Today's News
December 31, 2006
| By Dennis Bakay
| 
Discuss
The Eagles wrapped up the 2006 year with a win over the Atlanta Falcons 24-17.
And, they didn't need to win this game after just minutes into the game, when it was learned the Cowboys were knocked off by the Detroit Lions.
Thus, the Eagles became the 2006 NFC East Division Champs, and took hold of their perch that they relinquished last year.
A.J. Feely had a career game today completing 22 of 35 passes for 321 yards, 3 TD's, and 0 INT. Hank Baskett also had a career-best game with 177 yards on 7 catches, including an 89-yard touchdown catch.
What else is there to say about today's performance? The Eagles could have just gone through the motions even after inserting their back-ups, but they played a complete game from start to finish.
The pass rush was relentless as they harangued Michael Vick play after play. The onslaught continued into the third quarter when he left the game with a sprained ankle. And, then the Falcons were reignited by the play of super-backup Matt Schaub who had 175 yards and 1 touchdown in less than a half of play.
The number one rushing offense in the league was held in check by the Eagles rushing defense. This is their third straight excellent performance in that category as Jerrius Norwood and Warrick Dunn were held to 121 yards on 29 carries and 0 touchdowns.
The one downside to the Eagles' performance was Ryan Moats' anemic numbers; running for just 22 yards on 11 carries. Moats looks like he doesn't even belong in the league and considering he can't get on the field why would the team bother bringing him back next year. Even though they spent a third round pick on him, they should cut their losses and draft a heftier back in the upcoming draft.
For that to be the one negative shows how good of shape this team is in.
They will take on the struggling New York Giants next week. Even though it looks like a cakewalk, there's the always scary factor of playing a team three times in one year. Yes, they beat them rather covincingly the past time, but they cannot take them lightly. Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs are enough to give a team nightmares for one afternoon.
It all starts with stopping them, like they did last time. Then, they'll need to send the gauntlet after Eli Manning.
And, then it will be a cakewalk.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Eagles extend Todd Herremans with a five-year contract.
Make that 3/5 of their young offensive linemen and 4/5 overall (counting Jon Runyan) who are locked up beyond this year. Andrews has a contract through 2015, while center Jamaal Jackson and Herremans are locked up until 2013.
I was against them extending Mike Patterson this year, but it's clear that Andrews, Jackson, and Herremans are for real. This is the Eagles' best offensive line since 2002, and probably better than that.
They have not given up many sacks and part of that can be attributed to utilizing the run more. When a line is attack-mode they don't get worn down, rather they wear down the opponent. That's why running the ball is so important. And, they're lineman are built to attack.
Kudos to Andy Reid and company for recognizing that and for locking up this young nucleus of lineman for years to come.
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Even though they had a 9-point lead with just under 2 minutes to play the Sixers still nearly managed to blow it.
Andre Iguodala had a career-high 32 points, while Korver came off the bench to score 19 points.
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Ryan Howard fired his agent Larry Reynolds today, and there may be a new deal in the midst.
Just what sort of deal that could be, remains to be seen. It would behoove the Phillies to just give him a raise for this year and not extend him for a 7-year contract.
He was most certainly dominant this past season, but they can't assume he'll play like that for the next 7 years. It would be a good move for them to give him a $2 million deal for this year though. He deserves at least that much.
But, to jump the gun and hand out big contracts with no-trade clauses like Ed Wade did would be foolish at this stage. Make the players prove it for a few years then take care of them. After all, there is a built-in system in baseball where players become arbitration-eligible, then they can become free agents. Everybody eventually gets paid. They have to pay their dues first.
The Phillies can ill afford to hand out Pat Burrell-type deals any longer.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Donovan McNabb's mother Wilma McNabb said on her blog that she wants the Eagles to win it all, but at the same time feels it will fuel a rally cry to get McNabb out of town.
Once again Mrs. McNabb is getting her son in hot water with her words. I personally don't see a problem with her speaking her mind, but there are enough McNabb haters as it is. This just fuels the fire if anything.
The Angelo Cataldis of the world use anything they can to rally against #5. It would be in Wilma's best interests to not give them any more ammo than they need.
If the Eagles do win, #5 isn't going anywhere. First of all, he has at least four high-level seasons in him if he recovers, and with the way he works out that shouldn't be too arduous of a task. And, secondly the team who would take his salary on in a trade would take an $11 milllion cap hit. And, add into it Reid's support for McNabb.
In other words, it isn't happening.
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Westbrook expected to play against Falcons.
Brian Westbrook missed his second straight day of practice, but fear not it wasn't due to an injury. He caught some sort of virus and is expected to be fine by tomorrow when the Eagles do their final walk-through.
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Rutgers wins their first bowl game to cap a breakthrough season.
The Scarlet Knights dominated Kansas State 37-10, thus capping off a remarkable 11-2 season.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Flyers win! Flyers win! They escape Tampa Bay with a 4-3 win.
The Flyers finally ended their franchise-record 10 game losing streak. This comes after a game in which they not only failed to score on a two-man advantage, but one of the opposing players broke their stick.
Yeah, they've been awful. Goaltending has been the lone bright spot for this team.
Robert Esche made his first start in a month and had a career-high 42 saves including 18 in the second period.
The Flyers actually had a 4-1 lead, but the Lightning fought back to make it a game.
Alas, the Flyers finally won.
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Sixers get stomped again; lose to the Kings 101-76.
When the Sixers exited Philadelphia the life in their play stayed. They have been pitiful in both games on the western road trip.
They couldn't do anything positive against the Kings. They were pitiful on both ends of the floor and notched season-lows in points, turnovers (four), steals (four), and three-pointers (zero).
Simply awful.
Newly acquired Andre Miller had 14 points on 5 of 19, along with 5 assists, and 4 turnovers.
It's safe to assume they'll lose all seven games on the road trip, and they face Detroit when they come home. Then, they play the Knicks. So, they may not win again for another three weeks.
This is what they have to do to stay in the lottery-to get a guaranteed shot at a top-3 pick and a shot at Greg Oden (if he comes out).
That's what we have to look for with this team.
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Suns get eclipsed by the Mavericks 101-99.
The Suns lost for the second time in three games, while the Mavs made it 8 in a row.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Flyers' losing streak reaches 10 games.
Can you honestly say the Flyers were ever in this game? Nittymaki had no chance on the first goal, then after that the Panthers retained a lead and never looked back.
Nittymaki has now made 16 consecutive starts, since Robert Esche was out 11 games following groin surgery. Esche returned to action tonight.
Peter Forsberg also made his return after missing the last three games due to a concussion.
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Former 76er Matt Barnes lit the Sixers up for 25 points and tied a franchise record with seven 3-pointers in the rout. Baron Davis (who was rumored in the Iverson trades before he was shipped) had 21 points and 16 assists. Regardless of how good Davis played I wouldn't take his 3 years at Iverson-type money back for Iverson.
After recording two wins over the Celtics and Knicks, they went back to their old ways, which means giving up points like politicians hand out favors to lobbyists.
One of the bright spots was Rodney Carney's career-high 25 points.
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The Suns get back on track with a 110-87 victory over the Trailblazers.
Despite having their epic16-game winning streak snapped by the Wizards Friday, and playing just one game in the past week, they wouldn't be denied against Portland.
Some things are certain in this world. There are 24 hours in a day. A square has four sides. And, if the Suns hold your squad to under 90 points you're probably going to lose.
Shawn Marion led the way with 23 points and boards, while the court general Steve Nash had a clunker performance with 9 points and just 5 assists. This is coming off his season-high 42 points in the loss against the Wizards on Friday night.
Fortunately, the Suns had four players score in double figures and got contributions out of Raja Bell and Jumaine Jones. And, it doesn't hurt that they only allowed 87 points and shot 54% from the field.
That's winning basketball.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Before we start packing Donovan McNabb's bags and hand over the team to Jeff Garcia let's remember a few things.
McNabb was electrifying this season, especially in the first 5 games-putting up better numbers than at any point in his career. He had 2647 yards, 18 TD, and 6 INT, with a 95.5 QB rating. And, this was in 10 games...well actually 9 if you discount the Titans game. Even including that horrible game he was on pace for over 4200 yards and 29 TD's.
McNabb didn't get gashed by the likes of Joseph Addai, Travis Henry, Cadillac Williams, Maurice Jones Drew, and even Vernand Morency who had 99 yards against them. He plays for Green Bay in case you never heard of him. Why would you unless you play fantasy football?!
McNabb didn't get hit with the bone-headed penalties or give up big plays down field.
He did have some blunders in the Tampa Bay game and the Jacksonville game, but on the most part he wasn't the reason they were a 5-5 team when he departed.
Garcia has without a doubt provided the team with a huge spark. Let's take into consideration that the defense has elevated it's play during this 4-game winning streak, particularly in the past two games when they've allowed under 100 yards rushing against the Giants and Cowboys.
Added to that, Andy Reid's game plans have improved dramatically and Marty Morhninwheg has done a masterful job with the playcalling. When is the last time they ran the ball over 40 times, while passing just 23 times?
You can't fault McNabb for the lack therof.
Let's just enjoy the ride Garcia is on and take it for what it is. A back-up quarterback has revived his career and has helped breathe life into a team that was dead just a month ago. Nobody saw this coming.
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The Sixers will face the Nuggets on their Western road trip.
Looks like the Sixers won't have to wait very long for their reunion with AI. As they embark on a grueling 7-game road trip out west, they'll face him when they head to Denver.
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Don't look now, but the Eagles are #7 on the ESPN Power Rankings.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Eagles dominate the Cowboys on Christmas to clinch a playoff spot.
In what was said to be among the toughest schedule stretches in NFL history, the Eagles made it look pedestrian. They had three straight road games against division foes and followed up convincing wins against the Redskins and Giants with a dominating victory against the Cowboys in Dallas 23-7.
And, now the Eagles return to the playoffs after a disastrous season last year when they went 6-10 and saw their team implode following a 4-2 start. And, it's even sweeter that they returned to the playoffs by defeating the Cowboys, who "currently" employ T.O. But, by all accounts he will only be there for this season.
Andy Reid has turned into an entirely different coach since Jeff Garcia took over the reigns. The longer Garcia has been taking snaps, the Eagles have run the ball more. Today they ran the ball 42 times for over 204 yards and passed the ball just 23 times.
Brian Westbrook has been taking on a bigger and bigger load; this time running for 126 yards on 26 carries and catching two passes.
And, the much-maligned defensive line held the Cowboys to 83 yards on 19 carries. Part of the reason is the Eagles just never allowed the Cowboys to get anything going and sustained a nice lead. In fact, the Cowboys only gained 201 yards overall.
Romo and T.O. were both silenced.
The Eagles' defense is peaking at just the right time.
Jeff Garcia was his usual efficient self, completing 15 of 23 passes for 238 yards with 1 TD and 1 pick. He had just one bad play when he threw an errant pass which was picked off down the sideline by Anthony Henry.
The birds have a season-high 4-game winning streak and seem to get better as each week goes on. They'll look to wrap up the division title next week against a Falcons team that looks like they packed it in for the season.
But, aren't those the type of games this team always has a let-down in?
Then again, there's something different about this team in the past four weeks. They run the ball more, get more pressure, create turnovers, have less turnovers, and just play smarter.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Christmas game Preview
To ignore this game would be like ignoring the 500-lb. elephant sitting in the living room. The Eagles' matchup with the Cowboys tomorrow is the most important game of the year by far.
Then again, what games haven't been important for this squad since they dropped two in a row to fall to 5-6?
If they win tomorrow, they're in-in the playoffs that is. And, they'll be on the cusp of clinching a division title if they wrap things up with Atlanta next week. That's all a moot point if they don't take care of business in Big D tomorrow.
The game will be decided in the trenches. Garcia will need protection and they'll need to get their rushing attack going. And, the Eagles will need to at least hold Julius Jones and Marion Barber sort of in check and get plenty of pressure on Joe Montana II-I mean Tony Romo. Sure, Romo has done a nice job since taking over as starter, but it's a joke that he got a Pro Bowl bid. He has become a media darling and if he were playing somewhere like Minnesotta he'd be an afterthought.
You can be assured this will be one of those classic Eagles games, which makes you pull your hair out. The one where you damn near have a brain anuerysm. The one where you breathe a sigh of relief at the end.
I think they'll win a hard, closely-contested game and pull ahead late in the fourth quarter. This squad is starting to peak at the right time.
The X-factor will be penalties. The birds have had a major problem with foolish penalties since week 7 when they lost to the Saints.
They'll go ahead in the middle of the fourth quarter and David Akers will add 3 points for the ole peace of mind.
Prediction: Eagles 33-24
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After signing Barajas and trading Conine the Phillies are likely done making moves for a while.
It's a little early to rant about the Phillies, but for them to hold onto 6 starting pitchers without making a move for a relief pitcher is insane.
Just what thought there is behind this is beyond me. It's like having too many shudders for your home and hanging onto some extra ones when you could return them and replace a door. Gotta love home-building analogies don't you?!
In all seriousness, Pat Gillick should be working the phones around the clock in order to land not one, but two relievers. A month ago they were "ready" to pull the trigger on a deal which would have Jon Lieber to the Brewers for Derrick Turnbow and outfielder Kevin Mench.
And, what did the Phillies do? They went out and got a mediocre bench player in Jason Werth and have done nothing to address their bullpen issues.
The bullpen was the #1a reason why they missed the playoffs last year, with #1 being the plethora of boneheaded decisions by Charlie Manuel.
It's business as usual for an organization which is run like they've only been to the playoffs once in the past 2 decades.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Sixers extend their streak to two in a row by defeating the Knicks 98-77 tonight.
Andre Miller made his debut tonight and didn't disappoint as he came off the bench and dished out 11 assists. He didn't start because he needed some time getting acclimated, so don't expect him to be a 6th man any time soon.
The other Andre on the team had another fine performance with 20 points, which comes off the heels of his career-high 31 points last night.
The Sixers have centered their offense around ball movement for the first time in 10 years and it's no secret why. Iverson was a ball-controller and the other 4 guys would serve as spectators for much of the game. As great as he was, he could have been so much greater had he decided on sharing the ball.
Now they will on a 7-game road trip out west which will last 12 days. This team has a long way to go and will probably struggle as expected.
There's reason for optimism now that they are sharing the ball and the younger players get a chance to finally develop.
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The Flyers dropped their 9th straight decision today when the Senators throttled them 6-3.
At this point the Flyers have dipped to a low point in their existance. Not only have they set a new mark for their worst losing streak, but they are getting beat in all aspects of the game.
How about this stat? The Flyers are 1-19-1 when their opponent scores the first goal?
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Drexel continued their perfect December with a 69-54 victory over the Temple Owls.
In the past few years there was a college hoops team, which took the city by storm.
In 2004 it was St. Joe's, last year it was 'Nova, and right now the Drexel Dragons appear to be that team.
This is the first time in their history they have beaten three Big Five schools in one season.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
FINALLY! The 76ers end their 12-game losing streak by defeating the Celtics 98-83.
Andre Iguodala had a career-high 31 points and 9 assists to lead the short-handed Sixers who were without Chris Webber and newly acquired Andre Miller and Joe Smith. Ok, well maybe Joe Smith wouldn't have made much of a difference, but hooray. The '6ers have ended their longest losing streak in 10 years.
However, I can feel a collective negaive energy among Philadelphia fans. Nobody wants this team to win. They want this team to lose, lose, and lose.
If the team stinks like they do, why would you want them to win 30 games? Wouldn't you just want them to be as bad as bad can be so they can win the Greg Oden sweepstakes? And, that's provided he does declare for the NBA draft.
I myself have mixed feelings. I like to see a team win. I don't feel any real fan wants to see their team lose every game. However, on the same token if this losing can mean the chances towards landing a franchise center and one who is compared to Bill Russell, then what's the harm in tanking some games? Or, in this case the majority of the games! Not that they have or are doing in on purpose. It is what it is. They are that bad.
So, with that said I want to see them win a few here and there and make their way to a 17-65 record. And, based on their 6-19 record they are close to hitting that mark.
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My adopted team, the Phoenix Suns (who make basketball worth covering) have yet to play following their mini-hiatus when they were stuck in Denver following a blizzard. They will take on the Wizards at 10:30.
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Credit Andy Reid for making the right move as a play-caller.
Once McNabb went down to injury, Reid relinquished much of the play-calling duties to Mary Mornhinweg.
The result has been a 3-1 record following the catastrophic loss to Tennessee.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Flyers dropped their eighth game in a row tonight-losing to Montreal 4-2.
Antero Nittymaki had 33 saves, but he could have 63 saves and if the Flyers can't stop the other team and give up 5-3 advantages-they'll lose.
This makes it 19 straight losses for the Sixers and Flyers.
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Iverson claims he never sought a trade. He insists he just wanted change.
"I didn't go in initially asking for a trade," Iverson said. "I felt that, in my 11th season, I could go in and give my opinion. When I did, and I saw that they didn't care about my wishes, I knew it was up then."
It's been well documented that Iverson did in fact demand a trade. And, that's when the Sixers decided to "T.O." him and put him on the inactive list prior to trading him.
Just like he has for many seasons now, Iverson is saying the right things as he heads to Denver, but not until the snowstorm blows over.
"Every critic is going to say that," Iverson said. "They'll all just have to wait and see. I have a chance to play with a great player. I've never played with a player as great as Carmelo. We're both going to have to sacrifice. We know that. But if the concern is to win games, then that doesn't matter.
"He's the face of the Nuggets. I'm new to the team. If that's what
it takes, I'll follow."
Haven't we heard a statement like that before in many a preaseason press conference in some way, shape, or form?
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The Sixers are close to bringing Larry Brown back in some sort of capacity.
I have mixed feelings about the Sixers bringing back "LB." Personally, I would love to see him coach the team again. As a front office person I'm not so enthused. Let's face it, he made some dog-bleep moves in his tenure with the Sixers. The Mutombo, Eric Snow, and Aaron McKie contract extensions really left a bad taste in my mouth.
However, I think what this means is that they are easing him back into the team and he'll take over as head coach next season when the reclamation project begings. If Billy King has full say as GM and Larry Brown is the coach and just the coach I'm on board.
Come on, we're talking about arguably the greatest coach in the past 20 years. Many of you are no doubt saying "he was a traitor and left the team in ruins." Well, I have two words for that, "Allen Iverson." Brown left for that reason alone. If you remember the Sixers were bounced by the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs and in that final game Iverson showed up late for the game. Many people on the inside have stated that it was the final straw for Larry. And, so he went.
Can you fault him for that? It's his career. I don't fault him one bit for leaving the team. I just thought his moves as the GM were poor.
Provided he takes over as coach and lets a GM do the GM'ing then I'm all for it. Otherwise, we're just looking at a replay of basketball past.
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The Phillies trade Jeff Conine to the Reds for a pair of minor-leaguers.
Conine was the odd man out once the Phillies acquired outfielder Jayson Werth earlier in the week. The Phillies received outfielder Javon Maron (who they actually drafted and traded for Cory Lidle a few years back) and third baseman Brad Key.
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To update those of you who are following my coverage of the Phoenix Suns, they are idle once again tonight. They have been stuck in Denver since Wednesday due to the blizzard and won't play again until Friday night, when they head back to the Valley of the Sun to face the Washington Wizards.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Sixers drop their 11th straight; fall to the Pacers 101-93.
As they have in many of their contests during this losing streak, the Sixers were in the game for much of the way. But, the better team prevailed in the fourth quarter.
Iguodala and Korver each had 20 points, and Samuel Dalembert had 16 points.
The Sixers slipped to an NBA-worst 5-19.
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The Phoenix Suns continued their incredible winning streak, by winning their 15th straight victory.
The anti-Sixers as I call them throttled the Raptors 115-98 behind Amare Stoudemire's 28 points and 10 rebounds in just 28 minutes.
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Phillies sign catcher Rob Barajas to one-year $2.5 million deal.
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After losing their franchise-record 7th straight game the Flyers traded for Mike York.
This is the Flyers' second deal in a week with the Islanders after trading for Alexei Zhitnik. In this deal they sent Randy Robitaille and a fifth-round pick to the Islanders for York.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
As I stated last night the Nuggets would most likely get a deal done right away now that Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith were suspended for 15 and 10 games respectively.
This is a great trade for several reasons.
First off, the Sixers will lose Joe Smith's is in the final year of his contract, so they'll lose $6.8 million off the books after this season.
Secondly, Andre Miller has just 2 years remaining and $19 million owed. His money along with Webber's will come off the books after next season. If you read my breakdown a few weeks ago, the Sixers are looking to get their payroll down into the upper $20 million range, and now this will be a reality provided that Billy King continues to exercise fiscal sanity and holds true to the rebuilding effort.
The following players' deals all come off the books within the next two seasons: Chris Webber, Andre Miller, Joe Smith, Jamal Mashburn, Todd Maculloch, Greg Buckner, and Aaron McKie. Yes, you read that right they still have contracts of two players who retired, and two players no longer with the team on their payroll. This is why the NBA is such a mess.
And, lastly the Sixers will receive two first round picks in a draft, which is said to be the strongest in years. One of those picks is Dallas' draft pick, so they're looking at lower-round choices. Denver's pick is only lottery protected if they would somehow miss the playoffs and get the first overall pick. And, then the Sixers would receive their pick next year no matter where it falls. It's unlikely that will happen so the Sixers are looking at receiving two picks in the 20's, which will provide King with some ammo to move up in the draft.
This trade works much better for the team than the near-deal that fell through on the night of the NBA draft in June. In that three-way deal the Sixers would have received Boston's pick (and drafted Randy Foye), forward Wally Szerbiack, and Carlos Boozer. Sure, the Sixers would have drafted Randy Foye with that pick, but they would have received two players who really aren't championship caliber players. Boozer has been plagued by injuries and Szerbiack is a shooter who can't defend like Keith Van Horn.
Now, they can build through the draft and land a couple marquee free agents once they get their cap broken down after the 2008 season. This is the same formula the Phoenix Suns employed when they blew up their team and drafted Amare Stoudemire and then signed Steve Nash.
Billy King was asked at the press conference when the players would report and it's likely Smith and Miller will make their debuts on Friday night.
This deal marks the conclusion of a brutal 10-day period in which the Sixers exiled Iverson from the team and continued to lose. The heat has been on Billy King to get a deal done, and not just any deal, but a good one that enables this team to officially start over again.
12/19/06 marks the new beginning.
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There will no doubt be a split among both fans and writers alike. Some will say the Sixers got robbed. Some will decry that the Sixers never got A.I. the help he needed.
One thing is clear though; this could not continue.
Iverson will be remembered for breathing life back into a dead franchise. He was electrifying and epitomized what Philly expects out of their players-toughness. He was perfect for this town for many years.
Iverson was a little man in a big man's game and when he caught fire could dominate like a man among boys.
I will miss Allen without a doubt. But, I knew the time was over a few years ago. The writing was on the wall that this team was on the crescendo down.
How could you not miss #3 though? He gave us 11 electrifying seasons and despite is propensity to miss practice, poor defense, defying coaches, showing up fans, and all of his other issues we'll still miss that killer crossover. We'll miss him flying up towards the hoop with reckless abandon. We'll miss 2001, which was the most fun we had watching any team since the 1993 Phillies. It was even more fun that the 2004 Eagles. Ask most fans and they agree. 2004 was fun, but 2001 was magic. Because, like 1993 it came out of nowhere.
Thanks for memories Allen.
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Brian Westbrook was left off the team as Tiki Barber, Frank Gore, and Steven Jackson were named to the squad.
Westbrook, L.J. Smith, and Trotter were named to the team as alternates.
Tony Romo was actually selected as a quarterback despite only playing for roughly half the season. Seems like a lot of people bought into that hype.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Unless you were living in a cave, you probably heard that the Nuggets are one of the front-runners in the Iverson sweepstakes. Now, that they will be without their franchise player for a considerable amount of time, this puts them in a vulnerable position.
Expect them to increase their efforts to get the trade consummated with the Sixers so as to get an impact scorer in their lineup right away. Otherwise, they will fall out of the playoff picture quickly.
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George Karl said Isiah Thomas was full of bleep and an a-hole today when questioned about Thomas.
For some unknown reason David Stern failed to suspend Thomas for even a single game. This is after he basically announced in his press conference that he advocated the flagrant foul because the Nuggets were playing Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby in the final minute of a blowout. What Thomas did was classless and at the very least he should have been suspended for 10 games for telling Collins to goon it up. Sound familiar? Remember, John Cheney ordered Nehemiah Ingrim to do the same thing against St. Joe's a few years back.
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Eagles stretch their winning streak to 3 games.
The Eagles are the hottest team in the NFC right now. If you don't believe me, then look at who has the longest winning streak currently in the conference. They are tied with Chicago with a 3-game winning streak, who has a barely functioning offense.
Jeff Garcia is playing extremely well by guiding the team to a 3-1 record as starter in McNabb's absence with 9 TD's and 1 pick.
It's also no coincidence that the Birds' defense has improved in the defensive department since installing Omar Gaither in the starting lineup. He has 22 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 2 pass deflections, and 1 interception in 3 starts. This type of playmaking has been sorely lacking from the outside linebacker position in the past year and a half.
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Billy King is doing the smart thing by just being patient while trying to deal AI.
It's not as if this team is going anywhere anytime soon. Thus, they might as well take their time and try to get the best deal for their team. And, at the same time they'll accrue more and more chances towards landing the number one overall pick.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Eagles' rushing D rises to the occasion; Eagles win 36-22.
In what was their best defensive performance easily in the second half of the season the Eagles' rushing defense was on point today, holding the Giants to 88 yards rushing. As the game wore on they got more pressure on Eli Manning as well.
And, in the fourth quarter when they needed to come up big, they fired on all cylinders by blowing out the Giants 22-9 after coming back from a 22-21 deficit.
Brian Westbrook became the first 1,000-yard rusher since Duce Staley went over the mark in 2002.
Jeff Garcia started out slow, but got better as the game went out-much like the defense. He finished 19 of 28 for 237 yards and 1 TD and 1 pick.
The Eagles now hold a tie-breaker over the Giants for best conference record. Now, they head into big D on Christmas for the showdown to see who has control of the division.
One thing is clear; if they play like they did yesterday they could go to the Super Bowl in the NFC. It's so cliche anymore, but anybody can win if they get hot in the NFC, and it certainly appears the Eagles are getting hot right now. This is their third consecutive victory.
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Iguodala's 27 points not enough as the Sixers' losing streak extends to 11 games.
Right now, it doesn't appear this losing streak is in any jeapordy of ending anytime soon. The Sixers have been well...just not good enough. When they play well they can't catch a break. Hell, they couldn't catch the Ebola virus in sub-Saharn Africa.
They were leading as the game headed into the fourth quarter, but once again they ran out of gas.
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The anti-Sixers or the Phoenix Sun extended their winning streak to a franchise record 14 games.
Steve Nash has an Nash-like 5 assists on Friday night. And, there are many certainities in life, and one of them is that Nash won't have two 5 assist games in a row. He wouldn't on this night, by scoring 16 points and getting 12 assists.
They overcame a slow start to pull away in the third quarter from the Kings.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Sixers' skid hits 10. They fell to the Mavericks 93-79 last night.
They showed some fight last night by closing to within 3 points at the end of the third quarter, but the firepower of the Mavericks was simply too much for a weak Sixers team.
They just aren't good enough to compete with anybody except for maybe the Charlotte Bobcats and Memphis Grizzlies-fellow bottom feeders of the NBA.
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Phoenix's winning streak reaches 13 games as they topped the Golden State Warriors.
The anti-Sixers have done it again. This time Boris Diaw was the impetus behind this victory as he notched his 5th career triple-double to lead the Suns to a 105-101 victory.
The man known as "Stat" or as us easterners call him-Amare Stoudemire, had 25 points including a key three-point play, which put Phoenix ahead for good with 3:46 remaining.
Steve Nash had a paltry 5 assists, but it didn't matter. This was all about Boris Diaw last night.
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Peter Forsberg's epic journey to discover a skate to fit his injured ankle may finally have ended.
He returned to Philadelphia from a three-day trip to Montreal and told GM Paul Homgren that he is "excited" about the progress made toward finding the right skate.
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Memory of the stunning loss the Giants still burns the Eagles.
Even though it was 3 months ago, the loss to the Giants still angers the Eagles. The collapse in the second game was a harbinger of things to come; 4th quarter meltdowns, defensive miscues, foolish penalities, and turnovers at inopportune moments in the game.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Denver in the lead of the pack for Iverson.
Denver has the contracts and the picks the 76ers so desperately need. Now, it's a matter of the 76ers pulling the trigger.
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Phillies move for Bobby Livingston nullified by MLB.
Baseball determined that Tampa Bay claimed him off waivers from the Mariners with the sole purpose of trading him to the Phils. The trade ended up null and void and Tampa Bay's claim was denied.
c
Larry Brown assisting Billy King again
Many within the Sixers organization have openly admitted to Brown being involved with the organization once again.
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Westbrook could return punts on Sunday.
It could be a bluff by the Eagles, but there is a real possibility 36 West could be taking punts for the birds in the Meadowlands.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Delonte West could be the key to the Iverson trade.
The Celtics can offer a few things the Sixers need; youth, relief, and picks. And, West is a big part of that.
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The Phoenix Suns were idle tonight, so no update on my adopted team's winning streak; it still stands at 12 games.
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Perry may be the answer the Birds are seeking in the return game. He averaged 27 yards in 10 kickoff returns in two late-season appearances last year.
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The Phillies' AAA team will be known as the Ottawa Lynx until 2008. At that point, they'll move to Allentown and be known as the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs.
Confusing isn't it?
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Flyers lose their fifth in a row by falling to the Penguins 8-4 tonight.
Everytime they play the Penguins you know the results aren't going to be good. At this point, you can be certain disaster will strike.
Sydney Crosby lit them up for a career-high 6 points. And, it appears now he's on his first dominant run of his young career by scoring a goal in five straight games and notching 15 points over the past six games.
The Flyers....well there wasn't much positive aside from them actually scoring 4 goals. The problem is you can't win in hockey giving up that many goals. Not even the great Red Wings teams of the 90's and early 2000's could.
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Steve Nash led the hottest team on the planet with 18 points and 11 assists, which squandered a 25-point fourth-quarter lead. Shawn Marion notched 23 points and had 13 boards.
The bottom line is this is a great team. What 1-5 start? I saw this team on my recent trip out to Phoenix and they demolished a 76ers team which wasn't quite as bad as it is now. They cut through them like a hot knife through butter without the best player in the NBA. Nash was sitting out that night with back spasms.
With the best player in the NBA back at the helm, this team is as hot as any team in recent NBA history.
When they can hold a good team like the Miami Heat to under 90 points, forget about it.
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The Sixers lose 101-81 to the second worst team in the Atlantic the Boston Celtics.
Make it 9 in a row for the Sixers now. They and the Flyers now have an aggregate 14-game losing streak.
Welcome to Hades in the sports world. This is our nightmare.
This was to be expected for the Sixers. Don't kid yourself. They hit their crecendo with Iverson and were mired in mediocrity for the past several years-particularly without Larry Brown. And, now they are a very young team that just hasn't played together.
As Kyle Korver stated earlier this week, they have to get used to handling the ball more.
They were so used to Iverson dominating the ball. Thus, it's time for the youngsters to develop and take their lumps. They will be one of the two worst teams in the NBA this year.
Kevin Ollie led the Sixers with 14 points and Andre Iguodala chipped in with 12 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals.
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The Nuggets are said to be adding a third team to the mix in order to land Iverson.
One possible scenario has Iverson heading to Denver, Nene going to Portland, and Jamaal Magloire and Joe Smith going to the Sixers. Both Magloire and Smith are in the final year of their contracts.
Magloire has one year and $8.3 million remaining on his contract, while Joe Smith has $6.8 million remaining on the final year of his deal.
If the Sixers can get this cap relief and a first round pick, then it's a winning move by them. They need to blow up the roster and get out from underneath the bad contracts.
The following contracts all expire after this season: Jamal Mashburn, Todd MacCulloch, and Greg Buckner-good for $21 million. And, next year Chris Webber, Kevin Ollie, and Aaron McKie's contracts expire, which is good for an additional $32.6 million. If they dump Iverson's money within the next two years, then they will get their salary cap down to the $23 million range after next season.
Say hello to rebuilding.
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NBA and local legend Paul Arizin dies at age 78.
Arizin had a distinguished career, which included an 85-point game while at Villanova, plus 10 all-star performances, two scoring titles, and an NBA ring with the Warriors.
He played high school ball locally, and was one of the few local athletes who played high school, college, and pro ball in this city.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Bobcats' GM shoots down the rumor that Iverson killed the trade yesterday.
“No. That’s the biggest crap I’ve ever seen,’’ Bickerstaff said of a report that Iverson killed a deal by saying he wouldn’t play for the Bobcats.
In fact, the Bobcats have denied they are a player in the Iverson trade market.
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"We're staying away,'' Kings co-owner Joe Maloof said in a telephone interview. ``We're not going forward.''
It would be ludicrous to think the Kings would send Mike Bibby to the Sixers-who is in the final year of his contract. That seemed like a move GM Geoff Petrie would never make. After all, he dumped Webber on the Sixers just before his skills really eroded. He has never made a bad a trade as the Kings' GM.
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More details have come out on former Eagle Andre Waters, who committed suicide last month.
He was said to be upset with an emotionally draining custody battle, his career, and inability to land an NFL coaching job.
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Short was one of the Eagles' best special teams players for the past several years. Something is strange about the timing of this move.
Was there a falling out with coaching staff? Only time will tell before that comes out.
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So much for the fake leather. The ballers wanna keep it real.
The NBA will go back to the genuine leather ball on January 1, 2007.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Sixers drop their 8th straight game; lose 81-79 to Portland.
On the night when Allen Iverson's locker has been emptied, the Sixers have fallen again and fell further toward the bottom of the abyss of the NBA-otherwise known as the Greg Oden sweepstakes. As if that's a bad thing. They are the worst team in the NBA right now.
It's a new team with a new identity, one without the enigmatic, embattled superstar who ruled this team for 10-plus seasons. They are now a team comprised of young players who are largely undeveloped because they couldn't develop while playing with Iverson. They are in effect starting at square one.
They were very competitive against one of the better teams in the NBA the other night. And, tonight they were competitive again, but against a much weaker opponent in the Trailblazers.
Maurice Cheeks can't buy a victory and he certainly couldn't against his former team tonight.
This team has to get much worse before it can get better. That's the necessary part of the cycle of winning and losing. And, if they're going to be bad, they might as well be the worst and ensure the highest possible chances of landing Greg Oden, who is the big man's answer to Lebron James-a once in a generation big man.
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The Suns make it 11 in a row. Ah yes, the Suns are hotter than the biggest star in our solar system.
Behind Amare Stoudemire's 30 points, they knocked off the Orlando Magic who just beat you guessed who-the Sixers who are Neptune to the Suns' Mercury.
Alright, enough space analogies. In case you've been a regular reader of Today's News you'll see that I'm regularly keeping tabs on the Suns since the Sixers are in such a sorry state of affairs. Being a team on the opposite end of the spectrum, and one run extremely well I have chosen to adopt the Suns this season.
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Iverson has his locker cleaned out tonight.
This is a very clear indication something is brewing on the horizon. This trade won't take weeks to consummate with whoever that mystery team is. It should take until the end of this week at most.
Iverson can say it's about losing, but this is about Mo Cheeks standing up to him and Iverson is a complete hypocrite. When he was hired he said, "there must be something wrong with you" if you have any problems with Cheeks. That's cleary obvious. Iverson can't handle any semblance of authority.
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Iverson reportedly kills a trade to the Charlotte Bobcats.
This would have provided the Sixers with not only less money in contracts (since the Bobcats are far under the cap), but they would get players with less years back.
Well, the word is Iverson killed that deal when he stated his displeasure of playing for another losing franchise. The Bobcats are right there with the Sixers as the worst team in the East.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Eagles hung on to win today 21-19 after giving up 16 unanswered points in the second half.
This game was a microcosm of the Eagles' season in that they squandered a lead in the second half. They couldn't stop the run. Their offense disappeared for virtually the entire second half. They couldn't create turnovers when they needed them. And, they were grossly outgained in time of possession.
Despite all of these signs of another Eagles loss, they did the unthinkable. They held onto the ball for the final 4:58 to seal the victory.
Their defense was indicative of the bend, but don't break Jim Johnson defense of 2003-the one which gave up lots of yards on the ground, but kept opponents out of the end zone. Yes, the same defense that helped the team go on a nine-game winning streak. It seems so long ago doesn't it?
Jeff Garcia did his best Donovan McNabb impersonation today by tossing two touchdowns and once again 0 interceptions on 16 of 23 passing for 164 yards. He now has 8 TD's and 0 interceptions on the season. Brian Westbrook ran for 88 yards on 17 carries and added 38 yards receiving on 3 catches.
The defense got some turnovers from some unfamiliar faces. Michael Lewis picked off a Jason Campbell pass and returned it 84 yards for a TD in the first half. And, linebacker Omar Gaither picked off a pass as well. When is the last time an Eagles outside linebacker had an interception? You have to go back to 2005 when Dhani Jones had a pick against the 49ers in the second week of the season. Yes, the Eagles outside linebackers have gone nearly two seasons without a pick.
Once again, the run defense was horrific, allowing Ladell Betts to run for over 170 yards. There were numerous occasions when he wasn't touched for nearly 8 yards. This Eagles defense cannot be fixed. At least not this year. They may very well make the playoffs, but don't expect them to go very far. Should they face a team like the Saints or the Cowboys (perish the thought) they'll be eaten alive by their running games.
It's time for the Eagles to play Brodrick Bunkley. He can't be any worse than the slop they're putting out there. They have nothing to lose at this point. They won't win a Super Bowl, so it's time to let the kid get some plays in and learn on the job.
This is what you have-a slightly above average team with a terrible run defense. But, hey they'll make the playoffs. I'd rather see them make it as a 9-7 team than miss as an 11-5 team.
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This could be a strategic move on Billy King's part by leaking misinformation in order to put teams on their heels, but sources are saying they have looked at some three-team trades and are ready to make it happen by Tuesday at the latest.
They are said to be looking to get this trade consummated as soon as possible, rather than having it linger like the Ron Artest saga last winter.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Sixers lose for the 7th consecutive game; fall to the Magic 86-84.
This was a very good game and you could see a much better effort by Mo Cheeks' squad. They also had their best defensive effort of the season. They haven't allowed less than 90 points since their season-opening win against Atlanta when they allowed just 75 points, but Atlanta barely qualifies as an NBA team.
They held a very good Orlando team to 86 and hung with them in the defensive game. But, Dwight Howard was simply too much for them. He's a case in point as to why they need to get really bad for the next couple years. If they end up as one of the two worst teams this year they'll have an extremely good chance of landing either Greg Oden or Joakim Noah in the NBA Draft and either big man is just what this team needs.
Samuel Dalembert is what he is; he's an 8 and 7 guy who has flashes of brilliance like tonight when he blocks 5 shots. But, he plays dumb. His basketball I.Q. is deficient and his effort lacks. Dwight Howard is the antithesis to Dalembert-he dominated Philadelphia tonight by knocking down 28 points and grabbing 11 boards. Dalembert put up his customary 11 points and grabbed just 6 rebounds. And, that's not good enough.
Overall they held the Magic to 45% shooting and shot 53% themselves. It's a game they should've won, but for some reason Kevin Ollie was taking a crucial shot at the end of the game. And, Webber was well...Webber in crunch time faltering at the end.
At least this team showed a glimpse of what they can be like in the future though. They moved the ball like they never do when Iverson is in the lineup. And, their defensive effort was tremendous. For them to hang neck and neck with one of the best defensive teams in the league was very encouraging. I'm never one to buy into moral victories, but with teams like this you have to look to the future. And, this team is offering a sliver of hope.
It's just one game against a really good opponent though. If they do this a few more times, than a positive pattern is in place.
The Sixers are now 5-14 and have lost 14 of their last 16 games since their 3-0 start, which is good for a tie for dead last in the awful East. They won't take the court again until Monday when they host Portland in South Philly at 7:00.
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The Flyers made it an 0-2 night for the winter teams, losing to the Capitols 5-3.
The Flyers picked up right where they left off last night by losing for the 3rd consecutive game. They are doing a great job of competing with the Sixers for the title of worst team in Philly. They are dead last in the Eastern Conference by two games and are the second worst team in the NHL. They are among the botom feeders in scoring, netting just 2.39 goals per game and yielding a league-worst 3.64 points a game.
And, by hiring Bobby Clarke as a scout they give the fans little reason to believe this organization is trying to change.
Ed Snider has two messes on his hand. After having years of stability in the Flyers he could fall back on that in recent years even when the Sixers were not so great. Now, he is in control of two plane wrecks.
And, just what can the Flyers do about Peter Forsberg who is earning the title as Philly's biggest pain in the ass. He just can't find that right skate to fit. Are you kidding me?
He won't be back next year and the Flyers will be forced to try and move him this year just to get something in return. His value will take a huge hit based on his lingering "problems."
The Flyers do have the NHL draft to look forward to. After all, the Penguins were dreadful for years and landed two number one overall picks. They just happened to be the best goalie and offensive player to come out in the draft in a generation. And, they also landed Malkin with the fourth overall pick. The Flyers would be hard pressed to find a talent in this draft comparable to either of those three players.
Wouldn't that be their luck? Wouldn't that be this city's luck?
Luck. What is that? I forgot what that word means.
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Darren Howard can't figure out why he isn't doing anything this season.
The Eagles have announced that he will start tomorrow, which is a huge mistake. Howard is killing the Eagles with his lackluster play.
He has been banged up all season and that's supposedly the reason for his poor season. He says he can't figure out why he isn't putting up the sacks.
How about this? He just stinks. In the past two games he's recorded one assist.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Allen Iverson era appears to be headed towards the end.
Iverson was not allowed to participate in the team's shootaround this morning and told he couldn't play tonight. And, he was told he couldn't play tomorrow night.
According to many sources he is healthy enough to play, but the team doesn't want him around.
The word is that Iverson has demanded a trade and the Sixers are rapidly trying to find takers.
"I made the decision based on the game in Chicago that he didn't play in the fourth quarter," Cheeks said. "He didn't practice [Thursday], and he didn't go through the shootaround [today], so I made the decision based on that."
Billy King was very evasive when questioned about it tonight, but would neither confirm or deny any trade rumors by saying such communications are "private matters."
This situation was a long time coming and happening much quicker than I thought. I felt that this divorce would occur towards the trade deadline when the Sixers fell to such depths that they would have no choice but to trade him. It turns out they've fallen to those depths much quicker than I could've imagined. And, it's best for all parties.
I've said it time and time again that they need to rebuild this team and start developing the younger players. They cannot do that with a $19 million star there who takes 25-30 shots a night, and somebody who refuses to change his game to accomadate the best interests of the team. It won't happen. And, they need to get bad and get a high pick in this year's draft. If they would make the playoffs they'll lose their pick in a draft said to be chock full of young talent.
As far as the logistics of a trade go; they need to take back players in a deal who have less years or equal years in contracts at most and try to get a young player and/or a pick.
The first step is obviously trying to find a taker willing to take on $39 million in salary in the two seasons after this one. And, a team willing to take on a player who is on the downside of his career. He's still putting up numbers, but it doesn't take a biochemist to realize that when his skills do erode, his play will deteriorate rapidly ala Chris Webber.
One move that would make sense would be with the Timberwolves. The Sixers could move him to Minnesota for Ricky Davis-who 2 years remaining on his deal at roughly $6.5 million annually; Randy Foye-who the Sixers wanted in the worst way last June; defensive role player Trenton Hassell who earns $4.3 million annually, and Mike James who is in the final year of his deal-counting $5.2 million on the books. Billy King would have to get creative and send another player to them, but with Davis, Foye, Hassell, and Mike James you have a little over $19 million in salary that would match up with Iverson's lofty $18 million contract.
There is little doubt now that Iverson will be moved. And, he just may have played his final game for the 76ers.
Ed Snider, has even come out and said the team will do their best to move him.
Iverson has also admitted that he feels a change would be necessary.
"As hard as it is to admit, a change may be the best thing for everyone," Iverson said in the statement. "I hate admitting that because I love the guys on the team and the city. I appreciate that in my 11 years in Philadelphia, the fans have always stood by me, supported me and gone to bat for me."
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The Suns have won their 9th straight game by topping the Celtics 116-111.
In keeping with the new way of Today's News I will keep you abreast as to the goings-on with a team I have chosen to cover-the Phoenix Suns.
Shawn Marion netted 29 points, while Steve Nash was electric as usual with 16 points and 14 assists. Raja and Boris added 14 points each for the Suns who have now won 11 of 12 since starting the season off 1-5.
Despite a fast start in the first quarter, the Sixers have fallen to the Washington Wizards tonight.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Now that the Sixers officially stink, I'm going to do something a little unorthodox. I'll update you on the Phoenix Suns scores. I consider them to be a real NBA team, not one stuck in perpetual mediocrity like the Sixers, so I'll continually update you on their scores. They are a team that you can care about, because they run their team the right way unlike the Sixers who have been run into the ground by an incompetent GM. With that said, they won their eighth straight game last night in a whopping 161-157 double overtime game.
Steve nash scored 9 of his career hight 42 points in the second overtime. This was certainly the highest scoring game in the NBA this season and reminiscient of the glory days of the NBA in the 80's when showtime was in full effect.
The Sixers were off and are looking to face the Wizards without Webber and Iverson. Not that they have much of a shot anyway.
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Darren Howard's knee now leaves him in doubt for the game on Sunday.
Not that he's much of a loss anyway, since he's been horrific this season. He has just one sack in the past seven games and has done pretty much nothing all season except for his game against the Cowboys when he record eight tackles and two sacks.
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In a case of good cop, bad cop Manuel and Dallas Green are at odds with Pat Burrell.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
The Phillies make it official; acquire Freddy Garcia from White Sox tonight.
Say goodbye to the Gavin Floyd era and hello to Freddy Garcia. The Phillies traded Floyd and a player to be named later to the White Sox for Garcia. The player to to be named later is expected to be Gio Gonzalez-currrently their best pitching prospect.
It's a move that needed to be made though. Starting pitching was something that needed improvement and the Phillies now have three front-line starters in Myers, Hamels, and Garcia. Added to that, he is a pitcher with playoff experience like Jamie Moyer. And, Gillick feels Garcia can be the ace to the Phillies' staff. And, Garcia was an ace with the Mariners. With the White Sox, he was in a similar situation-pitching on a staff with other front-line pitchers.
Garcia is 116-71 in eight years, along with 200-plus innings in seven straight seasons. He went 17-9 with a 4.53 ERA last year in arguably the toughest division of baseball.
It's likely their other trade will take place, which was contigent upon them landing another starting pitcher. That deal was the deal with the Brewers that had them sending Jon Lieber for Kevin Mench and Derrick Turnbow. However, the latest reports are that the Phillies have cooled on Kevin Mench. Stay tuned.
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SHOCKER! The Sixers get blown out 121-94 by Chicago.
This game was over in the first quarter when Ben Gordon lit them up for 17 points when he came off the bench and played just 5 minutes! He wound up with 31 points on the night, but it could've been 18 and they probably still would've crushed the Sixers.
This game was the complete opposite from when these two teams faced off the last time, when Ben Wallace had probably his worst game as a pro.
The Sixers officially stink. Their defense is a joke. Their defense is a joke. I repeat; their defense is a joke.
And, it's not Mo Cheeks' fault. I'm not giving him a free pass, but let's face it; this team doesn't have the players mentally equipped to play defense. I'm not saying they aren't intelligent enough, but they don't have the mentality, the drive, or the desire to do so. They just don't care to.
This is a team which is going to be in a free-fall as long as Allen Iverson dominates the ball, and as long as he and Webber are in the starting lineup. Both of them are defensive liabilities, but at least Iverson can play. Webber is beyond done. He is akin to that steak that has been burnt to a crisp a half hour too long. He's burnt, put a fork in him and see the fork burn!
This is the Sixers' fifth straight loss and we can expect a long season. About all we can root for is the worst season possible so they land an elite draft choice in a draft, which is expected to be the strongest draft in a decade.
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Bobby Clarke brought back as a senior vice president.
In recent weeks he was seen around the team much more and the Flyers have confirmed that Clarke will return in a scouting, consulting role.
Just as long as he isn't a GM, it's probably not a bad move. However, with him being named to an official title it sends the message to the fans that the club hasn't moved on and many will be suspicious that he's still helping to run things.
Maybe, he's helping Holmgren out during the transition period. Either way, it would have been a smarter move for them to allow him to help out on the side without giving him the official tag.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Dallas Green says it's time for Burrell to step up.
It's about time Green is taking it to Burrell. It's probably a little too late considering he's really set in his ways, but if the Phillies are going to be stuck with him this might be their only hope for salvaging his career.
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Gillick working on a deal to land a starting pitcher.
He's engaged with talks between the White Sox, Brewers, an Texas Rangers. It's anybody's guess who he's after, but rumors are that it could be either Javier Vazquez, Mark Buehrle, or Freddie Garcia.
In addition, another deal in the works would be the Phillies sending Jon Lieber to the Brewers for Derrick Turnbow-who would be an immediate fan favorite for his Gomer Pyle looks. His pitching would get him maligned if he continues on his horrific downward trend of last year.
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Eagles are feeling revived after a win.
Isn't that how it usually works though? Winning is the panacea, the cure-all for all woes.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
For the second time this season Lito Sheppard bails out the porous defense in the red zone with an interception.
The Eagles finally came out on the winning side of a game when their defense faltered in the second half. This time winning 27-24 over the Carolina Panthers.
If the season were to end today the Eagles would be one of the wildcard teams. Ah yes, this is the sad state of affairs in the NFC. It's been beaten to death how much mediocrity exists in the NFL and how the NFC is the poster child for that. Or, is it parity? Perhaps the two are intertwined.
At this point, who the hell cares really? It's nice to see the Eagles surprise us with a win when we expected their defense to give away the game again.
On the night the star of the game was Jeff Garcia. He wasn't just ok, but was excellent tossing 3 TD's along with 312 yards on 21 of 39 passing. Brian Westbrook's 100-yard game streak was broken, but he finished with his customary 100+ all purpose yards along with a touch.
The receivers stepped up as well as Reggie Brown had a nice touchdown on a perfect toss by Garcia in the fourth quarter. And, Donte Stallworth had a one-handed on the left side of the field, which was one for the ages.
The defense didn't play that great, but who expected them to? Early on they showed some fire, but they succumbed to the same miscues and blunders. Although Omar Gaithier made some nice plays in his first start as a pro.
Brian Dawkins played one of his best games of the year though, making many big plays and nabbing a key interception in the second half.
My game ball goes to Garcia here, and I was disappointed when there were cheers for A.J. Feely when Garcia was banged up on a play in the third quarter when Kris Jenkins landed on top of him. That was absolutely uncalled for. Garcia laid his ass on the line and played his heart out and gave the team everything they could hope for. He wasn't a linebacker with Jones or McCoy on his jersey. No need for him to be the target of the animosity.
The Eagles begin their treacherous three-game road trip against division foes next week when they face the Redskins.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Chris Webber wants more playing time now that he's back following a six game absence.
Despite sitting out the fourth quarter in four of the six games he played in, he denies a published report that he asked for a trade.
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Hernandez you might remember from that disastrous 2003 season, the one in which he along with bullpen mates Mike Williams and Jose Mesa single handedly ruined the Phillies' playoff chances.
Fultz was with the Phillies last year and was nothing special-going 3-1 with a 4.54 ERA in 66 appearances.
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He has carried the ball for 20 times in three straight games and in case you haven't noticed has three straight 100 yard games. Sure, it hasn't translated into wins, but blame that on the linebackers and shoddy interior linemen.
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Perhaps, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for the Eagles to give such youngsters as A.J. Feely and Ryan Moats some playing time in the next five games to see if they are going to be in their future plans.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
A typical day of losing in tough fashion. Both the Sixers and Flyers fell to the Jersey teams in tough, close games tonight.
After mounting a charge in the 4th quarter the Sixers fall to the Nets 112-107.
The stars were out tonight as Vince Carter lit the Sixers up for a season-high 41 points and Jason Kidd had his 78th career triple double. And, Iverson had another big night with 37 points, 10 assists, and 4 steals. Chris Webber had 15 points and 12 rebounds in his first game back after sitting out a few games due to a sore back.
The Sixers were behind double-digits for much of the second half, but came back to within 3 points with a few minutes to play. Then, the Nets pulled away and were up by 8 with just a minute to play. And, the Sixers came back again to close to within one. However, Vince Carter was fouled twice in the final 3 seconds and made all four of his free throws to give the Nets the victory.
It was a good effort by the Sixers who switched up their starting rotation, by playing Andre Iguodala at the point and starting Rodney Carney, who had a career-high 20 points on 10-19 shooting. They also got quality efforts out of Alan Henderson and Willie Green off the bench.
Next up for the Sixers will be the Timberwolves tomorrow in Philly.
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The Flyers fell to the Devils 4-3 in a shootout tonight.
When it rains it pours, and tonight it most certainly did. The Flyers have been playing much better of late, going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, but they couldn't stop the Devils when it came down to the wire.
Mike Knuble, Todd Fedoruk (who made his return to the Flyers tonight), and Randy Jones each had goals for the Flyers.
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Thus, if he signs with them the Phils will receive a compensatory draft pick between the first and second rounds. Not a bad move for a guy who they gave up Nelson Tejada to get.
It's likely Dellucci will sign with the Indians once he completes his physical so the Phillies will ultimately get a high draft pick for a borderline starting pitcher in Tejada.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
Today's News
Today's word of the day is blame.
It was the drug's fault. Iverson is blaming his absence from the team event at the bowling alley on an antibiotic he was taking for his teeth.
He claims that he was tired from taking it and had to leave practice early. Thus, there was no way he could show up for a meet and greet with corporate sponsors and some season ticketholders.
I've heard it all now. I've taken many antiobiotics in my day, but never has one made me tired. Painkillers yes, but antiobiotics no way.
Isn't it funny that Iverson played 47 1/2 minutes the night before? If he was so tired from this drug then how could he play essentially an entire game the night before?
It's the latest excuse in an endless list of excuses for the 11th-year veteran who has really fallen out of favor with the fans of the Sixers.
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Blame it on the chicken.
Bunkley said he got caught in traffic after the food-stop on his way to the airport. And, suffice it to say he was the first player in Andy Reid's tenure to miss a team flight.
“You never want to do something like that,” Bunkley said. “It shows that you're irresponsible. I still made all the meetings. I apologized to coach Reid as soon as I got there and apologized to my [defensive coaches].”
Based on his comments and the reason for missing the flight, it seems like Bunkley learned his lesson. Next time he has to go on a food run he'll be certain to leave enough time to make it to the airport.
Bunkley won't have to worry about being late for a flight this week, because the game takes place at the Linc on Monday night, and he'll probably get substantial playing time.
Reid, Johnson, and company will want to see what the big guy is made of.
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Blame it on the back.
Disappointing Flyers defenseman Mike Rathje is considering retirement.
Rathje is the poster boy for the Flyers disappointing play over the past two seasons. He's a microcosm of them being ill-equipped to play in the "new NHL" and after committing a turnover which cost them a game the other night, he's considering retirement over his aching back.
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Shavlik Randolph had successful surgery on his fractured ankle and will miss up to 4 months.
This is quite a relief because many accounts were that this injury was as brutal as the broken leg Joe Theisman suffered on Monday night football 20 years ago.
Team officials are saying the best case scenario is he'll be out three months, but it will probably take up to four months for him to return.
Contact Dennis Bakay at dennisbakay@phillypurge.com
