Archive for February, 2013

The Future of the Sixers

February 26th, 2013 by Sam Shipley | Comments Off on The Future of the Sixers | Filed in Basketball, General, Sixers, TalkSportsPhilly, Twitter

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With 28 games to go the Sixers are currently 22-32 and 4 games back of the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. However, it seems like it is a lot more then just 4 games. As a fan I have come to terms with the fact that if this teams does decide to make a miracle push and get into the playoffs, even with a healthy Andrew Bynum, they will be eliminated in the first round. So with that being said, what should the future bring for the Sixers? Lets start off with the biggest question of them all:

Andrew Bynum

Some people are going to agree with me and others will not, but I would not resign Andrew Bynum. I understand that he is a great player, but in order for him to be that great player he needs to be on the floor and not on the bench because he is injured. This team has been irrelevant since the year we went to the Finals which is unacceptable. I don’t want to hear that they are rebuilding because I am sorry if it takes a team 12 years to rebuild and they still can’t be a winning team something is wrong there. Bynum will only hold this team back from being a true contender because of his inability to stay healthy. Lets just say he re-signs and we make the playoffs next year as a top 3 team in the East, and in that very first game of the playoffs his knees act up and he has to sit out for the rest of the playoffs, then what? Other then Jrue there is not another player on this team who can carry us to a finals appearance or even a Eastern Conerence Finals appearance, and we all see how Jrue carrying the team has worked out this season. Instead of re-signing Bynum to a ridiculous contract, I say we go after a Al Jefferson and then with the money left over that was going to go to Bynum we fill out the roster with better players then Royal Ivey, Damien Wilkins, Kwame Brown, should I go on?

I love Bynum and loved what he brought to the Lakers, but I am sorry that is something I do not want to wait to find out if he can bring us with the risk of going down at any given time. I am tired of waiting to win, I want to win now.

Evan Turner

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Predictions for the 2013 Season

February 15th, 2013 by AmyMac | 1 Comment | Filed in Baseball, General, Phillies

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By Amy McGinnis

This past week (finally!) marked the day I had been waiting for since October … pitchers and catchers reported to Clearwater for Phillies’ spring training.  Suddenly, my world makes sense again.  Now that training has begun, we can take a look at what’s in store for the 2013 season.  I’ve made my predictions; I’d love to be wrong about them, though.  I don’t see the Phils advancing into the postseason this year.  That being said, I’d also like to say that one of my many favorite things about baseball is that anything can happen over the course of 162 games.

American League East.  In the AL East, I have Toronto winning the division.  The Blue Jays managed to benefit from the failed Miami Marlins experiment, and they look poised to begin a new era in Toronto.  Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, Josh Johnson, and Mark Buehrle make for a solid pitching rotation. Edwin Encarnación (.280/42/110 in 2012), Jose Bautista, and Melky Cabrera should provide consistent offense.  The only real competition I see in the AL East is Tampa Bay.  In 2012, the Tampa Bay Rays led Major League Baseball with an ERA of 3.19 and led the American League with strikeouts (1.383 for those of you who are counting).  Fernando Rodney set a relief record with a 0.60 ERA, and 20-game-winner and Cy Young recipient David Price posted a 2.56 ERA.  For the record, I can see Baltimore and New York battling to stay out of fifth place.  The Yankees are beginning spring training with four players (Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia) who were injured.  Age is a factor, too, considering that of Ichiro Suzuki, Mariano Rivera, Hiroki Kuroda, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Andy Pettitte, the average age is 40 years.

American League Central.  In AL Central, I predict a win by Detroit.  Jim Leyland has signed a one-year extension to his contract, and Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera (.330/44/139 in 2012) won’t even turn 30 until this April.  Starting pitchers Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Doug Fister should prove to be a sound rotation, and Victor Martinez and Prince Fielder should help to generate plenty of offense.  Cleveland is probably the only team in the AL Central division that could be capable of coming close to challenging Detroit, thanks to Michael Bourn and Michael Brantley in the outfield, and Carlos Santana, Jason Kipnis, and Asdrubal Cabrera in the infield.

American League West.  Although I’d like to see competition from Texas, I predict that the Angels will take the AL West.  The Rangers have Ian Kinsler, Adrian Beltre, and Elvis Andrus in the infield, Yu Darvish as a starting pitcher, and Joe Nathan as their closer.  That might sound impressive, if not for the threat in Anaheim.  Mike Trout (who has been of legal drinking age for all of six months now) posted .326/30/83 last season.  Allow that to sink in for a minute.  With Albert Pujols at first, Ryan Madson in the bullpen, Mark Trumbo as  DH, and now Josh Hamilton in the outfield, there’s no reason that the Angels shouldn’t win the AL West.

National League East. I’d like to preface this section by saying that these are my predictions, not what I hope occurs.  Obviously, I’d love to see the Phils own the NL East and storm through the postseason to bring us another parade down Broad Street.  I’m not so sure it will happen quite that way in 2013, but I think that Philadelphia has a decent shot at the Wild Card.  That being said, it pains me to say that I think Atlanta will dominate the division this season.  Starting pitchers Mike Minor and Kris Medlen are both young; Freddie Freeman and Jason Heyward are, too.  Aside from youth, the Braves have Craig Kimbrel as their closer and Brian McCann behind the plate.  I know I’ve said it many times, but I really do love to hate both of them.  I’d say the proverbial cherry on top is Atlanta’s outfield – Upton, Upton, and Heyward.  The Phils will surely continue to rely on pitching, even if Roy Halladay is banged up.  Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, as long as they stay healthy, should provide solid left-handed pitching in the rotation.  We finally have an 8th inning relief pitcher in Mike Adams; that role hasn’t been filled since we let Ryan Madson go.  I predict a .260/33/112 season for Ryan Howard, and I think it’s safe to say that the infield is not a big concern for the Phils right now.  I’m interested to see how the outfield takes shape during spring training, though.  Washington poses a threat in the NL East, especially with Stephen Strasburg (as long as he doesn’t have inning limitations), Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann in the pitching rotation.  A Nats implosion would bring me a lot of joy, especially if I could see Bryce Harper cry.  (A baseball nerd can dream, can’t she?)

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Which is most important for Professional Sports Teams??

February 11th, 2013 by Leo | 2 Comments | Filed in General, Polls, Sports

Which is most important??

In a time of turmoil in Philly sports and the end of the NHL lockout made me ponder this question about the motivation behind most professional sports teams.  A lot of people follow college and high school sports because it is more about the game than individuals ego’s and business, I follow college basketball much closer than pro for that very reason.

So I put it out to you the Philly sports fan, what do you think???

What is the most important to Professional Sports Teams??

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Sixers Sign Jeremy Pargo to 10-Day Contract

February 7th, 2013 by Sam Shipley | 1 Comment | Filed in General, Sixers, Sports

The Sixers announced the signing of guard Jeremy Pargo to a 10 day contract on Thursday. Pargo has played in 25 games this season with 11 starts, all for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Pargo stepped in and started for when All-Star Kyrie Irving was injured, and posted 14.5 points and 4.4 assists in that 11 game span. One of his most notable games came in Cleveland against the Sixers where he poured in a career-high 28 points on November 21st.

This signing also brings the news of the 10-day contract of Shelvin Mack expiring. Pargo will wear #0.

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Should We Compare Ray Lewis to Michael Vick?

February 3rd, 2013 by AmyMac | Comments Off on Should We Compare Ray Lewis to Michael Vick? | Filed in Eagles, Football, General, NFL, Sports

Not one of Michael Vick’s finest moments.

By Amy McGinnis

We’ve all heard the comparison between Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick.  Is the comparison a fair one to make? Vick is hardly the only player in the NFL with a criminal record; even Joe Montana had a DUI charge.  What is it that makes it so easy to use Vick as the yardstick?

Vick and Lewis are both very recognizable names to the public, including those who do not follow football.  Both players were raised in the South.  The likenesses essentially end there.

Michael Vick, although he originally denied any knowledge of the dog fighting ring, eventually pleaded guilty to running the “cruel and inhumane” organization and lying to officials about it.  The NFL suspended Vick indefinitely, a  judge sentenced him to 23 months in prison, and Vick was ordered to pay $1 million in restitution.  (It should be noted that Vick’s 2007 confession, which began with “I did it all. I did everything. If you need me to say more, I’ll say more,” came only after a five hour grilling by the FBI. It should also be noted that I do not, nor will I ever, condone Michael Vick’s actions.)

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Why Chip Kelly is the Wrong Guy for the Eagles

February 2nd, 2013 by Philly Pressbox | 3 Comments | Filed in Eagles, Football, General

Lets start out by saying, don’t get me wrong about being an Eagles fan. I’ve been a fan for nearly 50 years and will continue to watch, attend games and root for the Birds to win the Super Bowl. Coach Kelly is saying all of the right things. He’s a football junkie that is going to work as hard as his job as anybody else. He even showed up at Wing Bowl. With that said, Chip Kelly was the wrong choice to turn this team around. For all of you who disagree we ask you this simple question, “why can Chip Kelly succeed in pro football when Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll couldn’t?”

Let’s compare the careers of the four:

 Spurrier:

In his 12 years at Floridaprior to going to the Redskins Spurrier was 122-27-1 overall and 87-12 in the SEC. He never lost more than 4 games in a season.  This was after taking over an awful Duke program and in 3 seasons finishing tied for 1st place in the ACC. He was 20-13-1 at Duke.

Prior to Duke, Spurrier was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Bandits in the USFL going 35-19. The USFL was a far cry from the NFL. Following his great success atFlorida, Spurrier became head coach of the Washington Redskins and lasted only 2 years. He compiled a 12-20 record and went back to college ball at theUniversityofSouth Carolinawhere he has rebuilt the program in to a national power.

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A Family Affair at the Super Bowl

February 1st, 2013 by Emily Phung | Comments Off on A Family Affair at the Super Bowl | Filed in Football, General, Sports

Are you Ready to Rumble!!

It’s the most anticipated time of year for many Americans. It’s officially Super Bowl weekend! This year’s Super Bowl will certainly be one of the most interesting football games to watch! Here’s a quick rundown to the moving factors that will make it more exciting than prior years.

One thing is for certain. It’s definitely a family affair! Both coaches (Jim and John Harbaugh) are brothers with similar football backgrounds. The sporting world has nicknamed this matchup as the ‘Bro Bowl’, which is so fitting. Jim and John both played football in college. Post-college though is where the road splits a bit. Jim Harbaugh was able to excel at the sport, which led him to some NFL time. Ironically, Jim was a player on the Ravens at one point (where John coaches now), and Ray Lewis was his teammate! Funny to know he was on the opposing team at one point and that he may have a bit of the insider scoop to how the Ravens work. John, however, went directly from college football to coaching, specifically special teams for many years. It is apparent that the Ravens benefited from his style of coaching the last few years since the Ravens are more known for their defensive style. John has had a longer tenure of coaching and has been quite successful at it. It will be interesting to see how these two brothers will coach their respective teams on the field: Jim with lots of ‘internal’ playing experience & John with a lot of ‘internal’ coaching experience.

A major factor for a Super Bowl win is the quarterback. The Ravens’ Joe Flacco has a lot of experience in seasoned situations. Flacco is known to be one of their big playmakers. He has broken franchise records since becoming a Raven such as setting passing yards and passing touchdown records. He has brought the Ravens to the playoffs numerous times. Flacco been around for awhile and is known for his consistency. The San Francisco 49ers brought in Colin Kaepernick after Alex Smith got injured, and this decision certainly changed the dynamic of the 49ers around.

Kaepernick has proven from playing just 10 games that he has the momentum to bring the 49ers to a Super Bowl win. He has given new life to the team since he works with them well. He knows where his receivers are and brings it down. His versatility as a quarterback makes him a force to be reckoned with. His dead on accuracy to his speed is something that Flacco seems to lack right now. This matchup will be exciting to witness which is a young amateur quarterback vs. an older experienced quarterback. It shall be interesting how Joe and Colin perform under great pressure since it will be both their first Super Bowl match.

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