Michael Lewis Heard From

It appears that Niner fans are quickly warming up to former Eagles safety Michael Lewis and looking forward his play this year, if this fan Q&A is any indication.

 

Why I Love Elizabeth Edwards

From her pitch perfect response to the Cheney gay daughter flap during the Kerry-Bush debate (“they’re response suggests they’re ashamed”), to taking on Ann Coulter, Elizabeth Edwards is one of the most savvy and articulate Democratic politicos in the country.

 

Edwards Confronts Ann Coulter

McNabb Practice a "Stunt"?

The reps Donovan McNabb recently took at minicamp were nearly universally hailed as a very encouraging sign of his recovery from his ACL injury. Yet, the Philly Bulletin raises the intriguing question as to whether McNabb’s practicing was a Eagles stunt to garner good press, make a statement after the Kevin Kolb pick that this is still McNabb’s team, and whether either of those things was worth it to put McNabb at further risk of injury and not allow him another 6 weeks of recuperation till official training camp starts. An interesting proposition to be sure.

Who?!?

J.A. Happ, J.D. Durbin and 20-year-old phenom Carlos Carrasco are the top three candidates to fill the Phillies' two rotation holes this weekend, according to PhillyBlurbs.com.

Yuck!

2004 vs. 2007

I’m as big a homer as anyone at the Linc, but Dave Spadaro’s column suggesting that this year’s team could be better than the 2004 NFC Champs takes the cake. I bow to his superior boosterism.

 

I like many of the moves the Eagles made this offseason – especially the ones to address glaring deficiencies on defense, but the fact remains that there are major question marks on major contributors this year. Question marks that Spadaro either doesn’t address or answers in a resounding “affirmative!” Your best defensive player (Kearse) and your best offensive player (McNabb) are coming off of major knee injuries and, oh yeah, your pro bowl tight end just underwent sports hernia surgery. Might not be full speed till November. But as of right now, Spads thinks this team is a Super Bowl contender.

 

McNabb is the biggest concern since Spads correctly points out that the Eagles now have some depth at D-end (Howard, Cole, Thomas, and McDougle as an insurance policy on Kearse (I know that is a significant downgrade, but I am just counting bodies). He’s also willing to project Chris Gocong as a solid contributor even though he has not played a down yet in a year and a half.

 

More bizarrely, Spads analyzes the running back picture and writes, “Sure, you have to wonder about depth, but I haven't seen the Eagles this well stocked at running back, since, um, forever.”

 

Wait, he’s confused me. Do you have to wonder about depth or do the Eagles have the most depth at this position in franchise history? Spadaro must be suffering from short term memory loss since he can’t recall the Staley-Buckhalter-Westbrook “three headed monster” from only several years ago that certainly was more solid top to bottom than the current Westbrook-Bucky after multiple knee surgeries-Moats-rookie Tony Hunt backfield.

 

To be fair, Spads does correctly highlight the depth along the offensive and defensive lines – where many games are won or lost. Although he doesn’t reference what could be the most important development for the 2007 offense – Marty Mohrnineg calling the plays. But hanging over it all is Donovan McNabb’s recuperation. As goes #5, so goes the team.

 

 

 

 

Eagles Photo History

Interesting photo montage of the history of the Eagles in this You Tube video. Note the pictures are not exactly in chronological order.

The NEW! (and improved?) redesigned Eagles website is up and running. Upon first glance, it appears to be filled with content. Perhaps too filled. That front page is awfully busy – especially the bottom half of the page. The top half rearranges the previous offerings, making the “hot button” stories the top left feature and putting the multimedia right next to it. Company Man Dave Spadaro’s “On the Inside” column gets its own panel, albeit below the hot button frame. Below that it gets a little crazy with 6 ads, a fan poll, photo galleries, user registry, and the coming soon cheerleader calendar to name just several of the content options.

 

Still, I like that they’ve erred on the side of surplus content and leave it up to the viewer to navigate through it all.

Mohrninweg Slams Lions?

That’s how the Detroit press is interpreting Marty’s recent quote:

 

“I’ve been in four (NFL) organizations. Three have been great, top to bottom.”

Larry Johnson to the Eagles?

Uh, no. But on some planet other than Earth, Yahoo sports columnist Jason Cole raises the possibility of Philadelphia as a destination for LJ in the wake of his threat to hold out for a new contract.

 

Cole’s reasoning? The Eagles have more than $10 million in cap space. “Westbrook is nice, but he's no Johnson, who is a premier power back,” writes Cole. Did this guy miss the draft when the Eagles picked Tony Hunt, a very-LJ like runner, even down to the school from whence they came (Penn St), or not notice that Andy Reid prefers more versatile runners?

Another Kind of Football

US Soccer is going through a uniform crisis, says Slate Magazine.

A friend suggests that it’s a shame the photo essay doesn’t show the 1996/97 uniform worn in qualifying for the 1998 World Cup, what he calls a “tre-freakingmendous kit.”

Here’s a look at that uni, which is indeed sharp. Also note that these players are the classic US National Team lineup.

Across the back: Kasey Keller, Jeff Agoos (still hate him), Eddie Pope, Alexi Lalas, Marcelo Balboa, Eric Wynalda

Across the front: John Harkes, Thomas Dooley, Ernie Stewart, Claudio Reyna, Mike Sorber.

The "Founding Fathers" of US Soccer

What are the chances of two articles published on the same day with the headline, “Clock Ticking,” about Donovan McNabb? Pretty good, actually, if you read the Morning Call or something called the SBR Forum.

 

Of particular note is the comparisons Gordie Jones does between the Eagles QB situation now, and the transition that occurred in the mid-80s.

 

“It is in some ways similar to the situation the team faced in 1985. Ron Jaworski was the Birds' starting QB, and had been for eight years. But in the second round of the draft that year, they took Randall Cunningham.

And after the '86 season, Jaworski was gone.”

If the Eagles don’t want McNabb (or the fans don’t think he can’t win the Super Bowl), there is at least one team, or player, that wants him and thinks his team would win it all. Bears D-lineman Tommie Harris.

Guess Who Scares the Mets

“New York closer Billy Wagner, though, has a different conclusion. The slumping Mets are hearing footsteps, loud, thunderous footsteps like being stationed underneath the track at the Kentucky Derby, and Wagner doesn't hesitate when asked what NL East club scares him the most this summer.

"Philadelphia," Wagner says. "By far," writes CBS Sportsline’s Scott Miller.

 

Having worked for several politicians, I thought this quote by disgraced former Connecticut Governor John Rowland (in a recent Washington Post profile) best describes the how and why these elected leaders become such raving egomaniacs.

 

"From the time you arrive, the job of everybody in the office is about making you look good and feel good, and after a while you believe that is the way your life is supposed to be -- people doing things for you. The sun is rising with you -- that's what everybody believes. You end up believing it, too. The people in your office and the lobbyists, they're all saying the same thing: how great you are, and how hard you work for the state, and how much everybody appreciates you, and how you deserve to be rewarded. It starts there."

"Fixes" for the NBA

For all of professional hockey’s woes, of which there are many, I have come to think that it’s rich sister, the NBA, has been somewhat of a paper tiger when it comes to that league’s popularity.

 

The disappointment of this year’s NBA playoffs (terrible matchups and questionable seedings, the Spurs-Suns playing in the 2^nd round, the dismal ratings of the Cavs-Spurs finals, the entire Eastern conference, the mediocre play in general) have brought the issue to the fore of the mainstream media.

 

But the NBA may be in more danger than we think. One of the preeminent basketball writers in the country, the Inquirer’s own Stephen A. Smith, diagnoses the problem and offers some solutions.

 

The changes he is suggesting – at least implicitly - are chilling and unworthy of a legitimate sports league (to say nothing of possible violations of fraud, tampering, and interstate commerce).

 

Writes Smith: “The fact is that the NBA had better do something about all this quickly, whether through the draft lottery, playoff seedings or format changes, before it really starts losing fans instead of just worrying about it….And considering that the Finals were once on tape delay and mired in low ratings and that Stern used the ascent of quality teams in major markets as a foundation to build the NBA into what it is today, television ratings and the league's popularity go nowhere when a franchise-caliber big man like Greg Oden is set to be drafted by Portland instead of a big-market team.”

 

I read that as Smith’s admonition that either the league intervene to direct the most marketable stars to big market teams, or more subtly fix things so that, who knew, Greg Oden will be a Boston Celtic. Competitiveness be damned! It’s all about marketing and ratings. Actual basketball playing is secondary. And what does that say to smaller market teams? We’ll tolerate you in the league, but don’t expect any big stars on your roster…they’re going to be playing in NY, LA, or Chicago.

 

Of course, this mindset is simply part and parcel of the NBA where tanking games (think about that, purposely losing games) was such a pervasive problem that the league had to institute the lottery system to discourage it, and the practice is still openly talked about and speculated on. And that doesn’t even include the persistent rumors that David Stern fixed the 1985 lottery so that the New York Knicks could draft Patrick Ewing.

 

Again, for as bad off as the NHL is right now, the NBA may have been in a more precarious spot in the mid to late 70s when the “black league” was beset by drug and perception problems. Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, and Nike saved the league and boosted it to previously unimaginable heights. But the marketing aspect of the league was almost on par with the play. It was an unholy alliance which the NBA has become overly dependent. Its unhealthy to the point where it prompts commentators like Smith to suggest that the operations need to be fixed to bolster the ratings. As a counterpoint, think for a moment if anyone would dare suggest that the top QBs should be sent to the biggest NFL markets? The NBA is on dangerous ground when it even tolerates such talk. This being the NBA, Stephen Smith won’t miss a beat.

Donovin Darius- Eagles Safety Help?

The Jags released Donovan Darius, a possible great short term signing with the uncertainty of
Sean Considine.  This would fill a major concern immediately (if DD is healthy, a major "if" coming off a broken ankle) since we haven't addressed S this year in the free agent or draft. A friend thinks Darius and McNabb are tight (played together at 'Cuse). Definitely a stop gap solution, a la Blaine Bishop, till a young safety emerges and proves themself.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2904087

Garcia Beating Simms

Not surprisingly, Jon Gruden has announced that Jeff Garcia is beating out Chris Simms for the starting job in Tampa. Was there ever a doubt? Seriously, has anyone had more opportunities, less ability, and traded on his name and father’s reputation more than Chris Simms? I mean, besides George W. Bush?

Note to Editors

Note to the Allentown Morning Call sports editors: One should not use the word “swell” in the headline of a story about football players recovering from knee injuries, or what to expect upon their return to the playing field.

Stinkin' Phils

More amazing facts from the Times article on the Phillies approaching the 10,000 loss milestone – the most by any professional sports franchise in history:

* They lost their inaugural game on May 1, 1883

* They lost 23 consecutive games in 1961

* They had a team ERA of 6.71 in 1930

* From 1938 to 1942 they lost at least 103 games every year

* and of course they blew a 6 1/2 game lead over the final 12 games in 1964

* In the 27 seasons from 1919 through 1945, Philadelphia finished last in the National League 16 times and second to last 7 times.

* "The Phillies also have the dishonorable distinction of having had two owners banned from baseball for life."

The Losingest

The Phillies century’s worth of losing is starting to get national attention. Great.

Kiss and Makeup?

McNabb is featured on the first set of minicamp pictures on the Eagles’ website.

Scenes from minicamp

Good news! By all indications, Correll Buckhalter hasn’t blown a knee out yet in practice!

Scenes from minicamp

Let’s hope we see more of this in 2007…preferably turning the corner.

Scenes from minicamp

To work as a metaphor, shouldn’t McNabb being passing the ball to Kolbe?

Return of the King

Donovan’s reps on the practice field were great news for him, the team, and fans. It even made international news.

Career Limiting Moves

So which is the most reviled supporting actor/actress of a hit TV show in recent years? Is it Elisha Cuthbert as studly Jack Bauer’s whiny, inane, self-absorbed, insufferable daughter, Kim, in 24? Or is it Robert Iler as studly Tony Soprano’s whiny, inane, self-absorbed, insufferable son, A.J., on The Sopranos?

Seriously, the viewing public actively (and intensely) dislikes these two characters, and by transference, the actors themselves. How could this happen to them? They are, or in Cuthbert’s case, integral characters – family members for cripes sakes – to the main lead/title character.

Fortunately for Cuthbert, she’s a hot blonde is a babe and started to play to her strengths – T&A – in movies like the Girl Next Door. She should be able escape the Kim reputation and rebound to a solid career.

Like Tony Soprano, I’m a little more worried about Iler. He’s already slight of build and weaseley looking, and the wisps of pube hairs on his chin don’t help the situation. He’s going to have to be very careful in the selection of his roles and projects in the next couple of years. Otherwise, he could be forever typecast, all at the tender age of 22. Maybe he gets lucky on Sunday, and Chase gives him a good death scene and we can all cheer and bury AJ for good.

Whaddya gonna do?

Sixers Payroll

The Sixers payroll of “dead money” gets some notice in the Sports Guy’s column: “Jared B. in New York wonders, "I don't know if you've mentioned this, but did you ever look at how many guys are on the payroll for 2006-07 for the Philadelphia 76ers and not playing for them? They are paying Chris Webber, Jamal Mashburn, Todd MacCulloch, Aaron McKie and Greg Buckner. For a total of $45 million, too. There has got to be some kind of conspiracy theory here how Billy King still has a job."

 

I’ll say it again. I cannot believe the Sixers paying Chris Webber $30 million to just go away has not gotten more national attention.

We Know You Donte

Boston Globe profile of Donte Stallworth, noting that he could be the big loser in the Randy Moss acquisition since he’s essentially playing on a 1-year contract and Moss could take catches and yards away from him. On the other hand, perhaps his production could increase if defenses focus on Moss. We’ll see.

Big Game

Not to overstate the obvious, but this is a very big game for the Phillies tonight. It's the difference between picking up 3 games on the Mets, or only one. A sizeable difference, but even more so when you are 7 games out of first.

Luckily, we have Cole Hamels pitching tonight.

My friend PK has noted that the genius of Bobby Cox's managing over the years has been his ability to identify the regular season games that mean more than others - i.e., a potential sweep, a division rival, etc. - and manage accordingly. That is, manage as if it is a must win and or a post-season game. Putting the hammer down on a team. Like throwing Smoltz out there in a non-save situation because he doesn't want to even think about jeopardizing a 4 run late inning lead.

So that's, I think, what old Charlie from Mayberry should be doing tonight. Managing as if this is a post-season game, a must win game, and there is no tomorrow.

Of course, with the Phils they'll sweep the Mets and then drop the next three. Just like they did last week in sweeping the Braves and then getting swept by the Diamondbacks.

New low for the nhl

I have been a huge hockey booster over the years, defending it as one of the country's four "major" sports. But I can't do it anymore. The reality is that the NHL is now, at best, a second tier sport. It's sad for me to say, since hockey in person is one of the most exciting sports to watch – the speed, skill, and physical nature of the game. And of course, the Flyers were the one consistently good team during my entire time growing up (the one team/sport in which the financial competitive advantage favored Philadelphia and who had a team owner willing to exploit it).

 

In 1995, hockey was on the verge of "making the leap" as the Sports Guy might say. A terrific Cup series between Vancouver and Rangers, with some fantasticly exciting players Bure, Leetch, Messier, etc. was getting a lot of non-hockey people interested in hockey. I remember being captivated by the "Russian Rocket" and how freakin' fast he skated up and down the ice – speed that never, ever wore Flyers' orange. And then the strike killed the momentum, insane expansion diluted the talent pool (I mean, Columbus?!?!), and the last strike killed the sport.

 

Bettman should be fired immediately. He has run the sport into the ground.

 

Here's the most recent hockey lowlight. From the June 5 AP:  "The Stanley Cup finals have brought record low ratings to NBC for a prime-time program, sports or otherwise. Ottawa's 5-3 victory over Anaheim in Game 3 Saturday night received a 1.1 national rating and a 2 share, the network said Tuesday. That matched a rerun of "The West Wing" on July 23, 2005, which also drew a 1.1 rating. Saturday's rating was down 31 percent from last year's Game 3 between Edmonton and Carolina, which had a 1.6/3. The national ratings for Monday night's Game 4 declined less sharply from last year. The Ducks' 3-2 victory received a 1.9/3, down 5 percent from the 2.0/3 for Game 4 in 2006."

Curtis to Hook Up with McNabb

The Inqy profiles Kevin Curtis, but it’s the AC Press that breaks the story that Curtis will be flying to Tempe to practice with Donovan McNabb.

Buh-bye Bethel

That didn’t take long. WR Bethel Johnson’s time with the Eagles was even less than last year’s heralded WR FA signing Jabar Gaffney. Johnson was cut Tuesday after failing a physical due primarily to a fibula stress fracture – supposedly sustained in off-season training. The Inqy is reporting that “the unofficial word is that Johnson…should return to the Birds' roster at some point.”

 

Rayburn Trucking to San Fran

The Niners signed Sam Rayburn to a one-year, veteran minimum contract ($595,000).

Belly of the Beast

McNabb’s PR offensive is all-encompassing. Who else but Curt Schilling would have the cojones to go on WIP and answer questions about things such as the last two minutes of the Super Bowl, TO, the draft day booing.

 

Whatever #5 is paying Rich Burg, he should double it. McNabb’s charm strategy would appear to be working. Clearly, McNabb has seen how Philly sports management has undermined the public’s support and trust of popular players (Curt Schilling, Eric Lindros) with well-timed leaks, interviews, etc. as a prelude to dumping them and dampening the public backlash. Well, McNabb is going to try to not let that happen this time around.

My Sopranos Finale Prediction...

…Tony turns state’s evidence and he and the immediate family go into the witness protection program.

 

I didn’t think this would be a possibility earlier this season – given how “old school” Tony is - but I think all signs are pointing towards it now.

 

The FBI is going to have the goods on Tony after they get a hold of the paper trails and all the documentation they find at Sil’s crime scene. His bank accounts will be frozen and he will have little ready access to cash being on the lam and hiding from Phil. Plus, he could work a deal where the feds take care of Uncle Junior’s nursing home care costs. And, of course, he avoids being killed by Phil’s hitmen – and even gets revenge by fingering Phil and putting him back in prison.

 

It would be a fitting end. Tony lives, but has to live with the shame of being a rat, the worst kind of traitor as he has repeatedly declared, and Carmela is stuck with a middle class life and eternally isolated from all her Jersey friends and family. They are left alone, as a couple, to contemplate the wreckage their way of life has wrought on their children, family and close friends, future and their marriage. It will be sad, pathetic, and poignant.

 

Ready to Bloom

Very impressed with the Allentown Morning Call’s Eagles coverage, especially since we aren’t even close to training camp yet. Here’s a J. Bloom feature, and here’s his personal website.

Downhill racer

Likely the first time a Philadelphia Eagle has ever been featured or referenced in Ski Press Magazine.

Wanting Walker

A Bills’ fan’s plea and analysis as to why Buffalo should do a deal and extend Darwin Walker’s contract.

The Real Ticket Story

Rich Hoffman gives Eagles’ fans only half a loaf today in his look at the team’s ticket practices. In fact, much of what Hoffman writes is erroneous if for nothing more than the simple fact that he ignores the availability of personal seat licenses, or what the Eagles’ management calls “stadium builder licenses” (SBLs). In theory, the SBLs are completely transferable from an “owner” to a prospective season ticket holder (the SBL gives the holder the “right” to then purchase Eagles tickets.) Thus, someone truly desiring season tickets and unwilling to wait the “4,000 years” to acquire non-SBL seats (i.e., the upper, upper bowl of LFF) would only have to bid up a SBL to a level at which point someone would part with their SBL. The free market at its finest. In theory.

 

In theory, then, the Eagles really don’t even have to be involved, indeed, shouldn’t be involved in season ticket transactions covering roughly 40% of the stadium’s seats (the lower bowl and mid-field seats in the upper bowl.) Aside, that is, from collecting the season ticket payments and sending out the tickets (a responsibility that the team has had some difficulty doing in recent years and I will elaborate on in a future post).

 

In practice, however, is the bigger scandal that Hoffman doesn’t delve into. The Eagles ticket office is a mess. In fact, Hoffman would do fans a real service if he ran a follow up article on how a SBL owner goes about selling/transferring his license to a buyer. I’ve sought this information for 3+ years and have gotten nowhere, just like the guy wanting to know where he ranked on the “waiting list.” SBL owners aren’t given a certificate or any documentation of their “license” so it is unclear how one goes about transferring it. Calls to the ticket office usually wind up in a voice mail black hole that are never returned.