical start by Hamels, who went 7 strong and K'd 11. Had it not been for a couple bad starts (by his standards) the Phillies would be 8-1 in his starts this year. Instead, they are 8-3 when he takes the ball. On the year he has a 5-3 record, 2.61 ERA and 65 k's in 72.1 innings.

Brett Myers on the other hand (with a 2-5 record) has led the Phillies down the sewar in his starts; the Phils are just 3-7 in games he has started, including a 5-game losing streak when he pitches.

If it wasn't for Hamels and Lidge this pitching staff would be among the bottom feeders of major league baseball. Sure, they are getting good contributions out of their bullpen, but this pair of Cy Young/MVP candidates (yes I'm willing to go that far) are carrying the entire pitching staff on their shoulders-no pun intended.

Don't be shocked to see Hamels flirt with a no-hitter or even throw one. And, for you trivia geeks out there, who was the last Phils pitcher to throw a no-no?

Think about it..............

......................................

Ok, Kevin Millwood. Yep-he actually did start off like a house on fire in his first year in Philly and threw a no-no back in April of 2003.

Moving along, Greg Dobbs deserves mad props for his game-winning hit as well, but let's face it, the arms are what kept the Phils in this game because the offense was pathetic as can be. The Phils' offense has had just 9 runs in the past four games, going 1-3 along the way.

Maybe it's the weather because we've been experiencing shitty weather over the past week.

The Phillies are currently in third place with a 25-22 record, but at least the Mets are starting to implode! The Mets are pissing and moaning and are in 4th with a 22-21 record.

Not Quite

Turns out it's been just 98 seasons of going without a title for Philly teams



Well, well, well looks like we didn't hit the century mark just yet. And, when you think about it, it's true.

Let's do some simple math.

1984-2008 = 25 seasons. And, that can be said for both the Sixers and Flyers. And, 1984-2007 for the Phillies and Eagles = 24 seasons a piece. Therefore, you have 50 + 48 and that gives you 98 seasons without a title. We can't count the Phillies or Eagles just yet!

A reader pointed this out to me yesterday and I stand corrected!

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Barkley to give up gambling?



I know, I did a double take when I heard this one too. Charles Barkley who recently was outed by a Vegas casino for owing them $400,000 has paid back his debt and said he'll give up gambling "for right now."

That would be like Jeffrey Dahmer giving up cannabilism or Suge Knight giving up the thug life!

But, that's what Sir Charles said in response to the casino outing him.

He also said he has lost 10 million bucks on gambling, but is nowhere close to financial trouble.

Let's see how long Charles can stay away from his biggest vice. I'm a huge Sir Charles fan and all kidding aside, but I am putting the over/under at his moratorium on gambling at 6 months. And, I'm betting the under!

100 Years

The Flyers' loss yesterday marks the 100th straight season Philadelphia has gone without a title



Yep, you read that right.

4 teams. 25 years. Do the math and you have yourself a city that's hit the century mark for futility.

The Flyers (while a great up and coming story) have become another team to get close, but no cigar.

It's been hell for us Philadelphia fans since 1983, particulary more hellish in the past decade as the Eagles have teased us five times, the Flyers twice, the Sixers once, the Phillies many times, and even Smarty Jones choked in his Triple Crown bid.



The moments of losing have been plenty during the years. Wayne Gretzky, Joe Jurevicious, DeShaun Foster, Tom Brady, Shaq, Kobe Bryant, Tampa Bay, Florida, and the Devils have all been a thorn in our collective asses.





And, guys like Joe Carter, Ronde Barber, and Scott Stevens delivered knock-out punches that still make your stomach grumble when you reminisce.





The odds of a city going this long with a title and having four teams is almost astronomical when you consider the odds of winning a title each year.

Only in Philly can a team be a prohibitive favorite, seemingly have everything go their way and then have a devastating injury just before or during the playoffs.

And, it seems that no matter what the luck seems to ultimately swing the other way for opposing teams.

My lament is nothing new because each passing season ending in defeat just conjures up memories of futility, bad luck, and crushing losses.

Yesterday's 6-0 loss by the Flyers is worse than a 2-1 double overtime loss. I would have rather they went out in that fashion than to have not even showed up.

So, once again it's "next season" for another one of our teams.

Embarrassing

Flyers close the season with embarrassing 6-0 defeat



Many people will point to the fact that the Flyers were just the second team in NHL history who went from first place to the conference finals this year.

That is fine and good and yes a great leap, but it doesn't excuse the total lack of effort today. They displayed less effort in today's romp than a preseason game and it was disgusting on just about every possible level.

How do you analyze a game like this? You can't point out anything positive one player did on the Flyers (if there was) because the bottom line is the whole team lost 6-0 and nobody deserves any credit in a debacle like this.

It hurts even more to see Penguins fans celebrating as if they're deserving of having a Stanley Cup team. After all, this is a franchise that was a pubic hair away from moving out of town to Kansas City. Now all of a sudden these bandwagon fans look like the most passionate fans in the world.

Where were they during the Penguins' lean years over the better part of the past half a decade?

Truth be told, Flyers fans are about as loyal of a fan base you can get. Even during the worst season in franchise-history last year they showed up and you can't say that about too many teams in professional sports.

Hats off to the Penguins to knocking off the Flyers, but it's disheartening to see a season end this way. I am never satisfied with a season ending in defeat because it's been happening for all four majors since 1983, but 6-0 is inexcusable no matter how you look at it.

Facing Elimination

Will Kimo Timmonen give the Flyers the lift they need to win game 5?



On paper the Flyers have everything going against them today. The Penguins have won 15 straight games dating back to February 24th at "The Igloo." But, all trends are meant to come to an end.

On the flip side, Philadelphia teams have gone an abominable 24 years and 352 days without a championship and one of these years the worm will have to turn in favor of one of these teams.

The Flyers will get a huge lift with Kimo Timmonen back in the lineup today, who will without a doubt be the man to cover Malkin. And, you have to figure this will be an emotional lift to the Flyers as well.

Even at that, this isn't just your run of the mill team that the Flyers are playing. This is a team that's on the verge of making it's first of many runs at a Stanley Cup and one who will fight tooth and nail to knock out the Flyers today.

We will certainly see a competitive matchup today and one more along the lines of game four and even if the Flyers play their A-game the Penguins will throw the everything and the kitchen sink at the Fly guys.

Brayden Coburn is still out, but is hopeful for game six if the Flyers win today.

Remember, the Eagles had a streak against Tampa Bay heading into the 2003 NFC Championship and Tampa Bay had only won one game in it's history in games below 40 degrees.

And, we know how "The Debacle I" ended.

T-minus 10 minutes until game time.

Double Play

Hamles pitches a gem and the Flyers stay alive



Last night was a pleasure for Philly sports fans. The star of the evening was Cole Hamels who pitched his first career shutout in a 5-0 blanking of the Atlanta Braves.

Meanwhile, across the street at The Wach, the Flyers knocked off the S**tburgh Penguins 3-2 to stay alive in the best of seven series. And, good news, Timmonen and Coburn should both be back on Sunday. Does this mean the Flyers will pull off a miracle-ala Boston against the Yankees in 2004? Probably not, but it will at least make this series more competitive from here on out.

Back onto the Phillies, Hamels it seems had to pitch forever to get his first career shutout, but let's realize that he hasn't even been in the majors for two seasons. He's had some career games, but always gave up a solo shot or two in those performances. It all came together last night and he carried the Phils to a big win to beat the pesky Braves for the second time in two nights thereby winning the series.

And, oh yeah the Ryan Howard death watch can probably end. Looks like he's starting to come back to life. He went 1 for 3 last night with another home run, and he's 4 for 11 over the past three games with 4 runs scored, 2 homers, and 3 RBI.

The Phillies welcome Scott (expletive deleted) Rolen to town tonight in the first game of their interleague series against the Blue Jays.

And, the Flyers will take on S**tburgh on Sunday hopefully with their top two defensemen back in the lineup.

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Billy Wagner proves again he's an ass

Speaking of other hated Philadelphia athletes, Billy Wagner snapped again last night.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3398790

He called out his team mates for not talking to the reporters.

Granted, the reporters hound Wagner after most games even when he doesn't pitch, but he brings it on himself because he is a douchebag, plain and simple.

Anybody who couldn't see that Phillies fans were booing the radar gun (as a joke) and not him when he didn't hit 100 is a douche.

On The Brink

Flyers are down 0-3 and after tonight's 4-1 loss and look finished



This one didn't look good from the get-go tonight as the Penguins raced out to a 2-0 lead and that's all they needed as they demolished the Flyers 4-1 tonight to stretch their lead in this series three games to none.

They say you have to play the games in pro sports and yes there's still one more game for the Pens to win for this series to be considered over, but realistically can you expect the Flyers to string off four straight wins?

The Flyers don't have any answers for the Penguins defense and if you can't score goals against a team that has the offensive firepower that this team has, you have zero chance of winning a game let alone a series.

When you analyze the series on a basic level it's simple; the Flyers are out of gas and missing their top two defensemen, while the Penguins don't even have to play offense because the Flyers are unable to get any sort of push on offense. 3 shots on goal in the second period and seven overall after two periods for the Flyers sums this up. They were a little better in the third period shot-wise, but still only amassed 17 shots total for the game.

The Flyers are on the brink of elimination and it wouldn't surprise me to see them get their doors blown off on Thursday night because it's disheartening to lose players to freak injuries for one and they simply cannot compete against a Pittsburgh team that is on a whole 'nother level right now.

While it's great to see this team where they're at after finishing dead last a year ago, it's still disappointing as hell to see their season end like this. It's another "what could have been" story with another one of our teams. You see teams making surprise runs in sports and having luck go their way every year. When will this karma find it's way toward one of the four majors in Philadelphia?

You'd think after 25 years by sheer coincidence it would have happened already. Guess not in our case.

To add insult to injury the Penguins literally get handed a franchise each generation. They were handed Lemieux and Jagr during a 6-year span by the hockey gods and now were handed Crosby and Malkin within a few years of each other.

Eventually the sports gods will smile upon one of our teams...right?

In Talks?

Gillick says he may talk to Burrell and Lidge about contract extensions



Word out of South Philly is that Gillick may get some contract talks going during the season. And, it all boils down to the fact that it's his last season.

The Phillies prefer to hold discussions on contract extensions typically after the season. Being that Gillick is done he may decide to lock them up to extensions before his tenure is up.

"If I'm not going to be back and the organization thinks that they would like to move ahead, then it would be something that we would have to consider," Gillick said

It would behoove the Phillies to sign both Burrell and Lidge. They can't keep letting offensive players walk year after year. Some argue that it would be less money for them to spend on Ryan Howard.

Why not sign Howard, Burrell, Hamels, and Lidge to extensions?

This is the penurious Phillies ownership we're talking about though, so we'll see if they do the right thing and lock up Burrell and Lidge.

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Andy Reid goes on Cataldi's show

You have to give Andy Reid props for making an appearance on Angelo Cataldi's Morning Show on WIP yesterday morning.

Cataldi has been destroying Reid this entire offseason and feels that the Eagles will be a 7-9 team. And, he has repeatedly said that Reid has worn out his welcome and should leave the Eagles.

I couldn't disagree more about the 7-9 statement because this team will win at least 10 games.

At any rate, Reid was quite candid in his interview and answered all of Angelo's questions. One thing we've learned is that whenever Big Red does interviews on WIP, whether they be with Eskin or Cataldi, he's very engaging and not the surly, boring coach we've come to be annoyed with at his post-game and day-after press conferences.

The biggest thing I took away from the interview yesterday is that Reid genuinely thinks Reggie Brown will take a step forward and that combined with L.J. Smith being healthy will propel their offense into the next strata.

It certainly wasn't spin because he was quite direct about it and did not waiver one bit.

I think it's premature to say L.J. Smith will be a difference maker, because he has been largely inconsistent in his six years with the Eagles, but he certainly has the skills and if healthy he could have one of those "playing for a new contract" type seasons.

I maintain they need to get Roy Williams and do whatever it takes.

Here's an interesting way they could make it happen according to Mark Eckel.

Back to Reid though, he was great yesterday and I only wish he'd be this way more often. But, that's not the Andy Reid way.

If the Eagles can become this year's Giants I'll live with that!

Another Man Down

Flyers lose Braydon Coburn and game two 4-2



Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals started in ominous fashion when less than two minutes into the game, the Flyers lost their best remaining defenseman in Braydon Coburn, who took a puck to the face.

The result. 50 stitches and he'll probably miss tomorrow night's game.

GM Paul Holmgren stated that they'll take a look at things and see how he is today, but fortunately he didn't break anything.

Coburn's eye is swelled shut, so if he would play he'll be playing essentially without an eye.

Where does it all end? It seems like the Flyers are dropping like flies (even worse at a position they're already light at) and the Penguins are getting better and better.

Many will point to the Flyers getting screwed by the refs once again as the reason for losing last night's game. That's not true at all. The Flyers are playing a really good team short-handed, a team in the Penguins which is looking more and more like it will become a dynasty.

I can easily see this Penguins team winning two or three Stanley Cups with this nucleus. This is what happens when you tank it for five seasons and you get a pair of #1 overall picks, a #2 pick, and some top 5 picks.

The Penguins are clearly the more superior team and the odds are stacked against the Flyers simply because they're down two defenseman. You can't blame Marty Biron for that. There's only so much he can do against the Crosby and Malkin.

This would be like the Eagles losing Brian Dawkins and Jevon Kearse back in 2004 when they went on that Super Bowl run. Had they lost both of them, it would have hampered their chances of reaching the big show.

Make no mistake about it though, this is an enormous step for the rebuilt Flyers. But, even with Timmonen and Coburn they still need another stud to compete with the Penguins.

Perhaps, that player is Flyers #2 overall pick from 2007, James van Riemsdyk, a 6 foot 3 200 pound left winger who dominated at the 2008 World Juniors. While at charity hockey game over the weekend, van Rimesdyk said he plans on returning to college for another season.

The Flyers will still have to wait another year for his services.

Now, the task at hand is win game three in this David vs. Goliath matchup. I definitely can see the Flyers winning game three, although I said that about game one and two. Realistically there isn't a chance they win this series because they are very banged up and starting to run on fumes.

Regardless, it's a major step for a franchise that was dead last in the NHL last season.

Game three is Tuesday night and if you don't want to hear the low-rent broadcast on the Versus Network, just turn down your TV and put on 610 WIP, because they have synced up their broadcast with the Versus feed.

Sloppy Affair

Flyers play their sloppiest game of the postseason; fall to Pens 4-2



There are two ways you can look at the Flyers' loss last night. On the one hand, they played their sloppiest game of the playoffs and didn't get blown out, which means they have a great chance at not only stretching this series to 6 or 7 games, but winning it if they bring their A-game.

But, on the other hand both teams weren't on their A-games because of the layoff between their last games. The Penguins were off for five nights, and the Flyers were off six.

Kimo Timmonen's absence from the team speaks volumes about the level of play on power plays and just in general. Had he been in there, you can be damn certain Malkin would not have been wide open (particularly on his first goal at the end of the first period).

This series could very well go down to another "what if", if the Flyers lose. Defense and goaltending are what win in the NHL, just like what prevails in any other sport; the ability to stop the other team. It's elementary and someone who's not a hockey expert like myself can tell you that.

Martin Biron and the entire Flyers' team (aside from Richards) played very uninspired hockey last night. We can certainly attribute much of it to their 6-game, momentum-killing layoff (you can thank the idiots who run the NHL for that).

Even when the Flyers had a 2-1 lead for what seemed like 5 seconds, they never seemed like they were ready to play last night. Mike Richards is the team's most important player aside from Biron; make no mistake about it now that they're most likely without Timmonen for this series.

The Flyers' braintrust is holding out some hope that he can recover within a week. Don't hold your breath because this isn't a sprained ankle or hamstring injury we're talking about; a blood clot is a potentially life-threatening injury.

The Flyers will look to tie it up tomorrow night in a hostile environment and the Penguins will be out for blood. This a rivalry that's building more and more and expect it to reach mythic proportions when this series is all said and done.

And, get used to Malkin and Crosby because they'll be in Black and Gold for the next decade at least.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Is the curse back? Judging by yesterday's news, it is.



It was a relatively quiet week with our four squads. Lito Sheppard was all smiles at camp and insists he's ok with the crowded secondary. The Flyers have been on hiatus since last Saturday because of the dumbass way the NHL is run. The Sixers are done and aside from Andre Miller's uncertainty of remaining with the team long-term, there's nothing going on with them. The Phillies split against the snakes and continued playing good baseball despite Ryan Howard stinking up the field like someone blowing up a port-a-potty at a tailgate after drinking low-rent whiskey and eating 7-11 hotdogs.

So, the big news this week is Howard's continued slump and the philly sports curse returning. By the way, how many years did Ed Wade set the Phillies back by not bringing up Howard when he was 23 or 24 years old, only to waste all that money on Jim Thome? Just imagine if Howard was brought up early, developed, and they spent that money on pitching. Things that make you go hmmmm...

Anywho...

Yesterday the curse reared it's ugly head again. Kimo Timmonen, the Flyers' best defenseman and a big reason why they got this far is out for the playoffs.

You do not return within a month from a blood clot, so we can write him off for the rest of this season at least.

Blood clots have ended careers. Remember Tommy Frazer, the great quarterback at Nebraska? His professional career ended before it ever began when it was discovered he had severe blood clots.

Timmonen's case is a little different and occured due to being hit by a puck by Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov so it looks as though he'll make a full recovery. But, it won't be soon.

So, the curse has reared it's ugly head again. What the hell is this curse? Is it the curse of Billy Penn? Is his ghost pissed off that they decided to build taller buildings in Philadelphia?

Or, is it something deeper? A witchdoctor perhaps?

It's not just shitty ownerships that have caused us to go 25 years without a championship in Philadelphia. Bad luck has played a huge role in it.

Lindros in 2000 in game 6 against the New Jersey Scumbags.



The Sixers' entire team being injured in 2001 and out of gas after beating the Lakers in game one.

McNabb's broken ankle in 2002.

McNabb receiving a cheapshot by Brenson Buckner in the Carolina Title Game resulting in the neckbeard coming in to throw balls all over the dirt.



TO's broken ankle in 2004.



Bill Belicheat's fraudulent win over the Eagles in the Super Bowl-yes I'm saying he cheated them out of a title.

And, countless other games in which our teams have come up short when it counts most.

Hell, we had a horse that lost a Triple Crown by a pubic hair in 2004. And, I remember telling everybody that weekend not to get their hopes up because the horse would choke. And, it did!

How pathetic is that!

Does this mean the Flyers are doomed? Definitely not, because as they say anything can happen in any given game. Crosby and Malkin could choke or get hurt. The odds state otherwise though and the Flyers aren't a 2-1 underdog in Vegas for no reason.

The Penguins are a better team, but are beatable. This is close to a death blow though.

But, I'm going to be positive about this team and enjoy the ride unless the series goes to 0-3, which I don't think will happen.

But, don't be surprised if it does!

Sure Fire

Brad Lidge stays perfect, notching his 8th save



The Phillies pulled out a 5-4 win and once again the bullpen was the Phils' savior. And, Brad Lidge is the MVP of not only their bullpen, but their entire pitching staff right now.

Think about it. In 16 innings this season he's yet to allow a single run, has 15 strikeouts, 6 walks, 1 win, and 8 saves. And, for you fantasy geeks, he has a WHIP at a staggering 0.81.

For a guy we had pegged as another has-been who was great somewhere else to come here and get hurt (on his first pitch in spring training) he sure looks like not only a Cy Young candidate, but maybe an MVP candidate. Remember closers have won both awards before. See Dennis Eckersley for proof of that. And, Eric Gagne who won a Cy Young came damn close to winning it.

J.C. Romero has also been lights out, having appeared in 17 contests and notching a 0.63 ERA.

Suffice it say the Phils' bullpen is the early-season MVP. The offense has done just enough to win. And, that guy named J Roll is due to come back this weekend.

And, two out of three against a Dbacks team that many are saying is the best in the NL isn't bad either. Although the Phils didn't have to face either Haren or Webb.

But, a series win is a series win in this business.

Your first place Phils (20-15) will look to win the series against the Dbacks today at 3:40 PM. Myers will face off against Webb. If the Phils win this game, then they will prove themselves as the best team in the NL at this point.

The worst they can do is split the series, which isn't bad at all against a team like this.

Happy Together?

Lito and Asante are ready to move forward together



Who'd have thunk it? Lito Sheppard shows up to mini-camp and he is saying all the right things and ready to play with this team if need-be.

I must admit I was shocked when I heard he showed up Friday evening for mini-camp.

We have to give him some serious props for playing the good soldier in all of this. The Eagles are in a win-win situation now. If they keep Sheppard, they'll have the best trio of cornerbacks in the league. And, by having him playing the good soldier it sends a message to the rest of the league that they're prepared to keep him, rather than give him up for 20 cents on the dollar.

How will all of this play out? I'm going to go out on a limb and say the Eagles keep Sheppard until August and just before the season they'll pull off a trade for a quality receiver-at the very least. I'm envisioning a Donte Stallworth scenario where they make a trade happen just before the season.

And, we'll be sweating it out waiting for something to happen.

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Fightins win another one

This is starting to get old now. The Phillies are emerging into one of the best teams in baseball early on this season. They won another game last night behind Jamie Moyer's efficient pitching and a lights-out offense, by knocking off the snakes 11-4.

And, don't look now, but that guy we were all killing (Eric Bruntlett) had another good game, with a couple of hits.

Also, some guy named Jimmy Rollins may be back as soon as tomorrow. More likely he'll return for the weekend series though.

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Andy Reid gets pissy

Andy Reid is getting sick of the Lito talk and wanted to pound it into the reporter's heads yesterday that there is more to this team than just that situation.

He thinks the media is being too hard on his team.

Reid said, "I thought you guys struggled to find a positive story. You did a good job finding the negative ones, but there are plenty of positive ones that you could find out there. There are some good young players that you could really focus in on and look at. Other than that, it was business as usual."

Well excuse us, but you were 8-8 last year and those last 2 games didn't mean jack shit. Your team should have been 6-10.

With that said, I expect the Eagles to be at least an 11-win team with their defense this year. The defensive line will be much better and look for Stewart Bradley to become the X-factor in that defense. They will almost be back to the same kind of team they were in the early 2000's.

Reid needs to get a grip though because this is a team that has missed the playoffs in 2 of the past 3 seasons and it's Super Bowl or bust. We've all been down that road before of NFC Championship appearances.

Rhino's Charge

Ryan Howard scores winning run to lift Phils to 6-5 win



Ryan Howard contributed to yesterday's win in ironic fashion when he helped lead the Phillies to victory not with his bat, but with his base running.

Once the ball hit by Geoff Jenkins was misplayed by Giants second baseman Eugenio Velez, Ryan Howard was charging around the bases as if they were giving away free cheese steaks at home plate to the first people to make it there.

Howard is still mired in a trench of a slump, hitting just .167 but he showed surprising plate discipline in the 9th inning by drawing a walk to get on base.

Right now pitchers are pitching to him. That will probably change in another few weeks after he gets through his annual early-season slump.

But, pitchers aren't afraid to pitch to him, particularly throwing low-outside breaking balls in the hopes of getting Howard to bite. And, he saw a few of those in the 9th inning yesterday, but didn't bite.

Could that be a turning point for The Rhino?

It's certainly a start. And, in helping to provide some late-game heroics yesterday Howard will take a win no matter how it comes. In a day of multi-million dollar divas, Howard is anything but. You can tell he loves to play the game and he's anything but a prima donna.

Let's hope yesterday's "charge" is the start of some good fortune for him.

The Phils will need it because they can't keep winning without he and Rollins' contributions.

Another thing to take away from yesterday's game is that Brad Lidge is still perfect this season in terms of runs allowed.

Imagine that. The guy who got hurt on his first pitch in spring training, whom we thought would be another has-been, has been anything but.

It's refreshing to see somebody finally come to the Phillies and make a major impact.

Hopefully I didn't jinx Lidge by saying that. He still has a 0.00 ERA on the season.

From Worst to Beating First

Flyers become first team in 30 years to go from worst to third round



This was a game that many felt the Flyers would lose on the sole basis of the desperation factor.

Going into this game one had to think the Canadiens would throw everything including the kitchen sink at the Flyers in order to win this game. And, for nearly the first two periods they did just that and had what seemed to be a commanding 3-1 lead.

But, then the orange and black attack struck back and fired off 3 shots within a span of 2 minutes; it was reminiscent of the Canadiens' scoring spurts throughout the series. But, after that the Flyers really never looked back.

Sure, the Canadiens tied it up at 4-4, but the Flyers looked like the aggressor and the Habs were on their heels.

Ultimately, R.J. Umberger and Biron deserve the credit for this win. Biron may not have melted the ice in this game, but he played well enough to get the W, when the Canadiens were firing their best shots at him.

The Flyers will now face the winner of the Penguins-Rangers series. So, that means they will make it a battle of PA teams for the Eastern Conference crown.

In professional sports it's all about making key stops when it counts and the momentum and the Flyers have that going for them. The Penguins might have more talent (not much more) but that means jack you know what in the playoffs. It's a new season and forget about how the Penguins played against the Flyers in the second half of the season.

Umberger and Biron are the best at their respective positions in the playoffs. Umberger is leading the NHL in goals and Biron is leading the NHL in clutch stops.

I'll take that over anything the Penguins have right now.

If you're scared of Pittsburgh get a dog (to quote Howard Eskin). I say bring it on.

Weekly Wrap-Up

It was a whirlwind week for all four teams



Philly Sports Nation had more action than Elliot Spitzer this week. The Phillies defied the odds and finished above .500 for the first time since the Sixers went to the NBA Finals, which happened to be Larry Bowa's first season as a manger. Yes, that's how long it's been-7 years. If you were in your first year of high school then, you'd now be graduating college most likely.

And, the Flyers have been on fire, namely because of lights out goal-tending by Marty Biron who if I may suggest another phrase for a goalie being on fire as opposed to "standing on his head" and say he was melting the ice. The officiating in this series has been atrocious and even though the Cans have been given chance after chance, they ultimately have been stopped by Marty B.



The Sixers meanwhile didn't disappoint us much as they did what we expected and that's lose to the Pistons again. While it's disappointing to see them take a dump last night, it's a great step for a group of youngsters who need playoff experience and nobody really expected them to get to the post season until 2009.

The Eagles pissed a lot of people off, not just because they traded out of the first round again (which I happen to agree with because the trade was too good to turn down) but because Joe Banner once again showed his ineptness when it comes to PR.



He is to PR what George Bush is to the presidency; he's just awful at it and should not speak publicly when he gets angered. For him to fire off at B Dawk like he did shows classlessness and makes their front office look even worse then they do now.

So, after an ominous period back in February when things looked meek, way back when the Flyers were mired in a 10-game losing streak, the Phillies looked awful in spring training, and the Sixers were not yet on that streak the worm has turned and done the proverbial 180.

The Flyers are the team that will break the curse. With Biron playing like he is, I can see them winning a Cup as early as this year. And, I'm pretty damn cynical!

Don't sleep on them Phillies either, they are a better team than last year and when Rollins returns and Howard heats up, look out.

It's going to be a fun spring and summer. Get ready for the ride.

Cardiac Kids

Flyers lead the series 3-1 now after dramatic 4-2 victory



For the fourth game in a row, the Flyers held the lead for well over 50 minutes. In fact, they nearly held it the entire game which is amazing considering the Habs scored 2 goals.

The kicker is the Habs did (as they have often done in this series) it within the span of two minutes and in the third period once again.

Marty Biron played out of his mind last night and would've had a shutout if not for a few defensive breakdowns by the Flyers in that third period.

And, once the game was knotted I could hear the collective gasping by everybody at the Pub last night as I watched the game with some friends.

But, there's something about this Flyers team, much like the Phillies of last summer and the Eagles in 2003 (during their 9-game winning streak) that makes you believe. While the Phillies and Eagles did come up short ultimately there's something intangible about this group of players that makes you believe they'll go all the way.

I think at the heart of it is Marty Biron's stellar play. He's on a roll right now much like J.S. Giguere was a few years back and Hextall was in '87. Ironically, both of those goalies ended up losing in the Finals and winning MVP honors though.

The scary thing is the Flyers haven't even played their best game yet. Either of these four games could have gone either way, but the two constants have been the stellar play of Biron and the Flyers' ability to strike back quickly once a lead has been relinquished.

The series heads back to Montreal on Friday night and if they don't win up there it will come back to Philly on Sunday.

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A Banner Special



Let me expand the current definition of what a "banner special" is.

The original definition per Eagles message boards (namely the only one I go to because it's awesome-a.k.a Igglephans.com) is the following:

banner special-a contract Joe Banner hands out to young players when they're two to three years into their careers in which he signs them to a bargain deal, but it's good for them at the time because they get a nice signing bonus. Upon which, three years later they become underpaid and disgruntled.

Lito Sheppard accepted the banner special, to the tune of 5 years and $25 million with $8.7 million up front.

Now, on the surface this banner special contract affords the player some security and many times they get more money than they've ever seen in their lives. Take Sheppard for example who was picked at the bottom of round one in 2002. He was given a signing bonus around $4-$5 million. Then, he gets offered the banner special a few years later and get $8 million up front. That's twice as much money as he had before.

Good deal right. Well sure, but after a few years and now we're seeing how underpaid he really is when players like Asante Samuel get $50 million over 5 years and close to $30 million up front.

Listen I don't like to hear players bitch about their money as much as the next guy, but being in the real world if I find out somebody is doing the same job as me and getting paid a lot more I'm going to be pissed and look for another job.

It's human nature. And, it's only magnified with these millionaire athletes.

Now, I shall amend the definition for the banner special by saying it also means you publicly criticize one of your players for not towing the company line.

As you may have heard Brian Dawkins commented on the situation involving Lito and said he doesn't see he, Samuel, and Brown all being here. In other words, he doesn't see Lito showing up.

"The way it has played out, I don't see those three guys being here at the same time," Dawkins said. "It's a tough situation to be in, and this is somebody I'm close to and I consider a close friend. I don't like it for him. Whatever happens, I hope it works out best for Lito. I hate that this is happening to him."

Banner retorted by basically telling Dawkins to mind his own business and keep quiet.

"I'm not sure what Brian is talking about or if he knows what exactly has happened," Banner said. "I don't really agree that three guys of this caliber can't play together. There are certainly plenty of situations where three quality players at the same position have played together. Look at Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donté Stallworth with the Patriots last year."

This can't be good for anybody. We have ourselves yet another ugly situation playing itself out and it's been handled horrendously by the Eagles.

They should done the following and that's trade Lito Sheppard simultaneously as they were locking up Asante Samuel up to a deal.

I know it's hard to multitask and it must be torture to lock up a premiere free agent and at the same time pull off a trade for one of your top players on defense.

But, had they done both at the same time, they would have gotten a better market value deal for Sheppard before people knew they were signing Samuel and they would have had their ducks in a row, locked up Samuel, gotten something for Sheppard and we wouldn't be watching this saga play itself out.

Reportedly the Eagles were offered no better than a third round pick for Sheppard.

What are we going to say if this drags out into the summer and they're forced to trade him for a future 4th rounder, some bum named Michael Clayton, or even worse they have to cut him?

That will top most of the blunders in the history of Philadelphia sports and be 1a to the #1 blunder, which is the handling of the TO Debacle.