Much like the World Series, the Phanhood has been on hold for a few days trying to figure out what it has to say. Let me try to explain.
Monday afternoon, I chose to venture down to the city for what everyone thought would be a Game 5 clincher. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced in my lifetime as a Philly sports fan. Around 5:30 PM, there were more people on the trains going to the city than from it. The most popular discussion on board was, "Where are you going to celebrate? South Street? Broad Street? Near the stadium?," not the Philadelphia-requisite "I'm so worried that Hamels is due for a bad game," or "You think our bats will stay hot?" Every fan seemed to know Hamels was going to pitch a gem, our bats would stay hot, and the biggest drama of the evening would be whether or not it would be possible to catch the last train home, kindly moved from its normal schedule to "one hour after the last pitch" by SEPTA. Everyone knew we were going to win and everyone was going to the city to enjoy it. The bars downtown were overflowing, with people lined up to get into bars that likely never see more than an average of 10 patrons an evening. The first inning provided 2 Phillies runs and excitement was rapidly growing into pandemonium. I'm not even kidding, it would have been the wildest night in the history of mankind.
And then...
It started raining. Not too heavily at first, but enough to prompt the Sober Sally's of the group to ask what happened if the game was rained out. Speculation began to run rampant as to whether the fifth inning-official game policy applied to the World Series. We fans soldiered on, almost hoping for every half inning to be a 1-2-3 inning, just so we could get the game in and get our celebration on. Several fans pointed out that celebrating in the rain would be sweet because alot of women were wearing white Phillies jerseys. Yes, we all thought, a championship riot in the rain would be a blast! As the game wore on and the weather grew more fierce, only the most fervent riot optimists thought it could still happen. (By the way, they rioted in State College this weekend after the Penn St.-Ohio St. game. I must admit to you that I am EXTREMELY jealous that I never was a part of a State College riot. I was involved in some near riots, including after the Eagles won the NFC championship game in 2004, but the revelry never descended into bedlam. No cars were damaged, no lamp posts felled. All in all, I may never have wished more to have been in State College during a non-football, non-festival weekend. I am sad.)
When the game was finally delayed, the energy was sucked out of the establishment we were in. Those who figured they would just go to work hungover the next morning filtered out of the building half glad to avoid a hangover, 100% sad to have our celebration delayed. Tuesday would be awesome, we all figured. Just another excuse to come downtown for another night and do it up even bigger. But then, on Tuesday, it snowed in the Philadelphia region. SNOWED! Last winter, I can think of maybe three storms that resulted in any kind of accumulation whatsoever, and they were all in December-January-February. This is October. I'm not sure I can remember that many significant frosts this early, let alone a snowfall that turned my neighborhood white. It was while staring out my window at this pre-Halloween winter wonderland that I decided what had gone wrong. We got too cocky and this was God admonishing us instead of punishing us. He wouldn't take our championship just yet, but he was going to make us realize that we, of all cities, should not feel so confident as to discuss which street we were going to view the celebration from. We should not feel so confident as to come down to the city on a Monday night because we were obviously going to clinch that night. Well, God, I got your message loud and clear. I am going to watch tonight's 3 innings in the same way I've watched most other games this year, in the suburbs, either at home, a friend's house, or a local establishment. In any case, I will not openly discuss any celebration, any long processions down a certain street leading to a certain landmark adorned by a certain character who has cursed us ever since his perch atop the city was exceeded by Liberty Place. Philadelphia, God has warned us. Let's take heed and not get ahead of ourselves. Let's watch this game from our lucky spot on the couch, lucky seat at the local bar. Let's leave the city to those who normally view games there, those who live there. We'll have our time in the sun, just as long as we humbly wait until the last pitch leaves Brad Lidge's hands to unleash all the energy we've built up over the years. As we all know, it's always sunny in Philadelphia.
As for any other sports discussion, topics including, but not limited to, Penn St. football, Eagles, and Sixers, those discussions will resume once this Game 5 situation is resolved. Thank you for your patience.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
1-1, The Phils version of The Haunting
The Good? The Phillies got a split out of the first two games in Tampa. The Bad? Pretty much everything else. The Phillies season long struggles with producing runs without hitting home runs reared its ugly head in game two, and its uglier than Madonnoa with all her muscles. I saw on SportsCenter this morning that the Phils have set a record for futility with runners in scoring position in the World Series. The sad thing is that its really no surprise to me. This team has a lot of trouble getting men across the plate without hitting balls over the fence, and they have all year. Sure, there have been games when they have proven they are capable of it, but they just don't do it consistently. The first two games of the World Series have highlighted this point. Throw in the Rays solid pitching on top of the Phils inconsistency and you have a recipe for some really messy soup. The truth of the matter is that the Phillies are going to have to be relying on Rays' pitchers making mistakes all series, being as the Phillies just aren't a team of contact hitters. As long as the Rays can play keep away from the Phils hitters, it's gonna be tough series, which is why I think it will be a 7 game series. You have to figure there will be more games like game 2 for the Phillies. Quick thought, Dobbs had a lot of trouble as DH, but did anyone notice his swing was different? He was stepping out of pitches as he swung, trying to hit the long ball. Dobbs does best when his swing is tight and compact. Last night, it was loose and long. Hopefully, Charlie saw this as well and gets it corrected before the next time Dobbs is DH.
Enough negativity, it's time to look at the brightside. The Series is coming to Philadelphia. I don't think the Rays have any idea what they are getting into coming here. The fans are going to be absolutely rabid. You could argue that the Rays have played in Fenway so they have some experience in a hostile atmosphere, but Fenway doesn't have 23 years of professional sports frustration penned up in it anymore. Philadelphia fans are of another breed, which is why I'm so proud to be one. I think our fans will get into the heads of the Rays' pitchers early and that game of keep away that was so effective in Tampa will not hold in Philadelphia. Pitches are likely to sail a little higher in the strike zone, flare a little more inside, leaving them vulnerable to the Phillies bats. I think we'll be able to catch a few more breaks here at home, leading to a few more runs, leading to wins. If we can take 2 of 3 at the Bank, the Series is ours for the taking. In any case, you gotta love October baseball in your hometown.
In another sport, Penn State takes on Ohio State tomorrow night at The Shoe. PSU hasn't won there since joining the Big Ten and, in those losses, never mustered more than 10 points. While I don't think either trend will continue tomorrow, I think this game will be a lot closer than what we're accustomed to this season. Ohio State's offense is a raw version of Penn State's, so you would hope to believe that our defense knows how to stop it. OSU's defense is stacked, so to expect 40+ points for the Lions would be a bit of a stretch. However, PSU's offense is so versatile that they should be able to move the ball and put points on the board. Avoiding mistakes will be the key to a Penn State victory. That means not turning the ball over and, if you do give it away, don't let Ohio State turn it into points on the other end. This game is basically Penn State's Big Ten Championship game so you have to believe they'll be ready for the challenge. Prediction: Penn State 27 Ohio State 17.
Enough negativity, it's time to look at the brightside. The Series is coming to Philadelphia. I don't think the Rays have any idea what they are getting into coming here. The fans are going to be absolutely rabid. You could argue that the Rays have played in Fenway so they have some experience in a hostile atmosphere, but Fenway doesn't have 23 years of professional sports frustration penned up in it anymore. Philadelphia fans are of another breed, which is why I'm so proud to be one. I think our fans will get into the heads of the Rays' pitchers early and that game of keep away that was so effective in Tampa will not hold in Philadelphia. Pitches are likely to sail a little higher in the strike zone, flare a little more inside, leaving them vulnerable to the Phillies bats. I think we'll be able to catch a few more breaks here at home, leading to a few more runs, leading to wins. If we can take 2 of 3 at the Bank, the Series is ours for the taking. In any case, you gotta love October baseball in your hometown.
In another sport, Penn State takes on Ohio State tomorrow night at The Shoe. PSU hasn't won there since joining the Big Ten and, in those losses, never mustered more than 10 points. While I don't think either trend will continue tomorrow, I think this game will be a lot closer than what we're accustomed to this season. Ohio State's offense is a raw version of Penn State's, so you would hope to believe that our defense knows how to stop it. OSU's defense is stacked, so to expect 40+ points for the Lions would be a bit of a stretch. However, PSU's offense is so versatile that they should be able to move the ball and put points on the board. Avoiding mistakes will be the key to a Penn State victory. That means not turning the ball over and, if you do give it away, don't let Ohio State turn it into points on the other end. This game is basically Penn State's Big Ten Championship game so you have to believe they'll be ready for the challenge. Prediction: Penn State 27 Ohio State 17.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
World Series Game 1, thoughts on the rest of the series, and randomness
1-0! Chase Utley and, shockingly, Carlos Ruiz provided the all the offense Cole Hamels needed tonight. I was real proud of the way the Phils came out battling tonight, so much for my focus theory. The Rays were the team that seemed off kilter to start the game. It boggles my mind that the Phils keep winning games this way, with most of the runs coming on one hit and then scraping together a few more, then just holding on for dear life. It defies all baseball logic but I love it nonetheless.
So I blew my chance to write a predicition post for the World Series, but please cut me some slack. I'm sorry about that, but some non-Phanhood issues had me distracted for a day or two. In any case, no worries, guys, I'm makin an effort to find some time each day to write. In lieu of a World Series preview, I'll present to you a Rest-of-the-Series prediction post. On to the predictions.
Well, we know what happened in Game 1. Cole was dominant and Chase was clutch. But where do we go from here? One thing is clear, after Cole, the Phils have only one truly good pitching matchup, and even that is up in the air as to whom it will be. The Rays are talented offensively, so you have to figure they will get to two of the three between Myers, Moyer and Blanton. One of those three, based on this postseason's history, is likely to come up with a good game, while the others will yield a few runs, leaving us to depend on our offense. The Rays, on the other hand, have Garza and Shields, both of whom are strong pitchers. Their fourth starter is some dude who, from what I hear, is decent but not a name we really need to worry about. That leaves, in the remaining pitching matchups, a slight advantage for the Rays until Cole takes the hill again. I know, that was really vague and somewhat confusing but bear with me. In my opnion, if the Phils can nurse this series along to a 2-2 tie after four, then we're looking good, as Cole would likely pitch games 5 and 7. Basically, this series comes down to the Phils laying key games on the doorstep of their best pitcher. If game 6 is an elimination game for the Phils, prepare to be worried now. If game 4 is a chance for the Rays to go up 3-1, purchase a ton of Prilosec OTC, it will be a thriller. This series will boil down to whichever team can avoid the big hole, both within a single game and within the series. The Phillies troubles in LA for games 3 and 4 proves that over use of the bullpen is tough to bounce back from. If you recall, the bullpen was called to early duty in game 3. In game 4, it took an offensive explosion to win, and even then, the bullpen held on by a thread. You could argue that we won so why does it matter, but think about it, without those deflating home runs by Victorino and Stairs, and a few really impressive plays in the field, that series could have easily been 2-2 and the bullpen would have been to blame. From that, we can deduce that keeping your bullpen fresh by getting 6 innings at least each night from your starters plays a huge role in how the series falls into place.
Having laid down the brickwork of my prediction, even if it may have been confusing (again, I apologize, I've had long few days), I can honestly say that I believe that we are in for a 7 game series. I can honestly also say that I believe the Phillies will win game 7 in extra innings, that's how closely matched this series is. All the pundits are picking the Rays, and yeah I can see that, but being here in Philly, I'm feeling a positive energy about this team that I've never felt about a Philly team before. Remember the Sixers' run a few years back? We, as a city, were more happy to be there than expecting to win. Even the Eagles' Super Bowl trip was more of a "holy shit we're in the Super Bowl" experience than a "we got this" experience. Being the resident pessimist, I've fought against the optimism for a while, but that LA series turned me into a believer. The city has a "we got this" feel to it and, having played on many sports teams in the past, that feeling is tough to beat down. We may not do it the way its supposed to be done according to baseball afficianados, but we get it done and, in the end, thats all that matters. Phils 4 Rays 3.
Finally, I would like to throw a few random thoughts your way this evening. I watched Chocolate News on Comedy Central tonight and, truth be told, I thought it was really funny. Well written and well prepared, it reminded me of the same level of satyrical humor that only Chappelle really mastered. I hope the next episode doesn't suck, otherwise you'll all question my sanity. However, I also think Frank TV is pretty funny and that hasn't sat well with the rest of you so... who knows. Also, anyone who even remotely knows me is aware of my recent obsession with Li'l Wayne. Wheezy tears up every track he's on and I love his new effort to explore so many genres of music. I can really respect an artist who is willing to do what he wants and see what he can do with all different types of sounds. Well, Wayne has decided to venture into another medium. He has apparently been posting a blog on ESPN.com Check it out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3657276
It's worth the look. There is so much great material in there. He makes me think, laugh out loud, and, above all, amazes me that he knows so much about sports. While his grammar doesn't rival that of Charles Dickens, it's an enjoyable read that has entertained me for some time. Enjoy and thank me later.
So I blew my chance to write a predicition post for the World Series, but please cut me some slack. I'm sorry about that, but some non-Phanhood issues had me distracted for a day or two. In any case, no worries, guys, I'm makin an effort to find some time each day to write. In lieu of a World Series preview, I'll present to you a Rest-of-the-Series prediction post. On to the predictions.
Well, we know what happened in Game 1. Cole was dominant and Chase was clutch. But where do we go from here? One thing is clear, after Cole, the Phils have only one truly good pitching matchup, and even that is up in the air as to whom it will be. The Rays are talented offensively, so you have to figure they will get to two of the three between Myers, Moyer and Blanton. One of those three, based on this postseason's history, is likely to come up with a good game, while the others will yield a few runs, leaving us to depend on our offense. The Rays, on the other hand, have Garza and Shields, both of whom are strong pitchers. Their fourth starter is some dude who, from what I hear, is decent but not a name we really need to worry about. That leaves, in the remaining pitching matchups, a slight advantage for the Rays until Cole takes the hill again. I know, that was really vague and somewhat confusing but bear with me. In my opnion, if the Phils can nurse this series along to a 2-2 tie after four, then we're looking good, as Cole would likely pitch games 5 and 7. Basically, this series comes down to the Phils laying key games on the doorstep of their best pitcher. If game 6 is an elimination game for the Phils, prepare to be worried now. If game 4 is a chance for the Rays to go up 3-1, purchase a ton of Prilosec OTC, it will be a thriller. This series will boil down to whichever team can avoid the big hole, both within a single game and within the series. The Phillies troubles in LA for games 3 and 4 proves that over use of the bullpen is tough to bounce back from. If you recall, the bullpen was called to early duty in game 3. In game 4, it took an offensive explosion to win, and even then, the bullpen held on by a thread. You could argue that we won so why does it matter, but think about it, without those deflating home runs by Victorino and Stairs, and a few really impressive plays in the field, that series could have easily been 2-2 and the bullpen would have been to blame. From that, we can deduce that keeping your bullpen fresh by getting 6 innings at least each night from your starters plays a huge role in how the series falls into place.
Having laid down the brickwork of my prediction, even if it may have been confusing (again, I apologize, I've had long few days), I can honestly say that I believe that we are in for a 7 game series. I can honestly also say that I believe the Phillies will win game 7 in extra innings, that's how closely matched this series is. All the pundits are picking the Rays, and yeah I can see that, but being here in Philly, I'm feeling a positive energy about this team that I've never felt about a Philly team before. Remember the Sixers' run a few years back? We, as a city, were more happy to be there than expecting to win. Even the Eagles' Super Bowl trip was more of a "holy shit we're in the Super Bowl" experience than a "we got this" experience. Being the resident pessimist, I've fought against the optimism for a while, but that LA series turned me into a believer. The city has a "we got this" feel to it and, having played on many sports teams in the past, that feeling is tough to beat down. We may not do it the way its supposed to be done according to baseball afficianados, but we get it done and, in the end, thats all that matters. Phils 4 Rays 3.
Finally, I would like to throw a few random thoughts your way this evening. I watched Chocolate News on Comedy Central tonight and, truth be told, I thought it was really funny. Well written and well prepared, it reminded me of the same level of satyrical humor that only Chappelle really mastered. I hope the next episode doesn't suck, otherwise you'll all question my sanity. However, I also think Frank TV is pretty funny and that hasn't sat well with the rest of you so... who knows. Also, anyone who even remotely knows me is aware of my recent obsession with Li'l Wayne. Wheezy tears up every track he's on and I love his new effort to explore so many genres of music. I can really respect an artist who is willing to do what he wants and see what he can do with all different types of sounds. Well, Wayne has decided to venture into another medium. He has apparently been posting a blog on ESPN.com Check it out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3657276
It's worth the look. There is so much great material in there. He makes me think, laugh out loud, and, above all, amazes me that he knows so much about sports. While his grammar doesn't rival that of Charles Dickens, it's an enjoyable read that has entertained me for some time. Enjoy and thank me later.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Penn State Weekend...
Well, I got back from State College on Sunday night, but it's taken me until now to recover enough to write something on here. For those who saw the game on Saturday, it was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Penn State looked sloppy and confused, however in the second half, they looked every bit deserving of the No. 3 BCS ranking they were given this weekend. They must play better than they did in the first half to beat Ohio State this weekend. I'll have some thoughts on the game closer to the end of the week.
As for the BCS rankings, as of now, I'm not too worried. I honestly believe that if Penn State takes care of business, they have nothing to worry about as the other undefeateds with a shot at the title game face much more difficult roads to the championship, likely resulting in at least one of them losing a game before its all said and done. As a friend of the Phanhood points out, however, Penn State is getting romped by the computer polls, even being ranked as low as #11 by one such machine. This really grinds my gears. Why? Penn State is being punished for the rest of the Big Ten's troubles, namely Ohio State's. Think about it. If OSU had even come close to winning one of the last two title games, I don't think we would be hearing so much negative press about the Big Ten. The Big Ten hasn't performed all that poorly in the last few bowl seasons as a whole, in fact, Penn State mopped the floor with an SEC team and a Big 12 team in the last 2 bowl seasons. While I will concede that the Big Ten is considerably weaker than the Big 12 and SEC this year, that doesn't explain how USC gets a free pass. USC was beaten by a team that Penn State had annihilated just a few weeks prior. Adding to that, the Pac-10 really stinks this year as a whole... proof? How about Cal losing to Maryland, Washington St. losing to Long Beach Polytechnic's JV team, Washington losing to everyone in the world, Arizona St. becoming the biggest disappointment since the newest Indiana Jones movie, and pretty much everyone else generally being mediocre. How does USC get a free pass? That, my friends, is the difference between Los Angeles and State College, Pennsylvania... that and the $1.2 million that Pete Carroll pays his players.
Anyway, as I said, this will all be moot as long as PSU does it's job, I hope. For tomorrow, look out for my World Series preview. In case you can't tell, I've been acting like it's not starting TOMORROW so that I can sleep at night. My friend uses this not-getting-pumped-til-the-last-minute tactic and I gotta admit, it's pretty easy, and definitely helps ensure that I get my 8 on a nightly basis.
As for the BCS rankings, as of now, I'm not too worried. I honestly believe that if Penn State takes care of business, they have nothing to worry about as the other undefeateds with a shot at the title game face much more difficult roads to the championship, likely resulting in at least one of them losing a game before its all said and done. As a friend of the Phanhood points out, however, Penn State is getting romped by the computer polls, even being ranked as low as #11 by one such machine. This really grinds my gears. Why? Penn State is being punished for the rest of the Big Ten's troubles, namely Ohio State's. Think about it. If OSU had even come close to winning one of the last two title games, I don't think we would be hearing so much negative press about the Big Ten. The Big Ten hasn't performed all that poorly in the last few bowl seasons as a whole, in fact, Penn State mopped the floor with an SEC team and a Big 12 team in the last 2 bowl seasons. While I will concede that the Big Ten is considerably weaker than the Big 12 and SEC this year, that doesn't explain how USC gets a free pass. USC was beaten by a team that Penn State had annihilated just a few weeks prior. Adding to that, the Pac-10 really stinks this year as a whole... proof? How about Cal losing to Maryland, Washington St. losing to Long Beach Polytechnic's JV team, Washington losing to everyone in the world, Arizona St. becoming the biggest disappointment since the newest Indiana Jones movie, and pretty much everyone else generally being mediocre. How does USC get a free pass? That, my friends, is the difference between Los Angeles and State College, Pennsylvania... that and the $1.2 million that Pete Carroll pays his players.
Anyway, as I said, this will all be moot as long as PSU does it's job, I hope. For tomorrow, look out for my World Series preview. In case you can't tell, I've been acting like it's not starting TOMORROW so that I can sleep at night. My friend uses this not-getting-pumped-til-the-last-minute tactic and I gotta admit, it's pretty easy, and definitely helps ensure that I get my 8 on a nightly basis.
Friday, October 17, 2008
ALCS and other random thoughts, plus PSU this weekend...
Just finished watching Game 5 of the ALCS. I am not very happy. The Sox rallied from a 7-0 deficit with two outs in the bottom half of the 7th inning to win 8-7. This is bad news all around for the Phillies. The best circumstances possible for the Phillies would have been that the Rays win tonight so that both teams hadn't played in a while when the World Series starts next Wednesday. Baseball is a game of timing and momentum and nothing kills timing and momentum like a long break. Had the Rays won tonight, both teams would have been coming off long breaks come Wednesday, so that factor would have been in neither teams' favor. Instead, the Rays and Sox will play Saturday and probably Sunday as well given the huge momentum swing this series just underwent. This means that either team, the Rays or Sox, won't bee too far removed from the intense mental focus that playoff baseball requires. The Phils, on the other hand, will have had a week to relax and bask in the glory of making the World Series. This is not good. Having said all that, I think we will be facing the Sox in the World Series. Tonight was such a huge swing of momentum in their favor that I can't see them losing this series now. They have a track record of coming back from big series deficits and going on to win it all (last year they were down 3-1 to the Indians only to come back and win the series and then the World Series and I don't think I need to recap the infamous 3-0 series with the Yankees). I'm not yet saying that I would pick the Sox to beat the Phils but I am saying that I certaintly don't want to face them. The Rays may be the better team on paper but there is something else with the Sox that is immeasureable and, quite frankly, I don't want to have to find out how much of a difference said immeasureables would make in the World Series.
When I thought the baseball game was a forgone conclusion this evening, I flipped between BYU-TCU and NC State-Florida St. TCU exposed BYU as a pretender and while I would normally be all for a BCS buster going undefeated, this season I'm rooting for anyone and everyone to lose, except Penn State, of course. My normal logic is that the more teams that go undefeated and have legitimate claims to play for a title, the more likely it is that the rumble the exists for a playoff now would grow to a roar. Make no mistake about it, NCAA football needs a playoff... desperately. However, this season, I don't want the team to have a legitimate complaint to be my Nittany Lions. If we are that team come the end of the season, I would directly blame Ohio State for sucking so bad out of conference the last two years. It's sad that a team would be judged by another team's inability to play well in big games, but without a playoff, this transistive property is the property by which most people judge teams... If team A loses bad to team C and team B beats team A, then team C must be better than team B. Fortunately, we currently have this advantage over USC, but, unfortunately, pretty much every other team has the advantage over us, even if the advantage was gained in years passed. All we have to do is keep winning, though, and the rest is up to the football gods.
That brings me to this weekend. I'm headed up to State College for Homecoming and I'm really looking forward to putting another State College weekend in the books. Things have changed drastically over the years up there, namely, we are all depending on younger siblings for a place to stay and not friends who currently go there. I'm not planning on going to the game this weekend, mostly because the ticket prices are astronomical. For a 2-4 team, Michigan is driving up the black market rates like I've never seen before. The cheapest ticket I've come across was $100. Fortunately, I know someone who knows someone, so if I really wanted to, I'm sure I could get in at face value. However, with most other people left seeking these ridiculously priced tickets, I wouldn't have anyone to go in with, so it's not worth it. The ticket prices do reflect, however, just how big a game this is for Penn State. We haven't beaten Michigan in 9 consectutive tries. We've lost big, we've lost heartbreakers, we've been robbed, we've been ripped apart. I really hope that Penn State can make this a statement game and beat the Wolverines by about 50. Anything less would be great, but not quite satisfying enough due to how much I hate Michigan. In any case, you'll be able to find me at one of the local establishments up there this weekend, most likely hanging around our old haunts like the Phyrst or Cafe 210. I'll be the one smiling like a fool.
When I thought the baseball game was a forgone conclusion this evening, I flipped between BYU-TCU and NC State-Florida St. TCU exposed BYU as a pretender and while I would normally be all for a BCS buster going undefeated, this season I'm rooting for anyone and everyone to lose, except Penn State, of course. My normal logic is that the more teams that go undefeated and have legitimate claims to play for a title, the more likely it is that the rumble the exists for a playoff now would grow to a roar. Make no mistake about it, NCAA football needs a playoff... desperately. However, this season, I don't want the team to have a legitimate complaint to be my Nittany Lions. If we are that team come the end of the season, I would directly blame Ohio State for sucking so bad out of conference the last two years. It's sad that a team would be judged by another team's inability to play well in big games, but without a playoff, this transistive property is the property by which most people judge teams... If team A loses bad to team C and team B beats team A, then team C must be better than team B. Fortunately, we currently have this advantage over USC, but, unfortunately, pretty much every other team has the advantage over us, even if the advantage was gained in years passed. All we have to do is keep winning, though, and the rest is up to the football gods.
That brings me to this weekend. I'm headed up to State College for Homecoming and I'm really looking forward to putting another State College weekend in the books. Things have changed drastically over the years up there, namely, we are all depending on younger siblings for a place to stay and not friends who currently go there. I'm not planning on going to the game this weekend, mostly because the ticket prices are astronomical. For a 2-4 team, Michigan is driving up the black market rates like I've never seen before. The cheapest ticket I've come across was $100. Fortunately, I know someone who knows someone, so if I really wanted to, I'm sure I could get in at face value. However, with most other people left seeking these ridiculously priced tickets, I wouldn't have anyone to go in with, so it's not worth it. The ticket prices do reflect, however, just how big a game this is for Penn State. We haven't beaten Michigan in 9 consectutive tries. We've lost big, we've lost heartbreakers, we've been robbed, we've been ripped apart. I really hope that Penn State can make this a statement game and beat the Wolverines by about 50. Anything less would be great, but not quite satisfying enough due to how much I hate Michigan. In any case, you'll be able to find me at one of the local establishments up there this weekend, most likely hanging around our old haunts like the Phyrst or Cafe 210. I'll be the one smiling like a fool.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
WORLD SERIES!!!
In all honesty, just typing those two words doesn't feel real yet. I admit, I've been the most pessimistic Phils fan around this season, but, truthfully, it feels really good to have your pessimism pay off in the way your heart hopes it will, not in the way your logic tells you is most likely. I have to admit, I'm extremely excited. I'm not even sure that describes how I feel. I realized tonight that the last time I saw the Phils play a World Series game, my little brother was an infant. That put it in perspective for me. Since then, every other Philadelphia team has made a championship game or series. Even Penn St. has gone undefeated, and been completely ripped off of a title, since then. I wish I could write a coherent description of my feelings and predictions for the World Series right now, but I can't. Asking me to do that would be like asking a marathon runner to do a victory lap... can't do it now, but will definitely do it tomorrow.
Since yesterday's post, I've talked about the Birds, Phils, and Penn St. with so many people that I had so much material to work with tonight, but right now it's all out the door. Even my most responsible friend, who I honestly believe would go to bed on time with an impending nuclear winter on his hands, stayed up late to bang pots and pans with us. Granted, it turned out extremely poorly for him as he somehow sliced his finger, but the moral of the story remains the same. Philadelphia is on Phillies Ecstacy.
Really, right now, what happens next doesn't matter. I recently explained to someone that I liked the final Sopranos episode because it was as if the Eagles made the Super Bowl and then the NFL promptly went out of business. You'll never feel the feeling of winning, but, then again, you'll never feel the terrible feeling of losing either. It's pretty much the best case scenario short of winning the game. Well, right now, I'm in last-episode-of-the-Sopranos Land. I don't really care, right now, what happens next because my Phillies are in the World Series. I don't have to convince myself to root for an underdog or a team for which one of my favorite players plays. I get to root for my team, my city. I think the Eagles put it best when they made their motto "one team, one city, one dream". If there has ever been a more appropriate quote for right now, I would love to see it. This is our team, the same team that has put us through more than any one fan should put up with in terms of losing (10,000+ and counting). This is our city, the same city that cautiously, yet consistently, throws itself behind its teams with all we have to offer, despite the fact that we've been let down more often than not (26 years and counting). Finally, this is our dream, a chance at a championship. Here we are, Philadelphia, on the cusp on breaking the curse of Billy Penn, and here's to hoping the Phillies can break the curse and open the flood gates, making Philly the City of Champions.
The predictions, the analysis, and the logic can wait. For now, let's enjoy the situation we have on our hands. The Philadelphia Phillies are the National League Champions! So relax, Philly, we've made it, and judging from our general attitude towards our chances of winning a championship in any sport, things can only go up from here. Go Phils!
Since yesterday's post, I've talked about the Birds, Phils, and Penn St. with so many people that I had so much material to work with tonight, but right now it's all out the door. Even my most responsible friend, who I honestly believe would go to bed on time with an impending nuclear winter on his hands, stayed up late to bang pots and pans with us. Granted, it turned out extremely poorly for him as he somehow sliced his finger, but the moral of the story remains the same. Philadelphia is on Phillies Ecstacy.
Really, right now, what happens next doesn't matter. I recently explained to someone that I liked the final Sopranos episode because it was as if the Eagles made the Super Bowl and then the NFL promptly went out of business. You'll never feel the feeling of winning, but, then again, you'll never feel the terrible feeling of losing either. It's pretty much the best case scenario short of winning the game. Well, right now, I'm in last-episode-of-the-Sopranos Land. I don't really care, right now, what happens next because my Phillies are in the World Series. I don't have to convince myself to root for an underdog or a team for which one of my favorite players plays. I get to root for my team, my city. I think the Eagles put it best when they made their motto "one team, one city, one dream". If there has ever been a more appropriate quote for right now, I would love to see it. This is our team, the same team that has put us through more than any one fan should put up with in terms of losing (10,000+ and counting). This is our city, the same city that cautiously, yet consistently, throws itself behind its teams with all we have to offer, despite the fact that we've been let down more often than not (26 years and counting). Finally, this is our dream, a chance at a championship. Here we are, Philadelphia, on the cusp on breaking the curse of Billy Penn, and here's to hoping the Phillies can break the curse and open the flood gates, making Philly the City of Champions.
The predictions, the analysis, and the logic can wait. For now, let's enjoy the situation we have on our hands. The Philadelphia Phillies are the National League Champions! So relax, Philly, we've made it, and judging from our general attitude towards our chances of winning a championship in any sport, things can only go up from here. Go Phils!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Birds-Sh**!
Honestly, Eagles, are you for real?? In case you haven't heard, the Eagles, who lead the league in dropped passes and possess an extra first-round pick in this year's draft, did not offer enough to Detroit for Roy Williams. In case you missed it, the Dallas Cowboys did. My anger is indescribable. The Eagles could have gotten a proven receiver for free, essentially, but passed. Mark my words, Roy Williams will be extremely solid in Dallas. He'll make a few Pro-Bowls and he'll likely beat the Eagles once or twice over the next few years. There have been rumors that the Eagles are satisfied with being a perennial contender, but refuse to spend what it takes to become a champion. I've brushed off these rumors because I've seen the Birds make some moves here and there and offer the right people the right amount of money (their offer in this last offseason to Randy Moss that exceeded what the Pats had offered him comes to mind). However, combined with the fact that we refused to give up enough to get Tony Gonzalez, who was reportedly an Eagle if they so chose, I'm beginning to rethink my stance. How can you let a player who is young, proven, and already a Pro-Bowler go your bitter, DIVISION rival at a cost you could have afforded?? I'm beside myself. Just when it looked like the Cowboys were imploding into a pile of their own feces, they pull off a trade that immediately makes their offense look like, by far, the top offense in the league... even with R(H)omo on the bench with injury. If allowed to make a prediction, it would be the following. The Eagles will spend their two first round picks on linemen who, as with every draft pick, may or may not pan out. We will be told that our receiving corps is adequate for what Andy Reid wants to do. We will be told that we didn't need the distraction that Roy Williams would have brought with him. We will be told about how good Brian Westbrook is as a receiver. What we won't be told is that the Eagles have signed a proven, elite wide receiver. Two years from now, we may even be told that DeSean Jackson, the only receiver we have with any chance of being an elite, NFL receiver, is too expensive and that's why we are letting him walk. We will probably come to find out that he is signing with an NFC East rival. I'm sick of this dance. The one year that Donovan McNabb had an elite receiver at his disposal, we were the best team in the NFC and nearly won the Super Bowl. How can they keep telling us we don't need an elite receiver??? In the end, after this weekend's developments, I was cautiously optimistic about the Birds. Now?? I am just waiting to see what OT and DE we draft in the 2009 draft. What did we do as fans to deserve this??
On another note regarding the Birds, we apparently gave Tony Hunt his walking papers today. The same Tony Hunt whose drafting by the Eagles prompted some friends of mine and I to be kicked out of a bar due to our exuberance over him becoming an Eagle. In all honesty, the Eagles never gave him a chance. For whatever reason, Andy Reid doesn't like Tony Hunt. The Eagles will tell us that his pass blocking was horrendous and that's why he's packing his bags, but wasn't Lorenzo Booker the one who gave up that sack that resulted in Donovan's chest injury? That doesn't mean I don't like Booker, in fact, I love him and what he could bring to the table, but it is more an indictment on the Eagles for their hypocrisy. As mentioned before, I am beginning to believe this team loves successful mediocrity. Tony Hunt was a perfect back to plug into Andy Reid's original offense, the one that provided us with the "Three Headed Monster". For those who do not remember, the "Three Headed Monster" consisted of Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter, and a young Brian Westbrook. That offense may have been the most successful, sustainable offense of the Andy Reid era aside from the T.O. year. For whatever reason, that offense seems to be a thing of the Eagles past, just as is Randall Cunningham, Chuck Bednarik, and Buddy Ryan. T-Hunt is a powerful back whose yards per carry only increase as his touches increase. Obviously, with Westbrook being our feature back, touches are limited for the other running backs on the team, however, one could argue that had Hunt received 8-10 carries a game, Westbrook's body would be in much better shape health-wise right now, as well as the Eagles offense as a whole. Despite his personal setback, I honestly believe that Tony Hunt will become a successful running back in the NFL, likely with a team that isn't as averse to the ground game as are the Eagles. My guess is a team like Buffalo or Chicago or Baltimore would love to have him and will use him to their advantage as he should have been used in Philly. It's too bad that the only thing he has to show for his time in my hometown is a DUI. I almost want to send him a fruit basket so that he doesn't hate us.
When it's all said and done, at least the Phils are one win away from the World Series, a World Series that looks likely to be played in Tampa Bay (actually St. Petersburg, if you want to get technical) and Philadelphia. Mind you, this does not mean that I'm saying at least we have the Phils. Come November, that mantra will come back to bite us in the hynie when we are rooting for teams that are, at best, 5 months away from their respective playoffs (NCAA tournament for those who are doing the math). Tomorrow night's game is not nearly as big as it would have been had Shane Victorino and Matt Stairs not shown up at the Chavez Ravine last evening. However, with it being the playoffs and all, any opportunity you have to close out a series, it is essential that you do so as soon as possible. The positives are innumerable. More rest for pitchers, which can never be underestimated as proven by a tired Phils bullpen Monday night. A few days to get over the fact that you have actually made it to the World Series, which in this town would probably (note: probably) be a plus. Cole Hamels is on the mound against Chad Billingsley. I'm thinking the final score will be 9-4 in the Phillies favor with Ryan Howard finally getting a piece of a ball and parking it in the LEFT field seats. That is correct, I'm betting on Howard getting an opposite field home run.
Truthfully, I think Ryan Howard has caught some undue flak this postseason. Why? The man hasn't consistently seen hittable pitches all postseason. If you watch his at bats, the Dodgers aren't comfortable with throwing him more than 3 hittable pitches per game. If you've ever played baseball, you know how much this ruins your timing and, ultimately, your average. Imagine being trained to see bad movies. When you finally see a good one it will blow your mind. In Howard's case, the trick is predicting which movie will be the good one. He has less than .2 seconds to decide whether the movie is good or bad and a majority of the movies are bad. Obviously, you would become pre-disposed to believe that the movies will be bad, so much so that it takes an extra split second to identify a good one. This is Howard's dilemma this postseason. He never sees a good pitch and, on the rare occasion that he does, it takes him .0003 more seconds to identify it, being as he is so used to bad pitches. This throws off his timing just enough that he misses the ball by millimeters and what could have been a moonshot becomes a can-of-corn. How can Ryan Howard get untracked?? Consistent hitting from Utley and a show of relatively consistent power from Burrell will get Howard the consistent strikes he needs to see to become the Howard we are used to seeing. I find baseball strategy to be a relatively simple puzzle, but for those who don't really understand the intricacies of the game, I can see how Howard's dismal postseason could be cause for concern. However, my friends, this is baseball and it is very rare that, without great protection in the form of hits ahead of him and power from behind him, a power-hitter has a great postseason. Howard has found a way to affect to outcome of games despite his MIA bat, and, for that, Phils fans should be thankful.
On another note regarding the Birds, we apparently gave Tony Hunt his walking papers today. The same Tony Hunt whose drafting by the Eagles prompted some friends of mine and I to be kicked out of a bar due to our exuberance over him becoming an Eagle. In all honesty, the Eagles never gave him a chance. For whatever reason, Andy Reid doesn't like Tony Hunt. The Eagles will tell us that his pass blocking was horrendous and that's why he's packing his bags, but wasn't Lorenzo Booker the one who gave up that sack that resulted in Donovan's chest injury? That doesn't mean I don't like Booker, in fact, I love him and what he could bring to the table, but it is more an indictment on the Eagles for their hypocrisy. As mentioned before, I am beginning to believe this team loves successful mediocrity. Tony Hunt was a perfect back to plug into Andy Reid's original offense, the one that provided us with the "Three Headed Monster". For those who do not remember, the "Three Headed Monster" consisted of Duce Staley, Correll Buckhalter, and a young Brian Westbrook. That offense may have been the most successful, sustainable offense of the Andy Reid era aside from the T.O. year. For whatever reason, that offense seems to be a thing of the Eagles past, just as is Randall Cunningham, Chuck Bednarik, and Buddy Ryan. T-Hunt is a powerful back whose yards per carry only increase as his touches increase. Obviously, with Westbrook being our feature back, touches are limited for the other running backs on the team, however, one could argue that had Hunt received 8-10 carries a game, Westbrook's body would be in much better shape health-wise right now, as well as the Eagles offense as a whole. Despite his personal setback, I honestly believe that Tony Hunt will become a successful running back in the NFL, likely with a team that isn't as averse to the ground game as are the Eagles. My guess is a team like Buffalo or Chicago or Baltimore would love to have him and will use him to their advantage as he should have been used in Philly. It's too bad that the only thing he has to show for his time in my hometown is a DUI. I almost want to send him a fruit basket so that he doesn't hate us.
When it's all said and done, at least the Phils are one win away from the World Series, a World Series that looks likely to be played in Tampa Bay (actually St. Petersburg, if you want to get technical) and Philadelphia. Mind you, this does not mean that I'm saying at least we have the Phils. Come November, that mantra will come back to bite us in the hynie when we are rooting for teams that are, at best, 5 months away from their respective playoffs (NCAA tournament for those who are doing the math). Tomorrow night's game is not nearly as big as it would have been had Shane Victorino and Matt Stairs not shown up at the Chavez Ravine last evening. However, with it being the playoffs and all, any opportunity you have to close out a series, it is essential that you do so as soon as possible. The positives are innumerable. More rest for pitchers, which can never be underestimated as proven by a tired Phils bullpen Monday night. A few days to get over the fact that you have actually made it to the World Series, which in this town would probably (note: probably) be a plus. Cole Hamels is on the mound against Chad Billingsley. I'm thinking the final score will be 9-4 in the Phillies favor with Ryan Howard finally getting a piece of a ball and parking it in the LEFT field seats. That is correct, I'm betting on Howard getting an opposite field home run.
Truthfully, I think Ryan Howard has caught some undue flak this postseason. Why? The man hasn't consistently seen hittable pitches all postseason. If you watch his at bats, the Dodgers aren't comfortable with throwing him more than 3 hittable pitches per game. If you've ever played baseball, you know how much this ruins your timing and, ultimately, your average. Imagine being trained to see bad movies. When you finally see a good one it will blow your mind. In Howard's case, the trick is predicting which movie will be the good one. He has less than .2 seconds to decide whether the movie is good or bad and a majority of the movies are bad. Obviously, you would become pre-disposed to believe that the movies will be bad, so much so that it takes an extra split second to identify a good one. This is Howard's dilemma this postseason. He never sees a good pitch and, on the rare occasion that he does, it takes him .0003 more seconds to identify it, being as he is so used to bad pitches. This throws off his timing just enough that he misses the ball by millimeters and what could have been a moonshot becomes a can-of-corn. How can Ryan Howard get untracked?? Consistent hitting from Utley and a show of relatively consistent power from Burrell will get Howard the consistent strikes he needs to see to become the Howard we are used to seeing. I find baseball strategy to be a relatively simple puzzle, but for those who don't really understand the intricacies of the game, I can see how Howard's dismal postseason could be cause for concern. However, my friends, this is baseball and it is very rare that, without great protection in the form of hits ahead of him and power from behind him, a power-hitter has a great postseason. Howard has found a way to affect to outcome of games despite his MIA bat, and, for that, Phils fans should be thankful.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
"I'll Take The Stairs"
Phillies 7, Dodgers 5. Thank you, Phils, for stealing one in LA and making my life easier. I have to admit, I was ready to write the game off as a loss before Shane "I deserve everything the Phillies can give me" Victorino's shot. The Phils seemed dead in the water before that home run. Listless and unable to sustain anything, I was ready to wait 'til Wednesday to feel good again about the Phillies. I knew we would win one in LA, but this didn't seem like the game. And then, it happened. Shane's shot was big, but Matt Stairs' shot was gargantuan. Brad Lidge decided to take 2 more years off my life in the 8th but in the end, it was another Phils win. If you told me circa 7:55pm ET that Matt Stairs would win the game for us tonight, I would have laughed at you. It is so rare that a pinch hitter wins the game, even more so on a moonshot like that. I am PUMPED.
A few thoughts on the game...
Shane Victorino is my boy! Rumor has had it that the Phils are going to be willing to let him walk when his current contract expires. In my opinion, we should be willing to give him at least 5 years at $30 mil. I know, it sounds excessive, but he covers more ground than most in the National League, has a better arm than most in the National League, and has a bat that seems to come alive when it matters most. In my opinion, if you've been willing to pay more for Pat Burrell than anyone else on the team for 3 years running, you better be willing to give Shane what he needs to stick around in Philadelphia for a long time.
I was so disgusted with the Phillies at multiple points this evening that I watched the Gigantes get beat bad by the Browns at times. While my disgust turned out to be unwarranted, the Giant slaying that took place on ESPN had to excite my Eagles Faithful. With the Eagles win this week, and every other team in the division falling AND Tony Romo's broken pinkie, I'm feeling really good about the Birds with one caveat. We must get it together and be the Eagles of weeks one and two. If we can do that, I think we can make the playoffs and, more importantly, make some noise.
Does anyone else dislike Joe Buck as much as I do? I've never liked him and anyone who has watched an Eagles game with me covered by him and his lover, Troy Aikman, can attest to this. However, this Phils-Dodgers series has served as icing on the cake. Buck announces huge, momentum swinging home runs like they are meaningless singles. If baseball isn't your bag, his call of David Tyree's catch last Super Bowl sounded as if he was pronouncing someone DOA at a hospital. More than anything, he seems to be rooting for the Dodgers harder than Harry Kalas is rooting for the Phils. Every comment he makes is a thinly veiled shot at the Phils. He openly roots for Manny to get a few pitches even when it makes no sense to throw Manny anything to hit. He called a ballpark that sounded like the 18th green at Oakmont "electrified". I have honestly come to believe that he dislikes Philadelphia in general. I think he may have been dumped by a Philadelphian who found out he doesn't like TastyKakes and prefers Little Debbie snacks. This is the only thing that makes sense at this point. I want him to announce a Sixers' game just to prove my point. He would proceed to talk at length about how we never should have traded Barkley or Iverson and proceed to dub Oklahoma City as a city with a better basketball pedigree than Philly. Trust me, he would do this.
Did anyone else notice the dude with a tattoo on his larynx who came into view after the last out of the game as the cameras focused on Charlie Manuel??? Basically, I'm sorry if you didn't. Can you imagine getting your larynx tattooed??? In my opinion, that's more intense than getting a Prince Albert. If you don't know what a Prince Albert is, please ask somebody so that this metaphor makes sense (just make sure it's a close friend who doesn't have a say in your employment status).
Finally, Matt Stairs admitted to "swinging for the fences every time [he] come[s] to bat". If I had a son, Matt Stairs would have immediately become an example of what not to do for my child. How could you come out and say "I swing for the fences every time I come to bat"?? That's like openly announcing "I try to drink 'til I throw up every time I drink". It's just unbecoming. Thanks for admitting that, Matt. Now, anytime you strike out while pinch hitting I'm going to get angry that you were swinging for the fences. Jesus, just say you found the pitch you were looking for!
A few thoughts on the game...
Shane Victorino is my boy! Rumor has had it that the Phils are going to be willing to let him walk when his current contract expires. In my opinion, we should be willing to give him at least 5 years at $30 mil. I know, it sounds excessive, but he covers more ground than most in the National League, has a better arm than most in the National League, and has a bat that seems to come alive when it matters most. In my opinion, if you've been willing to pay more for Pat Burrell than anyone else on the team for 3 years running, you better be willing to give Shane what he needs to stick around in Philadelphia for a long time.
I was so disgusted with the Phillies at multiple points this evening that I watched the Gigantes get beat bad by the Browns at times. While my disgust turned out to be unwarranted, the Giant slaying that took place on ESPN had to excite my Eagles Faithful. With the Eagles win this week, and every other team in the division falling AND Tony Romo's broken pinkie, I'm feeling really good about the Birds with one caveat. We must get it together and be the Eagles of weeks one and two. If we can do that, I think we can make the playoffs and, more importantly, make some noise.
Does anyone else dislike Joe Buck as much as I do? I've never liked him and anyone who has watched an Eagles game with me covered by him and his lover, Troy Aikman, can attest to this. However, this Phils-Dodgers series has served as icing on the cake. Buck announces huge, momentum swinging home runs like they are meaningless singles. If baseball isn't your bag, his call of David Tyree's catch last Super Bowl sounded as if he was pronouncing someone DOA at a hospital. More than anything, he seems to be rooting for the Dodgers harder than Harry Kalas is rooting for the Phils. Every comment he makes is a thinly veiled shot at the Phils. He openly roots for Manny to get a few pitches even when it makes no sense to throw Manny anything to hit. He called a ballpark that sounded like the 18th green at Oakmont "electrified". I have honestly come to believe that he dislikes Philadelphia in general. I think he may have been dumped by a Philadelphian who found out he doesn't like TastyKakes and prefers Little Debbie snacks. This is the only thing that makes sense at this point. I want him to announce a Sixers' game just to prove my point. He would proceed to talk at length about how we never should have traded Barkley or Iverson and proceed to dub Oklahoma City as a city with a better basketball pedigree than Philly. Trust me, he would do this.
Did anyone else notice the dude with a tattoo on his larynx who came into view after the last out of the game as the cameras focused on Charlie Manuel??? Basically, I'm sorry if you didn't. Can you imagine getting your larynx tattooed??? In my opinion, that's more intense than getting a Prince Albert. If you don't know what a Prince Albert is, please ask somebody so that this metaphor makes sense (just make sure it's a close friend who doesn't have a say in your employment status).
Finally, Matt Stairs admitted to "swinging for the fences every time [he] come[s] to bat". If I had a son, Matt Stairs would have immediately become an example of what not to do for my child. How could you come out and say "I swing for the fences every time I come to bat"?? That's like openly announcing "I try to drink 'til I throw up every time I drink". It's just unbecoming. Thanks for admitting that, Matt. Now, anytime you strike out while pinch hitting I'm going to get angry that you were swinging for the fences. Jesus, just say you found the pitch you were looking for!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Weekend Warriors
After a nice, little weekend hiatus, I'm back at it with a lot to say so bear with me, as there is a lot of stuff to say a lot about.
PENN STATE
Wow. That's really all I have to say. PSU's performance in Mad-town really blew my mind. I thought that they would have to tough out a relatively close game, but this one was never really in doubt. You know an offense is good when you say to the person watching with you "oh well, i just wanna see our offense again" as Penn State's D allows a touchdown. Basically, the only thing standing between this team and the ultimate success that I will refuse to name is the same mental pitfalls that often betray even the best of teams' goals, the trap games. Penn State has two games left that could be challenging on paper, Ohio State and Michigan State and you can bet they'll be up for those matchups. However, you have to be worried about the game against Michigan, as it seems to be an autumnal ritual for the Wovlerines to beat the Lions, and that away game against Iowa has mental letdown written all over it... A game against a crappy team on the road in a different time zone. In any case, I'm lovin' this team. They DESTROYED Wisconsin in every facet of the game. The offense was nearly unstoppable, even leaving points on the field in the form of off target deep balls that should have been completed. The defense was scary good, and Aaron Maybin has cemented himself as a favorite in my book. Finally, our special teams were really good, aside from the obvious. D-Will's punt return was one thing, but to regularly tackle Wisconsin's Gilreath, a top returner in the Big Ten, short of the 20 yard line speaks volumes about this team. I can't wait to go up to State College this upcoming weekend as I'm sure it will be even more fun than 2005, the last time PSU was a national title contender. Obviously, as the week wears on, I'll have more to say about that.
EAGLES
I'm leary about feeling good about this game. Granted, the names missing from the starting lineup against San Fran are tough names to lose, however, good teams wouldn't have let that game become a game, given the start the Birds got off to. I see glimpses of a really good team, but I also see flare-ups of a terrible team, and, truthfully, I'm not sure which one is the real Eagles. On one hand, to not only show life offensively, but to, at times, dominate without Westbrook, Andrews, Reggie Brown, and Kevin Curtis is extremely encouraging. McNabb did some of what I discussed last week in targeting his possession receivers in the mid-range passing game to free up the deep ball, and the play-calling allowed for the running game to establish itself and put the right players in the right position at the right time. On the other hand, the mistakes were somewhat egregious. Defensively, the team seemed apathetic at times and I hate apathy. The coverage units had my heart in my throat on a regular basis. McNabb misfired on numerous occasions and should have thrown more than one pick... I can think of 2 more that should have been caught that would have been absolute season-killers. In short, the jury is still out and will be until we play the Giants, the next real, solid test on our schedule. If I can speak real quick on something that has been bothering me though, it's the David Akers issue. I think he's been catching some undue flak lately for the long misses. In my mind, Akers is still a good kicker, or at least better than anyone we could find at this point in time. He'll never miss the short stuff and I think the long stuff will come around. I'm not confident about a lot of things regarding the Eagles, but I am confident that David Akers will come around by season's end and be the asset he always has been once again.
PHILLIES
Until tonight, the World Series was a nearly a forgone conclusion by the looks of the first two games of the NLCS. Until tonight, the starting pitching had been solid and the bats had come alive. That is, unitl tonight. Jaime Moyer was less than less than stellar. He was borderline horrendous. I'm a Moyer fan. I like the thought of a crafty, grizzled veteran showing these young bucks a thing or two, but not in the NLCS. There is such little room for error that, after the 1st inning, I thought Charlie should have sent out a J.A. Happ in inning 2 and used him as a long reliever to get to the 5th. In the end, it didn't matter, the damage had been done. On the bright side, you had to sense that the Phils were inches from a big rally on several occasions. It's not like their bats were silenced. They were making good contact, but their shots were going straight to the Dodgers' fielders. As a Phils fan, I couldn't realistically have expected to sweep LA. In fact, I wouldn't be stressed if this series made it's way back this side of the Mississippi. If I had to predict an outcome, I would guess that the Phils will win tomorrow night in a tight one, 6-5. Blanton will be so-so but get the game to the bullpen with a lead after 6. MVPs? I think Howard will finally show up for a game and knock in a few RBIs but the real star will be someone late in the order like Feliz or Ruiz or Coste depending on who starts. The Phils need the lineup to turn over regularly to be successful and a 3 for 4 night from one of those guys who typically bat in the 7 or 8 hole will get a win for the Phightins. Beyond that, I would expect LA to avoid elimination at home just to bring it back to Philly where they stand no chance. Either way, Phils fans should be rooting really really really really hard for the Rays to beat the Sox in the ALCS. I would feel much more confident against Tampa than Boston, but to root for them may simply be wishful thinking. I'm picking the Sox in 6.
MISCELLANEOUS
A few random thoughts... The Rocketeer is not nearly as cool of a movie 17 years later... I've always liked LSU but 51-21?? Ouch!... The Shield is becoming so intense that I'm not sure I can continue watching, by recommendation of my doctor. Having said that, don't even try to call me Tuesday night... South Park needs a bounce back week worse than the Eagles did. While the concept was good, driving the point home with more than 4 rape scenes involving just males reminded me more of the unfunny Britney episode than it did make me laugh. Where's the genius that spawned Imaginationland? or Cartmanland? Step your game up!... I like that the NBA decided to have an outdoor game. However, if they really wanted to do it right, they should have done it at one of the playgrounds that serve as basketball meccas throughout the country. I mean, it was a preseason game so who cares about the quality of play, etc. Playing the game at a tennis center made as much sense as the NFL playing regular season games in Europe. Oh wait... I really can't wait until my television is dominated by Bud Light V. Miller Lite commercials again and not these political ads. Believe what you want and vote for whom you choose, but seriously, we ALL need to rally against these television ads. They are such a buzz kill. Now that is change we can believe in...
PENN STATE
Wow. That's really all I have to say. PSU's performance in Mad-town really blew my mind. I thought that they would have to tough out a relatively close game, but this one was never really in doubt. You know an offense is good when you say to the person watching with you "oh well, i just wanna see our offense again" as Penn State's D allows a touchdown. Basically, the only thing standing between this team and the ultimate success that I will refuse to name is the same mental pitfalls that often betray even the best of teams' goals, the trap games. Penn State has two games left that could be challenging on paper, Ohio State and Michigan State and you can bet they'll be up for those matchups. However, you have to be worried about the game against Michigan, as it seems to be an autumnal ritual for the Wovlerines to beat the Lions, and that away game against Iowa has mental letdown written all over it... A game against a crappy team on the road in a different time zone. In any case, I'm lovin' this team. They DESTROYED Wisconsin in every facet of the game. The offense was nearly unstoppable, even leaving points on the field in the form of off target deep balls that should have been completed. The defense was scary good, and Aaron Maybin has cemented himself as a favorite in my book. Finally, our special teams were really good, aside from the obvious. D-Will's punt return was one thing, but to regularly tackle Wisconsin's Gilreath, a top returner in the Big Ten, short of the 20 yard line speaks volumes about this team. I can't wait to go up to State College this upcoming weekend as I'm sure it will be even more fun than 2005, the last time PSU was a national title contender. Obviously, as the week wears on, I'll have more to say about that.
EAGLES
I'm leary about feeling good about this game. Granted, the names missing from the starting lineup against San Fran are tough names to lose, however, good teams wouldn't have let that game become a game, given the start the Birds got off to. I see glimpses of a really good team, but I also see flare-ups of a terrible team, and, truthfully, I'm not sure which one is the real Eagles. On one hand, to not only show life offensively, but to, at times, dominate without Westbrook, Andrews, Reggie Brown, and Kevin Curtis is extremely encouraging. McNabb did some of what I discussed last week in targeting his possession receivers in the mid-range passing game to free up the deep ball, and the play-calling allowed for the running game to establish itself and put the right players in the right position at the right time. On the other hand, the mistakes were somewhat egregious. Defensively, the team seemed apathetic at times and I hate apathy. The coverage units had my heart in my throat on a regular basis. McNabb misfired on numerous occasions and should have thrown more than one pick... I can think of 2 more that should have been caught that would have been absolute season-killers. In short, the jury is still out and will be until we play the Giants, the next real, solid test on our schedule. If I can speak real quick on something that has been bothering me though, it's the David Akers issue. I think he's been catching some undue flak lately for the long misses. In my mind, Akers is still a good kicker, or at least better than anyone we could find at this point in time. He'll never miss the short stuff and I think the long stuff will come around. I'm not confident about a lot of things regarding the Eagles, but I am confident that David Akers will come around by season's end and be the asset he always has been once again.
PHILLIES
Until tonight, the World Series was a nearly a forgone conclusion by the looks of the first two games of the NLCS. Until tonight, the starting pitching had been solid and the bats had come alive. That is, unitl tonight. Jaime Moyer was less than less than stellar. He was borderline horrendous. I'm a Moyer fan. I like the thought of a crafty, grizzled veteran showing these young bucks a thing or two, but not in the NLCS. There is such little room for error that, after the 1st inning, I thought Charlie should have sent out a J.A. Happ in inning 2 and used him as a long reliever to get to the 5th. In the end, it didn't matter, the damage had been done. On the bright side, you had to sense that the Phils were inches from a big rally on several occasions. It's not like their bats were silenced. They were making good contact, but their shots were going straight to the Dodgers' fielders. As a Phils fan, I couldn't realistically have expected to sweep LA. In fact, I wouldn't be stressed if this series made it's way back this side of the Mississippi. If I had to predict an outcome, I would guess that the Phils will win tomorrow night in a tight one, 6-5. Blanton will be so-so but get the game to the bullpen with a lead after 6. MVPs? I think Howard will finally show up for a game and knock in a few RBIs but the real star will be someone late in the order like Feliz or Ruiz or Coste depending on who starts. The Phils need the lineup to turn over regularly to be successful and a 3 for 4 night from one of those guys who typically bat in the 7 or 8 hole will get a win for the Phightins. Beyond that, I would expect LA to avoid elimination at home just to bring it back to Philly where they stand no chance. Either way, Phils fans should be rooting really really really really hard for the Rays to beat the Sox in the ALCS. I would feel much more confident against Tampa than Boston, but to root for them may simply be wishful thinking. I'm picking the Sox in 6.
MISCELLANEOUS
A few random thoughts... The Rocketeer is not nearly as cool of a movie 17 years later... I've always liked LSU but 51-21?? Ouch!... The Shield is becoming so intense that I'm not sure I can continue watching, by recommendation of my doctor. Having said that, don't even try to call me Tuesday night... South Park needs a bounce back week worse than the Eagles did. While the concept was good, driving the point home with more than 4 rape scenes involving just males reminded me more of the unfunny Britney episode than it did make me laugh. Where's the genius that spawned Imaginationland? or Cartmanland? Step your game up!... I like that the NBA decided to have an outdoor game. However, if they really wanted to do it right, they should have done it at one of the playgrounds that serve as basketball meccas throughout the country. I mean, it was a preseason game so who cares about the quality of play, etc. Playing the game at a tennis center made as much sense as the NFL playing regular season games in Europe. Oh wait... I really can't wait until my television is dominated by Bud Light V. Miller Lite commercials again and not these political ads. Believe what you want and vote for whom you choose, but seriously, we ALL need to rally against these television ads. They are such a buzz kill. Now that is change we can believe in...
Thursday, October 9, 2008
1-0, 3 to go! and a concession...
It's a good night to be a Phils fan. The Phils pulled out a grind-it-out win tonight in signature style. Two home runs and another brilliant outing by Cole Hamels added up to a 3-2 win over the Dodgers. While the Phillies bats tried to figure out a solid (for five innings) Derek Lowe, Cole kept the game within striking distance. They took advantage of Dodger mistakes and, more importantly, made them pay dearly for them. It's one thing to steal a bag on a mistake, but to follow that up with a shot like Chase's, well that's what great teams do. For tonight, the Phillies phormula worked.
This brings me to my next point. I've been a staunch opponent of Pat Burrell since 2003. I've been of the opinion that his numbers are inflated, thanks to smacking long home runs in meaningless, blowout games, and that his defense rivaled that of an 86 year-old woman living in a geriatric facility. I think, more than his play, his astronomical salary and unwillingness to let the Phils cut the cord with him via trade made me like him less and less. However, in the last 2 games, he has played a huge role in meaningful wins. Wins that arguably (against the Brewers) and definitely (tonight) would not have been if not for Pat. So, Mr. Burrell, I apologize. While you still aren't even my fourth favorite Phillie, you will no longer be scoffed at from my direction every time I hear Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" start up at the Bank (Possibly my favorite at-bat music on the team, gotta admit). You see, it's not that I didn't want to like you, it's that I couldn't bring myself to do it when you were making the most money on the team but seemed more replaceable than our other stars. In any case, this is my olive branch petition. As long as no one is asking me to call you the best player on our roster, I won't say anything bad. Good game, broseph.
On to Friday afternoon's game. Brett Myers v. Chad Billingsley. Gametime temperatures should be in the mid to upper 60's. The Phils have had success against Billinglsey this year, getting a win and chasing him from the game in 6 long innings in which the Phils got 3 runs off of 7 hits and 5 walks. He seems to scatter hits but avoid huge mistakes that lead to huge innings, meaning he is not invincible, but he's not throwing marshmallows either. I would really like to see the Phillies get some runs in more than one inning, and I think tomorrow night is a good night to do just that. I think they'll get to Billingsley the second time through the order to get the scoring going. On the flip side, Myers is a pretty good big-game pitcher. As long as he is not too jacked up, and by too jacked up I mean arbitrarily punching blondes in the face, I think he'll put a clamp on the Dodgers bats for the second night in a row. I'm picking the Phils to win 7-4. MVP's Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.
This brings me to my next point. I've been a staunch opponent of Pat Burrell since 2003. I've been of the opinion that his numbers are inflated, thanks to smacking long home runs in meaningless, blowout games, and that his defense rivaled that of an 86 year-old woman living in a geriatric facility. I think, more than his play, his astronomical salary and unwillingness to let the Phils cut the cord with him via trade made me like him less and less. However, in the last 2 games, he has played a huge role in meaningful wins. Wins that arguably (against the Brewers) and definitely (tonight) would not have been if not for Pat. So, Mr. Burrell, I apologize. While you still aren't even my fourth favorite Phillie, you will no longer be scoffed at from my direction every time I hear Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" start up at the Bank (Possibly my favorite at-bat music on the team, gotta admit). You see, it's not that I didn't want to like you, it's that I couldn't bring myself to do it when you were making the most money on the team but seemed more replaceable than our other stars. In any case, this is my olive branch petition. As long as no one is asking me to call you the best player on our roster, I won't say anything bad. Good game, broseph.
On to Friday afternoon's game. Brett Myers v. Chad Billingsley. Gametime temperatures should be in the mid to upper 60's. The Phils have had success against Billinglsey this year, getting a win and chasing him from the game in 6 long innings in which the Phils got 3 runs off of 7 hits and 5 walks. He seems to scatter hits but avoid huge mistakes that lead to huge innings, meaning he is not invincible, but he's not throwing marshmallows either. I would really like to see the Phillies get some runs in more than one inning, and I think tomorrow night is a good night to do just that. I think they'll get to Billingsley the second time through the order to get the scoring going. On the flip side, Myers is a pretty good big-game pitcher. As long as he is not too jacked up, and by too jacked up I mean arbitrarily punching blondes in the face, I think he'll put a clamp on the Dodgers bats for the second night in a row. I'm picking the Phils to win 7-4. MVP's Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino.
Phillies Predictions and the arrival of the NBA... I Love This Game!
First and foremost, Thursday will bring with it the biggest baseball game this city has seen in a while... 15 years to be exact. The weather will have October written all over it, with game time temperatures expected to be in the upper 50's under clear skies. Cole Hamels will face Derek Lowe in what should end up being a pitchers duel given Hamels stellar performance at the Bank all season and Lowe's experience, and successes, in similar weather as a pitcher for the Red Sox not too far back. Don't expect to see many fireworks, despite the names on both sides of the lineup card thanks to a combination of good pitching and chilly weather. I think this game will come down to whichever team does the little things right. By that I mean which team will field ball after ball cleanly, which team will work the count, and which team will be able to mount a rally or two? I think that, given the circumstances, that team will be the Phillies. The team has proven they can play loose in a raucus environment, as evidenced by their 2 wins at home in the NLDS, and I think that the fact that the Phils bats have a little more juice than those of the Dodgers will get us the win in Game 1. Of course, the biggest reason for my optimism is Cole Hamels. This guy is filthy when he's jacked up and you can bet he'll be jacked up tomorrow night. Derek Lowe, for all his past success, has shown a few weaknesses in recent years and I think the Phils can exploit them. Final score? Phillies 4 Dodgers 2. MVP's? Cole Hamels and Jayson Werth.
On another note, I fired up my computer tonight to find that ESPN's headline story was the release of John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Ratings. This got me excited because it means my favorite sport is about to fire the starting gun on a new season (On a side note, I'll go on record saying that I like college basketball more than the NBA but basketball is basketball so I'm pumped). I'm pumped about the Sixers this year, but they will get their own post on a later date. Instead, I want to take a few paragraphs to discuss Mr. Hollinger's PER rankings and give my thoughts on a few players. As I leisurely look through the list, I'll give you the player, his ranking, and what I think. On a side note before I get to the discussion, how did the Boston Celtics get Bill Walker?? I understand that there are injury concerns but, for real, this is a case of the rich getting richer. Mark my words, he'll be an effective role player for them come March. On to the PERs:
#1 Chris Paul : A darkhorse candidate to be my favorite non-Sixer not named Kobe (I'm an unabashed fan of the greatest offensive player of this generation). It really boggles my mind that more players like him aren't out there. Chris Paul is the perfect combination of sound fundamentals and great athleticism. The sad part is that its a commentary on the state of American basketball that he seems so great. He is one helluva player, don't get me wrong, but it's sad that there are not more like him. It's not difficult. You just have to be a student of the game AND and a great athlete. All too often, the students of the game aren't great athletes today and the great athletes aren't students of the game. Wish there could be more like him. Shout out to Deron Williams.
#3 Amare Stoudemire : I've long been a fan of Amare. His combination of size and athleticism is rivaled by few. I've seen him do things that I did not think were even possible for a man of his size. He's a more complete basketball player than Dwight Howard, who is a freak in his own right, however, I'm worried about how the change of style the Suns have undergone will affect him. Anytime Shaq is on the floor, you immediately become a half court offense, which considerably diminishes the advantages Amare has on the defense. We'll see how this plays out.
#6 Kobe Bryant : As I mentioned before, I'm a huge Kobe fan. My biggest concern for guys like him, LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and any one else who played in the Olympics is how this distorted offseason will affect their regular season play. I'm not one who believes it will totally ruin their year, but it has to have an effect on these guys, one that is strong enough to dictate how they are used in the early goings of an incredibly long NBA season. In any case, I think we should be ready for Kobe to go off on the league. His supporting cast is more than respectable, they are a formidable team without him, and I think after last year's terrible Finals, Kobe wants it more than ever. He knows what he needs to do to keep his teammates happy and involved and I think he learned a lot from the Olympic experience in terms of when to take a game over. I think Kobe will really do some damage this year.
#25 Brandon Roy : While I don't have much to say about Roy, who I think is a great player with tons of upside potential, I'm using this as my opportunity to declare the Blazers as my darkhorse team. They are well built with great depth and athleticism. Their success hinges on Greg "I'm Actually 48" Oden, but I think they'll put together a solid season, so much so that I'm tabbing them as my 4 seed in the West behind LA, San Antonio, and Houston. Crazy prediction, I know, but to hell with it, I'm going all out.
On another note, I fired up my computer tonight to find that ESPN's headline story was the release of John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Ratings. This got me excited because it means my favorite sport is about to fire the starting gun on a new season (On a side note, I'll go on record saying that I like college basketball more than the NBA but basketball is basketball so I'm pumped). I'm pumped about the Sixers this year, but they will get their own post on a later date. Instead, I want to take a few paragraphs to discuss Mr. Hollinger's PER rankings and give my thoughts on a few players. As I leisurely look through the list, I'll give you the player, his ranking, and what I think. On a side note before I get to the discussion, how did the Boston Celtics get Bill Walker?? I understand that there are injury concerns but, for real, this is a case of the rich getting richer. Mark my words, he'll be an effective role player for them come March. On to the PERs:
#1 Chris Paul : A darkhorse candidate to be my favorite non-Sixer not named Kobe (I'm an unabashed fan of the greatest offensive player of this generation). It really boggles my mind that more players like him aren't out there. Chris Paul is the perfect combination of sound fundamentals and great athleticism. The sad part is that its a commentary on the state of American basketball that he seems so great. He is one helluva player, don't get me wrong, but it's sad that there are not more like him. It's not difficult. You just have to be a student of the game AND and a great athlete. All too often, the students of the game aren't great athletes today and the great athletes aren't students of the game. Wish there could be more like him. Shout out to Deron Williams.
#3 Amare Stoudemire : I've long been a fan of Amare. His combination of size and athleticism is rivaled by few. I've seen him do things that I did not think were even possible for a man of his size. He's a more complete basketball player than Dwight Howard, who is a freak in his own right, however, I'm worried about how the change of style the Suns have undergone will affect him. Anytime Shaq is on the floor, you immediately become a half court offense, which considerably diminishes the advantages Amare has on the defense. We'll see how this plays out.
#6 Kobe Bryant : As I mentioned before, I'm a huge Kobe fan. My biggest concern for guys like him, LeBron, Dwayne Wade, and any one else who played in the Olympics is how this distorted offseason will affect their regular season play. I'm not one who believes it will totally ruin their year, but it has to have an effect on these guys, one that is strong enough to dictate how they are used in the early goings of an incredibly long NBA season. In any case, I think we should be ready for Kobe to go off on the league. His supporting cast is more than respectable, they are a formidable team without him, and I think after last year's terrible Finals, Kobe wants it more than ever. He knows what he needs to do to keep his teammates happy and involved and I think he learned a lot from the Olympic experience in terms of when to take a game over. I think Kobe will really do some damage this year.
#25 Brandon Roy : While I don't have much to say about Roy, who I think is a great player with tons of upside potential, I'm using this as my opportunity to declare the Blazers as my darkhorse team. They are well built with great depth and athleticism. Their success hinges on Greg "I'm Actually 48" Oden, but I think they'll put together a solid season, so much so that I'm tabbing them as my 4 seed in the West behind LA, San Antonio, and Houston. Crazy prediction, I know, but to hell with it, I'm going all out.
#33 Monta Ellis : I just really hope a Vespa was involved in his sketchy offseason injury. Why? Can you imagine how hilarious an NBA player looks on a Vespa? This would be funny on at least 6 levels.
#46 Zach Randolph : Gotta be honest, if I were him and my official NBA player photo were under my control like a Facebook profile pic, I might as well change it to show me actually smoking an illegal green substance. Zach, have you never heard of Visine?
#'s 102 and 103 Mike Miller and Mike Dunleavy : Wow, you're both not only huge disappointments professionally but you're both incredibly ugly.
#240 Rodney Carney : I finally figured it out, he looks like Chris Rock
#321 Jason Collins : Just 3 spots behind his twin brother, bringing up the rear of the 321 player field... do you think their mother is even proud at this point??
Oh well, I apologize that it became a comedy by the end but that's what happens when Zach Randolph comes into play at #46. In any case, I'm carefully crafting an NBA prediction post, so keep your eyes open for that. Also on the horizon, college basketball predictions, more Penn State analysis, NFL discussions, and more....
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!! and some clarification
First and foremost, I want to clarify some things that I said in yesterday's post. I've recieved some negative feedback regarding my opinion that Penn State's play-calling worries me. Allow me to clarify. I fully acknowledge that the play-calling has been nearly flawless so far this year. However, the reason it worries me is that it has been an issue in previous years. For proof, I point to last year's game at Michigan. The offense went from being an aggresive offense to an overly conservative one that assuredly cost us the game (along with terrible quarterback play). Penn State has shown in recent years that it can be easily spooked into running a conservative, run first, take risks second offense. Maybe I'm convincing myself of this but I'm pretty sure its true. Look at all of the losses since 2005 and look at how Penn State handled their possessions. It's easy to see that they have strayed from what worked for them in their victories for reasons which I do not understand. Against Michigan last year, we became a "3 yards and a cloud of dust" offense when that had not been our signature all year. Against Illinois last year, we became obsessed with getting the ball to certain players whom the defense was obviously keying in on, seemingly convincing ourselves that the defense would somehow forget about them for a play or two. In short, Penn State's offense has had a tendency to become unimaginative when the going gets tough, despite the fact that when we mix it up and dictate what the defense does, we've been fairly successful over the years. Again, I'd like to clarify that this may have been a personnel issue and not a play-calling issue, but until the coaches prove me otherwise, I'm worried that we will become predictable in our quest to get the ball in certain players' hands. That was my point yesterday.
In any case, on to the Birds. The start to the season has been disappointing to say the least. We are going into San Francisco in a must win situation, a scenario that even two weeks ago was unimaginable to a fan like myself. The reasons for this are somewhat elusive. Donovan has been solid for the most part, although his traditionally shaky accuracy has plagued the Eagles yet again. However, I don't agree with the diehards who think Kevin Kolb is the answer to our problems. He has issues of his own and, truthfully, I believe Donovan has looked good, if not great, when given the opportunity to do so. To me, the biggest problem is Andy Reid. I realize that he is the winningest coach in Eagles history and has a track record of righting wayward ships, but I think this ship is off course due to his own decisions. He seems to be reluctant to put the load on the Eagles most dangerous weapons, Westbrook and Jackson. If you decide to argue that he has given them their due touches, then I would argue that he hasn't used the rest of the roster as they should be used. Jason Avant has proven himself as a legitimate possession reciever, catching most of the balls that come his way, yet he hasn't seen much come his way. Hank Baskett has dazzled us all with his incredible athletic ability, yet he rarely gets a target. Tony Hunt proved his worth in the Big Ten as a reliable tough yardage back as well as a decent receiver, yet he is being used in the same way we used Thomas Tapeh. The team argues that the absence of LJ Smith has adversely affected the Eagles' redzone offense, but my counterarguement is what's wrong with Brent Celek? or Hank Baskett on a fade? or Lorenzo Booker on a speed pitch? To me the Eagles have become so bland and unimaginative that, after first quarter adjustments by the defense, our offense is easy to stop. We have the weapons, why not use them?
I offer the Eagles a chance to cure their woes. First, use DeSean Jackson. I know the kid is a rookie and very prone to rookie mistakes. But wouldn't you rather see a rookie mistake than another failed crossing pattern intended for Greg "I somehow made millions doing this" Lewis? Second, use Westbrook to his fullest potential. I don't care how you do it, just make sure he touches the ball at least thirty times a game. Third, acknowledge that Baskett and Avant are your two best possession receivers. I haven't seen either of these guys do anything so egregious that they shouldn't be targeted yet they aren't and it's beyond me. Finally, roll Donovan out. He may claim he wants to be a drop back quarterback but why sacrifice your biggest asset just so racist people can't criticize you. You have the ability to make things happen on the move so use it, who cares what they think?
All in all, I'm convinced that the success of our Eagles depends on Donovan McNabb. So, Andy Reid, use him for all he's worth. He's not going to be any more healthy next year, and a healthy Donovan in December isn't going to help you if you are 3-6. He wants to shoulder the load so let him. Make it his responsibility to distribute the balls to those who need them, don't dictate how he should see the game. It's a last chance for McNabb to solidify himself as a fan favorite and if he can't, then come January it's time to trade him. In any case, allow a 10 year veteran to run the offense as he sees fit. Don't take the ball out of his hands, don't try to tell him where to go with the ball. He has been at it long enough that he should be able to identify what he should do with each play. Our defense, when given the chance to be aggressive, has proven itself to be one of the best in the league, so all we need is an offense that allows Jim Johnson to open his Pandora's Box. Andy, realize that Donovan isn't going to dink and dunk for wins, he's going to get big plays for them. If you accept this and call the games accordingly, we may very well win the rest of our division games, which, truthfully, may be our only chance to make the playoffs. So please, Andy, take the training wheels off your 10 year old's bicycle.
In any case, on to the Birds. The start to the season has been disappointing to say the least. We are going into San Francisco in a must win situation, a scenario that even two weeks ago was unimaginable to a fan like myself. The reasons for this are somewhat elusive. Donovan has been solid for the most part, although his traditionally shaky accuracy has plagued the Eagles yet again. However, I don't agree with the diehards who think Kevin Kolb is the answer to our problems. He has issues of his own and, truthfully, I believe Donovan has looked good, if not great, when given the opportunity to do so. To me, the biggest problem is Andy Reid. I realize that he is the winningest coach in Eagles history and has a track record of righting wayward ships, but I think this ship is off course due to his own decisions. He seems to be reluctant to put the load on the Eagles most dangerous weapons, Westbrook and Jackson. If you decide to argue that he has given them their due touches, then I would argue that he hasn't used the rest of the roster as they should be used. Jason Avant has proven himself as a legitimate possession reciever, catching most of the balls that come his way, yet he hasn't seen much come his way. Hank Baskett has dazzled us all with his incredible athletic ability, yet he rarely gets a target. Tony Hunt proved his worth in the Big Ten as a reliable tough yardage back as well as a decent receiver, yet he is being used in the same way we used Thomas Tapeh. The team argues that the absence of LJ Smith has adversely affected the Eagles' redzone offense, but my counterarguement is what's wrong with Brent Celek? or Hank Baskett on a fade? or Lorenzo Booker on a speed pitch? To me the Eagles have become so bland and unimaginative that, after first quarter adjustments by the defense, our offense is easy to stop. We have the weapons, why not use them?
I offer the Eagles a chance to cure their woes. First, use DeSean Jackson. I know the kid is a rookie and very prone to rookie mistakes. But wouldn't you rather see a rookie mistake than another failed crossing pattern intended for Greg "I somehow made millions doing this" Lewis? Second, use Westbrook to his fullest potential. I don't care how you do it, just make sure he touches the ball at least thirty times a game. Third, acknowledge that Baskett and Avant are your two best possession receivers. I haven't seen either of these guys do anything so egregious that they shouldn't be targeted yet they aren't and it's beyond me. Finally, roll Donovan out. He may claim he wants to be a drop back quarterback but why sacrifice your biggest asset just so racist people can't criticize you. You have the ability to make things happen on the move so use it, who cares what they think?
All in all, I'm convinced that the success of our Eagles depends on Donovan McNabb. So, Andy Reid, use him for all he's worth. He's not going to be any more healthy next year, and a healthy Donovan in December isn't going to help you if you are 3-6. He wants to shoulder the load so let him. Make it his responsibility to distribute the balls to those who need them, don't dictate how he should see the game. It's a last chance for McNabb to solidify himself as a fan favorite and if he can't, then come January it's time to trade him. In any case, allow a 10 year veteran to run the offense as he sees fit. Don't take the ball out of his hands, don't try to tell him where to go with the ball. He has been at it long enough that he should be able to identify what he should do with each play. Our defense, when given the chance to be aggressive, has proven itself to be one of the best in the league, so all we need is an offense that allows Jim Johnson to open his Pandora's Box. Andy, realize that Donovan isn't going to dink and dunk for wins, he's going to get big plays for them. If you accept this and call the games accordingly, we may very well win the rest of our division games, which, truthfully, may be our only chance to make the playoffs. So please, Andy, take the training wheels off your 10 year old's bicycle.
Monday, October 6, 2008
We Are... Still #6!
I awoke this morning to find that Penn St. held steady at #6 in both polls, as was expected (I know, I know, I could have found this out last night). However, given that I only started this thing yesterday, I feel that this is a perfect opportunity (excuse?) to talk about Penn State football.
The Lions have been dominant this season... thus far. With the biggest test of the year, thus far, looming on the horizon, Penn State still hasn't had to really fight for anything, thus far. That could mean one of two things: A) We are incredibly nasty this year or B) Our schedule has really sucked up to this point. My conclusion is that it's a combination of the two. This team is not much different than the teams of the last two seasons with one glaring exception and he's lining up under center. Daryll Clark is much more well suited to run this offense with these weapons than Anthony Morelli ever was. Why he didn't get a chance to play in some games when the offense bogged down (cough, cough, MICHIGAN, cough, cough) last year I'll never know and always wonder. The receivers seem to respond to Clark because they finally know what angle the ball is coming at them from, and even better, Clark hasn't turned possessions into his own, personal, real-life game of Madden, launching deep balls at his every whim. Defenses who key in on stopping the pass get burned by Royster/Clark/Green/DWill running the ball, pick your poison. If a defense puts eight in the box, the next play is simple: play-action, Deon Butler, fly pattern, touchdown, in that order. Offensively, I haven't seen a Penn State team like this since'94 and that's no exaggeration. While you could argue that the 2003 and 2005 offenses were jauggernauts in their own right, they weren't this complete or this experienced. Even this last week against Purdue, the offense looked great even though they only put up 20. That 20 could easily have been 28 if the Lions had 3/4 inch spikes on instead of 1/2 inch ones, and even more if Purdue had put any pressure on Penn State to score more than that. The fact of the matter is that the game was essentially over after Penn State's first score, given Purdue's offensive and special team woes.
That brings me to the defense. Tom Bradley deserves to succeed Joe Paterno as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Why? The defense this year has been great despite the injuries and suspensions, a trend that Lions fans have grown accustomed to since Bradley took over for the legendary Jerry Sandusky. Keep in mind that the defense on the field is missing a preseason All-America candidate in Sean Lee. My brother dared to imagine how good we would look if he were healthy and I didn't even know what to say. People pointed out that Illinois moved the ball pretty effectively against Penn State in their clash 2 weeks ago as reason to be concerned, but I think people forget that Illinois put up 42 on Missouri, another top-5 team, and 45 on Michigan this weekend, a team that nearly held Wisconsin scoreless in the second half of their upset win 2 weeks ago. Penn State was one garbage time possession from hanging only the second shut-out ever recorded on a Joe Tiller/Purdue squad (yes, we recorded the other). Basically, Penn State's defense is being overlooked this year thanks to all the accolades being thrown upon the offense and that's fine with me.
If you asked me for my only legitimate concern regarding this Penn State squad, I would have to respond with play-calling. Granted, so far, so good this year, but in years past it almost seemed like Penn State wasn't entirely sure how to use their playmakers when the going got tough in Big Ten play (and it always does, no matter how good you are). They became prone to forcing the issue and made costly mistakes (Illinois and Michigan last year are great examples). Now, whether that was a play-calling issue or a quarterbacking issue isn't entirely clear, however, it is the coaching staff's responsibility to call the plays that best correspond with the personnel on the field. With so many weapons at their disposal, you would hope that the familiar pitfalls won't be an issue this year, but you never know.
Going forward, I love this team's chances. Obviously, huge landmines lie in the road ahead, namely night games at both Wisconsin and Ohio State. If my memory serves me right, and my memory is pretty hazy when it comes to night games, the home crowd is always a little more fierce, a little more wild when the game starts after5 pm. Even those who got a full night's sleep the night before had at least 5 hours to properly lubricate themselves in time for the game, and with the target placed squarely on Penn State's back, the question becomes how will they respond to a "Code Red" or "Scarlet Fever" (I just made up those names for color coordination at Wisconsin and Ohio State and I hereby trademark them now)? This Saturday night's showdown will go a long way in determining where exactly Penn State stands not only in the Big Ten, but in the National Title picture as well. In the words of a good friend of mine, Let's Go State!
The Lions have been dominant this season... thus far. With the biggest test of the year, thus far, looming on the horizon, Penn State still hasn't had to really fight for anything, thus far. That could mean one of two things: A) We are incredibly nasty this year or B) Our schedule has really sucked up to this point. My conclusion is that it's a combination of the two. This team is not much different than the teams of the last two seasons with one glaring exception and he's lining up under center. Daryll Clark is much more well suited to run this offense with these weapons than Anthony Morelli ever was. Why he didn't get a chance to play in some games when the offense bogged down (cough, cough, MICHIGAN, cough, cough) last year I'll never know and always wonder. The receivers seem to respond to Clark because they finally know what angle the ball is coming at them from, and even better, Clark hasn't turned possessions into his own, personal, real-life game of Madden, launching deep balls at his every whim. Defenses who key in on stopping the pass get burned by Royster/Clark/Green/DWill running the ball, pick your poison. If a defense puts eight in the box, the next play is simple: play-action, Deon Butler, fly pattern, touchdown, in that order. Offensively, I haven't seen a Penn State team like this since'94 and that's no exaggeration. While you could argue that the 2003 and 2005 offenses were jauggernauts in their own right, they weren't this complete or this experienced. Even this last week against Purdue, the offense looked great even though they only put up 20. That 20 could easily have been 28 if the Lions had 3/4 inch spikes on instead of 1/2 inch ones, and even more if Purdue had put any pressure on Penn State to score more than that. The fact of the matter is that the game was essentially over after Penn State's first score, given Purdue's offensive and special team woes.
That brings me to the defense. Tom Bradley deserves to succeed Joe Paterno as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Why? The defense this year has been great despite the injuries and suspensions, a trend that Lions fans have grown accustomed to since Bradley took over for the legendary Jerry Sandusky. Keep in mind that the defense on the field is missing a preseason All-America candidate in Sean Lee. My brother dared to imagine how good we would look if he were healthy and I didn't even know what to say. People pointed out that Illinois moved the ball pretty effectively against Penn State in their clash 2 weeks ago as reason to be concerned, but I think people forget that Illinois put up 42 on Missouri, another top-5 team, and 45 on Michigan this weekend, a team that nearly held Wisconsin scoreless in the second half of their upset win 2 weeks ago. Penn State was one garbage time possession from hanging only the second shut-out ever recorded on a Joe Tiller/Purdue squad (yes, we recorded the other). Basically, Penn State's defense is being overlooked this year thanks to all the accolades being thrown upon the offense and that's fine with me.
If you asked me for my only legitimate concern regarding this Penn State squad, I would have to respond with play-calling. Granted, so far, so good this year, but in years past it almost seemed like Penn State wasn't entirely sure how to use their playmakers when the going got tough in Big Ten play (and it always does, no matter how good you are). They became prone to forcing the issue and made costly mistakes (Illinois and Michigan last year are great examples). Now, whether that was a play-calling issue or a quarterbacking issue isn't entirely clear, however, it is the coaching staff's responsibility to call the plays that best correspond with the personnel on the field. With so many weapons at their disposal, you would hope that the familiar pitfalls won't be an issue this year, but you never know.
Going forward, I love this team's chances. Obviously, huge landmines lie in the road ahead, namely night games at both Wisconsin and Ohio State. If my memory serves me right, and my memory is pretty hazy when it comes to night games, the home crowd is always a little more fierce, a little more wild when the game starts after5 pm. Even those who got a full night's sleep the night before had at least 5 hours to properly lubricate themselves in time for the game, and with the target placed squarely on Penn State's back, the question becomes how will they respond to a "Code Red" or "Scarlet Fever" (I just made up those names for color coordination at Wisconsin and Ohio State and I hereby trademark them now)? This Saturday night's showdown will go a long way in determining where exactly Penn State stands not only in the Big Ten, but in the National Title picture as well. In the words of a good friend of mine, Let's Go State!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Phils are Playin Fall Ball!
The Phils have made the NLCS. Had you told me that a few weeks back, I would have laughed in your face and walked away shouting every Philadelphian's favorite spelling bee word. However, Whitey Ashburn has smiled on this team from above and here we are. Admittedly, I've been pretty pessimistic when it comes to the Phils. But, really, who could blame me? Our #2 pitcher spent a couple weeks in Triple-A and we often rely on a 45 year old arm in bigtime games. Yet, here we are, standing four wins away from from the Fall Classic.
Obviously, I want the Phillies to win. I want to go to a parade on Broad St. I want to see Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard drunk drive a cart around the stadium. I want to hear what Charlie Manuel sounds like 5-6 bottles of champagne deep (will it be any different?). However, I'm not banking on it and I'm certainly not subscribing to the "at least we have the Phillies" mantra when I gripe about the Birds. Why? I just can't see it happening. Call me jaded by the fact that I've never seen any of my teams win a title in my lifetime (except the '94 Penn St. squad which won but was robbed), but I think I can legitimize my stance. Keep in mind, I hope I'm so wrong that I look dumber than Howard Eskin does on TV.
Reason #1 : The way the Phils score. To me this is the biggest reason and I think it's often overlooked. The Phillies are a power hitting team. They are blessed with at least moderate power from the leadoff spot through the 6 hole, with arguably the most powerful hitter in the game today anchoring that murderer's row. However, the Phillies aren't very consistent in the game of manufacturing runs. They are more than capable, maybe even built for it with the number of speed burners on the roster, but they don't do it. This frustrates me more than anything else when it comes to this team. In October, the ball won't fly as far as it did in August and September (simple physics, balls fly further when it's warm) and teams need to be able to get a guy on and methodically move him from first to second to third to home through a series of steals, well placed hits, and timely fly balls. Need proof? Look at those Marlins teams that won it all. They didn't have much power but they got hits when they needed them, sac bunts and flys where they needed them, and solid pitching. Give them a runner with no outs and they got a run. I don't see this consistently from our Phils. We have too many guys who are prone to GIDP when they are tryin to get it out to deep center, strikeout swinging for the fences, or simply pop up to the pitcher. To win in October, the Phils need to just get a bat on the ball and hit behind the runners. If we can do this, we will be in much better shape.
Reason #2 : Pitching. As of late, our pitching has been brilliant and I hope to every higher power there is that it continues. However, will it last? Remember, we are gonna be putting a guy out there every 4 games who, at one point in the season, looked like his career was nearly over. We're putting another guy out there who my dad played against in high school and another who at one point was called a trade bust. For those keeping score at home, I refer to Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton. Our only proven commodity, free of concerns, is Cole Hamels. I like all four of these guys a lot, but I have a lot of trouble forgetting about Myers' terrible start and late September swoon, Blanton's woes as a new Phillie from late July thoughout most of August, and the fact that Moyer occasionally gives up a couple cheap runs, as evidenced by his start against the Brew Crew this weekend. Add all that to the fact that the Phils often only give Cole a run or two to work with and I'm worried. To win it all the Phils will need about 6 2/3 innings out of each of these guys on a nightly basis. This will get each game to the meat of our bullpen which has gone from concern to strength in a year and, most importantly, keep that Durbin/Condrey/Eyre monster off the mound.
Reason #3 : Tradition. Let's be real here. Today's generation of Philadelphia phans don't know what it means to win. For us, it's "what's gonna go wrong next?" or "wait for it, wait for it, there it is, he's puking". At least for me, this constant sorrow when it comes to my teams has left me looking for reasons to say they can't win. I just picked apart a team that I would have only dreamt of 6 years ago. Why? Because I've seen it all, from Mitch Williams to Robert Horry to Donovan's dinner all over the field, but I've never seen a parade. Truthfully, if I weren't from Philly, I would probably really like this team's chances as they are gettin hot when it counts, but since I am from here, I see the runners left in scoring position and Iron Pigs' box scores starring Brett Myers. I've been optimistic about team after team only to be heartbroken by the Ricky Manning Jr.'s and Blaine Bishop's Groin Muscle's of the world, and its left me at the point where I'm waiting for it to fall apart. Maybe this is God's idea of a joke and finally it will all happen but, until then, I will shield my eyes everytime Manny comes to bat and everytime a reliever not named Madson/Romero/Lidge takes the mound. I will watch this weeks Penn State-Wisconsin game with a bottle of Tums on one side and a bottle of Jim Beam on the other, and I will declare the Eagles' season effectively over. PLEASE, GOD, LET THE PHILLIES WIN.
Obviously, I want the Phillies to win. I want to go to a parade on Broad St. I want to see Jayson Werth and Ryan Howard drunk drive a cart around the stadium. I want to hear what Charlie Manuel sounds like 5-6 bottles of champagne deep (will it be any different?). However, I'm not banking on it and I'm certainly not subscribing to the "at least we have the Phillies" mantra when I gripe about the Birds. Why? I just can't see it happening. Call me jaded by the fact that I've never seen any of my teams win a title in my lifetime (except the '94 Penn St. squad which won but was robbed), but I think I can legitimize my stance. Keep in mind, I hope I'm so wrong that I look dumber than Howard Eskin does on TV.
Reason #1 : The way the Phils score. To me this is the biggest reason and I think it's often overlooked. The Phillies are a power hitting team. They are blessed with at least moderate power from the leadoff spot through the 6 hole, with arguably the most powerful hitter in the game today anchoring that murderer's row. However, the Phillies aren't very consistent in the game of manufacturing runs. They are more than capable, maybe even built for it with the number of speed burners on the roster, but they don't do it. This frustrates me more than anything else when it comes to this team. In October, the ball won't fly as far as it did in August and September (simple physics, balls fly further when it's warm) and teams need to be able to get a guy on and methodically move him from first to second to third to home through a series of steals, well placed hits, and timely fly balls. Need proof? Look at those Marlins teams that won it all. They didn't have much power but they got hits when they needed them, sac bunts and flys where they needed them, and solid pitching. Give them a runner with no outs and they got a run. I don't see this consistently from our Phils. We have too many guys who are prone to GIDP when they are tryin to get it out to deep center, strikeout swinging for the fences, or simply pop up to the pitcher. To win in October, the Phils need to just get a bat on the ball and hit behind the runners. If we can do this, we will be in much better shape.
Reason #2 : Pitching. As of late, our pitching has been brilliant and I hope to every higher power there is that it continues. However, will it last? Remember, we are gonna be putting a guy out there every 4 games who, at one point in the season, looked like his career was nearly over. We're putting another guy out there who my dad played against in high school and another who at one point was called a trade bust. For those keeping score at home, I refer to Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer, and Joe Blanton. Our only proven commodity, free of concerns, is Cole Hamels. I like all four of these guys a lot, but I have a lot of trouble forgetting about Myers' terrible start and late September swoon, Blanton's woes as a new Phillie from late July thoughout most of August, and the fact that Moyer occasionally gives up a couple cheap runs, as evidenced by his start against the Brew Crew this weekend. Add all that to the fact that the Phils often only give Cole a run or two to work with and I'm worried. To win it all the Phils will need about 6 2/3 innings out of each of these guys on a nightly basis. This will get each game to the meat of our bullpen which has gone from concern to strength in a year and, most importantly, keep that Durbin/Condrey/Eyre monster off the mound.
Reason #3 : Tradition. Let's be real here. Today's generation of Philadelphia phans don't know what it means to win. For us, it's "what's gonna go wrong next?" or "wait for it, wait for it, there it is, he's puking". At least for me, this constant sorrow when it comes to my teams has left me looking for reasons to say they can't win. I just picked apart a team that I would have only dreamt of 6 years ago. Why? Because I've seen it all, from Mitch Williams to Robert Horry to Donovan's dinner all over the field, but I've never seen a parade. Truthfully, if I weren't from Philly, I would probably really like this team's chances as they are gettin hot when it counts, but since I am from here, I see the runners left in scoring position and Iron Pigs' box scores starring Brett Myers. I've been optimistic about team after team only to be heartbroken by the Ricky Manning Jr.'s and Blaine Bishop's Groin Muscle's of the world, and its left me at the point where I'm waiting for it to fall apart. Maybe this is God's idea of a joke and finally it will all happen but, until then, I will shield my eyes everytime Manny comes to bat and everytime a reliever not named Madson/Romero/Lidge takes the mound. I will watch this weeks Penn State-Wisconsin game with a bottle of Tums on one side and a bottle of Jim Beam on the other, and I will declare the Eagles' season effectively over. PLEASE, GOD, LET THE PHILLIES WIN.
Please allow me to re-introduce myself...
Truthfully, I've talked about starting a blog for so long that this is my Chinese Democracy. I've always had strong opinions about sports and I've always been a decent writer, making this a marriage of hobbies. On PhillyPhandom, I will write about all things sports with an obvious Philly bias and occasionally pepper in some random thoughts on culture and life as I see it. I don't plan to be diplomatic about anything, merely give myself a platform from which I can speak freely and more clearly about the teams I've grown up with. Expect to read me vent on the Eagles, Phillies, Sixers, Penn State, Big 5 Basketball and anything else I decide to care about in between.
Those who know me well know full well that I have an interesting take on things. My dislike for Pat Burrell borders irrational, I choose not to see that Brian Dawkins' abilities have diminished, and I will always believe that Anthony Morelli singlehandedly lost at least 6 games as a Penn State quarterback. And all that isn't even the tip of the iceberg.
In any case, I will try to back up anything I say with a stat or a reason and, most importantly, I will try to keep this thing up to date.
Those who know me well know full well that I have an interesting take on things. My dislike for Pat Burrell borders irrational, I choose not to see that Brian Dawkins' abilities have diminished, and I will always believe that Anthony Morelli singlehandedly lost at least 6 games as a Penn State quarterback. And all that isn't even the tip of the iceberg.
In any case, I will try to back up anything I say with a stat or a reason and, most importantly, I will try to keep this thing up to date.
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