| June
8 , 2006
Oh Cannabis
By Marc Lombardi
phillypurge.com
When Ricky Williams violated the NFL's
substance abuse policy for the fourth time this past
Spring, the NFL suspended him for the duration of 2006
season. And Williams did just what any draft dodger,
disgruntled Democrat and bank robber would have done.
He fled for Canada.
Late last month, Ricky Williams signed a one-year contract
reported to pay him $250,000 to play for the Toronto
Argonauts of the Canadian Football League for. That's
approximately one half of the NFL's minimum salary for
someone with his experience. It's also about one half
of what an almost washed up running back returning from
missing two out of the last three seasons with personal
issues will be worth when he eventually tries to return
to the NFL in 2007.
The worst thing is, this move (in conjunction
with the histories of Darryl Strawberry, Latrell Sprewell,
Doc Gooden, Lawrence Phillips and Steve Howe) further
proves the fact that -- no matter what -- if you have
any spark of talent there is a team owner who is dumb
enough to give you a second, third or tenth chance.
Except this time it's not just another coach. It's an
entirely different league in a whole new country. And
while there are some very clear-cut differences between
the NFL and the CFL, there are also quote a few things
to take into consideration when comparing Ricky's new
home in Canada and his last stomping grounds in Miami.
The most famous singer from Miami:
Gloria Estefan
The most famous singer from Canada: Celine Dion
Edge: U.S.A.
The most record-setting athlete in Canada: Wayne Gretzky
The most record-setting athlete in Miami: Dan Marino
Edge: Canada
The most common sights in Canada: Maple trees, moose
and rude French-Canadians
The most common sights in Miami: Sandy beaches, pastel
colors and thong bikini
Edge: U.S.A.
The most famous Canadian TV personalities: Jim Carrey,
The MacKenzie Brothers
The most famous Miami TV personalities: Crockett and
Tubbs, Horatio Caine
Edge: U.S.A.
Marijuana's status in the U.S.: Illegal
Marijuana's status in Canada: Illegal
Edge: None
The weather in Toronto: Bitter cold winters where residents
get hit with about two or three snowstorms per year
The weather in Miami: Tropically hot summers with the
likelihood of three or four hurricanes per year
Edge: None
Canada has bags of milk.
Miami has bags of coke.
Edge: U.S.A.
The NFL used to have two teams in Los Angeles but now
has none.
The CFL used to have two teams nicknamed the Roughriders
and now only has one.
Edge: U.S.A.
Canada has the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and their
silly looking hats and red jackets.
Miami has a police force that may someday include Shaquille
O'Neal.
Edge: U.S.A.
Ricky's number in Canada: 27
Ricky's number if he stayed in Miami: Prisoner 32745-239
Edge: Canada
With evidence like that it's easy to say that Williams
is making a mistake. His exodus across the border only
proves that Williams needs some weed money. Williams
would have been much better off had he taken on his
inner demons (as opposed to toking on some killer cheeba)
and kept clean. Instead, he's going to have to not only
spend a year in the football purgatory that is the Canadian
Football League, but he will also have to prove himself
worthy all over again when he is ready to return to
the NFL. And that's if he manages to avoid the worst
case scenario, which is get hurt while playing in Toronto.
At least now he can wear a tuque during interviews instead
of his helmet, eh?
June
6 , 2006
Pitching, pitching, and more bitching
By Dallas Owens
phillypurge.com
So here we are Philly, the first week
of June and you've already sounded the alarm. Brace
yourselves sheep, I actually agree with you this time.
The Phillies are 4.5 games behind the Mets and only
hold a 2.5 game lead over the eventual division winners,
the Braves. In any other city, they would be optimistic,
looking at a 4.5 game lead with one hundred some odd
games to go as a good thing, but when you live in a
dirt trap that grows rats the size of cattle, it's time
to wave the white flag. Your Phillies can hit, oh yes,
they can hit, but the problem lies on the mound. That's
where the pitcher throws from for all you inbred, hardly
literates that read this site.
Not only does the pitching suck, but
you got Farmer Charlie pulling the strings. A deadly
combination in any league. The Phillies are 11th in
the league in pitching, which I guess isn't so bad considering
they play in a $200 million shoe box. As everyone knows,
in order to win in baseball, you need pitching. Good
pitching. The Phillies have zero Cy Young award winners.
Zero ERA leaders. And their only pitcher that has ever
seen 20 wins (Jon Lieber) also has to wear a neck brace
between starts from reacting to the 44 bombs he's given
up in his 46 starts as a Phillie.
et's look at the bright side. I know
it's hard, you're used to the glass being half empty
and cracked. That's what happens when you grow up in
a slum and breast feed until you're thirteen. You have
Brett Myers. Myers is a quality pitcher who makes quality
starts. As a matter of fact, he's had 8 quality starts
in his first 12 outings. Of course, Charlie Manuel,
has only managed his way to 4 wins in those games. Great
offense, great pitcher and four wins? If Charlie Manuel
was my uncle. I would fit him for a helmet, lock
him in the back bedroom, nail the door shut and slide
him pita bread under the door. He's an embarrassment.
You also have Tom Gordon. He's off to a great start
and quickly made himself an elite closer in the NL.
Then again, he also has an elbow that's held together
by Bobbi pins and duct tape.
Let's look at the dark side. And I'll
keep it short because I get bored talking about crappy
baseball teams. The rest of the pitching staff sucks.
You should probably trade Cole Hamels to the Cubs because
he's already got the characteristics of Kerry Wood and
Mark Prior. Great stuff and arm that Geno's apparently
stuck on with Cheese Whiz. Ryan Madsen is a disaster.
No wonder when he's a starter…no…a reliever…ok,
he's a starter again, nope he's a reliever. Maybe Ol'
Uncle Charlie would have a better idea of how to handle
him if somebody slapped a John Deere emblem on his ass.
Somebody should get Ryan Franklin in touch with Victor
Conte. Apparently doing things clean doesn't suit him.
Gavin Floyd, Julio Santana and Jon "Another Bomb"
Lieber all need new addresses.
Here's where it gets comical. Since
I started writing for this site last fall, all I have
heard from you idiots is how awful Bobby Abreu is. "Bobby
Abreu isn't clutch, Bobby Abreu is a stat padder, Bobby
Abreu isn't a gamer." Now that you need a some
major pitching help, you Neanderthals (our "boss"
Dennis Bakay falls under this category) are all writing
on message boards and e-mails to the site about how
the Phils should trade Abreu for an ace pitcher. How
much glue can one city collectively sniff? He's such
a horrible player, but now you want to trade him for
an "ace pitcher." How typical. This city's
aggregate I.Q. is three digits. Why should anyone acquire
a guy you crapped on for the last five years? Did someone
hire Ed Wade? That's another thing, Ed Wade got run
out of this city like he had cooties, yet that guy is
responsible for you being as close to first place as
you are. Rollins? Myers? Abreu? Burrell? Utley? Howard?
Who made them Phillies? I guess it doesn't matter, the
Braves will win the division anyhow.
Tell 'em Dallas told
ya!
May
31, 2006
23 and counting...
By Dennis Bakay
phillypurge.com
It’s odd, I expected it to be
brought up once while listening to WIP today, but nobody
mentioned it.
And, no I’m not talking about rising gas prices
or Bush’s approval rating, in which both seem
to be heading in opposite directions.
I’m talking about the 23rd anniversary of the
last championship for a major Philadelphia sports team.
Yes, it was May 31, 1983 when the Sixers defeated the
L.A. Lakers in a 4 game sweep. I even have the boxscore
from that game for you to see.
23 years is enough proof to realize
that Philadelphia is the city that never wins. And,
every loss in a big game paradoxically hurts, but doesn't
hurt.
We’re numb to it.
And, it's expected.
It’s hard to believe (well maybe not that hard
considering the litany of collapses) our teams have
gone an aggregate 90 seasons without a title. It almost
defies the laws of mathematics. Here is the tally of
our 4 teams in championship action since 1983.
Flyers 0-3
Phillies 0-2
Sixers 0-1
Eagles 0-1
It’s even more remarkable that
the four teams have combined for just 7 appearances;
that’s good for an appearance every 3 years on
average. If only we were so lucky. In the past 13 years,
we’ve seen all four teams make just one appearance
each.
To what do we pinpoint this futility on? Is it poor
decisions by ownership, mismanagement of talent, bad
luck, choking when it counts, a curse? Well, it’s
a little bit of the first 4…sorry to disappoint
those of you who believe in the curse.
Another reason why the drought has lasted this long
is because the franchise players on the four teams don’t
have a second superstar playing alongside them, with
the exception of McNabb and T.O. From Cunningham to
Barkley to Lindros to Iverson, they never had that second
superstar to play with. Sure, they’ve had solid
compliments, but nothing to add up to a McNabb-Terrell
Owens or Mike Schmidt-Pete Rose type combination.
Take note that the Eagles finally got
to the Super Bowl when McNabb was complimented with
a superstar player. And, yes they beat the Vikings and
Falcons in the playoffs to get there. However, they
would’ve never been in that position to rest their
starters the final 2 weeks after coasting through that
magical season.
Iverson is a different case. He is
a player who by many accounts is unable to coexist with
another superstar. Just ask Chris Webber. Webber has
even privately told people free agents won’t come
to the 76ers because Iverson wants the ball too much.
Aside from the lack of superstar combinations
there have been periods where the owners were just plain
cheap; from the Norman Brayman era, to the Harold Katz
era, to the Phillies ownership group of mystery people
(sans Giles and Montgomery) who are more underground
than a secret society. And, still to this point the
Phillies aren’t spending everything they can to
put a championship contender on the field.
There are a few certainties in life,
death, taxes, and the championship futility of Philadelphia
teams.
One day the paydirt will come, and
to quote WIP’s Glen Macnow, “it will be
like the champagne bottle has been shaken for all those
years and then the cork is finally popped, and it will
be so good.”
Let’s hope that cork gets popped
before 25 or 30 years, the city that never wins deserves
it.
Contact Dennis Bakay at phillysports@earthlink.net
May
22, 2006
Curtain Calls?
By Ben Whitman
phillypurge.com
Brad Halsey reared back and in a flash
Barry Bonds tied the Babe. A line drive into the
right field bleachers. We knew this was coming. We expected
it. What I didn't expect is what happened next. There
weren't a few claps, no smattering, and it wasn't a
mixed bag. They roared. The fans in Oakland stood….and
they stood. Long enough to get two curtain calls from
one of the most selfish people ever involved in pro
sports. He pried his helmet from his veiny, swelled
head and he creaked out on a pair of knees that have
had the ligaments and tendons stretched to their limit
by concoctions that even Bruce Banner would pass on
and he looked into the crowd at McAfee Stadium. The
same crowd that booed him yesterday. The same crowd
that booed when he stepped to the plate just seconds
before his monumental blast. Why?
When Barry Bonds came to Philadelphia
sitting on 712 career home runs all eyes were on South
Philly. As you all know, Philadelphia has a reputation.
A take no prisoners, take no crap, take it to your face
reputation. ESPN sent crews, Fox sent crews, Sports
Center anchors made snide comments about Barry's trip
to Philly. At first, it had all the makings of a classic
Philly moment, and as Marc Lombardi reported here
it didn't work out that way. Bonds absolutely crushed
number 713 towards the McDonald's sign in right field
and like a someone flipped a switch – the boos
turned to cheers. Just like they did that night in Oakland.
Why?
Like most geeky people my age, I grew
up on Star Wars. At the end of Return of the Jedi, Darth
Vader, crippled and near death, tosses the Emperor to
his doom saving Luke Skywalker. Through two previous
movies and a period of nearly ten years, the world saw
Darth Vader as a villain. Suddenly, with one act of
valor, he became a hero and I can still remember that
movie theater erupting with clapping when it happened.
I was so confused. He's still Darth Vader. He's still
the Dark Lord. Yeah, it was nice that he helped Luke
out, but he's bad. The whole theater is clapping. Why?
Barry Bonds is not a movie villain.
He's a real villain. Even crippled and near death (his
career, I haven't seen his medical chart) he doesn't
deserve your applause. I'm not worried about Babe Ruth's
legacy, I'm confident that is secure. But why should
Bonds be put on a pedestal when Pete Rose and Shoeless
Joe Jackson are banned from baseball for life? Because
fans like homeruns? Because home runs saved baseball
in '98? Barry Bonds will forever be linked to steroids,
and I guess that legacy is enough punishment. Every
conversation that has Bonds name mentioned in it will
inevitably contain a "but" that will seal
his fate in baseball lore. It'll go something like this…
OJ was great, but he killed his wife. Tyson was great,
but he was a convicted rapist. Pete was great, but he
bet on baseball. Barry was great, but he cheated.
Congratulations Barry, you're in good company.
May
21, 2006
Tragedy strikes the Preakness
By Dennis Bakay
phillypurge.com
In one split-second an event became
a tragedy.
The riders claimed they could hear
the crack above the pounding of the hoofs and the roar
of the crowd.
It was that loud.
Anyone who saw the Preakness yesterday saw the horrific
side of sports. It’s that moment that occurs every
so often when we forget about the event; it’s
about life. We saw this when Dennis Byrd and Mike Utley
were paralyzed during NFL games. We saw this when Hank
Gathers died on the court. It’s happened at countless
practices in high school, college, and professional
levels. Moments like this transcend sports.
We realize just how miniscule sports are in comparison
to life, to humanity. This is part of the human condition.
When tragedy strikes it hits us in our faces like a
bucket of ice water and we’re broken down to one
of our most powerful human emotions; compassion.
After the race we could feel the pain Barbaro was going
through. I felt for the horse as it writhed in pain
and couldn’t put any pressure on it’s broken
leg. This is the most catastrophic bodily injury that
can happen to a horse as they simply cannot lie down
for 6 weeks in order to allow a bone to heal.
The doctors will try and repair the
broken leg in an emergency surgery. 20 years ago, they
had a tarp on the track to shield the horse from the
public as it was euthanized. That’s how catastrophic
a leg injury is. Now, there are major advances in veterinary
procedures. The major problem with horses is that their
legs are rail thin and hold up an immense body. Added
to that, it’s impossible to keep a horse immobilized
for a long period of time in order to allow the bones
to heal. When there are many broken bones it’s
nearly impossible to treat because of infections that
occur. In Barbaro’s case he has a break above
and below the ankle and there is a chance they can fix
it. The doctors won’t know for another 2 months
whether the horse can survive.
That’s the danger and beauty
of sports. There’s such a fine line between triumph
and tragedy and it can occur within a split second at
any moment.
Yesterday we saw how a festive event
like a triple crown race becomes secondary to what’s
really important; the survival of a living creature.
Contact Dennis Bakay at phillysports@earthlink.net
May
16, 2006
Hamels gets a whiff of the future Friday night
By Michael Sadowski
phillypurge.com
Trust me – we can all give a
great, big thanks to Phillies CF Shane Victorino.
If he was a step faster or got a split-second
quicker jump in the fifth inning Friday night, we’d
be beating to death the most insane question since “Who
shot Mr. Burns?”
If he caught Felipe Lopez’s gapper – and
he came about one foot short of doing just that –
he would have preserved Cole Hamels’s no-hit bid
in the phenom’s major-league debut.
Forget about the fact that after just five innings,
he had already thrown 92 pitches (mostly because of
five walks). Forget about the fact that Ryan Madson
relieved Hamels in the sixth and promptly gave up two
bombs to blow the win for Hamels.
If Hamels still had his no-no going after five –
and because of Victorino’s trap he didn’t
– with all the hype around Hamels’s first
start, the question would have been, “Should Charlie
Manuel have lifted Hamels?”
The answer is yes.
But I may have been the only one who
thought that way.
Perhaps I’m too cautious with
young pitchers, remembering the mistakes of not only
the Phillies with their young pitchers, but also all
of baseball. Mark Prior, who was throwing 120 pitches
a game before he even finished a full year in the majors,
has had arm trouble ever since. Rick Ankiel is now one
of the Cardinals’ best hitting prospects after
losing confidence in a World Series chase. The list
is endless of those ruined by overuse.
I simply don’t want to see Hamels
end up that way. Does anyone?
I shouted to the moon last week that I wished he would
have stayed in the minors for at least another couple
of months, and it still worries me that he didn’t.
But as long as he’s up, the Phillies should be
taking care of this kid. He’s a star, as long
as he stays on the right path and isn’t put in
harm’s way.
That being said, Hamels gave Phillies fans a whiff of
the future Friday – and it smelled better than
Geno’s. Seven strikeouts in five innings –
including two strikeouts of Ken Griffey Jr. –
and his ability to pitch out of jams made Hamels look
like a breath of fresh air compared to Madson’s
performance over the last few weeks. He’s not
a top-of-the-rotation guy just yet, but he could be
an important link in the chain to get the Phillies to
the playoffs. When Brett Myers gave up a solo homer
Sunday afternoon, it was the first time in almost 23
innings a Phillies’ starter gave up a run. As
good as the Phillies’ lineup has been lately,
that starting pitching is what has been the key in a
streak in which they’ve won 13 of 14. Hamels can
be a valuable part of that rotation.
But he’s not the star everyone
wants him to be – yet. Take him for what he is,
a 22-year-old kid who sooner or later, will get lit
up like a Christmas tree.
Let’s just hope he comes back the next game with
his head on straight.
May
16, 2006
Different Phillies
By Robert Kelley
phillypurge.com
Something is different. There is a
slight difference and everyone can see it. These are
not the same old Phillies. The same old Phillies would
have folded up in the 3rd game of this past Cincinnati
series, a series that saw the Phillies sweep the team
with the best record in the National League.
The game was 1-0 in favor of the Reds,
with Ryan Howard, Aaron Rowand, Bobby Abreu all out
of the lineup. It looked like the Phils’ AAA club
was playing in Cincinnati. Brett Myers pitched a masterpiece,
going 7 strong and only allowing 1 run. Brandon Claussen
appeared to look like Cy Young, completely baffling
the Phils hitters. All but one hitter. Howard was hospitalized
late Saturday because of a viral infection, but with
the struggles of his replacement, Alex Gonzalez, Howard
was called upon in the 8th inning with 2 outs to pinch
hit, and boy did he ever. He drove a Claussen fastball
over 400 feet into the right field seats to tie the
game at one. After some shaky innings from the bullpen,
the game went into the 12th inning. Howard again came
up to the plate, and again did something magical. He
drove a fastball 430 feet to straight away center field.
This gave the Phils the lead and the win.
Now I ask this question: Would the
2003, 2004, and 2005 Phillies have won that type of
a game? I didn’t think so. There is just something
different about this years Phillies. Remember that 9-14
start to the season? I don’t either. I am too
busy reminiscing about going 13-1 in the last 14 games,
which includes a 5-1 record against the Reds and Mets,
two teams that have over 23 wins. During the games that
the Phils have won during the streak, the starting pitchers
have combined for an ERA of 2.66. At no point last season
did the Phils string together that much sustained success
from the shaky rotation of Jon Lieber, Cory Lidle, Robinson
Tejeda, Randy Wolf, Vicente Padilla, and Brett Myers.
Lieber, Lidle, Myers, Gavin Floyd, and Cole Hamels have
combined to bring balance to the Phillies. The best
bullpen statistically in National League, and one of
the true powerhouse offenses, the teams’ success
would garner around how the rotation would perform.
I think 23 consecutive scoreless innings shows how good
this rotation can be. Great American Smallpark in Cincinnati
is the worst pitchers park in Major League Baseball.
Hamels, Leiber, and Myers combined to pitch 20.2 Innings,
giving up 7 hits and 1 earned run. Again, 1 earned run
in 3 starts.
Would Marlon Byrd or Kenny Lofton have
given up their bodies to save 3 runs in a huge divisional
game? Didn’t think so. Rowand has brought a new
attitude to the club, making their outfield one of the
best defensively. In a game that everyone knew would
be shortened because of rain, every run would be that
much more precious. Rowand realized that and saved 3
of them, a game the Phils won 2-0. Those are the types
of plays that Phillies fans have been waiting for, for
years. During all this time that management has decided
to spend more money to try to make the perennial losers
a winner, there has been much disappointment. 2003-2005
were the most disappointing seasons for the Phillies,
as they did not make the postseason. With pitching and
sacrificing players, 2006 may be a different story.
May
10, 2006
What were they thinking?
By Marc Lombardi
phillypurge.com
Hey Phillies fans. Particularly
those of you who attended Sunday’s game.
I have something to say to you.
You make me sick.
That’s right. I said it. You make
me sick. Your actions this weekend were despicable,
disgusting and downright disappointing.
The boos and the chants were awesome. “Cheater!”
they yelled. “Steroids!” they screamed.
“Balco Barry!” they boomed. The
signs were even better. I love the one that said
“Babe Ruth did it on hot dogs and beer.
Hank Aaron did it with class. How did YOU do it?”
That’s the thing that differentiates Philadelphia
sports fans from those of the rest of the country.
We’re sarcastic, witty and cruel all rolled into
one.
But apparently not cruel enough.
Because when Bonds teed off on Jon Lieber in the sixth
inning on Sunday night’s game and sent the baseball
on its 450-foot journey off of the McDonalds sign in
right-field, most of the crowd went wild.
That’s correct. Phillies fans actually cheered
for the bad guy. They pointed at the ball as it
soared up into the cosmos. They jumped to their
feet and they began to applaud. Philadelphia fans
cheered Barry Bonds for hitting his 713th home run and
it made me want to puke.
The hypocrisy is unfathomable. It was almost like
pelting Santa Claus with an ice-packed snowball but
handing him a cup of cocoa on his way to the hospital.
It was like cheering for Michael Irvin as he lay prone
on the field with a neck injury but sending him a candy
gram afterwards.
In all of the years I played football,
there was one thing I learned that I’ve always
made sure to abide by. When you talk trash to
the guy on the other team and then knock him down, you
do not help him back up. Sportsmanship is one
thing, and I also appreciate that aspect of sports.
But pride and grit are other things entirely.
If you want to be a nice guy, by all means be a nice
guy. But please don’t pretend to be a badass
and then turn around and give someone a hug and say,
“good job, sport.” It just makes you look
stupid. And that is what those fans who cheered
Barry Bonds did on Sunday evening.
You don’t call a guy a cheater and then give him
a standing ovation when he knocks one of your pitchers’
fastballs out of the park. It’s just not
right.
But apparently here in Philadelphia, those fans in attendance
at Sunday’s game that stood and cheered as Bonds
rounded the bases just don’t get it. You
don’t razz the enemy and then applaud him for
doing exactly what you’re mocking him for in the
first place.
Just thinking about the two-facedness of those fans’
reaction this weekend makes my heart ache wondering
what we have in store for Terrell Owens when he comes
to town to face the Eagles this season.
Hopefully FTD doesn’t run out of roses that week.
---
Marc Lombardi can be emailed at PhillyPurgeMarcL@gmail.com
May
9, 2006
Philadelphia fans again show they are first-rate
By Dennis Bakay
phillypurge.com
This was supposed to be a weekend of
chaos. It would be one full of hell, fire, and brimstone.
For major league baseball it would be the apocalypse.
We could see it already, the fans would
storm down the seats like they were the Odessa Steps
to go after Bonds should he break the Bambino's record.
They would chase him down like Tommy Lee Jones' character
Warden Dwight McCluskey in the prison riot scene in
Natural Born Killers.
God forbid Barry Bonds would pass Babe
Ruth in the city where fans are known to have pelted
Santa Claus with snowballs, run athletes out of town,
harassed opposing team’s fans, inspired a court
to be built inside a stadium, committed crimes against
humanity, being placed on the State Department’s…ok
well not that bad, but you get the message.
Philadelphia fans are maligned more
than any other fan base in the country and it’s
not just irresponsible journalism and commentary (yes
I mean you Joe Morgan) but just flat out low-rent. After
attending the game on Friday I felt proud to be a Philadelphia
fan. It’s been well documented now about the signs
in centerfield. They were great. What was even greater
was the electricity in the building. The team seemed
to feed off of that by extending their streak to 8.
Bonds finally hit paydirt on the ESPN
Sunday night game. And, Joe Morgan wasted no time in
firing shots at those awful Philadelphia fans. Then
again, this is the same network that showed a program
a few months ago that painted Philadelphia fans as overly
demanding, bitchy, complaining, angry louts. Even worse,
the journalists who opined about the fans were from
other markets in the country. This particular episode
was to accuracy what the dodo bird was to over population.
It was embarrassing.
Whenever Bonds stepped onto the field
he was greeted with a thunderous explosion of boos and
it was great to see. He asked for this. He wanted the
attention that was “taken” from him by McGwire
and Sosa, so now he’s getting it. To his credit,
he didn’t make this about Philadelphian fans.
Although, he did try and accuse many people of being
bad parents for shouting obscenities at him while in
front of their kids. While cursing profusely (and who’s
to say that was the case) may not a great example to
set for a child, I don’t think he’s in any
position to say what’s good or not good for their
kids. Especially considering when he sets an example
for millions of aspiring athletes; many who took steroids
so they can compete, and who faced fatal consequences.
Perhaps, he should try saying that sob story to the
parents who lost their children to steroid use because
they wanted to be the next McGwire, Sosa, or Bonds.
Morgan made comments such as “I’ve
heard the fans in Philadelphia boo louder at their own
players than Bonds.” Well, Joe if you had chunked
out a good percentage of your yearly salary (the average
American earns $16/hour according to the Wall Street
Journal-and season tickets are in the few thousand dollar
range now) you’d be quite angry too if you had
to watch some of the slop these teams put out. Here
are just a few examples: the likes of Mike Lieberthal
(not caring for 13 years), the Eagles getting slaughtered
in the (answer to the Phillies’ 1964 collapse)
NFC Championship to the Bucs, James Thrash and Todd
Pinkston (embarrassing the franchise in the 2004 NFC
Championship), Samuel Dalembert (making an obscene amount
of money and not caring), the Flyers quitting in a horrendous
game 6 loss, the Eagles getting embarrassed on Monday
Night Football at home twice in 2005, and countless
other debacles and shameful performances in just the
past few years alone. You’d probably exercise
your right to display your dissatisfaction if you paid
to sit through that.
With that said, the Phillies fans who
attended this series showed the country that Philadelphia
fans are not a scourge. They are not mindless mongrels
who go to sporting events to terrorize their own players
and opposing team’s fans. They showed they are
the most passionate, wonderful fans in the country.
And, it was one of those weekends that makes you feel
proud to be apart of it.
Contact Dennis Bakay at phillysports@earthlink.net
May
4, 2006
Boo Bonds?: Some Background
by Ben Whitman
phillypurge.com
This weekend Barry Bonds and his 712
home runs visit Philadelphia for a three games series.
The City of Brotherly Love may have the opportunity
to witness history. Now knowing Philadelphia fans like
I do, I'm assuming there will be no celebration. I've
heard rumblings about mass walkouts (to the concourses)
during Bonds' at bats and even heard more than one person
mentioning a desire to purchase "D" Energizers.
Not that I condone the battery thing, but wouldn't it
make more sense to buy generic? Major League Baseball
has also made it clear they won't be hosting any celebrations.
They won't even authenticate the baseball like they
have done in the past with Mark McGwire's and Bond's
milestones. MLB has a point. While this is quite an
accomplishment, even for someone allegedly pumped up
with steroids and freakier than Chernobyl beef cow,
it is not a record. 755 is the record.
Bond's apologists have tried to spin
this as some sort of racist conspiracy. Bud Selig, the
white owners and white America want to protect the "Bambino."
Bonds himself has repeatedly suggested that he is the
target of racism, "This is something we, as African-American
athletes, live with every day, I don't need a headline
that says, 'Bonds says there's racism in the game of
baseball.' We all know it. It's just that some people
don't want to admit it. They're going to play dumb like
they don't know what the hell is going on." Bonds
is not alone on his viewpoint, "It's so obvious
what's going on," Twins center fielder Torii Hunter
told USA Today, "He has never failed a drug test
and said he never took steroids, but everybody keeps
trying to disgrace him. How come nobody even talks about
Mark McGwire anymore? Whenever I go home, I hear people
say all of the time, 'Baseball just doesn't like black
people. Here's the greatest hitter in the game, and
they're scrutinizing him like crazy.' It's killing me
because you know it's about race."
I'm not naïve enough nor bold
enough to say there is no racism in baseball. We've
seen in the past and I'm not talking about the segregation
or pre Civil Rights Eras. Reds owner Marge Schott referred
to her star players Eric Davis and Dave Parker as her
"million dollar niggers." Dodgers Executive
Al Campanis told a national TV audience that he felt
black people didn't have the mental "necessities"
to be Major League field mangers or upper level management.
It exists.
 |
My problems with Hunter's comments
are simple. Certainly there are some hayseeds out there
that hate Barry Bonds simply because he's a successful
African American. The KKK and Arian Nation are still
getting applications everyday, but Mark McGwire has
not been directly linked to steroid use or steroid dealers
other than Jose Canseco's flimsy account. I am of the
opinion that McGwire did use steroids. I'm also of the
opinion that he absolutely humiliated himself and tarnished
his image when called upon to testify to the Congressional
Committee. No one is talking about McGwire for three
reasons. 1. He's retired. Out of sight, out of mind.
(Where's Sammy Sosa? He's not Caucasian.) 2. He's not
heading towards 755. 3. He's all but admitted his guilt
without ever admitting it. (See Grand Jury testimony)
Bonds on the other hand has been cocky, brazen and defiant
all along. Here's what Bonds said when asked if he thought
using steroids (in general) was cheating in 2005, "I
don't know what cheating is. I don't believe steroids
can help your eye-hand coordination, technically hit
a baseball. I just don't believe it." He's repeatedly
stated he's never failed a drug test. This is true,
but he's also accused of using designer steroids like
"the cream" and "the clear," substances
that were undetectable until the last couple years.
According to the book Game of Shadows, beyond cheating
with steroids, it's told that Bonds has had physical
altercations with teammates, married his most recent
wife because she's black (the media was hounding him
about dating white women) and possibly most telling,
he was incredibly jealous of Mark McGwire.
The book intimates, well actually straight
out accuses, Bonds of beginning his steroid use because
he was so jealous of the attention McGwire got in 1998.
If we’re to believe this, it means that Bonds
has gotten to where is now, single season home run king
and approaching the most hallowed record in all of sports,
based on envy. Furthermore, he put himself in this situation.
If he hadn't begun this quest by pumping himself full
of chemicals (some designed for cattle) he never would
have come close to Ruth or Henry Aaron. He would have
been "only" a Hall of Famer, hardly close
to 600 home runs. Bonds wanted the attention, he wanted
to be the headline everyday, he wanted people to forget
McGwire, and now here he is, crying about all the attention
he's getting.
Barry Bonds, the chase and racism -
It seems Bonds has accused just about everyone of being
racist. I don't know what Bonds has experienced or not
experienced, but I won't deny he's been the target of
racism. In recent years, he has gotten hate mail and
death threats sent to him regularly. The league and
the FBI have the evidence. The percentage of these that
were race related I am unaware. Certainly I can't claim
to understand the plight of a world famous, multimillionaire,
black athlete. I don't know what trials and tribulations
he goes through day in and day out in regard to anything,
never mind racism. Bonds' godfather Willie Mays was
forced to begin his career in the Negro Leagues. His
father Bobby Bonds also was exposed to racism while
beginning his career down south in the 1960s. A lot
of Mays and Bobby's experiences were passed on to Barry.
Barry was actually raised in the predominately white
suburbs of San Francisco. Most of his childhood friends
and one of his wives were white. He has biracial children.
Even with such a background, Bonds has been quoted as
saying things like this in the Boston Globe:
"Boston is too racist for me.
I couldn't play there. That's been going on ever since
my dad was playing baseball. I can't play like that.
That's not for me, brother." When it was suggested
that times have changed Bonds countered, "It ain't
changing. It ain't changing nowhere."
That said, there is a case to be built
for Barry Bonds: Racist.
Here's an excerpt from former White
Sox slugger Ron Kittle's book, Ron Kittle's Tales
from the White Sox Dugout:
I walked up to Bonds at his locker
in the Wrigley Field visitors' clubhouse, introduced
myself and said, "Barry, if you sign these, they'll
bring in a lot of money for kids who need help. Bonds
stood up, looked me in the eye and said, "I don't
sign for white people." If lightning hits me today,
I will swear those were his exact words. Matt Williams
and other Giants were in the room and they heard what
Bonds said. I stood there for a minute, and the veins
in my neck were popping. I've only been that mad a few
times in my life. I was going to beat the (heck) out
of him, really kick his (butt), but Williams saw what
was happening, so he came over and got between us. Matt
said, "Ron, that's just the way he is."
Bonds comments don't seem like someone
who doesn't want attention. He doesn't carry himself
like someone who wants to stay out of the headlines.
The following is from 2003:
"755 isn't a number that's always
caught my eye -- the only number I'm concerned with
is Babe Ruth's. As a left-handed hitter, I wiped him
out. That's it. And in the baseball world, Babe Ruth's
everything, right? I got his (single season) slugging
percentage, I got him on on-base, I got him on walks
and then I'll take his (lifetime) home run record and
that's it. Don't talk about him no more."
Why the venom for the Babe? My gut
says it has little to do with them both being "left
handed." Interestingly, while Bonds looks to "wipe
out" Babe Ruth, they may actually have even more
in common. Being victims of racism for one.
Babe Ruth and racism- The lineage of
Babe Ruth is sketchy at best. Many people believe that
he was an orphan who was adopted by the Ruths. In recent
years the possibility of Ruth being biracial has been
discussed. I never really thought twice about it when
I heard the claims. It wouldn't shock me, and it wouldn't
change any of my preexisting opinions of the Sultan
of Swat. What did shock me was some of the things that
Ruth endured during his time as a player. I discovered
this while reading Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball
by Elliot Kalb. The book explains that Ruth had to deal
with constant badgering about his heritage throughout
his career. Opposing players would yell from the bench
"Hey nigger, can’t you play today?"
and other racial slurs. The book says that Ruth would
often respond calmly, "Listen guys, call me anything,
but don't call me nigger." Racism may have even
been at the root of the most famous Babe Ruth legend
of all, the "called shot" in the 1932 World
Series. Kalb suggests that the infamous point to the
outfield just before blasting a home run, may have been
in response to the Cubs bench consistently harassing
Ruth with the "n-word." Without discounting
Bonds experiences with racism, how many times do you
think he's heard that from the bench of an opposing
team? I'll put my money on zero. But even these instances
were nothing compared to what Hank Aaron went through.
Henry Aaron and racism – Henry
Aaron's chase of Babe Ruth escalated in 1973. Aaron
was a great hitter, but none of his seasons reached
the caliber of Ruth or Bonds. "The Hammer"
never hit 50 home runs in a season, yet he is the all-time
home run king. Aaron's key to greatness was consistency.
He hit over 20 homeruns in 20 consecutive seasons and
was an All Star in 21 of his 23 years in the Majors.
Aaron was no stranger to race issues, particularly segregation,
long before he chased Ruth's record. Aaron was actually
the last Negro League player to make it to the Majors.
What Aaron would endure during his pursuit of Ruth was
shocking, disgusting and should make all American's
a bit embarrassed. The following letters were reprinted
in espn.com's Sports Century profile of Henry Aaron:
Dear Nigger Henry,
You are (not) going to break this record established
by the great Babe Ruth if I can help it. ... Whites
are far more superior than jungle bunnies. . My gun
is watching your every black move."
"Dear Henry Aaron,
How about some sickle cell anemia, Hank?"
Aaron received an estimated 3,000 letters
a day leading up to # 715 and the majority were said
to be based in racist hate. Aaron would later admit
the letters "changed" him. Another player
faced similar circumstances not fifteen years earlier…but
he was a white man.
Roger Maris and the chase: Roger Maris
was the antithesis of Barry Bonds. Maris was a white,
All American boy from Middle America. He was soft spoken
and well liked by his teammates. Maris sincerely had
no interest in making headlines and was very uncomfortable
throughout the 1961 season when he and teammate Mickey
Mantle both chased Ruth's single season home run record.
Of course, we know that Maris did set the mark that
season. A mark that stood until the steroid era bested
it six times starting in 1998. Maris, some thirteen
years before Aaron's chase and forty-five years prior
to Bond's was also the target of death threats. Of course,
Maris' did not include racial slurs, but there were
a large amount of people in 1961 that didn't want him
anywhere near the Babe's 60. Maris' family also received
death threats and the stress of it all resulted in large
clumps of hair falling out of his head. Maris was white,
and a large number of American's hated him because he
threatened the Babe's legacy.
I don't doubt that Barry Bonds is a
victim of racism, but for people to assume that is the
reason many people don't want him to pass Babe Ruth
is irresponsible. Bonds is hated and in most cases it
has nothing to do with his skin color. He's arrogant,
he's a glory hound and he's a cheater. Fans hate him,
teammates hate him and many feel he doesn't deserve
to be mentioned in the same breath as a legend like
Babe Ruth, a gentleman like Henry Aaron or a quiet family
man like Roger Maris. I won't tell the Philadelphia
fans to boo, to cheer or to act indifferent, but keep
in mind all I've just laid out for you, anecdotes, opinions
and facts that may guide you. I'm confident you'll do
the right thing.
May
3, 2006
Flyers fall flat and cut to shreds by Buffalo
by Jason Kiak
phillypurge.com
As I watched in disbelief of another
Flyers season going down the drain I kept asking why
do we go through the same thing every season over and
over again?? Yes, we had an unbelievable regular season
and I tip my hat off to them for that especially with
all the injuries. Also, they had the ability to bring
players up from the Phantoms to fill positions needed
due to all the injuries; but there is no excuse for
playing awful in a game 6, that meant play another game
or their season is over. Obviously they didn’t
show up to extend their season to another game because
they did not play with any intensity or even show urgency
to win.
The Flyers came into this series as
the underdog as we all know, but the effort they showed
in game 6 Tuesday night was unacceptable by anyone who
is a Flyers fan. The fans that showed up to the Wachovia
Center on Tuesday night were expecting at least a game
in which their team would give their best effort and
lay it all on the line. That did not happen; not only
did they not get out to a good start as in all the previous
games of this series, but they were down 3-0 after the
first period. The Flyers’ defense was pathetic
to say the least. They could not clear their zone, which
led to a score and every time there was a Sabres odd
man rush the Flyers backed off and let them skate deep
into the zone and get a nice shot on goal. At one point
in the game they scored 4 goals on 6 shots-that is incredible.
Any hockey fan knows that you just can’t win with
that kind of shooting percentage.
One thing that must be said, that Robert
Esche is not to blame for this loss. No one can expect
the goalie to be the only one playing defense and allowing
them to shoot at will. I had my doubts about him being
the starting goalie for this series but he showed a
lot of heart. Goalies can only do so much but without
any defense. And, giving up odd man rushes the Flyers
simply wont win.
So where do they go from here? Obviously
with the new rules incorporated, speed wins over brawn.
They need to get speed and they have to address the
issues of defense. The rookies have to step up next
year and they have to have more than one line that shows
scoring ability in the playoffs. The most important
thing is DEFENSE. You need a defense to win the cup.
I am very disappointed that the season
is over for the Flyers because I expected more from
them, but when you don’t show up for game 6 and
play with any intensity they obviously are not going
to win. I feel bad for any Flyers fan that paid money
to see 7 goals scored against us. I feel that the Flyers
organization should send a letter of apology to anyone
who had to witness this massacre in person, and they
all should get there money back. In conclusion, all
I can say is another season without a champion. When
we will we win it all??? Who knows.
May 2, 2006
Season #90 without winning and so it goes
by Dennis Bakay
phillypurge.com
Well, so it goes, another team in Philadelphia
and another season in the books. Mark this down as the
30th year the Flyers have gone without a title and the
90th aggregate season the city of Philadelphia has gone
without a championship.
The Flyers got off to a promising start
tonight by holding the Buffalo Sabres without a goal
for a good part of the first period.
For a half an hour it seemed they would
stave off elimination and ward off this pesky team that
is indicative of the "new-style NHL" with
their speed.
And, then came Mike Grier's goal 11:16
into the first period.
And, then came Alex Kotalik's goal
6 minutes later.
And, then came the dagger in the form
of Chris Drury's goal to put them up 3-0 with just 33
seconds left in the first period.
For all intents and purposes the Flyers'
season was over at that point. They never recovered
from the 3-0 deficit and it got worse and worse and
worse.
In their history, the Flyers have only
recovered from a 3-2 deficit just one time. It wasn't
to be. And, let's be honest here; did anyone really
in their hearts feel that this team had what it takes
to make it past the New Jersey Devils?
They were playing from behind in each
of the games and it was evident that the Flyers were
playing catch-up in more ways than one throughout this
series. To say the Flyers were a few steps slower than
the Sabres would be an uderstatement. The Sabres were
a Ferrari Spider and the Flyers were a 1972 Ford Pinto.
Now, granted the Sabres are arguably one of the fastest
(if not the fastest) teams in the league. But, the Flyers'
lack of speed on defense was glaring in the series.
The acquisitions of Hatcher and Rathje
were hailed in the off-season. Remember that time, the
Flyers' offseason when they also got the greatest hockey
player on the planet in Peter Forsberg?
It seems so long ago. It seems almost
as long as the Flyers' magical run two years ago in
which they fell to another team with speed in the Tampa
Bay Lightning. And, they had speedy defensemen in Danny
Markov and Kim Johnsson then. Added to that, the Flyers
were without their top player in the playoffs from two
years ago in Keith Primeau. The injuries combined with
lack of speed and age just caught up to them.
Now, it's back to the drawing board.
Where does this team begin?
It would be assumed that Desjardins won't be back. It
would be a mistake for them not to retain Kim Johnsson.
This team needs speed on defense. Resigning him should
be a top priority. This would be a good start. They'll
also have to take a long, hard look at their acquisitions
of Hatcher and Rathje and whether they should remain
on board.
Will they be able to unload their salaries
though in the "new NHL." They should be able
to move at least one of them, but moving both will be
next to impossible because of their high salaries.
The new NHL is here and it's time for Clarke, et al.
to adapt or they will go the way of the dodo bird. They
have too much invested in this team to allow that to
happen. We've been here before. Clarke likely has more
than one move up his sleeve.
More importantly the players who quit
on the team tonight need to be held accountable. Speed
or no speed, it's inexcusable to quit. In fact, it's
reprehensible.
And, so it goes, season #90 for Philadelphia teams and
no titles.
April 26, 2006
Fans gone wild
by Marc Lombardi
phillypurge.com
It started with "The Wolf Pack"
and "The Duck Pond" and then it grew to suchridiculousness
as "Thome's Homies," "Burrell's Girls"
and "The Padilla Flotilla." It's a sight that
has become more commonplace at Citizen's Bank Park than
the dreaded "wave."
It's the fan club section and it's
destroying the world as we know it.
This year we have already been graced
with the addition of "Sal's Pals" to the lineup
thanks to the Phillies' new mullet and trucker-stache
wearing fan-favorite catcher, Sal Fasano. Yes, our "two-out-of-every-five-games"
backstop has a fan club section, complete with "faux
Manchus."
It's enough to make a real baseball
fan a little woozy. Sure, there's nothing wrong with
liking a specific player, but this sort of unquestionable
hero worship directed towards some of the more moderate
to mediocre players is borderline insanity.
Here's a glimpse into the future of
what you can certainly expect to see if we let this
blatant attempt at bad punnery and overbearing adoration
continue to run wild:
Starting out just above the bullpen
in section 101 you'll find "The Girls Who Love
Tom Gordon," inspired by the Stephen King novel.
Near them is the small gathering of divorcees who make
up "Lieby's Ladies" and the two retired nuns
who find it generous in their hearts to comprise "Bell's
Belles." All three flocks of followers come prepared
with signs which express their devotion to each particular
player. Sadly, the supportive nature of these female
fans still will not make us soon forget the controversy
that followed the failed attempt of "Howard's Hoes."
The gaggle of prostitutes and exotic dancers were banned
later replaced with the much more successful and family
friendly co-ed version called "Howard's Horde,"
now located just behind first base in section 115.
Spread evenly throughout the upper
level of 'The Bank' we can easily spot signs for a plethora
of other crowds of devotees: "The Chase Base,"
"Cormier's Crew," "The Rollins Band,"
"Gonzo's Group," "The Victorino Party"
and "Cory's Cluster."
Other groups have gone through more
painstaking steps to show their loyalty to specific
members of the team: There is "Abe's Pagoda"
in section 139, where the gatherers have shown their
affection for Abraham Nunez with the multicultural tribute
of Japanese straw hats adorned with flags from the Dominican
Republic. Two sections over in 141 you can find "The
Dellucci Mob" wearing red and white pinstripe suits
and red fedoras just hoping their man is subbing today
or gets a chance to pinch-hit late in the game.
If there is ever trouble at the game,
security guards head over to the rooftop bleachers,
where "Aaron's Army" regularly set up camp.
Decked out in camouflage fatigues and face paint, these
guys are always ready to help spread their own version
of Democracy to opposing team's fans. Near them is "Bobby's
Bunch," some truly devoted fans in bright yellow
banana costumes who cheer on Bobby Abreu while he's
in the outfield. In between innings they can also be
seen holding large photos of WIP's Howard Eskin with
devil horns and a pitchfork.
The starting pitchers bring some of
the more die-hard fans to the forefront. In the lower
level, every Sunday - whether he's pitching or not,
you will find "Myers' Mass"; men and women
in priest and nun costumes, all giving the sign of the
cross if their boy Brett is pitching and gets someone
to strike
out. When Gavin Floyd is on the mound, the "Pink
Floyds" show up dressed from head to toe in pink,
carrying stuffed pigs. During home games when Ryan Madson
is scheduled to start, the denizens of "Madson's
Madhouse" come to demonstrate their lunacy while
roaming the aisles in straightjackets with
#63 on the front of them.
Just above Ashburn's Alley you will
find two of the more popular groups. First there are
"The Eude Burritos," three men in matching
foam and foil costumes that look like something from
a Taco Bell nightmare. Then there is the "El Barrio
Santana," where everyone in the group in attendance
is
dressed more like Carlos Santana than Phils' reliever
Julio Santana. Thankfully they stopped bringing the
inflatable plastic guitars.
When heading on over to the Bull's
BBQ, be sure to avoid the "Franklin Bridge."
That's where Ryan Franklin supporters attempt to collect
tolls from passersby in order to buy more crab fries
and overpriced beer. The "Lieber League" consists
of fans young and old all wearing superhero costumes.
The pomp and circumstance of the "Rhodes Scholars,"
complete in caps and gowns, is in full force when the
setup guy steps onto the field.
Charlie Manuel is not spared from the
fan frenzy, either. "Charlie's Angels" consist
of a number of women and some overzealous men in section
116 who come dressed to the nines in their 70s finest.
Oddly enough, the 1970s are probably when Charlie Manuel
best knew how to coach.
Even the announcers have their own
fan clubs taking part. Just under the Harry the K's
is "Harry's Homeworld," where Harry Kalas'
disciples come to the game in full space-alien regalia
and shoot off toy laser guns every time a Phillies player
sends a baseball "Outtahere!" Larry Anderson's
"Deep
Thinkers" are a bit behind the times and actually
don't wear anything to help stand out from the rest
of the fans. Rumor has it that Chris Wheeler wanted
a fan club, but there are an insufficient number of
people who like him enough to do it for him.
Finally there's the Phanatic Attic,
located just behind the visiting team's dugout in sections
130 and 131. While consisting mostly of children and
their mom's, this is easily the largest of the groups,
so it often resembles a "Disney on Ice" crowd
showing up at the wrong place. They obediently follow
the directions of the Phillie Phanatic throughout the
game while bedecked in green jogging suits and sporting
fake oversized bellies.
So if you like your personalities to
be in the stands and not on the field, then by all means
please continue to cheer on, support, and - why the
hell not? - even join one of these ridiculous versions
of sports-themed mini-cults.
But if you're like me and just prefer
to hear just that one whack job yell "Everybody
hit! Woohoo!!" over seeing a bunch of grown men
and women wearing werewolf masks, then it's time to
do something about it. I implore those of you who feel
the same as me to write in at marc@reallyreally.net
and give your ideas on what can be done (so I can publish
the best advice in a follow up next week).
That's aside from blowing your air
horn in their ears, of course.
April 25, 2006
Flyers offense needs to step up
by Jason Kiak
phillypurge.com
On Saturday night, game 1 of the Flyers
quest for the cup began in Buffalo against the Sabres.
Most Flyers fans as well as me believed that Robert
Esche should not have been the starting goalie between
the pipes. Instead, we wanted Nittymaki as the goaltender.
Esche proved us all wrong by showing a stellar performance
Saturday night by stopping a career high 55 shots. Now
with that performance you would think that the Flyers
won the game, but they didn’t; they lost in a
3-2 overtime loss. Usually when the Flyers lose we blame
the goaltending, but in this instance the goaltending
was excellent. The question that needs to be asked is
how is the Flyers offense is going to step up to support
Esche?
Any overtime loss is hard to overcome
but let’s face it Flyers fans the offense did
not help Esche out when he needed it most. The Flyers
offense shot only 32 shots with only 21 shots in regulation.
Not only did they not have many shots on goal but it
took them almost half of each period to register one
shot. I think the Flyers are being too fancy with the
puck and need to just put shots on goal. If shots are
registered on the goal and there is a lot of traffic
in the front of the goal who knows which way the puck
may bounce. I also believe Forsberg is looking too much
to pass and not giving a second thought to shoot when
he had the puck. The Sabres did not defend him as close
on the powerplay because they know that he is looking
to pass not shoot the puck. Forsberg will be much more
of a threat against Buffalo if he takes more shots it
keeps the defense guessing whether or not he will shoot
or pass.
In overtime, the Flyers offense did
show signs of life with many chances to win it and came
very close to many times. The forecheck by the Flyers
helped them get many chances, which needs to happen
in game 2 for them to win. The Sabres showed they have
speed but if the Flyers forecheck as well as they did
in game 1, this should slow the Sabres down and eventually
open opportunities for breakaway chances.
Game 2 is a must win game for the Flyers. If they go
down 2-0 in the series I think the series will be very
tough to win. The Flyers need to come out strong offensively,
forecheck aggressively, and not fall behind early to
keep the crowd in the game. The Flyers need to win this
one not only for the fans, but for Robert Esche who
did not deserve to lose on Saturday after his remarkable
goaltending in game 1. Play with heart and win with
pride for Philadelphia.
April 19, 2006
Webber and AI absent for fan appreciation night
by Dennis Bakay
phillypurge.com
Get ready for the circus again. Allen
Iverson and Chris Webber have fans in an uproar after
basically slapping them in the face tonight by refusing
to sit on the bench during the final home game of the
year. Added to that, Iverson pulled up in the parking
lot at 7:05. This was eerily reminiscent of Iverson
showing up late 3 years ago for what turned out to be
Larry Brown’s final game as Sixers coach in their
game 6 loss to the Pistons.
Billy King was quoted as saying after
the game “Shit is going to change next year”
when grilled about why Allen Iverson and Chris Webber
were late and absent on the Sixers' bench. Mo Cheeks
looked like he was going to throw his microphone up
in the air in disgust as 610 WIP’s Howard Eskin
hit him with follow-up upon follow-up question in regards
to this latest debacle for the Sixers.
There are reports swirling that Iverson
and Webber were seen in a luxury suite during the game.
Other reports had them staying in the locker room. The
bottom line is, they were absent from the bench. Never
mind that that they were late. That would be excusable
had they even stayed on the bench and even waved to
the crowd, the same crowd that endured this garbage
for 41 home games this year--the same crowd that pays
their salaries.
It’s inexcusable and it’s disgusting. Ultimately
it shows a lack of control by Billy King and he deserves
all the blame for assembling the NBA’s answer
to the concrete ship. In case you're wondering about
that reference there is a concrete ship that is offshore
in Jersey and never made it very far off shore before
sinking. Sounds familiar doesn’t it?!
Added to that, this reeks of consumer
fraud in so far that the fans were purchasing tickets
for one reason; they figured there was a very good possibility
that this would be Iverson's final game in a Sixers
uniform. The news wasn't broken until about 5:30 that
he and Webber wouldn't play. Billy King acknowledged
that he knew since the shoot around hours earlier that
they wouldn't play. The fans were screwed. People called
into WIP and reported having driven up from Maryland
for this game only to arrive and see what amounted to
a preseason game. It's pitiful.
Where do they go from here? Do they
jettison Iverson and Webber? It’s not that easy
in a league with a salary cap that is more complicated
than a CIA assassination plot; allegedly, we know what
their “official” position is! It would be
in their best interests to begin exploring both options
and start clearing cap space. It’s time to give
Isiah Thomas a call. If anyone would take Chris Webber’s
horrible contract it would be he. The time is now to
change the personality of this team.
Enough is enough as the old adage goes,
or Ya Basta if you know Cuban.
The Sixers official position is floundering
and it’s been getting more and more ugly by the
day. This will be an important off-season, as a matter
of fact the most important off-season for this franchise
in a decade.
In my humble opinion they should sell
the entire team on ebay. They should set the buy it
now price at “anything to spare the fans of this
drek any longer.” I doubt that’s an official
buy it now fee, but it would be a perfect fit for this
broken down product. This team is anything but a fit;
it’s an amalgamation of dysfunctional components
akin to a 1972 Ford Pinto, like the one my father used
to own. Ah, the days…the days when the Sixers
were an exciting team seem like decades ago. It’s
hard to believe it’s been just 5 years when this
team went on that magical run to the NBA Finals.
Stay tuned. Things are about to get
very interesting in this soap opera.
Contact Dennis Bakay at phillysports@earthlink.net
April 19, 2006
Who wins? Phillies or Phillies alumni
by Roger McMinn
Phillypurge.com
So I look up from my bowl of cereal
this morning to see Jim Thome lumbering around the bases
after another dinger for his new team, the Chicago White
Sox. Why do so many former Phillies play so well after
they leave? It can’t be a coincidence. Thanks
to a blundering front office and notoriously tight purse
strings, there must be an all-star team of former Phillies
that could probably mop the field with the current squad.
But is that true? To answer this question
and satisfy my curiosity, I’ve compiled a team
of Phillies Alumniall-stars and have pitted them position-by
position against our current Phightin’s. Let’s
see who comes out on top.
(Stats are through Sunday, April 16,
2006)
First Base
Ryan Howard (.317 avg, 2 HR, 2 RBI) vs. Jim Thome (.342/7/12)This
is a classic case of how doing the absolute right thing
sometimes doesn’t work out right away. We all
knew that the Phils had to get rid of Thome to make
room for the phenom Ryan Howard. We also knew that Thome
had the potential to reboundwith another 50 HR year.
Based on the start of the year alone, the Alumni win
this one in a rout, but Howard should be hitting homers
for the Phils for the next 10 years.
Advantage: Alumni
Second Base
Chase Utley (.229/4/12) vs. Placido Polanco (.310/0/2)
Much like the Thome trade, something had to be done
with Polanco to make room for Utley, and getting Ugie
Urbina and a machete to be named later was a fairly
solid deal at the time. Every team needs a guy likePolanco.
Solid player, good hitter, gets on base a lot. But don’t
let the early discrepancy in average fool you. Even
with his relatively slow start, Utley has shown more
pop in his bat than you could ever expect out of a slap
hitter like Polanco.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Shortstop
Jimmy Rollins (.346/1/2) vs. Thomas Perez (.333/1/3)
You were expecting Nick Punto? There aren’t a
lot of good former Phillies shortstops kicking around
theleague. But does it really matter? Unless the name
on the other side is Jeter or Tejada, J-Roll wins this
spot easily.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Third Base
David Bell (.235/1/3) vs. Scott Rolen (.367/2/11)
An unpopular opinion at Citizens Bank Park, no doubt,
but to this day Scott Rolen remains one of myfavorite
players. He plays hard, he’s good for 30 HRs and
100 RBI when healthy, he’s the best fielding third
baseman since Michael Jack, and he was absolutely right
with his “Phillies are not committed to winning”
diatribe. Dammit! He should still be in a Phillies uniform.
Advantage: Alumni
Left Field
Pat Burrell (.286/5/9) vs. Jason Michaels (.298/0/1)
Michaels started the season smacking the ball around
Jacobs Field like it was an Old City cop (allegedly,
of course), but the edge here goes to Pat the Bat. And
since I’m not even going to try to convince you
otherwise, allow me to share a few thoughts on Burrell’s
recent “I’ll never do enough for the Philly
fans” quotes. If you recall, in 2003, Pat Burrell
played with all the skill of your average Little Leaguer,
batting a meek .209 and costing the Phillies a playoff
spot in the process. Yet the Phillies fans wildly cheered
him before every at bat and rarely booed when he ultimately
failed in the clutch, opting instead for awkward silence.
For Burrell to complain about mistreatment from the
fans is a total joke.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Center Field
Aaron Rowand (.326/2/5) vs. Ricky Ledee (.214/1/2)
Here’s another position where I had a hard time
finding guys. Who else is out there? Kenny Lofton? Marlon
Byrd? Seriously, call me when you find someone. Long
story short, I don’t think we’ve seen the
best of Aaron Rowand yet and getting two starters (Rowand
and Howard) for the price of one is what makes the aforementioned
Thome trade more than palatable.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Right Field
Bobby Abreu (.341/3/13) vs. JD Boo . . . I mean Drew
(.310/1/8)
Abreu is one of the most complete hitters in the game
and a “Gold Glover” to boot. And since I
hate JD Drew with the intensity of 1,000 suns, I’m
going with the “Gold Glover.” By the way,
I used to pride myself on the fact that my negative
energy has spurred JD Drew to a rather ordinary big
league career. Then I realized that no matter what he
does, he still makes about $9 or 10 million a year.
That’s too depressing to think about. Let’s
just move on.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Catcher
Mike Lieberthal (.345/0/4) vs. Johnny Estrada (.200/0/0)
The must surprising thing about this experiment was
how hard it was to find somebody to supplant Lieberthal.
I couldn’t do it. So let’s give Philadelphia’s
longest running pro athlete a big round of applause.
(OK, that was more than enough.)
Advantage: Phightin’s
Starting Pitchers
John Lieber (0-0, 9.18 ERA) vs. Curt Schilling (3-0,
1.64)
Schill looks like he’s back in top form. Lieber
doesn’t. I think Lieber will rebound to have a
decent year, but you’re crazy if you wouldn’t
want Schilling at the top of this rotation.
Advantage: Alumni
Brett Myers (1-0, 3.06 ERA)
vs. Eric Milton (2-0, 2.63)
Milton is a nice pitcher, but to say he gives up too
many homers to pitch in the Bank is an unrivaled understatement.
On the other hand, Myers just pitched 7 2/3 innings
of scoreless ball at Coors field. I’ll go with
Myers and his unlimited potential.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Cory Lidle (1-1, 4.91) vs.
Vicente Padilla (2-1, 4.76)
Both these guys can be described as innings eaters.
That’s the blind date equivalent of having a “great
personality.” Since I’m not allowing myself
any “pushes” in this study, and Vinny Pads
has better “stuff,” I’m going with
Padilla.
Advantage: Alumni
Gavin Floyd (1-1, 6.23) vs.
Bruce Chen (0-1, 4.97)
Floyd was once the shining star of the Phillies farm
system. Unfortunately the same can be said of Chen and
the Braves. Let’s hope that Gavin can start living
up to his potential (there’s that word again)
and become a solid big league starter.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Ryan Madson (1-0, 2.77) vs.
Kevin Millwood (1-2, 5.50)
After watching Kevin Millwood suck the life out of this
team for two years, I’d take Madson six days a
week and twice on Sunday. Madson has looked decent so
far. I just hope he isn’t missed too much in the
setup role.
Advantage: Phightin’s
Closer
Tom Gordon (1-1, 1.59 ERA, 4 Saves) vs. Billy Wagner
(1-0, 1.50, 3 Saves)
I still haven’t forgiven Wagner for giving up
that bomb to Biggio last year that essentially ended
the Phillies’ season, but he gets the nod here.
Interestingly, I found two more candidates better than
Flash at this point: Derrick Turnbow (0-0, 0.00 ERA,
5 Saves) and our old friend Tim Worrell (1-0, 1.42 ERA,
5 Saves). Worth monitoring.
Advantage: Alumni
Final Tally
Phightin’s 9, Alumni 5
Aside from the obvious misses—Thome (so far),
Rolen, and Schilling—the Phils actually make out
OK in this competition. It’s playing against actual
teams they’re having a little trouble with so
far, I guess.
Let’s keep tabs on these teams throughout the
year. And if there’s anyone I’ve missed,
let us know at PhillyPurge.com
April 12, 2006
The Eagles have devised their own version of "Moneyball"
by Dennis Bakay
phillypurge.com
One night while reading an Eagles message
board it dawned on me why the Eagles don’t “place
value” on certain positions, for instance the
linebacker position. It isn’t because they’re
cheap or that they’re foolish, evil power mongers,
or even indignant to the fans, despite their cries for
help at certain positions. It’s because they have
created their version “Moneyball.” Yes,
Banner and Lurie (as well as Belichick and Polian) are
the NFL’s answer to Oakland A’s general
manager Billy Beane, who created Moneyball.
Here is a brief overview of Moneyball
for those of you who don’t know about it or understand
it. Basically statistics are compiled for every player
in the league. There isn’t actual value placed
on the athlete’s actual strength, rather it’s
entirely placed on computer numbers. Billy Beane based
his drafting on two key statistics; on-base percentage
and slugging percentage. These two stats combined actually
created a new statistical category called OPS (on-base
slugging). Beane felt that power was an asset that could
be developed over time. This is antithetical to intangibles
like the ability to get on base and patience that can’t
be developed in Beane’s theory. So, there’s
a brief overview on Moneyball.
If you study the rosters of the Eagles
since 2000-when Reid began to mark his imprint on the
franchise you’ll notice similar things. They spread
the ball around in terms of carries and catches. Tackles
are also spread around. Their system is perfect for
plugging in players who have a middle of the road value
in the NFL when it comes to running backs, wide receivers,
and linebackers. These are positions they habitually
“don’t place a lot of value in.” As
we’ve often heard over and over and over again.
And, it has worked. The have won by simply outscoring
their opponents and holding them out of the endzone.
It’s worked wonderfully. For this piece, we’ll
focus on their playoff teams from 2000-2004.
Their offense has improved since the
2000 season. Scoring since 2000:
2000-21 points/game
2001-20 points/game
2002-25 points/game
2003-25 points/game
*2004-26 points/game (games 1-12)
*They actually scored 28 points per game in 2004 if
you discount the last 4 games when they scored just
46 points combined, one less than their 47 point victory
against Green Bay in their 12th game!
Looking at their defense, it has remained
a constant as well. Again, they may not dominate the
league in rushing or passing statistics, but they are
usually among the leaders in red zone defense. This
is paramount to Jim Johnson’s defense. Defensive
scoring since 2000:
2000-15 points/game
2001-13 points/game
2002-14 points/game
2003-19 points/game
*2004-16 points/game
*Again, in 2004 it was skewed by the
last two games that were played like preseason games.
They surrendered 58 poi | 
