We are going to see how good of a General Manager Ruben actually is.  In the coming months he has to address Roy Halladay, Utley and Ruiz.  He will also have to address if he is going to buy a championship.  Obviously he can wait for next season.  Instead of waiting for the last minute and signing a player playing well, get them early.  Chase Utley is coming off a near career ending injury.  Sign him now and the price will be lower.  If he goes on a tear, well think about it, they pitch to Howard before Utley.  SO Utley needs something of the range that Howard is in.  That’s, of course, if you decide to keep him.  That decision needs to be done now.  Carlos Ruiz is probably having a career year.  Again, these decisions need to be made now, not when other offers are coming in.  Ruben’s real time to shine is after all the trades are done.  Addressing the media with honest answers about the future of this team.  That’s not the really all that easy.

So what happened today.  Today happened because of what happened last week.  An aftershock we’ll say.  The Phillies signed Cole Hamles for $144 million.  That money had to come from somewhere.  Hunter Pence is going to arbitration next year for what looks like around 13 million.  Victorino is due for a new contract for around 8 million a year (my opinion).  So as of right now, there is no outfield.  Dominic Brown’s time is now.  This is a perfect opportunity for him to come in, learn and get the jitters out.  Still, missing two more.

I feel that social media broke this team up.  Media itself.   Listen, yes this season is over.  Unless teams start losing and the Phillies don’t lose, 2012 is in the past.  Damage control was not needed.  With Twitter being available for any analyst to give an un-thought opinion, radical ideas flew.  Everyone pushing for answers. Face it, it’s a bad season. Phillies for the past ten years have been very successful.  One year and its times for damage control.  Overreaction.  The Phillies started without Chase and Ryan.  Key players.  I can see a difference in loses alone with those two in the line-up.  Nationals are ripping up the East.  This team should be fantastic, seriously. That is indisputable.  The Miami Heat were crucified for not winning the Finals the first year.  They didn’t break up.  I have a hard time sitting here believing that the Phillies are going to out and find a better defensive Centerfielder for what you could have locked up Shane for.  Don’t give me the answer that the Phillies need to get younger, because look around.  Seats are selling out, fans are filling in on away games and merchandise is up.  I use these examples because if you want to play in the money game, you have to spend it.  Need I even bring up New York.  I would love to know when the last time the Yankees were even near a salary cap.   By saying we paid Hamels 144 million means that this is the game we are in.  Yes, buying a championship, corporate seating and not filling a stadium until the 3^rd inning and out before the 9^th.  Oh, and the ticket prices rising.

Don’t get that scared, it might not even be happening.  Ruben has gotten a taste of what it is like to spend money.  Now comes the test.  The test to see if he can go out and find his replacements.  Whether that is for cheap or for money doesn’t matter.  Shane Victorino was a complete steal.  Tier two type player.  These are the players that Ruben needs to go out and find.  Otherwise, it’s time to buy a championship.  I just want everyone to understand that you have to watch when you ask for these types of things.  What is next?  It’s not about the grass being greener.  It’s more on can you even get what you want.

Here is something to put thought into while remembering Victorino.  None of this is for this season.  This is all for Cole Hamels.  That, I am fine with.  He got paid a starting pitchers salary.  That’s that.  Ruben has made Dominic Brown completely untradeable.  The all of the not “ready’s” and “not the right time” has made him completely worthless. What was once one of the most talked about prospects in the MLB, is the Phillies new Right Fielder.  Freddy Galvis wasn’t supposed to get injured.  For that matter, also not hang out with JC Romero.  Galvis would be here right now to help the 3^rd base position.  Obviously, the Utley and Howard thing.  I would say that the Bullpen needs to be addressed, but if shouldn’t really get that far.  Starting pitchers should take them to at least the 7^th inning, at least.  There are reasons why this team hasn’t fired  on all cylinders.

It was just a bad season.  Clean up, pack and go home.  Come back fresh in ’13.  I think we need to keep calm in all this.  Look up north towards Yankee stadium and see how they run their team.  Chase Utley being paid 19 million a year is the same as 12 million in let’s say Atlanta.  When we fling these numbers around I want you to understand that this is the game Ruben is playing.  IT’s a bigger market and that’s just how it is.  Yankees’ have purchased many championships.  Let’s just hope Ruben isn’t selling one.

Let me get out why I actually supported Joe.  For one, if someone came up to you and told you something completely disgusting about a very close friend of yours, I think it would be very difficult to call the police.  I think that you would tell a higher authority and tell them to investigate.  He did what he was supposed to do.  He told his superior to look into it and handle it.  Well there it is, why I supported him

The thing is after I read the whole report, I have come to a conclusion that not only is what I thought was wrong, By  the way, calling it a report is a complete understatement.  That’s a book.  This man covered up what is one of the worst things I have ever heard in my life.  Joe Paterno said he never knew of the 1998 incident.  Freeh says he has.  With that, he has proof of it.  Graham Spanier was the president at the time.  No matter how much you say, he is the man over Joe Paterno.  He failed to communicate any of these findings to the board of trustees.  Even more disturbing, he communicated with Gary Shultz, the Senior Vice President.  These conversations consisted of “if” we release these pieces of information.

Penn State gave Jerry Sandusky complete freedom over the Penn State campus.  This is where he had he time to do these crimes, a place and sadly an impression.  This all fell on Joe Paterno’s watch.  It happened in front of his own eyes.  This is hard to believe, but it is true.  IT was covered up.   This man ruined the lives of these poor kids. The president and vice president, who knew of this information, didn’t even bother to report this to his charity.  The Second Mile was a charity to help children set up by Jerry Sandusky.  All this is happening, not one word said.  Four men and a couple janitors knew what Jerry was doing.  No one stopped it.  McQueary had a chance to do something.  SOMETHING.  What gets me the most is that they did nothing and now they turn to say they didn’t know anything?  Just like anyone else who gets caught?  The “I didn’t do it.” In my opinion, not only did they know of it, they approved.  How else can a true man hear or see anything going on in the shower of Penn State and not do anything.  With that, it was said that Sandusky never stopped.  Think about the last time you got caught doing anything, didn’t you get scared and stop.  Sandusky never even did that.  Years after when the information hits public, every one scatters.

The Paterno family is never going to regain the name that once was his.  Never.  No matter how you twist it, it was his watch and he knew of it for years.  He saw Jerry walk around on the field with children.  His field, his locker room and all on his watch.  Is this the opening of Pandora’s Box the Vice President said?  Wow.  Accusations like this should always be addressed.  That goes without saying.  What is more concerning to me is that not once did any of them take this up with the man himself.  No one asked Jerry if any of this was true.  They didn’t even give him the chance to lie.  They just accepted it.

I have a completely different point of view now.  Obviously.   I now believe that not only was this a cover up, it was surprising okayed.  The characters in this show have all showed their true beliefs.  They supported this man.  Joe Paterno before he died said he wished he had done more.  I don’t think any of us assumed it would be this bad.  His statue sits still out in Happy Valley.  While people are aggressively going after the taking down of the statue, there is more here to be addressed.  Something needs to be done.  The first thing is not this statue.  More laws, more restriction and more internal investigations.  This could have been avoided.  This could be left up to honest people, which apparently doesn’t exist.  The Statue should be taken down.  Maybe, when everything calms down, there might be a chance to put it back up.  Honestly. I don’t think it should ever go back up.  This scandal is bigger than Penn State football, which now makes what that statue was all about worthless.  While Joe Paterno “can” be remembered for is enormous amount of years in Penn State football, this scandal is more than that.  Times ten if not a hundred.

There isn’t much Penn State can do here to help this situation out.  They had their chance.  Oops, sorry, they had their CHANCES.  Chances.  That’s incredible.  On multiple occasions they had the opportunity to address this to the authorities.  Even more to Jerry Sandusky.  Four sad excuses of men.

With all this being said, what’s next?  I will give you a couple of things the NCAA should do.  One is getting rid of the board of trustees.  Time to start fresh.  I just can’t think that even they knew of “nothing”.   Two, take down the statue.  I understand that it stands for football.  But as of right now it doesn’t.  The last thing anyone wants is a reminder.  While it is not a solution, it is cough drop for a cold.  Three, allow the recruits for football to transfer.  None of these kids need to go onto a field and into this mess.  They had nothing to do with it.  Keep in mind that none of this is the FOOTBALL program’s problem.  This was the doings of one man with men that happen to be in football.  It should stop there.  Four, allow counseling.  This may be very traumatic for a lot of these students.  There are in a college where they will have asterisks next to their diploma.  Every time someone says where did you go to school, they actually might hesitate and say Penn State.  What comes next is just not the best thing to talk about.  Joe hoped that certain words were said when remembering him.  To make Penn State a better place and not just a football coach.  Well, let’s hope they remember you as a football coach.

Barbaric is one of the, if not thee, reason why people do not watch the UFC. Surprisingly, parents will send their child to karate class. This is the outcome of that particular skill. It isn’t just for street fighters, or people who can “fight”. Obviously, you have to know how to fight, but there is more. Kimbo Slice was a black man with a purpose. I’ve watched him show up in someone’s backyard and a man would say fight. The rules were simple, no kicks and if you fell, you start counting. Unless you watch the one with Big Mac, then you get a longer count. Essentially, this is the sport of boxing, just without the gloves. Kimbo was put into a show called the Ultimate Fighter. He didn’t succeed. In fact, let’s say he failed really bad. Kimbo has skills of a boxer. At this point, that is considered one dimensional.

Boxing has become so basic. There is no organization. Its completely up to the fighters and who their promoter is. If they decide to go to the Pay Per View status, then they just split up the revenue. This outcome is worth millions. Which, I do believe the fighters deserve. They promote, they get what people pay for. Question is, are we getting what we paid for, really? Are we buying the hype? The idea of I saw that? Or…are we buying the product? A prize fighter deserves what he gets. If one million televisions buy the Floyd Mayweather fights, then in return Floyd deserves that. I don’t think this is about the fights in general as much it is about the quality.

Boxing has become more of a workout. If you watch the UFC, you’ll see what I mean. Boxing has turned into a complete joke. The closest thing to the WWE. If it wasn’t for Mayweather, entertainment of the sport is gone. The reason to even purchase a PPV would be gone. Boxing is literally relying on Floyd. Once he is gone, the money that once was generated from a PPV will be extinguished. Floyd is the sport of boxing right now. You can say as much as you want about him “ducking” Manny. When it comes down to it, your talking about him. Granted, that is the fight I would want to see. In retrospect, be honest, IT’S THE ONLY FIGHT. Really, think about it. Say what you will about the millions, AND MILLIONS (in my terrible Rock impression) that Floyd and other prize fighters take. Who in return is suppose the get that money generated? The sport of boxing? That product is about to be expired. The only thing worse than this situation is the NHL. If they decide to strike this year, then that sport might be gone too.

The UFC and CEO Dana White have done it right. Build a product, and buy everything around it. Essentially making it the only sport of its class. Vince McMahan of the WWE did it. Look at it, every other sport has done it. Having not aloud any competition on a professional level. You could probably name more NFL coaches than you can professional boxers. There is nothing outside of the box besides the fighter himself. In other sports its about ownership, coaches and sponsors. Its everyday. Boxing, well whenever Money Mayweather wants to fight.

All I am trying to say is this. Boxing, as a sport will be on the level of darts, poker or even bowling. You know that it is a sport that comes on ESPN when the NFL has tied up Sundays, or at 2 am on Tuesdays. You want to save boxing? Organize it. Make fighters fight. Make them sign contracts for a year and in that contract have them fight four times a year. Bring back the purse, because we all know that being a world champ and having a belt really means absolutely nothing. Give incentives when viewers watch, because the only way to make money is fight a prize fighter, win or lose. Incentives including knockouts by a certain round, by punch or by time. No, not bounties, or yes bounties. Yes, its boxing, not the NFL. Besides Floyd and Manny, boxing is about to get the ten count. It will soon be a sport that was much like MMA. An Asian sport with a few Americans watching it. Boxing will be a sport but in Mexico and other Spanish countries. Dana White made a sport that was already established in other parts of the world and made it huge. He has done everything correctly. Remember when you were younger watching WWF? It was somewhat real to you. UFC, is that. Really, just that. Except, its real. The soap opera of “TUF”. The spectacle that is a Pay Per View every five weeks. The bad and good guys. Only thing missing is the story line, and even that can be established. Ultimate Fighting Championship is the World Wrestling Entertainment. One is the sport, and the other is the soap opera. Where can the sport that was boxing go from here? Well, I think it is really over. Completely over. The sport will continue to hang on the reigns of the prize fighters and that’s it. Even then, its survival rate is minimal. Maybe boxing’s CEO should ask Dana White. The thing is, there isn’t anyone to call Dana. Literally

:::Screeching of Record can be Heard::: Really, a record, o’well go with it. Hold on everyone. Let’s not jump to conclusions here. Chase Utley starting on the DL is nothing new. With that being said, Ruben Amaro Jr. this week slipped a comment about the beloved second baseman. One word he has used constantly while talking about Utley, except this time he used it in a plural form. Knees. He added an “S” and that changes the outlook on everything.  We are aware of his consistent knee (no s) problems. Utley not playing in the Grapefruit League is nothing special. We were excited about him playing on a chair. The plural of knee is where a lot of us sort of get scared. We are talking about a career that never really happened.

Comments about Ruben being shorted on the MRI findings of Utley is bologna. Ruben is respecting what Utley has done to this Phillies organization. Utley needs to do this himself. I have never taken Utley to be a selfish man, which comes to why he is in the situation that he is. There are plenty of examples where Utley has gone out of his way in a blowout win. You got to know where to shut it all off. Utley isn’t known for this. This is the reason why Philadelphia loves him. He works hard. In this case, it just might be his downfall. Diving for a ground ball between him and Howard with a 4 run lead in the top of the ninth now seems ridiculous. We applaud it, but regretfully.

Utley’s injuries have been for the most part, silly. Getting hit on the hand and sliding into second, nothing really unavoidable. Which comes to how silent everyone has been in this situation involving his knees.  Are they holding back the fact that it is more serious than it is, or is it really something that just needs a little R and R? This is serious. So serious that no one is talking about it. Chase isn’t even in Florida most of the time. At this point we are not talking about a couple a weeks into the season here, or even a season. Everyone get ready for this, we are talking about his career.

Let’s face it, Chase’s numbers have dwindled. Since 2009, Utley hasn’t hit the hundred RBI mark. Batting average has gone down also since then since peaking in ‘08. The biggest number is the amount of games. He truly makes everyone around him better. I’ve said plenty of times that pitching has to work around Utley. Making Howard worth the 25 million a year. Only if he could find a way to actually hitting the ball. If this was the Kentucky Derby and you were reading the DRF, he peaked.

We are on the verge of talking about a man of what could have been instead of what he was. Before the 2008 season, we would talk about players from the 1993 Phillies team. We are talking about one year. A championship loss. We aren’t talking about the players as much as we are talking about how that team played in one year. Darren Daulton was on the team from the early eighties. We might be hours away from finding out how we talk about number 26. Just like we talk about the ‘93 Phils, we might talk about Utley. If you take away the 1993 season, we would have to go back to 1980. With Utley, it’s a matter of the could have. I think we all can admit that we have our own Utley memories. The new Mr. October, the pump fake to first and the “Chase Utley you are the man” play. We will remember his eye at the plate, the ball toss back to Sanchez in which he waved him off as to say you aren’t even on my level. Utley’s attitude as a pull no punches, hard work ethic has this town embracing what he has to say next.

We all want to see Utley play. We want the form of 2008 again. Question is, will we ever get that? Sadly, I think the answer to that is  simple, no. That Chase is gone. Philadelphia has benefitted well from that, as has Ryan Howard. We got our parade. I want Chase to go out on top, not fighting for a starting position. The thing is though, Utley won’t stop. Chase has always put whatever he had on the field. Including a chair. I think in this time, while he sees specialists and possible surgeries, we need to respect that. Give him the time, patience and support considering this might, just might be it. You can’t go out and replace Utley. The professionalism he brings cannot be replaced. So let’s not criticize Ruben for this. It’s hard enough to let a loved one go. I think now, we sit and respect Utley’s time. He has never steered us in the wrong direction, and I doubt he would play knowing he can’t. As to the comments of finding his replacement, well good luck. No matter what, Utley is untradeable and is signed for two more years.

So where does Sunday’s “talk to the media” lead us to? Personally, I feel he will come out and say I am going to have more surgeries done and I will work from there. Chase has peaked, but because of his knees. If that changes then we are talking about something different here. Are we talking about a Peyton Manning situation here? No, not until two years from now at least. Utley isn’t hurting us. He just isn’t helping. We are aggravated because he cannot play. His talents aren’t getting any use. I do think in this case it is worth it for us to pay the 15 million and wait it out a little longer. We are still waiting for Howard. Like I said, he isn’t helping us. Just three years ago we were talking about a Hall of Fame caliber player. I think we are selling him out just a little to soon.  I understand that we are very close to what looks like the end, but let’s give him every option possible here. Let him wave the white flag.  He deserves that.  Let’s give him the support so maybe he can return to form. As much as we want him to play, we want him to be okay.  We like the player but we love the person.  Because it is Chase Utley, and God dammit, he was, scratch, IS the man.

Ohio State Buckeyes celebrate “good plays” by putting a sticker on your helmet. In the NFL, since stickers are not authorized, you are celebrated by the play being repeated on the jumbotron. Bounties on players have always been around. Just not in the term “bounty”. From the start of playing sports as a child you get rewarded in some type of way. The thing is though, it isn’t usually WRITTEN down. This “Bounty” is blown way out of proportion. Gregg Williams is only guilty because of his stupidity to write down what he was doing. I’m sure the same applies in Lacrosse as it does Football, you must go thru with the hit and thru the player. Not many times will you see a repeat of a good tackle as much as a good hit. The one that comes to mind first is the shoestring tackle with the Rams. Even that isn’t replayed. The point of Ray Lewis hitting you are is to induce fear into not coming by him. I would like to know the difference between what Gregg Williams has done as appose to what the NFL teams do by playing this exact same plays on the screen in front of sixty thousand plus fans. The idea of free water ice and 1,500 dollars is the same. It’s a reward. The Buckeye that goes on the back or side of your helmet in Ohio is essentially the same. Except, these are considered “good plays” not bounties.

As of today, no player in the NCAA is payed to play. This is considering that a free ride in a Division 1 school isn’t pay enough, right? Fifteen hundred dollars would be a nice chunk of change for a college student for laying a hit another student. So, since that isn’t really isn’t a logical option, or is it, they replace that with stickers. Honestly, if that is the reward, then you want the most. These are the same incentives that Gregg Williams was rewarding.

This is not a NFL problem. This is a little league issue. Pee Wee at that. Rewards have been given out since the start of you playing a sport. What makes it so much different at the professional level? Well, I said it, Professional. As a professional, things are supposed to come naturally. They flow. This is the cream of the crop. The best of the best. But how do you reward a player that is making a million plus dollars a year? Giving him a couple thousand for laying a hit on someone that could possibly end his co-workers professional career? I don’t think that is the case here. It’s a way of rewarding. You don’t reward on a professional level. Not on paper at least. What if Gregg Williams took the players out for dinner like Tom Brady did for his offensive line in those American Express commercials?

The point I am trying to make here is a lot of people are focused on the money and not the principle. To say go out there and lay a smack on someone for money is the same as any other type of reward, including a Buckeye sticker. The principle is the same. The NFL is to blame here just as much. They have DVD’s on Best Hits. Are “Football Follies” just as bad because we are laughing at others? It comes down to a change in words. You don’t lose a sticker because of a great hit that took a guy out on the stretcher. It’s called a “good play”, not a “bounty”.

In the end though, rules are rules and they were violated. The NFL rules clearly state that no reward should be given to any player for making specific performances. This rule includes interceptions, fumbles etc. Think of it as speeding. You know that it is wrong, but you do it. You take the fine, pay it and learn your lesson. Do it again, repeat previous sentence. Keep doing it and you lose your licence. This may be the case here if all the teams Williams was with come forward. Gregg Williams, no matter what I have said, is guilty. He will and should be punished for his actions. Rules are rules and they must be followed. Mr. Goodell has to access the damages. With all this said though, you as a viewer have to understand some things too. Celebration of a hit, viewing it on the big screen or even talking about it is the same praise given to a player making that type of money. I would think that the replaying is more praise then the couple thousand itself. I’m not downplaying the severity of knocking out another co-worker. What I am saying is that your children are being rewarded the same way that these NFL professional adults were, except minor rules do not state this. Roger Goodell and the NFL are to blame to by praising it. One person has done it right in this scenario, Joe Paterno. Those helmets stayed white with no praise. Smart isn’t it. Just another thing he kept silent.

I guess it really doesn’t have to be mentioned that Eli is the little brother to the guy who built the stadium played in last night, Peyton. Peyton took the year off to do Papa John commercials. Seriously, he is really hurt with a nerve issue in his neck. Jeopardizing his career and quite possibly his ability to walk. But, with Eli all over the papers for Sunday’s game, Peyton decided to try to steal the spotlight. By saying a day before the “Big Game” that he was cleared to play this year. While I believe this is extremely hard to believe, even if he does, it will not be in Indy. They just fired the coach and brought in a defensive minded one. Cleared out upstairs and he is due 28 million dollars this year. What is the icing on the cake? The Colts have the first pick in the NFL Draft this year. So it would be hard to not to get rid of Peyton. You have to think of the future here. Peyton before this all happened might have had 5 years left. He never gets hit. With this, even if he does play, the years or even year, are minimal. It’s hard seeing your brother get some much attention in your own house, isn’t it? I didn’t even see him in the box with Archie and Cooper. A little jealous I guess.

Let’s get this out first. Eli played phenomenal. Honestly, the man played like he should have been there. The thing is, as well has he played in 46, what’s going to be remembered is the Manningham catch. To beat the Patriots of ‘07, it needed history. Literally, a catch that will never be forgotten. Eli was the MVP of that game, but I think David Tyree is the most known. Manningham for this one. Somehow getting both feet to stay in, magnificent catch. The pass though, well it couldn’t be any more pinpoint. I am saying this because what is going to be known from this Super Bowl as much as Super Bowl 42, is a catch.

When you talk about the best quarterbacks in the league today, Eli’s name falls in the middle of the pack. Why? Tom Coughlin will be on the chopping block again, like he is every year. Why? Is it because of how they made it? A weakened NFC East? The Patriots do it every year like that, a weakened AFC East despite Buffalo’s strong start. The Giants were 2.5 point underdogs in this game too. Why is there no respect for the men in blue?

Well, in the last three season Eli has passed for 4,000 yards. Before then, barely 3,300. To be in the quality of the top Quarterbacks in the league 4,000 is the bench mark. An Example. When playing fantasy football, there are very few (3) quarterbacks to take in the first or second round. Besides that, most quarterbacks fall into the same stats, for the most part. 3,500 yards passing, 23 TD’s and 17 INTS. Average stats, the middle of the pack. Consistent, among the average, just like Big Ben, is where Eli sits.. Tom Coughlin will be on the chopping block again. This is the confusing part. Reason is because he finds a way to win. What I mean by that is that he finds a way not to lose. The opposing team falters, and Coughlin’s team pounces. It seems for some reason that the team plays well even without Coughlin really coaching. For instance, Jordan. Did he really need a baby sitter in Phil Jackson? It is inconsistency. Eli needs a couple more years, not rings, of being known who owns the NFC East. 4,000 yard seasons. The leader and the man who runs the machine that was the Giants Sunday. In fact, we need to see that Eli every year. There is no reason why it cannot happen. For now, he is an average quarterback with two rings, not a first ballot. If it wasn’t for those historic catches, you wouldn’t know of his heart and determination in those games.

I just got into this new song by Brett Dennon. Its called Comeback Kid. One of the catch lines is “Everyone likes an underdog.” This is true. For some reason Eli wasn’t the favorite. Reason being, he was playing Tom Brady, not the Patriots. You just can’t leave the game in Brady’s hands. Well unless there is under a minute to go or when his wide receivers decide to have stone hands, right Giesle. We don’t like to see success. I don’t know why though. Brady, who always compliments his teammates and is never on TMZ, was rooted against. The model wife, the 26 million dollars pad and a sure ride to Canton on a first ballot. Oh, and he wins. America didn’t want Tom Terrific to be the underdog. They wanted Eli and the Giants to be.

Jealously is the case with that. Tom lives the “life”. The “must be nice”. The “Oh, he is a football player and has a ton of money.” Tom Brady signed a contract for 4 years and around 75 million. Eli signed a 6 year 97.5 million dollar deal. Money is the same, Super Bowl MVP the same. What’s the difference? Simple, Tom Brady is “That Guy”. Just because. He is the one that you envy, but never admit to it. He is the kid that has the really nice basketball that you want to use but not let him play. Jealous. Thing is though, at the end of the day Eli has two rings and has a foot in the door to the Hall of Fame. With that said though, numbers don’t lie. His numbers for three years have been stellar. Beyond that, average. So by saying Eli has two rings, two Super Bowl MVP’s and a ride to Canton. Not yet. He is the underdog for a reason. All though with this win, he might not be anymore. He and you will know the exact moment when he is on his ride to Canton. The very first time you Boo against him.

The 76ers aren’t the best team in the league.  Their chances of winning the Finals are questionable.  One thing you have to give them, they are winning.  What I mean exactly is this.  The more they win, the more they don’t have to face Miami, the only team I think they CAN’T beat in a seven game series.  Charles Barkley said it best, the NBA sucks.  Why, well because it is a young mans sport right now.  Everyday on the road, every other day another game.  In fact, the last six games the Sixers play this year take place in ten days.  With a 3 game back to back to back, followed by the last 2 as back to back.  They are on the road, but winnable games in Orlando, Indiana, Cleveland, Nets, Bucks and Detroit.  All winnable games on the road.  If you want to look at the rest of the schedule, I have them at 36 and 8.  Making them with 52 wins and 14 loses.  I put in the equation the fact of fluke loses as well as fluke wins.  Maybe against San Antonio on the road or a Heat game.

As the Sixers continue to win, it puts them in a position to have the number one spot in the Eastern Conference.  As of now, the 76ers sit in 3rd place in the Eastern conference with Chicago leading followed by Miami.  If I can push Chicago down two and Miami up one and let the Sixers in first, this would be the ideal ride to the Finals.  Sixers would get Milwaukee.  That’s a win in 3 games.  This, if I use the standings that I think it would be in this order from first to eighth.  Sixers,Miami, Chicago, Indiana, Atlanta, Orlando, Boston, and Milwaukee.  The Knicks could slip in, but that would be an eight seed and the Sixers still win that five game series.  Miami to beat Boston, Chicago to Beat Orlando in a battle, and Atlanta to beat Indiana.  This would put the 76ers against Chicago and Miami against Atlanta, a team that I feel can actually beat Miami in a seven game series.  Leaving the match-up of the Sixers and Hawks, which the Sixers have shown they can dominate.

Now, for the competition.  Without giving you the whole breakdown of the Western Conference, I have the Oklahoma City Thunder.  The Philadelphia 76ers have the ability to control where they are seeded in the Eastern Conference.  Obviously,  no control of who they play later on in the play-offs in the Finals.  Oklahoma City is firing on all cylinders.  They do allow 94.6 points per game and well as score 100.1 per game.  The 76ers allow only 85.9 points per game and score 97.5.  Statistically, the Sixers are one of the best defensive teams in the league.  Points allowed, Opposing field goal percentage,  and 3 pointers made.  Oklahoma wouldn’t be scoring 100 points easily, nor would the Sixers have a win intact.  This though, was what I was trying to compile to show you that the Philadelphia 76ers just might be your next NBA Finals Champion.

Thankfully, management at the time didn’t listen and try to get rid of Iguodala.  Literally, one the best defenders I have ever seen play.  That might not be the best thing considering I haven’t seen much.  To wake up everyday and understand that Dre has to defend Kobe, Lebron, or Durant.  We actually have a team.  A full team effort that wins.  For the most part, the whole starting line scores an average of 13 points per game.  Lou Williams is part of the “Bench Mob,”  and he is your team leader at 15 per game.

The point I am trying to make here is that usually in the NBA,  a championship caliber team has one major player.  A “top ten in the league”  type player.  Again, the Kobe’s Lebron’s and Durant’s.  On this team, they’re isn’t any of that.  Even as I wrote it, I am taking it back.  They have one, Doug Collins.  Doug is bringing Philadelphia together for basketball in this city.  A new light, a new hope.  He really hasn’t changed anything in terms of players.  How did Michael Jordan not like him?  This team is listening and by doing that, winning.  The last time this many people were in the seats for a Sixers game was when Allen was here.  By that I mean during a boring game, not when Kobe shows up.  The bandwagon is being filled with gas and the tires  inflated.  You can hear slightly Destiny’s Child.  A trip down Broad Street before the Eagles, well….Yes.  Let’s go OldSkool….”Clap Your Hannnnddss…Everybooddyy…For Philadelphiaaaa…Seventy Sixers Yeah!

Tom Brady was out to prove a point.  He was not out there to punish a young kid into the league.  He was not out there to denounce religious beliefs.  He was out there to say that his resume was better and out of respect he should have been spoken of.  At one point in the game, Tom Brady had more touchdowns than Tim Tebow had completions.  The media blew this up into something Tim Tebow didn’t want it to be.

Tim is the good guy.  The highly religious, flat out very nice man.  Does his charity work, donates his money and puts his face in places so they can get the business.  Not once am I taking away his ways of being a good humanitarian.  What you saw on Sunday was the difference between Super Bowl quality quarterback and Tim Tebow.  He tried to trade blows with Tom Brady.  The hype put on behind him made it out to be that this actually might be a good game.  Look, Brady picks apart the mistakes in the defense.  Tebow was a deer in headlights.  His experience level is clearly lower and by no means do I blame Tebow for any of this.

Do NOT make this about his religious beliefs.  It’s a sporting event.  There was a poll put out that said this is a sign of divine intervention.  Really.  Him throwing touchdowns and doing well for his community proves to you that there is a GOD?  Maybe you should go to church a little more.  I think the first rule is Not have any gods besides me.  It’s not about God and how he believes.  Plenty of NFL players are very religious.  What honestly makes him any different?

John Elway was looking across the field in envy.  Tim Tebow is not going to take you to the promise land (sorry the Super Bowl) with how he has been playing.  Compare Brady and compare Tebow.  The caliber is at an extreme.  That was the difference between Super Bowl quality and a prayer to get into the play-offs.  You really couldn’t have expected Tebow to win right?  John Elway came out right away and said that Tim will be our quarterback going into training camp.  There was actually backlash from the Tebowmaniacs.  What did you expect Elway to say.  He knows that he isn’t going to win with that type of  quarterback.  Denver should be rejoicing that Elway is looking out for his team.  Wait, get this…HE IS DOING HIS JOB!  Tebow is not.  He is supposed  to be a quarterback.  Look, Tim is a fantastic ATHLETE.  ATHLETE!  That is what he is.  Like I said before, I am not mad at him.  John Elway is sitting on the sideline in a long pea coat watching.  Go give the man some pointers on how to do what you did.  John Elway might be one of the greatest ever to play the game.  If anyone is going to replicate the “Helicopter”, it’s going to be Tebow.

The Denver Broncos made it this year because of a weak division and a beat up Pittsburgh Steelers team.  Big Ben would actually go to the line of scrimmage and stop, knowing he had a bad wheel.  Bill Belichek didn’t have to break out many tricks besides his monster to beat up on Denver.  You cannot tell me that Tom Brady didn’t look like he had one thing on his mind.  This Patriots team doesn’t look like the others.  This one is out to prove something.  If you stand Tebow and Brady next to each other, Brady looks like a complete asshole.  Why?  Because he beat up on Tim and never stopped punching.  It wasn’t like anyone helped him get him off of ‘em either (Denver Defense).  Ric Flair said it best, “To be the man, You’ve got to beat the man,  WOOO.”  It doesn’t get any realer than that.  Brady flat out put on a clinic.

This isn’t anything pleasant to talk about either.  My wife and I actually get into arguments because of Tim.  I know it sounds ridiculous, but its true.  The moment I bring anything to do with Jesus and Tebow, its bad.  Get this, I’m putting them in the same sentence, I’m Wrong!  My brother in law saw a commercial for bible studies (I’ll say it like that).  Taking advantage of a situation?  I’m sorry to say this, but I would hope that God puts us all in a position to win.  Not take the hand of one.  Is this the moment that the Jews have been waiting for?  For Catholics, is he a Saint?  It’s harder from this point because no other religion believes in higher than God.  So what is he?  He is an athlete in the NFL.  He is a Good samaritan.  He teaches people the right in the world and shows that by doing good, just might bring you good things.  He is one of the only, sorry for the truth, only players that can make it into the NFL because of his good work outside of his actual job.  I am sure that there is a better quarterback (Brady Quinn?) waiting in the wings that would love the opportunity (remember Tom Brady?).

Tebow is coachable.  He needs to listen to what advice is given to him.  He can execute.  That is why I will not say the word “never” when his name  is mentioned with Super Bowl.  That is if John Elway wants to  invest his time and money into that or the draft.  I think the city of Denver has chosen Tebow because of his energy and his belief in Jesus.  This makes John Elway look like a terrible man.  He had to choose between this and the franchise of his company.  Elway wants to win and he wants to win it all, more times than one.  Tebow motivates his team.  He drives them to win.  By no means does he put them into a position to win.  He can be the guy in the bucking Bronco costume on the sideline.  These are attributes of a mascot.  They are the  attributes of a leader  too.  He needs the attributes of a quarterback now.  This can be done with a little help…no a lot of help.  After all this, don’t blame him.  He is just being himself.  That is why he is where he is.   That is why they’re maniacs, and haters.   Not because of what he is doing outside of football, more of why is it even being talked about.  Fans and the general public are getting tired of the “bling” and the “Rolls’”.  They finally have a player that their kid can really look up to.   An actual figure that believes in the good and portrays it at a high level.  With all the millions of dollars being thrown around, or raining, we have a man that is humble.  Actually, happy possibly without it.  Don’t blame him for who he is.  Blame the media for blowing him up to be something that he is not.  That being an elite NFL quarterback.  Instead, let’s praise him for what he really is, a Man.  With that said, he isn’t even a good christian.  As far as I remember he is supposed to keep the Holy the Sabbath.  He works on Sunday’s.

They’re were people who actually emailed me and asked where I was, if I had Twitter and asked me to write more.  Check this, ah hem, I have fans!  Fans that weren’t forced to be, not family or friends.  In fact, I don’t even think they know of this site or care to even back it.  They just aren’t interested.  Keep typing the same amount of letters for Facebook.  Keep surfing for “chicks with dicks”.  I mean damn, I can’t get a hit from my inner circle.  Eh, I guess Einhorn is more interesting.

So, with that said, thank you.  I appreciate the support.  In fact, it was nice to see/hear that what I was saying was actually getting somewhere.  Philadelphia sports talk is so bubble gum.  Same thing, no real opinion, no angles.  I like to add the different side of it.  The well, yeah, that sounds right.  I was nickel and dimeing (literally) on other sites and to be honest, no one knows.  One thing is like the other.  I like to keep it fresh, real and different.  WOO, Jessica Frech just came on my playlist, gonna get out.  Thank you again to the ones in my corner, the ones who come and give me the hit even if they don’t want to read anything.  Thank you for the ones who are not going to read this, for it’s my motivation.  On the other side of that coin, remember, you never know and I’ll remember!  Thank you, and don’t take any shit from anyone.

This being a blue collar, working class type of town, the last thing we wanted to do was become corporate.  By corporate I mean, spending even more money, not showing up until half the game has started and bragging that you have tickets to the game…whether or not you go.  By corporate I mean having the best talent on the field.  Corporate meaning that if the team wants it, they get it, no matter what the price.  Jayson Werth wanted over 100 million dollars.  Some Phillies fans barked for the organization to pay.  Do you really want to pay ten percent more a ticket to keep Jayson Werth in a Phillies uniform?  Doesn’t sound like much for one game, but think of that in the form of season tickets.  That’s 81 games.  Keep in mind that 10 percent of your standing room only tickets is not what they were after.  They are after the corporate seats, sorry Diamond club seats. Where the license on eBay is going for fifty thousand.  So we might not want to give up our blue collar, always the underdog mentality yet.  Be honest though, we purchased a championship team(s).

The Phillies Friday crushed our hearts.  Yes everyone, it happened.  We lost.  It really did happen.  Roy Halladay pitched a masterpiece.  Once again, bats didn’t arrive.  I am going to write this as if you saw the game.  Being the slim few that didn’t, I’m sure aren’t even interested in what I have to say anyway.  Probably because you were sitting at the computer with the tissue box next to you.  Sorry, still a little bitter.  I want you to know that you have every reason to be upset.  I do want  you to know that the same team will be back next year.  Yes, basically the same exact team.  As long as Rollins knows that he can make 15 million a year somewhere else, he has to take 10 for 3 here.  Raul Ibanez will likely be leaving with Polanco at his side.  UNLESS….this ACL injury that Ryan Howard has becomes so serious that Mayberry has to play first, leaving Ibanez platooning in left with Dominic Brown.  Well, got you thinking at least.  Besides that, everyone stays in their position.  Utley needs to get paid.  I’m tired of hearing how he is declining.  Really, broken record here, but they pitch around him.  Chuck changed the order to get him pitches, so they put him second.  I will defend his ridiculous play as he turned second.  It’s called desperation.  Sadly, he didn’t trust the rest of his team to get him in.  Just like how he swung for the fences in the ninth inning of game 5.

Boy did Andy Reid set himself up wonderfully.  How can you fire a head coach in 5 games when the coaching staff he has is terrible.  His replacements are worse than he his.  I said this before in an earlier post.  Jim Mora was not hired as defensive coordinator because of the fear and Reid losing his job.  DISCLAIMER: Andy Reid is a really good coach.  Andy Reid’s job here is done.  It seems like once Jim Johnson died, it has all started to crumble from there.  He is being out coached.  Let me explain it this way.  Phil Jackson is a legendary coach.  He has coached Jordan, Kobe and Shaq.  The egos had to be kept in tact.  Basically a ring master, sorry, Zen Master.  Reid has lost control of this team.  He put a offensive coordinator in the spot of the Defensive coordinator.  Like I’ve said, that’s to save Andy’s job.  Just because he has lost control of this team doesn’t mean he is a bad coach, or will never do it again.  I’m just saying his days were numbered two years ago, this is just an acquisition of a top seeded collegiate player in the making.

So, since the Phillies lost in the opening round of the 2011 MLB play-offs, what changes?  NOTHING.  They lost.  It happened.  It’s over.  Pitchers and catchers will be in Clearwater before you know it.  They lost the series themselves.  It was theirs to have.  Besides a couple money issues,  the team will be back next year.  We just have to suck it all in and accept that they didn’t even get out of the first damn round.  Gee, that stat must be right.  Best record doesn’t win.  Please, what a joke.  Howard maybe can get a third chance at being the final out.  We all know that’s a charm.  Stat wise at least.

Reid, thanks for the NFC berths, the Super Bowl appearance and always putting out a winning team year after year.  You will be praised for that always…when your gone.  The only standing ovation he has left, is when he comes back in colors that are not green.  Andy Reid has peaked here in Philadelphia.  I heard fans yelling Gruden’s name, and the last thing he did is what Reid is doing now.  Firing a coach in midseason is basically saying that the season is over.  When your staff doesn’t have much more credit, makes it a little harder.  Juan Castillo was set up to fail.  It takes a Zen Master to control that.  No not Phil, Jim.  Jim Johnson held that TEAM down.  The defensive coordinator that refused to take a Head coaching job because and I quote “couldn’t handle it.”  This year they have had a chance to win in every game.  I will give him credit for that and that Andy Reid, at almost all post game press conferences, says that it is his fault for not putting them in a position to win.  If that is the case, when does he get held accountable for it?

Peyton Manning was the first overall draft pick coming out of Tennessee in the 1998 draft.  Expectations are high obviously when you are picked number one overall, also considering the name that he carries on his back.   Manning deserves the attention that he is getting.  Well rounded, precision accuracy and a damn good quarterback.  The gripe with me is not trying to bash Peyton for not being great.  What I am trying to prove is that he hasn’t done what Tom Terrific has and the Manning will be defended for it.

Yes, stats show that Manning is a clear cut winner in mostly every category in the NFL quarterback situation.  When talking to Manning’s lawyers, Brady doesn’t even fall on the same scale as Montana, Marino and Manning.  Absurd comments to me.  I will defend Tom Brady.  I am a huge fan.  I enjoy his game from beginning until end.

The dynamic duo of Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison is compared to Montana to Rice.  While Peyton’s stats have been padded with a gun totting future hall of famer, Tom had to deal with Deion Branch.  When Brady walked into the front office and asked for a pay cut in order to get a decent wide receiver in, Randy Moss got a call.  Now, with Peyton Manning owning season records with Harrison, were now in jeopardy with this duo.  This is when the defense attorney’s of America came to court for him.  ”It’s Randy Moss” that is what  was shouted from the roof tops.  The only reason why Tom Brady had these stats was because Moss had joined the team.  This is true. What needs to be understood with certain stats is that Brady’s stats might be smaller, but the ending prize is in the favor of number 12.  3-1 is the score and with Tom the better odds to have more.

Even with that being said about future Super Bowls, Manning’s lawyers still have him higher than Brady.  Manning’s 2011 season looks like it could be over.  The question is how much of a chance does he have to achieve the top level once again.  With the Patriots always in the mix, the window seems to be shutting on the great quarterback.

Peyton doesn’t need to have another Super Bowl to be considered great.  It always seems that Peyton Manning can never do anything wrong.  The people will speak for him.  Its not Brady’s arm, its the play calling.  Brady throws short passes.  No matter what you say about Tom Brady, there is a comeback for Manning.  Manning has to be better in everything.  Which is so childish.  What is honestly the goal here?  It can come down to Tom Brady and the PAtriots winning another Super Bowl, and I can hear Manning’s lawyers already saying well, Peyton threw for 4,000 yards again.

When you ask the public to name the best quarterback ever, the majority answer is Joe Montana.  With stats favoring Dan Marino, he falls a disappointing second for the clear reason of championships.  Peyton Manning is a protected man.  The public loves to hate Tom Brady.  I want a winner on my team, not a man for himself.  Harrison was there to help Manning achieve the stats that made him into the man that he is.  I give Manning credit, Reggie Wayne wouldn’t be who he is if number 18 wasn’t throwing him the ball.  That’s real.  As for being the best quarterback ever and in the top ten in greatest players of all time, hardly.   Manning has been a product of a great family tradition.  Amazing fundamentals and sheer talent.  His chances are behind him as a player to become champion of a Super Bowl.  Brady, to my opinion, has two left.  The system is right for him.  The Peyton Manning system was him, and him only.  Now with possibly out and his career in jeopardy, the Colts now face what Jacksonville has been seeing the last couple years.  Indy needs to be sweating right now.  I mean this truthfully too.  With a new stadium in tact, Manning is the face of the franchise.  With him gone, trouble in sues.  The Colts literally have a chance of going 6 and 10, and I am not joking…look at the schedule.  Man, I can hear it again.  The lawyers saying thats how important Peyton is to the team, and MVP.  Well fellas..when Tom went down with the leg injury, not only were the Patriots 3 to 1 favorites to the Bowl, the Jets were 77 to 1.  With Tom out…the Jets went to 7 to 1.  MVP of the team, as well a major asset for the NFL.  Eat that Manning lovers.

This isn’t about saying how Manning isn’t ONE of the greatest of all time.  (read that line correctly lawyers)  Its about why must he be great at everything, when he isn’t at the prize.  Trent Green played for the Chiefs and threw for close to 4,000 if not over for 3 years straight.   That got swept under the rug.  Peyton’s interception in the Super Bowl which sealed the game wasn’t even his fault.  It was a bad route run.  When is Manning going to be held accountable for what he does wrong?  It’s always someone else’s fault.  Tom, when he does well, let’s just say that doesn’t happen.  Moss, tuck rule, and Super Bowl performances.  All must give credit to the other players.  Not the full length of the field to set up the winning field goal.  It’s the fact they had to kick a field goal.

The argument is getting a little old.  Its still an argument because think about it, when wrong you get defensive.  The goal is to win championships.  Plain and simple.  The players who are drafted aren’t there to make there career stats awesome.  They are there to put asses in the seats and the give the best possibility to bring it home.  When the Colts won the Super Bowl, that team was built to beat the Patriots.  It was built to do just that.  98.0% to 73 % is the passer rating when these two square off.  Tom being the 98.

Peyton Manning is overrated.  Uh oh, I said it.  But now the explanation.  He is overrated for being so high on the scale of greatness.  He is one of the best to ever play, not thee.  That is why he is overrated.  Tom Brady isn’t thee either, but he is better than Manning.  Every year it comes down to Manning vs Brady.  Fans of both players say this.  When asked of Manning fans is Tom close, the answer is no.  Then why the comparison every year, or at all.  Reason being behind that is that the defense is out there.  Deep down inside, wait, not deep at all.  Tom Brady is a better quarterback.  I want a winner, a man who brings championships home, not accolades.  Tom does just that.  I think I have to stop rambling, my neck is starting to hurt.

Ndamukong Suh was fined thousands for an excessive tackle.  That is being said correctly, he was fined $20,000  for a tackle that was to rough on a quarterback.  That’s when it was the media who came at Suh saying he was a dirty player.  My question, that will never be answered, is that was it really the Associated Press or was it the NFL that promoted that question.  The NFL is clearly going to come under fire when they apply these new rules of excessiveness.  So why not pull some money and point out Suh is a dirty player?

Suh, is not a dirty player.  In fact, I applaud that he is willing to take a $20,000 slap in the hand for a pre-season game.   Tom Brady has been the player on the other end of the finger when the conversation about protecting the quarterback comes up.  Bernard Pollard was going to tackle Brady and leaped from the ground and landed on his leg, tearing the ACL.  Was this a dirty play?  For the most part…Yeah!  Yes, this was indeed a dirty play, weather he meant it or not.  Under the unwritten rules of the NFl, why was he even aloud to come near the future Hall of Famer?  Why did that even happen?  The person to blame is not Pollard but the players of the offensive line.

These fines might scare players from doing their “job”.   Sadly, their job now entitles them to not only make sure that the quarterback doesn’t make a play, but also to make sure they land safely.  Seriously, these were, I mention were again, players that would punish other players.  Hunt for injury.  THere is no need to name specific players, we all know that the game was clearly a “man’s” sport years ago, compared to today.

The fines are a joke.  I would gladly pay $20,000 for an excessive sack.  What’s a good year, 12 sacks.  For a quarter million dollars to be feared even more, gladly.  Your know where I would get that money from, endorsements.  So why worry, I ain’t paying for it.  You hear the arguments about how Riddle Helmets, and how the leagues rules didn’t look for player safety.  How team doctors would say that everything is okay, when it wasn’t.  When did we lose ourselves to make the final decision in our lives?  There is absolutely no responsibility for our actions.  Look at Ronnie Lott.  He literally amputated his pinky.  He never blamed anyone.  It was his decision.  So why doesn’t everyone follow this?

Reason being, who ever wants to be at fault.  The players of the past are the ones who made this sport what it is.   The sheer reason why the players of today get paid what they get paid.  The cornerstone players of the sport, the leatherheads.  These guys took a risk on something that could have been a failure, like the XFL.  Instead, turned into a billion upon billion dollar business.  The thing is though, the league wasn’t ready to have to pay for the health coverage of these former players.  The least they deserve is that.  Watching someone like Michael Vick take 100 million dollars must be hard.

To bring all of this together, I will ask my question again.  Has the NFL gone soft?  The answer is yes they have.  Will it bring it down, hardly.  It takes up one day a week for 19 weeks.  It would be monumental.  As big as the stock market crashing, and I don’t think that I am joking either.  So do u point the finger at the executives of the league?  No.  You don’t even point at the players of today.  If you are going to point the finger at anyone it would be the players of the past.  The ones who have a hard time walking, headaches everyday.  These are the ones to blame.  How can you blame manufactures of yesterday when the tests couldn’t see what the future was.  Today though, those tests are so intense that it can see tomorrow what is today.  THe players who molded this league could not put enough money to get back in health care of today.  The price from then to now is insanely lopsided.  They have a right to complain.  They deserve health care. With that said, you can’t attack the suits of the NFL.  They are changing the rules so the players of today don’t end up in this situation.  They are taking the heat for the good of a healthy retiree.  So with that said, can you still be angry at the NFL’s decision?  Hard to argue with the nearly crippled.

Hopefully, if I am still around and still have your attention, I will ask this question in 20 years.  The NFL will be played on a soft surface and it will be rough touch.   In thirty years, well lets just say it will be flag football, and still we will be watching.

Get the obvious out of the way, he is the strike-out king.  Yes, he holds the crown.  Howard’s 2007 and 2008 years both seen 199 strike-outs in the regular season.  In fact, the only time that he didn’t have over 150 strike-outs was in 2004 and 2005.  In 2004 he had 13 strike-outs, only played 19 games.  In 2005 he had 100 strike-outs with only 88 games played.  Not the greatest stat to have under your belt when your supposed to be one of the feared batters in the league, sorry I take that back.

Feared batter, c’mon, you honestly can’t believe that.  Can he hit you a home run, get you RBIs, absolutely.  As far as playing small ball, well, no.  Chase Utley and his stats are clearly nothing to shrug at.  Utley, if can stay healthy, will be the best second baseman ever to play the sport, literally.  Pitchers now will pitch around Utley to get to Howard.  I always ask myself why even though I know the answer.  Chase will not swing at a bad pitch, has a great eye and for the love of god makes contact with the ball.  If the count is a 3 -0, he won’t swing.  Ryan finds it completely necessary to swing the bat even when he is ahead.  I wouldn’t normally be mad at that considering his power.  He is blind as a batter.  He still thinks that the pitcher will throw him a fastball.  Howard’s eye cannot see the type of pitch, just a ball being thrown.

Howard’s batting average and home runs have shrunk since his National League Most Valuable Player award in 2006.  Opposing teams move an extreme shift on him also.  Moving the third baseman to play shortstop.  My point to all of this is not really to just trash and bash him.  It’s more of a question of why do we continue to put up with this.  Why does someone like Dominic Brown have to continue to either not play or play in the minors?  What makes Ryan Howard so special?

Special can be defined by saying this, game changer.  Ryan alone can change the angle of the game by doing what he can do, hit home runs.  Putting the fear back in the pitcher can also make Utley and batter number five even more powerful.  Ryan’s RBI’s are something that the Phillies cannot live without.  His fielding, well, honestly there isn’t anything bad to say.  He rarely takes off and plays most of the season.

Enough with that, let’s get to the point.  Chase Utley should be batting fourth and Howard batting third.  Ryan’s  RBI’s can be credited to the top three getting on base.  Chase is more than qualified to have the clean-up position.  Howard has 78 runs batted in as of today, you could honestly tell me Utley couldn’t have the same or more.  It would open the gates to have to pitch to Howard because they would want to get another out so they wouldn’t have to pitch to Utley.  Ryan Howard’s confidence could rise.  Howard is the only player not to have changed in the rotation.  Every other starting player has had a different position in the batting order besides the pitcher, and Ryan Howard.  What is wrong with seeing what Utley could do as clean-up?  When Brian Wilson had to pitch to Utley, Chase fouled pitches until he was walked.  Then, what should be one of the great moment for the Phillies, Howard entered the batters box.  We all know Howard got rung up.  Ryan cannot foul off pitches to get what he wants.  He let’s the umpire control the game.  Utley fouls off close calls, Howard stares at them and swings at dirt.

With all this being said it sounds as if I am a Ryan Howard hater.  That could not be farther from the truth.  I like Ryan.  I know what he is capable of.  This is also why I am also a realist when he steps in.  I am not trying to trade, cut or say that he isn’t worth it.  Pitchers make the most money, followed by home-run hitters.  IF you could move Howard to third and Chase Utley to fourth, pitchers are forced to throw him something he is actually looking for.  While Chase goes up there looking at the pitch as it is thrown, Howard decides that before.  His eye is not as good as Utley’s.  Maybe batting third could help him, motivate him to bring him to the beast of 2006.  Right now the Phillies need small ball players.  Every team needs a home run hitter, that he is or can be, but just I have him placed differently in the order.  I feel bad for him. Ryan is stuck in a position that just isn’t him.  He can still be affective in the third hole as he is in the fourth with RBI’s.  Ryan Howard is the Shaquille O’Neal of baseball.  Dominant player that can’t hit a free throw for his life, but can score like no other.  That’s Howard.  Pitch him a fastball and he is sending it to South Street.  Throw him a slider and he looks like Andy Reid after he realizes he blew all his time-outs.  Ryan Howard is a player that the Phillies need.  Exception is that they need the Ryan Howard of the past.  He is struggling now to be premier.  He is asking for help, no one wants to listen.  Like Shaq who couldn’t hit free throws, Howard can’t hit to the left.  Unlike Shaq, Ryan can be moved around in the batting order.  If Utley can help the team out by just being in the line-up, like we saw earlier in the year, he sure as hell can bat clean-up.

I assuming that you have your own opinion on the Doctor of death.  His record is apparently 130 and 0, with everyone he assisted died.  An undefeated streak to be proud of right.  It’s a confusing thing to comprehend if he really did help people.  Having his famous saying that “Dying is not a Crime”, he has spent a stint in jail for murder in the second degree.

Not one human being should have the power to decide the fate of someone.  It’s already hard enough if a loved one is on life support that you have to make the decision to take them off and play “God.”  If you think about it more, this decision to go to Jack to assist yourself in ending your life, is your own decision.  The decision not to be here on Earth anymore is your own, not loved ones.  Why does that sound so wrong though?  Does it sound wrong because it is death, or because its God?  Who do we have in the right frame of mind.  The person who is suffering, or the person beside the person who is suffering? Is the pain really that bad?  I don’t have an answer to that.  How bad can it be that you want to take your life, I honestly couldn’t even imagine.

Why is it that death is so frowned upon?  We get tattoos that last the rest of lives, we get married and if really ill, we might lose limbs.  These are things that last the rest of our lives.  Decisions that change your lifestyle.  That is it though.  Rest of our lives.  We might regret the Mike Tyson Tattoo on our face, but we are still alive to be embarrassed by it.  Oh, am I gonna get sued now?  Dammit.  So why is it that we cannot make a decision on our own lives and whether to keep them or not.

Let’s get the extremes out of the way.  Over a million people die each year due to suicide.  To their own choosing, not by the help of a doctor.  Patients who were terminally ill were considered by Kevorkian. Well, that’s what he told us.  According to some reports, as much as sixty percent of them weren’t.  I am not considering that we should have assisted suicide, more or less of a challenge to you the reader.  Think about it, it is one decision you do not have a choice over, or can you.  Jack Kevorkian’s clients were essentially making their own decision.  Why is this so wrong?   Reason being, God has our fate somehow.  We don’t know it, but he does.  When you go into a coma, possibly never to wake up, your loved ones make a decision.  Whether to pay more and more money and ride it out, or let you die.  You aren’t coherent to make your own decision.  So why is Jack a bad man?

Like I said earlier, not one human here should have the power to do that.  This world holds strong faith in God.  While the pain is unbearable, you still are alive.  While you may be to weak to fight, or in to much pain to take the terminally ill disease you have, you can always still pray.   No one has to go to Jack, well they can’t anymore anyway.  Seems like everyone is getting away from the religious aspect of dying.  It is a part of life.  Through all the life support and medication to live, loved ones pray selfishly for that person to live instead of them praying for a peaceful death.  It’s hard, never easy, but it is part of our job here as God’s children.  We need to understand that it is a part of life, not a decision for us to make.  No matter how ill you are, pain your in, it’s not the decision of anyone, not even the ill to decide life or death.  We can get tattoos on our body, do outlandish things, but at the end of the day, we are here because of God.  Essentially, we all wait for our calling, we just don’t know when it is.  We are here to have fun and enjoy ourselves.  Sadly, a part of life is pain, and we have to live with it.

I really do believe that Jack thought he was doing the right thing.  His best interest was for the patient.  I believe that.  He was helping them.  They didn’t want to have to deal with the pain any longer.  They went to a doctor like everyone else would to become healed.  Jack did exactly what they wanted him to do, assist them in ending the pain and suffering.  This isn’t healed though.  This is a decision of no return, but on the other hand so is being terminally ill.  The decision isn’t yours to make.  It’s Gods.  Jack’s job was to get rid of the pain, not terminate the whole thing.

While I do agree that he was doing the right thing as a Doctor and for the ill, he was putting himself in a position he has no business being in.  The respect of a Doctor yes, but as a Power, um no.  Jack isn’t the only one wrong here.  While I sit here and say how Jack assisted in these deaths, it also isn’t you the ill’s decision either.  You do not have the right to choose if you want life or death either.  This is a very difficult conversation to have a right answer to.  You see a Doctor and they will help you.

The death penalty is a hard discussion to have also.  Should someone be put to death for their crimes?  Honestly, no, people should not die because of their crimes because we aren’t God.  The thing is though that we have to have a level that makes people not commit crimes.  It sounds sad, but the penalty needs to be scary.  Do the crime, do the time.

This though, is extreme.  It is a part of life that a doctor has no jurisdiction in.  His expertise is to do the opposite of death.  Make it peaceful while God makes his decision.  So going on what Jack Kevorkian said how about dying isn’t a crime.  Jack is right, it isn’t, because it would be kinda hard to put the guy in prison who does it.  You sir, were just an impostor.

Amir Khan, hailing from over the pond in England, would bring his country of fans in support.  While the fight we were expecting in Tim Bradley would have done the same here in the states.  Problem with this is that the people in the States see the fight with Zab as a joke.  Zab, 33, is nine years ahead of Amir, a rising star.  Zab’s best days are behind him.  Don’t get me wrong, Judah is a very good fighter for the first three rounds and starts to fall apart after that.  I think we can remember how frustrated he was getting when he had to punch Floyd in the crotch.  Zab Judah is a great Friday Night Fight main event, and is  even a great what I call “named opponent” on HBO Boxing after Dark.  To be a headline with Amir Khan is more for Khan to push his stats higher.  It’s also a nice present from Amir so Zab can have a paycheck, decent one at that.

In boxing, for the most part, fighters don’t start getting known or even on decent air time until around 23 to 26 fights in.  Most of the time you are also undefeated at this point.  Then you get an undercard fight to a fighter that is to be your next feat.  The rest is up to you after that, win and your the man.   Lose and you might have problems getting the opportunity again.  Belts mean nothing in this sport, which is sad.  A belt in boxing is a Main Event Pay Per View.  Paulie Malignaggi, who Khan fought, was right.  ”Boxing is full of shit”  The reason why Paulie even got a shot at Khan was because of his outburst he had after a fight  stating that comment.  He is right though.  Where is Paulie now?  Oh Well.

With all that being said, why is Khan ducking.  He is in a point in his career where he needs to take the best fight available.  Judah is a sparring match.  Khan does have the speed, punching power and chin.  Sorry, he doesn’t have the chin.  The fight with Tim Bradley was set up.  Let’s face it, Khan is still learning.  As his name becomes bigger and bigger, he has to take the fight.  The Twitter fight between him and Judah should have been ignored knowing that Zab isn’t on his level.

Do I need to set this fight up myself?  25 and 1 Khan (17 KOs) would face 27 and 0 Bradley ( 11 KOs).  Both fight Orthodox.  Khan has four inches on Tim and three years younger.  Bradley not afraid to attack for most of the fight.  Willing to be a toe to toe fight considering Khan does the same.  Bradley has had some challenges in recent fight with Devon Alexander and Lamont Peterson.  Khan’s last challenge was in a great fight with Miadana in December.  Khan knows his limits, otherwise he would make a permanent residence out of the states where boxing is prime and challenging, right Lennox.

If Khan wants to be someone in the boxing world he needs to take on the challenge.  He has every opportunity in the world.  He can help boxing get off the canvas and back on its feet with his skill.  Question is does he have the skill that we see.  Is he Kramer from Seinfeld when he took karate lessons and was beating up children.  All in the same class, but not skill.  Khan needs to get out of his class and join the big boys.   I’m tired of hearing how great he his and what he does.  Lets see it.  I am not taking away his skill, but let’s see someone challenge him.  He would bring international attention.  While the articles and the country over the pond continue to hype up the silver medalist, he needs to earn his nickname.  To be called the King, you have to have the  crown.  In the boxing world that crown  would be a useless piece of gold on a belt.  Sadly, there is like seven of them, and Khan has two.  Small town to be a King…Khan.

B-Hop grew up in crime for the beginning half of his life.  Having no morals, and really no boundaries,  he was sentenced to prison for multiple felonies.  This is where, if you ask, that everyone is innocent.  The Prisoners in the Graterford Prison were not supposed to be in there.  Bernard took a more mature approach.   Admitting to his faults, he turned to boxing to learn more on life.

When you watch Hopkins in the ring, it is not what you pay sixty dollars for.  He is relatively boring to watch.  He is a boxer, not a fighter.  He knows the ins and outs of the ring.  Referees have a hard time controlling what he does because they simply don’t see it.  Example, when he punches the opponents elbow while in the grapple.  By the time round six comes along, you end up feeling it.  Is it really against the rules, no, but it might be frowned upon.  And don’t let there be a referee in there that hasn’t done a Hop fight.  Bernard will have a field day.  I know that this sounds like cheating but it isn’t.  It’s annoyances.

Whether you’ve been a fan since day one or a hater, this question still comes up.  The question only has three words, Hall Of Fame?  Most of the credentials are there.  In boxing, you really aren’t known until your 25th fight.  By this point, you should be undefeated.  In Hopkins 23rd fight, he took on rising great Roy Jones Jr.  Bernard took this fight because clearly there was nothing better for him and for Roy a stepping stone.  It didn’t turn out that way.  While losing the match, Bernard showed that his career was in the making.   The question remains who ducked who.  Clearly it was a money issue on who would take more.  Sadly this is where boxing has its problems.

Belts in boxing really have absolutely no meaning.  Mayweather put one down, and for the most part it signifies who comes into the ring last.  If Mayweather was to face the champ, let’s say me haha, I would get to come in the ring last, while Floyd gets lets say 99 percent of the revenue.  Bernard had the belts, Roy was the money.

His unification and dominance of the middleweight division needs to be recognized.  Bernard’s jabfest on Tito Trinidad won him Fighter of the Year.  He also knocked out De La Hoya, who never has had the opportunity to feel that before.  He has put a clinic on Pavlik, went 20 title defenses without a loss.  To me, he won the first Jermaine Taylor fight.  The second one he lost because he wasn’t the champ.

The conversation always comes up the he really hasn’t had a career of fighting named fighters.   You cannot put the blame on him for this.  He took on whoever was in front of him at the time in his division.  He might be boring, he also might get clearly annoying to listen to.  He can aggravate you as a fighter, but I do not think that you can take away his credibility.  Hopkins beat up on a much younger Jean Pascal.  At age 46, his body is in better shape then some of the boxers out there today.  He ring knowledge alone is incredible.  Known as the one of if not thee best counter punchers in the sport.  Bernard might not make a Pay Per View fight worth watching, but when you watch it on HBO the next week you do question why no one can beat him.

Which comes to my conclusion.  He has had a Hall of Fame career.  He has fought who he has had to fight.  His record of 52-5-2 is magnificent.  His clinic of Kelly Pavlik is a boxing instructional video.  So when does this all end.  When do we stop hearing about McNabb’s apparent “tan”  I guess it might come down to if you got it, flaunt it.  It’s just that we don’t want to see Bernard get forced into a decision with getting his head knocked off.   Sadly because this is what we will remember of him.  Let’s just hope that he makes up that promise to his mother.

I am sure why you are asking yourself why I put love in quotations.  We do love him.  He is a great top tier pitcher for our fightin’ Phils.  I didn’t put love in quotations for that reason though.  I put it in there because it is a love that is as dear as our…umm..like to our wives.  Yes, it is a little faggish, yeah I’ll make that a word for now, in us.

I know I have a lot of explaining to do.  I am sure that if u would decide to be honest with yourself, you know exactly where I am coming from.  On December 15th, the Phillies decided to bring in Doctor Harry in.  Roy Halladay has all the credentials, exciting pitches and damn near no-hitters every time he steps on the mound.

Ruben Amaro wanted to get the doctor from day 1.  Sadly though, we had to settle for Cliff Lee for half a season.  While settling for Cliff, was the time that we all met the person besides the pitcher.  If you were like me, you really didn’t read up on his personal life.  In fact, I would be one to guess that the only thing you really knew of him was that every 5 games or so you would be seeing him again.

The Philadelphia attitude is thick skin, say what is on your mind and oh that didn’t hurt type.  The kind that pokes fun while your down.  The glamorized under dog.  Cliff Lee, none of these.  So why, just why, do we love him so much.

Well,  besides the greatness that is his pitching, its the care free attitude.  The attitude that’s ehh, next time.  The man takes pride in his work.  Maybe, even cry.  We don’t always like that attitude, but this works in this occasion.  We all remember the catch in the Series, the running from the dugout to the mound and get this, he actually tries to hit.  What hit home was when we dished him off.  Philadelphia sent him to Seattle that shocked everyone.  I didn’t approve of this at all.  I lov….like Cliff Lee.  While on a radio station, he told all of Seattle that he expected to retire a Phillie.  Can you imagine someone actually saying that.  Then Seattle traded him to Texas when the Yankees fell threw.  Cliff made it to the Series again to face the Giants.  I was personally pulling for Texas to win because the Giants beat the Phillies.  Also, that guy from 300 scares me.  But, that lil faggish in me was cheering for Lee.

As much as we wanted to see our beloved Phillies out there, we were cheering clearly for Cliff Lee to win.  Actually being upset that he didn’t get his here, I was willing to give up a year so he could win somewhere else.  When you would rather see you love one happy somewhere else is true love.  Charlie Manuel has been quoted for saying many things about Cliff.  From being at the market to get groceries  to the movies.  The questions would go from are we winning the World Series right to is Cliff Lee coming back.  As an early Christmas present, he did.

Getting Roy Halladay was obviously a stellar grab.  Getting Cliff Lee to back him up was obviously stellar. As much as we want Cliff Lee the pitcher, we wanted Cliff Lee the person.  The person we really know nothing about.  He is never in the limelight, never says a bad word, and turned down a Yankees contract to play here.  His ovation that he had to pause and listen to was deafening.  We applauded when he hit a foul ball, booed when he was pitched a strike and a standing ovation to being thrown out at first.  For some reason, if he pitches a bad game, I forgive him.  When Hamels does it, I am frustrated.  Maybe it is cocky attitude that I usually adore or just his snotty face.  Why do I rush home to watch Cliff pitch and not rush to Roy.  I know clearly that Halladay is the better pitcher.  I am not gay, I am married to a woman and I love Cliff Lee.  You guys have to be honest and know that you actually love him to, and not just for his pitches.  I might not have the correct word, but you do know what I mean.  It is that funny feeling in your stomach.  It’s not about what he looks like, that’s not what I look for in a, well let’s stop there.  Oh, he is a really good pitcher too.

Barry has continued to say that he has never “knowingly” taken steroids.  Bonds has also said that the only person that has injected him with anything has been his regular doctor.  So now, since he has told this to a Grand Jury, he has the chance to spend time behind bars for lying.  It’s not that this is the only time someone has taken roids in the MLB.  Many a player has admitted and moved on.  Roger Clemons is next after Bonds.  Alex Rodriguez gave the best answer of the them all.  Personally, I actually believed it for a while.  A-Rod said that he had to take HGH to live up to his own hype.  He was making a lot of money and didn’t want to for the most part disappoint.  What a great answer, and believable too.  Problem with Bonds is that he never stopped.   He went out and broke records, a very coveted  one at that.

Barry tried to slip into the darkness after breaking Hank Aarons’ career home run record.  The thing is now that the feds want the truth, mistresses want to make a buck and the world wants to say I told you so.  Kim Bell, a mistress of Bonds, has gone into great detail.  From maybe why he has no hair on his head to the actually size of his testicles when she met him until today.  Apparently being noticeably smaller.   Bell also said that Barry’s performance was nil too.  What does all this mean?

Well…if Barry had one mistress, he probably had two.  With two comes three and so on.  So maybe his performance was a result to that.    Does it even matter?  Honestly, do you really care?  The only reason why you would care is because it is gossip.  Which it is.  Either way, by the end of all this, Barry’s name and gentleman sausage, has been run threw the mud never to return.  People will always remember this.  Whether giving him credit for the Home Run King or not.  Sadly, Barry Bonds was a good hitter.  He actually had an eye and could hit.  Did he need the steroids to perform better?  No, but he did need them for the recovery.

All this makes me think of what if I.  What if I was in a situation like this where I didn’t want to go on the stand to go against my friend?  What is on the other side?  I’ve been one to say that Michael Vick should have paid someone to take the fall for him and at the end of it all he would be compensated.  Please, don’t be stupid and believe that this doesn’t happen.  I would hope that my friends would understand that I might fight for them at all times and defend them when they are wrong. I would  hope they are mature enough to live up to the decisions that they have made and not put me in a position like that.

Friends are there for support and guidance.  When you need them, like I need them for this website, they should be there to help you become a better person.  They are there with you thick and thin.  No matter what, through all the disagreements, in the end they are there.  Greg Anderson is now in jail because he refuses to take the stand and say what is going on.  This obviously puts a huge mark on the whole case anyway.  If you are innocent, then just tell the truth.

Truth is, Barry knowingly did HGH.  For some reason he wants to be known as a good guy now.  He has never had a good reputation with the fans.  He has been known to walk away from autographs and not to high five a young Bonds’ lover.  Greg Anderson is afraid to tell the truth.  You do have to understand though that maybe at the end of all this Bonds has a payday for him not talking.  Anderson’s code of silence is backed by greed, shocker right.

Barry Bonds will always have a star next to his name saying that he took steroids.  This trial really means nothing.  All this trial is going to do is waste tax money (6 million so far) and make one side of the argument “officially” right.  I think we all remember O.J.  We still have the same views no matter what Judge Ito ruled.  If this were me, sadly I think I would sit in jail also.  Then, after my morning grits get stolen from me, I would consider the opposite.  You can listen to everyone and they would say “Oh you would rat”.  No one thinks to say  ”Oh you would let me sit in jail while you enjoy life”.  Maturity needs to be considered here.

What am I trying to say?  You have friends to lean on when things are bad.  You have friends to have a great time.  Share interests, stories and just times.  You have friends to support you when you do something, whether it is wrong or right.  When the time comes for you to have your own fate, well friends to support you, but you have to live up to your own consequences.  In this case, Greg Anderson would have been s great dear friend to Michael Vick’s.  Let’s hope for Greg’s sake that Barry is good friend.

Floyd Mayweather is an undefeated superstar in boxing.  He moved up the ranks from a super featherweight class to what he is most known for in welterweight.  He has tried touching the super welterweight, but never really weighed 154.  Floyd has the speed, the ring knowledge and just enough power to defeat just about anyone.  I have said for a very long time that the only person that could defeat Pretty Boy Floyd was Shane Mosley.  If you watched the fight and not just at the  paperwork, Floyd was seconds away from being handed his first loss.  Sugar Shane for some reason decided that he work enough and never did anything after the second round.

Floyd’s comment was just a normal thing that comes out of his mouth.  He has known legal troubles and restraining orders.  He has had his jewelry stolen from his own house, yes that’s right, and has lost money to the IRS.  I wouldn’t say Floyd is hard on money.  Does he need another payday, probably not.  A 100 million to fight Manny Pacquiao is a little to much.  He has every possibility to make that if the people pay.  It needs to be a 50/50 split though.  That make it a 200 million dollar fight.  Which, even with these names is a stretch.

Manny Pacquiao is still fighting which makes him look like the better fighter.  He isn’t fighting the freshest of talent either.  He deserves a ton of credit for moving up so many weight classes only to dominate.   His trainer, Freddy Roach, being one of the best.  Roach is clearing respected by Manny too.

This fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather would still be a block buster.  That’s not a question.  At what point do we decide that enough is enough.  With all the blood testing and dodging and the prep fights…when is it time.  Floyd has actually dodged this one.  He is for some reason scared he is not going to win this fight.  Otherwise, he would have jumped all over it.  He has laid a belt down to take another fight just for the pay day.  So why be held back on a fight that should generate more, and I mean way more than the De La Hoya fight.

Mayweather is ducking this fight to not taint his zero in the losses column.  What this whole soap opera between these two has done is put an asterisk next to his name.  The same asterisk that stands beside steroids.  The same one next to Bonds, A-Rod and Palmero.  The conversations will always end with, well he never took that fight with Manny Pacquiao.  That’s what makes the Floyd Mayweather biography sad.  He was great.  Literally, like one of the best of all-time.  I am not going to take away the one of the best because he clearly is.  What I am saying is that I cannot take away the one and leave just the best.  All because of this debacle.

Floyd is not going to get a 100 million to fight Manny.  Not going to happen.  When he made this comment it was a cheap way out.  It was a way of saying to the people who wanted this fight that it wasn’t going to happen.  Basically , I’ll fight for a hundred million was a form of rewording.   What he really said was, Sorry everyone, I’m not ever going to take this fight unless I have to…and I don’t think I will ever have to.

We will welcome back with open arms our second ace in Cliff Lee.  Ruben Amaro wanted to have Roy Halladay so bad that we let go of good ole Cliff.  Well, we decided to get both.  Which should easily make a one two punch look very effective.  Adding Oswalt and Hamels to the list and it seems like we are going to have very low scoring games.  Out of the four names I listed, all four are Aces on others teams.  Philadelphia has them all.

Our batting lineup hasn’t really changed.  Jayson Werth left for a huge contract that I think he was over paid for. Being a player that had one good year, right?  Yes, he can hit and yes, he has a cannon, but over 100 million.  No, I’ll stay cheap and play…well I’m not sure of that yet.  Dominic Brown is this phenom of up and coming players.  This would be the best opportunity for him to advance his skills in the MLB and to its talent pool.   A smaller amount of pressure considering he is immature.  The pitching line-up favors him because he doesn’t have to produce night in and night out.  He actually has a chance to learn and make mistakes while not being detrimental to the team.  Sadly though, it looks like Utley might be doing what he is already doing in the field now, sitting.  We all know that Utley plays hush hush on himself.  Just seems like this one is standing out.  Let it be told, management is scared too.  The Phillies VIP’s are willing to do holistic healing before he is told to go under the knife.  They have every reason to be concerned, considering that they just gave 25 million dollars a year to a man that needs Utley in front of him in the batting order.

The man from the 300 movie, Brian Wilson pitched around Chase Utley last year in game 6 of the NLCS.  Chase did foul off many pitches, but that’s exactly what it was.  Chase was not going to let a borderline call make that season come to an end.  If it looked close, chip it away and get another one.  Pitchers actually wanted to pitch to Howard instead of Utley.  Ryan Howard has one thing and thats power.  If you want to be honest, he isn’t the greatest of hitters.  His eye for the strike zone has been proven to be off.  He is a strike-out king but a home-run hitter.

This is why I say that if you look past our bullpen.  Look past certain injuries and look past who might be playing right field.  If Ryan Howard can hit on a consistent level and to the left, this is team is completely unstoppable.  They would then have to pitch to Chase.  The field would actually look like a normal field instead of a ridiculous shift on.  Rollins or Utley could think of actually stealing second putting them in scoring position.  Something that you can’t do when the shift is on.  Dominic Brown now sees a better percentage of pitches with men on base.  The benefits are clear when you have a pitching line-up like Philadelphia does. The way I see it is that they aren’t going to give him a pitch to hit.  I would like to know what his on base percentage would be if Ryan went up there and never swung once.  I can hear the little man on my shoulder saying that he didn’t swing at Brian Wilson’s pitch and it was a strike.  Right, but you also have to remember that even though 300 wasn’t going to pitch him a strike, he sure wasn’t walking him either.  That pitch that he took was a strike, but Ryan should have cleared the plate of it.  Sadly, no one is going to forget how the umpire rung him up either.  I think he actually threw his back out.

I’m not going to jump the conclusion that Chase is out for the season.  What I am saying is that he is crucial part of the line-up as well as the field.  Willing to take his errors and mistakes for what he does bring.  The problem with Utley is that he doesn’t know when enough is enough.  We all want a hard worker.  Philadelphia wants to see their players giving everything they have and leave it all right there on the field.  Chase does exactly that.  He is a Philadelphian from Cali.  Don’t be surprised if the bronze is put outside of CBP with the rest of the greats.  Utley just goes overboard with the work ethic when his body is willing to part with it.  You do have to know your body and when to slow down to conserve to a very long season.  I have always said that Chase is going to the best second baseball ever.  I’m going to have a hard time proving this when he doesn’t play.

I’m excited about the upcoming season.  I had a hard time watching Philadelphia baseball since the 1993 season.  I don’t exactly have an answer why, but I haven’t enjoyed it.  Now, I do.  Maybe it’s the star players, or the possibility of a championship.  No it isn’t that.  I’ll tell you what it is.  In 1993, that team was about hard work.  It was about laughing with each other the morning after in Video Dan’s room.  It was about fun, but it was also about getting dirty to win.  This team is committed to winning.  It shows.  Ruben Amaro is pulling no punches.  Philadelphia baseball is touching close to the corporate America that is the Yankees but so what.  Philadelphia can never be that.  This town no matter what is blue collar.  We are still living the Santa Clause debacle.  This is a team, like in 1993, that wants to win it for themselves, but more for their blue collar fans.

The performances thankfully made up for the night of disappointments of certain winners.  To see Cee lo Green go back in time and replicate Elton John was unFORGETable.  Hearing a new, I said it, new Dr. Dre song is always going to be something to wait for.  Usher is always entertaining to watch, but to see him and his replacement was spectacular.  Mick Jagger apparently had some facial work done, ran around on stage just saying one word for 4 minutes.  Bob Dylan had an easy night because you couldn’t understand him, including trying to understand if he could still play the harmonica.  Lady Gaga performed her new song “Born This Way” which had her, we’ll say being born again.  The beat to the song might have everyone in uproar considering it is Madonna’s “Express Yourself” all over again. The song is great.  There are people from both sides with this.  You have one where fans say it is great, and others who say it is a disappointment.  I’m missing all the complaints apparently.  Kid Rock took “Werewolves of London” and mixed it with “Sweet Home Alabama” and now you have Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long.”  Even to what some consider as the greatest song ever was a stolen rif.  ”Stairway to Heaven’s”,by Led Zeppelin,  opening cords were taken from a band called Spirit.  Don’t believe me, look up the song called “Taurus” by them.  Rap always takes “samples” of songs and mixes them with a beat.  Eminem did it with “Dream On” by Aerosmith and Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You” was the Police’s “Every Breathe You Take.”  Lady Gaga took a song and changed it to hers.  Let’s settle down and get angry when she doesn’t admit it sounds like it.  Remember Robert Van Winkle repeating over and over, no mine goes dum dum dum da da  dum dum.  When Gaga can’t admit that, then we attack her.

Lady Antelbellum took Record of the Year with “Need You Now” in which I’ve had enough of.  The song was not as good as it’s competition.  ”Love the Way You Lie”, “Fuck You”, and “Empire State of Mind” were clearly better songs, unless you fans of Lady.  It was the only song they sang for the past year because they did not make the cut-off for the Grammy’s last year.  Their stage show is to just stand there.  Thankfully, it’s over and they should move on to another song, sadly they won and they might think they have to keep on singing it.  Believe me, we need no more.

Most of us watch to see the performances.  Miranda Lambert got the short end because she had to perform after Lady Gaga.  If I was Miranda’s PR guy I would have made sure that didn’t happen.  Lady Antebellum just stood there and beat another horse dead.  Poor Christina.  Gaining a little weight for herself, and having to be the “Special”  out of the bunch with her red gem stone microphone stand, almost took another embarrassment.  A week after the botched National Anthem, Christina at the end of her performance almost stage dove off into the crowd.  It’s time to go home and get yourself together, because another set of millions watched you.  Besides that, the only disappointment lies within who wins these honorable awards.  You mean to tell me Justing Bieber didn’t win New Artist of the Year?  The artists make art.  Literally, these artists spend a lot of time pouring out everything they have to express what it is they have to express.  This is their time to shine within a group of their own peers.  Not the public eye, not album sales, no money.  Just strictly who made the best artistic music.  Hip-Hop has only been an award since 1995 when Naughty By Nature won.  The panel of judges do not want to put a hard-core album like Eminem’s or Lil Wayne’s as the winner.  They did chose OutKast “Speakerboxxx” as album of the year but had no choice considering it’s competition was Missy Eliot, Evanescence, Justin Timberlake and The White Stripes.  The Grammy panel didn’t have a choice with that one.  The true test will come next year.  Kanye West’s album “My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy” is almost a shoe in.  You can hate him for obvious reasons, but his music is simply great, no no, artistic.  This is what every person on the Grammy Panel is looking for in an album, except one thing, it is a Rap Album.

Doug Collins was brought in the save what Eddie Jordan had destroyed.  The first quarter of the games were not to promising.  Collins introduced his way of coaching and now it is finally catching on, in fact interesting to watch the Sixers play.  Problem is they lack the last twelve minutes of the game.  When trailing at the end of the third, the Sixers are 4 and 20.  The Sixers do have a come back from behind spirit, but they find a way to fall just short.  They have came close to beating Boston and Orlando as well as Miami.  Beating San Antonio is by all means a confidence builder for this young team.  Collins implemented a style, and now the benefits are showing.

The Sixers have to find a way to close games.  Some of these loses are just to close to lose.  Boston, Miami and Orlando are the top three teams in the East, besides that it can be an all out brawl for fourth.  Chicago is most likely the fourth seed, but if your seeding, you want to be the fourth or fifth seed.  Sixers have every chance to be one of these teams.

To compete for the finals, Sixers have to make some kind of move.  The ideal move would be to pass on Iguodala.  He has been an O.G. of the Sixers  since being drafted 9th overall in 2004, he hasn’t lived up to the expectation of being a superstar.  He has the wow factor when he dunks, but as being the leader of the team he falls shy.  With the young talent that is here, Iggy is really the only trade bait that would be worth it.  Iguodala’s six year 80 million dollar contract was signed back in 2008, leaving four years left on it.  Parting ways with that money would open up to what they really need, height.  With roughly 12 million dollars to play with, it could bring some significant talent to Philadelphia.

Aside from all that, it now becomes what to do to make it to the playoffs.  The the Lebron’s, Garnett’s and Howard’s aren’t anywhere near Philly.  Think of why we got Mutumbo back in 2001.  We acquired Mutumbo to guard, well try, to guard Shaquille O’Neal.  Which keep in mind, did a fairly decent job.  Garnett and Howard would have field days if given seven games to win.  Possibly the one reason why I would miss Iggy, his stellar talent on the defensive side.  The Sixers are a nuance team, meaning they might not have the high profile talent, but a huge pain to get off your back.  The 76ers are capable of beating any of the big three, not in a seven game series though.  The 76ers have a problem finishing games while trailing, and lack that experience on how to come from behind, especially if the season gets extended.  The Sixers aren’t far away from being a potential threat  year after year.  The talent pool has not been here since the Iverson years, but with a key addition it could extend the season.

They need to start shopping Iggy, move on and get everything they can for him.  He has a lot of talent, it is not working out here.  What Andre is, is a great secondary player behind a talented guard.  Iguodala would look like a great player, like playing in L.A. with Kobe.  Which could bring Bynum here, sounds good right.  I’m not passing on Iguodala as being a star, I’m passing on what he can do here.  It was nice, but it’s not working out.  I think he has been given enough time to run this team, and he has not.  All the more reason to be placed on a team with a star, cause he has a hard time producing just that.  I applaud Andre, he did his best.  It didn’t work out, no one side’s fault.  Sixers gave it a chance, and now it’s time to try to pass that contract on to some other team and bring us a talented big man.  Thank you Andre for a job…..done.

We all have to admit that we do delay our bathroom breaks to take a look at the commercials during the Big Game.  Major companies spend lucrative amounts of money in production to spend 2.6 million for a 30 second spot.  Price seems to be right considering that an estimated 111 million people watch Aaron Rodgers and his Pack defeat the Steelers.  The thing is  that usually the commercials are memorable and make them water cooler conversations.  The most conversation happening wasn’t about the commercials as much as it was about how bad the theatrics were.  I know that we are supposed to be talking about the game  that was played but the Super Bowl thrives itself on being a show.  I expected a little more from Budwiser, one of the most memorable companies sponsoring, than just singing Elton John’s Tiny Dancer.  Go Daddy, who became popular for using Candice Michelle’s boobs to sell its product of a web host has not changed since.  Go Daddy became more well known before hitting 45 million domain name from the Super Bowl after hiring Indy Car driver Danica Patrick as a sponsor.  The creativity of these ads are falling apart.  Almost, seeming like a waste of money considering everyone is talking about your commercial in the way you didn’t want them to, or maybe that is the marketing scheme.  Besides that, maybe the Darth Vader kid, Eminem cartoon and Doritos were the stand out, the other will just be commercials that I take my bathroom break.  This is the time for these companies to shine considering the money they are spending on a spot that a third of of the country is watching.  They are not one of the two teams in this game.  This is their Main Event, and they got knocked out, barely throwing a punch.

Starting off was a disaster.  The week of snow is Texas caused havoc for the festivities.  Flights were delayed if not all available.  Four hundred seats weren’t even available even though sold to customers that wanted to see their team play, instead had to watch it from a bar inside Cowboys stadium.  Seriously, can you imagine buying a ticket to the game to watch the Super Bowl and being told you seat isn’t even built.  That’s crazy.  Literally, the ticket to the seat wasn’t even there.  The National Football League has issued them triple face value of the ticket and NFL honored guests for next years Super Bowl.  I guess they hope the Packers and the Steelers will be in the Big Game once again huh.

Before the game started, poor Christina Aguilera botched the National Anthem.  It’s not like this hasn’t been done before.  There have been many attempts where the singer goes off into another direction.  Thankfully, and quite professional, Christina never once missed a beat.  She missed the lyrics obviously, which were noticeable, but never sang one note out of tune.  That, she does have to get praised for.  The excuse of she got lost in the moment, well c’mon Christina…your a professional and this is the grand stage.  The bar is set high, it is an honor to sing those lines in an american game.  Chalk it up as failure, admit you screwed up, and we will all move on.

Now…how can I say this.  Fergie attempting to sing, wow.  The auto-tune that she apparently uses was not working.  Was that a punishment towards Axel Rose.  Slash came out on stage, usually get-up, playing Sweet Child of Mine as Fergie broke every car window in the stadium parking lot.  Meanwhile the choreography was off so bad that the cameras couldn’t even pan back to give a shot of the field.  The letter “V” in love wasn’t working and when they tried to make circles around the stage, the left side was way off.  The Black Eyed Peas really didn’t do any of the entertaining you would have thought.  In fact, the highlight was that Usher fell down from sky as what I think was God saving us  from watching this disaster.

As for the game in itself, awesome.   Aaron Rodgers showed what he was worth.  He showed that he was worth saying no to the return of Favre back in Green Bay.  His cool demeanor gave me the notion that he is truly one of the best quarterbacks in the league.  Let’s be honest, he has a huge mountain to climb to be better  than Farve.  I don’t think that the owners of Lambeau field were asking for exactly that in return.  What they did get though, is a chance every year.  As Farve will never return there as a player unless he wants to retire as one, Rodgers sure made the transition easy between the two.

I understand that this was about football.  The game is most of the show.  We do have to break down and understand  that there is a Super Bowl within a Super Bowl.  The NFL likes to have  the best.  This year, they didn’t.  They had a fly-over that could only be heard from the fans inside.  Isn’t it the point to hear and see it.  Christina screwing up, average commercials and Jerry Jones preparation lead to the demise of the show within the show.  Whether we admit it or not, we watch the extra festivities that the NFL graciously give us for watching the season prior to the Big Game.  Maybe I’m being to harsh, maybe the show has been great for some many years that this ranks below them.  I doubt that though considering the circumstances.  It’s done and over with thankfully, no more Fergie.  Like they say to the other 31 teams in the NFL, there is always next year.  Hey Jerry, you’ve just completed the Super Bowl and ruined it for 400 people…what are you going to do next.?

First and foremost, lets get the fact out that the shoes that Jim Johnson left for the Eagles are entirely too huge to fill.  Jim is a skilled technician on how to coordinate a defense.  Johnson’s tenure in Philadelphia was outstanding.  Ranking second in the league in red zone touchdown percentage, 43 percent, in the years that Johnson was coordinator, 2000 to 2007.  When Johnson got ill with melanoma, a fairly less common of the skin cancers, they announced that Sean McDermott would replace Johnson as interim coordinator before announcing him officially after Johnson stepped down in 2009.  Sean McDermott, who I will call Johnson’s protege, studied closely under greatness.  McDermott’s defense was far from what Jim had here, but he was only given two years to accomplish such a feat.  I see the talent that McDermott has.  I’m not the only one considering that Carolina hired him two days after he was fired from Philadelphia.  Getting obviously the same job he had.

Hiring Jaun Castillo isn’t the problem like I said earlier.  The problem is that this is top notch football organization, and the hiring process was far from extensive.  Philadelphia did bring in Jim Mora Jr. to interview for the job.  Sources from the Eagles have said that if Jim wanted the job it was his, clearly saying that Mora did not want the job.  I, for one, do not believe this.  I feel that Jim wasn’t offered the job because of reasons to save a dollar.  Some one of Jim Mora Jr. stature is well deserving of the money for the education he should bring.  Castillo last defensive coordinator job was back in 1989, in which he coached Texas A&I Kingsville.  Mora’s last Defensive coordinator job was in 2003, where he was with San Francisco. The Eagles have always been known to squeeze blood out of a penny.  At this stage, Reid and Co is saying that McDermott wasn’t doing good enough job, so let’s move on.  Essentially saying that Castillo is better then McDermott and Mora, kinda hard to believe, right.  Thing is that they should be moving on to bigger and better, not lower, or for the respectful reasons since we haven’t seen his ability to coach the D, stationary.

Obviously this is my opinion, which with this and $1.15 gets me a 12 oz cup of coffee at Wawa.  By the way, it costs a $1.15 for a cup of coffee at Wawa.  I just want to get the point across that the Eagles need to upgrade to the times.  A reason that Andy Reid should not be head coach and general manager.  This would be a point where the general manager steps in and seconds this decision.  He is both calls.  If we do go back to the cover of the Philadelphia Daily News, we all feel exactly what it was saying, What the F&%@.  But, you can input Who, What, Where and Why.  All, BTW, pertain to the dunce.  Who does Andy Reid think he is, What the hell is he thinking, Where is this season going to go and Why is he still the head coach.  I assume that we all question what is going on in the offices of Lincoln Financial.  For how good this football team actually is, they never want to move on to better.  They move baby steps.  They never take the best, they take the risk.  There is nothing wrong with hiring from within, but they are chancing this one.  Castillo not only has big shoes to fill, he is now fighting for a job.  Think about it, this decision was made so Andy has the ability to keep his.  With a successful season from Jaun, makes Reid look like a genius, failure only gets Jaun fired.   A stand out defensive showing would have Philadelphia advancing past Green Bay in hopes of a Lombardi trophy parading down Broad Street.  With McDermott being so bad, if thats how you really want to see it, Castillo was the one waiting in the wings.  Wouldn’t I still be better with McDermott calling the defense as appose to firing him?

Andy has always been criticized for his ability to coach and general manage.  He is afraid that next year might be his last, even though that Joe Banner and Jeffery Lurie adore him.  Lurie might even have a script ready for Andy.  Hiring Mora might have been the better decision for the Eagles.  If failure happens again, this time you actually blame Reid, and then move Mora to head coach.  Don’t forget that Mora has coached Michael Vick, which if produces like he did in ’10, should see a considerably nice contract after the franchise tag.  I understand that Mora’s head coaching jobs were far from Andy’s, but what does the organization have waiting.  That’s the scary thought.  I might even be the guy writing this article.  This decision was made to put the blame on someone else, Castillo.  Andy Reid wants to point the finger at someone else at the end of the upcoming season.  I hope that I am as wrong as we all were back in 1999 asking for Ricky Williams.  I want to see Jaun succeed.  I want his defense to be one of the best in the league.  But as I analyze this over and over again, its too hard to believe.  Jaun wasn’t even the Offensive Coordinator.  He might know how to defend against the defensive line, but now he must go against everything he has ever preached.

This is a one and done year for Castillo.  Castillo is going to struggle and Andy is going to have the same face that was on the cover of the Daily News.  That same look of confusion.  He is challenging all of us to have faith in him.  If he was, and I say he because I feel clearly this is his decision and his only, to hire Jim Mora Jr. only to fail defensively, the finger would not be on Reid.  I’m surprised that by now there isn’t a riot forming out front on Lincoln Financial.  We bleed green, literally, we take our sports serious.  There has been a joke that I’ve heard about the Super Bowl, oops, Big Game, that I just replace with eight Eagles games.  A husband and wife have gone to every Eagles game for the past 30 years.  One game, the seat next to the Husband is left open.  A man from the row behind him asks, “Hey buddy, why did you leave the seat open.”  Husband says, “Well, my wife passed away.”  Guy says “Well why not just give the ticket away to someone.’  Husband says “Well someone had to go to the funeral.”  This reminds me of every Eagles fan.  Maybe not the the extreme that was presented in the joke above, but close.  It seems like Reid has given up for better.  Given up for having  Philadelphia the best.  The passion is missing.  I just don’t feel it anymore from him.  Mora could have been highly accepted just like Vick was when he took his job over.  We could have been calling for a a change just like in Cairo.  The case here, the man calling the shot’s, is the same man calling his shots.  I think we are all hoping that this man calls against himself and moves up, or even out.

My interest grew last February during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.  Curling has only been an official sport since 1998, making this its fourth run in the Winter Games.  I’ve always enjoyed the Olympics just for the simple reason that it only came every four years and the passion that some of these competitors have is amazing.  These athletes bring your country together for three weeks and you really look forward to some, if not all, of the events.  Curling is clearly a sport not advertised here.  Personally, now I enjoy it and would watch on a regular basis.  Vancouver wasn’t all to nice to the Americans in Curling.  Although finishing first in the medal count, 37, United States didn’t even show up for the Curling event.  Kevin Martin’s Canadians won gold for the men and Annette Norberg pulled it together for the Swedish women.  The country that we share the continent with is who I think a lot of Americans were cheering for.  Sheryl Bernard and her Canadian women really put on a show.  Going 8 and 1 with the only loss in a very good performance in the gold medal game.  The Canadian women were the team most shown on television.

The United States needs to pull it all together for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.  The chances that the Americans actually have in this event is miniscule.  We have the heart, we have the drive, but it isn’t our sport to win.  Sadly, we lack the experience of growing up near a frozen pond to practice on.  Debbie McCormick, who is the skip for the American women’s team, is no Cheryl Bernard.  Despite Debbie having a very good resume, participating  on seven world championship teams, bringing home one gold and two silver, Cheryl is ranked by the World Curling Federation as number two curler in the world.  John Shuster and and American men only had two wins, while Kevin Martin’s Canadians went undefeated.  Our American curling teams aren’t strong enough to compete against giants of the game.  We have finished dead last in men’s and women’s curling events in Vancouver.  Any type of improvement right now is needed.

Advertising the game a little more would help.  If the game was to be offered more in schools, it will produce more talent.  With more talent comes more competition.  The United States Curling Association needs to come together, raise money and sponsor some stones to teach kids and adults like myself to play.  There needs to be a nation wide attempt to get warmer climate areas a chance to play.  Seeing it every four years isn’t going to make it popular, just make it a fad.   Finishing last in this event didn’t help either.  Make it avaliable everywhere for us to play.  Hockey has done this.  The once Minnesota North Stars turned to a warmer climate in Dallas in 1993,  only to become Stanley Cup Champions in the 1998-1999 year.  It does not just have to be a cold climate sport.  Football takes up half of the years Sunday’s, baseball takes up the whole summer.   These sports are drilled into our heads.  We need to see more of Curling to advance our chances in making this country great in another sport and advancing our talent pool.

We have clubs in this country for every sport, for every hobby and for every enthusiasts.  Every four years we put a team together that this country is proud of.  We sit in front of the television with our patriotic paraphernalia out, sometimes in the early morning,  just to watch some of these events that we would never watch any other day.  Figure skating, bobsledding, and Skeleton are events that I would never watch.  Every fours though, here I am watching at 2:30 in the morning hoping that Tony Benshoof can win at Luge.  Curling is an event that is relaxing and easy to understand.  Honestly, one of the best events to watch in the winter games.  It is just not an American event, which is okay.  We can cheer for the country right above us.  Personally, I am a fan of the 44 year old Grande Prarie Alberta native Cheryl Bernard.  I’m not insulting Debbie McCormick and John Shuster, the resources aren’t here.  Their teammates  just don’t have the skill to compete with the competition out in the rest of the world.  To the people who do know how to play, the competition isn’t here for them to advance their own skills to become better competitors.  We need to get more of the sport around to help out the curlers who are good, so they can advance.  So I am hoping, one day, I can find a partner and get my shoes, broom and stone and head off to Paoli and join the Philadelphia Curling Club, where I can learn to play and bring an Olympic Gold home to the United States.

http://www.philadelphiacurlingclub.org/

Andy Reid has been with us here at Philadelphia for 12 years now.  The road for the most part has been stellar.  Yes Birds fans, I said stellar.  To get a coach that has had a record as he has, isn’t easy to come by.  With a 118 and 73, with 1 tie (cue the McNabb being dumbfounded), record puts Reid among the elite.  Seven, in that 12, SEVEN divisional champions and one NFC champion, only to lose to a more powerful Belechick team.  Four of those seven were NFC championship games.  That to me is amazing, until you watch the games and see how they are coached.

His playing calling is iffy at times, and when he takes a risk it ends up being at the wrong time.  Run Westbrook, call a time-out here and the lack of proper clock management were of the most common things you would hear.  Of those years, the most positive you felt was when Terrell Owens was here.  McNabb to Owens was a spectacle to watch.  Reid’s play calling couldn’t be insulted.  To me, that was one of the only times that the Eagles actually had “a chance”.  The players have to be blamed also, but it does rest on the man calling the shots from the sideline.  The rest of the years Reid coached very well to get himself where he belongs, that being the play-offs.

I am at no means taking away what Andy Reid is, or what he has done here.  Check this stat, with over a 100 wins, he is 11th of all time with a .608 winning percentage.  Among active coaches, he is second, with the man in the hood leading the way.  He has made pro bowlers, sent assistants on to heads and making a city come together.  The team was terrible when A Reid got a hold of it.  He took McNabb and had to take the ridicule while the mayor at the time, Ed Rendell,  ran a rally on who he thought was the right pick, Ricky Williams.  All the while Reid was constantly being bashed, for what winning.  Which he did on a constant basis.  Look, what I am trying to say is this, just like my Regal, it got me from point A to point B.  Did the radio not work at times, sure.  Would the car stall at a red light, yes and did I have problem getting it started, absolutely.  When it all came down to it, the car got the job done but i wanted more.  I don’t know how to fix a car and I am sure as hell am no mechanic. I couldn’t keep the up-keep to it.  I needed a new car that could do more for me.  Although,  I loved that car and still have the emblem from the front grill, I needed something that would get me this, that and the other (right Elaine).  With Andy though, it has turned stagnant.  He can get us to the play-offs over and over again, but we want the other.  Philly wants to have Vince paraded down Broad Street.  Let Reid have the job upstairs.  Let him conduct the show from up there.  He has been the general manager before.  To give an evaluation on his performance is vague because he was Head Coaching too.  Lets see what he can do from up in the office.  I, for one, do not want to see Reid go.  I also have a hard time seeing him on the sideline coaching the Eagles.  Just like my Regal, someone else could use it/him.  A single mom with a family of four walking home with groceries from Acme could use, at once, my Buick.  Just like the Browns, Carolina, Jacksonville could all use Andy Reid.  They are at the point where Andy picked up the Eagles.  He built this team to where it is.  It has gotten this far, but maybe the answer lies there.  Maybe we get a new coach, give A Reid the general manager position and all is well.  Sounds good, but Philadelphia has to build from that.  With a couple bad years comes great ones.  Let Andy Reid get his feet wet and he will shine.   Look what he did as a head coach.  The Eagles should be smart enough to make this move, should, because in 2 years when his contract is up, he could just move on.  This is a tough city.  Home to passionate fans that show and let you know how they feel.  If Andy was to come back to the sideline with another team, this town would get up and give a standing ovation.  Simply because he was the best coach that Philadelphia has ever seen.

Philadelphia knew that they needed to score on every drive.  They didn’t.  Akers can’t be fully blamed just for the shear fact that the Eagles didn’t play like they wanted to win this game.  You try to blame Vick for the pass that was intercepted but defensively they couldn’t stop crucial third down situations going 8 for 13.  That took time off the clock, left the defense on the field, and the almighty Michael Vick sitting on the bench.  Green Bay gave plenty of opportunities to change this game.  Aaron Rodgers only passed for 171 yards.  James Jones helped by dropping a pass late in the first half to not add more pain to the lead and there were two fumbles that should have resulted in points.

There are always going to be penalties in a game.  Philadelphia’s were all at the wrong time.  What looked to be a bad punt from Green Bay, turns out to be pushed back to inside Philadelphia’s 30.  Despite being sore, Desean Jackson’s motion of  ’c'mon give me the ball’ was brought back due to an early holding call.  A penalty is never a good thing and there isn’t ever a good time, but in this game it was defiantly a game changer.  It made Marty Mornhinweg’s offense effectively work harder, which it wasn’t able to do for 60 minutes.

Yes, the off-season came early.  This does suck, but the first thing that needs to be done is put a nice contract offer on the desk of Michael Vick’s agent.  Vick showed that he could be a decent pocket quarterback and the leader of the team.  We already know what his legs can do, but Vick really impressed me, and I don’t really think that Kolb is our future.  Michael might have a little loyalty to us considering that we gave him his chance back into the NFL.  Who not to have on your side besides the wonderful fans of Philadelphia?

Sadly, the two year deal of what was supposed to be back-up QB Michael Vick is over.  Philadelphia has to decide between a what to me was a too early draft pick in Kevin Kolb or to pay big bucks for Vick.  Vick has shown that he is a changed player on the field.  His time in Atlanta was a great spectacle to see.  Here in the city of Brotherly Love, this show was mature.  You could actually see why he was drafted first overall from Virginia Tech back in 2001.  He has paid his dues for dog fighting, in my opinion he’s working overtime.  He still does anti-animal abuse shows, he has kept himself out of the limelight, and for the most part seems sincere in his regrets.  One thing that you do have to understand is that it was his house and his operation.  Except, that just like the mafia godfathers, rarely are they around for the killings.  Look, if I brought my dog to a dogfight and lost my paycheck, I would leave and find someone who wanted to pay for my story and I would tell them that I saw Michael Vick in there.  I doubt that he was there.  I doubt he killed the dogs.  Possibly in the early years when he was trying to establish this dog fighting ring, but not when it was raided.  They caught everyone else there besides Vick.  Everyone dimed him out and he took it.  Every one of his friends feared jail and decided that his friendship wasn’t worth it.  You mean to tell me that no one would have went to jail for him?  Whether he asked or not, one of his pals should have said “look, you take care of me and I’ll do the time.”  Nobody did that, not saying it’s right but I am saying that it happens.  He lost endorsements and his sponsors.  Lost his creditability to the public eye and it has to hurt when your little girl looks up at you and says “daddy I would like a puppy.”  He took his sentence like any Godfather would have.  Suit and tie, head held high, and taking his conviction and moving on.  Is he out of it, I don’t know, I would hope so.  Should he be an inspiration to little kids across the world for his actions in this?  Absolutely not.  Although, he should be looked at as an inspiration for how he handled it after he got sentenced.  From the picketers outside Lincoln Financial, to the outcry of every animal rights activist across the NFL cities.  He took it for what it was, a learning experience, a way to mature, finally seeing that money doesn’t answer everything.  He took this city by storm and I for one support him.  He was wrong and he deservedly went to jail, but I believe that he is a changed man.  I waited for a long time in this line, and the Michael Vick Experience was a hell of a ride.