So the Phillies had a busy weekend, despite the fact that there isn't any baseball to be played for another two months. First is the news that the Phils have avoided arbitration for the second straight season, signing Carlos Ruiz to a three year, $8.85 million extension. As I said last week when the Phillies resigned Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino, Ruiz isn't the best offensive player on the Phillies, but he doesn't have to be. What he lacks in offensive talent, he more than makes up for in his defensive skills and his coaching of the pitchers. Plus, with the Phillies trading Lou Marson and Travis D'Arnaud in the Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay deals, there isn't exactly a bevy of catching talent left in the minor league system, so keeping Ruiz around, and happy, for the next few seasons is very important. In my mind, this was a no brainer, and it's good to see the team keeping things away from the arbitration room yet again.
The second bit of news is another transaction that is taking someone out of Philadelphia. According to Jerry Crasnick, Matt Stairs has signed a one year contract with the San Diego Padres to be their left handed bat off the bench. Of course, we here in Philadelphia will always remember Stairs for what he did in the last two postseasons, which basically revolved around making Jonathan Broxton his bitch in back to back NLCS appearances. Other than that, Stairs really didn't do that much with the Phillies, but the fact that he was such an important part of the 2008 Phillies means that if he does catch on with the Padres, he's going to get a standing ovation when he comes back to Philadelphia. That man got cheered last year when he was hitting under .200. That's how much that moonshot in the NLCS meant to the fans of Philadelphia. Best of luck to you, Matt.
Then comes a little bit of fun news. This past Saturday, Jimmy Rollins and his long time girlfriend Johari Smith got married in the Cayman Islands. Several Phillies were in attendance, as was Bobby Abreu, who was actually part of the wedding party. Judging by the pictures, it looks like everyone had a good time, and why wouldn't they have? It was a freaking wedding in the Cayman Islands. Congrats to Jimmy and his new wife, now come back this year and play the way you did in the second half of the season last year. If you want to see the wedding pictures, check out Rebecca Davidson's site. She did a hell of a job, and if you're getting married in the Caymans, I'd certainly recommend her.
ESPN: Carlos Ruiz agrees to three year deal
Jerry Crasnick: Matt Stairs signs with Padres
Rebecca Davidson: Jimmy Rollins' wedding pictures
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Does John Tortorella Ever Stop Whining?
It seems like all this guy ever does is complain about something when it doesn't go his way. I remember him whining during the 2004 playoffs, when the Tampa Bay Lightning won the freaking Stanley Cup, and after the game last night between his New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers, he had some other things to whine about.
His main beef wasn't the fact that the Flyers shut out the Rangers for the second straight time. No, that would have been what a responsible coach wanted to talk about after the game. His problem was that Dan Carcillo had decided to pick a fight with Marian Gaborik, who is the best player that the Rangers have. Normally, I would agree with an assessment like that. I mean, you don't see the best players on teams getting into many fights. I don't think I ever saw Wayne Gretzky drop the gloves. There's the rub, though. While Tortorella wants to complain about Carcillo going after Gaborik, he doesn't mention that Gaborik actually dropped his gloves first in the middle of a scrum.
Clearly, Carcillo isn't going to just stand there and get punched in the face. If you've ever seen a game where Carcillo plays for more than a few minutes, you know that isn't going to be the case. I've made it clear before that I don't like the way Dan Carcillo plays. I think the way of the goon in hockey is well past it's time, and teams like the Flyers that keep a guy like that around are only hurting themselves, but that's another story for another time. Last night, Carcillo did nothing wrong. When an opposing player drops the gloves first, that's an invitation to start fighting, and that's what Carcillo did. I don't care if it was Marian Gaborik, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby or Wayne Gretzky. I would be saying the same thing today if Carcillo responded the same way. That's just how it is in hockey. You can't drop the gloves and not expect to get punched, especially if you're a finesse player.
Hey, Tortorella can talk all he wants about honor in the game, but when you have Sean Avery on your team, you shouldn't talk that much. I mean, it was only last year when Avery was basically blackballed from the Dallas Stars for talking about someone's "sloppy seconds." Oh, and Avery got into two fights last night, too. Yes, they were against Scott Hartnell and Dan Carcillo, but he still fought twice. Also, the last time I checked, Carcillo doesn't have a rule against anything he's done, while Avery does. Oh, and then there's the fact that the Rangers have Donald Brashear on their team as well. I'm not going to bad mouth Brashear, because he's a former Flyer, and I don't roll that way, but the fact of the matter is that Brashear is the same type of player that Carcillo is. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Brashear go after Jeff Carter or Danny Briere the next time the Flyers and the Rangers play. Then I want to see Tortorella talk about honor.
One last thing about this, and then I'm going to put it to bed. Where the hell were Gaborik's teammates during this whole fight? If Gaborik's really the best player on the Rangers, then why didn't anyone else on the ice step in while Carcillo was using his face as a heavy bag? There was at least one New York player that could have stepped in a few times. Instead, he just stood and watched. It's insane to think that someone could just stand there and watch his teammate get punched in the face, but that's what happened. If you want to look at someone who doesn't have honor, and apparently doesn't respect his teammates, then you should look at that guy. I'm not a fighter myself, but if I was standing next to one of my friends and I saw him getting punched in the face, I would certainly try and help him out. I think that's an obvious human reaction.
Lost in all of this fighting is the fact that the Flyers have quietly moved into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. I mentioned it about a week ago, but right now, the Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season. The team is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games, and have climbed to within two points of the Rangers for the six seed in the conference. Ray Emery has returned from injury, and he's 2-1 in his first three starts back, including last night's shutout against the Rangers. I'm not saying that this team is going to make a deep run into the playoffs, but if they keep playing like they are right now, I wouldn't put anything past them. At least they're playing like a decent hockey team again, and if that means I have to put up with Dan Carcillo fighting in almost every game, I guess I can do that.
Here's Tortorella's little rant, if you're interested:
His main beef wasn't the fact that the Flyers shut out the Rangers for the second straight time. No, that would have been what a responsible coach wanted to talk about after the game. His problem was that Dan Carcillo had decided to pick a fight with Marian Gaborik, who is the best player that the Rangers have. Normally, I would agree with an assessment like that. I mean, you don't see the best players on teams getting into many fights. I don't think I ever saw Wayne Gretzky drop the gloves. There's the rub, though. While Tortorella wants to complain about Carcillo going after Gaborik, he doesn't mention that Gaborik actually dropped his gloves first in the middle of a scrum.
Clearly, Carcillo isn't going to just stand there and get punched in the face. If you've ever seen a game where Carcillo plays for more than a few minutes, you know that isn't going to be the case. I've made it clear before that I don't like the way Dan Carcillo plays. I think the way of the goon in hockey is well past it's time, and teams like the Flyers that keep a guy like that around are only hurting themselves, but that's another story for another time. Last night, Carcillo did nothing wrong. When an opposing player drops the gloves first, that's an invitation to start fighting, and that's what Carcillo did. I don't care if it was Marian Gaborik, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby or Wayne Gretzky. I would be saying the same thing today if Carcillo responded the same way. That's just how it is in hockey. You can't drop the gloves and not expect to get punched, especially if you're a finesse player.
Hey, Tortorella can talk all he wants about honor in the game, but when you have Sean Avery on your team, you shouldn't talk that much. I mean, it was only last year when Avery was basically blackballed from the Dallas Stars for talking about someone's "sloppy seconds." Oh, and Avery got into two fights last night, too. Yes, they were against Scott Hartnell and Dan Carcillo, but he still fought twice. Also, the last time I checked, Carcillo doesn't have a rule against anything he's done, while Avery does. Oh, and then there's the fact that the Rangers have Donald Brashear on their team as well. I'm not going to bad mouth Brashear, because he's a former Flyer, and I don't roll that way, but the fact of the matter is that Brashear is the same type of player that Carcillo is. I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see Brashear go after Jeff Carter or Danny Briere the next time the Flyers and the Rangers play. Then I want to see Tortorella talk about honor.
One last thing about this, and then I'm going to put it to bed. Where the hell were Gaborik's teammates during this whole fight? If Gaborik's really the best player on the Rangers, then why didn't anyone else on the ice step in while Carcillo was using his face as a heavy bag? There was at least one New York player that could have stepped in a few times. Instead, he just stood and watched. It's insane to think that someone could just stand there and watch his teammate get punched in the face, but that's what happened. If you want to look at someone who doesn't have honor, and apparently doesn't respect his teammates, then you should look at that guy. I'm not a fighter myself, but if I was standing next to one of my friends and I saw him getting punched in the face, I would certainly try and help him out. I think that's an obvious human reaction.
Lost in all of this fighting is the fact that the Flyers have quietly moved into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. I mentioned it about a week ago, but right now, the Flyers are playing their best hockey of the season. The team is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games, and have climbed to within two points of the Rangers for the six seed in the conference. Ray Emery has returned from injury, and he's 2-1 in his first three starts back, including last night's shutout against the Rangers. I'm not saying that this team is going to make a deep run into the playoffs, but if they keep playing like they are right now, I wouldn't put anything past them. At least they're playing like a decent hockey team again, and if that means I have to put up with Dan Carcillo fighting in almost every game, I guess I can do that.
Here's Tortorella's little rant, if you're interested:
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Phillies are Getting Deals Done
In the vast wasteland that is January and February in Philadelphia once the Eagles have been knocked out of the playoffs, the Phillies are once again in the news. While the moves that they made today are nothing amazing, they're quite important for keeping the team that's been to back to back World Series together.
First, they announced that Joe Blanton had been signed to a three year, $24 million extension, keeping him in red pinstripes until 2012. I said it last year during the playoffs, but over the entire season, there was no pitcher for the Phillies that was as consistent as Joe Blanton. He's never going to be a pitcher that's going to go out and win 20 games, but if you're looking for a guy that's going to come out and win 12-15 games with an ERA around 4.00, then that's exactly what you're going to get in Blanton. He had asked for $10 million in arbitration, and the Phillies had come back with a $7.5 million offer. Instead of having him sign a one year deal, he's locked up for the long term now, and that gives the Phillies four pitchers now signed through the 2012 season.
There is the obvious question that some people are asking: why couldn't the Phillies do this with Cliff Lee instead of Joe Blanton? Well, the first thing is that Cliff Lee wasn't going to want just $24 million over three years. It seemed obvious to me that he was going to want much, much more than that, and over a longer span, meaning that if he ended up reverting back to the Cliff Lee of 2007, when he spent most of the year in the minors and was left off of Cleveland's postseason roster, the Phillies would be stuck with a very expensive contract. Throw in the fact that the Roy Halladay trade almost cleaned out the Phillies' minor league system, and they needed to trade Lee to get some of those prospects back, which is exactly what I argued in my first post about the situation. Honestly, with Halladay, J.A. Happ and hopefully a 100% Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation, I'll take Joe Blanton for three years over Cliff Lee for one. That's just how that works out.
The other move the Phillies made today was extending Shane Victorino for three more years through the 2012 season. The contract is reportedly for $22 million over the span of the three years, and will keep the Phillies with a Gold Glove caliber centerfielder, which is something very few teams in baseball can boast about having. While I don't feel like this move was as important as signing Joe Blanton to a long term deal, there is certainly plenty of merit to this deal as well.
First and foremost, this move helps keep the Phillies stable in the outfield for at least the next two years. Raul Ibanez isn't going anywhere until his contract is up, and Jayson Werth is a free agent after next season. As much as I would love to see Werth spend the rest of his career in Philadelphia, the smart money has him taking a big money contract from another team. The 2011 free agent class is very shallow in the outfield, and if Werth can pull off another season like he had in 2009, he's going to be the Jason Bay of the next offseason. With Victorino locked up, the Phillies can afford to call up Domonic Brown for 2011. By all accounts, Brown will be ready to play in the majors after next season, and while Werth has certainly made the most of his time in Philadelphia, it seems like 2010 will be his last as a Phillie. Either way, Victorino now doesn't have to worry about where he's going to be playing the next three years. It'll be nice to watch him out in center, especially with that defense that he has.
With two of the last three arbitration eligible players locked up for the Phillies now, there's only one left to go, and it looks like he's on Ruben Amaro's list. According to Assistant GM Scott Proefrock, the Phillies are working on a long term deal for catcher Carlos Ruiz, and they hope to have it done within a week. I sure hope that gets done, because even though he's not an offensive force, Carlos is an outstanding defensive catcher, and the work he does with the pitchers can not be forgotten.
CSNPhilly: Phillies Ink Blanton to deal
ESPN: Phillies sign Victorino to three year contract
First, they announced that Joe Blanton had been signed to a three year, $24 million extension, keeping him in red pinstripes until 2012. I said it last year during the playoffs, but over the entire season, there was no pitcher for the Phillies that was as consistent as Joe Blanton. He's never going to be a pitcher that's going to go out and win 20 games, but if you're looking for a guy that's going to come out and win 12-15 games with an ERA around 4.00, then that's exactly what you're going to get in Blanton. He had asked for $10 million in arbitration, and the Phillies had come back with a $7.5 million offer. Instead of having him sign a one year deal, he's locked up for the long term now, and that gives the Phillies four pitchers now signed through the 2012 season.
There is the obvious question that some people are asking: why couldn't the Phillies do this with Cliff Lee instead of Joe Blanton? Well, the first thing is that Cliff Lee wasn't going to want just $24 million over three years. It seemed obvious to me that he was going to want much, much more than that, and over a longer span, meaning that if he ended up reverting back to the Cliff Lee of 2007, when he spent most of the year in the minors and was left off of Cleveland's postseason roster, the Phillies would be stuck with a very expensive contract. Throw in the fact that the Roy Halladay trade almost cleaned out the Phillies' minor league system, and they needed to trade Lee to get some of those prospects back, which is exactly what I argued in my first post about the situation. Honestly, with Halladay, J.A. Happ and hopefully a 100% Cole Hamels at the top of the rotation, I'll take Joe Blanton for three years over Cliff Lee for one. That's just how that works out.
The other move the Phillies made today was extending Shane Victorino for three more years through the 2012 season. The contract is reportedly for $22 million over the span of the three years, and will keep the Phillies with a Gold Glove caliber centerfielder, which is something very few teams in baseball can boast about having. While I don't feel like this move was as important as signing Joe Blanton to a long term deal, there is certainly plenty of merit to this deal as well.
First and foremost, this move helps keep the Phillies stable in the outfield for at least the next two years. Raul Ibanez isn't going anywhere until his contract is up, and Jayson Werth is a free agent after next season. As much as I would love to see Werth spend the rest of his career in Philadelphia, the smart money has him taking a big money contract from another team. The 2011 free agent class is very shallow in the outfield, and if Werth can pull off another season like he had in 2009, he's going to be the Jason Bay of the next offseason. With Victorino locked up, the Phillies can afford to call up Domonic Brown for 2011. By all accounts, Brown will be ready to play in the majors after next season, and while Werth has certainly made the most of his time in Philadelphia, it seems like 2010 will be his last as a Phillie. Either way, Victorino now doesn't have to worry about where he's going to be playing the next three years. It'll be nice to watch him out in center, especially with that defense that he has.
With two of the last three arbitration eligible players locked up for the Phillies now, there's only one left to go, and it looks like he's on Ruben Amaro's list. According to Assistant GM Scott Proefrock, the Phillies are working on a long term deal for catcher Carlos Ruiz, and they hope to have it done within a week. I sure hope that gets done, because even though he's not an offensive force, Carlos is an outstanding defensive catcher, and the work he does with the pitchers can not be forgotten.
CSNPhilly: Phillies Ink Blanton to deal
ESPN: Phillies sign Victorino to three year contract
I'm Not Going to Question Samuel Dalembert at this Point
Everybody knows that Samuel Dalembert hasn't had the most successful career in Philadelphia up to this point. The big man can look lost on the court at times, and sometimes forgets how to dribble and rebound properly. Recently, though, he's really started to turn things around, averaging 12.1 points and 12.9 rebounds during the month of January. That's right...big Sammy is averaging a double double for the month, and not a cheap one, either. He's had two 20 rebound games this month, but I don't think anything compares to what he managed to do yesterday.
I'm sure you've heard by now, but Dalembert was down in Haiti for the last two days, helping to raise awareness and funds for the country that is still recovering from their worst earthquake in recent history. With over 70,000 dead already, Dalembert, a native Haitian, was assisting in the relief effort. He was scheduled to return back to Philadelphia with more than enough time to get to the Sixers' game against the Portland Trailblazers last night, but after delays on the runway (when aren't there delays?), Dalembert managed to get off of his plane in Philadelphia just half an hour before tip off.
With his streak of 313 straight starts on the line, Dalembert took off sprinting through the airport, into a car, and to the Wachovia Center, where he managed to make it onto the court at 6:57, just minutes before the start of the game. He didn't do much in the first half, but finished the game with ten points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort. The Sixers may not have a good team this year, but I'm not going to take anything away from Dalembert. He's playing his heart out right now, and with the situation with his family in Haiti, it makes it even more impressive.
The story here isn't about the fact that Dalembert made it back to Philadelphia just in time to play a basketball game, though. The story is where he spent most of the last two days. Haiti is still in trouble, and if the 6.1 aftershock that hit yesterday is any indication, the shaking might not be over quite yet. There are still people buried in the remains of collapsed buildings that need to be rescued. There are people that have been rescued that need medical care that they haven't gotten yet. Then, there are the survivors that need food, water and at least temporary shelter. These are the things that Dalembert was trying to help with in his recent trip. I'm not saying we all need to go to Haiti and help, I know that I couldn't afford to go regardless. What I'm saying is that you should look at the example that Dalembert has set with this trip and his effort, both in Haiti and for his team in wanting to get back and play for them. The earthquake has set the poorest nation on this half of the earth back even further, and the recovery could take years. If you have a chance, just check out the links that I'm going to be posting at the bottom of the article. If you can donate anything, please do.
UNICEF
American Red Cross
Samuel Dalembert Foundation
I'm sure you've heard by now, but Dalembert was down in Haiti for the last two days, helping to raise awareness and funds for the country that is still recovering from their worst earthquake in recent history. With over 70,000 dead already, Dalembert, a native Haitian, was assisting in the relief effort. He was scheduled to return back to Philadelphia with more than enough time to get to the Sixers' game against the Portland Trailblazers last night, but after delays on the runway (when aren't there delays?), Dalembert managed to get off of his plane in Philadelphia just half an hour before tip off.
With his streak of 313 straight starts on the line, Dalembert took off sprinting through the airport, into a car, and to the Wachovia Center, where he managed to make it onto the court at 6:57, just minutes before the start of the game. He didn't do much in the first half, but finished the game with ten points and 15 rebounds in a losing effort. The Sixers may not have a good team this year, but I'm not going to take anything away from Dalembert. He's playing his heart out right now, and with the situation with his family in Haiti, it makes it even more impressive.
The story here isn't about the fact that Dalembert made it back to Philadelphia just in time to play a basketball game, though. The story is where he spent most of the last two days. Haiti is still in trouble, and if the 6.1 aftershock that hit yesterday is any indication, the shaking might not be over quite yet. There are still people buried in the remains of collapsed buildings that need to be rescued. There are people that have been rescued that need medical care that they haven't gotten yet. Then, there are the survivors that need food, water and at least temporary shelter. These are the things that Dalembert was trying to help with in his recent trip. I'm not saying we all need to go to Haiti and help, I know that I couldn't afford to go regardless. What I'm saying is that you should look at the example that Dalembert has set with this trip and his effort, both in Haiti and for his team in wanting to get back and play for them. The earthquake has set the poorest nation on this half of the earth back even further, and the recovery could take years. If you have a chance, just check out the links that I'm going to be posting at the bottom of the article. If you can donate anything, please do.
UNICEF
American Red Cross
Samuel Dalembert Foundation
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Hey Look, a Philadelphia Team Beat Dallas!
It took three tries in the last week, but Philadelphia finally bested Dallas in a sporting event. Unfortunately for all the Eagles fans, it was the Philadelphia Flyers that took out the Dallas Stars last night by a 6-3 score. Fourteen players registered a point in the game, which was the most in 13 years for the orange and black.
With the recent downfall of the Eagles, most people probably haven't given the Flyers much notice, but they've quietly climbed back into the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference. Their win last night was their fourth in a row and their eighth in their last ten games. While the Flyers are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division, they are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference at the moment, and they way that they've been playing, that number should only get better as the rest of the season continues.
What's the cause for this improvement? Quite simply, the offensive weapons that weren't working during most of November and December have clicked into gear again, and despite issues in goal, the Flyers have been scoring at will on most of their opponents. Each of their last four wins has been decided by three goals or more, and the Flyers have driven the opposing goalie out of the game twice in their current stretch. The power play is clicking as well, with the Flyers scoring on the man advantage in their last five games. They also haven't allowed a power play goal since the Winter Classic, another reason why things have started to improve for the team.
After losing both Ray Emery and Brian Boucher to injuries, things didn't look good in goal for the Flyers, but somehow, even the goalie issues have gotten better during this recent hot streak. Michael Leighton was picked off of the scrap heap, and despite only starting 60 games before this season, the journeyman goalkeeper hasn't lost a game yet, going 8-0-1 with a 2.22 goals against average for the Flyers. If you want the other reason why the Flyers have been able to improve so much over the last three weeks, Leighton's play is certainly near the top of the list. I'm not saying he can keep this level of play up, but with Ray Emery just about ready to comeback from his injury, it might just be enough for him to bounce Boucher from his backup job. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Leighton out in goal every fifth game or so instead of Boucher. At least then I would feel like the Flyers had a chance to win the game.
Regardless, it's nice to see the Flyers picking up their play again. I think most people knew that this team was too good to continue slumping like they had been for that stretch, but at least now it's out of the way. The offense is clicking, the defense is playing better, and the goaltending has improved by leaps and bounds, thanks to a career backup getting a chance to shine. Right now, the Flyers would be in the playoffs, but at this point, I want to see how far they can climb out of the hole they dug for themselves.
With the recent downfall of the Eagles, most people probably haven't given the Flyers much notice, but they've quietly climbed back into the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference. Their win last night was their fourth in a row and their eighth in their last ten games. While the Flyers are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division, they are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference at the moment, and they way that they've been playing, that number should only get better as the rest of the season continues.
What's the cause for this improvement? Quite simply, the offensive weapons that weren't working during most of November and December have clicked into gear again, and despite issues in goal, the Flyers have been scoring at will on most of their opponents. Each of their last four wins has been decided by three goals or more, and the Flyers have driven the opposing goalie out of the game twice in their current stretch. The power play is clicking as well, with the Flyers scoring on the man advantage in their last five games. They also haven't allowed a power play goal since the Winter Classic, another reason why things have started to improve for the team.
After losing both Ray Emery and Brian Boucher to injuries, things didn't look good in goal for the Flyers, but somehow, even the goalie issues have gotten better during this recent hot streak. Michael Leighton was picked off of the scrap heap, and despite only starting 60 games before this season, the journeyman goalkeeper hasn't lost a game yet, going 8-0-1 with a 2.22 goals against average for the Flyers. If you want the other reason why the Flyers have been able to improve so much over the last three weeks, Leighton's play is certainly near the top of the list. I'm not saying he can keep this level of play up, but with Ray Emery just about ready to comeback from his injury, it might just be enough for him to bounce Boucher from his backup job. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Leighton out in goal every fifth game or so instead of Boucher. At least then I would feel like the Flyers had a chance to win the game.
Regardless, it's nice to see the Flyers picking up their play again. I think most people knew that this team was too good to continue slumping like they had been for that stretch, but at least now it's out of the way. The offense is clicking, the defense is playing better, and the goaltending has improved by leaps and bounds, thanks to a career backup getting a chance to shine. Right now, the Flyers would be in the playoffs, but at this point, I want to see how far they can climb out of the hole they dug for themselves.
Wishing all the Best to Samuel Dalembert and his Family
Those of you who follow this blog know that I like to ride on Samuel Dalmbert a little bit. He's been a punching bag for just about his entire time in Philadelphia, but now isn't the time for anything like that. What you might not know is that Samuel Dalmbert was born, and has family in Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. I'm sure all of you have seen the devastation that's befallen Port-Au-Prince following the horrible 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit there yesterday. Dalembert has said that he's been able to get in contact with his father and some of his siblings, but he's still waiting to hear from many of them.
I usually don't use this space to get preachy, but I feel like I need to this time. Estimates so far place the death toll at anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000, and for an island that is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, there is no good news right now. Most of the major hospitals and hotels were destroyed during the earthquake, and the Red Cross in Haiti has already run out of supplies, leaving the nation completely crippled right now. I'm not asking you to donate anything to the Red Cross or any other organization, but I would at least like you to consider it. I'm going to be posting links to the Red Cross and Samuel Dalembert's foundation at the bottom of this article, and I'm just hoping that you would take a look to see if you can help. I know times are tough right now, but considering what just happened in Haiti, they could be a lot worse.
This is a helpless situation for Dalembert and the people of Hati. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire country and I hope that whatever aid gets sent there can help them rebuild from this horrible event.
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.dalembertfoundation.org/
I usually don't use this space to get preachy, but I feel like I need to this time. Estimates so far place the death toll at anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000, and for an island that is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, there is no good news right now. Most of the major hospitals and hotels were destroyed during the earthquake, and the Red Cross in Haiti has already run out of supplies, leaving the nation completely crippled right now. I'm not asking you to donate anything to the Red Cross or any other organization, but I would at least like you to consider it. I'm going to be posting links to the Red Cross and Samuel Dalembert's foundation at the bottom of this article, and I'm just hoping that you would take a look to see if you can help. I know times are tough right now, but considering what just happened in Haiti, they could be a lot worse.
This is a helpless situation for Dalembert and the people of Hati. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire country and I hope that whatever aid gets sent there can help them rebuild from this horrible event.
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.dalembertfoundation.org/
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Eagles Aftermath-NFC Wild Card Edition: Cowboys-34, Eagles-14
What happened?
The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 with a dominating performance over the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their season.
The Good:
Do you really expect me to say anything was good in that game yesterday? Keep on looking down.
The Bad:
Just like last week, it wasn't even bad. Just keep on going, it's almost here.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ended up running the ball more this week...three times more, to be exact. Yeah, that didn't work.
DeSean Jackson, for all of his talking, was a complete nonfactor, catching three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter when the game was already over.
The Eagles committed four turnovers, and never got into a groove on offense the entire game.
Donovan McNabb looked even worse than last week, completing 19/37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception.
Brian Westbrook didn't carry the ball once, and only caught one pass for 27 yards.
The defense allowed Dallas to score on five straight possessions in the second quarter.
The time of possession battle was just about 2-1 in favor of Dallas, just like last week.
Basically, nothing changed, except the Eagles managed to score this time around.
The Breakdown:
So, the 2009-10 Philadelphia Eagles' season comes to an end. It didn't end with a parade down Broad Street, like all of us wanted. Instead, it ended with a humiliating loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, as the Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the second time in a week. Just as they had in the last game of the regular season, the Cowboys dictated the pace of the game and were able to easily take care of the Eagles for their first playoff win since I was in sixth grade.
The best way to break down this three hour car accident that resembled a football game is to look at my keys to the game from yesterday. The first one was to get pressure on Tony Romo, so the secondary wouldn't have to do everything. Well, the defense had the right idea at first, sacking Romo twice in the first quarter as they kept the Cowboys from scoring. After that, however, they weren't able to bring Romo to the ground for the rest of the game. Romo responded by picking apart the shaky secondary for the Eagles, passing for two touchdowns and 244 yards on the day. Something in that secondary has to change, but I'll get to that in a minute. The important thing here is that, after the first 15 minutes, I got closer to Tony Romo than the defensive line did. There was no pressure, and the Eagles were out muscled by Dallas' offensive line.
Point number two was that the Eagles needed to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected, so that he didn't have to rush his throws or force them to his receivers. Yeah, that didn't go so well, did it? Just like the last game, McNabb was sacked four times and again was never allowed to get into a good situation in the backfield. DeMarcus Ware destroyed Jason Peters throughout the entire game, and Anthony Spencer, the player the Eagles traded their first round pick for so the Cowboys could take him, picked up another sack. Boy, Spencer would look good in Eagles' green right now, wouldn't he? Just as before, McNabb struggled to find his targets, and when he did, they were usually covered tightly by Dallas defenders. DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 14 yards, and while Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 146 yards, half of those yards came on one play...and Michael Vick was the one throwing the pass. The bottom line is McNabb did not look good last night, and while part of that was his own doing, the offensive line had to do a better job protecting him. No quarterback can be productive if he's getting pressured the entire game.
I'll move on to point number three now, which was the establishment of a running game by the Eagles. Last week, the running backs only had seven carries in the entire game. This week, things seemed to be looking better in the first quarter, but then things quickly went downhill again. Brian Westbrook didn't even have a single carry, and LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver carried the ball ten times, giving them just three more carries than all of last week. For the most part, I can understand why the running game went away in the second half. The Eagles needed to make up points in a hurry, and they couldn't do that on the ground. They were a pass first offense this year, and the Cowboys knew it. My only problem with taking the running game out of the playbook is that, when you do that, you have to take the play action out of there, as well. No team is going to believe that you are going to run the ball when you've passed it on nine of your last ten plays. The fake just isn't going to work, and your quarterback is going to end up getting hit, fumbling, or throwing into double coverage. All of these things happened last night in the second half. As for Dallas' running game? The Eagles stopped Marion Barber this week, holding him to four yards on three carries, but Felix Jones had an even better game, rushing for 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 73 yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was the dagger.
Basically, this game was a carbon copy of the one that ended the regular season. The Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball, and the Eagles couldn't do anything right. The defense did what they could in the first quarter, but they fell apart in the second, allowing Dallas to score on five straight drives. I don't care where the Cowboys start with the ball. If you allow them to score five straight times, that's not on the offense for turning the ball over...that's on you. The Cowboys had the Eagles' number all three times they played them, and while Dallas looked better each time around, the Eagles looked worse and worse. As much as it pains me to do, I'm going to give the Cowboys credit for shutting the Eagles down in each game. They were the only team that could do it more than once, so good for them. They deserved to win that game last night, and are obviously the class of the NFC East this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see them in the Super Bowl this season, it really wouldn't.
There is nothing good to take out of this game. In fact, it raises a lot of questions about the future of this team. First and foremost is obviously about what's going to happen to Donovan McNabb. While Andy Reid just signed a long term extension before the playoffs, McNabb did not, and the calls for his head are going to be coming in for a while now, especially after a playoff loss to the Cowboys. While this game was not entirely his fault, he certainly did not play up to his level of performance, and shaky quarterback play will doom an offense each and every time. While I think he should stay, I'm not sure he's going to. I think the Eagles may try and move him now, before his age really becomes a factor in getting rid of him. After Kevin Kolb played well in his two starts this year, there are going to be those that call for him to be the starter next season. To be fair, he did play against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, two teams that aren't exactly known for their defenses, but he looked good in each game. If he doesn't get the starting nod this coming season, I think he will in 2012. McNabb doesn't have much time left in this city, and I can only hope both sides don't burn every bridge they have before he leaves.
Then there's the rest of the offense. Brian Westbrook's time as an Eagle looks like it's coming to an end, and Leonard Weaver is a free agent after the season. I think the first thing that has to happen is the Eagles need to sign Weaver to a long term deal. He really proved his worth at fullback this season, and I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to go back to the days of Tony Hunt and Thomas Tapeh trying to be a lead blocker for Brian Westbrook or LeSean McCoy. Speaking of McCoy, I have a feeling he's going to be locked in as the starting running back for a while now. He showed a lot of potential this season, but when teams focused in on him, he struggled. He's going to have to get better in his second season to bring more balance to the offense.
As for the wide receivers, the first two are clearly set in stone. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are young, fast and have a lot of talent. Those two aren't going anywhere. After that, the wideout situation gets a bit cloudy. Jason Avant is a free agent to be, and will be looking for a bigger contract. Meanwhile, Kevin Curtis is signed through 2012, and Reggie Brown still has another four years left on his deal, though he's more than likely gone once the salary cap goes away for the 2010 season. Regardless, the offense needs more balance. Jackson and Maclin are great players, but there has to be something other than the big play for this team to win. In all three games, the Cowboys took away the big play, and they won. They were the only team that could do that, and the Eagles had no answer for it. Something has to happen to get this team back into a bit of a short yardage offense. Big plays look nice on the replay board, but they count the same as a one yard touchdown run. If you can't get the big plays when you're a big play offense, you're not going to win. That's exactly what happened against the Cowboys in all three losses. This team needs more balance if they want to go somewhere next season. Oh, and DeSean Jackson? I think you're a great player, but if you don't start showing up against the Cowboys, the city will turn on you. It will happen.
The offensive line is in a state of flux as well. Jamaal Jackson, barring a miracle, is going to miss at least part of the 2010-11 season, and Nick Cole's contract is up, meaning that the Eagles are going to have to look for a center for next year as well. Not only that, but aside from Winston Justice, there isn't a single person on that offensive line who should feel safe about their job for next season. Jason Peters was a disaster against the Cowboys, and I'm not sure how he made the Pro Bowl right now. Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles are both going to have to work at keeping their starting jobs, and I can't wait until the Eagles ship the Andrews brothers out of town. That can't happen soon enough. This might be the first time in a while that I wouldn't be upset if the Eagles decided to take an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft. I really wouldn't mind.
Then, you come to the back seven on defense. The linebacking corps needs to be completely shaken up. The Eagles didn't have a player this year that could cover a tight end, and the loss of Stewart Bradley in training camp hurt more than anyone wanted to know. Why else would the Eagles have brought back Jeremiah Trotter...again? Hopefully, Bradley can return to form and help solidify the middle of the linebackers, because he needs to. Will Witherspoon more than likely has a starting job at one of the outside posts wrapped up, but then there's Chris Gocong, who also happens to be a free agent in this coming offseason. I've never been that impressed with him, but he's a solid player. Is he solid enough to resign to a long term deal? That I can't say, but I think that the Eagles will be looking in his direction here very shortly to lock him up. If not, they're going to have to fill his place, and that's just another hole to take care of.
As for the secondary, there are not many positives that I can think of right now. Asante Samuel jumps way too many routes, and while his nine interceptions look good on paper, he also gives up a lot of big plays and his tackling is very suspect. Sheldon Brown played over half the season hurt, and I think it finally caught up to him in the last few games of the year. He's going to need to get better and shelve his whining about a new contract before next season starts. The safety position is very weak right now. Sean Jones won't be back, Macho Harris shouldn't be anywhere near the field next season, and Quintin Mikell was exposed without Brian Dawkins there to help back him up. I wouldn't be upset if both safety positions were occupied by other players next year, because Mikell and the revolving door of Sean Jones and Macho Harris just couldn't get anything done as the season went on. The Eagles need that ball-hawking safety back that they had in Brian Dawkins. No one they have right now is like that. They need to find someone like that, whether it's in free agency or the draft.
Truth be told, I don't think this team was nearly as good as their record showed. That 11-5 mark was propped up by a lot of wins against bad teams. The Eagles didn't beat a single playoff team during the regular season, and they actually only beat one team that finished the season with a winning record. On the flip side, four of their five losses came against playoff teams, including two against the Dallas Cowboys. What does that mean? Well, it means that while the Eagles won the games that they should have won, when it came to that next level of competition, they couldn't get there. The Saints, Chargers and Cowboys all handled the Eagles with relative ease, and that's why all three of those teams are still in the playoffs, and the Eagles are now like me, watching the playoffs on a couch. The big play offense is shiny and nice, but without a bit of toughness from the running backs, it's not going to work well. The St. Louis Rams had a great big play offense because they had Marshall Faulk to balance it out. The Eagles need that running back to bring balance to everything. If they can't find him, then defenses will not respect the run and be able to double team DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin all game long. This season started with so much potential, but then ended the way just about every other Eagles season has...with a lot of disappointment and anger. I don't know what this offseason is going to bring, but honestly, nothing will surprise me at this point.
The worst part is, now there's no more football. What the hell am I supposed to do until pitchers and catchers report? The Sixers suck, and the Flyers are...the Flyers. Dammit, I have another six weeks to kill until spring training gets here. God damn Eagles.
The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 with a dominating performance over the Philadelphia Eagles, ending their season.
The Good:
Do you really expect me to say anything was good in that game yesterday? Keep on looking down.
The Bad:
Just like last week, it wasn't even bad. Just keep on going, it's almost here.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ended up running the ball more this week...three times more, to be exact. Yeah, that didn't work.
DeSean Jackson, for all of his talking, was a complete nonfactor, catching three passes for 14 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter when the game was already over.
The Eagles committed four turnovers, and never got into a groove on offense the entire game.
Donovan McNabb looked even worse than last week, completing 19/37 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown, along with an interception.
Brian Westbrook didn't carry the ball once, and only caught one pass for 27 yards.
The defense allowed Dallas to score on five straight possessions in the second quarter.
The time of possession battle was just about 2-1 in favor of Dallas, just like last week.
Basically, nothing changed, except the Eagles managed to score this time around.
The Breakdown:
So, the 2009-10 Philadelphia Eagles' season comes to an end. It didn't end with a parade down Broad Street, like all of us wanted. Instead, it ended with a humiliating loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Dallas, as the Cowboys defeated the Eagles for the second time in a week. Just as they had in the last game of the regular season, the Cowboys dictated the pace of the game and were able to easily take care of the Eagles for their first playoff win since I was in sixth grade.
The best way to break down this three hour car accident that resembled a football game is to look at my keys to the game from yesterday. The first one was to get pressure on Tony Romo, so the secondary wouldn't have to do everything. Well, the defense had the right idea at first, sacking Romo twice in the first quarter as they kept the Cowboys from scoring. After that, however, they weren't able to bring Romo to the ground for the rest of the game. Romo responded by picking apart the shaky secondary for the Eagles, passing for two touchdowns and 244 yards on the day. Something in that secondary has to change, but I'll get to that in a minute. The important thing here is that, after the first 15 minutes, I got closer to Tony Romo than the defensive line did. There was no pressure, and the Eagles were out muscled by Dallas' offensive line.
Point number two was that the Eagles needed to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected, so that he didn't have to rush his throws or force them to his receivers. Yeah, that didn't go so well, did it? Just like the last game, McNabb was sacked four times and again was never allowed to get into a good situation in the backfield. DeMarcus Ware destroyed Jason Peters throughout the entire game, and Anthony Spencer, the player the Eagles traded their first round pick for so the Cowboys could take him, picked up another sack. Boy, Spencer would look good in Eagles' green right now, wouldn't he? Just as before, McNabb struggled to find his targets, and when he did, they were usually covered tightly by Dallas defenders. DeSean Jackson only had three catches for 14 yards, and while Jeremy Maclin had seven catches for 146 yards, half of those yards came on one play...and Michael Vick was the one throwing the pass. The bottom line is McNabb did not look good last night, and while part of that was his own doing, the offensive line had to do a better job protecting him. No quarterback can be productive if he's getting pressured the entire game.
I'll move on to point number three now, which was the establishment of a running game by the Eagles. Last week, the running backs only had seven carries in the entire game. This week, things seemed to be looking better in the first quarter, but then things quickly went downhill again. Brian Westbrook didn't even have a single carry, and LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver carried the ball ten times, giving them just three more carries than all of last week. For the most part, I can understand why the running game went away in the second half. The Eagles needed to make up points in a hurry, and they couldn't do that on the ground. They were a pass first offense this year, and the Cowboys knew it. My only problem with taking the running game out of the playbook is that, when you do that, you have to take the play action out of there, as well. No team is going to believe that you are going to run the ball when you've passed it on nine of your last ten plays. The fake just isn't going to work, and your quarterback is going to end up getting hit, fumbling, or throwing into double coverage. All of these things happened last night in the second half. As for Dallas' running game? The Eagles stopped Marion Barber this week, holding him to four yards on three carries, but Felix Jones had an even better game, rushing for 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 73 yard touchdown run in the third quarter that was the dagger.
Basically, this game was a carbon copy of the one that ended the regular season. The Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball, and the Eagles couldn't do anything right. The defense did what they could in the first quarter, but they fell apart in the second, allowing Dallas to score on five straight drives. I don't care where the Cowboys start with the ball. If you allow them to score five straight times, that's not on the offense for turning the ball over...that's on you. The Cowboys had the Eagles' number all three times they played them, and while Dallas looked better each time around, the Eagles looked worse and worse. As much as it pains me to do, I'm going to give the Cowboys credit for shutting the Eagles down in each game. They were the only team that could do it more than once, so good for them. They deserved to win that game last night, and are obviously the class of the NFC East this year. It wouldn't surprise me to see them in the Super Bowl this season, it really wouldn't.
There is nothing good to take out of this game. In fact, it raises a lot of questions about the future of this team. First and foremost is obviously about what's going to happen to Donovan McNabb. While Andy Reid just signed a long term extension before the playoffs, McNabb did not, and the calls for his head are going to be coming in for a while now, especially after a playoff loss to the Cowboys. While this game was not entirely his fault, he certainly did not play up to his level of performance, and shaky quarterback play will doom an offense each and every time. While I think he should stay, I'm not sure he's going to. I think the Eagles may try and move him now, before his age really becomes a factor in getting rid of him. After Kevin Kolb played well in his two starts this year, there are going to be those that call for him to be the starter next season. To be fair, he did play against the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs, two teams that aren't exactly known for their defenses, but he looked good in each game. If he doesn't get the starting nod this coming season, I think he will in 2012. McNabb doesn't have much time left in this city, and I can only hope both sides don't burn every bridge they have before he leaves.
Then there's the rest of the offense. Brian Westbrook's time as an Eagle looks like it's coming to an end, and Leonard Weaver is a free agent after the season. I think the first thing that has to happen is the Eagles need to sign Weaver to a long term deal. He really proved his worth at fullback this season, and I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to go back to the days of Tony Hunt and Thomas Tapeh trying to be a lead blocker for Brian Westbrook or LeSean McCoy. Speaking of McCoy, I have a feeling he's going to be locked in as the starting running back for a while now. He showed a lot of potential this season, but when teams focused in on him, he struggled. He's going to have to get better in his second season to bring more balance to the offense.
As for the wide receivers, the first two are clearly set in stone. DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin are young, fast and have a lot of talent. Those two aren't going anywhere. After that, the wideout situation gets a bit cloudy. Jason Avant is a free agent to be, and will be looking for a bigger contract. Meanwhile, Kevin Curtis is signed through 2012, and Reggie Brown still has another four years left on his deal, though he's more than likely gone once the salary cap goes away for the 2010 season. Regardless, the offense needs more balance. Jackson and Maclin are great players, but there has to be something other than the big play for this team to win. In all three games, the Cowboys took away the big play, and they won. They were the only team that could do that, and the Eagles had no answer for it. Something has to happen to get this team back into a bit of a short yardage offense. Big plays look nice on the replay board, but they count the same as a one yard touchdown run. If you can't get the big plays when you're a big play offense, you're not going to win. That's exactly what happened against the Cowboys in all three losses. This team needs more balance if they want to go somewhere next season. Oh, and DeSean Jackson? I think you're a great player, but if you don't start showing up against the Cowboys, the city will turn on you. It will happen.
The offensive line is in a state of flux as well. Jamaal Jackson, barring a miracle, is going to miss at least part of the 2010-11 season, and Nick Cole's contract is up, meaning that the Eagles are going to have to look for a center for next year as well. Not only that, but aside from Winston Justice, there isn't a single person on that offensive line who should feel safe about their job for next season. Jason Peters was a disaster against the Cowboys, and I'm not sure how he made the Pro Bowl right now. Todd Herremans and Max Jean-Gilles are both going to have to work at keeping their starting jobs, and I can't wait until the Eagles ship the Andrews brothers out of town. That can't happen soon enough. This might be the first time in a while that I wouldn't be upset if the Eagles decided to take an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft. I really wouldn't mind.
Then, you come to the back seven on defense. The linebacking corps needs to be completely shaken up. The Eagles didn't have a player this year that could cover a tight end, and the loss of Stewart Bradley in training camp hurt more than anyone wanted to know. Why else would the Eagles have brought back Jeremiah Trotter...again? Hopefully, Bradley can return to form and help solidify the middle of the linebackers, because he needs to. Will Witherspoon more than likely has a starting job at one of the outside posts wrapped up, but then there's Chris Gocong, who also happens to be a free agent in this coming offseason. I've never been that impressed with him, but he's a solid player. Is he solid enough to resign to a long term deal? That I can't say, but I think that the Eagles will be looking in his direction here very shortly to lock him up. If not, they're going to have to fill his place, and that's just another hole to take care of.
As for the secondary, there are not many positives that I can think of right now. Asante Samuel jumps way too many routes, and while his nine interceptions look good on paper, he also gives up a lot of big plays and his tackling is very suspect. Sheldon Brown played over half the season hurt, and I think it finally caught up to him in the last few games of the year. He's going to need to get better and shelve his whining about a new contract before next season starts. The safety position is very weak right now. Sean Jones won't be back, Macho Harris shouldn't be anywhere near the field next season, and Quintin Mikell was exposed without Brian Dawkins there to help back him up. I wouldn't be upset if both safety positions were occupied by other players next year, because Mikell and the revolving door of Sean Jones and Macho Harris just couldn't get anything done as the season went on. The Eagles need that ball-hawking safety back that they had in Brian Dawkins. No one they have right now is like that. They need to find someone like that, whether it's in free agency or the draft.
Truth be told, I don't think this team was nearly as good as their record showed. That 11-5 mark was propped up by a lot of wins against bad teams. The Eagles didn't beat a single playoff team during the regular season, and they actually only beat one team that finished the season with a winning record. On the flip side, four of their five losses came against playoff teams, including two against the Dallas Cowboys. What does that mean? Well, it means that while the Eagles won the games that they should have won, when it came to that next level of competition, they couldn't get there. The Saints, Chargers and Cowboys all handled the Eagles with relative ease, and that's why all three of those teams are still in the playoffs, and the Eagles are now like me, watching the playoffs on a couch. The big play offense is shiny and nice, but without a bit of toughness from the running backs, it's not going to work well. The St. Louis Rams had a great big play offense because they had Marshall Faulk to balance it out. The Eagles need that running back to bring balance to everything. If they can't find him, then defenses will not respect the run and be able to double team DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin all game long. This season started with so much potential, but then ended the way just about every other Eagles season has...with a lot of disappointment and anger. I don't know what this offseason is going to bring, but honestly, nothing will surprise me at this point.
The worst part is, now there's no more football. What the hell am I supposed to do until pitchers and catchers report? The Sixers suck, and the Flyers are...the Flyers. Dammit, I have another six weeks to kill until spring training gets here. God damn Eagles.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Ed Wade Really Loves His Old Players, Doesn't He?
The Brett Myers free agent train has pulled into the station, and I'm really not surprised where he ended up. After the Phillies decided not to bring him back, Myers looked around for about a month, and has landed with the Houston Astros. Who happens to be the general manager of the Astros? Why none other than Ed Wade, the same guy that drafted Myers and brought him up to the major leagues back in 2002. Wade really does seem to love former Phillies, what with him having Pedro Feliz, Chris Coste, Michael Bourn and now Brett Myers.
While Brett never really found his true potential with the Phils, he was never short on moments. He was on the mound when the Phillies completed their comeback and won the NL East in 2007, and then found his bat during Game 2 of the 2008 NLCS, picking up as many hits (three) in the game as he had hit all season. He'll always be remembered in my mind as one of the best players down the stretch for the 2008 World Champion Phillies and for striking out Wily Mo Pena, but other than that...he never reached the peak of what could have been a very good career with the Phils. I wish him the best of luck down in Houston, because I get the feeling he's going to need it.
ESPN.com: Houston Astros sign RHP Myers
While Brett never really found his true potential with the Phils, he was never short on moments. He was on the mound when the Phillies completed their comeback and won the NL East in 2007, and then found his bat during Game 2 of the 2008 NLCS, picking up as many hits (three) in the game as he had hit all season. He'll always be remembered in my mind as one of the best players down the stretch for the 2008 World Champion Phillies and for striking out Wily Mo Pena, but other than that...he never reached the peak of what could have been a very good career with the Phils. I wish him the best of luck down in Houston, because I get the feeling he's going to need it.
ESPN.com: Houston Astros sign RHP Myers
Here We Go Again...
I don't know about all of you, but I'm certainly not used to the stress of back to back Dallas Weeks for the Philadelphia Eagles. Last week, as you all know, didn't go so well, and now the Eagles have to travel back down to Dallas for another game against the Cowboys, only this time...it's in the playoffs. Now, you can throw all the figures out that you want. You can mention that Dallas hasn't won a playoff game since 1996, and that Wade Phillips has never won a playoff game, either. You can bring up the botched snap against Seattle, the loss at home against the Giants and every other playoff defeat the Cowboys have suffered between their last playoff win and today, but it doesn't matter. This is a different Dallas team than all of those other ones, and this time, it's the Eagles that they have to face in the playoffs.
Honestly, this is going to be one of the most difficult games I think the Eagles have had in the first round of the playoffs since Andy Reid came to Philadelphia. The Eagles had everything lined up for them going into last week, but none of it came to pass. The important thing now is to not get caught up in that. Last year's team made it to the NFC Championship Game as a six seed, so it can be done. Last week's game was the worst possible showing that the Eagles have had this year, and I'm including the Oakland game in that, so it has to get better, but things have to change.
The most important thing is that the Eagles have to get pressure on Tony Romo and force turnovers. Philadelphia was second in the league in turnover plus/minus during the regular season, and that short field works well with the offense that the Eagles have. However, last week against the Cowboys, the Eagles only forced one turnover and sacked Romo twice. Those numbers have to go up for the Eagles to have a chance tonight, they just have to. Without turnovers, Philadelphia will be facing a longer field, and against this Dallas defense, that just isn't going to work. Also, without getting pressure on Romo, he's going to be able to pick apart any defense. The Eagles found that out the hard way last weekend, and if they can't get any more pressure on him this time around, they're going to find out again. Asante Samuel can only jump so many routes before he gets burned, it's really just that simple. Everytime the Eagles get pressure on Romo, he collapses. It has to happen like that again today if they want to have a shot.
That brings me into my second point for this game. You need to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected. Last week, the Cowboys pressured McNabb almost the entire game, bringing him down four times and forcing him to fumble twice. The loss of Jamaal Jackson was displayed for everyone to see, as McNabb just didn't have time to get comfortable with the recent shuffling of the offensive line. When he did have time, McNabb had happy feet and just didn't look right back in the pocket. He missed DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin on a couple of plays, and when the speed aspect of this offense doesn't work right, nothing is going to go right. The Dallas defense is very good, don't get me wrong. They've held the Eagles to just 16 points in two games, and they are the only team that seems to have an answer for DeSean Jackson, but the Eagles can exploit them. McNabb needs time in the pocket to throw, and when he does, he can't force the ball to Jackson or Maclin, and the throws need to be accurate.
Next up is something that really bothered me about the game last week. The Eagles need to run the ball more. Last week, running backs carried the ball seven times. Let me say that again...Leonard Weaver, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy carried the ball seven times...combined. That clearly needs to be changed. I know the loss of Jamaal Jackson hurt the running game as well, but Weaver and McCoy looked good when Westbrook was out, and Westbrook is back now. The only problem with that is that Andy Reid has a mindset where, if the running game doesn't work early, he's not going to stick with it. Guess what? That has to change this week. The Eagles need to let McCoy and Westbrook bounce to the outside and around the corners and they need to let Weaver pound the ball up the middle. They have three running backs that are capable of breaking big runs at any time. Dallas used their running game to perfection last week, as both Marion Barber and Felix Jones picked up 91 yards on the ground. The Eagles need a similar effort from their running game this week, but they also need Andy Reid to let them run the ball.
The last point I have is more psychological. The Eagles can't get caught up in what happened last week. Yes, it was a bad game, but there's nothing that can be done to change the score. It's always going to be 24-0, no matter when someone looks at the history books. The Cowboys got to celebrate on their home field, in front of the Eagles. It can't be undone. What can be done though is that the Eagles can come out tonight and knock the Cowboys out of the playoffs again. While it won't erase the two losses the Eagles had to Dallas in the regular season, it will leave a much more bitter taste in the mouths of Dallas fans, as they have to watch the Eagles advance. There are very few things I like more than watching upset Dallas fans, so I'd personally love to see the Eagles win, just for that. I don't care, you can call me evil, or petty or whatever you want to...but I love watching Dallas fans cry after their team loses.
The Eagles have their backs against the wall, but that just means that they can only move forward. I'm not going to make a prediction here, this wasn't about that. I am, however, going to leave you with what I think the Eagles have left to do this season. It's from a baseball movie, but the point is still the same. Take it away, Tom Berenger:
Honestly, this is going to be one of the most difficult games I think the Eagles have had in the first round of the playoffs since Andy Reid came to Philadelphia. The Eagles had everything lined up for them going into last week, but none of it came to pass. The important thing now is to not get caught up in that. Last year's team made it to the NFC Championship Game as a six seed, so it can be done. Last week's game was the worst possible showing that the Eagles have had this year, and I'm including the Oakland game in that, so it has to get better, but things have to change.
The most important thing is that the Eagles have to get pressure on Tony Romo and force turnovers. Philadelphia was second in the league in turnover plus/minus during the regular season, and that short field works well with the offense that the Eagles have. However, last week against the Cowboys, the Eagles only forced one turnover and sacked Romo twice. Those numbers have to go up for the Eagles to have a chance tonight, they just have to. Without turnovers, Philadelphia will be facing a longer field, and against this Dallas defense, that just isn't going to work. Also, without getting pressure on Romo, he's going to be able to pick apart any defense. The Eagles found that out the hard way last weekend, and if they can't get any more pressure on him this time around, they're going to find out again. Asante Samuel can only jump so many routes before he gets burned, it's really just that simple. Everytime the Eagles get pressure on Romo, he collapses. It has to happen like that again today if they want to have a shot.
That brings me into my second point for this game. You need to keep Donovan McNabb upright and protected. Last week, the Cowboys pressured McNabb almost the entire game, bringing him down four times and forcing him to fumble twice. The loss of Jamaal Jackson was displayed for everyone to see, as McNabb just didn't have time to get comfortable with the recent shuffling of the offensive line. When he did have time, McNabb had happy feet and just didn't look right back in the pocket. He missed DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin on a couple of plays, and when the speed aspect of this offense doesn't work right, nothing is going to go right. The Dallas defense is very good, don't get me wrong. They've held the Eagles to just 16 points in two games, and they are the only team that seems to have an answer for DeSean Jackson, but the Eagles can exploit them. McNabb needs time in the pocket to throw, and when he does, he can't force the ball to Jackson or Maclin, and the throws need to be accurate.
Next up is something that really bothered me about the game last week. The Eagles need to run the ball more. Last week, running backs carried the ball seven times. Let me say that again...Leonard Weaver, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy carried the ball seven times...combined. That clearly needs to be changed. I know the loss of Jamaal Jackson hurt the running game as well, but Weaver and McCoy looked good when Westbrook was out, and Westbrook is back now. The only problem with that is that Andy Reid has a mindset where, if the running game doesn't work early, he's not going to stick with it. Guess what? That has to change this week. The Eagles need to let McCoy and Westbrook bounce to the outside and around the corners and they need to let Weaver pound the ball up the middle. They have three running backs that are capable of breaking big runs at any time. Dallas used their running game to perfection last week, as both Marion Barber and Felix Jones picked up 91 yards on the ground. The Eagles need a similar effort from their running game this week, but they also need Andy Reid to let them run the ball.
The last point I have is more psychological. The Eagles can't get caught up in what happened last week. Yes, it was a bad game, but there's nothing that can be done to change the score. It's always going to be 24-0, no matter when someone looks at the history books. The Cowboys got to celebrate on their home field, in front of the Eagles. It can't be undone. What can be done though is that the Eagles can come out tonight and knock the Cowboys out of the playoffs again. While it won't erase the two losses the Eagles had to Dallas in the regular season, it will leave a much more bitter taste in the mouths of Dallas fans, as they have to watch the Eagles advance. There are very few things I like more than watching upset Dallas fans, so I'd personally love to see the Eagles win, just for that. I don't care, you can call me evil, or petty or whatever you want to...but I love watching Dallas fans cry after their team loses.
The Eagles have their backs against the wall, but that just means that they can only move forward. I'm not going to make a prediction here, this wasn't about that. I am, however, going to leave you with what I think the Eagles have left to do this season. It's from a baseball movie, but the point is still the same. Take it away, Tom Berenger:
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Eagles Aftermath: Cowboys-24, Eagles-0
What happened?
In the final game of the regular season, with the two seed on the line, the Eagles came out and played their worst game of the year. They were shut out for the first time since the 2005 season, and now are the number six team in the NFC playoffs.
The Good:
Nothing. Not one damn thing.
The Bad:
It wasn't even bad. Keep reading. You'll get there soon enough.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ran the ball ten times...in the entire game. Ten times!
Donovan McNabb was completely ineffective, fumbling the ball twice and missing receivers all game long.
The defense had no answer for Dallas' running game, allowing both Marion Barber and Felix Jones to rush for 91 yards, and Jones had the backbreaking touchdown in the third quarter.
McNabb was sacked four times, while the Eagles only brought down Tony Romo twice.
Dallas dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes of the game.
Did I mention the fact that the Eagles went from the number two team in the NFC to the number six team? They did.
The Breakdown:
I really, really don't want to talk about this game, but I will, because I figure that there are a few people about there that want to know what I think about it. Quite simply, this was the worst game that the Eagles played all season. They had everything on the line, and left with nothing. With Minnesota collapsing down the stretch, all the Eagles had to do today was win, and they would get a first round bye and a chance at hosting the NFC Championship Game if the Saints lost in the Divisional Playoffs. Now, they have to play Dallas, in Dallas again next week, and if they win that game, they head to New Orleans, since they're the six seed. Instead of playing at least one game at home, they now have to play three games on the road if they want to make it to the Super Bowl.
I'm going to be honest: I didn't even watch the game. I couldn't, since I was at work. I think that was for the best, as had I not been getting paid to hear about it, I might have broken something. I've seen what I guess you can call highlights, and they were not pretty. There is plenty of blame to go around, but I'm going to start with the fat man running the team.
Andy, I don't know what made you only call ten running plays for the entire game, but that may have been the worst idea that you could have had. Rather than keep the Cowboys guessing in the first half, the Eagles called four running plays, with only two of them going to Brian Westbrook. Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy, the two men who had taken Westbrook's place in the lineup, only carried the ball twice in the entire game. That's not twice each, that's twice combined. I don't know what the hell Andy was thinking during this game. Due to the ten runs, the Eagles were killed in time of possession, as the Cowboys were able to get to Donovan McNabb and force bad passes, killing the clock and giving the ball back to Dallas while their defense got even more time to rest. Calling only ten running plays will never work. It didn't work against the Raiders and Chargers this year, and it sure as hell wasn't going to work against a team as good as the Cowboys.
The defense does deserve blame as well. While they did a decent job stopping the Cowboys in the second half, they allowed Dallas to run up and down the field in the first half. The Cowboys rely on their running game to set up their offense, and with Felix Jones and Marion Barber having their way with the Eagles on defense, there was no way that Tony Romo wasn't going to have an easy game today. Romo finished with over 300 yards, and Dallas finished with 179 yards on the ground. Not only that, but the Cowboys only turned the ball over once during the game, and it didn't come back to hurt them at all. Like I said, there is plenty of blame to go around, but before everyone piles it on Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, the defense had a horrible game as well. They couldn't pressure Romo or stop the running game, and both of those things came back to bite them in the ass today. It just wasn't good.
Quite simply, this was the worst game of the year at the worst possible time for the Eagles. Their six game winning streak not only went up in flames, but I'm fairly certain that the Cowboys went and pissed on the ashes. The mantle of hottest team in the NFC? It's certainly not the Eagles now. I'd say it's a fight between the Cowboys and Packers at this point, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of those teams in the Super Bowl. As for the Eagles, they have a week to get their act together. Thanks to their showing today, they have to play the Cowboys again next week, in the very same stadium. There's no break, and Dallas swept the Eagles this year, giving them all the momentum. While teams are just 11-7 when going for a three game sweep in the NFL, unless the Eagles completely turn things around, there isn't much to make me think the result is going to be any different. The Eagles need to improve a lot within a six or seven day span, while the Cowboys have everything going for them.
Believe me, I don't want to be the first team that loses to Dallas in the playoffs since I was grade school, I really don't. I'm just not sure that I can see the Eagles winning one week after this debacle. Andy Reid usually doesn't lose back to back games, but there are always exceptions. Out of any team in the NFC playoffs, I didn't want to face Dallas, and now the Eagles have to. I'm not trying to sound negative, but I am thinking realistically. In the two games this season, the Cowboys have outscored the Eagles 44-16 and have shutdown the Philadelphia offense, while the defense of the Eagles hasn't been much better. I think that the Eagles have a chance to win next week in the playoffs, I really do. I'm just not that confident about it. After what just happened, I need to see this team prove it again before I think they can make a run. They sleepwalked through their game today, and it came back to bite them in the ass. Now, they have their backs against the wall. Let's see what they can do.
In the final game of the regular season, with the two seed on the line, the Eagles came out and played their worst game of the year. They were shut out for the first time since the 2005 season, and now are the number six team in the NFC playoffs.
The Good:
Nothing. Not one damn thing.
The Bad:
It wasn't even bad. Keep reading. You'll get there soon enough.
The Ugly:
The Eagles ran the ball ten times...in the entire game. Ten times!
Donovan McNabb was completely ineffective, fumbling the ball twice and missing receivers all game long.
The defense had no answer for Dallas' running game, allowing both Marion Barber and Felix Jones to rush for 91 yards, and Jones had the backbreaking touchdown in the third quarter.
McNabb was sacked four times, while the Eagles only brought down Tony Romo twice.
Dallas dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 40 minutes of the game.
Did I mention the fact that the Eagles went from the number two team in the NFC to the number six team? They did.
The Breakdown:
I really, really don't want to talk about this game, but I will, because I figure that there are a few people about there that want to know what I think about it. Quite simply, this was the worst game that the Eagles played all season. They had everything on the line, and left with nothing. With Minnesota collapsing down the stretch, all the Eagles had to do today was win, and they would get a first round bye and a chance at hosting the NFC Championship Game if the Saints lost in the Divisional Playoffs. Now, they have to play Dallas, in Dallas again next week, and if they win that game, they head to New Orleans, since they're the six seed. Instead of playing at least one game at home, they now have to play three games on the road if they want to make it to the Super Bowl.
I'm going to be honest: I didn't even watch the game. I couldn't, since I was at work. I think that was for the best, as had I not been getting paid to hear about it, I might have broken something. I've seen what I guess you can call highlights, and they were not pretty. There is plenty of blame to go around, but I'm going to start with the fat man running the team.
Andy, I don't know what made you only call ten running plays for the entire game, but that may have been the worst idea that you could have had. Rather than keep the Cowboys guessing in the first half, the Eagles called four running plays, with only two of them going to Brian Westbrook. Leonard Weaver and LeSean McCoy, the two men who had taken Westbrook's place in the lineup, only carried the ball twice in the entire game. That's not twice each, that's twice combined. I don't know what the hell Andy was thinking during this game. Due to the ten runs, the Eagles were killed in time of possession, as the Cowboys were able to get to Donovan McNabb and force bad passes, killing the clock and giving the ball back to Dallas while their defense got even more time to rest. Calling only ten running plays will never work. It didn't work against the Raiders and Chargers this year, and it sure as hell wasn't going to work against a team as good as the Cowboys.
The defense does deserve blame as well. While they did a decent job stopping the Cowboys in the second half, they allowed Dallas to run up and down the field in the first half. The Cowboys rely on their running game to set up their offense, and with Felix Jones and Marion Barber having their way with the Eagles on defense, there was no way that Tony Romo wasn't going to have an easy game today. Romo finished with over 300 yards, and Dallas finished with 179 yards on the ground. Not only that, but the Cowboys only turned the ball over once during the game, and it didn't come back to hurt them at all. Like I said, there is plenty of blame to go around, but before everyone piles it on Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb, the defense had a horrible game as well. They couldn't pressure Romo or stop the running game, and both of those things came back to bite them in the ass today. It just wasn't good.
Quite simply, this was the worst game of the year at the worst possible time for the Eagles. Their six game winning streak not only went up in flames, but I'm fairly certain that the Cowboys went and pissed on the ashes. The mantle of hottest team in the NFC? It's certainly not the Eagles now. I'd say it's a fight between the Cowboys and Packers at this point, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of those teams in the Super Bowl. As for the Eagles, they have a week to get their act together. Thanks to their showing today, they have to play the Cowboys again next week, in the very same stadium. There's no break, and Dallas swept the Eagles this year, giving them all the momentum. While teams are just 11-7 when going for a three game sweep in the NFL, unless the Eagles completely turn things around, there isn't much to make me think the result is going to be any different. The Eagles need to improve a lot within a six or seven day span, while the Cowboys have everything going for them.
Believe me, I don't want to be the first team that loses to Dallas in the playoffs since I was grade school, I really don't. I'm just not sure that I can see the Eagles winning one week after this debacle. Andy Reid usually doesn't lose back to back games, but there are always exceptions. Out of any team in the NFC playoffs, I didn't want to face Dallas, and now the Eagles have to. I'm not trying to sound negative, but I am thinking realistically. In the two games this season, the Cowboys have outscored the Eagles 44-16 and have shutdown the Philadelphia offense, while the defense of the Eagles hasn't been much better. I think that the Eagles have a chance to win next week in the playoffs, I really do. I'm just not that confident about it. After what just happened, I need to see this team prove it again before I think they can make a run. They sleepwalked through their game today, and it came back to bite them in the ass. Now, they have their backs against the wall. Let's see what they can do.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Top 25 Philadelphia Sports Moments of the Decade: Number 1
Well, here we are. We've seen 24 other moments go past, with only one to go. There were a lot of great moments in Philadelphia sports over the last ten years, if you think about. Every one of the four major sports teams made it to at least their Conference/League Championship, and the Phillies, Sixers and Eagles all made it to their respective championship games/series. There were amazing catches, 14 second scrambles, no hitters, five overtime games, tremendous clutch shots, great individual efforts and great showings by teams. However, nothing, and I mean nothing, can top what was, quite possibly, the greatest moment in Philadelphia sports ever. Twenty five years of waiting had finally come to an end with one pitch.
Moment #1: The Phillies win the 2008 World Series-October 27 & 29, 2008
For 25 years, the city of Philadelphia had been waiting for a championship. All four teams had come close, but none had been able to duplicate what the 1983 Sixers had done. Each and every time, something had gotten in the way and stopped them from reaching their ultimate goal, leaving Philadelphia fans high and dry, and even more bitter than before. Throughout the 25 year drought, each team had a chance to pick up their banner and run to the front of the fanbase. The Eagles under Buddy Ryan were always just a player or two away, and Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid actually got to the Super Bowl. The Sixers had Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley in the primes of their careers. The Flyers had Eric Lindros in the 90s, Peter Forsberg and Keith Primeau this decade and a cast of characters in the 80s. Meanwhile, the Phillies had the 1993 team, which, if history and the Mitchell Report is any indication, was even more dirty than a lot of people thought they were.
Realistically, if you were to ask anyone which team they expected to win a championship before 2007, you would have more than likely heard the Eagles, then the Flyers, then the Sixers and then the Phillies. The Phillies had gone 14 years without making it to the playoffs, and each time they got close, they found a way to miss out on the postseason. Then, something happened. In 2007, the Phillies put everything together and made the playoffs. Even though they were swept by Colorado, the seed had been planted. Brad Lidge, who had worn out his welcome and his mental state of mind in Houston, was brought in to be the closer. No one expected him to have a perfect season in saves, but he did. The Phillies made a living in 2008 out of picking up scraps. J.C. Romero was let go by the Red Sox, Scott Eyre was brought in from Chicago and Chad Durbin was a free agent pickup from Detroit. All of these players helped form a bullpen that was the missing piece to the puzzle in 2008.
After getting a taste in 2007, things were different in the playoffs in 2008. The Phillies took out the Brewers, with C.C. Sabathia getting to know Shane Victorino. Then, the Dodgers came in with Manny Ramirez. Matt Stairs quieted those fans with a single moonshot, and Cole Hamels shut the door with a dominating Game 5 showing. After that, the Phillies were set to take on the Tampa Bay Rays, who had become baseball's Cinderella in 2008. The Rays had never had a winning season, and now, all of their young talent had come together at once. Most people in the national media picked the Rays to win the World Series, but the Phillies would have none of it.
Game 1 belonged to Cole Hamels, and after losing Game 2, Jamie Moyer and Carlos Ruiz had their moments in Game 3. Joe Blanton and Ryan Howard showed their muscle at the plate in Game 4, and suddenly, you could feel something in the air. The Phillies were just a single win away from the World Series, and Cole Hamels was going to be on the mound. Finally, the 25 years of misery were going to end. Then, Game 5 started, and the rain came with it. For five innings, Hamels battled the rain and the Rays as the Phillies somehow managed to take a 2-1 lead in the sloppiest coniditions anyone had ever seen for a baseball game. In the sixth inning, the Rays managed to tie the game when B.J. Upton found enough footing to steal second base after reaching on an infield single. Suddenly, Bud Selig decided to suspend the game indefinitely. All the work that the Phillies had put in, all the effort, the come from behind wins, the great pitching, all of it was about to go down the drain, all because of some rain.
Two days later, Game 5 finally started again, with the Phillies at bat. Geoff Jenkins did the one good thing he ever did in a Phillies uniform by rocking a double into right field that missed being a home run by about 15 feet. He scored on a bloop hit by Jayson Werth, and just like that, the Phillies were back in business. Ryan Madson would pitch two innings, and Brad Lidge would shut the door, it would be that simple.
Again, when has it ever been that simple in Philadelphia? The second batter that Madson faced hit a home run into left field, tying the game once again. After Jason Bartlett singled, Madson was done, and J.C. Romero came in. Akinori Iwamura hit a groundball to Chase Utley, who made the play of the series by faking a throw to first, and then turning and gunning down Bartlett at home plate. Somehow, the Phillies still had life. Then, the back of the order got things done. Pat Burrell's last at bat as a Phillie was his first hit of the World Series; a double into left-center. Eric Bruntlett pinch hit, and Pedro Feliz drove him home. Romero retired the side in order in the eighth, and again, you could feel it. Unless you've been three outs, or two minutes away from a championship, you don't know what I mean, but for those that have experienced the feeling, it's like nothing else. Brad Lidge, who was 47 for 47 in saves on the season, was coming in. There was no way this could go wrong.
It started out just fine, as Evan Longoria, who had been hounded by Phillies fans during all three games, popped out. Then, Dioner Navarro singled and was pinch run for. The Rays had life again, and their pulse got even stronger when Fernando Perez, the pinch runner that came in for Navarro, stole second. Everyone's heart stopped for a second when Ben Zobrist made solid contact with a pitch and drove it into right field. In any other season, the ball finds a gap, Lidge blows his first save of the year, and the game is tied. Not in 2008. Jayson Werth played it perfectly, the ball stayed up just long enough, and there were two men out. Up to the plate stepped Eric Hinske. He swung at the first pitch and dribbled a ball down the first base line. That was too easy for Philadelphia, so it went foul. A check swing on the next pitch was called a strike, and there was just one strike left. Brad Lidge got the sign, rocked back and threw, which led to this:
And this:
And then this:
Twenty five years of frustration, twenty five years of being losers and choke artists and everything under the sun...and it was all gone. Wiped away with one swing and miss from Eric Hinske. To quote the late, great Harry Kalas, "the Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions of baseball!"
I wouldn't trade that moment for anything. I was at the parade, sitting in Lincoln Financial Field on Halloween, and I will never forget seeing all the smiling people that day. Two million people, all wearing smiles and red crowded into Philadelphia to see a champion. It had been far, far too long for most of us. In my case, I had never even seen a championship in my lifetime. I was born in 1984, the year after the Sixers won their last title. I had gone through the highs and lows. I cried when I heard Joe Carter had beaten the Phillies, I still hold a grudge against the Detroit Red Wings for sweeping the Flyers in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, and you already know how I feel about Los Angeles and Boston. Needless to say, this was the greatest moment not only of the decade for me, but of my entire life as a Philadelphia fan. Now that I've seen a winner, I know what it feels like to be on top. The last decade was the golden age of Philadelphia sports, if you look at it. It was only fitting that the Phillies, the least likely team to do so, would be the ones to finally end 25 years of misery. Hopefully, it doesn't take that long for it to happen again.
Well, that's it. Twenty five moments over a ten year span. I had a lot of fun actually going back and researching all of these, and finding the videos may have been the best part. When I do this again in another ten years, I'm hoping that there will be more championships at the top of the list, and maybe, just maybe, I can be collecting a paycheck for what I'm writing. I'm not going away any time soon, but the list is. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
Moment #1: The Phillies win the 2008 World Series-October 27 & 29, 2008
For 25 years, the city of Philadelphia had been waiting for a championship. All four teams had come close, but none had been able to duplicate what the 1983 Sixers had done. Each and every time, something had gotten in the way and stopped them from reaching their ultimate goal, leaving Philadelphia fans high and dry, and even more bitter than before. Throughout the 25 year drought, each team had a chance to pick up their banner and run to the front of the fanbase. The Eagles under Buddy Ryan were always just a player or two away, and Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid actually got to the Super Bowl. The Sixers had Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley in the primes of their careers. The Flyers had Eric Lindros in the 90s, Peter Forsberg and Keith Primeau this decade and a cast of characters in the 80s. Meanwhile, the Phillies had the 1993 team, which, if history and the Mitchell Report is any indication, was even more dirty than a lot of people thought they were.
Realistically, if you were to ask anyone which team they expected to win a championship before 2007, you would have more than likely heard the Eagles, then the Flyers, then the Sixers and then the Phillies. The Phillies had gone 14 years without making it to the playoffs, and each time they got close, they found a way to miss out on the postseason. Then, something happened. In 2007, the Phillies put everything together and made the playoffs. Even though they were swept by Colorado, the seed had been planted. Brad Lidge, who had worn out his welcome and his mental state of mind in Houston, was brought in to be the closer. No one expected him to have a perfect season in saves, but he did. The Phillies made a living in 2008 out of picking up scraps. J.C. Romero was let go by the Red Sox, Scott Eyre was brought in from Chicago and Chad Durbin was a free agent pickup from Detroit. All of these players helped form a bullpen that was the missing piece to the puzzle in 2008.
After getting a taste in 2007, things were different in the playoffs in 2008. The Phillies took out the Brewers, with C.C. Sabathia getting to know Shane Victorino. Then, the Dodgers came in with Manny Ramirez. Matt Stairs quieted those fans with a single moonshot, and Cole Hamels shut the door with a dominating Game 5 showing. After that, the Phillies were set to take on the Tampa Bay Rays, who had become baseball's Cinderella in 2008. The Rays had never had a winning season, and now, all of their young talent had come together at once. Most people in the national media picked the Rays to win the World Series, but the Phillies would have none of it.
Game 1 belonged to Cole Hamels, and after losing Game 2, Jamie Moyer and Carlos Ruiz had their moments in Game 3. Joe Blanton and Ryan Howard showed their muscle at the plate in Game 4, and suddenly, you could feel something in the air. The Phillies were just a single win away from the World Series, and Cole Hamels was going to be on the mound. Finally, the 25 years of misery were going to end. Then, Game 5 started, and the rain came with it. For five innings, Hamels battled the rain and the Rays as the Phillies somehow managed to take a 2-1 lead in the sloppiest coniditions anyone had ever seen for a baseball game. In the sixth inning, the Rays managed to tie the game when B.J. Upton found enough footing to steal second base after reaching on an infield single. Suddenly, Bud Selig decided to suspend the game indefinitely. All the work that the Phillies had put in, all the effort, the come from behind wins, the great pitching, all of it was about to go down the drain, all because of some rain.
Two days later, Game 5 finally started again, with the Phillies at bat. Geoff Jenkins did the one good thing he ever did in a Phillies uniform by rocking a double into right field that missed being a home run by about 15 feet. He scored on a bloop hit by Jayson Werth, and just like that, the Phillies were back in business. Ryan Madson would pitch two innings, and Brad Lidge would shut the door, it would be that simple.
Again, when has it ever been that simple in Philadelphia? The second batter that Madson faced hit a home run into left field, tying the game once again. After Jason Bartlett singled, Madson was done, and J.C. Romero came in. Akinori Iwamura hit a groundball to Chase Utley, who made the play of the series by faking a throw to first, and then turning and gunning down Bartlett at home plate. Somehow, the Phillies still had life. Then, the back of the order got things done. Pat Burrell's last at bat as a Phillie was his first hit of the World Series; a double into left-center. Eric Bruntlett pinch hit, and Pedro Feliz drove him home. Romero retired the side in order in the eighth, and again, you could feel it. Unless you've been three outs, or two minutes away from a championship, you don't know what I mean, but for those that have experienced the feeling, it's like nothing else. Brad Lidge, who was 47 for 47 in saves on the season, was coming in. There was no way this could go wrong.
It started out just fine, as Evan Longoria, who had been hounded by Phillies fans during all three games, popped out. Then, Dioner Navarro singled and was pinch run for. The Rays had life again, and their pulse got even stronger when Fernando Perez, the pinch runner that came in for Navarro, stole second. Everyone's heart stopped for a second when Ben Zobrist made solid contact with a pitch and drove it into right field. In any other season, the ball finds a gap, Lidge blows his first save of the year, and the game is tied. Not in 2008. Jayson Werth played it perfectly, the ball stayed up just long enough, and there were two men out. Up to the plate stepped Eric Hinske. He swung at the first pitch and dribbled a ball down the first base line. That was too easy for Philadelphia, so it went foul. A check swing on the next pitch was called a strike, and there was just one strike left. Brad Lidge got the sign, rocked back and threw, which led to this:
And this:
And then this:
Twenty five years of frustration, twenty five years of being losers and choke artists and everything under the sun...and it was all gone. Wiped away with one swing and miss from Eric Hinske. To quote the late, great Harry Kalas, "the Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions of baseball!"
I wouldn't trade that moment for anything. I was at the parade, sitting in Lincoln Financial Field on Halloween, and I will never forget seeing all the smiling people that day. Two million people, all wearing smiles and red crowded into Philadelphia to see a champion. It had been far, far too long for most of us. In my case, I had never even seen a championship in my lifetime. I was born in 1984, the year after the Sixers won their last title. I had gone through the highs and lows. I cried when I heard Joe Carter had beaten the Phillies, I still hold a grudge against the Detroit Red Wings for sweeping the Flyers in the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals, and you already know how I feel about Los Angeles and Boston. Needless to say, this was the greatest moment not only of the decade for me, but of my entire life as a Philadelphia fan. Now that I've seen a winner, I know what it feels like to be on top. The last decade was the golden age of Philadelphia sports, if you look at it. It was only fitting that the Phillies, the least likely team to do so, would be the ones to finally end 25 years of misery. Hopefully, it doesn't take that long for it to happen again.
Well, that's it. Twenty five moments over a ten year span. I had a lot of fun actually going back and researching all of these, and finding the videos may have been the best part. When I do this again in another ten years, I'm hoping that there will be more championships at the top of the list, and maybe, just maybe, I can be collecting a paycheck for what I'm writing. I'm not going away any time soon, but the list is. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
The Top 25 Philadelphia Sports Moments of the Decade: Bonus Features
Before I get to the Number One moment on the list (do you know what it is yet? I think you do...), I wanted to take some time to share with you the moments that I believe are at the bottom of the list for the past decade. This is...The Ten Worst Philadelphia Sports Moments of the Decade. Believe me, you'll cringe as much as I did when I picked them out.
Number 10: The Phillies become the first professional team to lose 10,000 games
Let me put it this way: four major league teams have won 10,000 games. Only one has lost 10,000, and that would be the Phillies, who did so back in 2007 with a loss to the Cardinlas. The next closest team to 10,000 losses is the Atlanta Braves, and they won't get there until some point in the 2012 season. That's how far ahead the Phillies were when they did this. Luckily, things have improved since then.
Number 9: The rest of the decade for the Sixers after the 2001 Finals
Ever since Allen Iverson got the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001, things have been downhill. The team has had three winning seasons, seven different people as head or interim head coach and have only made it out of the first round of the playoffs one time. Throw in the messy divorce that Iverson and the Sixers had back in 2006, and you're looking at one of the most poorly run teams in the NBA right now. It's somehow even worse now than it was in the middle of the decade, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better soon.
Number 8: The Eagles lose the NFC Championship Game to Carolina
After 4th and 26 against the Packers, most Eagles fans expected the team to roll over the Carolina Panthers. Only one other team had lost three NFC Championship Games in a row, there was no way it could happen to the Eagles, right? Wrong. The Panthers came out and smacked the Eagles right in the mouth. Ricky Manning Jr. had three interceptions, and Donovan McNabb was knocked out of the game on a late hit down by the Carolina goal line. Final score: Panthers-14, Eagles-3.
Number 7: The Flyers lose the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals in seven games
It wasn't that the Flyers lost a heartbreaking seven game series after playing one of the most inspired games of hockey I've ever seen in Game Six. It's not even that the team they lost to ended up winning the Stanley Cup. What gets me about this is that the Flyers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who play in a city that has seen ice maybe once in the last 50 years. For the Flyers to lose to a team in that city, with such a poor fanbase, in seven games makes my head hurt. I'd rather have seen them get swept. That wouldn't have been as painful as this was.
Number 6: Phillies get swept by the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS
Speaking of painful sweeps, here's one. The Phillies made up a seven game deficit in the last two and a half weeks of the season to make the playoffs, and then didn't win a single game when they got there. Cole Hamels got rocked in Game 1, Kyle Lohse gave up a grand slam to Kaz freaking Matsui, and the offense could only manage to score a single run off of Ubaldo Jimenez in Game 3...in Colorado. The Phillies hit .172 as a team and only scored eight runs in the three games. For a team that had overcome so much just to get to the playoffs, to get bounced out the way they did hurt like hell.
Number 5: Sixers lose the NBA Finals to the Lakers
This was another one of those letdown showings by Philadelphia teams during the decade. The Sixers shocked the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, then couldn't win another game during the series. The Lakers took Game 2 at home to regain momentum, then Kobe and Shaq cut out the hearts of the Sixers in Philadelphia, winning all three games at the Wachovia Center. It's never fun watching another team celebrate on your home court, but when it's the Los Angeles Lakers, it makes things even worse, especially after the buildup of hope following Game 1.
Number 4: Phillies lose the 2009 World Series to the Yankees
What's worse than losing to the Lakers in Philadelphia for the NBA Championship? Losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series anywhere. Just like in 2001, the Phillies came out and shocked the world in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series...then it all went downhill. The Phillies had the lead in every game of the series except for Game 6, and they let the Yankees come back in each and every game. Cole Hamels couldn't wait for the season to be over after Game 3, and watching Brad Lidge implode in Game 4 gave me the feeling that the series wasn't going to end the way that I wanted it to. I didn't even watch the top of the ninth inning of Game 6. As soon as Mariano Rivera came in, I shut off the TV. Damn Yankees.
Number 3: Flyers blow a 3-1 lead in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals
This was even more painful than the World Series was. The Flyers had the best record in the Eastern Conference, had won the third longest game in NHL history, and were a win away from beating the New Jersey Devils to get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in four seasons, and it all fell apart. The Flyers dropped Games 5 and 7 in Philadelphia, and when Eric Lindros came back for Game 7, he lasted all of eight minutes before Scott Stevens knocked him out of the Philadelphia lineup for good. The Flyers lost the last two games of the series by 2-1 scores, and then had to watch as the Devils beat up on the Dallas Stars to claim the Stanley Cup. Not only that, but Scott Stevens was named MVP of the playoffs. I still think 2000 was the year the Flyers were supposed to win. It just didn't happen.
Number 2: Eagles lose the Super Bowl to New England
This game was billed as "destiny vs. dynasty." The Eagles had taken four attempts at getting to the Super Bowl and had finally gotten there. Terrell Owens was somehow back just six weeks after breaking his leg, and would have been named MVP had the Eagles won. Instead, clock management doomed the birds, and the lasting memory that most Eagles fans have of that game is of Donovan McNabb. The only problem is, he's dry heaving on the last drive of the game. New England won, 24-21, cementing their place as the team of the decade. The Eagles haven't made it back to the Super Bowl since, and I've hated all things Boston sports since that day. I'm serious. Boston can kiss my ass.
What can be worse than losing the Super Bowl? Oh, you know what could be...
Number 1: Eagles lose NFC Championship Game to Tampa Bay in the last game at the Vet
When I said that the 2000 Flyers were supposed to win the Stanley Cup, I believed it. When I say that the 2002 Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to win the Super Bowl, I'm fairly certain that it was written down somewhere. The Eagles were hosting the NFC Championship Game at the Vet for the first time since they had beaten the Dallas Cowboys in 1981. The Buccaneers had never won a playoff game when the starting temperature was under 40 degrees. The Eagles had beaten Tampa Bay in the playoffs in both of the last two seasons, and Donovan McNabb looked healthy after breaking his ankle against Arizona earlier in the season. When Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards, and Duce Staley scored less than a minute into the game, I thought it was over.
Then came the other 59 minutes of that game. I don't like to talk about those. I can still see Joe Jurevicius running down the sideline, and Ronde Barber picking off McNabb and running it back to ice the game. There have been several horrible losses in Philadelphia sports over the past decade, as you can clearly see, but being beaten in your own stadium in the last game ever played there, with a chance to go to the Super Bowl, against a team that you've owned that shouldn't even have a chance...that takes the cake right there.
Now that I've got that out of the way, I can get back to more positive things. The Number 1 Philadelphia Sports Moment of the Decade will be up soon.
Number 10: The Phillies become the first professional team to lose 10,000 games
Let me put it this way: four major league teams have won 10,000 games. Only one has lost 10,000, and that would be the Phillies, who did so back in 2007 with a loss to the Cardinlas. The next closest team to 10,000 losses is the Atlanta Braves, and they won't get there until some point in the 2012 season. That's how far ahead the Phillies were when they did this. Luckily, things have improved since then.
Number 9: The rest of the decade for the Sixers after the 2001 Finals
Ever since Allen Iverson got the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001, things have been downhill. The team has had three winning seasons, seven different people as head or interim head coach and have only made it out of the first round of the playoffs one time. Throw in the messy divorce that Iverson and the Sixers had back in 2006, and you're looking at one of the most poorly run teams in the NBA right now. It's somehow even worse now than it was in the middle of the decade, and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better soon.
Number 8: The Eagles lose the NFC Championship Game to Carolina
After 4th and 26 against the Packers, most Eagles fans expected the team to roll over the Carolina Panthers. Only one other team had lost three NFC Championship Games in a row, there was no way it could happen to the Eagles, right? Wrong. The Panthers came out and smacked the Eagles right in the mouth. Ricky Manning Jr. had three interceptions, and Donovan McNabb was knocked out of the game on a late hit down by the Carolina goal line. Final score: Panthers-14, Eagles-3.
Number 7: The Flyers lose the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals in seven games
It wasn't that the Flyers lost a heartbreaking seven game series after playing one of the most inspired games of hockey I've ever seen in Game Six. It's not even that the team they lost to ended up winning the Stanley Cup. What gets me about this is that the Flyers lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who play in a city that has seen ice maybe once in the last 50 years. For the Flyers to lose to a team in that city, with such a poor fanbase, in seven games makes my head hurt. I'd rather have seen them get swept. That wouldn't have been as painful as this was.
Number 6: Phillies get swept by the Rockies in the 2007 NLDS
Speaking of painful sweeps, here's one. The Phillies made up a seven game deficit in the last two and a half weeks of the season to make the playoffs, and then didn't win a single game when they got there. Cole Hamels got rocked in Game 1, Kyle Lohse gave up a grand slam to Kaz freaking Matsui, and the offense could only manage to score a single run off of Ubaldo Jimenez in Game 3...in Colorado. The Phillies hit .172 as a team and only scored eight runs in the three games. For a team that had overcome so much just to get to the playoffs, to get bounced out the way they did hurt like hell.
Number 5: Sixers lose the NBA Finals to the Lakers
This was another one of those letdown showings by Philadelphia teams during the decade. The Sixers shocked the Lakers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, then couldn't win another game during the series. The Lakers took Game 2 at home to regain momentum, then Kobe and Shaq cut out the hearts of the Sixers in Philadelphia, winning all three games at the Wachovia Center. It's never fun watching another team celebrate on your home court, but when it's the Los Angeles Lakers, it makes things even worse, especially after the buildup of hope following Game 1.
Number 4: Phillies lose the 2009 World Series to the Yankees
What's worse than losing to the Lakers in Philadelphia for the NBA Championship? Losing to the New York Yankees in the World Series anywhere. Just like in 2001, the Phillies came out and shocked the world in Game 1 of the 2009 World Series...then it all went downhill. The Phillies had the lead in every game of the series except for Game 6, and they let the Yankees come back in each and every game. Cole Hamels couldn't wait for the season to be over after Game 3, and watching Brad Lidge implode in Game 4 gave me the feeling that the series wasn't going to end the way that I wanted it to. I didn't even watch the top of the ninth inning of Game 6. As soon as Mariano Rivera came in, I shut off the TV. Damn Yankees.
Number 3: Flyers blow a 3-1 lead in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals
This was even more painful than the World Series was. The Flyers had the best record in the Eastern Conference, had won the third longest game in NHL history, and were a win away from beating the New Jersey Devils to get to the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in four seasons, and it all fell apart. The Flyers dropped Games 5 and 7 in Philadelphia, and when Eric Lindros came back for Game 7, he lasted all of eight minutes before Scott Stevens knocked him out of the Philadelphia lineup for good. The Flyers lost the last two games of the series by 2-1 scores, and then had to watch as the Devils beat up on the Dallas Stars to claim the Stanley Cup. Not only that, but Scott Stevens was named MVP of the playoffs. I still think 2000 was the year the Flyers were supposed to win. It just didn't happen.
Number 2: Eagles lose the Super Bowl to New England
This game was billed as "destiny vs. dynasty." The Eagles had taken four attempts at getting to the Super Bowl and had finally gotten there. Terrell Owens was somehow back just six weeks after breaking his leg, and would have been named MVP had the Eagles won. Instead, clock management doomed the birds, and the lasting memory that most Eagles fans have of that game is of Donovan McNabb. The only problem is, he's dry heaving on the last drive of the game. New England won, 24-21, cementing their place as the team of the decade. The Eagles haven't made it back to the Super Bowl since, and I've hated all things Boston sports since that day. I'm serious. Boston can kiss my ass.
What can be worse than losing the Super Bowl? Oh, you know what could be...
Number 1: Eagles lose NFC Championship Game to Tampa Bay in the last game at the Vet
When I said that the 2000 Flyers were supposed to win the Stanley Cup, I believed it. When I say that the 2002 Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to win the Super Bowl, I'm fairly certain that it was written down somewhere. The Eagles were hosting the NFC Championship Game at the Vet for the first time since they had beaten the Dallas Cowboys in 1981. The Buccaneers had never won a playoff game when the starting temperature was under 40 degrees. The Eagles had beaten Tampa Bay in the playoffs in both of the last two seasons, and Donovan McNabb looked healthy after breaking his ankle against Arizona earlier in the season. When Brian Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 70 yards, and Duce Staley scored less than a minute into the game, I thought it was over.
Then came the other 59 minutes of that game. I don't like to talk about those. I can still see Joe Jurevicius running down the sideline, and Ronde Barber picking off McNabb and running it back to ice the game. There have been several horrible losses in Philadelphia sports over the past decade, as you can clearly see, but being beaten in your own stadium in the last game ever played there, with a chance to go to the Super Bowl, against a team that you've owned that shouldn't even have a chance...that takes the cake right there.
Now that I've got that out of the way, I can get back to more positive things. The Number 1 Philadelphia Sports Moment of the Decade will be up soon.
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