Sportstravaganza

When the Phillies were in the World Series in in 2008 and 2009, my friends and I were able to fulfill a rare double header - an Eagles game and World Series game all in the same glorious day.

So took a look at this fall's schedules to see if we could have a repeat of a sportstravaganza in South Philly and, unfortunately, the only possible Phillies home playoff game that coincides with an Eagles home game is this Sunday, which is a lock.

The Phillies will be hosting game 2 of the NLDS and the Eagles play the Niners.

The Eagles next two games after that are road games and then they have a bye. Their next home game is vs. Dallas at the end of October, by which time the World Series is over.

Given the Eagles' schedule oddity - two away games to open the season, two home games (and the latest home opener since 1971), followed by two more away games and then a bye, I have to wonder if the NFL didn't purposely schedule the Eagles' games so that there would NOT be baseball and football games on the same day as much as possible. 

'64 Phillies

The Red Sox looming wild card collapse has writers hearkening back to the 1964 Phillies. 

What about the 2007 Mets?

ATL

How the hell did we blow that game last night, with a 10 point lead heading into the 4th Q?

I don't have a problem with Reid going for it on 4th and 4 with 1:45 to play from the Atlanta 22 - and not kicking the field goal, but why the hell did he call a timeout?!?!?

I know it's a big play - that you need to get the 1st and you've got your backup QB in and need to make sure everyone is on the same page. But don't you kind of have to plan for if you don't make it.

If Reid hadn't called timeout, the Eagles would have gotten the ball back on the Atlanta 45 with approximately 45 seconds to play and not the 5 seconds they did have. 45 seconds is plenty of time to score when you are already across midfield.

Maclin was having a great game right up until he dropped that 4th down pass. And what were they thinking on 3rd down? 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 21. It's two down territory and, again, you've got your backup QB in. Why not run the ball on 3rd down? You can't get 1.5 yards/carry on 3rd and then 4th down?

Ugh.

What Might Have Been?

This lede from an article yesterday really caught my eye. For all of the Phillies success the past couple years - and how dominant they've recently become (and how spoiled we've gotten as fans), it really is kind of amazing how tenuous their start to this run was. The 7 back with 17 to play, etc. I know they got their doors blown off in that LDS to the Rockies, but that experience i think did help them the following year. How might things be ultimately different had the Mets not collapsed 4 years ago. (both for the Phillies and the Mets)

Four years ago this morning, the Phillies were 5 1/2 games out of a playoff spot with 15 to play. Three years ago today, they were tied with the Brewers atop the wild-card standings with 12 games to play. When you consider that history, what they accomplished yesterday at Minute Maid Park was nothing short of remarkable: not the fact that they clinched a fifth consecutive postseason berth with a 1-0 win over the Astros, but the fact that they did so with little more than a nod of acknowledgment.

Schmidt and Howard

So flipping over to the Phillies Brewers game yesterday, they posted a stat when Howard was up saying that Howard's 6 straight seasons of 30+ homers and 100+ RBIs is a franchise record.

I thought Schmidt had to have had more consecutive seasons than 6 but that maybe the '82 strike screwed up his streak.

It turns out that Schmidt hit 35 homers in 82, but only 87 RBIs. In fact, it is the RBIs that stopped him several years, though he just missed 100:

1975 - 38, 95

1981- 31, 91

1982 - 35, 87

1985 - 33, 93

But the year that really jumped out at me was 1978. Schmidt hit only 21 HRs and 78 RBIs. Baseball-reference says he played in 145 games, so it wasn't a major injury, but I can't recall - being only 11 at the time - why Schmidt slumped so badly that year. It's a huge anomaly, particularly homer-wise, for a guy who averaged 37/107 over the course of his career.

Mom Says

An email from my Mom. Sorry for the belated posting.

Hi all, Phillies 9, Atlanta 0

I gave EVERYONE Cliff Lee shirts for Christmas - how did I know he would be so great?? 6th shutout this year, ERA  .037

Wear those shirts with pride!!

Another view

From my favorite newspaperman.

I haven't gone into a season this unprepared, this not knowing since the Bobby Hoying/Doug Pederson era. I just missed the entire "offseason" because it only lasted about 8 days and it was at the height of my debt-ceiling insanity. I'm still very, very confused by people calling us a "dream team", because we just signed a few defensive guys I'd never heard of -- yes, I get that he's supposed to be the best CB in football, but can 1 corner really be that good? Does that, and adding a former Pro Bowl CB, make you a dream team? I don't know. 
We won 11 games last year and the division with a defense that could be best described as "average" -- but more aptly described as "putrid" whenever we faced good QBs. If these defensive upgrades make us competitive against good to great QBs, then 12-4 or 13-3 seems likely.

However, like last season, that all hinges entirely on the man under center. If he suffers injuries or slides back to his 2005 version of himself, then we're a 9-7 team.

Another prediction

My brother's take on the season.

Okay - the eagles need to start 2-1. 2 road games and the giants to start. We go 2-1 then follow with niners in philly and at DC and buffalo. If we continue our great play against bad qb's we should be 5-1!!!! Remains to be seen (obviously) with castillo still in charge, but my bet is yes based on personnel. That's why 2-1 is big. Because we are off and running. We can rebound from 1-2 and get back to 4-2 (assuming no slip up against inferior team). I think we get 2-1 and 5-1 with back to back HOME prime time games against dallas/bears.

We get halfway home at 6-2.

2nd half games - 3 division games (only 1 at home), dolphins, jets, pats, cards, seahawks. 5-3 (1 division loss that gets us probably 4-2 in division). 

That gets me to 11-5. I think that's it.

Obviously injuries - ous and theirs - will have huge impact. But I think 12-4 is possoble as is 10-6 and if we blow a game - 9-7. I think 11-5 gets us a bye. Because our losses will be against pats/jets. So we have 3 conf losses and I think that'll get us 11-5 tiebreaker over saints.

The 2 seed gets the saints. The 1 seed gets a wild card team or west winner. BIG difference between 1 and 2 seed. I see 3 dominant teams - pack/eagles/saints.

11-5.

Predictions?

So, what's your verdict on the Eagles season?

10-6 seems like the safest bet as far as being + or -1 on the total number of victories. Explosive offensive playmakers, but an untested O-line, a sterling secondary but major questions at LB - and that doesn't even account for whether Juan Castillo will be a competent defensive coordinator.

Candidate Fraud?

Florida's Republican leaders have become notorious for being fixated on "voter fraud" and thus requiring voters provide photo id and other such strategies that really serve to disenfranchise poor and minority citizens.

Now comes news, via the WaPo's style page of all places, that a prominent former Florida Republican senator Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV has appeared on the ballot numerous times under the nickname "Connie Mack." Interesting that Florida doesn't require candidates to be listed on the ballot under their legal names and allows them to be identified by the name of their choosing. All while demanding that the very citizens who will vote for these candidates jump through more hoops to prove their identity than the office holders themselves.

The Cuts are In

Putting aside the on the field impact of the Eagles personnel moves (i.e., cuts) to arrive at their 53 man roster, it's interesting to evaluate the talent evaluation.

Safety Marlin Jackson was brought in to sure up the secondary last year and replace the gaping hole left by Brian Dawkins. Jackson got hurt, never played last year (leading to the emergence of rookie Nate Allen) and now will never play for the Eagles.

Daniel Te'O-Nesheim looks like a 2010 3rd round pick bust.

Though less of a stretch as a fifth rounder, the Eagles didn't hit on Tupuo either.

2008 4th round pick Mike McGlynn- bust.

5th round pick Cornelius Ingram was released earlier.

But the biggest surprise bust has to be touted free agent acquisition Ryan Harris who was brought in to start at RT and protect Mike Vick's blindside. Did Harris play even one preseason game before succumbing to back spams? In any case, he underwent back surgery, got an injury settlement from the Eagles and never played a real game for the team.

Cut downs

I've always had a strange fixation on former U. Miami star and now former Patriot safety Brandon Merriweather. I've long suspected that the Eagles were targeting Merriweather that year to become Brian Dawkins' heir apparent, but then the Pats took him just a couple slots earlier in the first round of the 2007 draft, prompting the Eagles to trade that 1st round pick to the Cowboys, drafting K. Kolb, and kick starting several years of QB drama and the Donovan McNabb departure watch.

My fixation with Merriweather continues and the situation is still odd. The Pats parted ways with Merriweather yesterday, despite having played in the last two Pro Bowls. Reading the Boston papers, it's not entirely clear why he was released - with no real comment on the quality of his play - and the Globe article suggests that recent turnover in the Pats secondary and lack of veterans made it even more likely that Merriweather would have (should have?) been kept.

Ultimately, the Pats and Merriweather found themselves in the exact same position as the Eagles and DB Joselio Hanson, two players that weren't going to make the team but couldn't be traded because other teams knew that they could get them for nothing when they were released.

Knowing the weird Philly-Boston, Reid-Belichek relationship, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pats snap up Hanson and, admittedly less likely, the Eagles sign Merriweather.

Housing joke

This kind of bizarre Obama administration support for miscreant banks who flouted title and mortgage laws is why the left no longer trusts Obama. More to the point, this is exactly the kind of crony capitalism for which Republicans are known for, and now, Obama too. Not exactly the change we believed in. Not only that, but the underlying rationale for why the settlement is good for homeowners is flawed to boot.

A West Chester Man

Civil rights pioneer and West Chester, Pa. native Bayard Rustin gets a lengthy profile in the Washington Post as part of the March on Washington anniversary recognition. Rustin was an out of the closet gay back then, which caused quite a controversy in the '60s. Sad to say but it also caused a stir in the 2000s when the West Chester Area School District named its new high school "Bayard Rustin."

Terrelle Pryor

The NCAA is already a joke and now the NFL is following in its footsteps with the disciplinary action against Ohio State star Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor's unique situation has put the NFL in a tough spot and once again commissioner Roger Goodell has ham-handedly tried to split the difference.

The NFL has ruled Pryor eligible for the supplemental draft (which it postponed for several days while trying to figure out how to deal with Pryor), but has imposed a bizarre and probably illegal five game suspension on the former Buckeye QB 1.

The convoluted and illogical rationale for the NFL's decision is that the league is merely copying the NCAA's disciplinary action against Pryor (five games beginning this fall for illegally selling memorabilia) and didn't want to reward the QB for evading NCAA "justice." With his pending draft status, Pryor has had to meekly accept the punishment and not raise any objections to its blatant unfairness lest he jeopardize his appeal to teams by being deemed "difficult." His situation really does hearken to a time when the labor was supposed to obey the master's every command submissively and without complaint.

A couple of points and questions regarding the NFL's punishment:

1) The NFLPA, the NFL and others have taken pains to say that Pryor's punishment is in no way a precedent. But with or without this blessing, the action does indeed set a precedent whether it is intended or not. The bar has been set, and in the famous legal maxim, you can't unring the bell.

2) For what violations is Pryor being punished? The original "crime" of selling memorabilia or the larger institutional violations that force the resignation of head coach Jim Tressel? If it is the latter, than that investigation is still ongoing and hasn't been concluded. If it is the former, then it is disproportionate to the infraction. The whole reason Pryor got the 5 game suspension was to put a better face on the fact that OSU and the NCAA allowed Pryor to play in the Sugar Bowl after the problems came to light. Pryor was willing to forgo half of his senior season to play in the game (as was Tressel, OSU, the NCAA and the BCS). Unfortunately for Pryor and OSU, Tressel was running a very unclean program and forced to resign between the Sugar Bowl win and the 2011 season, prompting Pryor to reconsider his commitment to play for a team in 2011 which was under NCAA investigation, would have a new coach, and for which Pryor would miss half the season. There seems little doubt that had Pryor know in December 2010 that Tressel would not be back and the Buckeyes would be facing significant sanctions moving forward that Pryor would have taken the Sugar Bowl suspension in lieu of the 5 games the following season (and declared his eligibility for the 2011 draft).

3) The idea that the NFL is now committed to enforcing NCAA discipline on players who evade college punishment is laughable. Reggie Bush just returned his Heisman Trophy and USC forfeited wins and the 2004 national championship, but Bush never missed a minute of playing time. If the NFL is serious about its newfound interest in holding college players to account, doesn't it have to suspend Bush for several games as well? And the burgeoning scandal at the U. would, by the same logic, imperil the playing status of former U players and current NFL stars like Vilma, Beason and who knows who else (Reggie Wayne? Antrell Rolle? McGahee? Kellen Winslow? Ed Reed? Vernon Carey? DJ Williams?) for accepting cash, prostitutes, and other illegal activities for which they were never held to account by the college rulemesiters.

4) Shouldn't the NFL be similarly concerned with disciplining wayward college coaches for their illicit doings? Pete Carroll jumped ship from USC when an NCAA investigation uncovered widespread institutional wrongdoing, resulting in forfeited wins, loss of scholarships, and a ban on post-season play. Based on Pryor's NFL punishment, shouldn't Carroll be sanctioned by the NFL?

The new collective bargaining agreement was supposed to end such arbitrary disciplinary decisions by Roger Goodell. His Terrelle Pryor decision shows that not only is that not the case, but that unequal punishment is still alive and well in the NFL.

Eagles Stats

So I was looking at the Eagles' all-time stats to see where Brian Westbrook ranked after seeing that the team gave #36 out to a player this year and wondering if B. Westbrook was worthy of having his number retired.

In looking at the numbers a couple other things jumped out at me.

To wit, are the Eagles the only NFL team with two QBs who are in the team's all-time top 10 in rushing yards (Randall at #5 and Donovan at #9)?

Also, Lesean McCoy is already #23 on the Eagles' career rushing yards with 1717, which probably says a lot more about the quality of the team's running backs through the years than it does about McCoy. I mean, Michael Haddix is #28 on the list, and he was a fullback, and Mike Hogan (!) is #21.

Anyway, with a 1000 yards rushing this year McCoy could catapult himself to about #12 on the all-time Eagles list, surpassing such notables as Correll Buckhalter (#17), Charlie Garner (16), Anthony Toney (15!!), Herschel Walker (14), and Keith Byars (12 with 2672 yards rushing).

No rest for #36

I can't believe the Eagles assigned #36 to a player this year (Ronnie Brown). I guess they won't be retiring Brian Westbrook's number.

Then again, B. Westbrook is only the #2 leading rusher in Eagles' history. And the Eagles haven't retired the number of the all-time ground gainer, Wibert Montgomery, either.

Complete Bozos

Well Halladay blew the game in the 9th trying go for another complete game.

At this point in the season, why does Charlie even allow this? Especially in mid-August with a one run lead. Sure, Halladay was right around the 100 pitch count, but why not bring a fresh arm in to lock down the win in the 9th? This was reminiscent of Francona's inability to stand up to Schilling back in the day, though, to be fair, that lousy bullpen back then blew a lot of leads/wins for Schilling in relief.

Halladay, Lee, and Hamels are 1,2,3 in innings pitched so far this year and now Hamels has a balky shoulder.

I've seen some reports of them going to a 6 man rotation in September to give them an extra days rest. What I'd also like to see is them only going 6-7 innings and then letting the bullpen take over.

Down on the Farm

it's getting ever harder to distinguish between pig and man, I mean Republican and Democrat. For instance, Republicans want to verify the immigration status of farmworkers, while Democrats oppose the plan and want to continue the financial exploitation of farmworkers because of their questionable immigration status.

"Bipartisan Compromise"

That is the wording the White House is using to describe the deal to increase the debt ceiling, a deal which includes no tax revenues and $1 trillion in spending cuts. What's worse: Obama covering up his negotiating incompetence by trying to couch fiscal surrender as a "bipartisan compromise" or if he actually believes getting metaphorically raped is a consensual act. 

Crazy

The Eagles have always been active in free agency, signing Kearse, Owens, Samuels, etc.

And now comes 2011, in which they've signed 3 of the top 6 free agents, according to Peter King's ranking: Nnamdi, Jenkins, and Babin.

1 Last Piece

Last item from Jayson Stark's column (and maybe why the kick in was needed):

 The Phillies took on so little (just $200,000) of Pence's salary that they have flexibility to deal for a low-budget bullpen arm or a home run threat off the bench. They continue to talk to Colorado about Jason Giambi. And they even asked the Twins about Jim Thome, but the Twins would like to hang onto Thome until he hits his 600th homer.

Why Hunter Pence

Aside from starting RF for the Phillies in 2012, here's perhaps one of the best reasons for the the Phillies' trade. from Jayson Stark:

It's going to be a fascinating 24 hours in the life of the Astros. By trading away Pence for no one who figures to play in the big leagues before 2014,

Pence Trade

Always good when you trade for the best player on another major league trade. Cossert or Singleton may be all-stars at some point but since both are under 21, that won't be for at least 3-4 years.

Lt. Kendrick?

Mitch Williams thinks Kyle Kendrick is going to be one of the 2 players to be named later in the Hunter Pence trade.

Brown to AAA?

So now that Hunter Pence has been traded for and penciled in at RF, do the Phils send Dom Brown back down to AAA for seasoning and playing time with the intent to bring him back up in September and for the playoffs or do they keep him on the major league roster for spot starts and pinch hitting?

The Exit Door

Everyone is expecting Kolb to be traded, but were any of you (I wasn't) expecting the wholesale turnover of the roster?

Akers and Mikell were already gone, but letting go of Stewart Bradley, Nick Cole, Max Jean-Gillies, Omar Gaither, Akeem Jordan and Sav Rocca?!

I think giving up on Bradley is a huge mistake. In fact, I thought he would definitely return to pro bowl form in the second year back from the ACL tear. Oh well.

I heard again the Redskins beat reporter say on the Washington sports radio station down the other day that he has a source who is a close friend to Andy Reid who says that Reid is getting close to retiring and is ready to make a big super bowl push because he wants to get that monkey off his back before he leaves the Eagles. 

DRC Jersey Rumor

Word has it that the Eagles' website had Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie's Eagles' jersey for sale earlier today but that it has since been taken down. Not sure whether it is true or not - or whether a deal to trade Kolb for DRC will even happen, but it does highlight that in the big business of professional football it's usually the marketing guys that are the first to know.

Lunacy

The usually stellar Phil Sheridan has lost his ever loving mind in suggesting that the Phillies trade Vance Worley or Dominic Brown (!) to rent Carlos Beltran from the hated Mets for the next four months.

I'm all for giving up minor league prospects, many of who don't necessarily pan out. But the point of trading for a Beltran is to exchange future talent for immediate playability. Trading Worley or Brown right now are not prospects they are actual talent that is helping the team with the best record in baseball win. Trading them is an even swap at best and likely actually weakens the team this season.

Not Players but Future Players

This point in the NYTimes story about the pending settlement of the NFL lockout caught my eye since it is so obviously wrong.

A new rookie wage system in which even the top picks in the 2011 draft could sign contracts worth about half of what the top picks signed for in 2010, a concession by players.

A rookie wage scale is not a concession by the players but a concession to prospective players. Indeed, such individuals aren't even in the NFL much less part of the union yet. It reminds me of a legal analysis of possible challenges to the draft. The weak point isn't the league's anti-trust exemption, it's the union's rule imposed upon individuals that aren't actually part of the union. 

President Romney

NYTimes' Nate Silver has two recent analysis that should give the Obama White House pause as it dismantles the New Deal legacy by slashing funding for the poor and elderly in ongoing debt ceiling negotiations with congressional Republicans. 

As Silver points out, the "deal" Obama has proposed to the GOP is significantly to the right of the average Republican voter. This remarkable fact is likely owed to the Obamaites obsession with moderate and independent voters and the 2012 election. Put aside the remarkable fact that a Democratic President has signed off on fiscal plan that is more austere to social programs than even average Republican voters want as a betrayal of the Democratic party.

But Obama's focus on out Reaganing Ronald Reagan could put his re-election in jeopardy...the exact opposite of the intended outcome.

For now comes Nate Silver's newest analysis that indicates Obama would be in a toss up election if the GOP nominee were Mitt Romney. Romney, of course, is the former moderate governor of Massachusetts who realized health care coverage for all the citizens in his state but who has now taken a hard right turn to appeal to the hard core conservative base that makes up the bulk of GOP primary voters.

Surely if Romney were to win the nomination, he would begin walking back to his moderate positions not only to appeal to centrist voters but also because that is where his true positions lie. 

If Obama continues on his bizarre right wing deficit cutting mission, it is entirely possible that Mitt Romney could be considered the more liberal candidate in the general election. Thus, the cynical assumption by Obama campaign operatives that liberals and progressives will have to support Obama because there is no alternative would not be accurate. Liberals and progressives may come to the realization that a President Romney will be more favorable, or at least more receptive, to their concerns than the Democratic incumbent. Strange times indeed.

Obama winning...thus on verge of surrender

New public opinion surveys show that Democrats and Obama are starting to win the debt ceiling debate. (Or is it merely that Republicans are losing it?)

Either way, momentum has shifted to the President, which is why, in inimitable Obama fashion he is now much more likely to cut a deal with his reeling opponents - a deal that will no doubt be very favorable to Republicans and their fat cat base at the expense of significant cuts to government programs that aid the poor and elderly.

All of which raises the question. Is Obama a crypto-conservative, or just an incompetent negotiator?

Quotable Rep. John Runyan

From today's NYTimes profile of House GOP Whip Kevin McCarthy.

Says Rep. Runyan:

"You know, when I was playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, we didn't start losing 'til Terrell Owens joined the team," he told McCarthy. "It only takes one guy to bring down a locker room."

Huge Win for the National League

Er, I mean the Phillies.

As my brother and friend PK note:

Awesome win for Phils/NL tonight. Shame Cliff couldn't finish off that 4th inning - or else the story of the night could have been Phillies pitching dominance.

As for what the all-star wins for the World Series:

The recent Red Sox-Phillies interleague series was enlightening.  Big Papi doesn't play in Philly. The Sox lose one of their top 2 hitters in Citizens Bank Park for games 1,2,6 and 7.  That's HUGE.

It could also effect rotation if it came to it.  Throw the lefties in Boston when he's in the lineup and pitch Hamels in games 1 or 2 because he hits well?

More Flyers' "Madness"

Again, from my hockey-knowing friend:

Watch this video of Homer's presser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aAipoOohrSU#at=324

He looks downright depressed.  The implication here is Snider wanted to make the big Bryzalov move and Homer had no option but to make these moves.  Again, I get and accept this with Carter, we assumed he was gone.  But to move Richards, the captain and face of the franchise?  There must be something bigger here.

Im listening to WIP online and reading the Inquirer right now, trying to make sense of this madness.

Flyers' Trades

My Flyers' fan and hockey-guru friend chimes in:

I am completely floored. 

They traded two guys in the prime of their careers. Again, I think this speaks to a fundamental problem with Richards behind the scenes. Giving up this much doesn't add up. There needs to be a story behind this. I'm sure it will come out soon and he won't look good.  I'm fine with Carter leaving 

Only silver lining- major youth movement in Philly: shenn, Giroux, JVR, leino, versteeg etc.  And they're relying on a pretty young goalie.  That sounds good, but no way we're winning it all for a while 

Flyers Overhaul

I get the need to clear cap space but I thought the idea was that bryzgslov was the final piece to a championhip team and not the start of rebuilding. 

Crazy. Richards did wear down over the season and wasn't much of a playoff factor. Last year he was awesome

1 More Year for Reid

Chris Russell, the Redskins beat reporter for DC sports station 106.7 "the fan" FM, says a "source close to Andy Reid" tells him that this will be Reid's last year as Eagles Head Coach. It's an unsubstantiated report but does jibe with top Eagles' executives' pronouncements that the team is "going for it" this season.

Howard

Phil Sheridan dances around the unspoken issue of racism regarding Ryan Howard's unpopularity (particularly in relation to Chase Utley's popularity) among Phillies fans.

More Battle Rattle

Stan Collender says Wall Street is already reacting negatively to the uncertainty of the debt limit vote. He also touches on theme and idea I already mentioned. To wit, that Dems and the administration should rattle the markets to bolster their negotiating position.

Writes Collender:

Try to imagine the virtually immediate impact on the stock price of government contractors if the administration announces on Aug. 2 that money owed to those companies will be paid after 120 days instead of 30, and you start to get a sense of how much the White House rather than Congressional Republicans are in control of the situation.

My point is, why should the administration wait till August 2nd to make such an announcement. Why not do it now, or at least mid July, to increase their leverage and put the heat on Republicans for playing politics with the debt vote and wreaking havoc with the market?

Phillies Fans Best Says Legendary Dodger

Davey Lopes says Phillies fans are the best.

"The fans, I consider the best in baseball."

$100?!

Giovanni Ramirez's alibi involves giving his 9 year old daughter a $100 bill to go buy a soda at a nearby store.

Who gives their child a $100 bill to buy anything without them present?

Still no word on Ramirez's immigration status.

NBA vs. NHL

I have often said that the NBA is a paper tiger as far as popularity and particularly media coverage is concerned. When was the last time you actually paid money out of your own pocket to attend a basketball game? Do you know anybody that in recent years has similarly paid money out of their own pocket to attend a basketball game? Certainly not for a regular season game. Maybe...maybe, a playoff game.

The result of this disproportionate media coverage of the NBA is that the NHL gets incredibly short shrift, as it competes against pro basketball during the regular season and especially in playoff time . (Though the fact that the Stanley Cup playoffs didn't start till June 1st is an NHL travesty.)

The discrepancy is noticeable in newspapers - note the sports page front of the NBA playoff results and the buried coverage of the NHL playoffs, but is most obvious when it comes to the "world wide leader."

Rich Hoffman takes aim at the issue and hits several targets squarely.

ESPN was going to spend a goodly portion of the hourlong show pumping up the start of the NBA Finals, which were to be aired on its corporate sister, ABC, was entirely understandable. ESPN, long ago, acknowledged that its news shows were a promotional vehicle as well as a journalistic enterprise.

Hoffman also highlights some surprising facts:

If you look at the four major leagues, look at them in terms of annual revenue generated, you get this kind of a rough breakdown:
NFL, $9 billion.
MLB, $7 billion.
NBA, $4 billion.
NHL, $3 billion.

Wow, the NBA is only $1 billion ahead of the NHL. Again, given the imbalance in media coverage you would assume the NBA is a much bigger, more popular sport. But it's not.

And then there's this:

But in there somewhere is the notion that the NHL seems more interested in serving its current customers in 2011, more interested in growing revenues by enhancing the experience for people who already love the game - because it already has the most affluent fan base among the four sports...In the meantime, though, it has to settle for pockets of strength, like Philadelphia (where the Flyers on CSN averaged a 2.4 rating this past season while the resurgent Sixers averaged only a 1.6).

Hockey is getting by and doing just fine. Can the same be said for basketball. Sadly, ESPN won't answer the question...or even ask it.

Dems Should Rattle the Markets

The great political journalist Paul Kane reports on the the Kabuki theater of a "clean" debt-ceiling vote that will occur this evening and "prove" that there isn't support, or at least a majority vote, for an increase in the national debt limit without some sort of fiscal action. The GOP is taking great pains to reassure Wall Street that this vote is merely symbolic while they continue their extreme demands for massive social spending cuts and the elimination of Medicare as the cost for their vote sometime in the near future. Their demands are patently reckless and irresponsible

My question is why Democrats have to be the responsible party solely concerned with the nation's debt rating, particularly since Republicans are so extreme on the other side of this issue?

Why don't Dems adopt Republican tactics in response and try to unsettle the markets by suggesting that they won't vote for any "unclean" debt ceiling vote? Boehner will need some Democratic support for any unclean increase and of course McConnell will need the same in the Senate. 

Better to rattle Wall Street now and have the GOP businessmen bring pressure to bear on their Republican puppets, rather than let insane Republican demands drive all of the negotiations.

Unfortunately, Dems don't do crazy. Unless it's Cynthia McKinney or Maxine Waters. Whereas crazy is running the House GOP leadership (Boehner excepted but complicit).

Mucho Illegal

LA police have arrested Giovanni Ramirez in the savage beating of Bryan Stow at Dodgers Stadium. Stow's crime in Ramirez's eyes was that Stow was a Giants fan.

The LA Times is reporting that Ramirez is a member of a Mexican street gang, the Varrio Nuevo Estrada. With estimates that up to 60% of such gang members are illegal immigrants, it's fair to ask if Ramirez is. And since Ramirez "has at least three prior felony convictions. According to police sources, he was convicted of attempted robbery in 1998, robbery in 1999, and firing a weapon in a public place in 2005," according to the LA Times, it is definitely worth pursuing an investigation as to whether Ramirez should have already been deported before he left the 42 year-old white father of two in a coma with brain damage.

Debt Do Us Part

If I were a Democrat, I would immediately introduce a bill directing the Treasury to pay armed services personnel and social security recipients ahead of bondholders in the event the Congress doesn't raise the debt limit and the country defaults on its obligations. It sets up a nice contrast to the money changers in the House temple who want to pay off bondholders before any others.

Another reason to Hate the Yankees & Cowboys

Just another reason why fans are increasingly better off watching games on their high-def TVs at home, the Yankees and Cowboys ding you an additional 20% above and beyond the posted price for concession food. Incredible!

Though come to think of it and especially as it relates to the Vikings stadium situation, adding a 20% surcharge on all concession sales at a stadium would seem to be a great revenue stream to help pay for said stadium's construction.

The Anti-Trust League

My favorite line from the most recent 8th Circuit ruling is this part of the dissent:

The NFL also argues, in the absence of a stay, its clubs will be required to "produce their inherently joint and collective product," which in turn will subject the League to further antitrust claims by the Players. Each of these arguments is questionable given the current juncture of affairs. The preliminary injunction does not dictate the NFL's free agency rules, or any other conduct in general, outside of the lockout. Moreover, the fact the NFL must comply with the law, i.e., the Sherman Act, does not constitute irreparable harm — it is the absolute minimum that could be expected of the League.

Yes, negotiating leverage is important in this labor dispute. But doesn't this suggest that lifting the lockout is much more about the NFLPA gaining leverage (at the expense of the league) but about the league being at risk of violating anti-trust law if it has to re-start operations?

Negotiation Limits

Only moronic democrats (or crypto-Republicans - it's hard to tell the difference) like Turbo Timmy Geithner would come up with a strategy to deal with House Republican hostage taking of the debt limit by delaying the crisis so that the Obama administration can eventually acquiesce to most of the Tea Party's demands. The debt limit was reached today. Rather than delaying the day of reckoning, why hasn't the administration tried to accelerate the debt issue and force Republicans to vote on the issue before they could organize their demands?

Dead on Rick Reilly

ESPN's Rick Reilly reevaluates the 2006-08 drafts - and reorders the picks based on how the selections have actually played, It's really surprising no one has done this on a league wide basis before.

Tow things that really jump out: for all of the criticism the Texans got for forsaking Reggie Bush in favor of Mario Williams, that pick stands the test of time. 

2nd: Reilly is a coldhearted SOB. He lists Gaines Adams (the #4 overall pick in the 2007 draft by the Bucs) as someone who wouldn't have been drafted in hindsight cause....Adams is now dead.  Wow.

A League year

The "league year" has not begun, which is why trades and free agent signings can't be conducted. But the draft is going forward. Does this mean that college players drafted this weekend will accrue a year of service when the league year actually begins?

Labor Law

Btw, I need to get a labor law expert to chime in, but how is it that - legally - the league can conduct this year's draft which, as I understand it, is be operated under the auspices of the CBA - when the CBA is expired and the players union doesn't even exist anymore?

Collusion Next?

In some ways, I'm shocked that the league hasn't postponed the draft because of the recent legal decisions.

At the very least, they need to come up with new work rules in light of the absence of a CBA and no lockout.

As of now, teams are able to trade players and sign free agents. if none do before the draft begins, or even shortly afterwards, I would imagine the players would have another lawsuit they could win related to collusion.

If i were the NFLPA, i would instruct players to again try to gain entry to team facilities today on the day of the draft and force teams to turn them away again - showing that while they have no plan for how to deal with players they are continuing with the draft.

Crazy.

Game 7

The Flyers live to play another round. And my Flyer fan friend, the Big O, nailed the game 7 prediction, accurately suggesting that if the Flyers could get a 2 goal lead in the 2nd perioed they would win the game, both of which occurred.

Birther

President Obama has released his "long form" birth certificate. In theory, the document should quell the lingering yet widespread doubts about his birthplace among conspiracy minded (or is it delusional) Republicans. Yet, the document also means that congressional Democrats missed (again) an opportunity to take the offensive and put their colleagues to a difficult vote.

Congressional Democrats should have introduced a privileged resolution affirming that Obama is a native born American and the duly elected President of the United States. Because all House and Senate members take an oath to uphold the constitution, their very positions require them to remove the president if they didn't believe him to be constitutionally qualified to be president. Democrats should have forced Republicans to vote on the record on the issue and try to drive at least a slight wedge between the elected officials and the tea party base.

But being Democrats, they of course chose to do nothing.

Game 7 Prediction

Flyer fan fave Big O's Game 7 Prediction:

First of all, you should both know that I predicted that this series was going to go 7, exclusively because of this team's deplorable goaltending situation. 

Prediction:  If we have a 2-3-goal lead by the middle of the 2nd period, we win. If not, its highly likely we lose, in overtime.

Great Minds Think Alike

My friend PK has the same thought with respect to the lockout injunction:

Good lord, could we be so lucky as to have trades and free-agent signings resume, even if it's just for 1 week? Deep down, if you're Eagles management, you've got to be praying for some break in the logjam so that we can unload Kolb. Right?
If we can unload him for a 1st rounder, we could be setting ourselves up to be real Super Bowl contenders for the next 2-3 seasons, depending on how healthy Vick can remain.

Lockout Injuction and Trading Kolb

I you read the comments on all the lockout stories on profootballtalk.com it is UNBELIEVABLE how many of their readers mindlessly support the owners and blame the players for "ruining" football. That was pre-yesterday's ruling. The vast majority of comments blamed the players for the lockout. Blamed the players for being too greedy, etc. it's incredible.

Now, post-lockout injunction ruling, most of the comments are blaming the players for trying to eliminate the draft, salary caps, veteran minimum salaries, and the overall competitiveness of the league. It is incredible.

Anyway, I posted a comment that while the ruling was a clear defeat for the owners the timing could not have been better for teams as it will allow them to sign and trade players in the run up and during the draft (assuming the judge doesn't rule on the league's stay request until post-draft). Including the Eagles and their disposition of Kolb.

BTW, did you see the reports that D'Brickshaw Ferguson showed up at the Jets facility today for his off-season workout (for which he earns $750,000 as a bonus) and was refused entry by security. Guess who will be suing the Jets for $750,000 when this work stoppage is resolved.

1st Round Roulette

Has any team ever started three different goalies in 6 games of a playoff series? Has any team ever won a playoff series while starting three different goalies?

The Flyers' seemingly perpetual goaltending revolving door - of starting net-minders who were just average at best (Ron Hextall's first time through, excepted) - is like the round robin of kickers the Eagles used to go through before they were able to find a go-to kicker in David Akers. Will the Flyers ever be able to win a Cup with their shortshriftedness of the goalie position.

Brian Boucher summarizes it thusly: "Isn't it always bizarre in Philadelphia for goaltenders?"

Indeed.

Sheen and Sports

It's funny that the news media, particularly the Washington Post, are making such a big deal about the police escort Charlie Sheen received the other day from the airport to his show. The Post's editors are in such high dudgeon that they merited the situation a critical editorial. Here's hoping that the Post and other news orgs remember their outrage about inappropriate use of police resources and escorts the next time a professional sports team - like the Redskins or their opponent, or the network announcers covering said game - get similar treatment.

Eagles to play Bills in Toronto

On either November 13 or the 30 per ProFootballTalk.com. Also per them, Mike Vick might have a hard time gaining entry to Canada for the game.

I've also heard speculation that the league will likely schedule a Giants/Jets Sunday night nationally televised game on 9/11, the 10th anniversary of the, well, 9/11 attacks. Toward that end, the Redskins are expected to host a game that day, too. Cause, you know, the Pentagon was also hit. What better way to celebrate than with a game by a team named for a city they don't play in to be held in a state where the attacks didn't occur.

I've also heard rumors that the Eagles will also host a game on 9/11 cause of the plane that crashed in Pa. But isn't that site closer to the Steelers than Eagles? Or will both Penna. teams get a home game that day?

That is, of course, if there is a season.

Victory

Barry Bonds was vindicated in his epic legal battle with federal prosecutors and jeff novinski, his own Inspector Javert.

he was found guilty of obstructing justice, but my money is on the judge overturning that verdict on May 20th. He "obstructed justice" by failing to answer a question clearly, not because he lied or gave false testimony.

Lincoln

Surprising that on the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War that the Nationals' didn't have President Abraham Lincoln win the "presidents" race in the game on Wednesday. Washington, DC is a southern city below the Mason-Dixon line, but did the Lerners not care or hope to avoid controversy by in no way recognizing this historic milestone in American history?

Some 2nd Game

My friend Pk attended last night's Cliff Lee love-fest, specifically selecting this game to see Lee's triumphant return.

He reports:

The man got a thunderous standing ovation for executing a sacrifice bunt, that's about what I can tell you in terms of just how crazed the atmosphere. As part of the opening weekend, they had lotsa little kids involved in the game -- the lineups were announced by some little girl and the 1st inning at-bats were announced by some little boy.

So, it's not quite 7 pm, and the little girl is announcing the lineups for both teams. Finally, after announcing Valdez batting 8th, the little girl knows enough to give a dramatic pause. The bullpen doors open in CF, and No. 33 comes bolting outta the gate. "Batting 9th for the Phillies, pitcher Cliff Lee!!!" I don't think anyone in the stadium could even hear her say the word "Lee", because by then it was so loud, every single person standing and cheering like mad.

I think I can safely say that it was the most electric 2nd game of the season that anyone has ever witnessed.

Sheridan Nails It

Per Phil Sheridan:

"The fans here are known for making noise, but not necessarily applause. Standing up isn't uncommon, but usually it's to get a better angle to hurl invective. This is a reputation we're both embarrassed by and, let's be honest, oddly proud of. Jimmy Rollins, who has served honorably here for over a decade, smiled with real affection Friday as he described the fans heckling the team before the ninth inning. On opening day."

Lee-fest

Cliff Lee: "These fans have the knack for getting a little louder than anybody else. I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's alcohol-induced or what. They definitely have a knack for supporting their team, which is good."

He likes us, he really likes us!

What are the odds?

What would the odds have been and who in their right mind would have taken the bet at any point up till the last week of March that Butler rather than Duke would be the team returning to this year's championship game?

What's Wrong with College Basketball

That UK coach John Calipari can coach in the Final Four, much less the NCAA tournament this year, while the team he used to coach, Memphis  - and the players still there as well as the players who have joined the team since he left - are barred from playing in the tournament.

How is that fair?

NCAA basketball = penalizing players and rewarding coaches. It's the ultimate coaches league.

Kolb Contract

How the hell did I miss the numbers in Kevin Kolb's contract extension last year. He got $12 million guaranteed?!?!!?!?!?

Wow.

It's Official

Philadelphia has a serious city-crush on Cliff Lee.

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20110402_Cliff_Lee_strikes_out_11_as_Phillies_pound_Astros__9-4.html

Phillies Fans Most Loyal

And least likely to "like" other teams...and most "provincial," i.e., more likely to be friends with other Phils' fans.

All according to Facebook statistical analysis.

Management Stooges

It's remarkable to me how pro-management, or "pro-billionaire," the average NFL fan is in the current labor dispute. One need only read a sample of the comments on Profootballtalk.com to come away astounded how sympathetic the posters are to the owners' position and, in turn, how vitriolic they are against the players.

Even more amazing is that - judging by the comments under most news entries - readers blame the players for the lockout...even though it is the owners who reopened the collective bargaining agreement and locked out the players that has led to the work stoppage.

It is just stunning to read how fans favor the owners in their quest to take even more than the existing $1 billion off the top before sharing revenue with the players;the anger directed at the players for wanting to see the team's financial books, and the anger at the players for suing the league. Commenters are under the mistaken impression that all NFL players are millionaires even though the average salary is $800,000 and the average career lasts no longer than four years.

There must be something about football that engenders this pro-owner mentality. As I've written previously, football fans appear more interested and incensed when players don't play to their contracts - to the point of suggesting clawbacks of signing bonuses - than fans of any other sports. (For example, where was the outrage among basketball fans (or football fans for that matter) when the Sixers bought out Chris Webber's contract to the tune of$48 million only to watch C-Webb immediately sign another albeit less lucrative contract that was an albatross around the Sixers' neck after the buyout).

Sheridan Doesn't Heart Ray

Or maybe Phil Sheridan doesn't remember Allan Ray in his reference to the last great Villanova team?

Wages of Sin

As is typical of the lack of reporting on the NFL-NFLPA labor talks, even the "world wide leader" in sports fails to provide the important details of the issues at hand. To wit, the "rookie wage scale" in which rookies would be slotted with certain salaries based on their draft position fails to mention how long their contracts under this plan would be. A not inconsiderable consideration given that most rookie contracts are 4 years and the average NFL career is ... 4 years. Meaning that most rookies will sign and earn one contract in their career, a contract that will be limited in the amount they will get paid under a new rookie wage scale.

Bonds Away

God help me, but I'm rooting for Barry Bonds.

In my heart I know he knowingly used PEDs, but i'm fascinated and impressed that he has scrupulously created plausible deniability - and stuck with it - and has worked with a trainer that has been willing to go to jail rather than turn state's evidence against him (though i'm not so naive to believe there isn't some sort of monetary compensation ultimately involved).

Bonds is the most hated man in baseball. And yet, the government and baseball have not been able to definitively pin steroids use on him. More incredibly, unlike all of his peers - Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite, Jeff Bagwell, Raffy Palmeiro, Miguel Tejada, Jason Giambi, etc. - Bonds has continually denied his knowing use of steroids, nor had any close associate rat him out.

Now comes the even greater irony. The federal government's Javert-like investigation is turning Bonds into a sympathetic victim of prosecutorial excess.

From the NY Times:

 On Tuesday, the judge ruled for the prosecution on several pieces of evidence the defense had asked to be excluded.
Illston said she would allow testimony of Kimberly Bell, Bonds's former mistress, that related to the physical and psychological changes she saw in Bonds.
Prosecutors said those changes would include how Bell noticed the shrinkage of Bonds's testicles and the worsening of his sexual performance, which the government says indicate steroid use. The judge also will allow Bell to describe an incident in which she has said Bonds grabbed her by the throat and threatened her.

What a Ken Starr-like strategy.

Seriously?

A mistress will testify on his allegedly shrunken balls and sexual performance? And the allegation of domestic violence as proof of 'roid rage? Will the defense call Milton Bradley and Elijah Dukes to the stand, both recently charged with domestic violence and clean testers of PED, to show that violence against women does not have to be the result of PED use but of misogyny?

Go, Barry, Go!

18 game update

One update/correction to my earlier analysis of the players' share of any new money from an 18 game schedule.

I initially calculated each players' share of the $6.6 million per team a new 18 game TV contract would generate based on a 55 man roster (presuming that rosters would be expanded by two to account for the extra games). Since the 8 player practice squad is also counted under the salary cap, the $6.6 million should not have been divided by 55 but by 61. Note, I am presuming that in exchange for the two extra roster spots, the owners will commensurately reduce the practice squad roster from 8 players to 6. 

So under this new math, the average player salary would increase by $106,000 ($6.6 million divided by 61). 

No to 18 games

Despite ongoing labor negotiations, it appears that - at least by most press reports - that the league is moving inexorably to an 18 game schedule despite concern by the players union and a complete lack of demand by fans. 18 games certainly doesn't make sense from a labor standpoint - the two extra games only add to the wear and tear of what is already a debilitating 16 game season for players (63% of all players were injured in 2010-11 season). (And the NFLPA needs to be doubly sure to reduce the vesting time for an NFL pension from the current 4 years down to 3 years and perhaps 2 if they are going to increase the season by 12%.)

18 games doesn't make sense from a competitive standpoint either. For many teams - and fans - the additional two games means having to endure an even longer slog to mediocrity and what had previously been a 6-10 season, into a 7-11 season. Ugh.

No, the reason the 18 game season is even in play is for money, pure and simple.The owners see it as a way to increase revenue as a bargaining chip in reducing the players' share of revenue. But even from a financial standpoint, the 18 game schedule doesn't make sense.

First off, these aren't "new game" but essentially the "repurposing" of 2 preseason games. Since preseason games are a required purchase in every team's season ticket package, transforming the preseason games, er, "exhibition" games, to actual games will have very little impact on the live gate. Since many of the purchased seats go unused, teams will probably see an increase in concession sales, but that extra money on a single home game would be peanuts relative to the gains hoped for in the television revenue.

No, the real projected money comes in the form of increased fees for the television contracts. But even these projections are questionable.

The NFL currently receives $3.085 billion per year from their broadcast "partners" - CBS, Fox, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. 

This works out to $193 million/week based on a 16 game schedule. So the addition of two extra games/weeks, should increase potential rights fees by $386 million ($193 x 2).

Wow, that sounds like a lot. But when you break it down, it may be a windfall to the owners (essentially free money) but it isn't a very good deal for the players.

Presuming that player salaries would be 55% of league revenue in a new CBA, these additional two weeks only amount to $212 million. Divided by 32 teams, it is only an extra $6 million to each team's salary pool. Divided between 55 players (one of the NLFPA's positions is that in return for an 18 game schedule, teams would add two roster spots to their 53 man rosters), it amounts to only $120,000 per player. Admittedly, $120,000 is a sizeable increase to the median player salary, which for most teams is in the $800,000 range, But it is less for the average team salary, which is roughly between $1.6 and $2 million/year. Of course, the $6.6 million is not going to be distributed equally among all roster players meaning that most journeyman players will see only minimal increases. Indeed, the NFLPA would be wise to increase the minimum salary requirements to ensure most of this increase is fairly disseminated.

Having said all that, the projected revenue numbers I used are probably higher than they actually would be. For some of the reasons stated above, TV networks likely wouldn't just proportionally increase their payouts for the two additional games. Most teams will be out of the playoffs by then, so the two additional weeks would likely see lower ratings. Also, the increase chance of injury would also have a negative impact on ratings for teams whose major contributing players are out.

Also, and this seems to get lost in all the talk about the extra money generated by the two extra games - those games are already being broadcast and the teams are getting payouts from local affiliates to do so. I haven't been able to find information about the preseason television contracts but these are certainly worth several hundred thousand dollars per game and should be subtracted from any potential gains of a new 18 game television contract. 

NFL and TSA

The most interesting tidbit about this investigation of Chiefs' players after a November game is the nugget about TSA security regarding NFL teams.

TSA agents pre-screen players on visiting NFL teams at the stadium, so that they can be taken straight to their airline gate by bus.

Union Brotherhood

I wonder if the Packers, and particularly Charles Woodson, would be taking such a high-profile stand (or any stand at all) in support of public-sector union workers in Wisconsin, if there wasn't a looming labor war in professional football.

No Nova D-I Football

As a Villanova grad, the pending decision by the Board of Trustees as to whether to step up and become a member of the Big East's Division I football conference is a big deal to me. It would be a big mistake for Villanova to make that move.

The Inqy has an article that covers several of the main concerns of such a move. Unfortunately, most get short shrift or just a cursory mention without further exploration. The main thrust of the article is how much it will cost Villanova to compete in D-I as opposed to D-IAA (I know it's called the football championship subdivision, but i'm old school when it comes to college football. Call it whatever "championship" or subdivision you want, it's still Double A football).

The school already has paid out over $4 million a year lately to play I-AA football. What's the price tag for I-A?

The expectation is that if Villanova moves up, it will cost a cumulative $5 million during the three years (2011-13) before the school starts collecting Big East revenues. After that, one working estimate floating around is that Villanova would have to spend about $1 million more than it has been paying for the lower level, even with their share of Big East revenues. Since the Big East's TV deal is still to be negotiated, that figure isn't definitive. There is no definitive number.

First, these numbers are (purposely?) confusing. Villanova currently spends $4 million a year in I-AA. They will only be spending $1.6 million per year in the first three years in the Big East ("it will cost a cumulative $5 million during the three years before the school starts collecting Big East revenues." Does the reporter mean to say that it will be an extra $5 million above and beyond the current $4 million annually? Perhaps, but that's not how it's written. As presented, moving to the Big East is a savings of more than $2 million annually just on expenses alone (not counting additional revenue).

Later, comes this

After that, one working estimate floating around is that Villanova would have to spend about $1 million more than it has been paying for the lower level, even with their share of Big East revenues.

This suggests that net Big East conference revenue, it will still cost $1 million more (or put into perspective, an additional 25% (based on the current $4 million annual expenditure) to play big-time Big East football.

Regarding attendance

A consulting firm hired by Villanova also has looked at potential attendance. Villanova draws 7,000 or 8,000 for a strong I-AA team. Can the Wildcats double or almost triple that in the Big East playing at PPL? Surveys have been done working with different price points. The results, according to one Villanova source, were "pretty positive . . . there is a substantive demand for this product." By that, the source said, there is probably "sufficient interest among our core constituents" to remove attendance as an area of concern.

I don't believe these numbers for a second. Maybe Villanova could double attendance - to 14,000. But triple it? I think that is a huge stretch. More importantly, at best that would place Villanova attendance at 24,000 per game. But it is focusing on the wrong benchmark. The 24,000 may be very impressive from the current baseline but 24,000 pales in comparison to the attendance of established D-I schools. I'm not even talking about the 100,000 that weekly attend Michigan games, but even the 35-40,000 that watch Syracuse play. In short, 24,000 is a pittance in D-I, and that is Villanova's best case scenario. This is the key point. Notwithstanding the big Philadelphia TV market (which they share with Temple in football), there simply aren't the fans or desire to fully support Villanova D-I football on the scale necessary to compete, much less succeed, against the likes of Pitt, WVa, Tennesse, Florida St. et. al. The fact of the matter is that D-I football is played by large state schools with lots of resources, alumni and infrastructure (Notre Dame the notable exception). Add in that Philadelphia is clearly a pro football town, and it is hard to see how Villanova football can hope to thrive in this environment.

And then, of course, there is the impact on the real issue - Villanova basketball. Or as the university refers to it, the school's meal ticket. Will D-I football drain resources, attention and tarnish (presuming Villanova gridironers' perform middlingly on the field) the basketball team's reputation.

I remember when Villanova first disbanded football and then restarted it. Andy Talley has succeeded beyond anyone's dreams. But let's not mistake success at the I-AA level into thinking that it will translate to D-I. Villanova simply doesn't have the resources or support to sustain such a program. They are fine just where they are, and where they belong.

The Perfect 21st Century American Marriage

Super Bowl+Patriotism+Celebrity+Gambling= Controversy!

This week's sign of the Apocalypse: the betting controversy surrounding Christina Aguilera's muffed national anthem. Per Business Insider:

If you haven't heard by now, Christina Aguilera messed up the words to the National Anthem before last night's Super Bowl.
The mistake was widely criticized by patriotic citizens, but was met with even more anger from bettors who were screwed by Aguilera's rendition of the song.
She skipped a full line, instead singing some combination of words from the second line, which skewed the length of the anthem.  The over/under for the Anthem was set at 1:54 and Aguilera's version clocked in at separate times of 1:53 and 1:54 according to Sportsbook.com.  Initially it appeared likely that the under was going to be declared the winner while those that chose the over were going to get hosed.
But, Sportsbook.com recognized the problem and has decided to pay winnings to both sides of the prop.  We'll see if others follow suit.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/christina-aguilera-prop-sportsbookcom-2011-2#ixzz1DNVDS9ki

Random Super Bowl Thoughts

* Clay Matthews saved his reputation by forcing what turned out to be thee decisive fumble/turnover of the game. Up to that point, Mathews had pretty much been a non-entity and the Steelers had shown that the best way to neutralize Mathews was to run right at him. I don't have the exact stats in front of me, but it seems that most of the Steelers' running plays were to their right side - especially off tackle...or right at Mathews. Indeed, Mathews made the key play of the game because the Packers had adjusted to the Steelers game plan/Mathews ineffectiveness by playing a 4-3 defense on that specific play and moving Mathews off the line of scrimmage and into a more conventional outside LB position.

 

* The officiating was just a bit below sub-par. The two most notable calls were the first down the Steeelers were awarded on a very generous spot when their receiver caught the ball for the first down but double back BEFORE the defender made contact and was subsequently spotted the first. It was a typical NFL officiating ruling in giving the offense a generous spot/benefit of the doubt - particularly as such passes are often completed and the receiver driven backwards by the defender.. Unfortunately, in this instance the defender didn't initiate contact until after the receiver had already conceded the yardage himself.

 

The second questionalbe call was the play in th the Packers' challenged. To me, it looked clear that the Packers receiver had secured the ball with two feet onthe ground and had taken a full step before fumbling. I'm not sure what Aikman and Buck were talking about regarding the play being whistled dead since the Packers did recover the football anyway. To compound the confusion, former NFL head official Mike Perreira said he thought it was a good call and then offered a surprisng nugget - that the refs review challenged plays at full speed?! Whoa!? Perreira said that the ref would look at the play at full speed to determine if he had possession. The refs don't look at replays in slo-motion?

 

* The Groupon ads absolutely blew. The Chrysler commercial was pretty cool. And what in the hell was about the pompous and blatantly, over-the-top patriotism of reciting the Declaration of Independence? When I think football, i think the founding fathers?

 

* Christina Aguilera would have won the over on the 1:54 national anthem if she hadn't blown a whole verse of lyrics. As it was, it was hard to tell when she ended the song - very close to 1:54 - because the flyover drowned her out a bit.

 

* the halftime show highlighted that most of America knows only one Black Eyed Peas song - so much so that they sang it twice during their short set.

 

* Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the Eagles' Super Bowl loss to the Patriots.

 

 

My pick

Packers 34
Steelers 30

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Eagles All-time (losing) record

So I got an Eagles desk calendar for Christmas, which is great in and of itself, but even better for providing content for this blog.

For instance, the Eagles all-time record is now 528-561-26, including the post-season.

A Weighty Matter

Aside from the long-term concussive damage of larger and larger men slamming into each other and faster and faster speeds, the enormous physical growth of players is also, in my opinion, one additional factor in the eventual slide in popularity of the NFL. More and more, players do not resemble actual human beings - certainly not the average size - but rather a different species entirely. It was not always so, as the average player in the '60 was not the freakishly large behemoth that romps on the gridiron today.

It will become increasingly difficult for the typical fan (or schoolboy) to identify with (or play) football players at the pro level and increasingly at the college and high school levels as well.

From the Times:

In 1970, only one N.F.L. player weighed as much as 300 pounds...and 532 as training camps began in 2010.

The average weight of an NFL player is now 252 lbs!

And like steroids, the pro problem is leaking down to the amateur level.

The issue of weight and heart risks has spread even to high schools, where studies indicate that more than half of linemen are overweight. Some medical experts have called for weight limits on players, though that seems unlikely in the immediate future.

Think about that for a second. Half of high school linemen, the position with the most players on the field (offense and defense), are overweight. Amazing.

NFL-Union

Interesting article in yesterday's NY Times about the NFLPA's attempts to have the owners open their books to prove their poor mouth claims and the meager financial information they are able to get from the publicly-owned Packers' required, albeit limited, financial reports.

The key info from the Times:

The Packers earn much less than they did four years ago. Their operating profit fell 71 percent from $34.2 million in the year ended March 31, 2007 (which coincides with the start of the current collective-bargaining agreement), to $9.8 million in the year ended last March 31. Revenue rose 18 percent in that period to $257.9 million.

The primary reason for the sharply reduced profit was player costs (salaries and benefits), which swelled in those years to $160.8 million from $110.7 million....Murphy said, "Our player costs are growing at twice the rate our revenue is growing."

These are some interesting numbers and the reporter fails to put them into context.

For starters, their was no salary cap this year - which was the result of the owner's prematurely opening up the collective bargaining agreement. So yes, of course salaries went up or "swelled" as the Times' reporter puts it, especially in the most recent year. Until then, however, salaries were kept remarkably stable and pegged to league revenues. Indeed, the salary cap prevented player costs from growing at twice the rate of revenue growth. The league can't complain that salaries are skyrocketing when it is the owners themselves who eliminated the barrier that had previously prevented it from happening.

Second, where did this $160.8 million figure for player salaries and benefits come from? According to the salary information resource page from USA Today, the Packers "total payroll" was $113,959,603 in 2009-10. That is salaries, not including benefits. Is it really the contention of the Packers, league, and NY Times that player benefits add another 41% to their labor costs, especially when they are considered independent contractors?

Packers' WRs

One of the arguments people make in claiming how great Aaron Rodgers, and he is a top QB, compared to his peers is how "lousy" the rest of his supporting cast is, especially his wide receivers. I've heard this several times in debates over Rodgers vs. Vick this year. What's interesting is how little respect the Packer WRs get considering how good they are. Greg Jennings was 4th in the league in receiving yards, 15th in receptions, and 2nd in TDs. Yes, Rodgers makes Jennings better, but it's pretty clear that Jennings is one of the top receivers in the entire league. And he gets paid like it too. 

Interestingly, Jennings is the highest paid Packer. He makes more than Rodgers, Woodson, et. al..  is,