Today's News-Get all the news
November 30, 2007
| By Dennis Bakay
| 
Discuss
Still Out
McNabb misses practice again today
It looks like McNabb is definitely out for the game this Sunday. He missed practice on Thursday and just in, he won't practice today either.
Feeley will take the helm again on Sunday in some ugly conditions against the Seahawks. Hopefully they fair better this time then when they last played the Seahawks at home in one of the ugliest games in Philly history-a 42-0 Monday Night disaster two years ago.
What made that game worse, was that Reggie White was honored after his death and the Eagles laid a complete stinker.
Of course the QB then was Mike "Crazy Eyes" McMahon, who might have been the 
worst Eagles' quarterback in the past 20 years.
Is it possible McMahon is in some way related to famed cult leader Marshall Applewhite?
Things that make you go hmmm.
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New unis for Phils
The Phillies unveiled some awesome uniforms for next year. This is an organization that gets it when it comes to throwback jerseys, unlike the Eagles who put those garish blue and yellow things out there.
The Phils are going to go with the 1950 throwback jerseys on home day games this year.
Good move Phils.
Now, how about re-signing Aaron Rowand and forget about going after stiffs like Melvin Mora and Geoff Jenkins.
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Joe Paterno's pay is now made public
Penn State University and Paterno guarded over this secret like the military guards over a top secret fighter jet design.
Well after a five-year court battle his salary has now been made public. He is slated to earn just over half a million this year-$512,664 to be exact.
That figure is most certainly not exactly what he earns. Most college coaches get some scratch from other sources like TV and apparel.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Gettin' Defensive
Reid and McNabb strike back about QB controversy
For the last several years I thought people would look for things to point out in McNabb just to criticize him, but yesterday's comments are indefensible.
Both he and Reid crossed the line yesterday.
First, Reid was talking down the reporters like they were school children.
"Let's not confuse words here. I'll try to repeat that for you every day that I talk to you so there's no confusion."
And, he went on to say, "Well, I've got 51 percent of the vote," Reid said. "I really don't care what anyone else thinks on that. I make that final decision."
While I respect him standing by his quarterback-the guy who he's gone to battle with so many times over the years, there's no reason for him to get pissy when the media is just doing their job. What the hell are they supposed to be asking, "How Chris Gokong looks in practice this week?"
It's the hot topic and it comes with the job. So, deal with it and answer the question without an atittude.
And, McNabb tried to act like he wasn't going to "waste his time" by bringing it up, but he did anyway and started pissing and moaning about how he's not getting respect after everything he's done.
Sports is a "what have you done lately for me business" and again it comes with the job. He brought up how people seem to have forgotten what he's done in his career. That's not the case. It's about the job he's done this season and his last five starts of last year. Other than 4-game run in 2005 and his first 5 games of last season he's been quite erratic over the past three seasons and has been a .500 quarterback.
It's only fair that he gets criticized for it.
McNabb does think he has a good shot at playing this Sunday.
Asked if he thought he'd play this week, McNabb said: "There's a good possibility. Again, you don't want to do anything to give you a setback. We've definitely been progressing. I've been staying on it, and trying to do extra whenever I can. When the time comes, I'll be ready to get out there and move around."
It won't be easy conditions though. The forecast calls for heavy rain in cold weather conditions.
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Phillies going back to their bread-n-butter and picking through the trash
http://www.bized.co.uk/images/homeless.jpg
Get ready for a blockbuster move people.
Drumroll...
Youman was claimed off waivers.
He went 3-5 with a 5.97 ERA in 11 starts (16 games) with the Pirates.
Woo hoo!
I can see it now. 7th inning of a tie game in late-July and the bases are loaded up by Youman, then he gives up a bases clearing double off the wall and the boos rain in at The Bank.
The word is the Phils are interested in aging, broken-down third basemen Melvin Mora.
Mora would be right up there alley. I'll tell you this much. I had him on my fantasy baseball team and he stunk it up worse than a broken colostomy bag. He was hurt half the year and compiled stats of Mora, .274 with 14 homers and 58 RBI. He's also 35 years old.
I
'm betting he's in red and white pin stripes come opening day. They would have to trade for him, but it wouldn't take much since he wants out of Baltimore and he's as old as a '72 Ford Pinto.
And, they wouldn't break the bank to pay him either. He's due to make $8 million in each of the next two seasons.
Meanwhile, lets look at the Angels who really are trying to build a championship team. They are reportedly after Miguel Tejada and Johan Santana. In fairness though, they have much better minor league prospects to offer.
The Phillies would have a better minor league system if they pumped more money into it.
But of course that goes back to...you know who.
It's a vicious cycle and it's been going on since they bought the team in '81.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Starting?
McNabb says he expects to play on Sunday
To start or not to start, that is the question.
Andy Reid seemed annoyed when asked that magic question again.
He said he'd "try to repeat it everyday" for the media and that is McNabb will start when he's ready.
Meanwhile, McNabb said he expects to start on Sunday.
All quiet on the controversy front today. This is a sudden change because Reid seems adamant about McNabb being the man.
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Ata-boy!
McNabb went on his blog yesterday and gave some props to Feeley for his performance on Sunday. And, he's wondering what all the fuss is about as far as him rooting on his teammate.
McNabb's latest blog is entitled "Great Job!"
Way to go Donny.
He did get a little testy about a remark regarding him having a bittersweet feeling. This was a follow-up comment to his blog yesterday.
If McNabb is on edge about a single remark, just imagine how pissed he'd be if he in fact wasn't the man. (See above about Reid's comments).
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Showin' some love for the Sixers
And, I gotta show some love for the Sixers last night after their 114-99 win against the Bucks.
They beat one of the hottest teams in the NBA in the Milwaukee Bucks, who were coming off an 5-game winning streak.
I can't even use the back-to-back excuse or road trip excuse. The Bucks had two nights off after a big win against Dallas.
Maybe it was a letdown, but so what, the Sixers whooped them on the road by 15.
There won't be many more like that this season so hope you enjoyed it, the 10 of you that watched the game that is!
With that said, I hope the Sixers get back to their losing ways and keep up with their original pace of 20 wins when they were 2-6. They're now at 4-9.
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Quarterback controversy, schmooreterback blontroversy
efore I even get into anything I’m going to say that I am fully aware that I am a shameless supporter of Donovan McNabb. I don’t know what it is about him. I feel like an abused spouse who keeps returning to their loved one hoping that it’s going to be “good again.” Sometimes, for a while at least, it is. Then something like this happens.
No doubt this week’s close loss to the powerful Patriots will stir up some quarterback controversy. All I have to say to that is “quarterback controversy, schmooreterback blontroversy.” All right, that doesn’t really work when the words are that long, but you catch my drift..
Read the rest of the article here.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
100%
Reid says McNabb won't play until he's 100%
Reid said in his press conference yesterday that McNabb won't return until he's 100%.
Interesting.
He wasn't 100% this entire season and now he's supposedly going to get there after recovering from the knee, ankle, and thumb.
Analyzing McNabb's injuries is like playing operation anymore.
He's had a litany of injuries dating back to 2002.
2002-broken ankle causing him to miss the final 6 regular season games.
2003-banged up thumb causing him to have a horrific slump through the first 6 games of the season.
2005-bruised sternum and sports hernia.
2006-torn ACL.
2007-banged up ankle and thumb.
I've been called a McNabb apologist before for defending him almost too much. Looking at things objectively one could say the broken ankle and ACL are freak injuries. But, now looking at the sum of all the parts over the past 6 seasons it's safe to say he's breaking down physically and becoming injury-prone.
So, now it looks as though Reid is using the 100% excuse to go to Feeley. This way he plays both sides of the fence and does what's in the best interests of the team.
No matter how you look at it, Feeley does run this "system" more efficiently. McNabb may be a better QB, but perhaps he and Reid just can't coalesce any longer, because Reid isn't going anywhere and he's certainly not going to stop utilizing a pass-happy offense.
And, probably the most important thing is that McNabb is just 14-15 as a starter since 2005.
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Redskins safety Sean Taylor dies
Sad story coming out about Taylor passing away.
He was one of the most talented safeties to ever enter the NFL.
He turned his life around after having a daughter and seemed to "get it" according to team mates. He came into the NFL with a bad rep and had to fight a gun charge, which could have landed him in prison for a long time.
Now, it appears he's the victim of a home invasion.
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Eagles deserve mucho props after their game against the Pats
In Khristian Peel's latest column he looks at the game on Sunday night.
He was one of the many who felt for sure they'd get blown out and is pleasantly surprised.
Now, can they go on to win their last 5 games of the year like they did last year?
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
So Close
Eagles come up short in David vs. Goliath match-up
This was the game that was billed as a certain loss. 90% of the people you spoke to felt the Eagles had no shot.
I was one of the 10% who believed they would have a shot. As I said on Saturday I had a feeling they'd keep it close, but come up short. I didn't think it would be this high scoring though.
Now the QB controversy is in full swing. While I think Feeley ran this offense fluidly, he still made some costly mistakes. There are throws that he can make that McNabb can't make, namely those quick slant routes. Conversely, to be fair, there are throws that McNabb can make that he can't. And, that interception in the end zone while in field goal range is a prime example.
If McNabb is healthy this week, Reid already said he'd be the starter. I'm willing to give him another shot. If McNabb is effective and leads this team to victory against Seattle then let him have his final shot to prove whether or not he should remain an Eagle.
If however, he proves to be ineffective like in the Miami game then pull the plug and hand it over to Feeley. McNabb is the starter and deserves that much after all he's done for this organization.
The way some people talk, you'd think McNabb is a bum.
Last night was a game for the ages though. And, it mirrored the Super Bowl in many ways...the 3-point defeat, the QB throwing 3 interceptions, including two costly ones that resulted in a huge point differential (one returned for a TD and a scoring opportunity lost).
ATTN: cliche alert coming.
I don't believe in moral victories, but if this team plays like they did last night for the rest of the year they'll run the table and be in the playoffs. And, in a wide open NFC and enough momentum they could make it to the Super Bowl.
And, they proved last night they can hang with the big boys when focused and executing their offense properly. Now, if only they could've shut down Wes Welker.
I have to give credit where it's due and Andy Reid called a great game. He made some in-game adjustments as well to their blitz packages. He was aggressive too. That onside kick was a huge risk, but turned out to be a great move. This was Reid's best coached game all year and he out-coached Belichik.
Like the Super Bowl, this game was lost on turnovers. The Eagles failed to get a single turnover and handed it over three times.
And, even at that they were still right there.
Last night was a classic game and I'll remember this one for a long time, but it goes down as another heartbreaking loss for the Eagles.
Let's hope they use this as a springboard to catapult themselves into the playoffs.
I like their chances now that the Giants and Lions are fading.
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She-Li Manning is at it again. He had one of the worst games a QB has had in 30 years, being the first QB to give up 3 interception TD returns in 30 years.
The result was a 41-17 rape at the hands of the Vikings.
The Giants (7-4) are doing what they do best and fading in the 2nd half once again. After a 6-2 start, they are 1-2 in their past three games.
The Eagles are just a game behind the Lions (6-5) who are also fading fast and two games behind the Giants.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Perfect Storm
Eagles head into New England with McNabb ruled out
It's official now. Feeley is in and McNabb is out.
In case you were either away in a foreign country, in a coma, or have been living in a cave, McNabb is out with a banged up right ankle and right thumb.
Like I said a few days ago, I feel that it actually improves the Eagles' chances in that Reid will play a run-heavy offense with Feeley under center.
The Patriots are the Perfect Storm of the NFL. They are averaging over 40 points per game and beating their opponents by well over 20 points a game on average.
The only chance the Eagles have of winning tomorrow is by utilizing a ball control attack.
Think when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played the '99 Rams in the NFC Championship. Remember that game?
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of the greatest games I've ever seen...rank it up there with the Patriots-Raiders divisional game in 2001 and a litany of other intense games. There wasn't much scoring, but it was as intense of a game you would ever see. The Bucaneers played great defense that game and shut down the vaunted Rams offense and were winning the game 6-5 until late in the fourth quarter. Yep, they had two field goals to the Rams' 5 points off a field goal and a safety. And, then Kurt Warner stung them in the end and they won it 11-6.
They came so close to knocking off the Rams.
I know, coulda, woulda, shoulda. But, the point is any vaunted offense can be shut down by bringing an A-game on defense and playing ball control offense and keeping them off the field.
It can be done. That is proof that it can be done.
With McNabb out, the Eagles have a better chance. Sure, the odds-makers don't believe so, but the stubborn pass-happy addict Andy Reid will turn this offense into a run-oriented offense.
And, the Eagles are a much better team when they place a heavy emphasis on the run.
Something tells me we will see similar game to that 1999 NFC Championship.
But, don't listen to me. I'm also the guy who said the Eagles would go 14-2 before the season started.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
We're changing!
Phillypurge.com is about to change drastically and for the better
Phillypurge.com is about to undergo a massive facelift. For those of you familiar with the site, we will become a much more interactive site with a focus on content which makes you the wonderful Philadelphia fans directly involved with this website. Added to that, the logo, look, and feel of the website will change entirely.
For those of you who are newcomers, you are looking at the old site. Take a look around and check out our regular webisodes of "The Hater" and "Superfan" and other staples of this website like the Hall of Shame and NFL All Arrested Team. These are features that will remain. When the new Phillypurge.com website is implemented this weekend much of these things will go the way of the do-do bird.
Philly sports are a lifestyle. And, Phillypurge.com will embody that lifestyle, that we as Philly fans all go through every day as we follow our teams through the good times and the bad times.
Unfortunately, we've seen a lot more of the bad times lately, but lets remain positive and in the meantime have some fun with it. Face it, it's been a long 24 years and we might as well laugh about it.
So, for you veteran readers of Phillypurge.com get ready for a brand new experience and for you newcomers welcome. Make Phillypurge.com your one stop shop for Philadelphia sports news, humor, entertainment, and a venue for you to get your voice heard.
Sincerely,
Dennis Bakay
Founder and Editor in Chief of Phillypurge.com
Phillypurge.com-Philly sports are a lifestyle
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
23 & countin'
The Eagles are 23 ½-point underdogs against the Patriots
Andy Reid said to that, "I don't understand how that all works...I don't get into all that."
Wait, he said that about the rumors about him leaving, McNabb leaving, L.J. Smith pissing and moaning about not gettin' his payday, Westbrook bitching about having to give money back that's he's supposed to do by law, and (insert any number of other controversial things here).
Yeah, folks the Eagles and Patriots are involved in a quasi-NFL record. It's not an official NFL record because they refuse to overtly connect themselves to gambling, but the 23 ½-point spread makes the Eagles the largest underdog for a non-expansion team in NFL history.
The Tampa Bay Bucs held the record until now in their expansion season.
The reason for the spike from being a 17-point dog to a 23 1/2 point dog is clear. Vegas doesn't think McNabb will play.
And, all due to respect to McNabb I think this team has a better chance without him. That will force this stubborn coach to run the ball. Running the ball is his panacea whenever McNabb isn't in there. And, this team has proven to be a much better team when they run the ball.
Anybody who knows a lick about football can see how great this team would be with that offensive line (that’s built to run block) and McNabb utilizing the run to set up the pass ala Steve McNair in his glory days in Tennessee.
When #5 is under center though, passing is like crack to Big Red.
I think this game will go one of two ways on Sunday. Either the Eagles will get blown out as expected. Or, they'll lose a heart-breaking game that we'll look back and say, "damn, imagine if..."
Of course I'm horrible at predicting outcomes and games. I'm dead last in my brother's football pool and I also picked the Eagles to go 14-2 before the season.
So, don't listen to my advice. If you want my advice, bet the opposite of whatever I say!
I'm leaning towards the Eagles surprising the world and losing a close game.
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J Rollin'
Jimmy Rollins wins the MVP in closest vote in years
Congrats to Jimmy Rollins on winning the NL MVP, which he rightfully deserved.
He carried the team, backed up his talk from April about them being the team to beat, and had a season that few shortstops have ever had.
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L.J. Smith can't stop talking about money
It's been well documented that L.J. Smith made an ass of himself last week by looking forward to next year and saying he doubted he would be back. All of this is because the Eagles didn't overpay him.
Before he felt like he should be paid like a top-5 tight end.
Good one L.J.
What pray tell do you think you should be compensated for after this train wreck of a season?
And, again he's bringing up the money issue. It's his bread and butter when it comes to talking to reporters. He's like George Bush Jr. talking about the so-called war on terror.
He's been stealing money this year and bailing on the team just so he doesn't risk further injury for the free agency period. That's the only season he cares about.
The Eagles should tell him to go (expletive deleted) himself and go find another team to play for.
Listen, I'm not one to defend the Eagles' like some people in this area. But, even I can understand them letting L.J. Smith walk out the door after this season. He's been largely inconsistent his entire career.
He's delusional if he thinks any team is going to pay him big money.
This right here sums up L.J. Smith and his lack of heart.
"I realized there's no sense in putting 20 bad plays on film," he said. "I'd rather just sit and get healthy. I'd rather play six great games than 10 bad ones."
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It's Thanksgiving: So Let's Get To The Truth
(The children's comments are real, taken from memory, and usually followed by classroom laughter, including teacher laughter; "Oh how I loved to hear them laugh.")
Back when I was a teacher, like my Cuz, or a mentor of young, adolescent minds, take your pick, I'd always get the question: "Yo, why'd we got to study this crap?"
At first, I'd explain it this way. If you know about and study what happened in history and understand it, then the chances are you can prevent it from happening again. To which the response was: "You mean somebody gonna dump that tea in the ocean again?"
So I thought a little about it and changed the direction of my answers to something like this: Studying history is getting to the truth. The truth about what really did happen and how it affects what we do today. Not only what we do but who we are.
Read more of Ron Costello's column here.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Short-handed
Eagles head into Patriots game short-handed
First McNabb's status was in doubt for this Sunday due to multiple injuries; one to his ankle and the other to his right thumb.
Now, it appears Quintin Mikell won't be able to play either. He suffered an MCL strain on Sunday.
If that's the case, the J.R. Reed will be in the starting lineup. Now, even more so the Eagles had better have a pass rush against the Patriots or it's going to be match-up hell for Reed.
The odds are really stacked against the Eagles. It's one thing to have a back-up of a back-up in there (Considine wasn't much to begin with), but another if the starting QB has to sit this one out.
McNabb is expected to be a game-time decision.
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National League MVP to be announced today
Man, hasn't it seemed like it's taken eons to get to this day? All of the other major awards have been announced and the one we care about most has taken the longest to get to.
Well, here we are today and we'll find out if J Roll or Matt Holliday should be the winner.
I have my money on J Roll and he's the best choice. Sure, Holliday had great numbers and was great down the stretch. However, you have to take into account Rollins' importance to the team on the defensive side and how many games he saved with great defensive plays in addition to clutch hits.
His presence alone should put him ahead. This isn't taking anything away from Holliday, but Rollins had a season that few players have ever enjoyed.
Tell me how many shortstops have hit close to .300 with 30 homers, over 90 RBI, 40 steals, and 20 triples.
The winner will be announced at 2:00 today.
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The Linc to receive a face lift
The field conditions down at the Linc have gotten worse over the years and Sunday was the final straw.
After Temple played on Saturday and the rains came on Sunday, the field was mush meat after the Birds played.
Despite the spin coming from the Eagles' brass, the field was garbage and has to be replaced now.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
MVP
Brian Westbrook proves once again he's the MVP of the league
I know I'll catch flak for this one. Everybody's obvious choice for MVP is Tom Brady and rightfully so. He's having an amazing season. However, he also has a great coach, lots of weapons, and a great offensive line. He's 1a for MVP in my opinion.
I give Brian Westbrook the edge, because the Eagles would be a 2-8 team without him. Yesterday he carried the team on his back on the way to a career-high 148 yards on a career-high 32 carries.
I think it's simple why they played much better. Andy Reid decided to change the offense once McNabb was out of there, which he has consistently done whenever another QB has run this offense. That was proven last year with Garcia in there. McNabb came back and it's been business as usual-passing 60-plus percent of the time.
This team has proven to be a much better football team when they allow their offensive linemen to be in attack mode, by run-blocking. This is a team that's built to have the run set up the pass and that's reason #1 why I think Andy Reid is the wrong coach for this football team.
And, I'm also sick and tired of the media and announcers talking about Jim Johnson and "how he brings it from all angles." That's BS. His defense is ineffective and the league has figured out his so-called pass rush. People are making excuses for him just like they made excuses for Jevon Kearse's lack of sacks because he was getting "double" and "triple" teamed. Now, it's clear that he stinks and he's done, thus why he was benched yesterday.
If yesterday proved anything it's that McNabb isn't very good when under pressure and when the receivers can't open. He's horrible when the coach doesn't choose to run the ball. He still can do the things he used to. If you don't think so, then I suggest you look at a replay of that 24 yard run. He was horrible in the first half without a doubt, but the coach didn't make it any easier on him.
This week they have a brutally tough challenge in the Patriots. If they don't have a pass rush against Brady like yesterday then they're looking at a long day.
For the third year in a row, the Eagles are a mediocre team after 10 games. They were 4-6 in 2005, 5-5 last year, and 5-5 this year.
One thing is clear, it's Brian Westbrook's team now.
A thing that isn't clear is if McNabb will play on Sunday or beyond. One has to wonder if he's disgruntled about being under fire and getting a lack of offensive support from his coach.
Is it worth it for him to play injured at this point when he's clearly being run out of town?------------------------------
McNabb injury update
He had an MRI today on the ankle and things are ok, but he also has a banged up thumb, which concerns Reid more than the ankle.
And, Reid mentioned in his news conference that McNabb was on the sideline because there was no swelling.
With that said, it's a wait and see thing. We'll know more by Wednesday if #5 will be suiting up on Sunday.
Reid gave his perfunctory "we'll see how he does" response when asked by reporters about his status.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Buzz Kill
The Phillies are making it a practice to kill any hope of improvement
Once again the Phillies were like Johnny on the spot when it came to shooting down a rumor. Yesterday the rumors were flying about Mike Lowell coming to town.
Ah...I don't think so.
Pat Gillick made sure to say that wasn't happening.
"You can't believe everything you see," Gillick said. "Right now, our concentration is pitching. That's where we want to concentrate on right now."
So, the Phillies think they're A-ok at third base with a couple marginal players and will be ok in the outifield as they let Rowand walk. Yet, they're going to tell us they're going to concentrate on pitching.
What pray tell are we to expect?
Bartolo Colon? Randy Wolf?
I even heard Jon Lieber's name being thrown around. If they sign Jon Lieber, I will personally go to Dave Montgomery's house and protest the move.
The Phillies are becoming a buzz kill. Part of the beauty of the "hot stove" and baseball offseason is the hope your team can improve and the fun involving rumors and even the fun when your team brings players in.
The Lidge move was good, but they should not stop there because they won't go "over budget." This team is being run like a small business in some small town.
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Even the cats know...but why not Bonds?
I had a nice column prepared to send out this morning about what moves the Phillies should make to improve their team. Knowing that Phils GM Pat Gillick isn't sitting at his computer waiting for my advice, I decided to hold that one and go with Barry Bonds.
The front page story about the charges filed against Bonds brought back memories to the summer when I sat just 10 rows from the field off home plate and watched him bat. First, his bulkiness looked odd, like he needed to diet. He looked puffy, quite unlike someone his age who was overweight. Sure, you see lots of overweight folks around today; most are flat-out fat. But Bonds looked as if someone stuck a bicycle pump needle in his butt and...pumped him up!
His stroke was compact; like a signal in his brain set off a short, powerful and vicious swing that transformed the baseball into a bullet. I thought he had a hitting zone quite unlike most major league hitters. An area maybe the size of the strike zone or even smaller. If the pitcher made the mistake of putting the ball in his zone, the signal would ignite the swing, the same one that unleashed 762 home runs over the course of his career.
Now, there may not be....
Read more of Ron Costello's column here.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Running numbers
On the media's obsession with players' salaries
Brian Westbrook is leading the NFL in total yardage. In 9 games he has 1219 total yards from scrimmage. Do the math and he's on pace for 2,160 yards. He is the most valuable player on the team and certainly not the highest paid. In fact, resident over-the-hill cohorts Jevon Kearse and Darren Howard have made more money than him. And, Kearse is earning $3.2 million more than him this season in base salary. And, Howard is earning the same base salary ($2 million) as him this season.
With that said, why do people in the media feel the need to bitch about what a player earns when he’s supposedly underpaid? I'm seeing grumblings beginning about this alleged case. I could care less what Brian Westbrook gets paid. Just like, I could care less if the Phillies appease Ryan Howard by paying him more than what he's supposed to make this year.
These are professional athletes who get the access to things that few of us could dream of. They're already paid outrageous money. If you sign a contract, abide by it. It's quite simple. If you don't like that simple fact, then get the hell out of the game. Once his contract runs out he’ll get another big pay day and I will be all over the Eagles’ asses if they don’t re-sign him.
I will say this though. I do care when players are stealing money like Darren Howard. Here's to you Darren.
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Sixers get romped again by the Hornets
At this point talking about the Sixers is about as nasty as talking about a taking a dump with your friends. They are abominable and not fun to watch.
This team is as bad as the teams from the mid-90's. You remember those days when the Spectrum was as silent as a crypt?
The 76ers don't do anything well. They turn over the ball too much. They can't shoot. They can't move the ball. And, they can't stop opposing teams.
This is a team that might win 25 games at this point. And, after listening to Big Daddy Graham's show on WIP last night when he had Sixers beat writer Tom Moore they discussed that this team will need to get lucky and land another Michael Jordan in the draft. That's the only way this team will come back.
Gilbert Arenas is the biggest name out there in free agency in 2008, but will he even want to come to this team?
Signing someone like Elton Brand would be a waste. He's a nice player, but he would eat up all of their available cap room.
That means they will need to get lottery lucky or just plain lucky in the draft.
In other words, this team will continue to stink until further notice. It seems like eons ago when they were a good team...when Larry Brown left. And, that was in 2003.
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Scott Rolen is on the trading block
Even if they Phillies were interested, I'd be against it. Rolen is injury prone. He's as talented a third basemen as I've ever seen, but he's not cut out for Philly.
He doesn't have the attitude it takes and is thin-skinned. Now, for those of you who complain about McNabb being thin-skinned, this guy really is thin-skinned.
Not to mention, the Phillies wouldn't take on his salary. Hell, they won't even think about Torii Hunter, who is slated to get $15 million per year or better.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Targets?
The Phillies have $15 million to spend, just who will they target?
Now that we are aware of the Phillies' "budget", the one they won't announce, but subtely allude to let's see what $15 million can get them in the open marget.
A couple names being thrown around are former Phillie Randy Wolf and Bartolo Colon.
I don't see them signing Wolf. Here's why. He went to LA last year for less money because he loves it out there. He's from California and wanted to be back home.
I am good friends with someone who has been an acquaintance of his for a few years and Wolf apparently hated Philadelphia and despised the fans. Don't expect to see Wolf coming back.
Now, Bartolo Colon is an interesting name. He's perfect for the Phillies. He's an aging pitcher, well past his prime, and over the hill.
He would be cheap and we know how much this ownership loves the C-word.
I'm putting my money on them signing Colon and for outfield help, Geoff Jenkins.
Meanwhile, they'll let a player who is arguably the heart and soul of this team leave and that's Aaron Rowand. He is going to get anywhere from $14 to $16 annually for 5 seasons.
The ownership certainly put a guillotine to that plan to sign Rowand once it was learned what he'd command.
So, expect the Phils to bring in Jenkins or somebody like Pedro Feliz on offense to go along with Colon.
Colon, 34, is the latin version of Jon Lieber at this point in his career. He's overweight, over the hill, and coming off a litany of injuries after having some great seasons.
Doesn't that just wet your whistle?
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With Middleton's sale of cigar company, could he be the one to buy the Phillies?
Bill Conlin wrote a column today about John S. Middleton, one of the limited partners of the Phillies a.k.a silent owners. In case you haven't heard he just sold his cigar company for oh...a shade under $3 billion.
Purchasing the Phillies would be fairly easy for him. According to Howard Eskin, an offer in the $500-$600 million range would be enough to blow the owners away and get them to unanimously agree to sell.
And, Claire Betz would be driving force behind that, for she has the largest stake in the team and is getting way up there in age.
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Sixers get crushed by Mavs in second half
If basketball were just two quarters, the Sixers would have beaten a very good team last night.
Hell, if basketball were two quarters, this might be a 50-win team.
The two halfs of basketball epitomize this Sixers team. In the second half when it counts they become what they are and that's a terrible team.
The Mavericks are at the opposite end of the spectrum from the Sixers. They are the elite and a true contender; a well run franchise. The Sixers are a bottom feeder.
The teams came out of this with opposite records, the Sixers now at 2-5 and the Mavs at 5-2.
Get used to it because this is what the Sixers are, no matter how much they try to spin it about them being a "hard working team."
Lets just hope Billy King rides this thing out, trades Andre Miller for cap relief and they get their cap under $30 million after this season. If they move Miller, they will be at just under $30 million.
The 2008 NBA free agent class will include Baron Davis, Elton Brand, Jermaine O'Neal, Corey Maggette, Vince Carter, Shawn Marion, Antawn Jamison, and last, but certainly not least Gilbert Arenas. It's easily the strongest one in years.
The player I'd love to see them get when he becomes a free agent, unfortunately won't be available until 2009 at the earliest. And, that's Chris Paul. But, I wouldn't be upset one bit if they sign the man known as "Agent Zero" Gilbert Arenas. He's a top-5 player in the NBA right now.
And, he has elected to test the market after this season.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Shopping Season
Today marks the beginning of baseball's free-agent period
Let the games begin.
Today is Major League Baseball's answer to Black Friday, otherwise known as the official beginning of the Christmas shopping season.
This is the first day that player can negotiate with teams other than their own.
The Phillies are said to have somewhere between 12 and 15 million to spend.
And, if Aaron Rowand is seeking $14 million a year, that means don't expect him back.
"We have to monitor how things play out with Aaron," assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "As it stood with our comfort with moving forward with trying to get something done with him prior to the free-agent period opening up, I don't think that we could have played in the same arena."
Translation. We're not spending big bucks on a centerfielder who played his ass off in a contract year.
This doesn't bode well for the Philies next year. I personally would sign Rowand at whatever cost and get a top-notch pitcher via trade and also get a third baseman. But, I'm not running the Phillies franchise unfortunately.
Expect the Phillies to cheap it out and get someone of the likes of outfielder Geoff Jenkins or third baseman Pedro Feliz, who are both schleps in my opinion. If you think Gregg Jeffries, David Bell, Lance Parrish, Freddy Garcia (and insert any other overpaid player) drove you nuts, those two will force you into the Norristown State Hospital.
Here are Jenkins' numbers. He has had 28, 27, 25, 17 and 21 homers over the past 5 years. His average has declined the past three years along with his RBI's, going from 86 to 70 to 64. Now, if you get 21 homers and only 64 RBI's that is pathetic. And, he strikes out a ton, having struck out an average of 120 times over the past 5 years.
No thanks.
And, Pedro Feliz is even worse. He hit .250, .244, and .253 with 20, 22, and 20 homers each year. And, he doesn't knock in enough runs, get on base enough, and aside from last year has been a strikeout artist as well.
Now, while I loved the Phils' moves of acquiring Brad Lidge and re-signing J.C. Romero, Mike Santa Barbara disagrees and makes a good case.
At any rate, I'm not crazy about the Phils' "announced" game plan to not acquire a quality third baseman and to "see how things go" with Rowand.
The Phillies will probably target one of those two because they're cheap.
And, they will drive you batty. Trust me.
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Two in a row for Fly-guys
The Flyers have now made it two straight wins, with a 3-2 win over the Islanders.
The star last night was Mike Richards who scored his 3rd shorthanded goal on the year.
Richards now leads the team with 10 goals.
Suffice it to say, Richards is on a record pace by his standards. He's projected to have 48 goals and 96 points this year.
His career high up to this point, well he's now tied that!
The division leading Flyers who are now 11-6 are off until Thursday when they face the Rangers
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Reunited
Eagles 33-25 win puts them back in the playoff picture
I still won't say this team is "back" yet. They are far from the teams we've seen in 2001-2004. But, yesterday was encouraging in many ways.
Sure, the Redskins made things easy on them with their miscues, but McNabb and Westbrook stepped up in the 4th quarter, And, wait...what was that, a turnover actually occurred towards the end of the game to seal the deal for the Eagles.
Well sort of.
They were up by 8 and had to stop the Redskins on their final drive, which they did.
B West played like an MVP yesterday and he's certainly in the running for MVP of the NFL. What other player in this league means as much to his team as he aside from Tom Brady? He is averaging 4.8 yards a clip, has 701 yards rushing, 518 yards receiving, and 9 total TD's. He's as close to Marshall Faulk as you're going to get.
And, there was an L.J. Smith sighting. And, Reggie Brown stepped up too.
Will James certainly belongs in the Hall of Shame after yesterday's melt down. He got torched by James Trash, yes the same James Trash who made Ricky Manning Jr. look like Dick "Night Train" Lane in the 2003 NFC Championship game.
Finally, "the hug" will certainly go down as one of the finer moments of this turbulent season. Yep-McNabb and Reid shared a warm embrace at the end of the game.
Does this mean this marriage can be saved and McNabb won't be thrown out like yesterday's trash after the season?
With a win next week against Miami they'll be .500 and gulp...they head to Foxborough after that. I don't believe in moral victories, but if they at least play well against New England, maybe just maybe the Eagles will have enough confidence in McNabb to give him another chance.
Yesterday is a good start. And, they can't take Miami for granted despite their 0-9 record. Winless team eventually win in the NFL and become more desperate as their losses pile up.
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Sixers take a dump against hornets
The Sixers laid down like a cheap hooker night against the Hornets. Chris Paul put on a clinic in front of a woeful crowd of just over 10,000 last night.
He had 16 points and 9 dimes, thus leading the Hornets to a 93-72 victory.
Sloppy is one way to describe this team. The Sixers average 17 turnovers a game and upheld that low standard of play with 18 last night.
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20071112_Hornets_Swarm_Sixers.html
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Phillies extend Romero
The Phillies inked J.C. Romero to a 3-year $12 million deal over the weekend.
Good move for Gillick and co. They had to lock him up. Romero was to their bullpen what Brian Westbrook is to the Eagles' offense.
He was electric last year with a 1.24 ERA in 51 apperances. And, what I particularly like about Romero is he's firey and loves to make it happen in crunch time.
My kind of player.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
What If?
With Lindros' retiremement it's another case of what could've been
Eric Lindros hung up the skates for good yesterday. And, thus it ends another sad chapter in the life of an athlete who could've been so much greater.
Just what could have Lindros been had he not been controlled by his parents?
What if he had not had the litany of injuries?
610 WIP's Glen Macnow always makes mention of the saviors. Heck, he wrote a book about them. Think of all the saviors who have come through town since 1983: Charles Barkley, Randall Cunningham, Eric Lindros, Allen Iverson, and now I'm sad to say it-Donovan McNabb.
McNabb appears to be careening down that same path toward the sad exit out of town. With yesterday's comments about him taking too much blame some suspect he directed it toward the front office.
Lindros' career started out with so much promise, but injuries derailed him in his first three seasons. Then he put it all together in this 4th season and won NHL MVP honors with 47 goals and 68 assists as he led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup. And, it was all down hill from there.
McNabb didn't have the injury woes early on. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He didn't miss a start until the 2002 season when he played on that broken leg. He was runner-up in MVP voting in his first season as a starter and led the team to the NFC Championship in '01. "52 yards away" was the mantra throughout the off season heading into the 2002 campaign. And, then he was knocked out, but returned for the playoffs. The stars were aligned for the Eagles to make it to the Super Bowl. Last game at the Vet. The Bucs in cold weather.
It wasn't to be. And, the next year again they blew it as McNabb suffered an injury in the title game.
They finally made it in '04 and as we all know it's been downhill from there for him. After looking at the big picture objectively I can finally say that McNabb is another one of those "could've-beens." What if Eagles management had just ignored TO when he was being a knucklehead and let things blow over? What if McNabb had never suffered that broken leg in '02 and hadn't been rusty in the title game?
Now, we are witnessing a sad end to a great era in Eagles history. And, what do we have to show for it?
One close call in a Conference Title game against a powerhouse. Two horrible disappointments in the next two Title games, and a heart-breaking Super Bowl loss.
Even the late 70's Phillies managed to make it over the hump and win one in '80.
This era of the Eagles will go down as the most disappointing era by any Philadelphia sports team. Mark it down. In 20 years from now we’ll look back and say “What if?”
Opportunities galore and not a darn thing to show for.
What if?
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Phillies close to signing Romero to multi-year deal
Todd Zolecki is reporting in the Inqy that Romero could be signed as early as today.
And, this is somewhat interesting. They are looking to add another starter as well. They ordered Eaton to have an MRI yesterday, but the results came back negative.
Could this just be a way to prove to teams he's not injured, so they could then ship him out of town?
Stay tuned.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Fighting Back
McNabb says he's not the one to take all the blame
Yesterday McNabb started to fire some shots at the critics and took a shot at the front office who is setting him up to fail.
Donovan McNabb has started to fight back and kudos to him. I'm not going to be one to defend his play in many of the games this year. And, while his quarterback rating of 86 this season is right on par with his rating in other seasons, he's still not playing up to his standards.
We've gone over and over why that's the case-a lack of weapons and recovery time for him.
During his press conference he made it clear that he's taking too much blame and rightly so. Why the hell should he be the fall guy for an organization that has made lame draft choices, thus resulting in a poor roster. And, why should he be the fall guy for a team that doesn't have a good enough offensive line and lack of playmakers on both sides of the ball?
He had this to say when grilled about taking too much blame. "I do . . . It's easy to blame the quarterback when the team loses, but I'm definitely not the whole reason why we lost these games. Can I help? Yes, I can, but I'm not fully to blame for everything that goes on around here.
I still think he has a fighter's chance of returning. The word is he is set to receive a bonus after the '08 season and that would be when the team may be ready to hand the reigns over to Kolb.
Whatever their ultimate choice is, it's clear Kolb isn't close to ready yet. He's no Donovan McNabb and can't play spot duty as a rookie like McNabb did.
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Phillies close the deal on a trade with Astros for Brad Lidge
The first signficant move for the Phillies ocurred last night when they shipped Geoff Geary, Mike Costanzo (the third base prospect), and Michael Bourn to Houston for reliever Brad Lidge and utility infielder Eric Bruntlett.
Great move in my book. Myers is a top of the rotation starter and when he's on there are few better in the NL.
And, Lidge has started to get things together after his meltdown in the playoffs against the Cardinals a few years back.
The justification for this move was simple. Pat Gillick said that Myers is "better than any starter available."
And, looking at the market for starting pitching, Kyle Lohse is the best free agent out there. And, the Phils should sign him as well.
And, then they should just cut their losses with Adam Eaton and trade him for a bucket of balls.
Then, you're looking at a rotation of Hamels, Myers, Kendrick, Lohse, and Moyer. That starting 5 is right there with the top staffs in the NL.
Good move Gillick. The Phils solve two problems and Bruntlett can replace Abe Nunez.
Let's just hope Costanzo doesn't become Scott Rolen.
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Bobcats get tranquilized by the 76ers
The Bobcats came in off a loss the previous night and looked like a gang of zombies out of Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror movie.
The result was a 94-63 ass kicking.
I am still not sold on the Sixers. They turned the ball over 9 times in the 1st quarter and still had a decent lead.
That's how bad the Bobcats were. A win is a win though....
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Flyers break the streak
Finally! The Flyers have beaten the bleeping Penguins.
After losing 8 straight to them, they came up with a nice win last night in Pittsburgh.
Martin Biron was money again, leading the Flyers to a 3-1 win.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Bad Vibes?
Could the Eagles slide be attributed to bad vibes starting in the off-season?
Could it have started when Reid prohibited McNabb from holding a news conference at the end of the season for still undisclosed reasons?
And, remember McNabb went on a re-imaging campaign and hired a former PR guy from the Eagles, whom was fired.
This was a departure for McNabb in that he was no longer tied to Reid's hip.
Now, is it any shock that this relationship looks to be coming to a harsher end then Paul McCartney's divorce to Heather Mills?
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Going International?
Phils reportedly interested in Japanese pitching sensation
This year's Dice K, is a pitcher who goes by the name of Hideki Kuroda. And, he won’t require a posting fee to lure over to the states. Kuroda went 12-8 last season with a 3.56 ERA and had a 1.85 ERA in '06.
The Phillies will give him a look, but we've heard that before.
The thing with Kuroda is he'll be 33 years old come opening day. Dice K is still in his 20's.
So, maybe the Phils will get him. He'll certainly be cheaper than a pitcher in his 20's.
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The Red Sox are reportedly high on getting a deal done with Mike Lowell.
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Gold Standard-Rollins and Rowand snag first gold gloves
Talk about an injustice.
Jimmy Rollins finally has received a Gold Glove. It's the first time he has received the honor in his 7-year career.
Just think, Bobby Abreu received one in 2005. Now, that proves this award is a joke.
At least Rollins and Rowand got their due. Finally.
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How you like 'em?
Phillies ask fans' opinions on their TV and radio announcers.
Something tells me that Chris Wheeler will be getting plenty of 1's and 2's on this one.
Fans are being asked to rate them on a scale of 1-5. I've never heard of a more despised broadcaster in Philly.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Broken Down
The Eagles are broken and need to be rebuilt
People have been asking me the $50,000 question constantly this season. "Just what can be done?"
It's pretty simple actually. You blow up the current franchise and start over. I would only keep Joe Banner because even though he is a penny pincher, the guy is brilliant with working the cap.
That means, axe Reid and Heckert. If you get a chance check out Mark Eckel's column today on NJ.com. You won't get any BS spin there!
He breaks down the core problem and it's cronieism with Heckert and how he jettisoned quality scouts in favor of his cronies. And, ever since then the team has fallen off faster than a PAN AM flight.
We can no longer say, "2005 was just a fluke." These are the facts.
The Eagles are 19-21 since that magical 2004 season.
Since their great draft of 2002 that they constantly remind us of and pound into our heads they have drafted four impact players: Shawn Andrews, Mike Patterson, Broderick Bunkley, and Trent Cole.
Donovan McNabb is just 1-6 in primetime games dating back to that season opener on Monday Night against Atlanta in '05.
This year's failures are a result of piss-poor talent evaluation, shoddy coaching, aging players, an unhealthy quarterback, and bad free agent signings.
The epitome of this team's failures in free agency can be best summed up with Darren Howard. I've made it well known how much distaste I have for Darren Howard. He's a scrub and they should cut him this afternoon. He has two tackles and has been stealing money for a year and a half now.
In other words, this team is broken and the only way to bring it back is blow it up.
Just like I say about Norristown and how the city should be leveled and rebuilt, I say the same about the Eagles.
They have become the armpit of the NFC East.
Jeff Lurie and Joe Banner’s first order of business should be to “kindly” ask Andy Reid to resign as coach/head honcho and then go out and get someone like Rich McKay and hire Bill Cowher.
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Flyers get shut out in New York
This road trip has been quite unkind to the Fly-guys. They lost to the Rangers last night at MSG 2-0.
They are now just 1-4 on it and still have 3 games to go.
Biron has been keeping them in games, but you have to come away with more than two goals. Unacceptable.
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Fuggadebout it!
Don't expect the Phillies to make any significant move at third base. That's the scoop from Paul Hagen today.
Pat Gillick said the following at the annual GM Meetings, ""I don't know that [third base] is going to be addressed," Pat Gillick said as the annual general manager meetings got under way yesterday at the posh Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress resort. "We'll go with [Wes] Helms and [Greg] Dobbs. Because we're going to concentrate on pitching. If we go in any direction, we're going to concentrate on pitching.''
So, that means get ready for a heaping helping of Wes Helms and Greg Dobbs!
Fantastic Pat. Way to give an effort.
And, if you wanted Schilling back. Fuggedabout that too!
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Cop killer caught in Miami
Normally I don't get political or try to grandstand on here, but I would like to say kudos to the Miami police on catching the killer of Chuck Cassidy.
The perp was apprehended in Florida today.
It's a good day.
I just hope Cassidy's partners tune him up a bit in the basement of City Hall before they go through the legal process.
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BREAKING NEWS!!!
Instant Replay voted in
GM's voted today 25-5 to incorporate instant replay into major league baseball for the first time.
The recommendation, by a 25-5 vote, was limited to boundary calls - whether potential home runs are fair or foul, whether balls go over fences or hit the top and bounce back, and whether fans interfere with possible homers.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
In Denial
Andy Reid's tough week ends in a disastrous loss to the Cowboys
It's official the Eagles done. Put a fork in them. Sure, they're mathematically "in it", but there's no way they can recover from this 3-5 start and dig themselves out from the hole they've put themselves in. They are 0-3 in the division and are two games behind the Redskins, who hold a 2-game lead over the Eagles. And, they are in third place!
And, Andy Reid continues to go about as if this team is just a few tweaks away and that they can get back into it. They are his mess and they can't be cleaned up, no matter how much he tries to convince himself they can.
This debacle last night ranks up there with the worst defeats in Eagles' history. It's even worse than their defeat to the Cowboys on Monday Night two years ago, the game in which they came back with two scores at the end and thus ending McNabb's season. It's worse because they showed zero effort on both sides of the ball starting at the end of the first half.
McNabb was horrendous last night from the opening play to the final stanza. On the opening play of the game he fumbled the ball away and while they tied it up in the first quarter, they continued to play sloppy, unfundamentally sound football.
With last night's loss, the Eagles are now 1-6 in their last 7 prime time games with McNabb at the helm dating back to their season opener in Atlanta in 2005. I don't think that's a coincidence. Their lone win? A win against a hapless Packers team early last season when Westbrook was out.
The Eagles have now descended to the cavernous abyss and are sitting amongst the bottom feeders of the NFC.
McNabb is certainly going to take a lot of blame and he deserves plenty of it, but one would be foolish to pin most of it on him. The offensive line has been horrible. The coaching gets a D-minus grade at best. They don't have enough playmakers on both sides of the ball. And, the other teams in the NFC East are just better than they are.
When Reid was asked if a QB change was necessary he simply responded "no" at his lunch-time press conference today. But, when further pressed about the issue he said there are no certainities about anybody.
Reid's brutal week concluded with a house of horrors game at the Linc. His personal life has been it's own house of horrors. I'm beginning to change my stance and think his personal life may be affecting his coaching. He does look like a defeated man.
This is a bad football team. And, bad football teams are 3-5 for more than one reason.
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The 8-4 Flyers take on the Rangers tonight.
The boys of winter are up in New York tonight.
After starting off laser hot with a 7-1 record they have gone 1-3 on their current 8-game road trip.
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The 1-2 Sixers are smoke and mirrors.
Anybody who thinks they Sixers are a competitive basketball team is kidding themselves.
The Raptors were up by 20 and went into a coasting mode, which is why the final score hardly reflected how badly outplayed they were.
They won in Chi-town. Good win.
But, they got their asses kicked on Saturday night by the Nets-regardless of the score. The final score was 93-88, but they were generally flat in the home-opener.
Ok-I'll be positive about something. The Flyers are on tonight! And, the Temple Owls have as many wins as the Eagles.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Team Crisis
Judge stirs up the fire with "drug emporium" comment
I've been trying to stay away from this story all year. I hear a lot of people out there blaming the Eagles' misfortunes this season on Andy Reid being distracted. While I've been saying all year he's the reason for their failures, it's not due to his family issues. It's just because of his way as a coach-nothing has changed since he arrived here in 1999. He refuses to use McNabb in a balanced attack and more than ever he needs to. Things were a little better on Sunday and they of course played much better. We'll see if that continues.
Back onto the family issue though. This judge yesterday was grandstanding. He used it as an opportunity to say a controversial comment and to chide a celebrity and his wife. Philadelphia's most maligned parents are now embroiled in a serious controversy that is gaining national attention. His comments about the Reid family being a family in crisis and their house serving as a drug emporium are blowing up all over the place.
And, the Eagles officially are in the middle of a team crisis caused by the media just like 2 years ago by the guy they'll be facing on Sunday with the initial of T.O.
Hell, I was up until 2:00 in the morning working in the wee hours on this website when I caught the Andy Reid headlines on Sportscenter.
Good lord is this thing getting out of control. And, I think now there's so much momentum that I wouldn't be shocked to see him walk away after the season just because of the controversy being fueled.
This is the problem, a judge is supposed to be objective and rule on a case based on the facts he sees.
He has no idea what goes on in that household. Kids get away with things. Kids sneak things into homes. I did it in high school and many friends of mine did. And, it goes on to this day. His kids are clearly out of control and moronic, but is that Andy Reid's fault? We don't know. And, it's none of our damn business.
It's none of the public's business either. I've criticized the hell out of Reid this year and for football reasons. His family troubles I feel have no bearing on him and how he has done his job. I'll relate my situation with my father who was dying of cancer last year. It weighed on me a lot, but I compartmentalized things and was still able to do my job.
That's what we do as human beings, we overcome and focus.
And, we're supposed to mind our own business, but it doesn't work that way when it comes to gaining publicity, which is what this judge did.
And, now Reid has a real mess on his hands, all caused by a comment that’s getting repeated over and over and over again throughout the news.
The “Drug Emporium” comment is to Reid what TO’s Brett Favre vs. McNabb comments were to the Eagles 2 years ago.
And, oh yeah the Eagles do play the Cowboys on Sunday. But, who’s talking about that though?
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
