Random Weekend Thoughts

Aside from blowing the lead in the 9th, the Nationals victory yesterday at their brand spanking new ballpark couldn't have ended any better than if the Lerner's had written it themselves (note: I am not entirely discounting that possibility by the way). The Nats' golden boy Ryan Zimmerman hits a dramatic walkoff homer to christen the new park with a win.

Is it possible that Davidson's Stephen Curry will make the all-tournament team even though his team did not make the Final Four? Speaking of Final Four, how annoying is it that the NCAA insists on calling what was once known as the "Final Eight" the "Elite Eight" now for the sake of the alliteration and consistency with the "Sweet 16" and "Final Four." No doubt their all trademarked terms.

But back to Curry. Man, am I bummed that Davidson blew their last possession. Is there anything more exciting than a red hot college hoops player - or any athlete for that matter - put a team and a school on his back and nearly singlehandedly slay the Goliaths of the Game?

And what a terrible last play called by their coach. No movement, no screens. Nothing. Their three frontcourt guys just stood there on the baseline for an iso play for Curry, who couldn't break down his man. When he couldn't, there was no plan B. That was their best play with 14 seconds left? Jeez, even the other white guy guard who was bombing three's during the Kansas game didn't get a look, much less a touch, in the final 14 seconds. Just terrible. How can your best player nor your second best player not take the game winning shot? It was like Dale Brown was back coaching a tournament team.

But not as bad as Villanova stinkin' out the joint two days earlier. Holy intimidation, Batman. I'll err on the side of suggesting that the short shots they put up throughout the game was because of the perception problems caused by playing in such a large arena and not because they were fearful of the imposing Jayhawks' presence. Corey Stokes was just abused by the KU defenders, who denied him everything on the offensive side of the court all night long. And the alley oops. Oh may, as Enberg would say.

Liability Lawsuit?

God forbid Scottie Reynolds or any of the Kansas pro prospects get hurt falling OFF of the court tonight and seriously injuring themselves. And Dwayne Anderson makes the important point that it’s not the same, visually, as playing at Syracuse’s Carrier Dome.

A "Villanova Guard"

Amazing to think that one of the prime reasons that Villanova is in the Sweet 16 is because Kelvin Sampson is a crooked coach and Alan Ray and Randy Foye set a very high standard. Jay Wright must be pinching himself. Though I’m not sure about the assertion that Scottie Reynolds plays more under control this year after watching him dribble all over the place against Clemson.

V for Villanova, V for Victory

Hours before Villanova takes on Kansas in the Sweet 16, I have two Villanova factoids of little interest to anyone outside of Radnor. 1) Recently resigned Centcom commander Admiral William “Fox” Fallon is a Villanova NROTC grad. In fact, he is the third Villanova NROTC alum to be appointed to the Centcom post. No surprise to those that know how big the NROTC program is on campus. Indeed, my good friend and former Stanford Hall roommate, the “Big Sperm,” was a NROTC sailor and went on to be a naval aviator flying P-3s out of Jacksonville NAS (among other stations, but Jax had the best base golf course).

 

The other factoid is one previously mentioned, but especially pertinent in tonight’s 1 vs. 12 seed matchup. Villanova has the best record of any team in the tournament when playing a higher seed. Just something to think about.

 

This run hearkens back to the unexpected 2005 run with another young team. Both faced traditional powerhouses, North Carolina back then, Kansas tonight – which many feared would/could be a blow out. Here’s hoping for another competitive game and one that doesn’t come down to some lame traveling call against the Wildcats with three seconds to go and a chance for the win.

The Biggest Loser

While the Eagles got screwed by having two division rivals get the luxury of playing in the Thursday night season opener, the game’s biggest loser has to be John McCain. The night of Thursday September 4 is the last night of the Republican National Convention and the big moment for McCain’s acceptance speech. (My prediction, the punditocracy will nearly unanimously suggest McCain needs to “hit a home run” in the speech. And the post-speech analyses from same pundits will confirm that, indeed he did just that.)

 

But I digress The season opener is going to be stepping all over McCain’s nationally televised address. So much so that the league will move the game’s start time up an hour and half so that it ends before McCain’s 10pm EDT appearance. (Here’s hoping the Skins-Giants goes into overtime). Even with the earlier start and notwithstanding the possibility of OT, I can already hear the sound of TVs being clicked off after the game or remote buttons being punched to something other than a heavy political speech (what will TBS counterprogram on Thursday night in the 10 pm slot? Roadhouse? Point Break?).

 

The situation is delicious just desserts for partisans like myself that are glad that the Republicans are being hoist on their own scheduling petard (since, you know, Democrats are genetically incapable of besting the R’s themselves). Republican conventions have been starting later and later.

 

In 2004, the RNC was held from August 30 through September 2. It was held in New York City, and clueless Democrats (an oxymoron, I know) and the politicos all parroted the conventional wisdom that President Bush was trying to take advantage of the proximity in date and location to further wrap himself in the cloak of 9/11. (though it’s never been fully explained to me how or why the President benefits from so closely associating himself with the worst foreign attack on American soil in history and on his watch. Roosevelt didn’t speak from Pearl Harbor in ’44).

 

As we now know, though many Democrats still don’t get it, the real reason the Republicans held their convention then was to take advantage of the presidential finance rules that distinguish between the primary season and the general campaign, with the nominating convention as the official transition mark between the two. In short, Republicans were able to avoid having to expend any of their general campaign funds until the beginning of September. By contrast, incompetent Democrats (another oxymoron, I know) held their 2004 nominating convention from July 26-29 in Boston. The result being that while nearly everyone fixated on the Republican dates and the linkage to 9/11, Karl Rove was focused on giving his candidate a month long financial advantage. Ultimately, John Kerry and the Democrats had to pay for a general election campaign that officially lasted one full month longer than George W. Bush’s and the Republicans presidential campaign. One month is an extraordinary advantage when the general election campaign only lasts from September to November (or in the case of the Democrats, from July (!) to November).

 

Democrats may have finally realized their strategic ineptitude by scheduling this year’s convention for August 25-28, forcing the incumbent party to go after that, and into the Thursday night of the NFL opener.

 

What’s amazing to me is that for the past 40 years (!), the Republicans have only held one convention in July (1980 - though the 2000 convention did start on July 31). The two most recent ones were held in September. In contrast, Democrats have held 5 (!) conventions in July during that same time span and have NEVER held a convention that had at least one September day. In other words, Democrats have systematically and self-inflictedly disarmed themselves financially against their Republican presidential opponents. Is it any wonder Dems have lost 5 of the last 7 presidential elections? They can’t even schedule their conventions to give their nominee a level playing field, much less a favorable one.

 

But finally, this year, things are finally looking in the Dems favor.

 

They needed a miracle. And they got…the N-F-L.

Getting Tight at End

The Eagles are now a little more than full at the tight end position after signing Kris Wilson to a three year (!) contract. So who is the odd man out? Probably not Brent Celek who showed promise in his rookie year. LJ Smith is famously on a one year, franchise contract. Wilson would be nice insurance for LJ’s departure after the season, but not before it. So that leaves Matt Schobel as the odd man out. Will Schobel cut before the next mini-camp? Having 4 TEs in the rotation can only delay Celek’s development. He needs as many reps as possible.

NFL Schedule Screws Lurie, Again

Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you.

 

The NFL scheduling poobahs have once again screwed the Eagles with the season opening matchup. It was going to be bad enough to have the Giants get the Thursday night, but that’s understandable since they are, after all, Super Bowl champions. Ironically, in a league that prides itself on trying to provide as much parity as possible (weighted schedules, reverse draft order, etc.), giving the champs the benefit of the opening Thursday night game is a pretty big competitive advantage. Unlike the late season Thursday night games – seen (or rather, not seen) on the NFL Network which are short weeks for the teams involved due to the previous Sunday’s games, the Thursday night opener involves no such quick turnaround. And then the Giants get to sit back and have an extra three days off compared to their week 2 opponent who plays the following Sunday. It’s like getting to play a 15 game/week schedule, while everyone else is playing 16 games/weeks (I’m not counting the bye weeks).

 

But like I said, the Giants are the champs and the new tradition is for the defending champs to open on Thursday night. But to schedule a second division rival, in this case the Redskins, for the Thursday opener adds insult to injury. Now two NFC East teams will enjoy the opening day advantage.

 

Most savvy football fans were aware that the league had slim pickings for the Giants home opponent for Thursday, September 4. Aside from the division games, the Giants home games are against: San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Carolina. Given no obvious marquee matchup among that bunch (though a Seahawks game would have been intriguing and beneficial for a team making the transcontinental trip), many suspected it would be a division game, and Philly fans were hoping it would be the Eagles. I suppose the best that can be said about it is that at least it wasn’t the Giants playing the Cowboys.

 

The larger question is why Jeff Lurie doesn’t appear to have any juice with the league office and Commissioner. We’re only one year removed from the Eagles having to play THREE STRAIGHT DIVISION GAMES ON THE ROAD… in December no less. One would think that after the ritual scheduling screw job the league annually gives the Eagles and its fans (last year going a full month between home games) – and as one of the victims of the Patriots spying in a super bowl - it would have been inclined to throw Lurie a bone by tapping his team for the season opening matchup. Obviously, the league isn’t too concerned about what Lurie thinks.

 

I can’t wait to see how bad the Eagles 2008 schedule actually is when its released next month. Given that it will involve two west coast trips (San Fran and Seattle), here’s betting that they will be scheduled on back to back weeks.

Giving Schmidt His Due

Bill Lyon touches on a point I made yesterday about Philly fans and their love of grit. I mentioned that fans were cool to Mike Schmidt cause they perceived his unemotional yet flawless play as indifference, while they have a special affection for the grinders, guys that make it look hard all the time.

 

Bill Lyon elaborates, “He [Schmidt] played the position with feline grace, with such casual elegance that for much of his career the affection that should have been his all along was denied because they perceived him to be nonchalant. His fluid style was seen as lack of hustle. At last, in the twilight of his career, the fans came to understand that for all those years they had been privileged to witness genius.”

Real Life Rocky

So the Eagles signed a real life Rocky, LB Rocky Boiman late of the Indy Colts and out of Notre Dame. AT 6'4", 236 Boiman, like just about all the current Eagle LBs, is a tweener. Not necessarily big enough to play the middle (though undersized Omar Gaither acquitted himself nicely there last year) and or with the requisite speed and size to play the outside spots.

He did start at strongside LB for the Colts last year after the starter went down, so that's encouraging. And it's hard to believe that Boiman will now be the most experienced professional in the Eagles LB corps (seven years). And the Colts coaches have a proven ability to develop LBs such as Marcus Washington, Gary Brackett, Rob Morris, etc.

What's more discouraging is that he's a linebacker and he's from Notre Dame. The Eagles have not had much success with Golden Domer LBs (and it pains me to say that as I'm a huge Fighting Irish fan). Scott Kowalski, Tyreo Harrison are just two of the ND LBs that have not panned out for the Eagles. Interestingly, I was reviewing the Eagles recent draft history. The Rhodes and Reid's eras have shown a proclivity for taking players out of South Bend (whether that is a wise or good thing is a matter for debate since that time span has coincided with a dropoff in Notre Dame success a cause not unrelated to the quality of high school talent they've been recruiting, but I digress).

Here's the thing. The Eagles nearly have always selected Notre Dame defensive players: Victor Abiamiri, Bobby Taylor, Allen Rossum (DB), the two aforementioned LBs. You'd have to go back all the way to 1992 and Tony Brooks to find a ND offensive player the Eagles selected. It's kind of remarkable given how much Andy Reid loves linemen and it is the one position that ND has consistently excelled at producing over the past two decades, guys like Jeff Faine, Mike Gandy, Luke Pettigout, and Aaron Taylor.

Here's hoping the Eagles Rocky has as much fight in him as the fictional Rocky

PK = The Eagles, NOW Phillies, Jinx

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while. But the news that Brad Lidge will start the season on the disabled list is the hook I need.

 

It comes from my friend and walking jinx PK, who was down in Clearwater for spring training several weeks ago and actually witnessed Lidge get hurt. To completely understand the context, you have to appreciate that PK has never attended a game at an Eagles game with us in which the Eagles have won, including the conference championships against both the Bucs and Panthers. His dismal record has given him a reputation for being an Eagles no good luck charm. It was so bad that in the 2006 season we actually all thought he should attend the Eagles-Titans game (where the Eagles were heavily favored given it was Vince Young’s second professional start) so that he could get a win under his belt and end the whamma jamma. An exorcism of sorts. Pk wound up not going to that game, but for even contemplating his attendance, the football gods responded by tearing McNabb’s ACL – and ensuring that the jinx would take on a new life of its own. Oddly enough, PK is money on the road. Since he lives in Washington, DC he has attended nearly every Eagles game in Washington which they have won over the past seven years.

 

Comes now that his jinx is no longer bound only to the Eagles or home games but has extended to Philadelphia’s other sports teams and second homes. What follows is his account. And just to be clear, it is all his fault.

 

So I actually saw his injury yesterday. Saw it in person. Have been in the Tampa area on a golf trip for 5 days and yesterday we skipped golf to go to Clearwater. Cool experience just watching the boys practice.

 

Got to see Myers and Howard go head to head in BP. Saw Dallas Green patrolling the place like he was still The Man and everyone - including Garry Maddox and Mike Schmidt, both on hand - knew to treat Dallas like The Man.

 

So, with rains approaching, I notice that Lidge just threw a couple warm up pitches. My friends and I are directly behind home plate - directly. Think being behind one of those chain link fences you watch little league games at, that was us except that our little stands also had an overhang directly above us where The Man was sitting and surveying the troops.

 

What transpired next is no lie - and it's pretty much spot on why I just can't do/say things like this, why I'll never go to an Eags game with you guys because I'm a jinx.

 

"Guys," I say, "it's Lidge on the mound. Check it out, Lidge. This is THE GUY who's going to determine how good our season is going to be."

 

Next pitch was the 1st pitch of the simulated BP. And the last pitch of Lidge's spring trainng. "Oh my god," my brother yells. "He's hurt. Already.  Good god."

 

Yep, this is what it's like to be a Phillies fan.

Weekend Stats

·         24 – the number of consecutive games Davidson has now won this season.

·         1969 – the year in which Davidson won it’s last NCAA tournament game before this season.

·         3 times in 4 years – the number of times Villanova has been to the Sweet 16 in that number of years.

·         1 time in 7 years- Number of Duke appearances in the Sweet 16 since 2001.

·         70 – number of points scored by Davidson’s Stephen Curry in the first two games of the tournament.

·         10-5 – the Big East’s record in the tourney so far.

·         2 of 4 – Number of #2 seeds that got into the Sweet 16, the same number of 12 seed teams that made it.

The Resurrection

Siena vs. Villanova is a matchup of two catholic institutions on Easter. Jesus would be proud it comes in the second round of the tournament.

Wildcat Man Crush

"I love you man."

"No, I love you...and Scottie Reynolds."

"We get to play Siena next?"

"Awesome!"

Wildcats Beat Tigers

What the heck happened to Clemson? They were on the verge of blowing Villanova out last night in the first half - to the point where the Washington, DC feed that I was watching switched over to the Indiana game - yet somehow managed to not only let Villanova get back in to it but actually lose the whole shebang by 6 points?!

Clearly, Nova was nervous and Clemson looked as physically imposing as advertised in the first 15 minutes. But the entire game was eerily similar to the Big East tourney game versus Syracuse - trail by double digits, scratch back to within hailing distance by the half and then overwhelm the opponent in the second half. Against the Orangemen it was making 3s, against Clemson it was hitting their free throws, tenacious defense, and Jay Wright's hack a tiger strategy. Seriously, according to a CBS graphic there are 300+ college basketball teams better at free throw shooting than Clemson. Who knew? They are so bad at free throw shooting that I actually got concerned when Booker and Mays, two of Clemson's big starting 3 fouled out. Sure they were starters, but really how much worse could their backups be on the court. And the two subs had to be better free throw shooters, didn't they?

Ah well, Villanova survived, even with Jay Wright picking up that dumb technical.

And now, here's where the beauty of the 12 seed comes in. #13 Siena actually beat #4 Vandy so 'Nova will actually be favored tomorrow.

Undoubtedly these words will come back to haunt me, but I can smell the Sweet 16.

Play Like It's 1985

Can history repeat itself, Bill Conlin wonders. “Twenty three years ago, the imperfect team played a perfect game,” he writes.

 

And tucked into his reflection of that magical run and the fact that no on the current team was ALIVE back in 1985, is this interesting stat nugget: Villanova “is the team with the best record as a lower seed of any team in tournament history.”

 

My brother and I were talking, and the beauty of being a 12 seed, we agreed, is that if you can win the first game, things get easier after that. Unlike an 8-9 game where the winner gets rewarded with a matchup against a #1 seed, a 12 gets to play a 4 seed in the second round - a winnable or least competitive game. In Villanova’s case, it would be Vanderbilt. Sure Vandy’s a 4 seed, but really Clemson may be the tougher team. Beat them first and it gets slightly easier after that.

 

Kind of like Villanova in 1985. Once they upset #1 seed Michigan in the second round, they were playing lower seeds until the Final Four. Could it happen again? Only if they can shoot the 3s like they did vs. Syracuse.

 

 

The Cards Other Pro Bowl WR

Can the Eagles still do a WR deal? With the Cardinals? Yes, says John Nalbone who suggests Sheppard and the Eagles #1 pick for the Cardinal’s other pro bowl WR, Anquan Boldin. Nalbone even floats the name of Roy Williams as a long shot possibility. Interestingly, Nalbone also suggests that it was U. Miami S Brandon Merriweather that the Eagles were targeting last year and once the Patriots snatched him two spots ahead of the Eagles, Andy Reid traded down out of the #26 pick for Kevin Kolb.

In Memoriam

When I was a kid, I played dungeons and dragons. What surprised me in reading about the death of D&D’s creator, Gary Gygax, was how new the game was when I first played it in the late 70s. At the time, I thought it had been around for much longer, not realizing that it had been recently invented. I can still remember counting my dollars to buy my first D&D book/game manual at the Kay-Bee toy story in the Granite Run Mall.

 

But more than a D&D player, I am a huge fan of the 60s syndicated TV show, Hogan’s Heroes. It was one of the best things to look forward to when you were home sick from school. Broadcast weekdays at 1 and 1:30 pm on channel 17 or maybe 48 (nee 57). In any case, Ivan Dixon, or “Kinch” on the show – the token black radio operator and the calmest, sanest soldier in Hogan’s squad - passed away this week.

The Globe of Death

I recently took the kids to the circus and couldn’t help observe what an anachronistic enterprise it was. The pacing of the entire show and the events themselves were relatively ho-hum compared to the stimulation overload experienced by today’s kids. Animal trainer? Trapeze? Clowns? Yawn.

 

But I gotta tell you, the grand finale – 7 motorcyclists in a steel globe - was UNBELIEVABLE! And may have been worth the price of admission – it certainly accurately described “death-defying.”

 

Now comes word that the Ringling Brothers circus act is going to try for a world record 8 cyclists in the sphere at one time.

How Can that Be?

The Sixers traded Allen Iverson in December 2006, so how can this be the FIRST time Iverson has played in Philadelphia since the deal? A year and a half?

 

The fans’ thundering ovation of him last night is not surprising. The sub 6 foot Iverson is a warrior on the court (though not much inclined to practice), and Philadelphia fans have a very special, lasting affection for their athletes who spill their blood and guts in the ring -- doubly so if they’re scrappers with chips on their shoulders. Thus, Philadelphia appreciates players of such immense talent like Mike Schmidt and Randall Cunningham but still fawns over players like Lenny Dykstra and AI. (I think this dynamic is also part of the reason fans hate Kobe Bryant, who’s gone so Hollywood he can’t even spell Lower Merion anymore, and are cool to McNabb, he makes it look to easy and doesn’t show his competitive fire enough to the public.) The love even extends to coaches, which is why you still see Dick “emotions on his sleeve” Vermeil pitching products in the Philadelphia area twenty years after he last coached here.

 

The defining Iverson memory for me will be the 2001 NBA finals, and two plays in particular. Iverson dropping a three on and then stepping over Tyronne Lue, who had been hounding him most of the game, in overtime. The second is of the thunderous chants of “M-V-P” and Iverson cupping his hear to the crowd as he ran along the sideline during game 3 when it looked like he could almost single handedly pull out a miracle win for the Sixers at home against the vastly more talented Lakers and actually make a series of it.

The Hawk Will Never Die

Jameer Nelson will always be bound to former Hawks teammates Delonte West, Dwayne Jones and their great run in the NCAA tourney. By the way, Nelson is an Eagles fan and hopes Donovan stays with the team.

Philly Fans In Mid-season form at Spring Training

A good friend of mine was down in Florida for spring training last weekend. Though a lifelong Mets fan, he visited Clearwater to take in a Phillies game. Below is his account.


I returned last night from my long weekend Spring training in Florida.  We did our last game in Clearwater -- one of the best ballparks and home to the fightin' Phils.  It was a great reminder of all that is Philadelphia sports fans.

First, off the place was packed (it was St Paddy's day), people were pounding beers and everyone is was in green Philly outfits or red philly outfits (and there is absolutely no diversity in the place).

The crowd reinforced that there are only three types of Philly sports fans:
  (1) White Women - generally hotter than you would expect
  (2) Fat old white men with all their girth located in one giant beer belly
  (3) Fat young white men (who will turn into fat old men) with all the girth in their belly.

By contrast, when I saw the Mets, it was the usual smorhgasbord of pathetic looking people of all ethnic varieties

It was 1 o'clock and hot and the tiki bar in left field was mobbed with people boozing it up.

In the 6th inning, some (fat) Philly fan proposed to his (fat) girlfriend on the field and was roundly booed by the entire stadium.

I was sitting next to some 14 year old Philly kid and his dad.  When the dad went to get a beer in the 6th inning, the kid (who had been eyeing my Mets lid all day), looked at me and said "you suck".

Of course, the kid was who we all hope our kids will turn out to be a ... a walking encyclopedia of baseball (and specifically Phillies knowledge).  I kept up with him for about two innings but then he dipped into the Phillies prospect system to explain why they should have traded some minor league outfielders for someone and I just couldn't keep up anymore.

My 14 year old buddy made his dad take him to Clearwater at 9 30 every day to watch the practice fields and get autographs, then insisted on being the first person to enter the actual stadium when those gates opened.

Finally, they had Sean Landeta -- the Eagles punter (somehow forgetting his Super Bowl rings were with the Giants) there to sign autographs.  I passed on the autograph but took the occassion to ask him about the 1985 punt in Chicago in the playoffs that blew off his foot -- a great conversation.

On Guard

NFL guards are getting new props – and bigger paychecks. And yet this article highlighting the new appreciation offensive guards are getting (cause they have to handle elite defensive tackles) makes no mention of the best guard in the NFC – Shawn “The Big Kid” Andrews. Interestingly, the article mentions that good guards used to be converted to tackles, whereas Andrews, a tackle in college, got converted to a guard (though we’ll see if shifts to tackle after his linemate Jon Runyan retires.

Scholarship Sob Stories

Getting a Division I sports scholarship is not all it’s cracked up to be – nor as lucrative as many presume. This NY Times series looks at individual athletes at Villanova and the University of Delaware.

A Mole on the Committee

Does Joe Lunardi, ESPN’s “bracketologist,” have a mole inside the NCAA selection committee?

 

Lunardi is being touted for correctly naming all 34 at-large teams in this year’s tournament. Interestingly, however, Lunardi had Villanova missing the tournament in his second to last bracket prediction Saturday night. But then, on Sunday afternoon, Lunardi’s last bracket before the tournament was announced included Villanova.

 

So what changed in the interim? Villanova certainly didn’t win any more games.  And 17-16 Georgia’s shocking run to the SEC championship certainly didn’t help by squeezing out another at large slot. The obvious conclusion is that Lunardi was privy to inside information about the bubble teams and which were the very last to make the tournament.

Last One In

It looks to me like Villanova was the last at-large team to make the NCAA tournament, the lowest seeded non-automatically invited team.

Wildcat Wildcard

For a city that just a few weeks ago was pondering whether all the local teams would be shut out of the NCAA tournament, last night’s news couldn’t have been better, or more surprising. Temple, St. Joes, AND Villanova all got in.

 

Though I have to wonder if it would have been better if ‘Nova didn't make it. What is the point of one and done other than to say you got into the main event when they could have gone to the NIT and won a bunch of games, maybe even made the final and got a whole lot more experience than just to go and likely lose to Clemson Friday.

 

Though, having said that, i am glad they got seeded 12th. Villanova could win that game, and given the history of at least one 12 seed winning each year, there is even more hope.

 

BTW, Jay Bilas during the G'town-Nova game said he thought Nova was in and would be an 8-9 team. Looks like Villanova made it in by the skin of their teeth.

Fitzgerald Watch

So how did Cardinals' wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald wind up with an astonishing $14 million base salary for 2008 and a staggering $17 million BASE salary for 2009? Escalator clauses based on incentives that turned out to be too easy to reach. As this Arizona Cardinals' beat writer explains it all, the real problem is that Fitzgerald made two pro bowls in his first four years. Each pro bowl appointment earned him a $5 million increase in pay. Really, as Kent Somers points out, if Fitzgerald hadn't made the second pro bowl his salary would be a "manageable" $9 million/year and not the $14 million monstrosity, and certainly not the looming $17 million salary cap disaster next year.

 

Sure the deal was designed to incentivize Fitzgerald to be one of the best receivers in the NFC. And who can blame the Cardinals for not seeing that there would be a sudden dearth of talent at the WR position except for He Who Shall Not be Named but Plays in Dallas? Torry Holt nursed a bum knee all year and might have challenged Fitzgerald for the starter spot, at which point only one other WR has to emerge to bump either Fitz or Driver off the Honolulu roster entirely.

 

Weird how if Fitzgerald was only slightly less good and, say, his teammate Anquan Boldin got the call, or Steve Smith had a better year, the Cards might not be in this position.

 

Burying Favre

Philly's own Sal Pal splashes a dose of cold water on the Brett Favre deification. It's stunning stuff: ", Favre won just three of his last 10 playoff games. Eli Manning had more postseason wins in a 29-day span this past season than Favre had in his last decade with the Green Bay Packers."

Or, "But no matter how many dumb passes he threw and how many playoff games he lost, Favre remains immune to criticism."

Ouch!

Sal even touches on the two worst INTs of Favre's career - the in January to Corey Webster and the one four years ago to the Eagles' Brian Dawkins (remarkably, outside Philadelphia that terrible -- TERRIBLE - pass/INT has somehow been forgotten). That both came in overtime of playoff games has gotten short shrift from the media all these years.

Indeed, where was this realistic look at Favre's faults and the criticism of the media hagiography of #4 for the past ten years?!

Free agent winners

USA Today declares the Eagles one of the “winners” in free agency so far based on the Samuel and Clemons signings.

How to Structure a Fitzgerald Deal

Note, if you are an Arizona Cardinals’ executive, please stop reading now.

 

It would seem that the only thing holding back Larry Fitzgerald’s renegotiated contract would be the ability of the Cardinals to pay him the upfront cash he so desires. Not sure if Jeff Lurie has $25-30 million just sitting in the bank, but given how much of an ATM the team and the Linc are these days, I’m guessing he does. Indeed, with 2008 season ticket payments now due, Lurie has money literally rolling in.

 

So how to structure an Eagles contract for Fitzgerald that gives him the money he wants and the cap flexibility the Eagles so desire?

 

How about a 4 year, $32 million contract with $28 million in guaranteed money – structured similar to Asante Samuel’s deal with a $12 million signing bonus, an $8 million 2008 roster bonus, and a $8 million 2009 roster bonus – and $1 million base salaries over the next four years?

 

That would mean that that Fitzgerald’s salary cap figure would be $8 million/year…or $1.6 million less in cap space than TO’s current deal, or even slightly less than Marvin Harrison, and slightly more than Chad Johnson and Torry Holt – whose 2007 cap #s are in the $7.7 million range.

 

Heck the Eagles could still pay out the signing/roster bonuses at the levels mentioned above and even bump up the base by $2.5 million – to $3.5 million per year – for an even 4 year $40 million deal that makes Fitzgerald’s cap hit $10 million per year, or “only” $400,000 more than the wide receiver who shall not be named.

 

I’m guessing the two things holding up the Cardinals from doing this simple deal are a wish for a longer contract period beyond four years so they can lock him up for most of his prime – six years? – and the lack of that much money on hand for the famously tight-fisted Bidwill family.

Fitzgerald Watch - Brown/Sheppard for Fitz?

Renegotiations over Cards’ WR Larry Fitzgerald’s monster 2008 $14 million salary/cap hit have appeared to have hit an impasse.

 

What will it take to get Fitzgerald? His agent is asking the Cardinals for a four-year deal with $25-$30 million in guaranteed money.

 

And this Arizona Republic article reports that the Eagles have offered Lito Sheppard and Reggie Brown for Fitzgerald.

The Fightin' Blue Hens

I post this specifically my friend PK. U. of D QB Joe Flacco is drawing interest from teams, some even more than national sensation UK QB Andre Woodson. (How’s that for initial overload?)

 

Is Flacco the next Andy Hall? Or the next Rich Gannon?

Spiked

The free agent signing period started off terrific for the Eagles in landing pro bowl CB Asante Samuel and pass rush specialist DE Chris Clemons. The cherry on top was the reports of the Eagles negotiating with standout WR Randy Moss. It was great that the Eagles indicated an interest in upgrading at WR, even better that they didn’t acquire such a polarizing and indifferent player.

 

But now they’ve gone and cut LB Takeo Spikes for the $5 million in 2008 cap savings. This move has all the feel of the Eagles being penny wise and pound foolish. Flashbacks to Jeremy Bloom!

 

Yes, Stewart Bradley’s play at the end of last year was encouraging, as was Akeen Jordan’s. But can they do it over an entire season? We’ll see. Spikes gave the Eagles depth and veteran experience. The way Jim Johnson has shuffled his LBs, an injury to either Gaither, Bradley, Spikes or Gocong meant that one of the others would be able to take his place. Now, with Spikes gone, much of that flexibility to move the LBs around is gone too and the much more untested Jordan is now the plan B if one of the starters gets hurt.

 

Perhaps this is an indication that the Eagles are trying to clear cap room to bring in Larry Fitzgerald, as Bob Brookover hints at today. But otherwise, it looks foolish. Presuming whoever takes Spikes’ place in the LB corps will earn anywhere from $1-2 million/year, the real savings of the Spikes departure is “only” $3-4 million. For that price why not keep Spikes for one more year during this super bowl push?

Post Editorial "Gender" Gap

The always consistent Ruth Marcus of the Washington Post editorial pages proves her inanity once again with a column so contradictory and so inaccurate that the Post should have considered running a correction.

 

Marcus’ musings are about the impact Hillary Clinton’s sex has had on the presidential race. The piece is entitled “The Force of Gender,” and Marcus sprinkles the term “gender” throughout. Alas, perhaps Marcus or the Post generally can’t bring themselves to print the word “sex,” but that is the more accurate word for what Marcus is referring to. “Gender” of course really means having masculine or feminine traits. Sex is the biological term for whether you are male or female. Marcus’ whole point is about Clinton’s sex, not whether she is masculine or feminine enough.

 

So right off the bat, Marcus is off to a poor start.

 

Then she writes, “If anything, the playing field has been demographically tilted in Clinton's favor. Women account for nearly six in 10 Democratic primary voters.” Remarkably, Marcus displays no self-awareness that seven sentences later – 7! – she then writes “the gender gap in Clinton's support is persistent -- and striking” owing to a 22 point deficit among male voters.

 

So in MarcusWorld, the Democratic primary demographics have been “tilted in Clinton’s favor” even though she suffers from a 22 gap among men. And Marcus mimics the rest of the national media in their inability to reference the blatant demographic effect race is having on the election. Obama is killing Clinton among black voters, routinely winning this demographic subgroup by 85-15 or even 90-10. So much for a demographic tilt in her favor.

 

Indeed, the numbers are so stark among male and black voters that they are the sole reasons Clinton is trailing Obama. It’s basic math, though Marcus does her best to play grand pundit, “Clinton's loss, if it comes to that, will have more to do with squandered and mismanaged resources; a shapeless, shifting message; a loose-lipped spouse; and arrogant strategists who dismissed the threat from Barack Obama and assumed the past would predict the future.”

 

Uh, no it won’t. It will have to do with the 20 point gap among men and the 65 point gap among blacks. Not even the most persuasive arguments are going to sway black voters who can support the first legitimate black presidential candidate in history.

 

And finally, after expending 600 words pooh-poohing the notion of a gender gap, Marcus abruptly pivots to warn of the “ominous” problem for future female candidates: “whether the country, particularly the male half, can comfortably fit a woman into its mental picture of a president.” But with so little time to explore this last minute thought, Marcus curtly ends the piece with this bizarre non-conclusion to her thesis: “Gender isn't the most restricting force in American life. It remains a force to be reckoned with.”

 

Say what? If you’re like me, you are more confused and more misinformed after reading this drivel than before. That it was published in nation’s preeminent political papers is astonishing.

 

 

MLS expanding to Philly...er, Chester

Here’s a story you WON’T be reading about in the Inquirer or Daily Local.

 

 

 

CHESTER, Pa. (AP) -- Men's professional outdoor soccer will make its return to the Philadelphia area in 2010 after a three-decade absence.

 

Major League Soccer officials and Gov. Ed “Fast Eddie” Rendell announced plans for the league to set up a new franchise along the waterfront of Chester, a once-proud manufacturing city trying to turn its fortunes around.

 

State officials hope the franchise will be a key part of a $414 million revitalization effort for the waterfront of Chester, an economically struggling city southwest of Philadelphia.

 

Earlier this month, Rendell announced $47 million in public funding for the 18,500-seat, soccer-only stadium. The rest of the plan calls for a convention center as well as commercial, retail and residential space.

 

Rendell noted that there has been criticism of using public funds for the stadium, but he said the impact of the sports franchise on the troubled city's psyche could not be quantified.

 

C.E Wolff, long-time suburban Philadelphia resident, expressed some mild concerns with the choice of location. "Chester!  What the f**k...What other locations in the area made the short list?  Coatesville?  Camden?  the 2 blocks in and around the Italian Social club in downtown West Chester?  Maybe Baghdad should get an MLS franchise next."

 

“Hey, I’ve already been in the line of fire...That f*cker Eric Stuart popped a cap in me in 1986 and that goddamn bb pellet is still lodged in my chin.”  

 

Mr. Wolff goes on to add, "This is a total clusterf*ck.  The only way I'm going to see a game in Chester is if the tix are free, the cheerleaders are nude, and the stadium is BYOB.  How do I get there?  Where do I park?  Sure, I could drive down in my cira '78 Eagles bego, but I would have to up-armour that b*tch or trade it in for a used V-shaped Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.  I sure as h*ll am not bringing my family down to a game!  Maybe I could persuade my Eagles posse to drive down, but that group is collectively the biggest bunch of pussies in the tri-state area." 

 

"Tell the j*ck*ss architect designing the stadium to add a Delilah's or Thirsty Camel annex and I might reconsider my position.  Also, tell the coach my services are available if the team needs an own-goal scoring specialist willing to chop-down "Chuckie style" any scoring threat the opposing team puts on the field.  I was the Dave Schultz of the Centennial league.  I may not be able to cover 40 yards in 30 seconds, but it won't matter if I insert my knee you into your nuts.  You also may want to evaluate Jimmy O'Hora for this role.  Now stop bothering me....”

3 for 3?

PFT's Philly "tipster" accurately predicted both the Asante Samuel and Chris Clemons signings so it's worth considering that this same source says that "the Eagles made a run at receiver Larry Fitzgerald but the Cardinals wanted too much, and that cornerback Sheldon Brown likely will be moved to safety."

Could it be that the Sheppard for Fitzgerald rumors were true but a deal couldn't be done, so the Eagles' Plan B is to keep 3 starting CBs on the roster?

As my brother said, he hopes the Eagles don't trade Sheppard to move up in the first round. That would mean they essentially traded a pro bowl (albeit injury-prone) corner for 3 worthless wins in a lost season.

Obscure Mark Twain reference

courtesy of PFT: " After signing Asante Samuel yesterday and Clemons today, perhaps tomorrow the Eagles should coax former Colts and Browns receiver Reggie Langhorn out of retirement."

Interest in Lito

Pro Football Talk lists the following teams expressing an interest in trading for Lito Sheppard: Texans, Saints, Buccaneers, Browns, Rams and Jets.

The Cardinals are conspicuously absent from that list.

Press Confirms Eagles-Fitzgerald Trade Rumors

Here's the first printed report of the wild Larry Fitzgerald for Lito Sheppard trade rumors that have been swirling around Philadelphia. Oddly, it comes courtesy of the Arizona Republic.