3-4

Wow, Utley-Howard didn't even make the honorable mention in Jayson Stark's column about the best 3-4 lineups in baseball while discussing Fielder's new contract.

Not sure if it's cause Howard's hurt or Utley's been struggling.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove11/story/_/id/7500071/miguel-cabrera-prince-fielder-pack-powerful-3-4-punch

Media elite

John King = Bernie Shaw?

Newt Gingrich shows Mike Dukakis how to answer a personal debate question

TO?

The Patriots hiring of free agent coach Josh McDaniel last week in the middle of their playoff run had plenty of people chiming in about the appropriateness of a coach, particularly a former head coach for the team the Patriots are playing, joining a staff just prior to the playoff game. Some tried to equate it with free agent players joining teams during the post-season.

Of course, that is the reason why player contracts run through March - to avoid this possibility. But there are players that have been released who aren't contractually bound by these restrictions. 

And then there is one player who wasn't even under contract this year and could conceivably still join a team.

How crazy would it be if the Niners won tomorrow's game and then signed Terrell Owens for the super bowl?

TO is a former Niner. The Niners need help at WR. And with the two week super bowl break, he would have time to learn a fair amount of the plays - certainly way more than if he had only a week to prepare.

Truly circus maximus.

Wierd only to me?

NFL referee Gene Stenatore is also a college basketball referee?!?

Nice Al

Al Michaels just referred to the Saints 4th quarter TD as a "kill shot" touchdown. Nothing like referencing gun violence and murder - in New Orleans no less - to the nation's game.

Flag?

Congratulations to the University of Michigan for winning last night's Sugar Bowl on a field goal in overtime. The announcers didn't mention it - other than to marvel at the ability of the Michigan kicker to make the field goal after a stutter first step BEFORE THE BALL WAS SNAPPED.

My question is shouldn't the kicker have been flagged for illegal motion or a false start because of his stutter, false step just before the snap?

It's ironic that some football plays are endlessly scrutinized and reviewed in slow motion to determine if a pass was actually caught, but a kicker can commit an infraction in front of the world (and the refs) and not a word is said about the lack of a penalty call.

Revival or Collapse?

One of the things (among many) that is driving me crazy about all the articles now being written about whether Reid keeps his job or not is this (and this is a question the reporters should be asking themselves before they write the story as well as Lurie should ask himself): What is the purpose of firing Reid? Is it to "punish" him for a poor season that was the result of some of his pre-season moves? Or is it that there is a belief that another coach can make the team more of a success in 2012? And if it is the second, then the follow up question is who is that coach?

My own take is that we're the 2008 Saints (or the 2009-11 Packers - lost a playoff game one year (to those same 2008 Saints), then snuck in to the playoffs as a wildcard (what the Eagles almost did this year - sneaking in), and then dominating the league the following season).

There's too much talent on this team to "blow it up" and "rebuild," though as my brother has long noted there is no such thing as "rebuilding" in the 21st century NFL.

We lost a lot of close games, some on flukey plays (Ronnie Brown's goal line "pass" vs. the Niners, missed FGs, and others on turnovers).

On offense, you've got a franchise-caliber QB, an all-pro RB, a couple of skill position playmakers and a solid O-line.

The D improved steadily throughout the season as much as the Juan Castillo haters hate to admit it. And he did it with a bunch of lousy LBs, terrible safety play, and an at times non-existent DRC (and Nnamdi for that matter). Let's face it, Samuels was the best corner on the team this year, and they're probably unloading him this offseason. I've come around enough to believe Castillo deserves another year as coordinator. Related to the questions above re: Reid, who are they bringing in to replace him? I don't believe the Spags rumors.

I guess the larger answer to your question is that this team is on the verge of a revival. Now where they are next year depends entirely on Vick and whether Reid gets an heir apparent to groom between now and then.

Revival or Collapse

My friend PK asks the question:

I've been a bandwagoner for how this was the 2008 Saints, that we're a super talented squad that will bounce back from 8-8 (just as Saints were in '08) and go 13-3 (as they did in '09). What's more intrinsic to us as Eagles fans, I think, is whether this is 1991 or 1994.
In '91, we had the greatest D ever but no QBs, as Randall and McMahon got hurt. We finished 10-6 and missed the playoffs. Bounced back the next year to make the playoffs and beat Bobby Hebert in NoLa. In '94, however, we had that amazing start and then folded, missing the playoffs. While we scratched our way into the '95 and '96 playoffs, the truth is, we never were contenders for anything with Mr Holly Robinson and Koy Detmer's older brother as our QBs. Truth is, our "era" ended with the collapse of '94.
Where are we now? On the verge of a revival or complete collapse?

Best Move

Lesean McCoy is inactive today vs. the Skins, one of the best decisions Reid has made all year.

The fact is that this game is utterly meaningless to the Eagles 2011 season. All actions now are geared toward making the 2012 playoffs and Super Bowl. So, just like playoff teams right now are resting their starters in preparation for this year's playoff push, the Eagles should be resting their starters to avoid injuries that could in any way impede next year's playoff campaign.

Reid's Clock Mismanagement

My friends and I recalled the 2008 Skins-Eagles game in which Reggie Brown was stopped at the goal line for what would have been the game tying score as time expired. It got us thinking about how Andy Reid's clock mismanagement has cost the Eagles at times, though there is no definitive account of how many points/games it has actually cost.

In any case, this game from 2008, a Redskins 10-3 victory is definitely one of them. While they may not have won the game, his brutal use of timeouts helped them lose the game.

Below are highlights from the ESPN play by play of the game.

Reid called his first second half timeout AFTER THE SECOND PLAY OF THE HALF! At the 14:05 mark.

They called their second timeout to stop the clock on 2nd down of the skins last offensive possession. They didn't have to use their 3rd TO on 3rd down because of a skins penalty.

they used their last timeout on their last offensive drive.

Clearly as you can see by the play by play, had they had their last timeout they in all likelihood would have been able to run at least one extra play from the 1 yard line after the Brown catch (probably in place of the McNabb spiking though they may have called it earlier in the drive. Either way, it would have saved enough time for an extra play).

Of course they may not have scored but without the TO they had no chance to do so.

Fascinating that Brown/McNabb are the goats of the game for not running the route into the end zone (deservedly so) but the larger issue that went unaddressed is Reid's carelessness with the timeouts that was just as important as the final play.

1st and 10 at PHI 17	B.Westbrook right tackle to PHI 20 for 3 yards (C.Horton; A.Montgomery).
2nd and 7 at PHI 20	(Shotgun) D.McNabb pass incomplete deep middle to D.Jackson (L.Landry, M.Washington).
	Timeout #1 by PHI at 14:05.

4th Quarter

2nd and 10 at PHI 45	C.Portis left tackle to PHI 41 for 4 yards (C.Gocong, S.Bradley).
	Timeout #2 by PHI at 04:01.

A skins holding penalty on 3rd down (declined). Skins punt.

Final Eagles drive, got the ball on their own 9 with 3:48 to go in the game.

the last several plays

3rd and 10 at WAS 29	(Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short middle to B.Westbrook to WAS 23 for 6 yards (L.Fletcher).
	Timeout #3 by PHI at 00:27.
4th and 4 at WAS 23	(Shotgun) D.McNabb pass short left to B.Westbrook to WAS 18 for 5 yards (J.Taylor).
1st and 10 at WAS 18	(No Huddle) D.McNabb spiked the ball to stop the clock.
2nd and 10 at WAS 18	(Shotgun) D.McNabb pass deep middle to R.Brown to WAS 1 for 17 yards (F.Smoot, L.Landry).The Replay Assistant challenged the runner broke the plane ruling, and the play was Upheld.
	End of Game

Concussions

Here's something I find curious and wish some intrepid reporter would look more into - hopefully the NY Times which has helped raise national attention about the problem of concussions in the NFL and all professional sports.

To wit, how is it that NHL players like Sydney Crosby and now Chris Pronger are losing entire seasons to concussions and yet not a single NFL player misses more than a week or two? Is there something about the hits the hockey players take that are different than football? Is it related to the head protection each wears? Or is it a different culture among the players wear NHLers aren't afraid to speak up while NFLers hide concussions?

It's worth exploring further.

Playoffs!?

Crazy to see that the Eagles are eliminated from the wildcard but at 6-8 still have a decent shot at winning the division. My friend Scott puts the odds of everything breaking the Eags way - winning the last two games, the Giants losing this week, and beating the Cowgirls next week - at 50%. Not great odds but ones you would certainly take a week ago.

My brother and I started to talk logistics of a playoff game (I know we're getting ahead of ourselves, but still).

In any case, have the Eagles sent any info out about playoff tickets because as a division winner they would host a game in the first round of the playoffs? Complicating things is that Monday is a national holiday so that the earliest a letter could go out to season ticket holders is Tuesday the 27th. And then the ticketholders' response would be delayed by the next national holiday on Monday, January 2nd. Which wouldn't give the team much time to turn around such ticket orders because it's entirely possible the Eagles could play on SATURDAY, January 7th.

Compounding the sensitivity and logistics of the issue are: 1) Reid fatigue. 2) Asking ticketholders to pony up for playoff tickets at a time when said team will still have a losing record. 3) The fact that the team doesn't refund playoff ticket payments but applies them to next year's bill and 4) and a not insignificant point, as a division winner the Eagles have the possibility of hosting the NFC Championship so the ticket appeal is for payment for TWO playoff games - a situation that only reinforces points 2 and 3.

Anyway, here's hoping that everything breaks the Eagles way today. They may not make the playoffs when everything is said and done, but it would be a fun week to see Cowboys fans catatonic, Giants fans despairing of another late season collapse, Eagles fans euphoric that a season which was lost 2 months ago could yield a playoff berth, and national attention to the possibility that the previously written off Eagles could be playoff bound.

Awesome!

Happy holidays.

Which is it

Last week's Bloomberg article on the Fed's massive $7.7 trillion loans to wall street banks included quotes from Judd Gregg and Barney Frank saying they had no idea of the magnitude of the Fed's lending. (interestingly, the quotes from the now retired Gregg and the soon to retire Frank are the EXACT SAME. Are they using the same talking points?)

In any case, Fed chairman Ben Bernanke has now issued a letter refuting the Bloomberg report and asserting that Congress was kept apprised of the Fed's loans. So which is it Mssrs. Gregg and Frank? Were you completely unaware of the Fed's loans or did Ben Bernanke keep you updated on all of this? Obviously, if it is the latter, Bernanke is lying.