Even though they were down 3-2 in the series, you had to feel as if the Sixers had the Magic right where they wanted them in Game 6. Dwight Howard, Orlando's best player, had been suspended, and Courtney Lee, their surprising rookie, was out for the rest of the series. The game was in Philadelphia, and the crowd was hungry to see the Sixers take the series to a Game 7. No problem, right?
Well, without their big man on the inside, the Magic shot the lights out from the outside all night, finishing the game with 12 three pointers and shooting 53% from the field in a dominating 114-89 victory to end Philadelphia's season. Andre Miller finished with 24 points, and Andre Iguodala added 20, but it wasn't even close to good enough tonight. Each of Orlando's starters finished in double figures in scoring, led by Rashard Lewis' 29 points. The Magic also had 14 more assists than the Sixers, which obviously led to their high field goal percentage. Orlando will now play either the Bulls or the Celtics in the next round, while the Sixers will be just like the rest of us, sitting at home, watching the games on TV.
In a way, this series was a microcosm of the entire Philadelphia season. When Elton Brand came into Philadelphia during the off season, he was supposed to push the Sixers to that elite level of the Eastern Conference. People thought the Sixers could hang with the likes of Cleveland, Boston and Orlando this season. Instead, Philadelphia's fast paced offense wasn't a good fit at all for Brand. Coach Maurice Cheeks was fired, and Tony DiLeo took over. As this series started, people weren't expecting much, but the win in Game 1 made people think the upset could happen. A win in Game 3 only furthered this belief, and you could feel the momentum going the way of the Sixers, just like the good feelings when Brand signed this off season.
From there, though, it was all downhill. The Magic took Game 4, then went back down to Orlando and won Game 5 and finished the Sixers off tonight. Again, this was like the end of Philadelphia's regular season, after the Sixers clinched a playoff spot. Those last two weeks of the season were painful to watch as the Sixers basically gave up after clinching a playoff spot. Should they have continued to play their hearts out? Of course, but it didn't seem like they were. That was the same feeling I had watching the last three games of this series. The Sixers had the Magic right where they wanted them. They were up two games to one, with Game 4 in Philadelphia. Who knows what happens if they manage to win that game? Instead, they got complacent, just like at the end of the regular season.
Now, the season is over. Where do the Sixers go from here? Obviously, they have to figure out what to do about Tony DiLeo and whether or not they want to keep him on as head coach. At this point, I think it might be best to keep him around. The team certainly responded to him once Cheeks was shown the door, despite the end to the regular season, and it's clear that he knows how to run the fast paced offense that the Sixers are meant to run. The next question comes thanks to Andre Miller's expiring contract. Miller is the only major player on the Sixers to become an UFA this off season, and the Sixers have to decide whether to keep him around for the next few seasons, or place Lou Williams into the starting lineup. I like Lou Williams, but I still have some questions about him. However, I'm also not sure that the Sixers are going to be willing to offer anything substantial to Miller, especially with all the money that they tied into Elton Brand last off season. That is my other concern: what do they do with Elton Brand? Clearly, the first year of his time in Philadelphia was a disaster, and the Sixers have him for another four years.
The only problem with that is that his contract is so large that no team in their right mind would accept a trade for him, so it looks like the Sixers will be stuck with him. While that might not be a bad thing, it seemed as if trying to put him into the Philadelphia offense seemed like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole...it just didn't work. They're going to have to try to do something next year, or the fans are going to turn on Brand very quickly. We Philadelphia fans to not take kindly to players that we think aren't earning their money.
For now, the only thing we can do is sit back and wait. The Sixers have a good young core, with Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, Marreese Speights, Sam Dalembert and Willie Green, but it seems like they might still be one or two players away from reaching that upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. If they can't get the players that fit, or Elton Brand continues to be a disappointment, it looks like the future is only going to hold more of these same playoff series in the near future. It's time for the Sixers to get past this phase of their development. It's time for them to win a playoff series next season.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Dwight Howard Suspended for Game 6
In case you haven't read ESPN.com, Dwight Howard
has been suspended for Game 6 of the Sixers/Magic first round series. That seems about right, considering he tried to take Samuel Dalembert's head off with an elbow early in Game 5. I would have liked to have seen him thrown out for that, but a suspension will do just fine.
This at least improves Philadelphia's chance of taking the series to a Game 7, but you know Howard will be rested and angry if that game takes place. Either way, the Sixers fight for their playoff lives tomorrow night.
ESPN Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4112203
has been suspended for Game 6 of the Sixers/Magic first round series. That seems about right, considering he tried to take Samuel Dalembert's head off with an elbow early in Game 5. I would have liked to have seen him thrown out for that, but a suspension will do just fine.
This at least improves Philadelphia's chance of taking the series to a Game 7, but you know Howard will be rested and angry if that game takes place. Either way, the Sixers fight for their playoff lives tomorrow night.
ESPN Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4112203
Phillies Recap: Nationals-4, Phillies-1
Game Recap:
The Washington Nationals ended Philadelphia's five game winning streak behind a solid effort from pitcher Scott Olsen. Shane Victorino hit his third home run of the season, but it wasn't enough.
What went right?
As mentioned, Shane Victorino drilled his third homer of the season in the bottom of the first inning. Victorino now has 15 RBI, good for third on the team with Ryan Howard.
Jimmy Rollins continued to warm back up, going 2-5 and raising his batting average above .200 for the season.
Brett Myers went six innings, and didn't allow a home run...
What went wrong?
...But he did lose his control in some key spots, including a walk to Scott Olsen, the opposing pitcher, in the third inning. He also gave up eight hits and struggled after coasting through the first two innings.
The offense as a unit was silent, picking up only seven hits and striking out eight times after scoring 46 runs in during their five game winning streak.
Game Analysis:
Not much to say after a game like tonight. It was nice to see Brett Myers get through six innings, but the fact that he had to throw almost 110 pitches to get there is a little concerning. I know he's a workhorse, but even pitchers like Myers shouldn't be throwing that much this early in the season. All that normally does is lead to arm troubles later in the season, and the way bad luck has been sitting on Cole Hamels so far this year, the last thing the Phillies need is another pitcher with injury problems.
Fortunately for the Phillies, they can still be happy, even with the loss tonight. They had won five games in a row, and with the Mets coming into town, it might be better to just get a let down game out of the way now, before the weekend gets here. The offense has looked like it's getting closer to the 2008 version, which is a very good thing as well. Now, the Phils need to relax on their off day and get ready for the Mets. If they can keep taking two out of three in each series, there won't be much to worry about.
The Phillies have tomorrow off before starting a three game set with the New York Mets on Friday. You might remember them from choking away a seven game lead with 17 games to play in 2007, and following that up by losing ten of their last 17 games last season. Chan Ho Park (0-0, 7.16 ERA) will start in the first game against Mike Pelfrey (2-0, 6.32 ERA). It's always fun when the Mets come to town...go Phillies!
The Washington Nationals ended Philadelphia's five game winning streak behind a solid effort from pitcher Scott Olsen. Shane Victorino hit his third home run of the season, but it wasn't enough.
What went right?
As mentioned, Shane Victorino drilled his third homer of the season in the bottom of the first inning. Victorino now has 15 RBI, good for third on the team with Ryan Howard.
Jimmy Rollins continued to warm back up, going 2-5 and raising his batting average above .200 for the season.
Brett Myers went six innings, and didn't allow a home run...
What went wrong?
...But he did lose his control in some key spots, including a walk to Scott Olsen, the opposing pitcher, in the third inning. He also gave up eight hits and struggled after coasting through the first two innings.
The offense as a unit was silent, picking up only seven hits and striking out eight times after scoring 46 runs in during their five game winning streak.
Game Analysis:
Not much to say after a game like tonight. It was nice to see Brett Myers get through six innings, but the fact that he had to throw almost 110 pitches to get there is a little concerning. I know he's a workhorse, but even pitchers like Myers shouldn't be throwing that much this early in the season. All that normally does is lead to arm troubles later in the season, and the way bad luck has been sitting on Cole Hamels so far this year, the last thing the Phillies need is another pitcher with injury problems.
Fortunately for the Phillies, they can still be happy, even with the loss tonight. They had won five games in a row, and with the Mets coming into town, it might be better to just get a let down game out of the way now, before the weekend gets here. The offense has looked like it's getting closer to the 2008 version, which is a very good thing as well. Now, the Phils need to relax on their off day and get ready for the Mets. If they can keep taking two out of three in each series, there won't be much to worry about.
The Phillies have tomorrow off before starting a three game set with the New York Mets on Friday. You might remember them from choking away a seven game lead with 17 games to play in 2007, and following that up by losing ten of their last 17 games last season. Chan Ho Park (0-0, 7.16 ERA) will start in the first game against Mike Pelfrey (2-0, 6.32 ERA). It's always fun when the Mets come to town...go Phillies!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sixers have no answer for Dwight Howard as the Magic take 3-2 series lead.
For the first four games, the Sixers had been able to either keep Dwight Howard from taking over their games or stop the Magic from becoming the three point threat that they had been during the regular season. Tonight, they allowed both of those things to happen, and the result was a 91-78 Orlando victory that pushes the Sixers to the brink of elimination.
After a great start to the game, which saw Dwight Howard pick up a technical foul early, the Magic slowly began to impose their will. Howard recovered easily, and despite an early injury to Courtney Lee, the Magic were able to recover and beat the Sixers with a mix of inside scoring and outside shooting. Howard finished the game with 24 points and 24 rebounds, with ten of those rebounds coming on the offensive side. When the Sixers came inside to stop Howard, he was able to pass outside, and tonight, Orlando's shooting threats were on target, making eight three pointers. Rashard Lewis added 24 points of his own, and Rafer Alston dropped 14 points, including two three pointers of his own.
The Sixers had their moments in the second half, pulling to within four points a few times in the third quarter, but every time they got close, it seemed as if the Magic had an answer tonight. Andre Iguodala finished with 26 points, while Andre Miller added 17 and Willie Green finished with 16, but it wasn't enough. Aside from allowing the Magic to finish with 15 offensive rebounds, the Sixers turned the ball over 15 times as well, giving Orlando 30 additional chances to score. While Philadelphia went just 4-18 from behind the arc, their questionable outside defense finally showed up tonight, as they allowed the Magic to go 8-23.
This was exactly what the Sixers wanted to avoid. They had the momentum in the series when they were up 2-1, with Game 4 in Philadelphia. Now, they're headed back to the Wachovia Center down 3-2 in a must win situation just to send the series back to Orlando. They're going to have to try and stop Dwight Howard on the inside, or at least prevent him from picking up so many offensive rebounds. They're also going to have to be more disciplined to prevent turnovers, or else tonight's result is just going to repeat itself in Game 6. For now, things don't look great for the good guys, but after the heart that they've shown in this series so far, I wouldn't put anything past them.
After a great start to the game, which saw Dwight Howard pick up a technical foul early, the Magic slowly began to impose their will. Howard recovered easily, and despite an early injury to Courtney Lee, the Magic were able to recover and beat the Sixers with a mix of inside scoring and outside shooting. Howard finished the game with 24 points and 24 rebounds, with ten of those rebounds coming on the offensive side. When the Sixers came inside to stop Howard, he was able to pass outside, and tonight, Orlando's shooting threats were on target, making eight three pointers. Rashard Lewis added 24 points of his own, and Rafer Alston dropped 14 points, including two three pointers of his own.
The Sixers had their moments in the second half, pulling to within four points a few times in the third quarter, but every time they got close, it seemed as if the Magic had an answer tonight. Andre Iguodala finished with 26 points, while Andre Miller added 17 and Willie Green finished with 16, but it wasn't enough. Aside from allowing the Magic to finish with 15 offensive rebounds, the Sixers turned the ball over 15 times as well, giving Orlando 30 additional chances to score. While Philadelphia went just 4-18 from behind the arc, their questionable outside defense finally showed up tonight, as they allowed the Magic to go 8-23.
This was exactly what the Sixers wanted to avoid. They had the momentum in the series when they were up 2-1, with Game 4 in Philadelphia. Now, they're headed back to the Wachovia Center down 3-2 in a must win situation just to send the series back to Orlando. They're going to have to try and stop Dwight Howard on the inside, or at least prevent him from picking up so many offensive rebounds. They're also going to have to be more disciplined to prevent turnovers, or else tonight's result is just going to repeat itself in Game 6. For now, things don't look great for the good guys, but after the heart that they've shown in this series so far, I wouldn't put anything past them.
Phillies Recap: Phillies-7, Nationals-1
Game Recap:
Cole Hamels pitched four and 1/3 innings before having to leave the game with a sprained ankle, but Chase Utley's two home runs drove the Phillies to their fifth straight win.
What went right?
Chase Utley went 3-4 with two home runs and three RBI, giving him 20 for the young season.
Pedro Feliz added a three run home run of his own, and finished the game 2-4 with three RBI of his own.
Raul Ibanez continued to work his way into our hearts, adding his seventh homer of the season.
Before leaving the game, Cole Hamels pitched four and 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out four and walking two.
The bullpen was solid once again, allowing just one run after Hamels left, with Chad Durbin picking up the win.
What went wrong?
Cole Hamels left the game in the top of the fifth inning with what the Phillies are describing as a sprained ankle.
Game Analysis:
Ugh...what should have been a great win for the Phillies was overshadowed by another injury to Cole Hamels. He started the year with his elbow bothering him, now he's left back to back starts with injuries to his shoulder and ankle. His left ankle was injured, which is his push-off elbow, so his next start is more than likely in question.
However, the Philadelphia offense came to play once again, and Chase Utley is clearly back to his top form, drilling his sixth and seventh home runs of the season already. Pedro Feliz has also looked good, as he's hitting .333 on the season with two home runs and 14 RBI. Shane Victorino continued his hot streak, going 2-4 to raise his average to .297 now for the season, and Jimmy Rollins stole his first base tonight as well. All things considered, the Phillies are certainly putting things together at the plate.
Unfortunately, the injury to Hamels takes precedent tonight. If he is out for an extended period of time, it's certainly going to be a big problem, especially since he was starting to get back to his form from last October in his past two starts. The best option the Phils would have if Hamels is out would be to put J.A. Happ in the rotation to take Hamels' spot. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, but if it does, at least the Phillies know that Happ can hold things together while Cole gets healthy.
For now, we wait to see exactly what's up with Cole's ankle. Hopefully, it's nothing too bad. Tomorrow, Brett Myers (1-1, 4.91 ERA) looks to keep the Phils' winning streak alive against Scott Olsen (0-3, 7.29 ERA).
Cole Hamels pitched four and 1/3 innings before having to leave the game with a sprained ankle, but Chase Utley's two home runs drove the Phillies to their fifth straight win.
What went right?
Chase Utley went 3-4 with two home runs and three RBI, giving him 20 for the young season.
Pedro Feliz added a three run home run of his own, and finished the game 2-4 with three RBI of his own.
Raul Ibanez continued to work his way into our hearts, adding his seventh homer of the season.
Before leaving the game, Cole Hamels pitched four and 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out four and walking two.
The bullpen was solid once again, allowing just one run after Hamels left, with Chad Durbin picking up the win.
What went wrong?
Cole Hamels left the game in the top of the fifth inning with what the Phillies are describing as a sprained ankle.
Game Analysis:
Ugh...what should have been a great win for the Phillies was overshadowed by another injury to Cole Hamels. He started the year with his elbow bothering him, now he's left back to back starts with injuries to his shoulder and ankle. His left ankle was injured, which is his push-off elbow, so his next start is more than likely in question.
However, the Philadelphia offense came to play once again, and Chase Utley is clearly back to his top form, drilling his sixth and seventh home runs of the season already. Pedro Feliz has also looked good, as he's hitting .333 on the season with two home runs and 14 RBI. Shane Victorino continued his hot streak, going 2-4 to raise his average to .297 now for the season, and Jimmy Rollins stole his first base tonight as well. All things considered, the Phillies are certainly putting things together at the plate.
Unfortunately, the injury to Hamels takes precedent tonight. If he is out for an extended period of time, it's certainly going to be a big problem, especially since he was starting to get back to his form from last October in his past two starts. The best option the Phils would have if Hamels is out would be to put J.A. Happ in the rotation to take Hamels' spot. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that, but if it does, at least the Phillies know that Happ can hold things together while Cole gets healthy.
For now, we wait to see exactly what's up with Cole's ankle. Hopefully, it's nothing too bad. Tomorrow, Brett Myers (1-1, 4.91 ERA) looks to keep the Phils' winning streak alive against Scott Olsen (0-3, 7.29 ERA).
Monday, April 27, 2009
Phillies Recap: Phillies-13, Nationals-11
Game Recap:
The Phillies and Nationals traded shots until Raul Ibanez finished things off with a grand slam in the bottom the eighth inning. Ryan Madson worked the ninth for his first save of the year.
What went right?
Both Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez hit grand slams in the game, and each finished with four RBI.
Jimmy Rollins went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Chase Utley went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Aside from Scott Eyre, the bullpen pitched four and 2/3 innings and allowed only one run.
What went wrong?
Joe Blanton only lasted 4 and 1/3 innings after striking out the side in the first inning. He struggled to find the strike zone after that, walking three and allowing three home runs.
Scott Eyre tried his hardest to blow the game for the Phillies, going walk, home run, walk home run, walk while he was in the game.
Ryan Madson got the save, and not Brad Lidge.
Game Analysis:
Wow, what a slug fest. I'm guessing the near 90 degree heat in April had something to do with the ball flying all over Citizens Bank Park tonight, but either way, it's nice to pick up another win, especially when most people had to think the game was over. If Raul Ibanez hadn't become a Philly favorite before tonight, he certainly is now. Two game winning homers in a span of less than two weeks will certainly endear anyone to the fans in Philly.
I can't remember the last time I saw two grand slams from the Phillies in the same game, so this matchup certainly had some entertainment value. That being said, there were still some concerns. Whatever magic Joe Blanton had when he came to the Phillies last summer seems to have worn off, as teams are pounding him early in the season. He's yet to win a game, and he lasted less than five innings tonight, once again bringing up my concern about starting pitching and the bullpen. Scott Eyre did his best to blow the game, not recording an out while allowing two homers in the top of the eighth inning. He got lucky that Ibanez bailed him out, because he's quickly looking more and more like the pitcher the Cubs waived last year.
Of course, you can't overlook the good things that the Phillies did tonight, either. Both Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez drilled grand freaking slams, which is awesome. Jimmy Rollins looked like a different hitter after striking out in the first inning, picking up three hits after that. You have to question why Charlie Manuel brought in Ryan Madson instead of Brad Lidge, but one can assume he doesn't want to wear Lidge out too soon. Hopefully, that's the case, because I wouldn't think that Charlie's lost faith in Lidge this early in the year.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (0-2, 9.69 ERA) goes against John Lannan (0-2, 4.43 ERA). Lannan is best known for breaking Chase Utley's hand in 2007, and being dubbed "emo pitcher" by my friend and I. It's a long, drunken story. Either way, the Phils will be looking to move three games over .500, and Hamels is going for his first win.
Go Phils!
EDIT: It turns out that Lidge is resting a sore knee, so that's why Madson came in tonight. Hopefully, he's better soon.
The Phillies and Nationals traded shots until Raul Ibanez finished things off with a grand slam in the bottom the eighth inning. Ryan Madson worked the ninth for his first save of the year.
What went right?
Both Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez hit grand slams in the game, and each finished with four RBI.
Jimmy Rollins went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Chase Utley went 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Aside from Scott Eyre, the bullpen pitched four and 2/3 innings and allowed only one run.
What went wrong?
Joe Blanton only lasted 4 and 1/3 innings after striking out the side in the first inning. He struggled to find the strike zone after that, walking three and allowing three home runs.
Scott Eyre tried his hardest to blow the game for the Phillies, going walk, home run, walk home run, walk while he was in the game.
Ryan Madson got the save, and not Brad Lidge.
Game Analysis:
Wow, what a slug fest. I'm guessing the near 90 degree heat in April had something to do with the ball flying all over Citizens Bank Park tonight, but either way, it's nice to pick up another win, especially when most people had to think the game was over. If Raul Ibanez hadn't become a Philly favorite before tonight, he certainly is now. Two game winning homers in a span of less than two weeks will certainly endear anyone to the fans in Philly.
I can't remember the last time I saw two grand slams from the Phillies in the same game, so this matchup certainly had some entertainment value. That being said, there were still some concerns. Whatever magic Joe Blanton had when he came to the Phillies last summer seems to have worn off, as teams are pounding him early in the season. He's yet to win a game, and he lasted less than five innings tonight, once again bringing up my concern about starting pitching and the bullpen. Scott Eyre did his best to blow the game, not recording an out while allowing two homers in the top of the eighth inning. He got lucky that Ibanez bailed him out, because he's quickly looking more and more like the pitcher the Cubs waived last year.
Of course, you can't overlook the good things that the Phillies did tonight, either. Both Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez drilled grand freaking slams, which is awesome. Jimmy Rollins looked like a different hitter after striking out in the first inning, picking up three hits after that. You have to question why Charlie Manuel brought in Ryan Madson instead of Brad Lidge, but one can assume he doesn't want to wear Lidge out too soon. Hopefully, that's the case, because I wouldn't think that Charlie's lost faith in Lidge this early in the year.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (0-2, 9.69 ERA) goes against John Lannan (0-2, 4.43 ERA). Lannan is best known for breaking Chase Utley's hand in 2007, and being dubbed "emo pitcher" by my friend and I. It's a long, drunken story. Either way, the Phils will be looking to move three games over .500, and Hamels is going for his first win.
Go Phils!
EDIT: It turns out that Lidge is resting a sore knee, so that's why Madson came in tonight. Hopefully, he's better soon.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Eagles NFL Draft Breakdown
Wow, what a weekend for the Philadelphia Eagles. I came into the NFL Draft unsure of what the Eagles were going to do, but I knew that they had a few areas of need. I had concerns at running back, corner back and tight end mostly, but I also wanted to see if they would add a big name receiver like Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards. Coming out of this weekend, I think I'm happier than I've ever been about an Eagles draft, because they picked up someone for every need that they had. I'll get to my overall grade in a bit, but let's look at each pick first.
First Round: Traded up to Pick 19 to select Jeremy Maclin, WR-Missouri
This pick shocked me, but in a good way. After the Raiders decided to draft Darrius Heyward-Bey (which I called in my mock draft), it started a chain reaction with Maclin falling all the way to the 19th spot. The Eagles traded up to pick him, which means that they must have had him ranked so far above the other players on their board that they felt they needed to grab him before someone else did. It's a good thing they did. Maclin is an excellent talent, and probably the 2nd best receiver in the draft. He can stretch the field, and with him, DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Brian Westbrook on the field, it's going to be tough for a defense to decide who to cover.
Oh, and for all of you doubting Maclin's size (6-0, 198 pounds), here's a list of some other wide outs around that size:
Torry Holt: 6-0, 190
Marvin Harrison: 6-0, 185
Santonio Holmes: 5-11, 192
Reggie Wayne: 6-0, 198
Derrick Mason: 5-10, 192
Hines Ward: 6-0, 205
Steve Smith: 5-9, 185
Wes Welker: 5-9, 185
Roddy White: 6-0, 208
Santana Moss: 5-10, 200
Donald Driver: 6-0, 194
That good enough for you? Grade: A
Second Round:LeSean McCoy, RB-Pitt
I knew the Eagles would be looking for a running back, and they certainly found one here. While he's not the super big back that some fans have been begging for, he's certainly a good back to have to learn under, and eventually replace, Brian Westbrook. In a lot of ways, he's a Westbrook like back with his elusiveness and burst, and that's a good thing. He scored 21 touchdowns at Pitt last year, and I had projected as a late first, early second round pick, so to have him fall to the 53rd overall pick is a very good thing. Another great pick here.
Grade: A-
TRADE: Two 5th Round picks to the New England Patriots for CB Ellis Hobbs
The Eagles would then take their sweet time making their first pick on the second day of the draft. They traded out of their third round pick...twice. The first time, they traded with the Giants, and the second time, they traded with Seattle for a third round pick next year. They ended up with six fifth round picks, which they then were able to package into a deal for Ellis Hobbs out of New England. This sends a clear message to Sheldon Brown that while he may not be traded yet, the Eagles may certainly be willing to go the Lito Sheppard route with him and cut his playing time. While Hobbs is a good corner, he's not great, as his play in Super Bowl XLII shows. Where his best strength lies is in the return game. He has the NFL record for longest kick return for a touchdown, and his arrival completely revamps what once was a glaring weakness for the Eagles in their returners. I'm not sure how much I like him as a corner, but for what the Eagles gave up, it's a solid deal.
Grade: B
Fifth Round, Pick 1: Cornelius Ingram, TE-Florida
If not for a knee injury before his rookie year, Ingram would have gone a lot higher than this. I love this pick. Ingram's a big, athletic tight end, and while his blocking isn't great, it was something he was working on before his knee injury. He had recovered enough to work at the NFL Scouting Combine and looked good there. There have been some concerns that his knee isn't completely healed, but if that's the case, the Eagles can just put him on IR and wait until next year for him to fully recover, much like they did with Jack Ikegwuonu last year. If he's healthy, it's another athletic play maker to stretch the field.
Grade: A
Fifth Round, Pick 2: Victor "Macho" Harris, CB-Virginia Tech
I put his position as corner back, only because that's what he played in college. His 40 time (4.68) and hitting ability make me think that his future with the Eagles will be at safety. This was another solid pick for Philadelphia, as they added yet another play maker, only this time on defense. They're stacked in the defensive secondary now, as most people had Harris going in the third round, so to pick him up here is a very good thing. He's known as a solid hitter, and while he can have a bit of a short fuse, a year or so down the road he should start to look like a solid pick. He's not a shut down corner, but very few people are.
Grade: B+
Fifth Round, Pick 3: Fenuki Tupou, OL-Oregon
Andy Reid loves his big guys on the offensive line, and they don't get much bigger than Tupou. He's 6-5 and weighs in at 314 pounds, so he's got the NFL offensive line size. He played tackle at Oregon, but has experience at guard as well, which is good because that's probably where the Eagles are going to want him to play. From what I read, he was another guy that was projected by some to be a third or fourth round pick, so it was another nice job by the Eagles to take this guy where they did. I don't know what to expect from him, but it's certainly a nice value pick.
Grade: B+
Sixth Round: Brandon Gibson, WR-Washington St.
Gibson had a rough senior year at Washington State, as he struggled to learn the new offensive system. At 6-1, 206 pounds, he's a decent sized wide out, but has had a troubled past when it comes to injuries. I'm not sure what the Eagles are going to expect out of him, but I figure he'll more than likely be a practice squad guy or one of the last cuts made in training camp. If he pans out to be anything more than that, I'll be happy.
Grade: B
Seventh Round, Pick 1: Paul Fanaika, OG-Arizona State
Another big offensive lineman from the Pac 10, Fanaika is a guy who could become a solid backup offensive lineman. He started for three years at Arizona State after walking on to the team, but there are some questions about where he can play at the pro level. If the Eagles can find a place for him, I think he could be a decent late round pick.
Grade: B
Seventh Round, Pick 2: Moise Fokou, LB-Maryland
Aside from giving announcers all kinds of trouble with that last name, I doubt Fokou is going to be anything terrific. The last pick the Eagles made, and it's more for an extra body in training camp to spur on some competition. Nothing wrong with that, though.
Grade: B-
Overall:
As I said at the start, this is the best draft I feel like the Eagles have had under Andy Reid. They got the depth at running back, corner back and tight end that they needed, and picked up an excellent play maker at wide out that isn't about to turn 30 years old and is asking for $10 million per season. While most of these players will more than likely be coming into their primes with Kevin Kolb under center, the fact that the Eagles drafted the way that they did means that they are planning on one last run with Donovan McNabb. The trade for Jason Peters of Buffalo also made that clear, as the Eagles now have one of the biggest, best and youngest offensive lines in the NFL. This offense is going to be quick and scary next season, and opposing teams are going to have to pick their poison when all these play makers come onto the field. I'm not giving the draft an A grade, just because I want to see these players in action first, but it's getting the best grade I feel comfortable giving right now: A-
First Round: Traded up to Pick 19 to select Jeremy Maclin, WR-Missouri
This pick shocked me, but in a good way. After the Raiders decided to draft Darrius Heyward-Bey (which I called in my mock draft), it started a chain reaction with Maclin falling all the way to the 19th spot. The Eagles traded up to pick him, which means that they must have had him ranked so far above the other players on their board that they felt they needed to grab him before someone else did. It's a good thing they did. Maclin is an excellent talent, and probably the 2nd best receiver in the draft. He can stretch the field, and with him, DeSean Jackson, Kevin Curtis and Brian Westbrook on the field, it's going to be tough for a defense to decide who to cover.
Oh, and for all of you doubting Maclin's size (6-0, 198 pounds), here's a list of some other wide outs around that size:
Torry Holt: 6-0, 190
Marvin Harrison: 6-0, 185
Santonio Holmes: 5-11, 192
Reggie Wayne: 6-0, 198
Derrick Mason: 5-10, 192
Hines Ward: 6-0, 205
Steve Smith: 5-9, 185
Wes Welker: 5-9, 185
Roddy White: 6-0, 208
Santana Moss: 5-10, 200
Donald Driver: 6-0, 194
That good enough for you? Grade: A
Second Round:LeSean McCoy, RB-Pitt
I knew the Eagles would be looking for a running back, and they certainly found one here. While he's not the super big back that some fans have been begging for, he's certainly a good back to have to learn under, and eventually replace, Brian Westbrook. In a lot of ways, he's a Westbrook like back with his elusiveness and burst, and that's a good thing. He scored 21 touchdowns at Pitt last year, and I had projected as a late first, early second round pick, so to have him fall to the 53rd overall pick is a very good thing. Another great pick here.
Grade: A-
TRADE: Two 5th Round picks to the New England Patriots for CB Ellis Hobbs
The Eagles would then take their sweet time making their first pick on the second day of the draft. They traded out of their third round pick...twice. The first time, they traded with the Giants, and the second time, they traded with Seattle for a third round pick next year. They ended up with six fifth round picks, which they then were able to package into a deal for Ellis Hobbs out of New England. This sends a clear message to Sheldon Brown that while he may not be traded yet, the Eagles may certainly be willing to go the Lito Sheppard route with him and cut his playing time. While Hobbs is a good corner, he's not great, as his play in Super Bowl XLII shows. Where his best strength lies is in the return game. He has the NFL record for longest kick return for a touchdown, and his arrival completely revamps what once was a glaring weakness for the Eagles in their returners. I'm not sure how much I like him as a corner, but for what the Eagles gave up, it's a solid deal.
Grade: B
Fifth Round, Pick 1: Cornelius Ingram, TE-Florida
If not for a knee injury before his rookie year, Ingram would have gone a lot higher than this. I love this pick. Ingram's a big, athletic tight end, and while his blocking isn't great, it was something he was working on before his knee injury. He had recovered enough to work at the NFL Scouting Combine and looked good there. There have been some concerns that his knee isn't completely healed, but if that's the case, the Eagles can just put him on IR and wait until next year for him to fully recover, much like they did with Jack Ikegwuonu last year. If he's healthy, it's another athletic play maker to stretch the field.
Grade: A
Fifth Round, Pick 2: Victor "Macho" Harris, CB-Virginia Tech
I put his position as corner back, only because that's what he played in college. His 40 time (4.68) and hitting ability make me think that his future with the Eagles will be at safety. This was another solid pick for Philadelphia, as they added yet another play maker, only this time on defense. They're stacked in the defensive secondary now, as most people had Harris going in the third round, so to pick him up here is a very good thing. He's known as a solid hitter, and while he can have a bit of a short fuse, a year or so down the road he should start to look like a solid pick. He's not a shut down corner, but very few people are.
Grade: B+
Fifth Round, Pick 3: Fenuki Tupou, OL-Oregon
Andy Reid loves his big guys on the offensive line, and they don't get much bigger than Tupou. He's 6-5 and weighs in at 314 pounds, so he's got the NFL offensive line size. He played tackle at Oregon, but has experience at guard as well, which is good because that's probably where the Eagles are going to want him to play. From what I read, he was another guy that was projected by some to be a third or fourth round pick, so it was another nice job by the Eagles to take this guy where they did. I don't know what to expect from him, but it's certainly a nice value pick.
Grade: B+
Sixth Round: Brandon Gibson, WR-Washington St.
Gibson had a rough senior year at Washington State, as he struggled to learn the new offensive system. At 6-1, 206 pounds, he's a decent sized wide out, but has had a troubled past when it comes to injuries. I'm not sure what the Eagles are going to expect out of him, but I figure he'll more than likely be a practice squad guy or one of the last cuts made in training camp. If he pans out to be anything more than that, I'll be happy.
Grade: B
Seventh Round, Pick 1: Paul Fanaika, OG-Arizona State
Another big offensive lineman from the Pac 10, Fanaika is a guy who could become a solid backup offensive lineman. He started for three years at Arizona State after walking on to the team, but there are some questions about where he can play at the pro level. If the Eagles can find a place for him, I think he could be a decent late round pick.
Grade: B
Seventh Round, Pick 2: Moise Fokou, LB-Maryland
Aside from giving announcers all kinds of trouble with that last name, I doubt Fokou is going to be anything terrific. The last pick the Eagles made, and it's more for an extra body in training camp to spur on some competition. Nothing wrong with that, though.
Grade: B-
Overall:
As I said at the start, this is the best draft I feel like the Eagles have had under Andy Reid. They got the depth at running back, corner back and tight end that they needed, and picked up an excellent play maker at wide out that isn't about to turn 30 years old and is asking for $10 million per season. While most of these players will more than likely be coming into their primes with Kevin Kolb under center, the fact that the Eagles drafted the way that they did means that they are planning on one last run with Donovan McNabb. The trade for Jason Peters of Buffalo also made that clear, as the Eagles now have one of the biggest, best and youngest offensive lines in the NFL. This offense is going to be quick and scary next season, and opposing teams are going to have to pick their poison when all these play makers come onto the field. I'm not giving the draft an A grade, just because I want to see these players in action first, but it's getting the best grade I feel comfortable giving right now: A-
So close, but so far: Sixers drop Game 4 to the Magic
The word quit doesn't seem to exist for the Sixers so far in these playoffs. Down by 11 to the Magic in the third quarter, the Sixers came all the way back to tie the game with just 14 seconds to play. Tonight though, Hedo Turkoglu made sure that it was 14 seconds that the Sixers would regret leaving on the clock. His three pointer with just 1.1 to play gave Orlando a pivotal 84-81 win in Philadelphia. Now, the Magic have home court advantage back in what has become a best of three series.
Orlando used a well balanced attack tonight, as all five starters scored in double figures, led by Dwight Howard and his 18 points and 18 rebounds. Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis each had 17, and Courtney Lee dropped 15 of his own. The Sixers played a solid game, though their shooting betrayed them for long periods of time. Andre Iguodala, who has been the lynchpin for the Sixers so far in the playoffs, only went 4-13 from the field tonight with 13 points, though he did add a playoff career high 11 assists. Andre Miller went 6-18 from the floor and Thaddeus Young added a 6-17 effort tonight, which was more than enough to doom the Sixers.
This is still a series, though. Even though they lost this game, Philadelphia showed a lot of heart once again by coming back from a double digit deficit against the Magic. Andre Iguodala didn't have the best shooting night, but his 11 assists helped other players get the ball in the basket, which is exactly what you want from a guy who is supposed to be leading your team. After being silent in the last two games, Lou Williams came back with an 11 point effort off the bench, and scored several times in big moments during the Sixers' comeback. All is not lost yet for Philadelphia. In a best case scenario, they would win Game 5, setting up Game 6 in Philadelphia as a must win for the Magic on the road. If they can't do that, they've guaranteed at least one more game in the Wachovia Center this season, and while a win at home isn't a sure thing, the Sixers would feel a lot more comfortable facing an elimination game at home than down in Orlando.
Game 5 is Tuesday night, and hopefully by then the Sixers will have fixed some of their shooting woes, because I don't think they can get another effort from behind the arc like they did tonight.
Orlando used a well balanced attack tonight, as all five starters scored in double figures, led by Dwight Howard and his 18 points and 18 rebounds. Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis each had 17, and Courtney Lee dropped 15 of his own. The Sixers played a solid game, though their shooting betrayed them for long periods of time. Andre Iguodala, who has been the lynchpin for the Sixers so far in the playoffs, only went 4-13 from the field tonight with 13 points, though he did add a playoff career high 11 assists. Andre Miller went 6-18 from the floor and Thaddeus Young added a 6-17 effort tonight, which was more than enough to doom the Sixers.
This is still a series, though. Even though they lost this game, Philadelphia showed a lot of heart once again by coming back from a double digit deficit against the Magic. Andre Iguodala didn't have the best shooting night, but his 11 assists helped other players get the ball in the basket, which is exactly what you want from a guy who is supposed to be leading your team. After being silent in the last two games, Lou Williams came back with an 11 point effort off the bench, and scored several times in big moments during the Sixers' comeback. All is not lost yet for Philadelphia. In a best case scenario, they would win Game 5, setting up Game 6 in Philadelphia as a must win for the Magic on the road. If they can't do that, they've guaranteed at least one more game in the Wachovia Center this season, and while a win at home isn't a sure thing, the Sixers would feel a lot more comfortable facing an elimination game at home than down in Orlando.
Game 5 is Tuesday night, and hopefully by then the Sixers will have fixed some of their shooting woes, because I don't think they can get another effort from behind the arc like they did tonight.
Phillies Recap: Phillies-13, Marlins-2
Game Recap:
This time, there was no comeback needed. The Phillies dropped 13 runs on the Marlins to complete the weekend sweep and give Jamie Moyer his third win of the season.
What went right?
Jamie Moyer started the game with back to back strikeouts and finished with six strikeouts in six innings of work. He scattered seven hits and allowed only one run to earn the win. He also picked up a base hit, walked, and was hit by a pitch.
Shane Victorino continued his hot streak, going 2-5 with four RBI.
Chase Utley added two RBI of his own, bringing his total to 16 on the season.
Pedro Feliz went 3-5 with two RBI.
Basically, everything went right. The Phillies walked 13 times, and everyone but Chase Utley scored a run.
What went wrong?
Chris Coste went 0-4 with two strikeouts.
That's about it.
Game Analysis:
Now that's how you close out a series after having to come back in back to back games. The Phils came out swinging the bats early, scoring twice in the first and twice in the fourth before breaking the game open with a four spot in the seventh, and five more runs in the eighth. They showed great patience at the plate, too, walking 13 times compared to only seven strikeouts.
Jamie Moyer looked great today, as well. He gave the Phillies six solid innings with six strikeouts, and it finally looks like the Phils are starting to get their starting pitching under control. More importantly, Moyer didn't give up a home run, making him the first Phillies pitcher to not surrender a long ball this season.
All in all, this was almost a perfect game for the Phillies. They came into Florida hurting and squaring off against the best team in the NL East. They're leaving Miami with a three game sweep and have to be feeling better now. Their bats look like they're finally starting to pick up and like I already said, their pitching is starting to improve. This is the first time that I actually feel like the Phils are the defending World Series champions, and that's a good thing.
Tomorrow, the Phillies look to keep their momentum going against the Washington Nationals. Joe Blanton (0-2, 7.31 ERA) goes to the mound for Philadelphia, while Shairon Martis (2-0, 4.11 ERA) will be pitching for the Nationals. It's Dollar Dog Night, so go grab some cheap hot dogs and watch the Phillies.
This time, there was no comeback needed. The Phillies dropped 13 runs on the Marlins to complete the weekend sweep and give Jamie Moyer his third win of the season.
What went right?
Jamie Moyer started the game with back to back strikeouts and finished with six strikeouts in six innings of work. He scattered seven hits and allowed only one run to earn the win. He also picked up a base hit, walked, and was hit by a pitch.
Shane Victorino continued his hot streak, going 2-5 with four RBI.
Chase Utley added two RBI of his own, bringing his total to 16 on the season.
Pedro Feliz went 3-5 with two RBI.
Basically, everything went right. The Phillies walked 13 times, and everyone but Chase Utley scored a run.
What went wrong?
Chris Coste went 0-4 with two strikeouts.
That's about it.
Game Analysis:
Now that's how you close out a series after having to come back in back to back games. The Phils came out swinging the bats early, scoring twice in the first and twice in the fourth before breaking the game open with a four spot in the seventh, and five more runs in the eighth. They showed great patience at the plate, too, walking 13 times compared to only seven strikeouts.
Jamie Moyer looked great today, as well. He gave the Phillies six solid innings with six strikeouts, and it finally looks like the Phils are starting to get their starting pitching under control. More importantly, Moyer didn't give up a home run, making him the first Phillies pitcher to not surrender a long ball this season.
All in all, this was almost a perfect game for the Phillies. They came into Florida hurting and squaring off against the best team in the NL East. They're leaving Miami with a three game sweep and have to be feeling better now. Their bats look like they're finally starting to pick up and like I already said, their pitching is starting to improve. This is the first time that I actually feel like the Phils are the defending World Series champions, and that's a good thing.
Tomorrow, the Phillies look to keep their momentum going against the Washington Nationals. Joe Blanton (0-2, 7.31 ERA) goes to the mound for Philadelphia, while Shairon Martis (2-0, 4.11 ERA) will be pitching for the Nationals. It's Dollar Dog Night, so go grab some cheap hot dogs and watch the Phillies.
Phillie of the Week: April 19-25
This week's Phillie of the Week is:
Shane Victorino
Shane batted .320 this past week with five RBI and his first regular season grand slam against the Marlins on Friday night. He also scored what ended up being the game winning run last night in the 10th inning. Well done, Shane.
Shane Victorino
Shane batted .320 this past week with five RBI and his first regular season grand slam against the Marlins on Friday night. He also scored what ended up being the game winning run last night in the 10th inning. Well done, Shane.
Phillies Recap: Phillies-6, Marlins-4
Game Recap:
For the second night in a row, the Phillies came back against the Marlins in the 9th inning. Eric Bruntlett's RBI ground out in the top of the 9th inning tied the game, and Chase Utley's single in the 10th put the Phils on top to stay, despite the best efforts of Brad Lidge in the bottom of the inning.
What went right?
Chan Ho Park had his best game as a Phillie, throwing seven innings while striking out five and allowing four runs. He also hit his third career home run in the third inning.
Ryan Howard hit his third homer of the season in the fourth inning and finished the day 2-5 with no strikeouts.
Jayson Werth went 1-4 with an RBI in the 10th inning.
Brad Lidge picked up his fourth save in five tries, striking out the side despite loading the bases in the bottom of the 10th inning.
What went wrong?
The four runs that Park gave up came on back to back home runs by Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla in the fourth inning, giving the Phillies more homers allowed by their starting pitching.
Jimmy Rollins went 1-5 and his average is now a robust .162 for the season.
Charlie Manuel was ejected from the game in the 10th inning for arguing balls and strikes, though some people may think that was something that went right.
Game Analysis:
A win is a win, but it would be nice to actually hold a lead in a game for once. The Phils are back to .500 again, and all eight of their wins have been of the come from behind kind. However, there were some encouraging signs in this game. Chan Ho Park had easily his best outing as a Phillie, and other than two bad pitches to Uggla and Cantu, looked quite comfortable out there. He also hit his first Philadelphia home run, and his first since 2000 when he was with the Dodgers.
I've said it a lot this week, but the Phillies obviously still have some work to do. Their starting pitching is still giving up a ton of home runs, and if that doesn't stop, the offense is going to have to score more and more runs. Even with this lineup, I don't know how many 10-9 games the Phillies can win this year. It's still only April, but if this keeps going, there are going to be some major problems, especially with tired arms in the bullpen.
That being said, at least the Phils have shown signs of life this weekend against the NL East leading Marlins. They looked lifeless against the Brewers, and to take the first two in this series is a huge starting point for a good finish to April and start of May.
Today, Jamie Moyer (2-1, 6.35 ERA), takes on Graham Taylor (MLB Debut). It's on right now, so finish reading this, and go watch it!
For the second night in a row, the Phillies came back against the Marlins in the 9th inning. Eric Bruntlett's RBI ground out in the top of the 9th inning tied the game, and Chase Utley's single in the 10th put the Phils on top to stay, despite the best efforts of Brad Lidge in the bottom of the inning.
What went right?
Chan Ho Park had his best game as a Phillie, throwing seven innings while striking out five and allowing four runs. He also hit his third career home run in the third inning.
Ryan Howard hit his third homer of the season in the fourth inning and finished the day 2-5 with no strikeouts.
Jayson Werth went 1-4 with an RBI in the 10th inning.
Brad Lidge picked up his fourth save in five tries, striking out the side despite loading the bases in the bottom of the 10th inning.
What went wrong?
The four runs that Park gave up came on back to back home runs by Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla in the fourth inning, giving the Phillies more homers allowed by their starting pitching.
Jimmy Rollins went 1-5 and his average is now a robust .162 for the season.
Charlie Manuel was ejected from the game in the 10th inning for arguing balls and strikes, though some people may think that was something that went right.
Game Analysis:
A win is a win, but it would be nice to actually hold a lead in a game for once. The Phils are back to .500 again, and all eight of their wins have been of the come from behind kind. However, there were some encouraging signs in this game. Chan Ho Park had easily his best outing as a Phillie, and other than two bad pitches to Uggla and Cantu, looked quite comfortable out there. He also hit his first Philadelphia home run, and his first since 2000 when he was with the Dodgers.
I've said it a lot this week, but the Phillies obviously still have some work to do. Their starting pitching is still giving up a ton of home runs, and if that doesn't stop, the offense is going to have to score more and more runs. Even with this lineup, I don't know how many 10-9 games the Phillies can win this year. It's still only April, but if this keeps going, there are going to be some major problems, especially with tired arms in the bullpen.
That being said, at least the Phils have shown signs of life this weekend against the NL East leading Marlins. They looked lifeless against the Brewers, and to take the first two in this series is a huge starting point for a good finish to April and start of May.
Today, Jamie Moyer (2-1, 6.35 ERA), takes on Graham Taylor (MLB Debut). It's on right now, so finish reading this, and go watch it!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Ugh...I've got nothing else to say about the Flyers
It seemed like everything was falling into place for the Flyers. They were up 3-0, at home and had the Penguins on their heels. Game 7, and a potential remarkable comeback, were within reach. They had the momentum, they had the crowd, they had the series...
And they let it all slip away. Rather than remained composed early in the second period, Daniel Carcillo, he of 254 penalty minutes during the regular season, decided to get into a fight with Maxime Talbot. Sure, the crowd loved to see the fight, and they enjoyed it even more when Carcillo dropped Talbot, but it woke the Penguins up. Less than three minutes after the fight, the Penguins had scored twice, and you could feel the excitement being sucked out of the Wachovia Center. Sure, the goals were cheap ones, with Ruslan Fedotenko smacking the puck out from under Martin Biron's leg, and Mark Eaton knocking a puck out of the air, but they were still goals. The Penguins had life, and that would be all they needed. Sidney Crosby would complete the comeback about ten minutes later with another knock in, and everyone could tell where the game was headed. Sergei Gonchar put Pittsburgh ahead with a wicked slap shot early in the third period, and Crosby did the rest, adding an empty net goal to end Philadelphia's season.
So where do the Flyers go from here? Obviously, they have some questions to answer, especially with their consistency. There were times this season that they looked like they could be hoisting the Stanley Cup this June, and other times when they looked like they didn't belong to be on the ice. This last game was a perfect reminder of that, as they came out like gangbusters, only to get complacent and fall flat on their faces. I'm not sure exactly how they can work on that, but it clearly needs to be addressed. They've got the ability to score goals, and Jeff Carter looks like a great player, but many of their scorers disappeared during the playoffs. Carter only had one goal during the series, which is not enough from a guy who scored 46 times during the regular season.
The main issue they have to look at though is their goal tending. Martin Biron is a free agent after the playoffs, and the Flyers have to consider bringing him back. Yes, Biron has his moments when he tries to handle the puck, and sometimes he lets in soft goals, but those are problems present with almost every goalie in the league. Plus, unless Philadelphia wants to put all their trust into Antero Niittymaki to play as the starter, they're going to have to find someone, and Biron is already sitting right here, so they might as well make an effort for him to stay.
What does next season hold for the Flyers? Well, it's hard to tell right now. Again, they need to address what seems to be a complacency as well as their goal tending, but they should be able to compete with the best in the Eastern Conference next season. Claude Giroux looks like he's going to be a special player, and adding him for a full season to a group that already includes some fine offensive players can only help the Flyers. Like I said, they should be a good team again, but as we've seen all too many times from the Flyers, they need to find something that makes them great, because good just gets them sent home before they can lift the Stanley Cup.
That's all I've got for tonight, I'll be back tomorrow to break down the Eagles in the NFL Draft, as well as the Phillies.
And they let it all slip away. Rather than remained composed early in the second period, Daniel Carcillo, he of 254 penalty minutes during the regular season, decided to get into a fight with Maxime Talbot. Sure, the crowd loved to see the fight, and they enjoyed it even more when Carcillo dropped Talbot, but it woke the Penguins up. Less than three minutes after the fight, the Penguins had scored twice, and you could feel the excitement being sucked out of the Wachovia Center. Sure, the goals were cheap ones, with Ruslan Fedotenko smacking the puck out from under Martin Biron's leg, and Mark Eaton knocking a puck out of the air, but they were still goals. The Penguins had life, and that would be all they needed. Sidney Crosby would complete the comeback about ten minutes later with another knock in, and everyone could tell where the game was headed. Sergei Gonchar put Pittsburgh ahead with a wicked slap shot early in the third period, and Crosby did the rest, adding an empty net goal to end Philadelphia's season.
So where do the Flyers go from here? Obviously, they have some questions to answer, especially with their consistency. There were times this season that they looked like they could be hoisting the Stanley Cup this June, and other times when they looked like they didn't belong to be on the ice. This last game was a perfect reminder of that, as they came out like gangbusters, only to get complacent and fall flat on their faces. I'm not sure exactly how they can work on that, but it clearly needs to be addressed. They've got the ability to score goals, and Jeff Carter looks like a great player, but many of their scorers disappeared during the playoffs. Carter only had one goal during the series, which is not enough from a guy who scored 46 times during the regular season.
The main issue they have to look at though is their goal tending. Martin Biron is a free agent after the playoffs, and the Flyers have to consider bringing him back. Yes, Biron has his moments when he tries to handle the puck, and sometimes he lets in soft goals, but those are problems present with almost every goalie in the league. Plus, unless Philadelphia wants to put all their trust into Antero Niittymaki to play as the starter, they're going to have to find someone, and Biron is already sitting right here, so they might as well make an effort for him to stay.
What does next season hold for the Flyers? Well, it's hard to tell right now. Again, they need to address what seems to be a complacency as well as their goal tending, but they should be able to compete with the best in the Eastern Conference next season. Claude Giroux looks like he's going to be a special player, and adding him for a full season to a group that already includes some fine offensive players can only help the Flyers. Like I said, they should be a good team again, but as we've seen all too many times from the Flyers, they need to find something that makes them great, because good just gets them sent home before they can lift the Stanley Cup.
That's all I've got for tonight, I'll be back tomorrow to break down the Eagles in the NFL Draft, as well as the Phillies.
Friday, April 24, 2009
2009 NFL Mock Draft
Hard to believe, but the NFL Draft is now upon us. I've been doing mock drafts for five years now and have followed the draft for long before that, so I have some experience. I'm no Todd McShay or Mel Kiper, but maybe one day...
Anyway, here are my picks for the first round. Enjoy!
1. Detroit Lions- Matt Stafford, QB-Georgia
Fresh news from ESPN: Stafford has agreed to a six year deal worth $41.7 million gauranteed with the Detroit Lions, so he's the number one pick. It's a good job by the Lions, who need to get a quarterback to get their franchise moving in the right direction again after an 0-16 season. Nowhere to go now but up.
2. St. Louis Rams- Jason Smith, OT-Baylor
This is a toss-up between Smith and Eugene Monroe. The Rams need to replace Orlando Pace, and while either tackle would be a good fit here, I think they go with Smith, as that's the direction I've heard they're leaning.
3. Kansas City Chiefs-Aaron Curry, ILB-Wake Forest
Scott Pioli's come to Kansas City, and he's brought the 3-4 defense with him. Curry would be a perfect fit right in the heart of that defense, and should be an anchor for the Chiefs for years to come.
4. Seattle Seahawks-Michael Crabtree, WR-Texas Tech
This pick could go a couple of different directions. Seattle could go with Mark Sanchez, but I'm not sure they're willing to pay him to sit on the bench while Matt Hasselbeck finishes his career. Jason Smith could be a better choice, if Walter Jones is going to miss some time next year. However, wide receiver is a glaring need for Seattle, and despite some of the "diva" reports that have come out about Crabtree, he should be the pick here.
5. Cleveland Browns-Brian Orakpo, DE-Texas
If Crabtree falls past Seattle, I can see the Browns picking him here. If not, they could also look at Jason Smith, but the Browns only managed 17 sacks all of last season. They clearly need help in the front seven, and drafting the best rushing defensive end in the draft can certainly help.
6. Cincinnati Bengals- Eugene Monroe, OT-Virginia
Levi Jones looks like he's on the outs in Cincinnati, so a left tackle almost has to be the pick here. Andre Smith's name may come up, but his character issues should still keep him out of the minds of the Bengals and make Monroe the pick.
7. Oakland Raiders- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR-Maryland
Here comes the first changeup of the draft. First, everyone knows that Al Davis loves fast players. While Jeremy Maclin is fast, Heyward-Bey ran a 4.30 40 yard dash, and is over six feet tall. That certainly caught Davis' eye, and the thought of JaMarcus Russell finally having a tall deep threat will be too much for the Raiders to pass up, despite their other needs.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Mark Sanchez, QB-USC
I do not expect the Jaguars to take Mark Sanchez, but I expect him to get drafted at this spot. Denver has made it known that they will not be trading up, but the Jets and Washington are still interested, and I believe that the Jaguars will get something done with one of those teams. If they can't find a taker for this spot, Malcolm Jenkins could go here.
9. Green Bay Packers- Tyson Jackson, DE-LSU
The Packers need help on their defensive line at both the end position and at DT. They at least have Ryan Pickett at DT, but he's in a contract year. However, they are even thinner at defensive end, where there's Cullen Jenkins and then no one else. Jackson's stock has been shooting up of late, and while he isn't the prototypical defensive end, I think he lands with the Packers.
10. San Francisco 49ers- Andre Smith, OT-Alabama
San Francisco has issues at quarterback, where Alex Smith has flamed out and their other options aren't that great, either. They might take a look at Josh Freeman here, but that would be a big reach. With Tyson Jackson off the board, they'll probably look at a tackle to replace Marvel Smith, who has had injury issues. The choice will come down to Andre Smith and Michael Oher, and in the end, the big man from Alabama wins out, and Mike Singletary will get a chance to put his head on right.
11. Buffalo Bills- Michael Oher, OT-Ole Miss
After dealing Jason Peters to Philadelphia, the Bills must take a left tackle here. This will be whichever tackle the 49ers don't take, and since I have San Francisco taking Andre Smith, Michael Oher gets to go play in Buffalo. The Bills would be happy with either one, since they need that tackle now.
12. Denver Broncos- B.J. Raji, DT-Boston College
I don't know if you actually saw the Denver Broncos play defense last year, but it wasn't pretty. Now that the drug issues have been sorted out for Raji, the Broncos should be thrilled that he's here. They need a big run stopper for their 3-4 defense, and Raji would fit right in.
13. Washington Redskins- Aaron Maybin, DE-Penn State
Jason Taylor came and went in Washington, and the Redskins only managed 24 sacks as a team in 2008. Aaron Maybin has one of the highest ceilings of any player in the draft and would help the Redskins out right away. The sooner he has Washington fans forgetting about Jason Taylor, the better.
14. New Orleans Saints- Malcolm Jenkins, CB-Ohio State
The Saints really need help in the secondary, and having the best corner in the draft fall to them would be the best possible situation. Jenkins would be an immediate upgrade and should help the Saints with what was a mediocre at best defense from last year.
15. Houston Texans- Brian Cushing, LB-USC
Houston needs a linebacker, and any of the USC trio would be a solid fit here to go alongside DeMeco Ryans, I think the Texans go with Brian Cushing. Houston might also try to trade down out of this pick, but if they can't, Cushing should be their guy.
16. San Diego Chargers-Chris Wells, HB-Ohio State
Things could get interesting here for the Chargers. They need to upgrade at their tackle positions, but the LaDanian Tomlinson issue is still looming large in San Diego. The only person that thinks Darren Sproles can be a starting running back in the NFL is Darren Sproles, so the Chargers take Wells here as Tomlinson's replacement.
17. New York Jets- Jeremy Maclin, WR-Missouri
Even though Josh Freeman could be the pick here if the Jets can't get a deal worked out for either Brady Quinn or Mark Sanchez, New York needs help at wide receiver after they cut Laveranues Coles. Plus, they missed out on signing Tory Holt, so help is needed here. If Maclin slips this far, I think the Jets take him over Freeman.
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago)-Ray Maualuga, LB-USC
After addressing one need with the B.J. Raji pick earlier in the first round, the Broncos are able to really fix up their defense with Ray Maualuga. While he has had a few issues leading up to the draft, Maualuga would be an instant upgrade over any linebacker the Broncos have right now, and could certainly ease some of the sting of having to trade Jay Cutler for this pick.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Josh Freeman, QB-Kansas State
Tampa cleaned house and brought in a new regime for this coming season, and even though they signed Byron Leftwich, they're going to need a quarterback for the future. Josh Freeman has looked like he could be this year's Joe Flacco, only without the unibrow, so the Bucs take him here. If he's gone, expect to see a pick to upgrade their defensive line.
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas)- Eben Britton, OT-Arizona
Now that the Lions have Stafford signed, they're going to need someone to help protect him. William Beatty from UConn will be considered here, but he's a bit of a reach, so the Lions go with Eben Britton out of Arizona. He should be able to protect Stafford for years, and the Lions won't end up with another Joey Harrington.
21. Philadelphia Eagles-Knowshon Moreno, HB-Georgia
I'm not going to lie...this is really more what I want the Eagles to do, instead of what I think they're going to do. Andy Reid hasn't drafted a skill position player in the first round of the NFL Draft since Freddie Mitchell in 2001, but he could here. The Eagles need to find a successor to Brian Westbrook, and Moreno would be that guy. If the Eagles don't take him, look for a defensive lineman to go here, since that's Andy's thing.
22. Minnesota Vikings- Vontae Davis, CB-Illinois
Minnesota could also look at a wide receiver here, but with Jeremy Maclin off the board and Percy Harvin's positive drug test now over his head, I think they go with a cornerback. Vontae Davis fills a need position for the Vikings, and should start right away.
23. New England Patriots- Robert Ayers, DE-Tennessee
The Patriots struck gold last year with Jerod Mayo, and they'd like to do it again this time around. Their defense still isn't getting any younger, and Ayers' stock has been moving up of late. He can play defensive end and linebacker, making him a perfect fit in New England's system.
24. Atlanta Falcons- Clay Matthews, OLB-USC
Since the Falcons just filled their hole at tight end by trading for Tony Gonzalez, they can now focus on upgrading their defense. Both Michael Boley and Keith Brooking left in free agency, leaving them with holes at both outside linebacker positions. Clay Mathews would be an excellent pick here.
25. Miami Dolphins- Darius Butler, CB-UConn
Bill Parcells loves drafting defensive players, and with the lack of depth at corner, Daris Butler is an easy pick here. Will Allen needs someone across from him who can play, and Butler can do just that.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Kenny Britt, WR-Rutgers
The Ravens will be looking at wideout and cornerback positions in the first round, with Jeremy Maclin and Vontae Davis more than likely being their top choices. With both of them off the board, I think they go with Kenny Britt, whose stock has been rising up of late. The Ravens need to find Joe Flacco a good young weapon on offense, and Britt could be just that.
27. Indianapolis Colts- Peria Jerry, DT-Ole Miss
The Colts desperately need to address their run defense, and Peria Jerry would be a perfect way to do that. The big man from Ole Miss fits a huge need, and the Colts start rebuilding that defense again. They could also look at a wide receiver here, but if Jerry is around, he'll be the pick.
28. Buffalo Bills (from Philadelphia)- Brandon Pettigrew, TE-Oklahoma St.
With the Falcons picking up Tony Gonzalez, Pettigrew should slip down to the Bills. They need a big receiving option, and he can block as well, making him a solid double threat at tight end. Trent Edwards would have to be thrilled to have T.O. (if he's sane), and Pettigrew added in the same offseason.
29. New York Giants- Percy Harvin, WR-Florida
Even with his recent drug issues, I think the Giants take Percy Harvin here. They just washed their hands of one problem receiver, but I think that Harvin can turn himself around. Eli Manning needs that solid wideout to be a great NFL quarterback, so I think the Giants give him that back, after cutting ties with Plaxico Burress.
30. Tennessee Titans- Evander Hood, DT-Missouri
The Titans lost Albert Haynesworth in free agency, so they need to replace him. Cornerback could also be the pick here, but I think the need for a solid run stopper in the middle of their defense takes the lead.
31. Arizona Cardinals- Donald Brown, HB-UConn
Tim Hightower has a nice story, but nice stories don't get you the yards you need when it's 3rd and short. Donald Brown would be a great upgrade over Hightower and Edgerrin James, who has every little left in his tank.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers- Alex Mack, C-Cal
Center is one of the few places where the Super Bowl champions can stand to upgrade substancially. While picking a center in the first round isn't really the sexy thing to do, Mack is a potential once in a decade player at the position, and could step in right away.
Anyway, here are my picks for the first round. Enjoy!
1. Detroit Lions- Matt Stafford, QB-Georgia
Fresh news from ESPN: Stafford has agreed to a six year deal worth $41.7 million gauranteed with the Detroit Lions, so he's the number one pick. It's a good job by the Lions, who need to get a quarterback to get their franchise moving in the right direction again after an 0-16 season. Nowhere to go now but up.
2. St. Louis Rams- Jason Smith, OT-Baylor
This is a toss-up between Smith and Eugene Monroe. The Rams need to replace Orlando Pace, and while either tackle would be a good fit here, I think they go with Smith, as that's the direction I've heard they're leaning.
3. Kansas City Chiefs-Aaron Curry, ILB-Wake Forest
Scott Pioli's come to Kansas City, and he's brought the 3-4 defense with him. Curry would be a perfect fit right in the heart of that defense, and should be an anchor for the Chiefs for years to come.
4. Seattle Seahawks-Michael Crabtree, WR-Texas Tech
This pick could go a couple of different directions. Seattle could go with Mark Sanchez, but I'm not sure they're willing to pay him to sit on the bench while Matt Hasselbeck finishes his career. Jason Smith could be a better choice, if Walter Jones is going to miss some time next year. However, wide receiver is a glaring need for Seattle, and despite some of the "diva" reports that have come out about Crabtree, he should be the pick here.
5. Cleveland Browns-Brian Orakpo, DE-Texas
If Crabtree falls past Seattle, I can see the Browns picking him here. If not, they could also look at Jason Smith, but the Browns only managed 17 sacks all of last season. They clearly need help in the front seven, and drafting the best rushing defensive end in the draft can certainly help.
6. Cincinnati Bengals- Eugene Monroe, OT-Virginia
Levi Jones looks like he's on the outs in Cincinnati, so a left tackle almost has to be the pick here. Andre Smith's name may come up, but his character issues should still keep him out of the minds of the Bengals and make Monroe the pick.
7. Oakland Raiders- Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR-Maryland
Here comes the first changeup of the draft. First, everyone knows that Al Davis loves fast players. While Jeremy Maclin is fast, Heyward-Bey ran a 4.30 40 yard dash, and is over six feet tall. That certainly caught Davis' eye, and the thought of JaMarcus Russell finally having a tall deep threat will be too much for the Raiders to pass up, despite their other needs.
8. Jacksonville Jaguars- Mark Sanchez, QB-USC
I do not expect the Jaguars to take Mark Sanchez, but I expect him to get drafted at this spot. Denver has made it known that they will not be trading up, but the Jets and Washington are still interested, and I believe that the Jaguars will get something done with one of those teams. If they can't find a taker for this spot, Malcolm Jenkins could go here.
9. Green Bay Packers- Tyson Jackson, DE-LSU
The Packers need help on their defensive line at both the end position and at DT. They at least have Ryan Pickett at DT, but he's in a contract year. However, they are even thinner at defensive end, where there's Cullen Jenkins and then no one else. Jackson's stock has been shooting up of late, and while he isn't the prototypical defensive end, I think he lands with the Packers.
10. San Francisco 49ers- Andre Smith, OT-Alabama
San Francisco has issues at quarterback, where Alex Smith has flamed out and their other options aren't that great, either. They might take a look at Josh Freeman here, but that would be a big reach. With Tyson Jackson off the board, they'll probably look at a tackle to replace Marvel Smith, who has had injury issues. The choice will come down to Andre Smith and Michael Oher, and in the end, the big man from Alabama wins out, and Mike Singletary will get a chance to put his head on right.
11. Buffalo Bills- Michael Oher, OT-Ole Miss
After dealing Jason Peters to Philadelphia, the Bills must take a left tackle here. This will be whichever tackle the 49ers don't take, and since I have San Francisco taking Andre Smith, Michael Oher gets to go play in Buffalo. The Bills would be happy with either one, since they need that tackle now.
12. Denver Broncos- B.J. Raji, DT-Boston College
I don't know if you actually saw the Denver Broncos play defense last year, but it wasn't pretty. Now that the drug issues have been sorted out for Raji, the Broncos should be thrilled that he's here. They need a big run stopper for their 3-4 defense, and Raji would fit right in.
13. Washington Redskins- Aaron Maybin, DE-Penn State
Jason Taylor came and went in Washington, and the Redskins only managed 24 sacks as a team in 2008. Aaron Maybin has one of the highest ceilings of any player in the draft and would help the Redskins out right away. The sooner he has Washington fans forgetting about Jason Taylor, the better.
14. New Orleans Saints- Malcolm Jenkins, CB-Ohio State
The Saints really need help in the secondary, and having the best corner in the draft fall to them would be the best possible situation. Jenkins would be an immediate upgrade and should help the Saints with what was a mediocre at best defense from last year.
15. Houston Texans- Brian Cushing, LB-USC
Houston needs a linebacker, and any of the USC trio would be a solid fit here to go alongside DeMeco Ryans, I think the Texans go with Brian Cushing. Houston might also try to trade down out of this pick, but if they can't, Cushing should be their guy.
16. San Diego Chargers-Chris Wells, HB-Ohio State
Things could get interesting here for the Chargers. They need to upgrade at their tackle positions, but the LaDanian Tomlinson issue is still looming large in San Diego. The only person that thinks Darren Sproles can be a starting running back in the NFL is Darren Sproles, so the Chargers take Wells here as Tomlinson's replacement.
17. New York Jets- Jeremy Maclin, WR-Missouri
Even though Josh Freeman could be the pick here if the Jets can't get a deal worked out for either Brady Quinn or Mark Sanchez, New York needs help at wide receiver after they cut Laveranues Coles. Plus, they missed out on signing Tory Holt, so help is needed here. If Maclin slips this far, I think the Jets take him over Freeman.
18. Denver Broncos (from Chicago)-Ray Maualuga, LB-USC
After addressing one need with the B.J. Raji pick earlier in the first round, the Broncos are able to really fix up their defense with Ray Maualuga. While he has had a few issues leading up to the draft, Maualuga would be an instant upgrade over any linebacker the Broncos have right now, and could certainly ease some of the sting of having to trade Jay Cutler for this pick.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Josh Freeman, QB-Kansas State
Tampa cleaned house and brought in a new regime for this coming season, and even though they signed Byron Leftwich, they're going to need a quarterback for the future. Josh Freeman has looked like he could be this year's Joe Flacco, only without the unibrow, so the Bucs take him here. If he's gone, expect to see a pick to upgrade their defensive line.
20. Detroit Lions (from Dallas)- Eben Britton, OT-Arizona
Now that the Lions have Stafford signed, they're going to need someone to help protect him. William Beatty from UConn will be considered here, but he's a bit of a reach, so the Lions go with Eben Britton out of Arizona. He should be able to protect Stafford for years, and the Lions won't end up with another Joey Harrington.
21. Philadelphia Eagles-Knowshon Moreno, HB-Georgia
I'm not going to lie...this is really more what I want the Eagles to do, instead of what I think they're going to do. Andy Reid hasn't drafted a skill position player in the first round of the NFL Draft since Freddie Mitchell in 2001, but he could here. The Eagles need to find a successor to Brian Westbrook, and Moreno would be that guy. If the Eagles don't take him, look for a defensive lineman to go here, since that's Andy's thing.
22. Minnesota Vikings- Vontae Davis, CB-Illinois
Minnesota could also look at a wide receiver here, but with Jeremy Maclin off the board and Percy Harvin's positive drug test now over his head, I think they go with a cornerback. Vontae Davis fills a need position for the Vikings, and should start right away.
23. New England Patriots- Robert Ayers, DE-Tennessee
The Patriots struck gold last year with Jerod Mayo, and they'd like to do it again this time around. Their defense still isn't getting any younger, and Ayers' stock has been moving up of late. He can play defensive end and linebacker, making him a perfect fit in New England's system.
24. Atlanta Falcons- Clay Matthews, OLB-USC
Since the Falcons just filled their hole at tight end by trading for Tony Gonzalez, they can now focus on upgrading their defense. Both Michael Boley and Keith Brooking left in free agency, leaving them with holes at both outside linebacker positions. Clay Mathews would be an excellent pick here.
25. Miami Dolphins- Darius Butler, CB-UConn
Bill Parcells loves drafting defensive players, and with the lack of depth at corner, Daris Butler is an easy pick here. Will Allen needs someone across from him who can play, and Butler can do just that.
26. Baltimore Ravens- Kenny Britt, WR-Rutgers
The Ravens will be looking at wideout and cornerback positions in the first round, with Jeremy Maclin and Vontae Davis more than likely being their top choices. With both of them off the board, I think they go with Kenny Britt, whose stock has been rising up of late. The Ravens need to find Joe Flacco a good young weapon on offense, and Britt could be just that.
27. Indianapolis Colts- Peria Jerry, DT-Ole Miss
The Colts desperately need to address their run defense, and Peria Jerry would be a perfect way to do that. The big man from Ole Miss fits a huge need, and the Colts start rebuilding that defense again. They could also look at a wide receiver here, but if Jerry is around, he'll be the pick.
28. Buffalo Bills (from Philadelphia)- Brandon Pettigrew, TE-Oklahoma St.
With the Falcons picking up Tony Gonzalez, Pettigrew should slip down to the Bills. They need a big receiving option, and he can block as well, making him a solid double threat at tight end. Trent Edwards would have to be thrilled to have T.O. (if he's sane), and Pettigrew added in the same offseason.
29. New York Giants- Percy Harvin, WR-Florida
Even with his recent drug issues, I think the Giants take Percy Harvin here. They just washed their hands of one problem receiver, but I think that Harvin can turn himself around. Eli Manning needs that solid wideout to be a great NFL quarterback, so I think the Giants give him that back, after cutting ties with Plaxico Burress.
30. Tennessee Titans- Evander Hood, DT-Missouri
The Titans lost Albert Haynesworth in free agency, so they need to replace him. Cornerback could also be the pick here, but I think the need for a solid run stopper in the middle of their defense takes the lead.
31. Arizona Cardinals- Donald Brown, HB-UConn
Tim Hightower has a nice story, but nice stories don't get you the yards you need when it's 3rd and short. Donald Brown would be a great upgrade over Hightower and Edgerrin James, who has every little left in his tank.
32. Pittsburgh Steelers- Alex Mack, C-Cal
Center is one of the few places where the Super Bowl champions can stand to upgrade substancially. While picking a center in the first round isn't really the sexy thing to do, Mack is a potential once in a decade player at the position, and could step in right away.
It's Not as Much Fun Watching the Other Team Come Back...But the Sixers Still Take Game 3
After coming back in Game 1, and making a second attempt at an 18 point comeback in Game 2, the Sixers managed to pull out to a 17 point lead, at home, during Game 3 of their series against the Orlando Magic. The game should be in hand, right? I mean, Philadelphia already had to come back twice in the first two games, so they should know how to stop it, shouldn't they?
Well, thanks to a barrage of three point shots from the Magic, a 2-7 effort from the free throw line from the Sixers and Dwight Howard hitting two free throws with 6.9 seconds to play, that 17 point lead had vanished, and it looked as if the Magic would be able to take the game into overtime, where it would only be a matter of time until they wore the Sixers down and took a game that they shouldn't have even been in.
Fortunately for the Sixers, that never got a chance to happen. Thaddeus Young, who had been quiet all night, managed to get inside on Howard and hit a shot with just 2.2 seconds to play, and the Sixers escaped with a 96-94 victory in Game 3. Young's game winning shot ended up overshadowing two excellent performances by Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala, who finished with 24 and 29 points, respectively. If not for Young's heroics, this game may have been known for something else, however.
While Andre Iguodala did manage to hit the game winning shot in Game 1, he did miss two free throws in the final minute that allowed the Magic to go down the floor and tie the game. Tonight, he had the same situation, as the Sixers were up 94-91, Iguodala stepped to the line and missed two free throws. Thirty seconds later, Dwight Howard scored his 35th and 36th points from the free throw line and tied the game. Iguodala is a very good player, but to take that next step, he has to be able to make free throws in the clutch. He's had two chances at it so far this postseason, and has come up short both times. The Sixers won both games though, so there isn't much to worry about.
Now, Philadelphia really has the Magic on the ropes. The Sixers are up 2-1, with home court advantage and they believe that they can knock off Orlando. This game tonight proves that Game 1 wasn't a fluke and they can hang with one of the best teams in the NBA. Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala are going to have to continue to bring their A games, and while there is no real way to stop Dwight Howard, the Sixers are letting him get his, and daring the rest of the Magic players to beat them. So far, it's resulted in two victories, so they must be doing something right. It hasn't been that pretty so far, but wins are wins, and tough basketball games can build teams, and right now the Sixers are being built up.
Well, thanks to a barrage of three point shots from the Magic, a 2-7 effort from the free throw line from the Sixers and Dwight Howard hitting two free throws with 6.9 seconds to play, that 17 point lead had vanished, and it looked as if the Magic would be able to take the game into overtime, where it would only be a matter of time until they wore the Sixers down and took a game that they shouldn't have even been in.
Fortunately for the Sixers, that never got a chance to happen. Thaddeus Young, who had been quiet all night, managed to get inside on Howard and hit a shot with just 2.2 seconds to play, and the Sixers escaped with a 96-94 victory in Game 3. Young's game winning shot ended up overshadowing two excellent performances by Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala, who finished with 24 and 29 points, respectively. If not for Young's heroics, this game may have been known for something else, however.
While Andre Iguodala did manage to hit the game winning shot in Game 1, he did miss two free throws in the final minute that allowed the Magic to go down the floor and tie the game. Tonight, he had the same situation, as the Sixers were up 94-91, Iguodala stepped to the line and missed two free throws. Thirty seconds later, Dwight Howard scored his 35th and 36th points from the free throw line and tied the game. Iguodala is a very good player, but to take that next step, he has to be able to make free throws in the clutch. He's had two chances at it so far this postseason, and has come up short both times. The Sixers won both games though, so there isn't much to worry about.
Now, Philadelphia really has the Magic on the ropes. The Sixers are up 2-1, with home court advantage and they believe that they can knock off Orlando. This game tonight proves that Game 1 wasn't a fluke and they can hang with one of the best teams in the NBA. Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala are going to have to continue to bring their A games, and while there is no real way to stop Dwight Howard, the Sixers are letting him get his, and daring the rest of the Magic players to beat them. So far, it's resulted in two victories, so they must be doing something right. It hasn't been that pretty so far, but wins are wins, and tough basketball games can build teams, and right now the Sixers are being built up.
Phillies Recap: Phillies-7, Marlins-3
Game Recap:
Down 3-0 heading into the 9th inning, the Phillies sent 13 batters to the plate against Matt Lindstrom and Renyel Pinto. Shane Victorino's grand slam gave the Phils the lead, and Ryan Madson finished the game off to give the Phils a come from behind victory.
What went right?
As already mentioned, Shane Victorino's first career regular season grand slam in the 9th inning proved to be the game winner. Shane only had one hit in the game, but it was a big one.
The bullpen was again excellent in relief of Brett Myers. Clay Condrey pitched two scoreless innings, and Ryan Madson finished the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the 9th.
Chase Utley followed Victorino's slam with a homer of his own, giving him five on the season.
What went wrong?
Brett Myers still had issues pitching, walking six and allowing a first inning three run home run to Dan Uggla that almost proved to be the game winner. He didn't give up another run after that long ball, but only managed to throw 62 of 119 pitches for strikes in six innings of work.
Before the ninth inning rally, the Phillies only managed three hits and had struck out ten times.
The Phils also left 12 men on base, and every batter, save for Matt Stairs and Shane Victorino, struck out at least once.
Game Analysis:
This is the type of game that can give a young season some legs. The Phillies were down to their final out against the team with the best record in the National League, and then scored six more runs for a great come from behind victory. While the comeback was sweet, the Phils still can't look past their struggles tonight.
As already stated, before their ninth inning rally, the Phillies had their hands full with Florida's pitching staff. Josh Johnson has been dominant so far this season, but the Phillies made him look like a Cy Young candidate tonight. They should be thankful that he only pitched seven innings before giving way to the Florida bullpen.
Also, Brett Myers, despite settling down after giving up an early home run, needs get his control back in line after the way he pitched tonight. Myers walked six batters, and only threw 52 percent of his pitches for strikes, which is not nearly good enough against any major league team. We all know that Myers can be an ace, but if he pitches like he did tonight, he's going to look more like the guy that ended up getting a trip down the Leigh Valley last year. Either way, a win is a win, and with one swing of the bat, Shane Victorino may have turned a very sour start of the season into a much sweeter one.
Tomorrow, Chan Ho Park (0-0, 8.68 ERA) squares off with Chris Volstad (2-0, 2.76 ERA). This might be Park's last chance to prove that he should be in the starting rotation before JA Happ gets a chance.
Down 3-0 heading into the 9th inning, the Phillies sent 13 batters to the plate against Matt Lindstrom and Renyel Pinto. Shane Victorino's grand slam gave the Phils the lead, and Ryan Madson finished the game off to give the Phils a come from behind victory.
What went right?
As already mentioned, Shane Victorino's first career regular season grand slam in the 9th inning proved to be the game winner. Shane only had one hit in the game, but it was a big one.
The bullpen was again excellent in relief of Brett Myers. Clay Condrey pitched two scoreless innings, and Ryan Madson finished the game by striking out the side in the bottom of the 9th.
Chase Utley followed Victorino's slam with a homer of his own, giving him five on the season.
What went wrong?
Brett Myers still had issues pitching, walking six and allowing a first inning three run home run to Dan Uggla that almost proved to be the game winner. He didn't give up another run after that long ball, but only managed to throw 62 of 119 pitches for strikes in six innings of work.
Before the ninth inning rally, the Phillies only managed three hits and had struck out ten times.
The Phils also left 12 men on base, and every batter, save for Matt Stairs and Shane Victorino, struck out at least once.
Game Analysis:
This is the type of game that can give a young season some legs. The Phillies were down to their final out against the team with the best record in the National League, and then scored six more runs for a great come from behind victory. While the comeback was sweet, the Phils still can't look past their struggles tonight.
As already stated, before their ninth inning rally, the Phillies had their hands full with Florida's pitching staff. Josh Johnson has been dominant so far this season, but the Phillies made him look like a Cy Young candidate tonight. They should be thankful that he only pitched seven innings before giving way to the Florida bullpen.
Also, Brett Myers, despite settling down after giving up an early home run, needs get his control back in line after the way he pitched tonight. Myers walked six batters, and only threw 52 percent of his pitches for strikes, which is not nearly good enough against any major league team. We all know that Myers can be an ace, but if he pitches like he did tonight, he's going to look more like the guy that ended up getting a trip down the Leigh Valley last year. Either way, a win is a win, and with one swing of the bat, Shane Victorino may have turned a very sour start of the season into a much sweeter one.
Tomorrow, Chan Ho Park (0-0, 8.68 ERA) squares off with Chris Volstad (2-0, 2.76 ERA). This might be Park's last chance to prove that he should be in the starting rotation before JA Happ gets a chance.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
So You're Telling me There's a Chance...Flyers force Game Six
After the way that Pittsburgh played in Game 4, I'll admit that I would've put money on the Penguins to close out the series tonight against the Flyers. Instead, what we got was a dominant showing by Martin Biron and a great game from Philadelphia as they forced a Game 6 back at the Wachovia Center, where the crowd should be as wild as they've ever been.
The first period did not go that well for the Flyers, as they were out shot by Pittsburgh 15-5. However, Martin Biron was up to the task, stopping all 15 shots in the period. For the rest of the game, the Flyers out shot the Penguins 21-13, with three of their shots getting past Marc-Andre Fleury. Once the first period was done, the Flyers came out looking like the team that we all thought could have been one of the best in the NHL during the season. They began to pepper Fleury with shots, and Arron Asham found the back of the net with a wicked slap shot for the only goal that Philadelphia would need. Claude Giroux put in his second goal of the series on a timely deflection off of Darroll Powe, and Mike Richards capped the scoring with his first goal of the series later on in the third period.
The star of this game has to be Martin Biron, however. After getting outplayed by Fleury in Game 4, Biron came out tonight and set a tone with his play in the first period, stopping all 15 Pittsburgh shots. He only faces 13 shots for the rest of the game, but he stopped them all, save for a Evgeni Malkin kick in on a Sergei Gonchar slap shot that was disallowed. The pressure was on the Philadelphia goalie tonight, and he answered the call with a great performance.
Now, the Flyers have their best possible scenario. They might still be down 3-2 in the series, but they're headed back to Philadelphia for Game 6 and a chance to take all the momentum from the Penguins. Sure, the all important Game 7 would be back in Pittsburgh, but if the Flyers can force that seventh game, momentum would have to be on their side. The Penguins already had one chance to finish the Flyers off at home, now they have to try to do it in front of one of the best crowds in the NHL. There's no telling what way this series is going to go, but it just got a whole lot more interesting.
The first period did not go that well for the Flyers, as they were out shot by Pittsburgh 15-5. However, Martin Biron was up to the task, stopping all 15 shots in the period. For the rest of the game, the Flyers out shot the Penguins 21-13, with three of their shots getting past Marc-Andre Fleury. Once the first period was done, the Flyers came out looking like the team that we all thought could have been one of the best in the NHL during the season. They began to pepper Fleury with shots, and Arron Asham found the back of the net with a wicked slap shot for the only goal that Philadelphia would need. Claude Giroux put in his second goal of the series on a timely deflection off of Darroll Powe, and Mike Richards capped the scoring with his first goal of the series later on in the third period.
The star of this game has to be Martin Biron, however. After getting outplayed by Fleury in Game 4, Biron came out tonight and set a tone with his play in the first period, stopping all 15 Pittsburgh shots. He only faces 13 shots for the rest of the game, but he stopped them all, save for a Evgeni Malkin kick in on a Sergei Gonchar slap shot that was disallowed. The pressure was on the Philadelphia goalie tonight, and he answered the call with a great performance.
Now, the Flyers have their best possible scenario. They might still be down 3-2 in the series, but they're headed back to Philadelphia for Game 6 and a chance to take all the momentum from the Penguins. Sure, the all important Game 7 would be back in Pittsburgh, but if the Flyers can force that seventh game, momentum would have to be on their side. The Penguins already had one chance to finish the Flyers off at home, now they have to try to do it in front of one of the best crowds in the NHL. There's no telling what way this series is going to go, but it just got a whole lot more interesting.
Phillies Recap: Brewers-6, Phillies-1
Game Recap:
Dave Bush of the Brewers held the Phillies without a hit for seven and one-third innings, before Matt Stairs drilled a solo home run to break up the no hitter, but the Phils still lost. Cole Hamels looked to be getting back into form before a Prince Fielder line drive knocked him out of the game.
What went right?
Even less than yesterday's game.
Matt Stairs hit his second home run of the season to break up Dave Bush's no hit bid in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Before he had to leave the game, Cole Hamels looked good, striking out six of the first nine batters he faced.
What went wrong?
Just about everything else.
Aside from the Matt Stairs homer, Shane Victorino had the only hit for the Phillies. Chase Utley saw his streak of getting on base in consecutive games end at 33, while Raul Ibanez's hitting streak stopped at nine games.
Jimmy Rollins went 0-3, dropping his average to a paltry .169.
Cole Hamels was forced to leave the game with what's being called a "left shoulder contusion." Hopefully, that's all it is.
Game Analysis:
Just when you thought this young season couldn't get any more challenging, a game like this comes around. Not only were the Phillies totally dominated by Dave Bush, but the left shoulder of Cole Hamels is going to be a serious concern. Plus, the Philadelphia offense has got to get more consistent, and soon.
The most important thing right now, though, is the injury to Hamels. While it came out after the game that he wanted to stay in, the Phillies made the right choice in taking him out. He's going to have to be watched, and I'd be willing to bet that it's going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but hopefully he'll be ready for his next start. If he's not, then skip his spot, it's that simple. There is no point to putting him out there and having him hurt himself even more, especially after his elbow injury to start the season.
The good thing is that he definitely looked like his old self while he was in the game today. Yes, he gave up another home run to Ryan Braun, but Braun owned the Philadelphia pitching staff during this series. If this shoulder issue doesn't hurt Hamels too much, it should only be a matter of time until he starts to really look like the World Series MVP once again. Now, if only the offense could get back on track...
The Phils don't have much time to think about the last two games, as they're headed down to Miami for a series with the Marlins. Brett Myers (1-1, 5.03 ERA) takes on Josh Johnson (2-0, 2.91 ERA) in the first game tomorrow night. Hopefully, the Marlins continue on their little slide.
Dave Bush of the Brewers held the Phillies without a hit for seven and one-third innings, before Matt Stairs drilled a solo home run to break up the no hitter, but the Phils still lost. Cole Hamels looked to be getting back into form before a Prince Fielder line drive knocked him out of the game.
What went right?
Even less than yesterday's game.
Matt Stairs hit his second home run of the season to break up Dave Bush's no hit bid in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Before he had to leave the game, Cole Hamels looked good, striking out six of the first nine batters he faced.
What went wrong?
Just about everything else.
Aside from the Matt Stairs homer, Shane Victorino had the only hit for the Phillies. Chase Utley saw his streak of getting on base in consecutive games end at 33, while Raul Ibanez's hitting streak stopped at nine games.
Jimmy Rollins went 0-3, dropping his average to a paltry .169.
Cole Hamels was forced to leave the game with what's being called a "left shoulder contusion." Hopefully, that's all it is.
Game Analysis:
Just when you thought this young season couldn't get any more challenging, a game like this comes around. Not only were the Phillies totally dominated by Dave Bush, but the left shoulder of Cole Hamels is going to be a serious concern. Plus, the Philadelphia offense has got to get more consistent, and soon.
The most important thing right now, though, is the injury to Hamels. While it came out after the game that he wanted to stay in, the Phillies made the right choice in taking him out. He's going to have to be watched, and I'd be willing to bet that it's going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but hopefully he'll be ready for his next start. If he's not, then skip his spot, it's that simple. There is no point to putting him out there and having him hurt himself even more, especially after his elbow injury to start the season.
The good thing is that he definitely looked like his old self while he was in the game today. Yes, he gave up another home run to Ryan Braun, but Braun owned the Philadelphia pitching staff during this series. If this shoulder issue doesn't hurt Hamels too much, it should only be a matter of time until he starts to really look like the World Series MVP once again. Now, if only the offense could get back on track...
The Phils don't have much time to think about the last two games, as they're headed down to Miami for a series with the Marlins. Brett Myers (1-1, 5.03 ERA) takes on Josh Johnson (2-0, 2.91 ERA) in the first game tomorrow night. Hopefully, the Marlins continue on their little slide.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Phillies Recap: Brewers-3, Phillies-1
Game Recap:
Despite six solid innings by Joe Blanton, the Phillies could get nothing going on offense until the ninth inning, losing the game when Chris Coste struck out with runners on the corners.
What went right?
Not a whole lot tonight.
Joe Blanton pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and striking out five. He allowed a fifth inning solo home run to J.J. Hardy and a two run double to Mike Cameron in the sixth.
The Phillies bullpen pitched great in relief of Blanton. Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson held the Brewers without a hit for the final three innings of the game.
Jayson Werth continued his hot streak, going 2-4 with his second homer of the season in the ninth inning.
Chase Utley reached base for the 33rd game in a row with a first inning single.
What went wrong?
The Philadelphia offense couldn't get out of the blocks against Braden Looper, and finished off by leaving 11 men on base for the game.
While he was solid, Blanton gave up yet another home run by a Philadelphia starting pitcher.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino still can't seem to get started, going 2-8 in the top two spots in the lineup.
Game Analysis:
There isn't really a lot to talk about from the game tonight. Braden Looper came out and owned the Phils for six innings, and despite a brief sign of life in the ninth inning, the bats were quiet tonight. Leaving 11 men on base isn't going to cut it in any game, especially after Joe Blanton gives you six good innings like he did tonight. Any time a pitcher can hold a team to four or less runs, your team should be able to win the game. That didn't happen tonight, and the Phillies are back under .500. Hopefully, this little see-saw ends soon, with the Phillies back over .500 for the rest of the season.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (0-1, 11.17 ERA) looks for his first win of the season against Dave Bush (0-0, 5.40 ERA). It's the first Business Person's Special of the season, so cut out of work early and go watch the Phils.
Despite six solid innings by Joe Blanton, the Phillies could get nothing going on offense until the ninth inning, losing the game when Chris Coste struck out with runners on the corners.
What went right?
Not a whole lot tonight.
Joe Blanton pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and striking out five. He allowed a fifth inning solo home run to J.J. Hardy and a two run double to Mike Cameron in the sixth.
The Phillies bullpen pitched great in relief of Blanton. Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson held the Brewers without a hit for the final three innings of the game.
Jayson Werth continued his hot streak, going 2-4 with his second homer of the season in the ninth inning.
Chase Utley reached base for the 33rd game in a row with a first inning single.
What went wrong?
The Philadelphia offense couldn't get out of the blocks against Braden Looper, and finished off by leaving 11 men on base for the game.
While he was solid, Blanton gave up yet another home run by a Philadelphia starting pitcher.
Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino still can't seem to get started, going 2-8 in the top two spots in the lineup.
Game Analysis:
There isn't really a lot to talk about from the game tonight. Braden Looper came out and owned the Phils for six innings, and despite a brief sign of life in the ninth inning, the bats were quiet tonight. Leaving 11 men on base isn't going to cut it in any game, especially after Joe Blanton gives you six good innings like he did tonight. Any time a pitcher can hold a team to four or less runs, your team should be able to win the game. That didn't happen tonight, and the Phillies are back under .500. Hopefully, this little see-saw ends soon, with the Phillies back over .500 for the rest of the season.
Tomorrow, Cole Hamels (0-1, 11.17 ERA) looks for his first win of the season against Dave Bush (0-0, 5.40 ERA). It's the first Business Person's Special of the season, so cut out of work early and go watch the Phils.
Foul Trouble, Offensive Rebounding Doom Sixers as Magic Tie up Series
It was a game that the Sixers didn't need to win, but would have loved to take from the Magic. After taking Game 1 in Orlando, the Sixers had already secured home court advantage in their first round series, but a win in Game 2 would have put all the pressure on the Magic. Instead, Orlando was able to out hustle the Sixers tonight, and even after losing Dwight Howard with 3:11 to play, the Magic held on for a 96-87 win that evened the series.
After coming back from an 18 point deficit to win Game 1, the Sixers came out on fire, with Andre Miller scoring 13 of the first 17 points for Philadelphia and giving the Sixers an early seven point lead. From there, the Magic turned to Dwight Howard, and while the Orlando big man only had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the game, his presence inside was enough to get both Samuel Dalembert and Theo Ratliff into foul trouble early. With both of them sitting on the bench with two fouls, the Magic were able to outplay the Sixers on the offensive glass, as several second chances for Orlando resulted in points. A tie game at the end of the first quarter turned into a seven point Magic lead at the half, then ballooned to as many as 18 points in the third quarter. The Sixers would get as close as five in the second half, but Orlando continued to get second chances at baskets, and made Philadelphia pay.
The Magic were also able to keep Andre Iguodala from getting anywhere near the basket in the first half. Iguodala finished with 21 points, but only one of those came in the first half, when Andre Miller and Thaddeous Young were carrying the load for the Sixers. Meanwhile, Orlando went with a shorter bench in Game 2, and it paid off. Anthony Johnson dropped 11 points off the bench, and the Magic were also able to hold Philadelphia's bench in check after a great showing in Game 1.
While this loss hurts, the Sixers still have some momentum in this series. They're taking it back to Philadelphia tied at one game a piece, which is more than most people would have expected, especially considering how they finished the season. They've managed to contain Dwight Howard and the three point shooters for the Magic, as the Sixers held Orlando to 6-23 shooting from behind the arc tonight. Somehow, they have to do a better job at containing Courtney Lee, who has just batted Philadelphia in the two games so far. In order to keep home court, the Sixers will need to find an answer for Lee, as well as keep their big men out of foul trouble to continue to contain Dwight Howard. It's not going to be easy to stop Orlando's franchise player for an entire series, but it's going to have to be done if the Sixers want to advance.
Game 3 is Friday night at the Wachovia Center. Show up, and make your voices heard...the Sixers need your support.
Player of the Game: Andre Miller. Still going with a Sixer, even in a losing effort. Miller had 17 of the first 25 points for Philadelphia, and finished the game with 30 points, as well as seven rebounds and three assists.
After coming back from an 18 point deficit to win Game 1, the Sixers came out on fire, with Andre Miller scoring 13 of the first 17 points for Philadelphia and giving the Sixers an early seven point lead. From there, the Magic turned to Dwight Howard, and while the Orlando big man only had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the game, his presence inside was enough to get both Samuel Dalembert and Theo Ratliff into foul trouble early. With both of them sitting on the bench with two fouls, the Magic were able to outplay the Sixers on the offensive glass, as several second chances for Orlando resulted in points. A tie game at the end of the first quarter turned into a seven point Magic lead at the half, then ballooned to as many as 18 points in the third quarter. The Sixers would get as close as five in the second half, but Orlando continued to get second chances at baskets, and made Philadelphia pay.
The Magic were also able to keep Andre Iguodala from getting anywhere near the basket in the first half. Iguodala finished with 21 points, but only one of those came in the first half, when Andre Miller and Thaddeous Young were carrying the load for the Sixers. Meanwhile, Orlando went with a shorter bench in Game 2, and it paid off. Anthony Johnson dropped 11 points off the bench, and the Magic were also able to hold Philadelphia's bench in check after a great showing in Game 1.
While this loss hurts, the Sixers still have some momentum in this series. They're taking it back to Philadelphia tied at one game a piece, which is more than most people would have expected, especially considering how they finished the season. They've managed to contain Dwight Howard and the three point shooters for the Magic, as the Sixers held Orlando to 6-23 shooting from behind the arc tonight. Somehow, they have to do a better job at containing Courtney Lee, who has just batted Philadelphia in the two games so far. In order to keep home court, the Sixers will need to find an answer for Lee, as well as keep their big men out of foul trouble to continue to contain Dwight Howard. It's not going to be easy to stop Orlando's franchise player for an entire series, but it's going to have to be done if the Sixers want to advance.
Game 3 is Friday night at the Wachovia Center. Show up, and make your voices heard...the Sixers need your support.
Player of the Game: Andre Miller. Still going with a Sixer, even in a losing effort. Miller had 17 of the first 25 points for Philadelphia, and finished the game with 30 points, as well as seven rebounds and three assists.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Phillies Recap: Phillies-11, Brewers-4
Game Recap:
Trying to obviously score before the rain set in, the Phillies scored four runs in the first and five in the fifth to provide all the offense they would need for Jamie Moyer to pick up his second win of the season. Pedro Feliz had his best game of the year, picking up three hits and adding his first home run of the season.
What went right?
As previously mentioned, Pedro Feliz had a great day at the plate, going 3-4 with 3 RBI and his first long ball of the season. The game upped his average to a very nice .359 through the first dozen games of the year.
While Chase Utley only had one hit and one RBI, he did show some great patience at the plate, walking three times and scoring once.
Jamie Moyer had his best start of the year, by far. He started the game with back to back strikeouts, and aside from Ryan Braun, who no one could stop tonight, held the Milwaukee offense in check for six innings. He picked up his second win of the season and dropped his ERA to 6.35.
Jayson Werth went 2-5, including a two run double in the first inning that started the scoring spree for the Phillies.
Shane Victorino is starting to look like he might be coming out of his slow start with a 2-4 night, including two runs scored and an RBI.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard didn't have the best of nights, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. The big man is still hitting .313 on the year, however.
While Moyer did pitch well, he had problems with Ryan Braun all night, allowing two home runs from the former Rookie of the Year.
The weather decided to delay the end of what was a blowout, keeping me from getting to write this up before I should be getting ready to go to sleep.
Game Analysis:
In a matchup of last year's NLDS, the Phillies picked up right where they left off. The offense, which has started to look better, really came to life today, battering Milwaukee starter Manny Parra for four runs in the first, then adding five more in the fifth off of Jorge Julio.
This is the Phillie team that I remember watching from last season. While they may not score all the time, scoring runs in bunches can be just as, if not more effective than scoring a run each inning. While the Phillies have let some big innings slip through their fingers so far this year, they were able to put two such innings together today, and that ended up leading to a very happy, if also very wet, crowd at Citizen's Bank Ballpark tonight.
If the Phillies are going to continue on this little offensive tear they've got going, the Brewers are a perfect team to do it against. They lost both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets during the offseason, and their pitching is quite thin. For players like Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, this is a perfect time to get their licks in against subpar pitching. These series are the ones that the Phillies were able to take control of last year, as they played average teams with poor rotations. That trend is going to have to continue for the Phils, and it hopefully should.
Next Game
The Phillies send Joe Blanton (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the mound to try and get over the .500 mark for the first time this season. Opposing him will be Braden Looper (1-0, 3.27 ERA) as the Brewers attempt to even the series.
Trying to obviously score before the rain set in, the Phillies scored four runs in the first and five in the fifth to provide all the offense they would need for Jamie Moyer to pick up his second win of the season. Pedro Feliz had his best game of the year, picking up three hits and adding his first home run of the season.
What went right?
As previously mentioned, Pedro Feliz had a great day at the plate, going 3-4 with 3 RBI and his first long ball of the season. The game upped his average to a very nice .359 through the first dozen games of the year.
While Chase Utley only had one hit and one RBI, he did show some great patience at the plate, walking three times and scoring once.
Jamie Moyer had his best start of the year, by far. He started the game with back to back strikeouts, and aside from Ryan Braun, who no one could stop tonight, held the Milwaukee offense in check for six innings. He picked up his second win of the season and dropped his ERA to 6.35.
Jayson Werth went 2-5, including a two run double in the first inning that started the scoring spree for the Phillies.
Shane Victorino is starting to look like he might be coming out of his slow start with a 2-4 night, including two runs scored and an RBI.
What went wrong?
Ryan Howard didn't have the best of nights, going 0-4 with three strikeouts. The big man is still hitting .313 on the year, however.
While Moyer did pitch well, he had problems with Ryan Braun all night, allowing two home runs from the former Rookie of the Year.
The weather decided to delay the end of what was a blowout, keeping me from getting to write this up before I should be getting ready to go to sleep.
Game Analysis:
In a matchup of last year's NLDS, the Phillies picked up right where they left off. The offense, which has started to look better, really came to life today, battering Milwaukee starter Manny Parra for four runs in the first, then adding five more in the fifth off of Jorge Julio.
This is the Phillie team that I remember watching from last season. While they may not score all the time, scoring runs in bunches can be just as, if not more effective than scoring a run each inning. While the Phillies have let some big innings slip through their fingers so far this year, they were able to put two such innings together today, and that ended up leading to a very happy, if also very wet, crowd at Citizen's Bank Ballpark tonight.
If the Phillies are going to continue on this little offensive tear they've got going, the Brewers are a perfect team to do it against. They lost both CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets during the offseason, and their pitching is quite thin. For players like Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, this is a perfect time to get their licks in against subpar pitching. These series are the ones that the Phillies were able to take control of last year, as they played average teams with poor rotations. That trend is going to have to continue for the Phils, and it hopefully should.
Next Game
The Phillies send Joe Blanton (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the mound to try and get over the .500 mark for the first time this season. Opposing him will be Braden Looper (1-0, 3.27 ERA) as the Brewers attempt to even the series.
Missed chances doom Flyers in loss to Penguins
Eight power plays compared to five. Forty six shots against 26. From those numbers alone, the Flyers should have easily won against the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. It was not to be, though. Philadelphia missed chance after chance, while the Penguins managed to take advantage of the few chances they had to capture a 3-1 victory in Game 4, and a 3-1 lead in the playoff series. It's do or die time now for the Flyers, and they're going to have to do better than they did tonight if they want the series to come back to the Wachovia Center.
Over the first few games of the series, the focus was on the officiating, as it often is when the Penguins are in a series. While there could have been a case for some questionable calls in the prior games, tonight, the Flyers were given more chances on the power play, and they simply couldn't take advantage of them when they were presented. Marc-Andre Fleury was simply sensuational in goal for Pittsburgh, making several stops that could have resulted in goals for Philadelphia. You can't take that away from Fleury, especially after the way he had been peppered in Game 3. It takes a very good goalie to come back after giving up six goals in the prior game, and with the way Fleury played tonight, you can certainly say he is a very good, if not great, goalie.
You can also make a case for the first goal that the Penguins scored, as it was a fluke that managed to bounce of of Sidney Crosby and into the net as Simon Gagne made a solid defenisve play to take Crosby out of the play. However, the other two goals were more than legitimate, and since the Flyers only managed to get one puck past Fleury the entire game, that first goal for Pittsburgh was inconsequensal. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, and it seems like a common element tonight, but they just couldn't do anything when they had the chance.
So what does this mean for the Flyers? Certainly, Game 5 is a must win, but that goes without saying. Jeff Carter, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards and the rest of the 20 goal scorers for Philadelphia are going to have to find a way to get to Fleury again, because if he is able to play like he did tonight, it's going to be the end of the season for Philadelphia come Thursday night. On the same mindset, the Flyers are going to have to play better on defense. While they didn't give up any power play goals tonight, they still allowed three full strength goals. Sidney Crosby is going to have to be contained, and they're also going to have to contend with Evgeni Malkin. It's a double edged sword for the Flyers, and it's certainly not a good thing. The only thing is, they're going to have to take on that double edged sword, as well as the athleticism of Fleury, if they even want to get past Game 5. Do I like their chances? I can't say that I do, but stranger things have happened. Teams have come back from a 3-1 hole before, so it can happen. Just keep your fingers crossed, it might be possible.
Over the first few games of the series, the focus was on the officiating, as it often is when the Penguins are in a series. While there could have been a case for some questionable calls in the prior games, tonight, the Flyers were given more chances on the power play, and they simply couldn't take advantage of them when they were presented. Marc-Andre Fleury was simply sensuational in goal for Pittsburgh, making several stops that could have resulted in goals for Philadelphia. You can't take that away from Fleury, especially after the way he had been peppered in Game 3. It takes a very good goalie to come back after giving up six goals in the prior game, and with the way Fleury played tonight, you can certainly say he is a very good, if not great, goalie.
You can also make a case for the first goal that the Penguins scored, as it was a fluke that managed to bounce of of Sidney Crosby and into the net as Simon Gagne made a solid defenisve play to take Crosby out of the play. However, the other two goals were more than legitimate, and since the Flyers only managed to get one puck past Fleury the entire game, that first goal for Pittsburgh was inconsequensal. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, and it seems like a common element tonight, but they just couldn't do anything when they had the chance.
So what does this mean for the Flyers? Certainly, Game 5 is a must win, but that goes without saying. Jeff Carter, Mike Knuble, Mike Richards and the rest of the 20 goal scorers for Philadelphia are going to have to find a way to get to Fleury again, because if he is able to play like he did tonight, it's going to be the end of the season for Philadelphia come Thursday night. On the same mindset, the Flyers are going to have to play better on defense. While they didn't give up any power play goals tonight, they still allowed three full strength goals. Sidney Crosby is going to have to be contained, and they're also going to have to contend with Evgeni Malkin. It's a double edged sword for the Flyers, and it's certainly not a good thing. The only thing is, they're going to have to take on that double edged sword, as well as the athleticism of Fleury, if they even want to get past Game 5. Do I like their chances? I can't say that I do, but stranger things have happened. Teams have come back from a 3-1 hole before, so it can happen. Just keep your fingers crossed, it might be possible.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Sheldon Brown wants a trade
While it seems like every team has issues with players demanding trades, the Philadelphia Eagles have run into the same problem two years in a row. Last year, Lito Sheppard requested a trade that eventually saw him shipped off to the Jets for a fifth round pick. Now, Sheldon Brown has requested a trade, citing a "lack of respect," and the Eagles have already responded, denying his request, but I doubt that we've heard the end of this.
This year, Sheldon might have a valid concern. The Eagles have him under contract until 2012, but this upcoming season is the only one with any guaranteed money, meaning that Philadelphia can (and probably would) cut him before the deal reaches its end without any penalty. Of course, since Joselio Hanson signed a five year, $21 million contract this offseason, Sheldon can't be too happy about essentially being paid less than the nickel corner. Plus, with the Eagles sitting on a bunch of cap room, there figured to be at least a few players looking to get some more money out of the front office this year, particularly the players like Sheldon, who just turned 30, and probably has one more big money contract in him.
So, what do the Eagles do? After the soap opera drama that was the Lito Sheppard situation last season, perhaps it would be better if they were to try and find a trade partner for Sheldon. Of course, that means that they would almost certainly be taking a CB with the 21st pick in this weekend's NFL Draft. They could look at players like Vontae Davis, Victor Harris or Darius Butler as possible picks at that spot. They could stick with the players they already have, and put their faith into Joselio Hanson and Jack Ikegwuonu and pick a CB in the mid to late rounds of the draft. Or, they could just go to the table with him and redo his deal to see if he would be willing to stay on and be happy as an Eagle. Sheldon had a great season last year, not allowing a touchdown pass until the NFC Championship, and he and Asante Samuel formed one of the best corner duos in the NFL. It would be a shame to break that up after just one season, but it certainly looks like a reality now.
Although it seems unlikely, there is one last avenue...the Eagles could trade Sheldon to the Arizona Cardinals in a package for Anquan Boldin. The Eagles haven't ruled out making a move for Boldin, and it would certainly address a need position, though it would certainly handicap them in terms of drafting, since it would almost certainly require them to take a CB with that first pick. With everything else that's happened this offseason, who knows if this could happen? At this point, I'm not putting it past anyone to try something like this, though I doubt the chances of it becoming a reality.
Whatever happens, it just seems like the drama never stops with the Eagles. Just once, I'd like an offseason free of this stuff...is that too much to ask?
This year, Sheldon might have a valid concern. The Eagles have him under contract until 2012, but this upcoming season is the only one with any guaranteed money, meaning that Philadelphia can (and probably would) cut him before the deal reaches its end without any penalty. Of course, since Joselio Hanson signed a five year, $21 million contract this offseason, Sheldon can't be too happy about essentially being paid less than the nickel corner. Plus, with the Eagles sitting on a bunch of cap room, there figured to be at least a few players looking to get some more money out of the front office this year, particularly the players like Sheldon, who just turned 30, and probably has one more big money contract in him.
So, what do the Eagles do? After the soap opera drama that was the Lito Sheppard situation last season, perhaps it would be better if they were to try and find a trade partner for Sheldon. Of course, that means that they would almost certainly be taking a CB with the 21st pick in this weekend's NFL Draft. They could look at players like Vontae Davis, Victor Harris or Darius Butler as possible picks at that spot. They could stick with the players they already have, and put their faith into Joselio Hanson and Jack Ikegwuonu and pick a CB in the mid to late rounds of the draft. Or, they could just go to the table with him and redo his deal to see if he would be willing to stay on and be happy as an Eagle. Sheldon had a great season last year, not allowing a touchdown pass until the NFC Championship, and he and Asante Samuel formed one of the best corner duos in the NFL. It would be a shame to break that up after just one season, but it certainly looks like a reality now.
Although it seems unlikely, there is one last avenue...the Eagles could trade Sheldon to the Arizona Cardinals in a package for Anquan Boldin. The Eagles haven't ruled out making a move for Boldin, and it would certainly address a need position, though it would certainly handicap them in terms of drafting, since it would almost certainly require them to take a CB with that first pick. With everything else that's happened this offseason, who knows if this could happen? At this point, I'm not putting it past anyone to try something like this, though I doubt the chances of it becoming a reality.
Whatever happens, it just seems like the drama never stops with the Eagles. Just once, I'd like an offseason free of this stuff...is that too much to ask?
Phils vs. Padres Rained Out
I hate the rain. It makes work far less enjoyable, and it cancels baseball games, like the one tonight for the Phillies. The Phils will be back in action tomorrow night against the Milwaukee Brewers for the first time since knocking them out in the NLDS last year.
One can assume Jamie Moyer will pitch tomorrow, so he doesn't miss his spot in the rotation. He or Joe Blanton will face off against Manny Parra (0-2, 6.97 ERA).
One can assume Jamie Moyer will pitch tomorrow, so he doesn't miss his spot in the rotation. He or Joe Blanton will face off against Manny Parra (0-2, 6.97 ERA).
Sunday, April 19, 2009
What a Game! Sixers Make it a 3-3 Day in Philly Sports!
Admit it, you thought the game was over, right? You figured this was the same Sixers team that had sleepwalked its way through the last two weeks of the NBA season after clinching a playoff birth. Late in the third quarter, with Philadelphia down 79-61 to the Orlando Magic, you would have been right. Dwight Howard was dominating, and rookie Courtney Lee was in the middle of an 18 point game. What was a four point deficit at the half had turned into an 18 point hole, and with the way Orlando was playing, there was no way the Sixers would be able to come back, right?
This time, you would be wrong.
Thanks to the play of Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Lou Williams and Donyell Marshall, the Sixers managed to make it a game late in the fourth quarter. That 18 point lead had been cut to just one, and with Iguodala at the line, it looked like Philadelphia would take the lead for the first time in the second half. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy, as the Sixer guard missed both free throws. Once again, you could have assumed the game was over, as Philadelphia had spent all their energy just getting back into the game. With just under a minute left, Dwight Howard slammed the ball home, seemingly shutting the door on Game 1, putting the Sixers behind in the series.
This time though, the heart and the hustle that had vanished during the end of the regular season came back. Donyell Marshall, a 45% three point shooter on the season, drained a three to tie the game at 98. Then, Andre Iguodala took the ball on the next Philadelphia possession and did exactly what we had all been hoping for since Allen Iverson was traded to Denver. He took control of the game, and nailed a 22 foot jump shot with just 2.2 seconds to play, putting the Sixers on top for the first time since late in the first half. Orlando's last shot was off, and Philadelphia had the first major comeback victory of the playoffs.
What does this all mean? Well, if you remember, the Sixers won Game 1 last year against Detroit, and ended up losing the series in six games, so it might not mean that much. However, this did show that when the chips are down, this Sixer team might just be able to push through and show some heart and determination. Dwight Howard was huge for Orlando, scoring 31 points and bringing down 16 rebounds. Very few teams have an answer for Howard, and the Sixers aren't one of them. They have to expect him to put up similar numbers in every game, despite his 16 ppg average during the regular season against Philadelphia. The Philadelphia defense played very well in the fourth quarter, basically stopping everyone but Howard, which is what is going to be needed if the Sixers are going to pull off the upset. Not only that, but the defense held the usually hot three point shooters of the Magic to just 5-18 shooting from behind the arc, while the Philadelphia bench outscored Orlando's 42-13.
So for now, enjoy the upset in Game 1 to cap what was an excellent Philadelphia sports day. Hopefully, when Game 2 comes around, the Sixers can prove that this wasn't just a fluke, though taking home court advantage away from the Magic is certainly a good thing regardless.
Player of the Game: Andre Iguodala. How can it not be? The clutch game winning shot with 2.2 to play, after missing two free throws just minutes before. He finished the game with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. All in all, not a bad game.
This time, you would be wrong.
Thanks to the play of Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Lou Williams and Donyell Marshall, the Sixers managed to make it a game late in the fourth quarter. That 18 point lead had been cut to just one, and with Iguodala at the line, it looked like Philadelphia would take the lead for the first time in the second half. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy, as the Sixer guard missed both free throws. Once again, you could have assumed the game was over, as Philadelphia had spent all their energy just getting back into the game. With just under a minute left, Dwight Howard slammed the ball home, seemingly shutting the door on Game 1, putting the Sixers behind in the series.
This time though, the heart and the hustle that had vanished during the end of the regular season came back. Donyell Marshall, a 45% three point shooter on the season, drained a three to tie the game at 98. Then, Andre Iguodala took the ball on the next Philadelphia possession and did exactly what we had all been hoping for since Allen Iverson was traded to Denver. He took control of the game, and nailed a 22 foot jump shot with just 2.2 seconds to play, putting the Sixers on top for the first time since late in the first half. Orlando's last shot was off, and Philadelphia had the first major comeback victory of the playoffs.
What does this all mean? Well, if you remember, the Sixers won Game 1 last year against Detroit, and ended up losing the series in six games, so it might not mean that much. However, this did show that when the chips are down, this Sixer team might just be able to push through and show some heart and determination. Dwight Howard was huge for Orlando, scoring 31 points and bringing down 16 rebounds. Very few teams have an answer for Howard, and the Sixers aren't one of them. They have to expect him to put up similar numbers in every game, despite his 16 ppg average during the regular season against Philadelphia. The Philadelphia defense played very well in the fourth quarter, basically stopping everyone but Howard, which is what is going to be needed if the Sixers are going to pull off the upset. Not only that, but the defense held the usually hot three point shooters of the Magic to just 5-18 shooting from behind the arc, while the Philadelphia bench outscored Orlando's 42-13.
So for now, enjoy the upset in Game 1 to cap what was an excellent Philadelphia sports day. Hopefully, when Game 2 comes around, the Sixers can prove that this wasn't just a fluke, though taking home court advantage away from the Magic is certainly a good thing regardless.
Player of the Game: Andre Iguodala. How can it not be? The clutch game winning shot with 2.2 to play, after missing two free throws just minutes before. He finished the game with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. All in all, not a bad game.
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