The Color of Depression is Blue and Orange

Today was going along great. It was Friday, it was relatively warm out, I got a great night's sleep last night, and work was even bearable. Then around 5 pm EST, I received terrible news... Brian Dawkins, aka Weapon X, aka Idiotman, aka the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Eagles, aka the man who revolutionalized the free safety position, had agreed to a deal with the Denver Broncos and, worst of all, it seems the Eagles are content to let him walk. My initial reaction, which is still my prevalent emotion, is that I hate the Eagles for this. How could you let B-Dawk walk?? I understand that the Eagles have a reputation for cutting ties with players, no matter how valuable in the locker room or on the field, just before they crash and burn out into their career's twilight, and most, if not all, of their previous moves of similar ilk have been defensible, but this one burns bridges larger than the Ben Franklin. He is the one player that the fans of this team have been able to identify with for the last decade+ running. He endured the bad times, he was one of those who led us to the good times, and he never once pointed a finger at anyone but himself, and this is how we repay his loyalty?? We let him walk to DENVER? Truthfully, I think I may still be a bit too upset about this to write rationally, but it needs to be said, I think this is where Andy Reid, Jeffrey Lurie, and Joe Banner finally and completely lost the city of Philadelphia. It is going to take a miracle deal along the lines of getting Anquan Boldin for me to be pumped about this team before the season starts. I think I speak for most, if not all, Eagles fans when I say I'm heartbroken. Apparently, Dawk is leaving the door open for the Birds to make a counter offer and keep him around, and my fingers are crossed that this is a bad dream.... but expect a long rant when he finally signs on that dotted line because the Eagles, who whiffed on almost everyone who matters in this free agent market and still have millions and millions available under the cap, are too damn stingy to open their wallets.

Before that crushing news came, I was planning on spending my next few posts talking about some of the college basketball teams that have risen in the rankings this year and how I think they'll fare in March. Today, I'm talking about the Memphis Tigers, a team that has come out of nowhere to be #4 in the country. In my opinion, before the Sweet 16 starts, they'll be on a speeding bus back to nowhere. I watched Memphis take on UAB last night and they looked like the most athletic, yet undisciplined, team I've seen in a while. The roster is full of great players, but they lack the intangibles that carry a team in March. They are a horrible team shooting from beyond 10 feet, they don't box out, and their defense is a scramble that relies on athleticism, not fundementals. That kind of play will get you a 59 game win streak in Conference USA, where the competition is weaker than a pint of O'Douls, but you won't last a second in any of the more competitive conferences playing like that. Other mid-majors, such as Butler or Xavier, are much more disciplined on the court and, in my opinion, more likely to go further in the tournament. I'll tackle each in the coming days, along with Missouri, Washington, Marquette and others.

Finally, a quick scorecard on the first day of NFL free agency.
Redskins - C+ - Haynesworth is a great pick-up but did you see the money they gave DeAngelo Hall???
Ravens - D - Bart Scott is gone, Ray Lewis is probably gone and all they really have to show for it is Dominque Foxworth... ouch.
Jets - B - Bart Scott is a nice pick up andI've heard their names mentioned to be in the running for a few other stars
Pats - B - Hate to admit it, but that Fred Taylor signing looks pretty good right now... Their running back by committee will keep him healthy and he's a huge upgrade over (plug pretty much any name in here) and he's a great compliment to (plug pretty much any name here)
Eagles - F - See above + signing Stacy Andrews is all we've done. Oh and we got rid of Buck and LJ, with no discernable replacements on the horizon as of now. Sure some holes can be plugged in the draft as well as the coming days, but if all goes as reported, there will be a gaping hole in the defensive backfield next year that just can't be replaced.