In Town

Eagles are giving Asante Samuel a tour of the facilities right now, plan on making him available at 4:30



Right now as we speak, Asante Samuel is being courted by the Eagles' braintrust as they try to win him over while he's in town. It's a very aggressive move for a team that needs playmakers on all three phases of the game.

They were said to have agreed on a deal for 6 years and $60 million and now it's a matter of completing it.

The Eagles will make Samuel available to the media at 4:30.

This all but means Lito Sheppard's career in Philly is over unless the Eagles rework his deal and move Sheldon Brown to safety.

The speculation is they'll try to move Lito for a pick or to get Larry Fitzgerald.

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According to profootballtalk.com the Eagles are after Raiders linebacker/defensive end Chris Clemons.

Clemons had 8 sacks last season and just 20 tackles. He's listed at 6-3 240. He's hardly a front-line player, but would surely serve as a rotation player.

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Eagles cut Kearse, sign Hanson and Reed.

As excpected the Eagles signed "The Meek" Jevon Kearse. Kearse while making an impact in 2004, was a huge disappointment in his other three season, which saw him miss 16 games. Overall he had 20 sacks in 4 years.

Not what the Eagles thought they'd get when they inked him to an 8-year $64 million deal.

And, the Eagles signed both J.R. Reed and Joselio Hanson to tenders.

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Cowboys interested in Moss?

This goes into the Oh Shit category. The Cowboys are rumored to be interested in Moss. This is reason enough that the Eagles should either A.) get Larry Fitzgerald or B.) do whatever the hell they can to sign Moss.

If the Cowboys have T.O. and Moss it would immediately make them the best offense in the league.

Being Set Up?

With all the rumors surrounding potential Eagles transactions are we being set up for disappointment?



There are many rumors swirling in recent days regarding the Eagles.

They "could" be talking to the Cardinals about acquiring Larry Fitzgerald.

They "could" be talking to the Panthers about acquiring Julius Peppers.

And, they're reportedly after both Asante Samuel and Gibril Wilson in free agency.

And, this morning on the Morning Show on WIP they reported the Eagles will have some $32 million in cap room heading into free agency, which starts at 12:01 tonight.

So, we can expect a big splash right? Not so fast.

The free agent pool is as thin as ever due mainly to an ever-rising cap and teams wisely franchising their players (i.e. Dallas Clark, Nnamdi Asomogha, Jared Allen).

Therefore, the optimist feels trades will become en vogue. Maybe. We'll have to see, because we haven't reached this cross road just yet.

One can expect teams with needs to spend out the ass on players like Samuel and Wilson. And, I don't see the Eagles giving Samuel more than $11 million per year and even that's too much.

I'd love to see them pull off the two trades for Fitzgerald and Peppers, but how possible will that be?

I feel we're setting ourselves up for a huge disappointment by putting high expectations and listening to these internet rumors.

All we can do is just wait and see. That's all I'm saying. After checking through all of the said rumors the only one with any legs is Asante Samuel, but how much do they really need him?

I'd love to see them make a "splash" as much as the next person, but I'd prefer they use that money on players like Wilson, Faneca, and if they can acquire them via trade (Fitz and Peppers).

I'm not getting my hopes up too much though. This past year in Philly sports has been brutally ugly and chock full of disappointments, so I'm not holding my breath.

I am an optimist, but damn we just saw our football team disintegrate, our hockey team lose 10 in a row, and our closer get hurt on the first pitch of training camp!

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Why was Hamels passed over?

I don't think the Phillies passed over Hamels on the basis that he's soft. The reason is quite simple. They didn't want him to go up against Johan Santana early on.

They can tell us all they want that this is to send a message to Myers that he's not going to open the season as a closer now that Lidge is on the fritz, but I'm not buying it.

Myers is an ace-caliber pitcher. But, Hamels is clearly their #1 ace, with Myers being 1a. They feel that by pitting Hamels up against anyone other Santana they increase their odds of winning.

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Danny Snyder proves to be a dope once again



Little Danny Snyder once again proved why he's a moron and a dipshit of an owner. Remember when the Redskins traded the 49ers for Brandon Lloyd a few years back?

I thought at the time giving up any kind of draft pick for him was stupid. But, they gave up 3rd and 4th round picks for this bum!

Who the hell was Brandon Lloyd ever? He had 48 catches for 733 yards and 5 td's in 2005, the year before little Danny Snyder had his flunkie GM get him.

And, it was announced yesterday the Redskins cut Brandon Lloyd after 2 years.

Way to piss away a 3rd and 4th rounder Danny Boy.

Streak Broken!

Flyers' losing streak ends at 10 as Danny Briere scores game-winner in shootout



Last night at around 10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time the Flyers' 10-game losing streak became a thing of the past.

One Daniel Briere ended this most god awful of horror shows with a clutch game-winner during a shootout.

With the Flyers making it out of OT alive it stood to reason there was no way they would make it out of the shootout. The stars were aligned for another heart-breaking loss.

As if Saturday night wasn't bad enough (they were winning until 3 seconds left).

But, the fates had different plans for the Flyers last night. It was a tale of two games. With the way they came out of the gate, losing 3-0 I wrote them off. I didn't turn the channel but looked away and they responded with 2 goals. A high-scoring game perhaps? Not so. They ultimately tied it up 3-3 in the third period.

With Peter Forsberg playing games with the Flyers and the Flyers trading for forward Vaclav Prospal, they'll try to add one more player by the trade deadline today. Word is it will be a defenseman.

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Eagles to target Asante Samuel

According to Peter King (and he doesn't just throw out BS) the Eagles are the front-runners to land Asante Samuel.

After seeing what Nate Clements got last season (8 years $80 million) I figured there was no way in hell the Eagles would be able to get Asante Samuel if he wanted more than that.

However, King stated that "he heard" Samuel could be had for 5 years and 55 million.

This would be a great move for the Eagles. Then they'd have to trade Lito Sheppard since he's not even going to make $2 million this year and pissing and moaning about his deal. Just imagine how pissed he'd be if Samuel came in making $11 million annually.

With that said, the Eagles could get a low 1st round pick or high 2nd rounder for Lito and pick up either a pass rusher or safety (depending which they get in round one).

That would be a great start. I'd like to see them sign Alan Faneca as well and since they're unlikely to get Larry Fitzgerald, they might as well load up on that D.

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Gordon to close

With Brad Lidge being sidelined after his first pitch (that's a bad omen) Tom Gordon will open the season as closer. That's if Lidge isn't back by then. The timetable is 3-6 weeks, so on the optimistic side of things he'll be rehabbing back by the first week of April.

What's disconcerting is that on his first pitch of spring training he got a cleat stuck in the mound and re-injured his knee. After looking at all of the players who've come to Philly and been total trainwrecks (i.e. Danny Tartabull, Freddy Garcia, et al.) one has to be concerned that we're watching the same script play out. Player with success somewhere else, comes here, gets hurt and stinks.

Is that we're in for? I sincerely hope not because the Phillies can ill-afford to rely on Tom Gordon to close. As a part-time setup guy I'm fine with it, but they ask him to throw for more than 35-40 innings they're in for a long season.

Arrested

Mike Patterson arrested in Jersey for possession of pot



It was confirmed last night that Mike Patterson was arrested for possession of marijuana after a traffic stop in Jersey.

Who'd have thunk it? Mikey P has been toking it up? His brother, who was with him at the time was picked up as well for resisting arrest.

What does this mean? Well it gave me an ample opportunity to have some photoshop fun with Mike Patterson (photo above). As far as a suspension goes, he's not looking at a suspension from the league since it's a first-time offense. Just remember, Donte Stallworth failed a drug test for weed back in 2005, but wasn't suspended when he was with the birds.

Patterson will be in the NFL's drug program so he will be tested regularly and if he screws up again he's looking at a 4-game suspension.

Next time you want to toke up Mike, just do it at home. Be responsible and don't get nailed again please. The team needs you.

I personally don't give a damn what players do in the free time as long as they're productive on the field. If a player wants to get his rock on, so be it. Just perform on the field and do it in the privacy of your own home.

Weekly Wrap-Up

It's been a busy week in Philly sports for sure and Dwight Schrute was on the beat for all of it



Big news on all fronts this week. Where to begin? How do we make sense of it all?

Who better to gift wrap everything for you in a nice little package with a bow than Dwight Schrute of The Office.

Not only can Dwight serve as the assistant regional manager, but he could probably hang with the best of them on the beat covering all four sports in a busy market like Philly. Move over Bill Conlin, Dwight's on the beat.

Dwight was first on the beat for the Eagles this week. He had a chance to talk to Joe Banner about their power move to put the Eagles on two radio stations, an unprecedented move indeed.

Dwight: Mr. Penguin it is an honor to speak with you. You are without a doubt the most respected nemesis of any superhero I know.

Banner: That wasn't me Dwight. I believe he was portrayed by Burgess Meredith.

The similarity is quite striking between the two though!



Dwight: Are you sure about that?

Banner: I'm quite sure. I'm just a president of the Eagles.

Dwight: Just a president huh. Well, anyway I see that you're on your way to world domination with the latest move to put the Eagles on the airwaves of two stations. Do you think it's possible that you'll try to buy a newspaper next and then a TV station.

Banner: We don't need to do that. They already talk about us.

Dwight: Yes, but wouldn't it make more sense to own the media then you can control what they say about you?

Banner: That's what we have Howard Eskin for. He says what we tell him to say.

Dwight: Who is this Eskin you speak of?

Banner: You know that reporter on WIP who looks like a werewolf?

Dwight: A werewolf. I shot a werewolf once.

Banner: I know and it was your neighbor's dog. I saw that episode too. You play a better assistant to a manager than a reporter Dwight.

Dwight: Eskin does your work and at night is a werewolf. I get it now.

And, Dwight was on the beat for Ryan Howard's hearing and got to talk with him just after it.

Dwight: Ryan, hey Ryan Howard. Quick question.

Ryan: Ok, hurry up because I gotta get back to practice.

Dwight: It will be but a minute. Ryan, are you in any way of any relation to the Ryan Howard, the former intern at the Scranton branch?

Ryan: Wait, what?

Dwight: I hear you got $10 million awarded to you today? Do you plan on reinvesting that or spending it?

Ryan: I got no time for this.

Dwight was lucky enough to talk to Mo Cheeks after he got a vote of confidence (if you call a year extension that) by GM Ed Stefanski in the form of a one-year contract extension.


Dwight: Mo, they tell me that you can still outplay young kids on the playground in pick-up games. Is that true?

Mo: I can still throw down.

Dwight: Oh yeah, care to take me on?

Mo: No offense, but I'd run circles around you.

Dwight: Bring it on little man. A Schrute never turned down a challenge he did or didn't like.

Mo: Is that it? I really gotta get running here and celebrate this win with my team.

Dwight: You call a win over the Knicks a win? That's like me playing Gary Coleman in basketball.

Mo: Or, me schooling you. Have a great night.

And, finally let's see what Dwight and Flyers coach John Stevens had to say to each other after the Flyers' 9th straight loss last night.

Dwight: John, it seems like you've lost the team. 9 straight losses and the team shows about as much enthusiasm as my neighbor's dog I shot on one occasion. What do you have to say for yourself?

Stevens: Well, we just have to keep working hard and hopefully get out of this funk.

Dwight: Yeah, with an attitude like that Johnny boy, you would make a great sleep specialist. Can I count on you to talk to me when I have a bout of insomnia? You have the energy of a corpse. And, with Simon Gagne out for the season with a severe head injury, your team's morale has to be low. And, you can't bring them up.

Stevens: Well, Dwight not everybody can be pleased. I guess there's nothing I can say to you to convince you that I can put any life into this team.

Dwight: Face it Stevens. You're not coaching material. You're barely cut out to be operating a Zamboni. I'd be concerned that you would fall asleep and knock over the rink.

Stevens: I don't think that's possible.

Dwight: Oh yeah? 10 straight losses is a certainty. Good luck next time.

And, thus ended Dwight's beat this week!

Howard Wins

Ryan Howard has won his arbitration case and will make $10 million this season



Huge news day in Philly sports. Big news in all four sports. Some good. Some bad.

Ok-for those of you who were worried about what Ryan Howard would make this season, fear not he will be making 8 figures this season.

In addition to setting records for the Phillies, Howard has set a record for a player winning a case. His $10 million is the record for a player who has won their case. Even though Alfonso Soriano was awarded a cool ten mil back in 2006, he actually lost his case in which he sought $12 million from the Nationals.

There is no need to worry about bad feelings on Howard's part. He came into camp lighter this year and vowed to not let the contract issues be a distraction to him. He's a true class act and it's even better reason for the Phillies to do right by him. See yesterday's blog for the other reasons.

Looks like the long-term deal will get done after the season. They're still talking, but for now Howard is happy.

Hell, he high-fived Jimmy Rollins today on the way back to his locker after the announcement.

Ruben Amaro said were are "close" on a contract of a variety of lengths as of yesterday as they negotiated with Ryan Howard's agent Casey Close.

"Close doesn't get it done, though," Amaro said.

No pun intended of course, sine Close is the last name of the agent.

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Eagles extend CBS radio agreement

Yesterday, Howard Eskin had some "breaking news" on his show. In fact, he teased it over a commercial break and said Joe Banner would be on to explain.

Never once did I think it had to do with a trade or a big signing (for one because free agency hasn't started yet). I knew it had to do with some sort of promotion.

Turns out it is a sort of big deal. The Eagles extended their radio agreement with CBS radio for 7 years and will broadcast their games on not just 94 WYSP, but also on 610 WIP.

What does all of this mean? It probably means that we will no longer have to worry about that stupid delay during games.

The reason why the YSP broadcast was never changed is because of the fans at the stadium who are there live and want to listen live. Fair enough.

But, what about all of us in TV land? Well according to Merrill Reese, they'll be able to sync up the WIP feed with TV.

Woo hoo! Now when I go over to my buddy's house to watch games I won't have to bitch about Dick Stockton's horrible announcing and the lowrent playcalling of the other schlubs they throw on there.

Honestly, I still watch games even with the delayed radio broadcast. I put up with it because I refuse to listen to the hacks on TV.

Hell, I'd rather listen to Emmitt Smith give a dissertation on Shakespeare...ok maybe not. Emmitt Smith butchers the English language like Idi Amin butchered his own people.



Gotta love all them medals he wore!

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NBA Trade deadline up today

For those of you hoping for the Sixers to tank this season just resign yourselves to the fact that they'll participate in the worst playoff chase ever.

Yep-they're the 8th seed in a horrendous Eastern Conference that is to basketball what that "different" sibling is to a family. You know the "different" sibling that the family is ashamed of that they have to hide in a shed ala Mongo Simpson on "The Simpsons."

Forget about it, the Sixers aren't trading Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, or any Andre.

Meanwhile, Mo Cheeks got his contract extended yesterday for one year.

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Simon Gagne out for the season

Yesterday, the Flyers announced that star winger Simon Gagne is out for the season with a concussion.

This reminds me of Eric Lindros all over again. And, Keith Primeau. And, Desjardins.

Why do star players on the Flyers have concussion issues?

Only in Philly, are we treated to star players dropping like flies in a regular basis like this.

Hearing On

Phillies and Howard are in the arbitration hearing now



It's noontime on the East coast and the Phillies and Ryan Howard are in court.

It's called an arbitration hearing for any of you who are unaware of the goings-ons between the Phillies slugger and the people who write his paycheck.

They are in court over what amounts to $3 million. This is a rather routine process between players and teams nowadays. Howard wants $10 million, but his employer wants to pay him $7 million.

And, both sides are said to be light years apart on a contract. The Phillies would gladly like to offer him something in the range of Chase Utley's 7-year $85 million contract he inked last year, but Howard's team wants none of that. They want that Alfonso Soriano money, like 8 years and $135 million.

No, I'm not joking. They are $50 million apart. The problem is Howard is now 28 years old and if he were to ink a long-term deal he'd be 35 by the end of it.

I'm ok with them signing him to a long-term deal, but don't know if they are. They should sign him to a long-term deal and it's simple why. They screwed him out of two seasons by making that foolish decision to sign Jim Thome back in 2003. That turned out to be a potential franchise killer.

Thankfully Ed Wade didn't leave a mark in the form of a big turd stain on this franchise by trading Ryan Howard and riding out the Thome era.

Thankfully Dave Montgomery succumbed to the pressure of fans walking away and fired Ed Wade.

Hopefully he comes to his senses and realizes the error of the ghost of Phillies past in the form of Ed Wade and does right by Howard.

For those of you who want up to the minute coverage, Scott Lauber of The News Journal in Wilmington Delaware is outside the courtroom and doing a live blog.

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The Eagles are interested in Fitzgerald

Any other day, I'd say this is the top story, but The Rhino is in an arbitration hearing with the Phillies as I write this.

G Cobb stated today on WIP's morning show that the Eagles are interested in Larry Fitzgerald.

Apparently they are listening to Donny Mac, B West, and Dawkins and going after playmakers.

It's going to take a 1st rounder to get Fitz though. And, if the Eagles do that I think they need to trade next year's #1 pick for another first rounder this year so they can land either a pass rusher or defensive back/return man.

That's if they don't sign my guy Nnamdi Asomugha, the great cornerback on Oakland. If he gets franchised by tomorrow's 4:00 PM deadline I'd be happy to see them get Asante Samuel though.

It's gonna cost them and Lito will be even more pissed considering he's chirping about being underpaid.

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Flyers streak continues and Sixers' ends

Last night was a tale of two streaks of two teams headed in seemingly opposite directions.

The Flyers took a 7-game losing streak into Ottawa last night and promptly lost, thereby extending this awful streak to 8 games.

And, the Sixers also headed north and lost to the lowly Timberwolves, thereby breaking their 6-game winning streak.

Don't worry though. The Sixers face the Knick tonight, the panacea for all your losing woes. No way I see them losing to the Bricks.

The same can't be said for the Flyers though. I could see this streak heading into the double digits. With Danny Briere resembling Pee Wee Herman out there and disappearing like Mr. Invisible the Flyers are deader than a piece of roadkill.

Not True

Eagles deny rumor of Lito Sheppard and agent being allowed to seek a trade



Last night, Howard Eskin called into Glen Macnow's show on WIP and as he so often does, spoke for the organization and shot down the Lito Sheppard rumor.

Yesterday evening John Clayton broke a supposed "story" on ESPN and stated that the Eagles granted Lito Sheppard permission to seek a trade.

Primarily this is in large part due to his contract, which calls for a number of under $3 million this season. Lito Sheppard is still signed to a long-term deal he signed in the 2004 season, which is a bargain despite Sheppard's injury woes (because he is a great corner when healthy).

Ike Reese made some good points last night about the contract I like to call a "Joe Banner Special."

Banner locks up these young players in their second or third seasons to long-term deals and gives them decent upfront money. To players like Trent Cole who are still on their rookie deals, $9 million upfront is a lot of money, especially considering a player like Cole was picked in the 5th round and didn't get a lot of money on his rookie deal.

Then as time goes on other players in the league get big time deals and Cole is underpaid.

I agree with Ike in that it's a smart business move, but in the end it just pisses players off and especially now when the cap is out of site like it is. Free agency as we know it is dead.

We'll be lucky to see the Eagles "hopefully" overpay for Asante Samuel. I'd love for them to get Oakland's stud corner Nnamdi Asomogha via free agency, but I can't see how they can not franchise him.

And, the Joe Banner Special is going to become a thing of the past now that the Eagles will no longer have to worry about not signing their free agents.

The cap is once again going up this year, $7 million to be exact, and it will be at $116 million.


At some point it would be in Roger Goodell's best interests to stop allowing this cap to rise, because parity will become a thing of the past and we'll have a league much like the NBA.

And, who the hell wants that?

I say where there's smoke there's fire though in regards to Sheppard. Agents put these kind of stories out there to let the team know their player is unhappy. And, Sheppard knows he has the Eagles by the balls because their defensive backfield is a weakness, not a strength.

It would be in their best interests to not only keep Sheppard, but add a player like Asante Samuel.

That's if they can.

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Forsberg won't be the Flyers' savior

The Flyers confirmed yesterday afternoon that Peter Forsberg won't be coming to the Flyers or any team for that matter.

His agent told the team that his ankle will not be ready this season.

So much for that one.

They head to Ottawa tonight and will attempt to stop the bleeding known as their 7-game losing streak.

The Senators are on a 3-game skid of their own. And, being that they're the top team in the East, that doesn't bode well for the Flyers.

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Howard going for the 10 spot

Wednesday is the big day for Ryan Howard. He and the Phillies are set for the arbitration hearing on Wednesday.

Look for him to get awarded $10 million.

Free Falling

Flyers lose 7th in a row and head to Ottawa Tuesday night



Once again, the Flyers lost 4-3. Is it me or do they score 3 goals pretty much every game they lose? I was curious and looked into this odd phenomena and you know what? They've lost 5 of their 7 games on this current skid when scoring 3 goals. Three times the score was 4-3 and two other times it was 5-3.

And, I broke down their entire schedule this season and they have lost 11 games (24 total losses) when scoring 3 goals including seven games when they lost 4-3. What's that tell you? It tells you their defense and goalie pretty much blow.

On this horrific seven game losing streak it culminated in Ed Snider having a closed door meeting with the team last night, which lasted over 10 minutes.

Times like this call for drastic measures. What does that mean? Will Forsberg be brought in? Will they trade for a top shelf goaltender? After all, Marin Biron has yet to ever play in a playoff game. And, has he done much to convince you he's capable of leading this team very far?

The odds are the Flyers will lose their 8th in a row tonight when they head to Ottawa. They are on a 3-game skid and are a better team.

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Kendrick gets punked

In case you haven't seen it last night on Sportscenter, Kyle Kendrick was the victim of a prank by the Phillies management and team.

They convinced him he was getting swapped for hotdog champ Kobayshi.



And, then Brett Myers delivers the line at the end. Good stuff.

Nice to the see the Phillies keeping it loose. You gotta love the players on this team. They're a fun group of guys.

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Deny-deny-deny

Bill Belichick finally spoke about "spy gate" and claims they never taped the Rams before the Super Bowl.

And, he claims he's never seen another team's practice film prior to playing that team.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3251081

I guess we're supposed to take him at his word huh? He must think the public is a bunch of friggin' morons.

Weekly Wrap-Up

The King of Philly sports talk would've had Clemens for lunch



In a week that was light for developments in Philly, the big topic was the Congressional Hearings in D.C. The stars of the show were Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee. And, that eventful day certainly didn't disappoint in the entertainment factor.

Clemens was grilled by Elijah Cummings in such a way that it would make Sam Waterston's character on Law and Order cringe. It was uncomfortable to watch Clemens cowering to the Congressman from Maryland.

Now, if 610-WIP's Howard Eskin were asking the questions, one could fantasize about how he would chop Clemens down like a bonsai tree with a chainsaw. Now, let's suspend disbelief and picture Howard Eskin as a representative from PA. Instead of Jim Gerlach representing Montgomery County, it would be Eskin. Now, let's get a look at Eskin treating Clemens like one of his callers who "comes to the table" with no argument.

Eskin: Roger, do you expect the American people to believe that your best friend Andy Pettite misremembered a conversation?

Clemens: I'm telling you that's what I believe. He-he didn't understand or remember properly what I told him about what I said about my wife taking that HGH.

Eskin: Clemens, you are a moron and a dope. I should eject you from this proceeding, but I still have another 9 1/2 minutes to fry your ass! Moving along. You said that you didn't know about the Mitchell Report until it came out. But, we have tape of one of your flunkies talking to McNamee about how you and Pettite were going to be EXPOSED!

Clemens: I don't know nuttin' about that Mr. Eskin.

Eskin: My father's Mr. Eskin, just call me Howard.

Clemens: Ok Howard. I don't appreciate you belittling me like a retarded mentally handicapped person.

Eskin: Well, come to the table with something better you nitwit. You tell us your friend misremembered something that several other people corroborated it. You say you didn't know about the report, but your flunkie was on TAPE. How can you expect us to think you didn't know about it?

Clemens: I wasn't told by my people about it.

Eskin: But, he was on tape representing you! Now, why did you bring your nanny to your house before this hearing? What's wrong with you? You were witness tampering weren't you RO-GER.

Clemens: No I was not. I was trying to help you all out.

Eskin: Help this out genius. You must think I'm stupid don't you.

Clemens: No I do not. I just want to get my story straight.

Eskin: Get your story straight. It's more crooked than John Street you dope! Now, explain to us why you didn't have the team doctor inject B12-as you say into your ass.

Clemens: I thought Brian was a real legitimate doctor. He told me he had a PHD.

Eskin: You could have a PHD in Philosophy theoretically. Does that mean I'm going to allow some dope with a BS degree like that operate on me?

Clemens: Sir?

Eskin: Does that mean I'll have some dope with a PHD in philosophy operate on me? Answer the question.

Clemens: Depends if he told you he had a PHD in medicine or not.

Eskin: I can't take it. You can't even answer a simple friggin' question! Beat it! Beat it you moron! Get him out of my sight. That's all I have for him. Give my other 7 minutes to somebody else. I can't take it anymore. And, get that friggin' ambulance chaser Rusty Hardin out of here to. I feel like I need to take a shower being in the same room with you, you're so filthy! Beat it punk!

And, thus concludes Rep. Eskin's questions for Roger Clemens.

Streaking

Sixers head into All-Star break on 5-game winning streak



Yes, the Sixers are streaking just like Will Ferrell in that classic scene in "Old School."



They won all five games on their season-long 5-game homestand and are now sitting in 8th place in the Eastern Conference with a 23-30 record.

Imagine that. Many of the prognosticators including myself pegged them as a 30-win team. I even thought they were a 30-win team up until a week ago when they had a 18-30 record. Afterall, they had a .375 winning precentage and were on pace for just 31 wins. 30.75 if you do the math.

So, what I think of this winning streak? I think it's good and bad. It's bad for the obvious reason and I won't beat those reasons to death about how this team needs a top 5 draft pick. It's good because their younger players are developing at a tremendous rate (i.e. Thaddeus Young). Is anybody with me on this? I think Young could become a superstar in this league.

There are some players whom you watch as rookies and you just see something special about them, regardless of their overall numbers. And, Young is of that ilk. He has a certain swagger and understanding of the game that's intangible. And, he's athletic as hell. He's started 6 games in a row and over the 5-game winning streak he's averaging 11 points and 8 boards a game. And, unlike many young players he shoots at a high percentage (52%).

On the season he's averaging 6.6 points, 3.9 boards, and .78 steals per game in just 17.5 minutes. If you average those numbers out over 48 minutes his line reads like this: 18, 11, and 2 steals per game.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say he'll be an All-Star within 3 years and a serious star in this league.

With that said, this team needs a stud power forward in the worst way. Youth at the point is in order too. Louis Williams is a nice player, but I don't see him as a point in this league.

There is plenty to hope for though in the future.

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Phils sign Benson

This is a Dave Montgomery special. The Phillies have signed Kris Benson to an incentive-laden one-year contract.

And, he might not even be ready to pitch until June.

The reason for this is because Kyle Lohse has been deemed unable to sign. And, all of the other teams who are interested agree. No shock that Scott Boras is representing him.

Benson is a career .500 pitcher and coming off rotator cuff surgery. Don't expect much. But, you can expect a lot of fun quotes from the always controversial and sexy Anna Benson.

It will be fun looking at her down at the Bank this summer.



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Clemens looks ridiculous

I would be remiss to ignore this topic completely, but there isn't much I can tell you that you haven't heard already.

The one thing that was quite appalling was the partisan politicking going on yesterday. For Democrats to be against Clemens and Republicans to be for him was the sheer epitome of our political system these days.

You'd have to be braindead to believe Clemens though. His defense of Pettite "misremembering" what Clemens told him about his wife being on HGH ranks up there with O.J.'s golfing excuse.

Unbelievable.

And, what's up with Clemens' lawyer Rusty Hardin? This guy is sleezier than those lawyers you see on the midday ambulance chaser commercials.



For those of you in Arizona in the Phoenix area you know just the guy I'm talking about...man I wish I had a photo to show.

Coming to Philly?

Phillies close to signing Kris Benson



Kris Benson's agent has said the Phillies are close to signing his client.

And, that means of course we are that much closer to having the hottest wife of an athlete in town. Woo hoo!

Nevermind that he hasn't pitched in two years

4 Straight

Sixers put on defensive stand and defeat Mavs 84-76



I must admit that I was impressed by the Sixers' win last night. So what that the Mavs were playing a back-to-back game and were on the road.

Never mind that went stone cold from the field in the second half. The Sixers played a legitimate Western Conference team and schooled them.

The result was an 84-76 gem.

I'm still of the opinion that this team needs to play it's younger players and tank this season. However, it's becoming apparent that they're not a terrible team. In fact, they're fun to watch and the future is quite bright.

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Could an elite cornerback be a possible target for the Eagles?

There are two players who look to become free agents that I can see the Eagles targeting. One of them is New England Patriots safety Asante Samuel, who will no doubt want ridiculous, Nate Clements type money.

And, the other one, who I'd rather see them go after is Oakland Raiders shutdown stud Nnamdi Asomugha. He is so good that teams didn't even bother throwing to him this year. He was targeting something like 11 times all season. This after his 2006 campaign in which he picked off 8 balls. He's young (26 years old), big (6-2 and 210 pounds) and as good as it gets.

If they acquire him, they can move Sheldon Brown to safety and it will make everybody that much better because opposing quarterbacks will have to throw to somebody. And, that means Lito Sheppard can pick passes off once again.

And, for those of us wondering what to do about the return game. How about this for a thought? Move Lito to punt and kick return duties.

If he's healthy that is. That's a big if. I've been down on Lito because he gets hurt whenever the wind blows. The Eagles need to figure that out. If not, then a return specialist has to be a top target in the draft.

Although, I'd love to see them pull off a trifecta and that's sign Asomugha, trade their #1 pick for Larry Fitzgerald, trade next year's #1 pick to get a 1st rounder this year, and then draft a stud defensive end or defensive back/return man in the 1st round.

Those three moves would catapult this team back into the elite class of teams in the NFL.

Playoffs?

Sixers stand just a 1/2 game out of the 8th seed in East



The biggest joke in Pro Sports, the NBA's Eastern Conference is enabling the Sixers of all teams to be in a playoff race. Didn't we hear this last year?

And, they're 9 games below .500! What a joke.

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to see the youngsters playing good ball. Stefanski implemented an effective system that utilizes an up-tempo offense and the trade of Kyle Korver has enabled players like Thaddeus Young and Rodney Carney to get more playing time.

But, the fact remains this team needs to reach it's low point before making that climb back up to the pinnacle.

In any sport you have to reach the lowest of lows to get those high draft choices. The Sixers haven't done this yet. Last year they had a great shot at it and chose to go on a senseless 7-game winning streak.

Now, this season they're doing the same damn thing rather than doing what should be done and that's trading Andre Miller and moving Andre Iguodala.

Yes, I said it. They need to trade Andre Iguodala. He is a nice player, someone that I'd pay no more than $7-$8 million per season. But, he wants more than $11 million per year. After all, he rejected a 5-year $55 million offer by Billy King before the season began.

How insane is that?

This team needs a big-time post player. Those are the players you hand out big money too, not dime a dozen "athletes" like Andre Iguodala.

And, by moving Miller and Iguodala for draft picks and cap relief they will increase their odds at landing a franchise point guard like Derrick Rose or a potential franchise player like forward Michael Beasley or center DeAndre Jordan.

The trade deadline is on the horizon, but the Sixers appear in no hurry to move either player. And, that's a mistake.

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Danny Snyder is back



The biggest idiot in pro sports is back at it again and I'm talking about Redskins owner Daniel Snyder.

He screwed himself out of landing an up and coming coach in Steve Spagnuola by having an offensive coordinator already in place. So, what did this dope do?

He promoted the offensive coordinator he hired (Jim Zorn) to head coach.

Wha-what?

Yep-he promoted a former quarterback coach from Seattle to head coach.

And, sure some people may point to Andy Reid being of the same ilk (he was a QB coach in Green Bay) but this move reeks of disaster.

Snider is running the show in Washington and has a puppet back in there as coach now that Gibbs is gone. This certainly means the Eagles won't finish last next season.

Weekly Wrap-Up

Tyrone Biggums may be a crackhead, but he can see the Eagles need to make moves



Imagine this, Tyrone Biggums, the infamous crackhead is a talking head. He and Stephen A Smith are going at it on ESPN during one of their "filler segments."

They wouldn't have a whole lot to argue about though since it's been a slow news week in Philly. The biggest news was the Eagles re-signing L.J. Smith.

Stephen A: Why in the world would the Eagles franchise L.J. Smith? He was worrying about his contract all season long and didn't deliver one bit. He was a flat out bum. And, now they franchise him and he's already complaining about his money!

Tyrone: Y'know the motherf****rs couldn't git into da end zone all f***ing season long. When they got into there, they was like a motherf***a who just smoked a lot of sherm and hit a couple 40's of Hurricane. They need a cat to go down the middle of the field and be a threat. L.J. Smith if the cat is healthy can fly with the best motherf****rs in the game. And, if they didn't re-sign his ass, they wouldn't be able to get nobody on the open market.

Stephen A: That is quite an analysis Tyrone. Unfortunately you dropped more f-bombs than Michael Vick after he got sentenced. Moving along. How are the Eagles gonna compete with the Giants next season? The Giants have Michael Strahan, Osi Yumenyiora, and Jason Tuck. The Eagles have Trent Cole and two broken down bottom feeders in Jevon Kearse and Darren Howard.

Tyrone: Like my boy Jerome tells me down the way, if you got strong dogs you bread them sh**s together so you git some more strong dogs. But, if you got one dog with nobody to breed with it's just gonna be f****g your couch.

Stephen A: Tyrone, what the hell are you talking about?

Tyrone: Either they need to be bringing some new dogs in the stable through that draft, or they gotta trade for a new one, cuz they got one dude out there playing with himself.

Stephen A: Well said, Tyrone. I was hoping your brains still had something left. But, who are they gonna draft? And, if they draft somebody you know they won't play, cuz the Eagles always redshirt their rookies. The Eagles franchise is on the way down and I don't see them getting back up, because like all Philly teams they choke and they fall down and stay down for a LONG time.

Tyrone: Hey Stephen what do you think about that s**t the other night with the Flyers playing like a buch of strung out crackheads when they honored Ron Hextall.

Stephen A: That's nothing new in Philly Tyrone. I was there when they lost the final game at the Vet. I was there when the Phillies lost the final game at the Vet. And, I was there when they honored the '83 Sixers team and Dr. J and lost. They always lose when they honor a great team or a hero.

Tyrone: Yeah. No s**t.

Stephen A: Then, what you ask me for?

Tyrone: I'm trying to keep the flow going here man.

Stephen: Tyrone, about the only thing you're keeping moving is the stench throughout this studio. You need to take a shower!

Tyrone: A shower no good for my skin. I'm ashy enuff as it is.

Stephen A: Tyrone! What are you doing?

Tyrone Biggums starts lighting up his crackpipe on the set.

Stephen A: Cut to commercial! That's all we got folks, you've been watching Sportscenter, and our segment called "Focus." I'm Stephen A Smith.

Tyrone: And, I'm Tyrone Biggums and smoke it if you got it!

Hextall Honored

Flyers lose on the night they honor Ron Hextall



The Flyers kept a Philly tradition alive last night in losing to the Capitals. They lost on the night of honoring one of their greats-Ron Hextall. Keeping with the tradition set by the Eagles who got raped by the Seahawks 42-0 on the night they honored Reggie White and the Sixers who lost to the Seahawks this past December when they honored the '83 team. The Phillies of course lost their final game at the Vet when they honored the legends of the franchise. And, who could forget the Eagles laying a big, giant turd, and totally dishonoring the Vet in their final game there by getting embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Bucs in what I refer to as The Debacle I, which still stings as much as it did on that horrible day.



It seems that whenever our teams decide to honor a great player, team, or when it's their final game the ownership steps up to the plate with a bouquet of flowers, wedding cake, and four course meals. But, the players seem to serve up a pile of fly infested diarrhea and two-week old rotten meat. You gotta admit, there's something to be said when our teams lose on occasions like this.

Ron Hextall was honored last night after the first period and inducted into the Flyers Hall of Fame. It was a hell of a ceremony, with his family joining him on the ice. And, he gave quite a speech and for the non-Philly haters out there, he spoke kindly of the great fans.

He got choked up when he spoke of GM Paul Holmgren, whom he called a true friend.

Too bad the Flyers couldn't come through though and that's an understatement. They barely showed up, having been down 4-1 at one point in this contest. Ultimately, they lost 4-3 last night.

If you're a betting man, make sure you put money on the other team on a night when one of our teams honors somebody because our teams are sure to serve up a turd when the ownership and management put on a banquet.

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Mets introduce Santana

Santana's introduction to New York was one akin to welcoming a King.

Seems to have pissed off the Daily News' Rich Hoffman just a tad.

You have to admit the ceremony is pretty sickening.

I'm more sickened by the fact that the Phillies didn't even bother trying to go after him. Carlos Carrasco alone was better than any of the scrubs the Mets threw at the Twins for him.

Sixers Rally

Sixers come from behind to beat the Wizards



There is absolutely nothing new to report on today in Philly sports (on the pro scene at least) aside from the Sixers winning and a tidbit on the Phils. So, I'm forced to give you a little something on the Sixers' game last night. OK, go ahead and click off the page.

For those of you who didn't click away, they beat the Wizards 90-78.

Anytime the Sixers beat anybody, let alone a decent team like the Wizards you have to attribute it to the opponent partying too much the night before.

In fact, Gilbert Arenas was spotted at a party last night in Washington.



I lied, I just got that pic off google images.

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No news yet on top QB recruit Pryor

Ok, this is sort of Philly sports related. Well, it's a stretch, but the top college football recruit in the nation resides in Western PA and his name is Terrelle Pryor.

He's a 6'6" quarterback and the only QB ever in PA history to rush for 4,000 yards and throw for 4,000 yards in his career.

And, oh yeah he's thinking about playing for Joe Pa in Happy Valley. Suffice it to say he is not announcing where he's playing yet even though today is national signing day. If he goes to Penn State, you can imagine how much it will elevate their program and the hype for them too.

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Phillies looking at Kris Benson

Once again the Phillies are going on the cheap for pitching, or hoping to do so. They are taking a look at pitching washout and former #1 overall pick Kris Benson.

This proves once again that the Phillies are like the homeless picking through the trash.

Trade Not Imminent

Raven's GM denies a trade is in the works



Well, it didn't take long for Baltimore to shoot down this trade rumor. Yesterday, Baltimore Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome shot down the trade rumor regarding Donovan McNabb.

Naturally the Ravens need a new signal caller since Steve McNair is shot like a $100 junker car.

The Ravens are just a year removed from winning the AFC North and going 13-3. They still have a stellar defense in place. Hell, they almost beat the Patriots. So, it would behoove them to get an experienced starter.

But, who is out there that is worth a damn that could possibly be pried away? McNabb maybe, but not for just a first round pick. The Eagles would likely ask for that pick, a second rounder, and a player like Ed Reed.

In other words, I don't think this one is happening. Banner and Reid have been adamant about McNabb returning in '08.

This is just another message board/ESPN rumor which is permeating throughout the internet like a perfume scent in a room.

This is how people pass time in the offseason; they throw rumors out there. Heck, if you sling enough (expletive deleted) against the wall, it just might stick.

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From the bench to Memphis



Thought to be pretty much done playing, Aaron McKie was serving as an assistant coach on the Sixers this season.

In fact, he had finished his two-year contract with the Lakers and the Sixers were still on the hook for $6 million owed to him this year.

And, then the Pau Gasol trade happened, which meant the Lakers had to sign McKie to a three-year deal with one year guaranteed. And, he was shipped to Memphis in the deal.

Is your head spinning yet? Basically McKie was a contract included in the deal (a sign and trade) but being that he was signed to a deal, Memphis obligated him to try and play.

He only played in 10 games last year barely averaging 2 points a game, so the odds are he won't do much.

Just another example of the screwed up structure of the NBA. McKie was released by the Sixers three years ago, but they're still paying him because of the guaranteed contract he signed. They opted to use the so-called "amnesty clause" which grants a team the right to cut a player under contract, but they still have to pay the remaining years on a deal (i.e. Chris Webber last year).

Gee, do you think it's time the NBA owners got together and fixed this salary structure once and for all. Just think how much better the league would be if they adopt a system like the NFL's. It may take a work stoppage of over a season, but the game would be much better off.

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Sixers blow 20-point lead

And, finally a little Sixers news. They led by 20 points in the first quarter last night against the Atlanta Hawks, only to lose 96-91 before it was all said and done.

Josh Smith abused the Sixers like beaten orphans. He had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists and 9 blocks. Mo Cheeks had this to say about his performance, "Josh Smith changes the game with his blocked shots." That's like saying Idi Amin slaughtered a lot of people!

The Sixers fell to 18-30, good for 5th worst in the East and 9th worst overall.

Shocker

Giants pull off the unthinkable and upset the Pats, winning 17-14



Yesterday I said I was rooting for the Giants. Not because I am a fake Eagles fan or because I want to see another division foe win their third title since 1983, when we of course have zero titles in any sport since then.

I rooted for them simply because I hated the Patriots more. In fact, I don't hate the Giants as much anymore. I've gotten over the "ticket-gate" sham in 2000 when they wouldn't allow Eagles fans to buy tickets to the divisional playoff game, in which only 60 Eagles reportedly were able to get tickets. That was before the days of stubhub however. And, I got over the alleged play stealing by the Giants. It's never been proven, but was awful suspicious. Maybe, the Giants were just a better team back then when they beat the Eagles 8 games in a row.

Then the Giants took a dump in the 2000's and were a "one-n-outter" until this year.

I rooted for them because the Patriots are a classless organization. Simple as that. I like Tom Brady, but it's a damn shame he's on a team I totally hate. Unlike the Chicago Bulls dynasty, which I rooted for, I despise the Patriots. I will admit I rooted for them in 2001 when they went on their run, but that was before they became an evil empire. Bellichick is a curmudgeon and the players on the team like Tedy Brusci act like they invented "team work."

That team work pre-game slop with the Patriots made me sick to my stomach.

Last night was one of the greatest nights in sports for me. It was akin to the Spurs knocking off the Lakers, halting their 4th straight championship. And, it was akin to the Pistons beating the Lakers in the finals. And, it ranked up there with the D-backs knocking off the Yankees in the 2001 World Series.

I like rooting for underdogs and I must admit I felt good when I saw Eli Manning pull it off last night. That drive at the end was one for the ages.

Now, the Eagles better not try and spin things and say how close they are to the Giants. They need to upgrade, upgrade, and upgrade some more. They need to go after Larry Fitzgerald, Dallas Clark, and get some animals on defense to get after the quarterback and create turnovers.

Because, their defense while decent this year is an alley cat, where as the attacking Giants defense is a tiger. And, they bring that style of defense back, like the one we saw in the late 80's and early 2000's. And, maybe then we'll stop watching everybody else win Super Bowls. Because Dallas isn't about to take a step back.

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Were the Eagles cheated out of a Super Bowl in 2005?

Arlen Spector sure thinks so judging by his conversation with Angelo Cataldi on the Morning Show this morning on 610 WIP.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080204_Were_Eagles_cheated__Specter_asking_NFL.html

When asked if he would ask Commissioner Goodell if the Eagles got cheated he said that would be his "lead question."

One thing is for sure, the Patriots brought their D-game last night. Had they brought their D-game against the Eagles, there's no doubt they would have brought the Lombardi trophy to Philly.

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

Ravens interested in McNabb?

The Ravens reportedly are going to go after McNabb, now that former Eagles coach John Harbaugh is running the show.

Word is they're prepared to make a substantial offer for him. What that is yet, we don't know.

Should get interesting in the coming weeks.

Pick Your Poison

It's a tough choice, but I'm going with the Giants.



By, now you've heard everybody chime in about the Super Bowl today. Just who the hell do you root for?

The Giants are a hated division rival. And, the Patriots are an arrogant team who many of us hate just as much as the Cowboys. I've spoken to some Eagles fans who are "old heads" and they hate the Patriots more than the Cowboys and would root for the Cowboys if it came down to it.

I wouldn't go that far though.

It's bad though. It's like choosing between giving a hummer on the street to a homeless man or getting hung by your toenails. It's the choice between "doing it" with your sister or your mom.

Who to pick? I'm not gonna pussy out and abstain and "accept" that somebody has to win.

I'm going with the Giants and only because I hate them slightly less than the Patriots.

And, I love the fact that the most prominent Eagles fan in politics is going after the Patriots now. Yes, I'm talking about Arlen Spector.



I don't even agree with him doing this, but screw it. Anything to get under the pompous Patriots' collective skins is good enough for me.

Weekly Wrap-Up

What if Michael from "The Office" were running the Phillies and Eagles?



Imagine for a second that everybody's favorite boss from TV, Michael Scott on NBC's "The Office" were running the show for the Phillies and Eagles.

What would he have to say for himself this week with the Mets trading for Santana? Or, after the Phillies scooped up (no pun intended) defensive stalwart Pedro Feliz to play third base. Or, what would he have to say about Brian Westbrook and Jon Runyan joining forces with McNabb in asking for some help.

First off, here's Michael Scott's reaction to the Mets getting Santana, while on the phone with the Daily News' Bill Conlin.

Conlin: Michael, you guys are clearly not going to be the team to beat now that the Mets pulled off this coup.

Michael: Are you kidding me Bill? He's only going to be out there every 5th day. Heck, some of his starts might even be rained out and then he gets bumped back another 5 days. Or, he could be scheduled to pitch against us and there's a rain out.

Conlin: Michael, if the game is rained out he just pitches the next day.

Michael: Not if it's the third game against us.

Conlin: So, you're banking on rain outs?

Michael: Hey listen Bill, you let me run the ballclub and you can sit there and hypothesize and theorize about how the Mets are all of a sudden better than us, which they're not. We have J Roll, Howard, Utley, Cole Hamels, Brett Myers. I'll take my troops over there's any day of the week. And, we just pulled off a serious move by getting Pedro Feliz. His addition makes us a World Series threat.

Conlin: Can I quote you on that?

Michael: Yeah! And, I want you to also say I said to Omar Minaya he can kiss my ass because I've yet to get that Keith Hernandez autographed jersey in the mail.

Conlin: You want me to put that in my column.

Michael: Yes.

Conlin: Ok, we'll see.

And, the busiest man in pro sports Michael Scott also happens to be the GM of the Eagles, much like former Trailblazers and Seahawks exec Bob Whitsitt. Here's Michael sitting down with Brian Westbrook and discussing B West's comments this week about playmakers being needed.

B West: Hey Michael, I guess you heard about my comments.

Michael: No, what did you say?

B West: Don't you watch TV?

Michael: No, Brian some of us have lives. I was catching up on season four of The Wire since the new season just came out.

B West: Oh, you're down with The Wire.

Michael: You know it homey. I'm the coolest white boy boss on this side of the ocean.

B West: Ah, ok. I'd hate to ruin the latest episode then when Prop Joe died.

Michael: He died?

B West: Sad to say.

Michael: All s**t!

B West: Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I wasn't trying to trash my team mates when I said I agreed with Donovan.

Michael: Oh, no of course not.

B West: But, Michael between you and me, we need to get some better s**t on this team. If I gotta watch Reno Mahe takes punts for another year I'm gonna f**k with you all and hold out.

Michael: You can't do that, you're under contract.

B West: Look man, I'm the whole offense. I can put this team under.

Michael: I'll talk to Fletcher about that.

B West: I already told him. And, don't be putting Sean Considine out there no more. He's a bitch. The dude makes Pee Wee Herman look like Mike Tyson.

Michael: You mean he changes colors?

B West: Huh? Are you hearing me Michael? You need to get some more talent on this team. The fans aint trying to hear that 8 and 8 BS and we aint trying to hear it either. The natives are getting restless Michael.

Michael: Are you guys going to riot?

B West: We might.

Michael: Awww, come on man! Don't do me like this.

B West: Michael, you know we cool, but if you don't get us some help, it's your ass.

Michael: So, no more Reno Mahe.

B West: Hell no.

Michael: And, no more Considine.

B West: Nope. And, get rid of Jevon, he's stealing money. He's my boy and all, but he lost it.

Michael: Ok. It's a deal.

B West: My man.

And, that's how the wheels were set into motion to improve the Eagles this off-season.