This morning on way into work, my roommate sends me this text:
Sheldon and gocong going to Cleveland
Immediately, I reply:
Nnamdi for donny?
That's the first thing that popped into my head. Still, the deal hadn't been done yet, and the reports as to what the Eagles would get in return weren't very informative. But finally, the deal is done. The Eagles shipped off fan favorite cornerback Sheldon Brown and fan scapegoat linebacker Chris Gocong to Cleveland for the unimpressive though hopefully useful package of fourth-round and fifth-round picks, as well as seldom-used linebacker Alex Hall.
I'm 100 percent positive that not a single person is upset to see Chris Gocong go. In a word, he sucked. But to be fair, I don't think it was all Gocong's fault. In college, he was a pass-rushing beast. He was born to play as a stand-up defensive end or 3-4 pass-rushing linebacker. That's what he excelled at. Yet the Eagles inexplicably tried to convert him into a strong-side linebacker, failing to realize he was too slow to cover anyone, and too dumb to take correct paths to the football. It wouldn't shock me to see Gocong become an extremely effective pass rusher in Cleveland's 3-4 scheme. But I still couldn't be happier to see him go.
Sheldon is an entirely different story. There is no question about it, Brown was my favorite player on the Eagles defense last year. He's been a very good player for a very long time, solidifying the cornerback position since he was drafted in 2002. He burst on the scene as a rookie special team missile, completely demolishing a Cowboys returner on a kickoff, while wearing the bad-ass number of 39, before changing to 24. He went on to become a tackling machine and strong cover corner. For a few years there, his partner in crime, Lito Sheppard, was getting more interceptions and going to Pro Bowls. What many people outside of Philadelphia didn't realize is Brown was better, evidence by Lito getting those chances to get picks — defenses threw more to Lito's side, tending to shy away from Sheldon.
All Brown did was show up and play hard week in and week out — and play well. Really well. Numerous times he played at a Pro Bowl level, though never was rewarded with the honor. Last season was one of his finest, despite playing the majority of the year with a bad hamstring. He was a leader, the guy who took the torch from Brian Dawkins and did his predecessor and former secondary mate proud. Now he's gone, a former 2nd-round pick and one of the better corners in the NFL, for what amounts to much lesser pieces. Good starting corners aren't easy to come by.
Or are they? The J-E-T-S managed to pry away the incredibly talented Antonio Cromartie from the Chargers after a couple subpar years, joining forces with Darrelle Revis, the player everyone agrees is either the best or second-best corner in the entire NFL. And rumor has it, the other one in that conversation may just be on the market … and he's already been linked to McNabb and the Eagles in trade talks.
Now, I've been pretty quiet on the Donovan McNabb trade front. It's no secret, I'm a McNabb guy. I'd prefer to see him stay in Philadelphia, see him finish his career as an Eagle. And I certainly wouldn't wish upon him the fate of playing in Oakland for a crazy owner that has watched the league pass him by.
BUT, with this latest move, it's evident the Eagles are in some sort of rebuilding mode, albeit an express version. You don't trade a talented, valuable starting cornerback if you think you can win a Super Bowl right now, even if that player is unhappy with his contract. So it's pretty evident the Eagles are moving on, turning the page. They've released a number of veterans so far, and now have shipped a couple off. That leaves a hole at the other corner spot, though they do have Ellis Hobbs in the fold, along with newly acquired Marlin Jackson and that Joselio Hanson character that they think is better than he actually is. Kulp has an excellent, level-headed breakdown of the trade. Do yourself a favor and read it.
With all this unfolding, I think that if the Nnamdi Asomugha and No. 42 pick for McNabb offer is on the table or can be put on the table, it's a move that has to be done. That's a shitty situation for McNabb, no doubt. And I would certainly feel terrible for No. 5. He deserves better. But as much as I love the guy, my loyalties lie first and foremost with making the Eagles better. And if they think Kevin Kolb is ready and able (which the jury is still out on in my opinion, two starts isn't nearly enough to make an accurate assessment), I find it hard to believe a better offer would surface. An early second-round pick is a valuable commodity, and let's face it, you won't find any corner on the market close to as good as Nnamdi. Hell, you won't find anyone not named Revis that can even enter the conversation of approaching his ability at the position.
Landing Asomugha would immediately bolster a questionable secondary into one of the best in the league, especially if the Birds can upgrade the free safety position in the draft. It would give the Eagles two Pro Bowl cornerbacks, and easily the best duo in the entire NFL — even better than Revis and Cromartie. Think about it: Asomugha is so good and so respected that he typically takes away an entire side of the field. That would mean opposing offenses would have to throw more at Asante Samuel's side, one of the best big-play corners in the league and an interception machine. Or they'd be forced to attack Nnamdi more than they'd like. Or the wide receivers would be rendered useless. One of those three. Of course, that still leaves tight ends and running backs to run wild on pass routes against the Philadelphia linebackers and safeties. Though the Eagles could and should look at the draft to get a better cover linebacker and/or safety. It would be like skipping the rebuilding process, or at least taking the EZ Pass lane.
Though, all of this is conjecture at this point. For all we know, the Oakland deal is nothing more than rumor and hearsay. McNabb may not, though it looks like he will, go anywhere. And the Eagles could very well not do anything to replace Brown, which most certainly results in a pretty big downgrade as of right now. One thing is for sure: Sheldon will be missed. He was a leader, a worker, a physical presence on a team and defense that seemed to lack that overall last year. And he was literally the only defender I completely trusted to make tackles (well, Trent Cole too). It was a hell of a ride, but more proof of an era that is coming to an end.
I went to Dunkin Donuts this morning. While I was in there, a guy walked in and stood at the door with the door open, mumbling to himself. Then he said the cops were there fucking up his shit and proceeded to talk to himself. He kept peeking out at the cop car with its lights on, finally sitting down. The guy was hiding out in Dunkin Donuts from the police. I'm convinced of this. There is no point to this story other than the fact that my work day started by seeing a guy hiding out at Dunkin Donuts while I was getting coffee.
-The Pro Bowl is a complete sham. Quintin freakin Mikell was just added after a horrendous season that saw him miss more tackles this year than he has his entire career and drop more interceptions that Adrian Peterson dropped handoffs. David Garrad was added. Vince Young was added. It's out of control. So for those of you trying to keep track, here's your updated Pro Bowl rosters.
-Derrick Rose had a rough start to the season, but the guy is all sorts of killing it now, especially here:
-Villanova recruit Jayvaughn Pinkston killed it at the Big Apple Basketball HS Invitational over Martin Luther King Weekend in NYC.
The 6'6" Nova-bound senior scored 34 points and nabbed 14 rebounds, though his team lost to a fellow prized recruit's team — Tennessee commit Tobias Harris. Also playing in the tournament were Rakeem Christmas, a junior at Academy of the New Church in suburban Philadelphia, and another Villanova commit, Achraf Yacoubou, as well as C.J. Aiken of Plymouth Whitemarsh. ANC and PW both won their games.
-Sheldon Brown, one of the few Eagles defenders that actually deserved a Pro Bowl invite, actually turned one down.
-I'm not sure what was more impressive, Deron's pass or this pass by Daniel Sedin:
-Penn State's Andrew Quarless caught the game-winning touchdown in the East-West Shrine Game over the weekend on a pass from Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka:
In the huddle I told Kafka, ‘Just throw it up and I’ll make a play.’ He threw a perfect pass,” Quarless said. “It just feels good to go out with a bang.”
3. Elton Brand, Sixers. After essentially two seasons on the shelf due to injury, Brand has climbed back on the bull and ... lost his starting job to a raw second-year player? Yep. Brand has started half his games with Philadelphia this season, offering up 13/6 in 30 minutes of play. Not exactly what Ed Stefanski had in mind when he signed the former star in 2008. Brand turns 31 by season's end, already has 25,000 NBA minutes on the treads, and is owed more than $51 million over the next three seasons.
Frankly, I'd list him at No. 1 for the simple fact absolutely no one, and I mean no one, would trade for him. And call it a bit nit-picky, but I take issue with a man as knowledgeable as Ziller at an outfit as high-profile as AOL saying Brand "lost his starting job to a raw second-year player." Um, who exactly is he talking about here? Forget that Brand was just recently reinserted to the starting lineup. If he's trying to say throughout that Brand lost his starting job to Marreese Speights, well, he's wrong, because Speights doesn't start and hasn't started much at all this season. And if he meant Thaddeus Young, well, Thad is in his third year. So basically, the entire statement "lost his starting job to a raw second-year player" is completely wrong with the exception of the lost his starting job part.
The Sixers lost again last night, meaning they once again couldn't pull off a season-high 3-game winning streak. This team has not won three games in a row once all season. Wow.
Well, the list of the NFL's Pro Bowlers are in, and the Eagles did quite well for themselves. Six Eagles in all were named to the team. Yesterday, before the teams were announced, I told Adam EatShit that four would definitely make it and potentially six could. True story. That doesn't mean I got all the guys right. Let's take a look.
Defense: Asante Samuel, Trent Cole
Asante was one of my four locks to make the team. He's tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with nine (along with Jarius Byrd and Darren Sharper), and he has a reputation of being a big-play corner, which he is. No surprise in him making it. However, truth be told, I don't think Asante Samuel necessarily deserves to be on the team. Don't get me wrong, he's a fine player and just about every one of his 9 interceptions have been huge, but you watch the guy play week in and week out and he's certainly no shutdown guy. Very good, yes. Great, great playmaker. But he offsets that with the worst tackling in the NFL. As good as he's been taking the ball away, he's been just as bad giving up big plays by horribly missing tackles. Still, the guy has 9 interceptions, leading the league, so of course he was going to make it. Hard to argue.
As far as Cole goes, he was on my could make it list. Not a lock, but a guy I thought had a good shot. The reason I didn't have him as a lock? I had no idea that he was third in the NFC in sacks and fifth in the entire NFL. Had I known that, I would have definitely called him a lock. His 12.5 sacks are even more impressive if you get to watch this team every week. This is not exactly the Eagles defense we've grown accustomed to over the years, the one that punishes opposing quarterbacks. The Eagles struggle at times to get any pass rush from anyone not named Trent Cole, and the blitzes seem to have lost their luster with the passing of Jim Johnson. That leaves opposing offenses with one guy and one guy only to key on in passing situations, yet every week, Trent Cole has wreaked havoc on quarterbacks, running backs and every single offensive lineman he's lined up against. I used to be a guy who knocked Cole a bit early in his career, saying he was a bit overrated and nothing more than rush specialist. Over the past few years, he's proven that sentiment wrong, becoming one of the most dominant ends in the NFC. He's been a master this season both against the pass and the run, snuffing out screens, running down plays … basically, Trent Cole has been a beast. He most definitely earned this bid.
Offense: DeSean Jackson, Jason Peters, Leonard Weaver
DeSean and Weaver were two more of my locks. Let's face the facts, DeSean Jackson is the best wide receiver in the NFC East, and frankly, he's every bit as dangerous as any player in the entire league. His 8 touchdown plays of 50 yards or more this year are tied for the NFL record, and he still has the game against Dallas to make that record all his own. He more than any other player has made this offense impossible to stop, because his speed and big-play threat demand attention, opening up the rest of the field. And sometimes, DeSean simply can't be stopped. He's just too damn good. His selection was a no-brainer.
As was Leonard Weaver's, which I'm sure no one would have ever guessed heading into the season. Now, the Eagles' fullback woes from a season ago were well-documented, so it was no surprise when they went out and got themselves a true fullback this offseason. And by all accounts, Leonard Weaver was the best available one out there. When the Birds signed him, everyone was happy, but everyone also sort of questioned how big of a deal it would be. After all, the Eagles run a ton of empty or one-back sets, meaning a fullback can only have a minimal impact. Yes, as last season showed, that minimal impact is still very important, but chances were Weaver wouldn't be a key cog on most downs. Boy did that change in a hurry. Of course Weaver is an excellent blocker who has created holes for Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy all season long, not to mention done a great job helping keep Donovan McNabb clean. That alone doesn't get you to the Pro Bowl though, unless you're the lead blocking back for a 1,500-yard rusher. Weaver was not. No, what he became was the most versatile fullback in the entire NFL. The former college tight end showcased his sick hands throughout the season, making clutch catches and huge plays. When Westbrook went down, he displayed his deceptive speed and running skills, lightening the load of the passing game. He has arguably been one of the most valuable players on this explosive offense, and he certainly has been the most dynamic, most versatile fullback in the entire NFL. Again, no-brainer.
Jason Peters on the other hand was a bit of a shocker to me. In the first few games, Peters was less than stellar, committing a slew of false start and holding penalties. He looked a bit slow and a bit out of shape. He's certainly progressed as the season has gone on, and frankly, he's been damn good. Well worth the big contract, and making everyone forget about Tra Thomas. But Pro Bowl good? I don't think so. He wasn't especially good on Sunday, and he's had more moments where he's gotten beat than you'd expect from one of the best tackles in the game. In the run game, he's a complete mauler, a truly dominant force, and he's good as a pass blocker, but honestly, he didn't completely wow me. Again, he's very good, and he's been great in a good number of games as well, but I was a bit surprised at his inclusion.
Special teams: David Akers, DeSean Jackson
Akers was my fourth and final lock. The guy is leading the NFL in scoring with 139 points, has made an NFL-best 32 field goals and has missed just four kicks all season, going 32 of 36. He's shown he still has it from long distance, making a 52-yarder and having no trouble getting the ball there, he's a perfect 11-11 from 20-29 yards, 8-9 from 30-39 and 11-13 from 40-49. Basically, David Akers has been brilliant this year. Rumors of his demise the past few seasons were grossly exaggerated, including by yours truly. Most points and field goals gets you to the Pro Bowl every time. And rightfully so.
DeSean was also named as the punt returner, which was another lock. He leads the NFL in punt return average at 16 yards per return, has the longest punt return in the league at 85 yards, and is tied with Patrick Crayton with two returns for scores. Basically, he's the best punt returner in the league.
Who should have made it: Sheldon Brown and Brent Celek
For the Eagles, I think cornerback Sheldon Brown and tight end Brent Celek should have been on the team. They're both alternates, but that doesn't cut it. Brown has played through injuries and been excellent this season. Celek simply had to overcome too many big names. Vernon Davis had an excellent season for the 49ers and Witten finished strong for the Cowboys. I could make an argument that Celek should've made it in front of Witten. Just look at the huge discrepancy in touchdowns.
In my humble opinion, Sheldon has been the best player on the entire Eagles defense. Better than Asante. Better than Cole. Better than anyone. As Mosley pointed out, he's played through injury, and it hasn't slowed him down one bit. The guy has five interceptions, a forced fumble, a recovered fumble and two touchdowns — one an interception return and one a fumble return. He's third in the NFL in interception return yards with 152, and more importantly, he's one of the few Eagles who rarely misses a tackle. He's a big hitter, sure tackler and excellent player. He's been so good that Asante has been able to get his 9 picks because a lot of teams have been throwing Asante's way more than Sheldon's. It's not the first time Brown should have made the Pro Bowl. For years, he was the better corner while Lito Sheppard was getting the picks and return touchdowns, thus going to Pro Bowls. But this may have been Sheldon's finest season. I thought he had a shot to make it, and I really thought he should have. With the loss of Jim Johnson and Brian Dawkins, not to mention the injuries in the secondary and the poor play at the safety position, Sheldon has been the guy back there that has held everything together. He really deserved a trip to the Pro Bowl this year. He really did. It's a shame that he doesn't seem to get the acknowledgment he deserves across the league.
As far as Brent Celek is concerned, he was the other Eagle I though had a chance but probably wouldn't make it. Vernon Davis scored a league-high 12 touchdowns from the tight end spot, more than anyone, so he was a lock. Then you had to assume Jason Witten would be named on name recognition alone. Plus, he is a damn good player. But as Mosely pointed out, Celek probably deserved it over Witten. Just look at the TDs. Celek has 8, Witten just one. Yes, Witten is a better blocker, but Celek vastly improved on that this season, turning it from a weakness to becoming more than adequate. And yes, Witten caught 88 balls to Celek's 69, but even with 19 fewer catches, Celek has just 79 less yards. Celek's 12.7 yards per catch is nearly two full yards more than Witten's. And those eight touchdowns to just one are hard to ignore. Throw in the fact that I had Jason Witten on one of my fantasy teams and Brent Celek on the other, and I can attest to the fact that Celek has been far more valuable this season than Witten. By all accounts, Celek has had a more productive year than Jason Witten. But Witten has the rep. Those are the breaks. I'm just glad Tony Gonzalez didn't make it over him, because Celek definitely had a better year than him.
Not sure if you heard, but we got quite a bit of snow this weekend in Philadelphia. Something in the range of 23 inches.
With word of the storm rolling in and plenty of sports on to watch, I stayed in Friday night and watched as the Sixers somehow defeated the Celtics 98-97 to end their 11-game winning streak. In Boston. I know, I was stunned too. I called it a night relatively early and got set for what I anticipated would be a long day of laying on the couch and watching sports. The snow was falling at a rapid rates, the roads quickly deteriorating and my house nice and warm. As I headed down the stairs around 11 a.m., still in a post-wakeup haze, Adam EatShit tells me he has two extra tickets to the Flyers-Rangers game at 1 and asks if I'd like to go. Of course I said yes, and uncle jellyfish gladly accepted the other free ticket. We hardly knew what we were getting ourselves into.
The two of us trekked to the el, watching as the snow piled up with no end in sight. But once we got word that the game was still on, there was no turning back. To Broad and Pattison it was. Truth be told, the worst of it had yet to hit, so it wasn't all that bad on our way there. But it quickly turned bad once we entered the Wachovia Center. It was a sparse crowd due to the weather, so we did upgrade our seats down low, but immediately as we entered the building, Chris Drury put the Rangers up 1-0. We were still walking to our seats thanks to a slow-running SEPTA, so we missed it, but that didn't change the fact the Flyers were down 1-0 already to another struggling team. Not good.
Minutes later, the Flyers went on the power play and set up. Claude Giroux got the puck to Simon Gagne on the boards near the circle, and uncle jellyfish quickly said, "Get it back to the point." As the pass was on its way, you could clearly see a great shooting lane and traffic in front, so naturally, as thousands of other fans in the building did, I yelled, "Shoot it!" Pronger gladly obliged and found the back of the net, tie game.
A few minutes after that, Arkansas Fred called me and asked if I wanted to go the Eagles game on Sunday. I gladly accepted. The funny thing is, earlier in the day, uncle jellyfish told me how before he left to meet at my house for the Flyers game, a buddy of his called and asked him to go to the Eagles game too. Both of us woke up on Saturday with no tickets to anything and no plans, and then we both wound up going to not only the Flyers game, but the Eagles game as well. It was kind of eery to say the least.
The two of us then watched as the Flyers completely and utterly dominated … but couldn't find the back of the net. It's become an alarming trend for a team that scored so many goals last season and was scoring at an awesome clip early this year. Meanwhile, the Rangers throw some garbage at the net and scored their second goal, and the Flyers trailed 2-1 heading into the third despite the fact they were controlling the game. That's annoying.
Still, even with Henrik Lundqvist and the team's scoring slump, it felt like the Flyers were on the verge of exploding. I predicted a 4-2 Flyers victory, with the final goal coming via empty net. I was dead wrong. The Flyers played their best period of the game in the 3rd, outshooting the Rangers 16-5 and pretty much keeping the entire play in the Rangers' zone, but nothing. Lundqvist was just too good, making saves any way possible. With his glove, his stick, his leg, even his face.
So despite outplaying the Rangers the entire game, despite outshooting New York 37-24, the Flyers still lost 2-1, falling to 14th in the East. Pathetic. Once again, Chris Pronger was the best player for the Flyers, playing sound defense and scoring the team's only goal. While I'm thrilled with his play this season, it would be nice to be able to say someone else actually played better than him on this team for once. But that just hasn't been happening. The forwards aren't scoring or forechecking enough, though they did get in on the forecheck pretty strong Saturday, and something just isn't right. Meanwhile, just about everything was right for Lundqvist. While Pronger was the best player for the Flyers on Saturday, Lundqvist was the best player period. He stopped 36 of Philadelphia's 37 shots and never once looked out of position. He stole the game for the Rangers.
To be fair though, he was giving up plenty of fat rebounds, but the Flyers, as they have been for two months now, were a step slow in getting there or couldn't find the net when they needed to. It's really a troubling trend — a team with so much offensive potential not scoring any goals. Something needs to be done, but I really don't know what else the Flyers can do. Despite the fact I was never a John Stevens fan, he did all he could to try and spark the team: change the lines, take away some ice time, etc. None of that worked, so the Flyers canned him. Peter Laviolette has also tried just about everything in the book, reuniting players who used to play together regularly, juggling the defense pairings, double shifting players, everything. Still nothing. I honestly think the only thing that can wake these guys at this point is to make a trade or sit a prominent player as a healthy scratch. Those are about the only two things the Flyers haven't tried, and nothing else seems to be working. This team is too talented and too much was expected for them to be sitting in 14th place in the East 34 games into the season.
Anyway, after the game, uncle jellyfish and I caught a ride back with Adam EatShit, who sat with us most of the game. The walk to his car was just brutal. As bearable as the walk to the el was on our way to the game, the shorter walk to the car after the game was equally unbearable. The wind was whipping, the temperature was well below freezing and the snow was still falling. I felt like my face was going to fall off. I was completely frozen. Then there was still the proposition of driving back to our house and getting there safely. Adam insisted to us that his car was a beast in the snow and would make it no problem, but with the roads a complete mess and the snow still falling, it was going to be interesting. Despite a few slips and slides, we made it back in one piece, but it was pretty much at the point that the roads were undrivable. I knew they were calling for a storm, but I didn't expect this. The snow would not relent. It was piling up by the inches, and my car was quickly buried in snow.
Again, I had no intention of braving the elements a second time, not after seeing cars stuck, the roads covered and unplowed, and the storm continuing. I stayed in again on Saturday and just watched sports, specifically watching the Cowboys somehow manage to not only win a game in December, but do it in New Orleans against the previously undefeated Saints. I was shocked. And I watched the Sixers lose to the Clippers at home a night after defeating the best team in the conference on the road, but I'll get to the Sixers in another post later today.
Point is, I was resting up and preparing myself for a long, cold day/night outside Sunday. I woke up some time around 11 and relaxed. When I finally went downstairs and looked outside, I was amazed. There was two feet of snow on the ground and not a single plow had been run down Girard Avenue. The roads in our neighborhood were a complete mess. Every car was snowed in, people were getting stuck left and right and driving looked ominous at best. If you wanted to get anywhere, or park anywhere, you had to plan a good 20-minute shoveling job just to dig yourself out of your parking spot or to dig yourself a spot to pull in to. With its tight budget, the city seemed to have no interest in even attempting to use its funds to clear the streets. That was fun.
I was all set to hop on the subway and meet Arkansas Fred down at the Linc. Adam EatShit had other plans. Since his car fared so well the day before in the snow, he decided to drive again. While the streets all around us were a mess, he heard that 95 and most of the main roads were cleared and good to go. Works for me. So he, his girlfriend and I ventured out to pick up uncle jellyfish, and we headed on down to the stadium with no problems. That is, until we actually were all set to go in.
After walking around a while waiting for Arkansas Fred, I went to go meet him. It was after 3 and the lines to get in were outrageously long. The Eagles had failed to clear the snow quick enough, so the gates weren't open yet. It was a shitshow, probably the worst clusterfuck I've ever seen down there for an Eagles game. The city and the Eagles knew this storm was coming, knew there was going to be tons of snow to remove, and the NFL even moved the start time back three-plus hours for them to adequately get the game in with no problems. Yet the Eagles and the city were still unprepared. In fact, when we got in, there were sections around midfield where the seats weren't even cleared of snow. Literally a few sections on each side were still completely covered in snow. Pathetic. Thankfully, our seats were cleared and we made it in well before kickoff. I would have been pissed otherwise.
Garbed in four pairs of socks, boots, a T-shirt, two hooded sweatshirts, a winter jacket, a winter hat and three pairs of pants, I was ready. Evidently, so were the Eagles. Quintin Demps, who should be the full-time kick returner so long as he is healthy just like he was last season (fuck Macho Harris), returned the opening kickoff 48 yards. Five plays later, Donovan McNabb hooked up with DeSean Jackson for a 19-yard touchdown, 7-0 Eagles. They never looked back, and you all saw the game, so I won't go with a play-by-play breakdown, but there are a few things I'd like to touch upon.
First and foremost, god damn, DeSean Jackson is a star. No two ways about it. For the second straight week, he was the difference in the game. Following up his beautiful performance against the Giants, DeSean had 6 catches for 140 yards and the aforementioned touchdown, and a 59-yarder that he could have taken to the house had McNabb led him a little more.
I think we can officially say DeSean is unstoppable. With all the weapons the Eagles have, he will get open one way or another, and he will make big plays. He is a certifiable stud, and while his receiving numbers aren't up there with the likes of the Giants' Steve Smith, you can sure as hell bet any Giants fan, or any fan of any team for that matter, would give up a boatload to have DeSean. He may not make the Pro Bowl after missing some games, but he should. He's the most explosive player in the division, and without question one of the most dynamic players in the entire league. How did this guy drop to the second round again?
Seriously, how? The Eagles even drafted Trevor Laws before him. The same Trevor Laws who has been inactive the past two weeks. What I'm saying is, DeSean was the biggest steal of his draft class. Glad the Eagles were the ones who nabbed him.
Second, sweet mother of god has Leonard Weaver won this city over in a short period of time, and rightfully so. Rarely has a fullback gotten this much attention anywhere, let alone in Philadelphia, but I think it's safe to say that Weaver has become the most beloved offensive player on this team besides DeSean. The fans can't get enough of him, and for good reason. He is the exact player this team has been missing — a big, bruising, versatile back. He can level people blocking, whether it's leading the way for LeSean McCoy or protecting McNabb's back. He can run with the ball like a tailback, catch like a wide receiver and make plays like a smaller, quicker player. Take one look at Leonard Weaver and the word athlete probably doesn't come to mind. But make no mistake, Leonard Weaver is a freakish athlete trapped in a fullback's body. And he's been incredibly valuable for this team.
Yesterday, he battered his way for 52 yards on 17 carries, softening up a very physical San Francisco defense. That allowed LeSean McCoy to average 5.3 yards a carry, gaining 48 yards on his 9 touches, and gave McNabb and the receivers plenty of room for them to wrack up 306 yards through the air, even in the frigid temperatures. What a great, understated signing.
Third, what in the hell is going on with coaches these days? Seriously. In the first quarter, with your team up 7-3, four points, you go for it on 4th-and-1 at your own 29-yard line? Really? What in the hell could the logic have possibly been. That was one of the worst go for it calls I've ever seen. I know all about the stats and the logic behind teams going for it and how statistically speaking, teams should go for it on fourth down more often. But sometimes it just makes absolutely no sense to do it, no matter how short of a distance you have to go to pick up the first down. That was one of those instances.
The Eagles were leading 7-3 in the first quarter. The 49ers had done nothing on offense since their first drive of the game. The defense was playing great. And you were leading. And it was the first quarter. And, on 3rd-and-1, you were just stuffed. Under no circumstance do you want to even remotely take the chance of giving the Niners a really short field, put them in field goal position without even gaining any offensive yards, yet the Eagles did anyway. This is not a team that you are confident will pick up those short-yardage situations, even after they've improved greatly. And sure enough, Leonard Weaver got stuffed, and the Niners got the ball. Dumb, dumb call. There is no way to defend it. None. I don't care what the statistics say, it was a horrible call. Luckily, Sheldon Brown is the man, forcing a fumble that was recovered by his cornerback mate Asante Samuel.
And that brings me to my next point. Sheldon Brown is this team's best defensive player, plain and simple. While Asante is a fine player in his own right and wracks up the interceptions (he got another one yesterday), Sheldon is a better player. There, I said it. For starters, he is a great tackler. Just ask Reggie Bush.
The man lays the wood and rarely ever misses a tackle. Asante, for all his INTs, kills you with missed tackles. Secondly, he makes a ton of great plays. This season alone, he has 5 picks, 152 returns yards off those picks, a touchdown and yesterday's forced fumble. He has 48 tackles, and more tips and breakups than you can count, such as the great tip in yesterday's game that almost turned into an interception by Quintin Mikell, who, oh by the way, actually did get a pick, finally not dropping the ball, and then almost came down in bounds on said tip by Brown. All I know is Sheldon is the leader of this defense, its best player, and it's time he got his due. The guy has played at a Pro Bowl level most of his career. This season, he finally deserves the chance to go. Because for the all the interceptions and great returns Lito Sheppard made to get to his Pro Bowls and Asante Samuel makes to get to his Pro Bowls, Sheldon is a better, more sound, more reliable player. I'd love to see him in Miami, one way or the other.
Oh, and Sean Jones, who friend of the site Spencer096 from Major League Jerk told me was a steal of a signing by the Eagles, sucks. Horribly. After hearing such a glowing endorsement from a guy who certainly knows his football, I was amped to see what Sean Jones could do. And in his first few weeks starting, he played very well. But the past few weeks, he's been awful, making a mockery of the safety position. Hell, his whiff against the Giants made Asante Samuel laugh, and yesterday, he missed Frank Gore so badly that I don't even think you could call what he did an attempt at a tackle. It was more like a person with vertigo trying to regain their balance on a rocking ship. I was embarrassed for him. Time to get him off the field and put 15-yard personal foul Quintin Demps out there for good. He may hit you in the helmet illegally, but at least he'll bring you down.
But Jones did have a nice game on special teams, making two great tackles. Not sure why he can't do that playing safety, but I've seen enough. Strictly special teams for you, Sean Jones.
All in all, good performance by the Birds. They won their fifth straight game, clinched a playoff berth and handled an inferior team, even if it wasn't the prettiest of performances. The snow was flying throughout the game, as people were pelting each other and the field, but the game went on with pretty much no terrible incidents. And to warm ourselves up after freezing our balls off at the Linc, Adam EatShit, his girlfriend, uncle jellyfish and I made an impromptu trip to Tacconelli's and dined on the most amazing pizza in the world.
So while the snow may have kept my car under wraps, it hardly kept me snowed in. Not even 23 inches of snow could prevent me from going to a Flyers game, Eagles game and Tacconelli's. That's how every weekend should go.
Weekends are supposed to be the time when you sit back, relax and catch up on sleep. Not so much for me the past three days.
Friday, Arkansas Fred and I decided to hold off on heading out to Penn State until the morning, instead taking in the Phillies game as Cole Hamels faced off against former Phillie Nelson Figueroa. It was cold and drizzling the entire night, making for less than desirable conditions, but the game went well — a 4-2 win behind another strong outing by Cole.
All the sudden, the struggling Cole looks to have regained his form and confidence. The 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP is looking every bit like a guy determined to duplicate those feats … if the bullpen doesn't screw it up. Hamels surrendered just one run in 6 and two-thirds, striking out 6 and picking up his ninth win. It's good to have him back.
It was also nice to see the Phils use a little small ball in the 7th. After a leadoff single to Jayson Werth and a wild pitch that put him on second, Pedro Feliz hit a soft grounder that Werth advanced to third on, and Curbball drove him in with a deep sac fly to center. Well done.
My only qualms with the game itself is the way Charlie Manuel handled his bullpen. Let's face the facts, the closer role has been the achilles heel of this team, with Brad Lidge sucking horribly and Ryan Madson doing even worse. On Friday night, after Chan Ho Park pitched a third of an inning to relieve Hamels, Manuel trotted out Brett Myers for eighth.
Myers proceeded to get a one-two-three eighth by throwing a grand total of six pitches. Six. In his prior outings since coming off the DL, he's been really, really good. And he just retired the side in order in six pitches. The smart move would have been to send him out for the ninth in the save situation, seeing as he has been dealing and the Phils would be wise to find out if the former closer can still get the job done.
Instead, Charlie sent out Ryan Madson again, and the guy looked shaky again. He did get the job done, recording the save, but not before giving up two hits and a run. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Ryan Madson is no closer. Perhaps one day he will be, but right now, the guy just doesn't have the mental makeup to get the job done. That's a fact. How else can you explain his dominance in the setup role and utter collapse as the closer?
But hey, the Phils won, they're still in first and Cole certainly looks to be back. Those are all good things.
What's not so good is being so ridiculously devoted to your stupid college football team that you decide to wake up at 6 a.m. and drive out to State College to watch Penn State take on a completely overmatched Syracuse team. On virtually no sleep. Not fun.
But that's what Arkansas Fred and I did. On the ride, we certainly saw some excitement. With rain smattering throughout the drive, the accidents were plentiful, and I saw one pretty awesome one in my rearview mirror.
Out 76 past King of Prussia, I'm driving along when I come across a navy blue van driving slow in the left lane. I hate when people drive slow in the left lane. Instead of tailgating and waiting for the van to get out of my way, I just passed on the right and went about my business, thinking nothing of it.
About a mile later, I just so happen to glance in my rearview mirror when I see this same van, now in the right lane, colliding with a white car in the left lane about 200 yards or so behind me. Now, I only saw the tail end of the two cars meeting, so I really have no idea who was at fault, but it almost looked as if both cars were trying to switch lanes while right next to each other, trying to literally switch spots, if you will.
Both cars then veered away from one another, and the van hit the right guard rail and flipped over. In my excitement at seeing something so crazy, I was yelling at Arkansas Fred asking, "You see that?!?!" — pointing at my mirror. Fred had no idea what I was talking about, thinking I was pointing up out the windshield at a plane or something. I told him what happened, he looked behind us, and there wasn't a car in sight — because the accident happened directly behind us, stopping traffic dead in its tracks. Crazy. And to think, if I hadn't passed on the right, we may have been either stuck behind the accident or involved. Chalk one up for the good guys.
Sadly, that was the most exciting thing about the entire trip, game included. We did see another accident in its aftermath on 322, as two trucks hit each other. This one was a little more bizarre, because one truck was making a left out of a parking lot across 322 and the other truck was in the middle lane reserved for left turns. That means two trucks making left-hand turns somehow collided. It really didn't make any sense.
We saw one more car flipped in a ditch before finally making it to the game in one piece. Really, there's not much to say about that game. Syracuse is horrible. Penn State played pretty horrible but still won 28-7. The defensive line is all sorts of good. And Greg Paulus cannot throw a football to save his life.
The best part of the game was when the freshman section started a "Paulus Sucks" chant. That was fun. Other than that, Evan Royster played well, Daryll Clark was not making good throws or reads, and Nathan Stupar, after a tremendous first game, played just awful on Saturday. But hey, the Nittany Lions won and moved up the polls as well. The few highlights can be seen here:
The ride back wasn't nearly as eventful, other than me almost falling asleep. Luckily I didn't, a wreck was avoided, and I made it home to watch Notre Dame choke at the end and ditto Ohio State. Both games were pretty awesome though.
Oh, and I also got home in time to watch Madson and the rest of the bullpen blow it. On the ride home, we were flipping back and forth between the Notre Dame-Michigan game and the Phils-Mets on the radio. With a 9-5 lead, I thought the game would be over. But the Phillies bullpen did everything they could to let the Mets back in it: 3 runs in a third of an inning for Myers to make it 9-8 and then another meltdown for Madson in the ninth.
I walked in my house in the bottom of the 8th to see Ryan Howard strike out with the bases loaded. Hey Ryan, it's September, this is when you're supposed to be carrying the offense. And a couple runs would have really helped there, because Ryan Madson decided to come in and blow his sixth save of the season, surrendering a two-run bomb to David Wright that ended up losing the game 10-9.
That was Madson's sixth blown save in his 13th opportunity, just four shy of Lidge's league-leading 10 blown saves … in 39 chances. Once again, I'd like to point out that even as horrendous and atrocious as Lidge has been as a closer, he's still a million times better at closing games than Ryan Madson. I'm not advocating keeping Lidge as closer. Not at all. But I'd rather have him in there than Madson any day of the week. My choice is still Myers though, and it's something Charlie is going to have to figure out sooner or later here.
Yesterday was a glorious endeavor. The Phils won the first game of the double header 5-4 with Brad Lidge actually getting a save, albeit another shaky one that saw him give up two runs and three hits. But the focus in our house was on the Eagles, not the Phillies.
Things did not start so well for the Eagles, as the Panthers took the opening drive 70 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead. There were about a million missed tackles by the Eagles and one pretty awful play by rookie Macho Harris, and it looked like a long season could be ahead.
Then the tides turned thanks to the horrendous quarterbacking of Jake Delhomme. As I predicted, the Eagles won because Jake Delhomme sucks at playing quarterback. He gift-wrapped four interceptions for the Eagles, and the guy has now thrown 9 interceptions in his last two games.
His first INT, set up a field goal. His next set up a touchdown pass from McNabb to Celek. His third set up yet another TD, while the fourth finally didn't result in points. But it was Delhomme that just killed the Panthers. Following his first interception, Delhomme then got sacked by Trent Cole on a third down play the very next possession, fumbling the ball right to Victor Abiamiri, who returned it for a touchdown. Just like that, the Eagles led.
One possession later, the Eagles forced the Panthers to punt, and DeSean Jackson took it 85 yards to the house with a little helping hand (block in the back) from Chris Clemons.
In a matter of minutes, the Eagles went from being down 7-0 on a drive that seemed to expose the defense to being up 17-7 and rolling.
The turnover fest made it an easy day for the Eagles, who blew out Carolina 38-10. The running game was effective and Winston Justice actually looked pretty good. Ditto Jason Peters, save for two false start penalties. That was nice to see. Brent Celek had a nice game, and the defense came up with big play after big play, forcing 7 turnovers and scoring a TD of their own.
Of course, things couldn't just be that simple. With seven minutes left in the third quarter, Donovan ran for a three-yard touchdown and took a fairly late hit that ended up breaking his ribs. Just what they needed, an injury to their starting quarterback in a blowout game. Now the status of McNabb is up in the air, and what should have been a game that led to hope has a bit of a dark cloud hanging over it. Of course it does.
As far as the game itself is concerned, I don't think we really know much more about the Eagles now than we did before the game. Yes, a 38-10 victory over a playoff team from last season is always a good thing, but the game was sort of an aberration. Teams don't turn the ball over 7 times on a regular basis.
What we can take away is that the offensive line looked pretty good, and so did the defensive line. The defense did have a lot of trouble with missed tackles, and that certainly can be something that can damage this team down the line. But beyond that, what else did we learn? Not a whole lot, other than Jake Delhomme still really and truly sucks at quarterback.
As far as the nightcap goes, well, what else can you say about Pedro? Simply put, the guy is killing it on the mound right now, putting forth another vintage Pedro outing: 8 innings, 6 hits, no runs, 7 strikeouts.
He outdueled Phillie killer Tim Redding to get a 1-0 win, combining with Ryan Madson for the shutout. Somebody wants to start in the playoffs. And the way he's going, the chances are pretty good he'll do just that. Chalk another one up for Mr. Amaro here.
It was a fun opening weekend of the NFL. Penn State is 2-0. The Eagles are 1-0. And the Phillies took 3 of 4 from the Mets to extend their lead to 6.5 games in the NL East. Not too shabby. As long as you weren't getting into car wrecks.
Another wild weekend for Philadelphia. Things started out well enough on Friday, as I was in attendance at the Wachovia Center to watch the Sixers defeat the Magic thanks to the game-winner by Thaddeus Young, and the Phillies won thanks to a grand slam by Shane Vicotrino in the ninth that propelled the Phils from a 3-0 deficit in the final inning to a 7-3 victory.
Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to see a single second of the Phillies' comeback, but as I said, I was in the 12th row at the Sixers game, so I was doing all right. Although, I had no idea that would be the case when I headed down to the game with two of my roommates, silver fox and uncle jellyfish, especially on our way there. Honestly, if you headed down to the sports complex area in south Philly Friday, you know there was absolutely no traffic at all. None. We made it down there easily, and the parking lot even looked empty at the Wachovia Center.
I became disheartened and fearful that the building would be nearly empty. Turns out, I was wrong. The place filled up quickly, and the crowd was into from the start. And my section was fantastic. Now, I generally don't like people. Truly, honestly, I'm just not a fan of them, and I typically don't enjoy when strangers try talking to me, unless of course they are attractive females. So when I sat down in my seat and this older gentleman began to chat me up, I was annoyed. Being my standoffish self, I didn't really respond much, but the guy knew basketball and was really into the game, so I quickly began to enjoy his presence. But not as much as the guy in front of me.
This guy was pretty tuned up, and he was all sorts of into the game. He was griping like Sammy Dalembert after a foul call, and every time Dwight Howard touched the ball, he'd scream, "HE TRAVELED! THAT'S A TRAVEL!" Every time. I swear. He was great.
Of course, Thad was the hero at the end, but it was Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller who carried the load, as they have really all season for the Sixers.
The game was tremendous, but it was also infuriating to watch. It was the antithesis of games 1 and 2, where the Sixers fell behind by 18 both games and made a comeback, one that succeeded, the other that came up short. Well, on Friday, it was the Sixers who built a 17-point lead in the 3rd, only to see Orlando, led by Dwight Howard's beastly night (36 and 11), come storming back. Thanks to some horrific free throw shooting by the Sixers (18-26), especially by Louis Williams (2-5) and Andre Iguodala (9-13), it took a last-second bucket from Thad to win the game.
The thing that pissed me off was that it was the scorers who were missing free throws, a guard and a small forward who shot 79 and 72 percent from the foul line this year, respecitvely. Meanwhile, Howard, who was a dismal 59 percent free throw shooter this year, went 12-14. That's inexcusable for Philadelphia's guard/small forward to be that much worse than Dwight Howard. But hey, the Sixers won, we got a celebratory cheesesteak, and the Phils' victory made the night a complete success.
And then there was Saturday. At the crack of 3, the Flyers came out and looked determined to send the series back to Pittsburgh for a deciding game 7. After holding off an aggressive Pittsburgh start, the Flyers scored twice late in the first, first on a goal by Mike Knuble, then on a beautiful shot by Joffrey Lupul on a great pass from Claude Giroux.
The Flyers continued to roll, scoring a beautiful power play setup as Simon Gagne hit Danny Briere in stride, and Briere buried it to make it 3-0. I was thoroughly enjoying myself as Arkansas Fred, The Charles and myself ate a ton of candy, pizza and hoagie at our friend's house, watching the Flyers on the high def and the draft on the smaller TV.
And to make things even better, Daniel Carcillo took down Max Talbot seconds after Briere's goal, and the place was roaring:
Now, as you can hear, Eddie Olczyk thought Carcillo took the bait and made a huge mistake by fighting Talbot immediately after going up 3-0 in an elimination game, giving Pittsburgh a little jolt, even if he did win the fight. At the time, I thought Enzo was out of his mind, especially with the way Carcillo handled Talbot and the fans roaring.
Turns out, Olczyk was absolutely right. Fourteen seconds after Carcillo and Talbot went to the box, former Flyer Ruslan Fedotenko scored, and the Penguins got the shot of life they were looking for. I guess that's why Enzo gets paid the big bucks and I just watch. Mark Eaton and Sidney Crosby each scored to tie the game, then Sergei Gonchar put Pittsburgh ahead in the third, and Crosby's empty-netter ended the Flyers' season. It sucked.
Coughing up a 3-0 lead at home in an elimination game, and doing it by surrendering five straight goals, is simply and utterly inexcusable. Heads should roll. A team that had six 25-goal scorers, a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, a team that had all the talent in the world, lost in the first round, two of the losses coming by coughing up leads. Clearly, the players aren't going anywhere, with the exception of perhaps the goaltender, and I have to say, Marty Biron didn't play all that bad in the series, but he was awful Saturday.
There's no excuse for him not to have covered the puck on Fedetenko's goal, and even though it was deflected, he should have caught the puck that he got his glove on before Crosby's first goal. And the goal by Gonchar, while definitely an impressive shot, should have been stopped. You can't give up goals from that far out when your team is grasping for its life. It was pretty pathetic that both Ryan Parent and Kimmo Timonen backed off Gonchar, but Biron had an unobstructed view of Gonchar and the puck. He simply couldn't stop it. We may have seen the last of Marty Biron as a Flyer. Then again, maybe not, seeing as there are no goaltenders out there at all.
Anyway, one guy who should be gone is John Stevens. To allow his team to play terrible down the stretch, lose home ice advantage, watch the once potent power play fall apart, come out flat in game 1 of the playoffs, choke away two leads, continually fail to play good defense, see no improvement from the beginning of the year to end in the faceoff circle and just basically underachieve, the guy should be fired. A first-round exit isn't good enough. At all. Get a coach in there that will use Claude Giroux on the man advantage, a guy who can motivate Jeff Carter in the playoffs, and a guy who can, you know, actually coach up his players to teach them defense and winning faceoffs.
It was a terrible thing to witness, and there are things that have to change. The Flyers' centers should work all damn offseason on winning faceoffs, because they were dreadful at them this year and it cost them big time in the playoffs. Pittsburgh manhandled the Flyers in faceoffs and controlled the puck much more as a result. Also, the Flyers should target a lethal faceoff guy, a guy that can be trotted out there to win every important faceoff the way Keith Primeau did for the Flyers.
And some guys should really look at themselves in the mirror. Jeff Carter had a fabulous season, but he was terrible in this series. He came up small, missed some golden opportunities, and really, just got taken off his game by getting roughed around a little. He needs to find a way to use his big frame a little more aggressively. Scott Hartnell needs to harness his agitator status and take a lot less penalties next season. Players like Braydon Coburn and Matt Carle need to communicate better on defense, and as a whole, the Flyers have to become better with the puck, stop turning it over and get crisper on their passes. The first course of action is to fire John Stevens. I hope it's the step the Flyers take.
Luckily, the Phillies came from behind again and won, and Chan Ho Park did this:
In all honesty, I was consumed more by the draft, and I was completely underwhelmed with the Birds trading up two spots to get Jeremy Maclin. My line of thinking was they needed a running back more, and if you were going to get a receiver, why not just trade the pick for Boldin? But as the Eagles' draft unfolded, I have to say, I like it, especially the more I think about it.
Maclin is a stud, and he'll definitely make the Eagles better. And I loved the pick for LeSean McCoy. Seeing as the Broncos took the guy I wanted more than anyone else real early, McCoy was the next back I wanted. Donald Brown wasn't doing it for me, but McCoy, I've seen him play and he's exactly what the Eagles look for in a back. Add in the Cornelius Ingram pick, and I'm pretty pumped now. Ingram is a huge target that could solve the Eagles' red zone problem, assuming he is healthy. And with the trade for Ellis Hobbs, it leads me to believe the Eagles still may not be done.
In all honesty, I'd be shocked if they didn't trade Sheldon Brown now. May I suggest shipping off a future pick, Kevin Curtis and Brown, perhaps, for Boldin? Or how about making a play for Julius Peppers? Braylon Edwards? Probably not, but I would think the Eagles are going to try and move Brown somewhere. Either that, or make his trade value completely deteriorate by making him ride the pine like they did with Lito. That would suck.
Either way, I'm cool with the Eagles' offseason, except for, you know, completely being dicks to Dawkins. But getting Peters, Andrews, Sean Jones, Weaver, Hobbs and the draft, it looks like a hell of an offseason. Which may or may not be done.
Eventful Saturday either way, and it culminated with getting very, very drunk.
Yesterday was very nice in the afternoon. For the first time all year, a Phillies starter didn't give up a home run, as Jamie Moyer continued his dominance against the Marlins.
The Phils exploded for 13 runs, and the game was never in question. Hell, they were in such command that the Marlins brought in Cody Ross to pitch the ninth. That was fun. The sweep brought the Phils to 9-8 and a game and half within Florida for the division lead. And with Park's home run and Moyer's 1-for-1 with a walk and HBP, the Phillies pitchers are hitting better than Jimmy Rollins. Someone wake Jimmy up please.
The Phils provided some relaxing relief early, but there'd be none of that late. The Sixers decided to go back to that strategy of falling behind and coming back, which they did thanks to Andre Miller just taking over in the 4th, but, as has happened so many times this year, the Sixers lost on a heartbreaking shot at the end of the game, this time by the Turkish assassin.
I have to be honest with you, I have no idea how the Sixers are staying with Orlando. I thought this was going to be a 4-1 Orlando win, but the Magic had to use everything they had to even the series 2-2. I still don't think the Sixers will win, but they are doing a hell of job staying in every game. Iguodala didn't have a very good shooting game last night, but he's becoming a legit threat, and if Orlando can't straighten out its three-point shooting, the Sixers can stay in this series.
I never thought I'd say this this season, but the Sixers have a chance now to win more playoff games in 2009 than the Flyers. Who would have guessed that two months ago?
NFL "contracts" are a complete and utter joke. At any time, a team can cut a player and basically completely renege on the majority of the contract, paying just pennies on the dollar.
Likewise, players from Anquan Boldin to Chad Johnson to Jason Peters to Lito Sheppard have complained about their contracts and either have or have threatened to hold out. As I'm sure you've all heard by now, Sheldon Brown is demanding a trade, unhappy with his contract, especially after his backup, Joselio Hanson, just signed a richer contract than his.
Now, I'm not saying it's right or wrong for a player to hold out or demand a new contract or a trade or whatever. It's a two-way street here. Teams aren't obligated to fulfill their end of the contracts, so why should players? But shit, I'm getting really fucking tired of it.
It's a completely broken system. These "contracts" are anything but. Players and management alike are failing to live up to them, and now the entire NFL system revolves around unhappy players and cold, calculated teams. It's taking the fun out of it for us fans. Something needs to be done.
For his part, there's no way Sheldon Brown should be getting vastly less paid than Joselio Hanson, but on the other hand, maybe these guys, like Sheldon and Lito and all the other players out there, shouldn't be so eager to sign long-term deals that will become obsolete a few years down the line. After all, contracts tend to inflate more and more each season, meaning that contract you signed two years ago doesn't look quite as good as it did back then.
Now, after an incredibly difficult offseason for Eagles fans to take finally seemed as if it was turning for the better with the trade for Jason Peters, it becomes a soap opera again. It's always something with this team: Trotter, Duce, Corey Simon, Terrell, Lito and now Sheldon. Frankly, I'm getting tired of it.
With the Phillies in the middle of a playoff chase, I've tried hard to focus on the Fightins. The Eagles' next game isn't until Monday night, in Dallas, so I wanted to hold off on writing about the team I love more than any on the planet taking on the team I despise more than Mitch Williams.
But then, I ventured over to Philly.com and read this. It's a great read on some of the most memorable Eagles-Cowboys games as told by people who covered the Birds over the years. And it got me thinking about my most memorable games since I've been alive against the Boys. And no, one of them isn't this game (20 seconds in), even though it is awesome.
How badass did Sheldon look wearing No. 39? I wish he'd go back to that.
Anyway, there are two games that come immediately to mind. Two that stand out more than any others. The first is without question the best call I've ever heard from Merill Reese in my life. Yes, you guessed it, the Eagles stopping the Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys not once, but twice on 4th and 1 to win the game.
I will never forget that as long as I live. As an 11 year old, I was sitting my living room with my dad, watching the game on TV on mute and listening to 94.1 to hear Merrill's sweet voice. After the bogus redo, the Birds came up huge as Merrill shouted, "THEY STOPPED 'EM AGAIN!" It was glorious.
The second I remember quite possibly more vividly than any game I've ever watched on television. Now 12, I again was watching the Eagles take on the Cowboys in big D with my Dad, as I did every Eagles game. The Birds were in command most of the game, but they had failed to put Dallas away.
In the final minutes, Troy Aikman was marching the Cowboys down the field for what looked like it was going to be the winning drive. My dad was yelling at the TV, "They kept letting them hang around! They let them hang around and now they're going to lose! This makes me sick!" Meanwhile, I knew he was right, but I did the only thing a 12 year old can do in a time like that—I crossed all of my fingers on both hands (middle finger over pointer, ring over pinky, pointer over pinky, thumb in the middle), sat on them and prayed. And then it happened.
It worked! Holy crap it worked! That's what I thought at the time. Also, my dad and I really wondered out loud what the hell James Willis was doing lateraling that ball to Troy. That seemed really, really dumb. Then again, James Willis was really, really dumb. Anyway, it worked out, and I was freakin pumped.
God damn do I hate Dallas. Especially Tony Romo. And Roy Williams. That asshole ruined my life once before. Now it's the Birds' turn to go back down to big D and romp them.
PS: Honorable mention goes to the Pickle Juice Game, also in Dallas, where Duce Staley, one of my favorite Eagles ever, romped all over the Cowboys for 201 yards rushing.
