Archive for October, 2012

Sunday will be the Beginning or the End

October 27th, 2012 by Hanks Corner | 1 Comment | Filed in Eagles, Football, General

A Critical Game!!

There are only 16 NFL regular season games, so every game is an important one, however no game in the history of Andy Reid’s tenure in Philadelphia is more important than their match up on Sunday with the undefeated Atlanta Falcons. During the bye while Eagle fans did chores; talked to their wives and children while stewing  about what happened during the first half of the Eagles season Coach Reid laid the blame for the team’s 3-3 record on one guy, Juan Castillo.

While I agree that promoting an offensive line coach to defensive coordinator seems like a guy willing to stand out on a limb for a buddy, however  when the limb started to break Andy made sure that he was hanging onto the tree while is friend hit the ground. Michael Vick is still the starting quarterback; his boy Marty will still be calling too many passing plays while turning the best running back in the NFL into a glorified blocker  but it was the defense and more specificly the coordinator that shouldered the blame.

The game Sunday will show the world if Andy was right or wrong, the answer to that question will determine his own future.

The Falcons come into the Linc undefeated and rested, as they had their bye last week as well, however they have been begging to lose only to pull games out in the end, so it seems to reason that a desperate team at home should have the advantage against a team that is due for a loss. Vegas thinks so; all the analysts think the bird in Green and silver will win this match up, then why I am so scared of this game on Sunday?

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Ten More Reasons to Hate the Giants

October 26th, 2012 by AmyMac | 2 Comments | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

By Amy McGinnis

It’s probably not much of a secret that the San Francisco Giants are my least favorite team in baseball.  As Phils fans, we’re still not happy about 2010.  Here are a few extra reasons for you to join me in my hatred.

  1. The brawlsPhiladelphia and San Francisco have had some outstanding bench-clearing fights.  Remember Jonathan Sanchez hitting Chase Utley with a pitch in the 2010 NLCS?  (Is there a pitcher who hasn’t beamed Uts? He’s like a helicopter over that plate.)  Chase tossed the ball back to Sanchez as he took first.  It’s not as if he said, “Here’s your ball, bitch!” like I would have; he just got a little sassy.  Sanchez turned into the Hulk and ignited a melee on the field.  Do you recall, in 2011, Ramon Ramirez getting bent out of shape when Jimmy Rollins stole second with a six run lead? I bet Shane Victorino does, because he’s the one who got plunked for it.  Vic charged the mound, the benches emptied … you know the rest.  What’s the theme here? San Francisco needs to stop hitting our batters, and stop acting like little girls throwing tantrums after the fact.
  2. Plays at the plateScott Cousins collided with Buster Posey at the plate; Posey shat in his Pull-Up and was carried off the field.  Chipper Jones charged Erik Kratz at the plate; Kratz braced for impact, snagged John Mayberry Jr.’s perfect throw, made the tag in time, and shook it off.  Before you call me heartless, understand that I’ve snapped my left fibula and torn apart ligaments too.  It hurts.  I wouldn’t wish that pain on someone.  I’m just saying … maybe learn to take a hit better.
  3. Furry creaturesPablo Sandoval has made me detest pandas.  All of them.  The Phanatic eclipses all mascots, symbols, slogans, and other marketing crap. Period.
  4. FoodWhat do you eat at CBP? A hot dog and crab fries? Maybe a cheesesteak?  At AT&T Park, you can also enjoy the game while eating delicious food in your seats.  How does a deviled egg sound? Maybe some soup in a bowl that’s made out of sourdough bread? Ok, that sounds like stuff my mom would eat … at brunch.  Not to mention, if you need utensils, it’s not ballpark food.
  5. Hunter PenceWe sent HP3 to San Francisco this past season at the trade deadline.  He was a fresh-faced, handsome young man who always smiled because, gosh darn it, that southern boy just loves baseball.  Three months later, he has a gross-looking beard, a half-buttoned jersey, and the smile seems almost … sorry, Hunter … douchey.
  6. AcesOur ace, Cole Hamels, and San Francisco’s ace, Matt Cain, had similar stats in the 2012 season.  Cain had one fewer win, but his ERA is slightly lower.  At the end of the day, though, Cole Hamels is Cole Hamels, and Matt Cain is Not Cole Hamels.
  7. The Journey SongIn 2010, fans in San Francisco made a video with a song they wrote to the tune of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’.” I can hear it in my head as I type this (“Let’s go, Giiiiii … ants”) and I may vomit.  As mockery, Ryan Madson used the Journey song when he ran from the bullpen.  Giants’ fans picked ruined a Journey song from the 80s, and that’s what people watched on YouTube … while Phils fans were still watching videos of Chase Utley yelling “World Fucking Champions!!!” on parade day.  Your move, San Francisco.
  8. Names. A Phillies fan can refer to “Jimmy” or “Chooch” and not need to explain who that is.  The Phillies roster boasts first names such as Ryan, Jimmy, and Domonic.  As if Tim Lincecum’s long hair weren’t bad enough, the Giants have Madison and Aubrey in the infield.  I have neighbors with those names.  They’re both little girls.
  9. The Beards. If I never hear “Fear the Beard” again, it will be too soon.  I don’t fear Brian Wilson’s beard; I vomit because of it.  Brian, I know you think you look eccentric, but you really just look bat shit crazy (and not in a good way).  You’ve got Romo and Pence looking like dumbasses, too.  Id recommend a tutorial from Cliff Lee.
  10. The fansSan Francisco has a passionate fanbase just as Philadelphia does.  The difference is that the national media loves to paint us in a barbaric light; even minor incidents are broadcast across the country with the message that fans in Philadelphia behave like complete assholes.  The Matthew Clemmens incident notwithstanding, I can’t think of any recent abhorrent behavior from Phils fans.  Does the name Andrew Vargas ring a bell?  Probably not.  The media seems to think that San Francisco fans have “great energy” and “love for their team.”  What should have been a major nationwide story received a mediocre amount of attention.  Andrew Vargas is the then-21-year-old man from San Francisco who had a run in with a Phillies fan at AT&T Park last season.  By “run in,” of course, I mean that that careless, drunken asshole struck a Phillies fan with his car outside the stadium after the game.  By “Phillies fan,” I’m sure you remember, I mean then-nine-year-old Ryan White of Yardley.  Vargas mowed that child down and fled the scene.  Ryan has undergone multiple surgeries; Vargas was able to plead to a lesser charge of DUI.  It’s hard to say how it would have happened had it been in Philadelphia, but if history teaches us anything, I’d say that the media would still be covering it … and Vargas probably wouldn’t have gotten more than a few yards down Pattison before Philadelphians made him beg to be put in a cell.  While I understand that one person does not a fanbase make, I’m still angry enough to blame the whole damned city.  God help us all if the Giants take the World Series; I want their fans to go away.

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Are These the Right Moves?

October 26th, 2012 by Craig C. | Comments Off on Are These the Right Moves? | Filed in Eagles, Football, General

King Dunlap is the new starting right tackle for the Eagles. I agree changes needed to be made but Andy Reid might be making the wrong moves here. Dunlap was on the bench for a reason.  This is not the first year he has played with the Eagles.

He has not succeeded before for a reason.  Both Demetress Bell and Dunlap have not provided much protection for Vick but maybe, just maybe it could be Vick who stays in the pocket too much.  Lets run the ball a little more and find out where the real problem is.  Or maybe bring Juan Castillo back and have him start at left tackle.

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Reid’s Second Chances Belief system

October 23rd, 2012 by Emily Phung | Comments Off on Reid’s Second Chances Belief system | Filed in Eagles, Football, General

 

How many chances are left?

Reid’s Second Chances Belief System
It’s apparent that Andy Reid’s job is at stake as news from the top of the Eagles organization announced this fall that it’s not about favoritism, but how one can successfully do a job and the accomplishments that determine if one is worthy to remain as coach. With that thought in mind, it is obvious that the last two years have been specifically tough for this Eagles coach.

On a personal level, Reid had issues with his children concerning their drug use and misdemeanors. He decided to give him son a second chance in life by creating a position in the Eagles organization as a trainer. Unfortunately due to circumstances beyond Reid’s control, Garrett, lost his life due to heroin. It is hard to imagine the pain Reid must be suffering as a parent. Is it affecting his work? One can only wonder, but the Eagles nation is sympathetic that Andy tried to help him, nonetheless.

On a work level, Reid has always been an advocate of second chances. However, second chances only pan out if positive changes come about. Quick assessments of what the years have accumulated have shown us that Reid has yet to deliver what the Eagles Nation expects, and that is a Super Bowl win. Do Eagles fans aspire that it will happen this year? There is always the belief, and then there is the harsh reality. In the last few years, there seems to be a common theme with Eagles fans, and that has been a love/hate relationship with the Eagles team.

What's next for Andy?

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Could A-Rod Be Changing His Pinstripes?

October 19th, 2012 by Mike H. | Comments Off on Could A-Rod Be Changing His Pinstripes? | Filed in Baseball, Phillies, Sports

A-Rod as a Phillie??

One of the biggest whirlwind discussions of the offseason will be the Opening Day location of Alex Rodriguez. While Rodriguez himself has stated he will not ask for a trade and that he intends to be in New York, rumors have surfaced that the future Hall of Famer would be willing to accept a trade to another large market. Rodriguez’ contract still has $114 M of guaranteed money remaining over the next five seasons, it also has $4 M in signing bonus (that I’d presume the Yankees are responsible for regardless) plus another potential $30 M in marketing if he passes Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds. Rodriguez currently sits 13 behind Mays for fourth all-time.

Immediately, you can eliminate New York as the Mets will likely lock up David Wright. The Dodgers are a possibility, but how far over the luxury tax are they willing to go? The Angels could be a fit, but I’m not sure they are in the market for a third baseman. But who knows, no one thought they were in the market for C.J. Wilson AND Albert Pujols last year. Does anyone really see either Chicago team as a viable destination, because I really don’t. So wouldn’t that make Philadelphia the largest market with a potential need at third base? And more importantly, should Philadelphia be interested in acquiring the aging slugger?

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Full Circle

October 18th, 2012 by Mike H. | Comments Off on Full Circle | Filed in Baseball, Phillies, Sports

For many years, Phillies fans were blinded by hollow offensive numbers and award-winning defense. As the years went on, the same fans began to see a player driven by personal stats and ambivalence towards team success. A player who saw no need to be moved from his place in the lineup to better place his skill set elsewhere. Ultimately, fans wanted that player out-of-town and were happy just to get out from underneath the contract despite the poor return.

Then in the summer of 2006, the Phillies parted ways with Bobby Abreu. A player who had All Star quality talent with an All Me quality approach. In the nine seasons Abreu wore red pinstripes, he posted a .308/.416/.513 line with 163 hits, 38 doubles, 4 triples, 21 home runs, and 28 stolen bases (76% success rate) per season. Defensively, Abreu displayed similar traits to the fictional Cleveland Indian Third Baseman Roger Dorn. As you probably remember, neither one was willing to sacrifice their body to make a play.

The Phillies traded Abreu to the Yankees, with Cory Lidle, for Matt Smith, CJ Henry, Carlos Manosterios, and Jesus Sanchez. Smith turned into a LOOGY specialist but appeared in all of 12.2 innings pitched between 2006 and 2007 before needing Tommy John surgery and hasn’t been seen since. Henry couldn’t find a position on the field that justified his style of hitting, just a .199/.254/.331 line over a season and a half in Lakewood. Manosterios looked like a potentially solid middle reliever before the Phillies lost him to the Dodgers via Rule V draft. Sanchez was a catcher who hit like a pitcher, so the Phillies converted him to a pitcher and lost him to the Brewers after one successful season via the Rule V draft.

Six seasons later, the Phillies find themselves in a similar position with a me-first player who puts up similarly hollow numbers albeit with far better defense. While hollow may not be the most accurate way to describe Rollins’ offensive numbers, he definitely succeeds more when the count is in his favor. With any count that includes two strikes, Rollins has a career batting average close to .200. The funny thing is for as much as people get on him for swinging at the first pitch (and subsequently popping that pitch up), Rollins for his career is a .333/.335/.516 on the first pitch he sees.

That being said, there are times where J-Roll becomes J-Stroll and absolutely dogs it. While no one will question his defensive ability, which may or may not be declining, Rollins tends to assume the worst on potentially routine plays and has lacked hustle, to put it nicely. There have even been times where he has become his third moniker, J-Hole, questioning the fans’ loyalty. No one will forget Rollins’ comments about the fans after Game 2 of the 2011 NLDS versus the Cardinals or even the time he referred to us as “front-runners”.

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NBA Season Preview

October 16th, 2012 by Sam Shipley | 1 Comment | Filed in Basketball, General, Sixers, Twitter

The Lakers are "Locked and Loaded", but will they win a Title?

The NBA Preseason is about a week old now, and the start of the regular season is just two weeks away from today. This summer was one of the more active and shocking summers in recent history, arguably topping the summer of 2010 which saw the Miami Heat form their “Big 3”. Incase you have been under a rock since the Heat beat the Thunder in the NBA Finals, lets recap the summer moves.

The Lakers Make Bold Moves

The Lakers were the story of the summer as they became from a possible contender to a locked in title contender. The Lakers were a part of two big moves that made huge noise around the league, they first acquired Steve Nash from the Suns. Nash is a huge pickup for the Lakers because he bring his amazing ability of setting up players for easy looks, which is something the Lakers have not had in a long time. He is arguably the top passing player in the NBA, and having him playing along side Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Dwi…Wait before I finish that let me tell u the second move the Lakers made. The Lakers pulled off the biggest trade in recent history by acquiring the best big man in the game in Dwight Howard. It was a four-team blockbuster trade that sent Dwight to LA, Andrew Bynunm to Philly, and Andre Iguodala to Denver, with young pieces and picks headed back to Orlando. So like I was saying with Nash on the Lakers to set up those three players, it is going to be almost impossible to stop the Lakers.

The Nets Move To Brooklyn, Form Big Three

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