Friday, October 31, 2008
L.J. Smith out Sunday
Status Report | |||
| | Out | | |
| | Friday | G Shawn Andrews (back), TE L.J. Smith (concussion) | |
| | |||
| | Questionable | | |
| | Friday | WR Jason Avant (trap) | |
| | |||
| | Probable | | |
| | Friday | WR Reggie Brown (groin), WR DeSean Jackson (shoulder), DE Juqua Parker (knee), RB Brian Westbrook (rib, ankle) | |
2009 NFL Mock Draft
Ahead of the Curve
First Round Mock Draft - October 30, 2008 * underclassmen
1. Cincinnati - Michael Oher - OT - Mississippi
2. Detroit - * Matthew Stafford - QB - Georgia
3. Kansas City - * Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech
4. San Francisco - Malcolm Jenkins CB - Ohio St.
5. St. Louis - James Laurinaitis LB - Ohio St
6. Seattle - Michael Johnson - DE - Georgia Tech
7. Oakland - * Jeremy Maclin WR - Missouri
8. San Diego - Clint Sintim - LB - Virginia
9. Miami - * Tim Tebow - QB - Florida
10. Minnesota - * Vontae Davis - CB - Illinois
11. Houston - Aaron Curry - LB - Wake Forest
12. New Orleans - Rey Maualuga - LB - Southern Cal
13. Cleveland - * Chris Wells - RB - Ohio St
14. Jacksonville - * George Selvie - DE - South Florida
15. NY Jets - * Taylor Mays - FS - Southern Cal
16. Arizona - * Knowshon Moreno - RB - Georgia
17. Philadelphia - * Andre Smith - OT - Alabama
18. Denver - Alex Mack - OC - California
19. Atlanta - Eugene Monroe - OT - Virginia
20. Chicago - Brian Orakpo, - DE - Texas
21. Washington - Tyson Jackson - DE - LSU
22. Baltimore - William Moore - FS - Missouri
23. Indianapolis - * Greg Middleton - DE - Indiana
24. Carolina - * Ricky Jean-Francois - DT - LSU
25. Tampa Bay - * Percy Harvin - WR - Florida
26. Green Bay - * Jermaine Gresham - TE - Oklahoma
27. Detroit (Dallas) - Alphonso Smith - CB - Wake Forest
28. New England - Brian Cushing - LB - Southern Cal
29. Buffalo - * Myron Rolle - SS - Florida St
30. Pittsburgh - Duke Robinson - OG - Oklahoma
31. New York Giants - * Darrius Heyward-Bey - WR - Maryland
32. Tennessee - * Greg Hardy - DE - Mississippi
Thursday, October 30, 2008
No one else cared about the World Series
The World Series was the lowest rated ever.
The series averaged 13.6 million viewers, down 14% from the last five-game series in 2006. Compared to last year, the Series was down 20%. Among adults 18-49, the Series averaged a 4.4 rating, down 21%. The Series also included the lowest-rated game ever -- Game 3 was the least-watched Series outing since Nielsen started tracking the Championships in 1968.
"This World Series got off to a solid start last week and was poised to build momentum as we expected it to," said Fox Sports president Ed Goren. "The rain delay on Saturday and suspended game on Monday, combined with going only five games, obviously worked against the Series reaching its maximum viewership potential."
"But even with that," he added, "Fox was No. 1 most nights, posted some of its best nights in many weeks and was No. 1 last week in prime time."
Same old Sixers
And it wasn't just any opener. Two of the most improved teams in the Eastern Conference (supposedly) met when Toronto came to town and faced off with the revamped Sixers.
To accommodate the fans, the Sixers moved up the starting time of the game by an hour, so that everyone could get somewhere to watch the Phils clinch the World Series.
The Sixers were of course the last Philadelphia team to win a title when Cheeks teamed with Julius Erving and Moses Malone to form one of the greatest teams in NBA history during the 1982-83 season.
Things haven’t exactly gone smoothly for Philly's basketball team since then and the last time the franchise felt this optimistic entering a season, Hall of Fame power forward Charles Barkley was throwing his weight around the basket.
'The Round Mound of Rebound' last played with the Sixers during the 1992-93 season and the team hasn't had a real inside presence since.
Enter Elton Brand. Brand was pedestrian in the opener but still recorded a double-double and he will be as advertised.
The rest of the team? Unfortunately, it's the same old Sixers. They can't shoot the three and they don't defend it.
The Raptors abused the Sixers from beyond the arc in an alarmingly easy victory and the two shooters Ed Stefanski brought in -- Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall -- spent most of the night watching things from the $1,000 dollar seats.
Cheeks' rotation was certainly a head-scratcher and Willie Green continues to pile up undeserved minutes.
It's not time to panic in Philly but I would enjoy that Phillies championship. The Sixers won't be adding to it.
Flyers get Gratton from Nashville
The Philadelphia Flyers acquired 6’2”, 215-pound forward Josh Gratton from the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Tim Ramholt Thursday and assigned him to the Phantoms.
What Now?
Like Steve Carell in the 40-year-old virgin, Philadelphia and the Phillies finally scored.
The well-chronicled 25-year drought (28 for the Fightins) was over.
So now what?
In one fell swoop -- did the city become Boston?
Will Philadelphia fans, known for their brashness and the ability to love without precondition, turn into the same type of haughty fans they have always despised?
Will WIP, built as the original whine line/suicide prevention service, need a government bailout to survive?
Will fans forget that Donovan McNabb puked in the Super Bowl?
Will they give Andy Reid and Jeffrey Lurie a break?
Will Ed Snider slink off into the sunset while lamenting his own curse? After all, poor Ed has really been trying to win you all a championship for over 30 years.
Will the Sixers ever learn to defend the three-point line?
When will Paul Holmgren realize the coach he found in the Walmart clearance aisle is broken?
Did anyone wake up this morning and think the Phillies ownership group isn't all that bad?
Or will they count this as a 10-year pass and play Florida Marlins?
Does Pat Burrell walk and satisfy the ladies in an American League city?
Do the Phillies balk at another huge Ryan Howard raise in arbitration and trade the slugger to a team with more famous pinstripes?
(Closed circuit to Howard Eskin and Bill Conlin) Does Charlie Manuel now understand that pesky double-switch?
Why is Frankford and Cottman the party epicenter of this city?
Did McMullen escape South Philly and the Sixers game before Armageddon hit?
Does anyone realize Barack Obama and John McCain are two of the worst presidential candidates in American history?
Who knows and who cares.
For once, Philadelphia is a champion...Enjoy it.
One victory, one column 25 years in the waiting
By Jeff Glauser
The Phanatic Magazine
I’ve been waiting 25 years to write this. And now that the time has come, I’m not sure how to do it. It just feels a little too surreal right now.
But I’ll give it my best shot; just start typing and see what comes out…
You see, the world makes a little bit more sense today.
There's finally a rewarding destination at the end of this painful journey filled with heartbreak and disappointment. And now the sun shines a little brighter today. Hell, the sun is actually shining today period, which is miraculous in and of itself lately!
The scene that I witnessed last night, outside of Citizen’s Bank Park at 10:00, in the madness of the surrounding parking lots at 11:00, mingling with thousands of elated people, drunk on life as well as beer, wandering aimlessly down Broad Street toward City Hall, well into the early morning hours, giving and receiving hugs and high-fives to hundreds of strangers, people from all walks of life whom are more accustomed on most days to wallow in their own self pity… well, it was something that even the greatest writers could struggle to put into acceptable words.
It was also something that, up until then, I’ve only viewed secondhand, on TV, wistfully wishing, wanting, waiting… and as the years turned to decades, it began to feel that this viewpoint would be the one fated for me for eternity.
But, suddenly, the demons have been exorcised. The Curse of Billy Penn can rest in peace. The ’64 Collapse, Whiz Kids, Wheez Kids and Black Friday no longer sting as much for the older folks. For me, Mitch Williams is now completely exonerated, and years from now will be known more for his outstanding baseball analysis in town than for his misplaced, soul-crushing pitches. Hell, Joe Carter can have his glory now, too.
And in one night, one victory which will culminate in one incredible party this Friday, can be dedicated to many who have trudged through this interminable path along the way.
This one is for Brett Myers. A hot prospect with a wicked curve frustrated fans for years by not living up to his potential, both on the field and off. Finally finding his niche as a reliever went short lived when the starting rotation remained short on talent. Came back as the Opening Day starter, a de facto ace, he struggled once more, this time to such an extent that he was forced to swallow his pride – as well as an enormous piece of humble pie – and head back to the minors. The struggles continued there and Myers essentially was deemed a non-factor in the forthcoming push for the playoffs.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the finish line: The Myers we always knew existed but never were convinced could perform, did just that. And then some. His heart finally overcame his head.
This one is for Jimmy Rollins and Pat Burrell. The two with the longest tenures here. Drafted while the franchise was still in laughing-stock mode. The identity of this team through thick and thin – both cool, calm and collected, with the occasional burst of enthusiasm.
And for Pat the Bat, as disappointing as his tenure here may have been at times, his last at-bat in a Phillies uniform may have occurred last night, and if it did, it was only two inches away from being poetically ideal – a thunderous blast which was ironically held up by the winds in the alleged band box of a ballpark, settling in for a double which would eventually set up the Series-winning run.
This one is for Ryan Howard, who has endured a love-hate relationship with the fans from the first time he put on the Cursive P: Love the raw talent, hate the nonchalant approach. Love the homers, hate the strikeouts. Love the clutch hits, hate the klutz defense. But in the end, love conquers all, and we love the fact that he took part in turning the team into champions.
This one is for Cole Hamels. It’s funny to say that, for a guy who was the bar none best pitcher on a championship team yet only had 14 wins in a full season, that it was a certain victory each time he stepped on the mound, but that’s how it felt. And the postseason may just have been his coming-out party, the moment when he went from very good to historically great.
This one is for Jamie Moyer. As we speak, I’m certain that Disney is in the process of buying the rights to his story. Jamie got to take part in both of the two World Series championships in this team’s 125 year history – one as a spectator, the other as a contributor. Never one with dominating stuff, he’s somehow lasted 22 years and well over 200 victories at the big league level. And at 45 – almost 46 – years old came one of his better seasons. “Invincible” and “Rocky” have nothing on him.
This one is for Brad Lidge. Written off as damaged goods after serving a deflating home run in the National League Championship Series, the man with the devastating slider was predicted to never be the same again. In his first season with his new team, his fresh start, he was simply perfect. Literally. Not one blown save.
In fact, this one’s for all the relievers. For how many years was this crew deemed to be the Achilles’ Heel? Instead, they were more solid this season than the Gibraltor-esque statues of Schmitty, Whitey, Robin and Lefty which linger outside the Bank.
This one is most definitely for Charlie Manuel. Say what you want about Uncle Cholly (and I’ve certainly said my share), but it turns out that he was the perfect man for these players. He masterfully brought together a group of fragile egos, even as he struggled to master proper syntax. An amazing contradiction to the MENSA applicant sitting in the opponent’s dugout during the World Series, Charlie proved that substance truly does win out over style in the end.
But, most of all, and most selfishly, this one is for us, the fans. And the fact that the deal was sealed on our home grounds was only right.
It’s also for me, personally.
You see, on Oct. 31, the day of the largest parade that’ll ever be thrown, will mark 25 years to the day that I moved to this area. Yes, Oct. 31, 1983 was Day One of the ghoulish suffering I would come to bear as a fledgling, 6 year-old brand-spanking-new Philly sports fan, a fourth generation one at that.
And now Halloween will no longer be as scary.
However, both sides of my family dating back to great grandparents have called these grounds their home. And when my father brought he and his family back to his native dwellings after years away, it was a chance for him to relive his passion for Philly sports – a passion he passed on to his son – up close again.
Memories of watching and playing baseball with my dad are some of the most vivid I still have left of him. In 1987, four years after moving back to the Delaware Valley, he passed away, and never did have the opportunity to celebrate a World Series with his son.
So yes, this one is for my dad, too.
And generations before him, to boot. It’s very likely my father’s father’s father had felt the pain I felt, and cried in his Prohibition beer after another disappointing loss at the Baker Bowl.
But now those tears have dried. Now there is a dawn to a new day, a new era. Now a city which has long suffered, long carried the burden of being labeled in such ways as “loser,” and “disgruntled” bears a new brand to wear proudly on its chest:
Winner.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Eagles injury report
| Practice Report | |||
| | Out (Definitely Will Not Play) | | |
| | Wednesday | G Shawn Andrews (back) | |
| | |||
| | Did Not Participate In Practice | | |
| | Wednesday | TE L.J. Smith (concussion) | |
| | |||
| | Limited Participation in Practice | | |
| | Wednesday | WR Jason Avant (trap), DE Juqua Parker (knee) | |
| | |||
| | Full Participation in Practice | | |
| | Wednesday | WR Reggie Brown (groin), WR DeSean Jackson (shoulder), RB Brian Westbrook (rib, ankle) | |
Wolves extend Foye
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Sixers move up home opener for World Series
"We moved the start time of our home opener to 6:00 p.m. to allow our fans an opportunity to attend our game and to be able to see the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series," said Lara Price, Senior Vice President of Business Operations.
The AT&T Pavilion at the Wachovia Center will remain open after the Sixers game late into the evening for fans to watch the baseball game with half-price domestic beer specials and delicious food, including Chickie's & Pete's world famous Crab Fries and chicken tenders. After the Sixers game, access to the AT&T Pavilion will be free and open to the public.
Two Wins. What Do You Want, a Parade?
The Phanatic Magazine
So, last weekend was great for fans of the orange and black.
Two wins over the New Jersey Devils, on back-to-back nights, no less. The
first two wins of the season after six in the tank.
I bet you think they've turned the corner. That enough heat has come off John
Stevens and that his job is suddenly secure.
Think again.
It was inevitable, the wins. Whether it happened on Friday in New Jersey or
Tuesday against perennial punching-bag Atlanta or next Sunday against
Edmonton, there would be a 'W' posted, maybe several in a row. That's
just the nature of a bloated 30-team league. Ebb and flow at unexpected times.
I have to laugh at the suggestion that two victories over the Devils,
including one that snapped an oh-for-four-year streak on the road, is any
positive referendum on John Stevens' ability.
Remember, last year's club was just as deceptively streaky. The only
difference thus far is that this year's model chose to start the year with six
in the loss column rather than waiting until just before Christmas to hit the
skids.
Sure, there's a better than average chance that win number three is going to
happen at Philips Arena tonight.
After 10 consecutive wins over the Thrashers, no reason to believe that the
11th isn't forthcoming. That would create the deceptively egalitarian record
of 3-3-3 for the Flyers with one more game before October concludes.
But the fact remains that the team's "star" forward is gone for a month. Two
of the defenseman counted on to carry some significant minutes are out long
term. And, of course, the coaching staff is the kind which most likely will
not be able to squeeze much blood from a shrinking stone for long.
We've already seen the first couple chapters of "Coaching for Dummies" cracked
open. There have been demotions to the minors and radical line switching.
Any further losses and then the benchings follow. After that? Nothing. Paul
Holmgren steps in to do what his hires cannot.
Isn't that a clear indictment of the coaches, that the general manager has to
step in before the first month is over?
The threat was there as of Thursday night, that if a win was not forthcoming
changes would be made. Now two wins in succession are enough to call off the
dogs?
Moreso than the numbers, is the club's repeated inability to play a full
contest. Sleepwalking through last Tuesday's first period cost them the San
Jose game. On Friday, at least they got the bad period out of the way in the
first, and turned a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 result.
Jersey came back and controlled the game for long stretches in the second and
third period after Philly went up by one. Had it not been for a fluke
deflection, we'd most likely be talking about one point on Saturday for a
loss.
It's clear by now that the M.O. of the club will not change as long as
Stevens, Craig Berube, Joe Mullen and Jack McIlhargey are in charge. You can't
try to solve your problems by simply working harder within the system.
Want proof? Ask Bill Barber.
All that's left is to take each win as it comes, whenever it comes, and hope
that Holmgren is allowed to make the right choices at the right time.
Keep Waiting...
MLB will announce they will not resume Game 5 of the World Series tonight at a 2:00 p.m. press conference.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Philly's S.D. Jones passes away
Conrad "S.D. Jones" Efraim passed away Sunday in his native Antigua after suffering a stroke this past week.
Efraim, 63, was a popular preliminary wrestler (jobber) for the World Wide Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Federation. He most recently appeared with the WWE, inducting former tag team partner Anthony "Tony Atlas" White into the company's Hall of Fame.
Jones was the top star among enhancement talent during the 70s and early 80s before the company went national and was billed as "Philadelphia's favorite son."
His most famous match on a national level was at the inaugural WrestleMania, when he lost to Atlantic City native Chris "King Kong Bundy" Pallies in nine seconds.
DMac to introduce Phils starting lineup tonight
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Philadelphia's finest hour is at hand
By Steven Lienert
The Phanatic Magazine
Philadelphia sports fans have a rare opportunity over the next three days.
They have the chance to will one of their teams to a world championship.
The Tampa Bay Rays come to town for Games 3, 4 and 5 of the World Series and I'm quite certain they have no idea about the cauldron they are about to walk into.
You see, in the first two rounds of the MLB playoffs, the Rays had to go through the White Sox and Red Sox, both of whom have won a world title in the past few years. It was different for those fans before they won their titles – they were hungry, hurt, frustrated, angry.
When they played the Rays, they were sated.
Needless to say, Philadelphians are pretty f-in far from sated.
That was clearly evident in Game 2 of the NLDS, when the fans intimidated CC Sabathia and the home plate umpire as Brett Myers worked a walk. It was Burt Hooton all over again, minus the middle finger after getting pulled.
I hate to do it, but I'll give Red Sox fans credit for setting the precedent. Let's face facts here: Boston was downright cooked after the Rays took a 7-0 lead in Game 5. The locker room attendants were putting plastic over the players' lockers so their clothes didn't get pummeled with champagne.
But the fans said 'Not today. Not on my watch.' The Red Sox clearly fed off their collective want and, perhaps most importantly, the Rays wilted.
The Rays bowed up in Game 7 because they were lucky enough to have home-field advantage.
Philadelphians, on the other hand, have built up 25 years of angst. One hundred seasons without a major sports championship. The frustration has been, and remains, palpable.
Fans at Citizens Bank Park, though, have the chance to vent all of that over the next three games. They have the chance to get in Matt Garza's head. They have the chance to heckle B.J. Upton, who's already a head case, to tears.
They have the chance to introduce a group of 25-year-old kids to manhood and, as most of us know, growing up can be a bitch.
On a side note, there's no way the Tampa Bay Bucs, Lightning and Rays can all win a world championship before any Philly team has. It just isn't right – I really think that would be the seventh sign of the apocalypse.
But I don't want to go there. One thing's for certain: Philadelphia will explode in victory or implode upon defeat.
For a rare moment in sports, fans can influence the outcome of a series almost as much as the players can. Bring 25 years of hate, angst, frustration, anger and disappointment with you to the stadium and let it rain down on the Rays and their front-running fans.
For Philadelphians, the next three days could be our finest hour.
Steve Lienert can be reached at stevelienert@hotmail.com.
Phils - Rays a dud in national ratings
The ratings for the World Series on Fox featuring the Phillies and
Rays is down 19-percent from last year’s series between Boston and
Colorodo.
Game 2 averaged a 9.2 rating/14 share from 8:30 - 11 p.m. to come in behind
the CBS lineup of Survivor, CSI, and Eleventh Hour.
Of course, in Philadelphia, the World Series is scoring big with a 30.7
rating/44 share for Fox29.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Cinderella? No - Happily Ever After Will Do
The Phanatic Magazine
This is not a special team.
At no point this season did I ever get that feeling that the 2008 version of the Phillies was going to take us where no area team in the past quarter century has taken us before.
There have arguably been more talented teams, deeper teams, since then. There have certainly been clubs with more personality (try to find more than a couple players on this roster who don’t have permanent bite marks on their tongues).
Last night was obviously not the makings of a championship team.
And you wanna know something? So freaking what!
If these guys find a way to somehow pull it out, will a big-ass parade on Broad Street be any less sweet because they never reached “Team of Destiny” status?
Hell no.
There is no need for rags to riches, fairy tales or soap opera dramas. In fact, the first two games of the World Series were, admittedly, boring for the most part (any time Eric Bruntlet and Carlos Ruiz are your offensive heroes – at ANY point – is never encouraging).
But that’s fine, too. Like a girl who’s been dating a guy with commitment issues for 25 years, we don't need excitement - we just need a ring. And we need it now.
(Upon further review, that wasn’t the manliest of analogies there. But again, so freaking what. Now I’ll digress.)
Not to say there isn’t a storyline here: The losingest professional team of the 20th Century versus the losingest team of the 21st. One World Series victor in 125 years versus one winning season in 13.
The fact that those obnoxious chumps from Boston are sitting home versus the fact that those phonies from L.A. have long since hopped off the bandwagon again.
It’s a sad state of affairs when we live in a town where its runners-up have just as much – if not more – folklore than its champs (See: ’93 Phils, ’01 Sixers, ’04 Eagles). Perhaps it’s because we need something to hold onto. If we can’t afford a nice pair of Oakleys, it’s still somewhat reassuring to wear a nice pair of Foakleys, right?
I must confess, though: It was extremely difficult for me to come to this conclusion. It was hard for me to become emotionally invested in a squad that never provided the stereotypical image of being a true contender, one with so many maddening shortcomings. And when the stars of the team always look like they wish they were anywhere but the Delaware Valley, that’s never a good thing.
But lately, my denial has dissipated. I’m thinking big picture now. It’s the end result which matters most, not the journey. If the ’93 club was mullet-and-personality free yet a Joe Carter longball was nowhere to be found, would we think any less of them? Au contraire!
After all this time I've come to terms that we don't need a special team. We just need a team that can make it to the Promised Land for the first time since Moses took us there.
After 25 years, we don't need a Cinderella story. We just need a success story.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Sixers waive Reiner
Reiner (6-11, 245) attended the University of Iowa and was not selected in the 2004 NBA Draft but signed as a rookie free-agent with the Chicago Bulls for the 2004-05 season. In two seasons with the Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks, Reiner has played a total of 46 games with four starts, averaging 1.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game. This past summer, Reiner participated in the Sixers entry in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 1.4 points and 2.2 rebounds. Last season, Reiner played abroad in both Spain and Germany.
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. DOB From Years Pro
1 Samuel Dalembert C 6-11 250 5/10/81 Seton Hall 6
4 Kareem Rush G-F 6-6 215 10/30/80
7 Andre Miller G 6-2 200 3/19/76
8 Donyell Marshall F 6-9 245 5/18/73
9 Andre Iguodala G-F 6-6 207 1/28/84
12 Royal Ivey G 6-4 215 12/20/81
14 Jason Smith F-C 7-0 240 3/2/86
16 Marreese Speights F-C 6-10 245 8/4/87
21 Thaddeus Young F 6-8 220 6/21/88 Georgia Tech 1
23 Lou Williams G 6-1 175 10/27/86
30 Reggie Evans F 6-8 245 5/18/80
33 Willie Green G 6-3 201 7/28/81
42 Elton Brand F 6-9 254 3/11/79 Duke 9
50 Theo Ratliff C 6-10 235 4/17/73
Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks (
Assistant Coaches: John Loyer (
Jim Lynam (
Jeff Ruland (
Assistant Coaches/Player Development: Aaron McKie (
Bernard Smith (
Athletic Trainer: Kevin Johnson (Indiana State)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sharks Put Final Bite on Flyers in Wild Shootout Win
The Phanatic Magazine
Joe Pavelski was credited with the winner while Jeremy Roenick notched the deciding goal in the shootout, as the San Jose Sharks kept the Philadelphia Flyers winless on the season with a 7-6 victory at the
Pavelski tallied first for
“I think you look to the stats of last year, and we went with the stats of last year, [Pavelski] and I were one and two,” said Roenick of the shootout. “I might be an old goat, but sometimes the puck goes in the net.”
Roenick went 5-for-8 in the round last season, while Pavelski hit at a 10-for-14 clip for
Patrick Marleau recorded four points on two goals and two assists for the Sharks, who recorded their most goals in any one game against the Flyers since arriving in the NHL in 1991. Pavelski added a goal and two assists as did Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe. Dan Boyle also picked up a score.
Evgeni Nabokov won despite allowing a season-worst six goals in regulation on 29 shots.
Joffrey Lupul picked up his first two goals of the year and Scott Hartnell added a season-best three assists for the Flyers, who are the lone winless team in the NHL at 0-3-3 despite posting a season-high in goals. Briere scored the game-tying goal late in regulation while Scottie Upshall, Jeff Carter and Mike Richards each lit the lamp once.
Antero Niittymaki got the start but was pulled after one period for giving up four goals on 15 shots. Biron finished the contest by making 18 saves but was saddled with the loss.
“You score six goals that should be enough to win,” added Flyers head coach John Stevens. “You look at the games we played, there are a lot of games we have scored enough to win. I thought tonight we created a lot of opportunities offensively but it’s no secret, you get your goals against down, you win hockey games.”
With Philly on the power play and Biron on the bench for an extra attacker, Briere emerged from a goalmouth scrum with 1:05 left in regulation to lift the puck over Nabokov to produce a 6-6 tie.
The score capped a comeback for the beleaguered home club, which led 1-0 early but continually had to play from behind for the remainder of the contest.
Carter notched the game’s first goal only 51 seconds in, an unassisted short-handed tally with a little help from a deflection off a
Richards then tied the score at 12:04, as he took a dish from Andreas Nodl, skated through the Sharks’ zone and floated a wrister through a screen. It was the first NHL point for the youngster, called up from the AHL’s Phantoms on Tuesday.
Marleau’s first of the game at 15:45 gave the visitors the lead, but Upshall slid a rebound through Nabokov on the backhand at 17:54 for a 3-3 game on another man-advantage goal.
However, Setoguchi managed to tuck in a bouncing puck through traffic in the crease with 39 seconds to play in the first, and
Biron came out for the start of the second, and Lupul took a Hartnell feed on the right wing, waited for Nabokov to commit, and roofed a shot high and just inside the left post at 3:30 for a 4-4 deadlock.
The Sharks took a 5-4 edge with 7:08 to play in the second as Biron lost track of Marcel Goc’s shot in his pads and Boyle tipped home the loose puck in the crease.
It was 6-4 only 47 ticks into the third as Marleau converted a Goc pass, but Philly got within one just 17 seconds later as Richards won a right-circle draw and Lupul slammed the puck home.
“We’ve got to keep working hard. It’s disappointing, the way we thought we finally came back the last couple [goals],” said Briere. “In the game at
The Flyers have never opened a season in their 42-year history without a win in their first six games. They get two cracks at the New Jersey Devils on Friday (in Newark) and Saturday (at home) to pick up that elusive first victory.
St. Joe's to open at Wachovia Center
The Hawks will play the remainder of their home games this season at The Palestra, because of the expansion and renovation project that is currently in progress at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse. SJU will return to campus in 2009-10 to the Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena.
Tickets for the Rider game will be on sale through the Wachovia Center Box Office beginning on October 31. They can be purchased online at www.comcasttix.com or by calling 800-298-4200.
Starting times for all but three of Saint Joseph's games have been finalized and the schedule can be found at www.sjuhawks.com. Those three game times will be announced once the television arrangements are finalized.
Breaking News: Eagles' Andrews has back surgery - out six weeks
"I think the best thing to do with the [G] Shawn [Andrews] situation is to take you through the history right up until this morning," Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder said. "Coming into Philadelphia and into Arkansas, Shawn, in high school, had a herniated disc in his back, which we knew about. He had it injected in high school, did fine through Arkansas and did fine through all his years here. If you recall back to the Dallas game on the 15th of September, he got hurt in the first half, he couldn’t play in the second half. We did an MRI on the next day, Monday the 16th, and it showed that he had the herniated disc in his back.
"It did not look new, it looked like it was the same disc that we knew about coming in. However, he had symptoms now. On the 18th of September he had his back injected. He got no relief from that. He saw Dr. Carrol, our back specialist, on the 21st who said to give the shot a chance.
"He didn’t improve. On the 16th, he had his back injected again and had it improve for one day and then it really leveled off. On the 13th of October he went out to Los Angeles and saw Dr. Robert Watkins, Sr. and, at that time, Dr. Watkins thought that with his history of symptoms and injections that the quickest recovery for Shawn would be to have his back operated on and have a microdisectomy. Yesterday, the 21st, at Marina Delray hospital in California, Dr. Robert Watkins, Sr. did a microdisectomy on Shawn’s L-4/L-5 disc. They’re numbered by how they sit between the vertebrae, so it’s lumbar 4/5. He had good success with the surgery, he took the fragments out and Shawn’s in Marina Delray hospital recovering now."
Max Jean-Gillis will continue to start in Andrews' absence.
"I didn't know what was going on until yesterday, when Coach Reid told me he was having surgery. I hope all is well. I know this is my job now, and I just have to fight for it and keep it," Jean-Gillis said."
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
EliteXC officially dead
Several fighters with Elit XC, including Kensington's own Eddie Alvarez, received word today that the promotion is done after CBS pulled out of talks to purchase the company.
The death of the deal was traced to Seth Petruzelli's comments caused an investigation by the Florida Boxing Commission after his fight with Kimbo Slice. Petruzelli destroyed Kimbo and eluded that officials from EliteXC offered him a bonus if he kept the fight standing.
The November 8 show scheduled for Reno, Nevada has not yet been officially canceled but that is considered a formality since a number of fighters on the show have gotten word that the show is off.
LeBron can play; West back with Cavs
No surprise that LeBron had his way with Andre Iguodala and the Sixers early.
Meanwhile, ex-St. Joe's star Delonte West returned to Philly with the Cavs. West sat out 12 days earlier in the preseason with some personal problems that included depression and anger issues.
Elton Brand, who has been exceptional for most of the preseason, really struggled with Ben Wallace and was just 1-of-8 in the first half from the floor. He did pull down nine rebounds, however. Brand is not the kind of player who goes into a funk in other areas when his shot is not falling.
Most of the Sixers offense is coming from the bench in the first half. Willie Green and Lou Williams both had nine points to lead Philly, while rookie Marreese Speights continues to impress with seven points and four rebounds in about eight minutes of action in the first half.
LeBron's new playmate, former Bucks point guard Mo Williams, was spectacular in the opening half, compiling 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting and two assists.
In the battle for the Cavs shooting guard spot, Sasha Pavlovic got the start but Wally Szczerbiak played almost twice as many minutes after Sasha got in foul trouble.
Sixers were the worst three-point shooting team in basketball last season and brought in Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall to rectify that. Rush was 0-fo-1 from long range in the first half and Marshall didn't get off the bench. Meanwhile, the Cavs hit six of their first seven from long range.
Philly dominated the third quarter as Iguodala rebounded and started to get a hot hand as did Andre Miller and Brand. E.B. had 12 points and 11 boards through three. Can you say Comeback Player of the Year?
As for LeBron -- How about 20, 8 and 4 through three.
Sixers couldn't buy a bucket down the stretch and the Cavs pulled away with James sitting safely on the bench. Daniel Gibson was the star of the game, netting 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long range. The Cabs were plus-17 in Gibson's 28 minutes on the floor.
The 76ers still can't shot, 0-for-9 from long range and outscored 24-0 from beyond the arc.
NFL likes Knighton, Douglas
Al Golden and the Owls are getting a little national TV love as ESPN2 is on hand to broadcast the game.
And even though Temple is just 2-5, thanks to some horrendous luck and the injury to QB Adam DiMichele, don’t believe for one second that Golden isn’t turning things around.
The surest sign? A plethora of NFL scouts were on hand to watch the Owls. Names mentioned in the press box included senior defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and senior offensive lineman Andre Douglas.
In seven games this season, Knighton has recorded 27 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, two passes defensed and a quarterback hurry. He was also named a preseason second-team All-Mac selection by both Athlon and MAC Report Online.
Douglas, who started the first seven games at right guard and moved outside to right tackle against Ohio, was listed in NFL Draft Scout's top players for 2009.
Temple's regular right tackle Jabari Ferguson and senior center Alex Derenthal also are getting some sniffs from the NFL.
Scouts from the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, St, Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints were on hand.
"The Coz" Billy Cosby, a '61 Temple alumnus was on hand for the coin toss and singer/songwriter Lauren Hart, daughter of legendary Flyers announcer Gene Hart, hopped across the street to sing the Anthem.
DiMichele, who injured his shoulder against No. 3 Penn State in Temple's fourth game of the season, returned and started the game.
Eagles sign fullback; release Reed
A native of Philadelphia and a product of Episcopal Academy, Eckel spent the entire 2007 season with the New England Patriots. After being promoted from their practice squad on October 1, he saw action in 12 regular season games and two postseason contests with the Patriots. Eckel gained 90 yards and 2 touchdowns on 33 carries and notched 12 special teams tackles.
Eckel (5-11, 237) was originally signed by the Patriots as a rookie free agent in 2005, but was released following training camp that year. He was claimed off waivers by Miami, but spent the parts of two seasons on the reserve/military list with the Dolphins.
While at the Naval Academy, Eckel became the third player in school history to post two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his career as he finished with 2,906 yards and 25 touchdowns. While at Episcopal Academy located in Merion, PA, Eckel shared all-city backfield team honors with Chicago Bears RB Kevin Jones.
In addition, the Eagles signed G Nevin McCaskill to the practice squad and released FB Jed Collins from the practice squad.
McCaskill (6-4, 300) was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Buffalo in 2007 and spent his entire rookie season on the Bills practice squad. The Tallahasse, FL, native was a two-year starter at left tackle for Hampton from 2004-05.
Flyers recall Nodl
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that they have recalled forward Andreas Nodl from the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren. Nodl has been assigned uniform number #14.
In two seasons at
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sixers waive Robinson
Robinson (6-8, 220) played all four seasons at Temple University, earning Atlantic-10 All-Conference Second Team honors his senior season. In 116 career games played for the Owls, he had 85 steals to 54 turnovers. He has yet to appear in a regular season game since going undrafted in 2006, but played preseason games for the Atlanta Hawks in 2007. After being waived by the Hawks, Robinson joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League before playing overseas for Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez of the French League.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Steve Lienert Show
They also celebrate the fact that the Eagles are still alive in the NFC East and how Sarah Palin, the anti-Kate Smith, has cursed the Flyers season. it's 20 minutes of your life you'll never get back, so why not double task and do something while listening to The Steve Lienert Show?
Saturday, October 18, 2008
UFC 89 Spoilers
- Dan Hardy d. Akihiro Gono via Unanimous Decision
- Shane Carwin defeated Neil Wain by TKO (Strikes) 1:31 of round 1.
- David Bielkheden defeated Jess Liaudin via Unanimous Decision
- Terry Etim defeated San Strout via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Jim Miller defeated David Baron by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:19 of round 3.
- Per Eklund defeated Samy Schiavo by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:47 of round 3.
- Marcus Davis over Paul Kelly (guillotine choke) at 2:15 of Round 2.
-Chris Lytle over Paul Taylor by unanimous decision , 29-28, 30-27, 29-28.
-Luiz Cane stopped Sokoudjou with 16 unanswered punches at 4:15 of Round 2.
-Keith Jardine over Brandon Vera by split decision, 29-28 Vera, 29-28 Jardine, 29-28 Jardine.
-Michael Bisping beat Chris Leben by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 Bisping.
Pavlik-Hopkins undercard live updates
The 43-year-old Hopkins (49-5-1) put on a boxing clinic Saturday night en route to embarrassing the previously undefeated Kelly Pavlik (34-1) in front of a near capacity crowd at Boardwalk Hall.
The bout was fought in the light heavyweight division so Pavlik remains the WBC and WBO middle middleweight king but "The Ghost" may have lost far more than any title.
Hopkins used amazing quickness, a sharp overhand right and his vaunted defensive skills to befuddle Pavlik and pitch a virtual shutout, winning 119-106, 118-108 and 117-109.
Despite hailing from Philadelphia, "The Executioner" was clearly not the most popular fighter in the ring at the outset. Atlantic City has adopted Pavlik and the Youngstown, Ohio native received a thunderous ovation when he arrived in the ring.
Things changed as the night wore on. Hopkins started winning round after round and using Pavlik's left eye as target practice. Sensing they were witnessing history, the partisans turned and started chanting "B-Hop" by the middle of the fight.
By Round 8 it was over. Pavlik, who many had placed in the best pound-for-pound fighter discussion, looked lackadaisical and needed a knockout. Since Hopkins has not hit the canvas since 1994 and is basically boxing's version of Omar Vizquel or Bruce Bowen, that outcome was very unlikely.
Hopkins cruised to the finish line and Pavlik looked stunned and on the verge of tears after the fight. .
In the semifinal Steven Luevano (36-1-1) kept the WBO featherweight title by winning a 12-round snoozer over the previously unbeaten Billy Dib (21-1) of Australia.
In the opening bout of the night, Atlantic City bantamweight Qa'id Muhammad (3-0) stopped Mexico's Samuel Gutierrez (3-4) by TKO at 2:29 of the fourth round.
Welterweight Danny Garcia (8-0) of Philly remained undefeated when he caught journeyman Deon Nash (5-6) of Louisiana with a right-handed uppercut at 2:14 of Round 3.
No surprise here, the technically sound but light hitting Yuri Foreman of Brooklyn (26-0 but just 8 KO's) pitched a shutout against Vinroy Barnett (22-7), 100-90 on all three scorecards, in a junior middleweight match.
The junior featherweight swing biut between Jorge Diaz (6-0) of New Brunswick, NJ and Saul Gutierrez (5-11-2), Samuel's brother was canceled due to lack of time.
Daniel Jacobs (11-0) of Brooklyn blitzed Tyrone Watson of Flint, MI in a super middlewight encounter. “The Golden Child” needed just 2:29 to win by TKO in Round 1.
In a hard-fought WBC middleweight title eliminator, Marco Rubio (43-4-1) of Torreon, Mexico won a 12-round split decision over Enrique Ornelas (28-5) of La Habra, CA, 115-113, 113-115 and 116-112.
"Joe the Plumber" and the NBA
It seems every single double-talking politician and pundit is talking about the problems on "Wall Street" and how they are affecting "Main Street."
In fact, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have gotten so much television time, it's almost like they are now a part of American pop culture.
Now Joe Wurzelbacher, aka "Joe the Plumber," is getting his 15 minutes of fame after Republican presidential hopeful John McCain made him the face of his campaign during Wednesday's debate.
In case you missed it, "Joe the Plumber" came to prominence last week as a working class everyman when he asked Democratic nominee Barack Obama about his plan to raise taxes on small businesses during a campaign stop.
In a colossal gaffe, Obama, the prohibitive favorite to win November's election, told Wurzelbacher he didn't want to "punish him" but "he would like to "spread the wealth around."
Pouncing on a redistribution of wealth theme, conservatives have embraced Wurzelbacher in an attempt to attack Obama's tax policies.
Which brings us full circle to the NBA and a looming problem.
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The entertainment industry has always been recession-proof. However, that doesn't mean complications aren't around the corner for the NBA.
Wary of the weakening economy, commissioner Davis Stern has already slashed his own staff.
"We made a decision some months ago that the economy was going to be a bit wobbly, so we began a belt-tightening that will result in a work-force reduction of about 9 percent domestically," Stern said in London last week.
Of course, fans really aren't going to be interested in cuts at the league office, but what if the economy hurts the product on the floor?
Well, it already has.
Since football is a uniquely American sport, Roger Goodell doesn't have to worry about foreign leagues stealing players. A few other countries play baseball but none are an alternative to the big leagues. In basketball and hockey, sports with worldwide followings and numerous competitive leagues around the globe, things are different.
The NBA has been especially hard hit this offseason, with a handful of legitimate rotation players fleeing overseas.
The most high-profile defection took place when former Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Childress, an excellent young player, signed with Greek powerhouse Olympiakos Piraeus for three years and $20 million.
That wasn't the only defection. Earl Boykins, who spent 10 years in the NBA as a backup point guard, inked with Virtus Bologna of Italy for one year and $3.5 million.
Another backup point, Carlos Arroyo, is off to Israel after signing a three- year deal with Maccabi Tel-Aviv, while Bostjan Nachbar, Nenad Krstic, and Primoz Brezec took advantage of all the oil money in Russia.
A handful of other players that could have been on NBA rosters like Brandon Jennings, Juan Carlos Navarro, Earl Barron, Jannero Pargo, Gordan Giricek and Carlos Delfino followed suit and are now toiling overseas.
All that may raise the ire of the hardcore basketball fan, but few will notice the problem until a true superstar flees.
Two of the game's biggest stars, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, have actually broached the subject of accepting offers from Euro teams that could go as high as $50 million per season.
Should Stern and the NBA's fans start getting nervous?
Maybe.
While NBA players pay taxes on their own salaries in the United States, a sum that will surely rise under a presumptive Obama presidency, European teams have made it a standard practice to pay the taxes of their stars.
That would make the real value of a one-year, $50 million dollar deal overseas worth $66 to $70 million for an NBA team.
I wonder what "Joe the Plumber" would think about that.
Parity is Eagles best friend
The Birds were coming off a bad loss at home to division rival Washington, falling to 2-3 and looking up at three potential playoff teams in the always tough NFC East.
Meanwhile, over in Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies were disposing of the Milwaukee Brewers to win their first playoff series in 15 years and looking forward to playing the overmatched Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
For the first time in the Jeffrey Lurie-Andy Reid era, the Phillies were bumping the Eagles from the back page and threatening to make the football team irrelevant, at least for this season.
Then a funny thing happened.
In a week that would have made the late great Pete Rozelle smile, the Goliaths of the NFC East fell apart. The Dallas Cowboys were stunned and, perhaps more importantly, beaten up in the desert by the Arizona Cardinals. The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants were embarrassed on Monday night by the underachieving Cleveland Browns and the Redskins fell to the woeful St. Louis Rams.
To their credit, the Eagles did their part out in the Bay Area, beating a bad San Francisco team (albeit in unimpressive fashion).
"Does it help that the other groups didn't win? Well, it does," Reid said at his weekly press conference.. "I don't get into that too much, but I know it didn't hurt. The most important thing is that we stay focused on what we are doing and keep ourselves right and get ourselves better."
Voila. Just like that, the Eagles were right back in the thick of the NFC playoff race heading into the bye week. More importantly for Lurie and Reid, they were able to fend off apathy from an increasingly frustrated fan base.
Now the Birds will look to get healthy and anticipate the return of their best player, running back Brian Westbrook, who has been sidelined with broken ribs and an ankle injury.
Of course, the bye isn't going to be a magic salve for a team that revealed far too many flaws during its shaky start. In fact, if Mike Martz tempered his ego and just handed the football to Frank Gore 35 times for San Francisco, the Eagles likely would be sitting at 2-4.
Instead the fans are thinking playoffs again.
You've gotta love parity.
"That's the name of this league right now," Reid said. "There is so much parity in this league. There are people that are in a position where they have to predict games; I'll tell you that's a tough job. On any given Sunday, anybody can get anybody. Where before you could have a series or two that weren't very good, now you have a series or two that aren't very good and you're going to pay for it."
Pavlik-Hopkins
The 43-year-old Hopkins is best known for his decade-long run as IBF 160-pound champion, and despite his age he has remained relavent in subsequent bouts with Jermain Taylor, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright and Joe Calzaghe.
Of course, Taylor edged Hopkins in a pair of razor-thin 2005 decisions at middleweight, before Hopkins moved up in eight to dispose of both Tarver and Wright over 13 months in 2006-07.
He then dropped a split verdict to Calzaghe in his most recent outing in April, but scored the only knockdown in the bout, leaving many thinking he should have won the fight.
Over all, Hopkins has not been on the canvas since a 1994 draw with Segundo Mercado.
Pavlik's began his rise to the top of the sport in October 2005, when he earned the regional NABF belt at 160 pounds with a stoppage of prospect Fulgencio Zuniga and defended it with a TKO of former world title challenger Bronco McKart nine months later.
A four-round rout of Lenord Pierre and an eight-round downing of ex-Olympian Jose Luis Zertuche preceeded Pavlik's first big time natinal exposures, a convincing win over Edison Miranda in a title eliminator on HBO in May 2007.
Pavlik then climbed off the deck to stop Taylor and earn the middleweight title 13 months ago, then beat him by unanimous decision in an over-the-weight rematch in February.
His only championship defense was a three-round TKO of overmatched mandatory challenger Gary Lockett on June 7.
Meanwhile, here's the scheduled undercard:
Atlantic City's Qa'id Muhammad (2-0) kicks things off in a junior batamweight bout with Samuel Gutierrez (3-3) of Saltillo, Mexico.
Welterweight Danny Garcia (7-0) of Philly takes on journeyman Deon Nash (5-5) of Louisiana.
Brooklyn's Yuri Foreman (25-0 but just 8 KO's) tries to stay undefeated against Jamaica's Vinroy Barnett (22-6) in a junior middleweight match.
Jorge Diaz (6-0) of New Brunswick, NJ faces off with Saul Gutierrez (5-11-2), Samuel's brother in a junior featherweight swing bout.
Daniel Jacobs (10-0) of Brooklyn takes on Tyrone Watson of Flint, MI in a super middlewight encounter.
A WBC middleweight title eliminator pits Marco Rubio (42-4-1) of Torreon, Mexico against Enrique Ornelas (28-4) of La Habra, CA.
And, the WBO world featherwight belt is on the line when Steven Luevano (35-1-1) defends against Billy Dib (21-0) of Australia.
Carr, Nivins name St. Joe's co-captains
Joseph's men's basketball team, which began practice for the 2008-09 season
today. Carr and Nivins earned the spots as voted on by their
teammates.
Carr, a 6-4 senior guard from Philadelphia, will serve as
co-captain for the second year in a row. Carr led the Hawks in assists last
season with 5.6 per game, a number which ranked second in the A-10. He also
averaged 10.8 points per game.
Nivins, a 6-9 senior forward from
Jersey City, N.J., is one of the top returning players in the Atlantic 10
Conference. He's also the Hawks' leading returning scorer and rebounder with
averages of 14.4 points and 5.8 rebounds from last season. Nivins is a
two-time All-Atlantic 10 and All-Big 5 honoree.
It was also determined
that junior guard Darrin Govens will see limited action in upcoming practices
while recovering from a groin strain. The date for Govens to return to full
speed is undetermined at this time.
Flyers move starting time for World Series
against the New Jersey Devils at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, October 25,
has been changed to 4:00 p.m. (et).
"We felt that changing the starting time to 4:00 p.m.
benefits our fans," said Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren. "The 4:00 p.m.
starting time should alleviate some of the congestion in the sports complex area
and gives our fans the opportunity to view Game Three of the World
Series."
The original starting time of 7:00 p.m. for the game was
changed to 4:00 p.m. to avoid a conflict with Game 3 of the 2008 World
Series. This is the second time that the Flyers have changed a game to avoid a
conflict with a World Series game. The Flyers-New York Islanders game at the
Spectrum on October 21, 1993 was moved to October 22 to avoid a conflict with
Game Five of the 1993 World Series.
Temple grad lands at FOX29
According to Laura Nachman, Skversky was a sportscaster for the NBC affiliate in Atlantic City, the
weekend sports anchor in Syracuse for a couple of years, then was the number three
sportscaster for KMOV in St. Louis until the sports department made cuts in
June.
Phillies deliver huge ratings in NLCS
The Phillies-Dodgers series averaged a 25.9 rating/39 share on Fox29.
Wednesday night’s clincher scored a 32.3 rating/44 share, peaking at a 39.2
rating/62 share at 11:30 as the final out was made.
Each local rating point equals almost 30,000 households
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Martelli signs 4-year extension
Martelli is entering his 14th season at Saint Joseph’s.
He has compiled a 261-152 overall record and is 132-76 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
The Hawks are coming off a 21-13 season and reached the A-10 title game for the third time in four years, but lost to Oklahoma in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Phillies score in ratings
The Phillies Game 4 NLCS victory over the Dodgers earned a 25.3 rating/37 share of the audience for Fox29. Each local rating point equals around 29, 000 households.
Nationally, Fox was in third place with a 5.1 rating/8 share behind ABC, led by Dancing with the Stars and CBS, led by Two and a Half Men. Each national rating point equals around a million households.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Eagles cut Hunt; sign LB White
A six-year veteran, White (6-0, 238 pounds) spent the last two-plus seasons with the Green Bay Packers before being released on 10/7/08. Originally signed by Seattle as an undrafted rookie in 2003 out of Howard, White played in 20 games (two starts) with the Seahawks, recording 26 tackles and one sack. He spent the 2005 season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, before signing with the Packers in 2006.
A strong special teams performer, White has racked up 68 career special teams tackles in 69 games, including two in the 2007 postseason, as well as a forced fumble on 1/20/08 vs. NYG. He also recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone for a touchdown on 9/9/07 against the Eagles.
The 27-year-old native of Charleston, SC, White started 44 games at Howard, leading the team in tackles all four years and becoming the school’s all-time leader with 500 career tackles, adding 22 sacks and six interceptions.
Eagles may get Gonzalez
Monday, October 13, 2008
Canadiens use four-goal third to down Flyers
By Bob Herpen
The Phanatic Magazine
Roman Hamrlik finished with a goal and one assist as Montreal used a four-goal third period to shake off Philadelphia, 5-3, at the Wachovia Center.
Andrei Kostitsyn, Mike Komisarek, Robert Lang and Steve Begin tallied once each for the Canadiens, who have won two games in a row, both on the road.
Carey Price stopped 29 shots for the win.
Mike Richards had a goal and a helper for the Flyers, who have dropped both of their season-opening home games. Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter each scored once.
Martin Biron allowed four goals on 26 shots to take the loss, his second of the year.
"Tonight I was seeing the puck well," Biron said. "I just let them off the hook a little bit."
The 31-year-old had a horrible first game on Saturday, allowing four goals on 14 shots in less than one period.
Hamrlik's tip-in from the left side 1:18 into the third tied the game, 2-2. On the goal, Alex Kovalev's cross-ice pass from the right wing found the Habs defenseman alone for the score.
A fluke deflection 44 seconds later gave Montreal a 3-2 lead. Komisarek wound up from the right point and his shot caromed off the stick of Philly's Scottie Upshall and changed direction before hitting the net.
"It got me in the shoulder and the puck went right to the back of the net," Biron said of the unlucky bounce.
Lang converted a four-on-four situation with a redirection of a Hamrlik pass with 6:20 left in regulation to put the Canadiens ahead by two.
Gagne then scored into a half-open net while on the power play 64 seconds later. Mike Knuble had fanned on the initial shot from the slot and Gagne corralled it in front and slipped the disc home.
Unlike Saturday's whirlwind effort late in a 4-3 loss to the Rangers, the Flyers could not muster any offense with Biron pulled. Begin iced the game for the Habs with an empty-netter at 19:25.
In a four-on-four situation, Kostitsyn stuck a wrister off the right post and past a screened Biron just 54 seconds into the second period.
Carter knotted the game at 2:46 when he took a feed from Upshall and blasted a slapshot from the bottom of the left circle.
Richards' point blast on the power play at 4:15 put Philly ahead by one. Danny Briere's bank shot on a stuffer attempt with 8:09 played, which could have boosted the home team to a two-goal cushion, was ruled no goal by a replay.
Montreal kept pressing and Lang hit the post a few minutes later, followed by a great Biron glove save on a screaming wrister from Kovalev.
The Canadiens were unable to get an equalizer and the Flyers took a one-goal lead to the third.
Sixers pick up options on Young, Smith
Young (6-8, 220) was selected with the 12th overall pick by
Smith (7-0, 240) was originally selected by Miami with the 20th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft before the Sixers acquired him in exchange for the rights to Daequan Cook (21st overall pick), a future second round pick and cash considerations. In 76 games with one start last season, Smith averaged 4.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.6 minutes per game.
Flyers acquire D Alberts
"Andrew is a big, competitive defenseman and he skates well,” said Holmgren in making the announcement. “He will bring experience and depth to our team."
Alberts, 27, appeared in 35 regular season games for the Bruins last season, recording two assists and 39 penalty minutes. He was also scoreless in two playoff games for Boston. He missed 47 games due to injury with post-concussion symptoms following a hit in the game at Philadelphia on November 26.
Over parts of three NHL seasons (2005-06 through 2007-08), Alberts has registered one goal and 18 assists for 19 points and 231 penalty minutes in 184 regular season games. He led the Bruins in penalty minutes during the 2006-07 season with 124.
A native of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Alberts played four seasons (2001-02 through 2004-05) for the Boston College Eagles of the Hockey East Conference, recording 16 goals and 50 assists for 66 points and 243 penalty minutes in 149 games. He was named to NCAA East First All-American Team twice (2003-04 and 2004-05), the Hockey East First All-Conference Team following the 2004-05 season and shared Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman Award for the 2003-04 season.
He was originally drafted by Boston in the sixth round (179th overall) of the 2001 NHL Entry Draft.
Lukacevic, 22, registered 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points and 52 penalty minutes in 61 regular season games for the Reading Royals (ECHL) last season. He was acquired by the Flyers, along with Patrik Hersley, from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for defenseman Denis Gauthier and a second round pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft on July 1, 2008.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Flyers Flounder in Season Opener
Philadelphia, PA (The Phanatic Magazine) -- Amidst the Phillies' playoff run, the sky falling on the Eagles and the economy in shambles, Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin dropped the puck on a new Flyers' season Saturday night.
The only problem was somebody forgot to tell the Flyers.
The New York Rangers scored four goals before the game was 17 minutes old.
Philadelphia rallied to pull within one just over five minutes into the third period but it couldn't net the equalizer as the Rangers held on for a 4-3 win at the Wachovia Center.
“We created some good opportunities to get back in the hockey game,” Flyers head coach John Stevens said. “The moral of this story is don't create such a hole and try to come back. We get into that third period either tied or ahead, that's the situation we want to be in.”
Instead, the Flyers found themselves playing catch-up all night long.
The night started well enough with Philly fans mostly booing Palin, but the evening was all downhill from there. Nikolai Zherdev and Blair Betts scored just over a minute apart to spot the Rangers a 2-0 lead before Frederik Sjostrom and Michal Rozsival added a tally each to give New York a 4-0 at the end of the first period.
“They came out like a team that's played four games already or three games and we just, I wouldn't say overwhelmed but I just think we weren't ready for the pace of play,” Flyers captain Mike Richards said. “(We) had a couple bad breaks, got behind the eight-ball early and then we started playing our game.”
True, but it was too little, too late. After giving up New York's fourth goal, Flyers starting goaltender Martin Biron was pulled in favor of backup Antero Niittymaki, who kept the Rangers off the scoreboard the rest of the way to give the Flyers a fighting chance to win the game.
Flyers left winger Scott Hartnell notched a short-handed goal and left winger Simon Gagne tallied his first of the season to pull Philadelphia within two after the second period.
And when Richards notched his first of the year just over five minutes into the third stanza, it seemed like there was too much time left for Rangers to keep the Flyers at bay.
“I thought in the second and third periods we did a lot better things,” Richards said. “(We) started taking over the game, just a little late.”
Philadelphia had numerous chances to tie the game, but each time it was denied. With 1:34 remaining in the game, Richards let a one-timer fly from below the left circle that cleanly beat Rangers goalie Stephen Valiquette, but the puck rang off the post. It was a microcosm of the game for the Flyers.
“I certainly liked the effort to get back and we created some really good opportunities to get back,” Stevens said. “But this was their fourth game. They were sharp and ready to go. It seemed like we were a step behind moving the puck, a step behind playing the game there in the first 20 minutes. We created a really big hole for ourselves.”
NOTES: The Flyers sent goalie Jean-Sebastien Aubin down to the Phantoms prior to the game...Defenseman Derian Hatcher and Ryan Parent were both placed on the Injured Reserve list...Alaskan native and New York Rangers assistant captain Scott Gomez gave Palin a peck on the cheek after she dropped the puck. Brown-noser...Valiquette, who has only 10 career wins, improved to 5-1-1 against the Flyers after stopping 25 shots.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Westbrook, Andrews, Brown all out for Eagles
Westbrook, along with Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews (back) and wide receiver Reggie Brown (groin), were all listed as "out" on the team's injury report Friday. Also ruled out was backup safety J.R. Reed.
There is still a chance WR Kevin Curtis (sports hernia) will make his 2008 debut in San Francisco, however. Curtis was listed as questionable but had a full practice Friday.
Meanwhile, defensive end Juqua Parker, who missed practice Friday, was also listed as questionable with a balky knee and tight end L.J. Smith will be available despite a sore back.
Did EliteXC pay Petruzelli to stand with Kimbo?
Petruzelli, a late substitution for veteran Ken Shamrock, overwhelmed Kimbo in 14 seconds.
The controversy flared on Monday when Petruzelli gave an interview to the "The Monsters of Orlando" show where he said: "The promoters kind of hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him. "They didn't want me to take him down, let's just put it that way. It was worth my while to try to stand up and punch with him."
The implication being that Kimbo is such a novice on the ground that the promotion was trying to protect him. Petruzelli later claimed his statement was "misconstrued."
Meanwhile, EliteXC has denied the allegations.
"We had a main event that fell out three hours before the fight was scheduled to start," EliteXC matchmaker Lappen told ESPN.com. "We had to scramble. And rather than call off the event, which is what most promoters would do, we put together something for the fans -- and tried to put on the best fight possible.
"We offered Seth Petruzelli a knockout bonus, a submission bonus and "fight of the night" bonus. If we were trying to influence the fight, why would we do that?
"We were not trying to protect Kimbo. He had been training to fight a guy in Shamrock who has a better ground game than Seth. If we were trying to protect Kimbo we would have sent him home. We put him in a dangerous fight."
Re-Branded Sixers are relevant again
If you grew up as a Sixers or Celtics loyalist in the late '70s or '80s, you likely have vivid memories of the greatest rivalry in professional sports.
If you think the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees' enmity is intense now -- you would have been captivated by Philly and Boston on the hardwood. You see, comparing anything to Julius Erving's 76ers teams and Larry Bird's Celtics clubs would be like saying Lewis-Holyfield was the equal of Ali-Frazier.
The Sixers and Celtics had it all -- history, passion, hate, envy and perhaps what fuels a rivalry most -- similar talent on both sides of the ball. They also kept an eye on each other at all times.
For instance, when the Sixers tore through the NBA after acquiring Moses Malone in the 1982-83 season, the chieftain of the Celtics -- Red Auerbach -- was concerned, and not about Moses, believe it or not.
The cigar-smoking legend had his own great big men but was obsessed with stopping one of the greatest pure scorers ever -- the aptly nicknamed 'Boston Strangler' -- Andrew Toney. Revisionist basketball historians -- most of them too young to remember the period in question -- say Auerbach acquired the late Dennis Johnson to compete with Magic Johnson and the Lakers.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The architect of the Celtics brought in the game's best on-ball defender to try and stop Toney, who lit up Boston on a regular basis and once scored 25 points against them in one quarter.
D.J. was up to the task and helped turn the tide back toward the Celtics, who were back on top of the NBA mountain again by '83-84.
That rivalry is all but hidden now. Erving is hawking Dr, Pepper while Mo Cheeks is 15 years removed from a playing career and coaching the Sixers. Meanwhile, Bird is safely tucked away in Indiana and Danny Ainge is running the Celts.
What's left is a lot of history and very little else. After all, it's hard to be captivated by years of watching Willie Burton and Willie Green try and break down the likes of Greg Minor and Tony Allen.
The good news is that the rivalry is about to be born anew.
The Celtics and Ainge have already done their part, acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to team with Paul Pierce, and the result was their 17th NBA championship last season.
Now, the Sixers are trying to follow suit. Team president Ed Stefanski was able to bring in a star of his own in Elton Brand and also added a slew of role players like the defensive-minded Royal Ivey at guard, sharp-shooting swingman Kareem Rush, veteran big men Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff, along with athletic rookie Marreese Speights.
The result is a deep and talented roster ready to contend with the Celtics, even if Cheeks can't admit it.
"Boston was the best team in the league," Cheeks said at a recent media luncheon. "To compare us to them, come on, we have a long way to go. That's a stretch to say we're even with Boston."
True enough, but since Cheeks' club won 40 games last season and took the Detroit Pistons to the limit until Flip Saunders figured out that they couldn't knock down a jumper (a problem that should be alleviated with the addition of Rush and Marshall), 50 wins and a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals doesn't seem like stretch.
In short, the gap is closing.
Assuming he is healthy, Brand is a stud. Since he has spent most of his career playing in basketball purgatory with that other Los Angeles team, a lot of people didn't know that the former Duke star is one of only four current NBA players that has averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds throughout their careers. The others being Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and Garnett.
To average those kind of numbers, you have to be an NBA dinosaur -- a legitimate low-post threat who can play with his back to the basket. Brand will team with the talented Andre Iguodala to give Cheeks a formidable 1-2 punch.
When we last saw A.I. version 2.0, the Pistons' Tayshaun Prince was embarrassing him with his length. The Sixers' star looked downright skittish on the big stage, a shrinking violet, while players like Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith -- all seeing their first postseason action -- weren't nearly as nervous, jittery or tense.
Through it all, Cheeks and Stefanski still deferred to Iguodala. He was "the guy," a role ill-fitted for the Arizona product.
Now Iguodala doesn't have to be the top option. When Brand scribbled his name on an $82 million dollar deal, Iguodala's short reign as "Batman" in Philadelphia was over, and now he can slip into a more appropriate role.
Most think Andre can be the perfect "Robin," an Academy Award winning supporting actor that will stuff a stat sheet and torture people defensively a la Scottie Pippen. And that sounds like a winning formula for the championship-starved City of Philadelphia.
"Expectations are always higher, but your expectations can't be higher than ours, Cheeks said."The way we played toward the end of last year, we need to carry it over."
And carry it over they will...The Sixers are relevant again.
"That's the hope," Brand said. "Hopefully it's the baby steps of something great later on. We have a lot of goals and hopefully they can come to fruition."
National League Championship Series Preview
Philadelphia Phillies (92-70, NL East champions) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (84-78, NL West champions).
Season Series: Tied, 4-4.
Prior Playoff Meetings: Three. Dodgers won in four games in both 1977 and 1978, Phillies won in four games in 1983.
OFFENSE:
The Phillies came into the playoffs with the most home runs in the National League (214), and second only to the White Sox in the majors.
Philly hit four home runs alone - accounting for all the scoring - in a clinching Game 4 against Milwaukee, but only tallied in three total innings in the first three games. They also were abysmal at getting runners home from scoring position.
Ryan Howard's league-best 48 homers dissipated into a 2-for-11. Chase Utley's sluggish second half turned into a 2-for-15 and Pat Burrell had to have two-homer performance in Game 4 to take the scrutiny off his 3-for-12 (0-for-8 in the first three games).
On the other hand, Jimmy Rollins (6 hits, 2 doubles, .375) was the lone star to deliver.
Part-timers Shane Victorino (grand slam, 5-for-14) and Jayson Werth 2 HR, 3 doubles, .313) did some timely damage, but it may be too late to hope the Big Three can snap out of their collective funk.
On the other hand, no Dodger player hit more than 20 homers in the regular season.
Andre Ethier hit the mark over a full year while Matt Kemp was second with 18. James Loney led the team with 90 RBI, while Kemp and Ethier tied for the lead in doubles with 38. Juan Pierre topped the club with 40 stolen bases.
Manny Ramirez is the fulcrum on which the series will turn as far as bats are concerned. He burned NL pitching
for 17 homers and 53 RBI in 53 games after coming over from Boston. In this case, the cliche is correct: you can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him. He is the single biggest playoff threat either teams possess.He finished the NLDS 5-for-10 with two homers and three runs batted in and has a history of abusing opposing pitchers with both the Indians and Red Sox.
If Ramirez is given the Bonds treatment, Russell Martin (.308, 5 RBI) and Loney (grand slam, 6 RBI) is waiting in the wings. A presumably recovered Rafael Furcal also churned out four hits and scored four runs.
Advantage: Dodgers. Los Angeles had a clear balance of offense prior to the Ramirez acquisition, but his presence tips the balance in their favor.
DEFENSE: Carlos Ruiz and Chris Coste combined for only five passed balls and a .993 fielding percentage.
Howard's lack of motion and ball-handling skills have been called into question in each of his four full major-league seasons, and Utley (13 errors, .984) at times has shown a lack of focus on some easy chances.
Rollins is left to play the role of Superman, one for which he is suited. He's the club's best chance to come up with a key defensive stop, like the one that sealed the division to end the Washington game.
Say what you wish about Pedro Feliz's lack of bat speed, he is a Human Vacuum at the hot corner. In 129 games, he committed just eight errors on 223 chances, good for a .974 fielding percentage, and has little trouble handling line drives and tough bounces.
In the outfield, Victorino (2 errors, .994), Jenkins (5 errors, .967) and Werth (2 errors, 231 putouts) are capable enough.
Burrell's .991 and 2 errors are deceptive, as he lacks clear speed and intelligence breaking on balls he can't easily haul in. Let's hope Charlie
Manuel doesn't pull a Danny Ozark in a crucial game and leave Burrell in late.
For LA, Martin committed 11 errors with six passed balls. Loney made 13 blunders at first base, while Jeff Kent was charged with 11 errors. Blake DeWitt and Casey Blake combined for 10 of the 16 errors at third base, while none of the Dodgers' three shortstops (Furcal, Angel Berroa, Nomar Garciaparra) had a fielding average higher than .975.
In contrast, the Dodgers outfield is as solid as they come.
A suddenly undistracted Ramirez only committed two (non-comedic) errors in left field, but his lack of chances dragged down his percentage. Kemp made one error for a .995 mark while right-fielder Ethier did not have a blemish on his record with 171 putouts and eight assists.
Advantage: Philadelphia. If only because half a good infield is better than none.
PITCHING: The Phillies will throw out Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Jamie Moyer in Games 1-3. The Dodgers counter with Derek Lowe, Chad Billingsley and Hiroki Kuroda.
It's a risky proposition, but if all three Phils starters can go at least six innings in every contest like in the NLDS, that takes the strain off a bullpen which was nearly stretched to the limit in the regular season.
The 24-year-old Hamels won 14 games but saved his best performance for Game 1 of the NLDS, going eight strong for the win. Myers (10-13, 1-0) seems to have the eye of the tiger back and Moyer's professional pride will be a driving factor as he looks to turn a 16-win season into playoff success after a subpar performance in the loss to Milwaukee.
Billingsley, the Game 2 choice, led LA with 16 wins, while Game 1 workhorse Lowe is a former World Series champion and 14-game winner. Kuroda (9-10, 1-0) had the advantage of pitching against a demoralized Cubs team in the first round and he won't have that pleasure in the first contest at Chavez Ravine.
Takashi Saito (4-4, 18 saves) could have been a formidable challenge, but he's been left off the roster due to elbow troubles in favor of Hong-Chih Kuo. The hard-throwing lefty has only pitched in one game in the last month with elbow problems but went 5-3 with a 2.14 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 80 innings.
Joe Beimel (5-1, 2.02 ERA, 11 ER in 49 innings), Jonathan Broxton (3-5, 3.13 ERA, 14 saves) and Cory Wade (2-1, 2.27) did well enough earlier in the season with little cushion, but in their late-season push had a greater margin of error to work with. Beware of ageless wonder Greg Maddux, who may be called on to fill any role at any time.
Ryan Madson (4-2, 3.05 ERA, 79 hits in 82 2/3 innings), Chad Durbin (5-4, 2.87) and Clay Condrey (3-4, 3.26, 85 hits in 69 innings) are capable enough -- given a limited time on the mound. The longer they have to pitch, the better off the Dodgers are.
J.C. Romero (4-4, 2.75), the quintessential situational left-hander, has shown the fire necessary to perform well in pressure situations. His
championship series experience with the Red Sox will be key.
Brad Lidge was 41 for 41 in save chances in the regular season, while locking down two of the Phils' three wins over the Brewers. Until he does blow one, he's the closest thing to automatic on either side.
Starters: Slight edge Philadelphia. Middle Relief: Push. Late relief/bullpen: Philadelphia.
INTANGIBLES: Having home-field advantage with the two contests to start and end the series helps, as the Phillies took all four games against the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.
The other side to that, is the Dodgers swept a four-game set in LA. All the club may need to do is take either one of the first two matchups in Philly before a three-game cushion at Chavez Ravine.
For the Phils, there is also the psychological burden of fans and media who will have no problem recalling the previous two NLCS losses, when supposedly superior Phillies clubs found nothing but bad luck as the Dodgers rolled to the World Series.
However, there has been so much time between those playoffs of the past and right now. Most of the Phillies roster, whether they are young or unfamiliar with the franchise's history, have no clue about previous playoff misfortune.
Still, the Dodgers have a four-time World Series winning manager in Joe Torre, countering a glorified hitting coach in Manuel; hitting coach Don Mattingly against Milt Thompson; an eminently capable and excitable third-base coach in Larry Bowa, whose counterpart is the maligned Steve Smith.
In addition, you can't let the 84 wins and a heartless Cubs team fool you. Los Angeles has the earmarks of the 2006 champion Cardinals, who went 83-78 during the regular season then capitalized on hitting, pitching and luck on their way to the title.
Advantage: Los Angeles. They have very little to lose.
PREDICTION: Come on, folks. This is the Phillies we're talking about. Just because they've gotten this far doesn't mean anything is guaranteed. One more heartbreak before the breakthrough.
Los Angeles in seven.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Flyers' Roster Set
The Philadelphia Flyers officially announced today their roster for the season opener against the New York Rangers at the
Forwards (13)
Arron Asham, Danny Briere, Jeff Carter, Riley Cote, Steve Downie, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell, Mike Knuble, Joffrey Lupul, Glen Metropolit, Mike Richards, Jared Ross and Scottie Upshall.
Defensemen (7)
Braydon Coburn, Steve Eminger, Randy Jones, Lasse Kukkonen, Luca Sbisa, Kimmo Timonen and Ossi Vaananen.
Goaltenders (2)
Martin Biron and Antero Niittymaki.Jones down, surgery likely
The Phanatic Magazine
Tim Panaccio is reporting through Hockeybuzz.com that Flyers defenseman Randy Jones may need surgery after the discovery of a torn labrum in his right hip. If he goes under the knife, the recovery time is expected to be between six-to-eight weeks.
This news comes on the heels of the revelation that defensive prospect Ryan Parent will undergo surgery on his right shoulder and will miss at least 12 weeks.
It leaves the Flyers defensive corps whittled down to six:
Kimmo Timmonen, Ossi Vaananen, Braydon Coburn, Steve Eminger, Lasse Kukkonen and Luca Sbisa.
Panaccio reports that one solution to the problem may be the acquisition of a veteran and lose some salary. Bryan Berard, cut from the club earlier this week in an effort to squeeze in under the cap after Jean-Sebastien Aubin's contract, is still available.
The Flyers open up the 2008-09 regular season at the Wachovia Center on Saturday against the New York Rangers.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Palin to make ceremonial puck drop on Saturday
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, the nation’s most popular hockey mom, will join the winner of the Philadelphia Flyers regional search for the “Ultimate Hockey Mom” contest and drop the puck at the ceremonial opening face-off as the home team Flyers host the New York Rangers at the Wachovia Center on Saturday, October 11 at 7 p.m.
“Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started,” said Comcast-Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider who founded the Flyers in 1967. “We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey.”
The Flyers have been searching for the ultimate hockey mom in the Greater Philadelphia Region through an on line contest which asked hockey players or hockey moms themselves to submit their hockey mom poster to the team.
Hockey moms and players were encouraged to submit posters showing their hockey mom pride and their loyalty and dedication to the sport via the team’s website, philadelphiaflyers.com, by October 7. The team will award all hockey moms entered into the contest with a free "puck-er peach" lipstick and four tickets to a Philadelphia Phantoms hockey game. The winner will appear on the ice with Palin for opening face-off.
McNabb's embarrassed
For some reason Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb continue to think that they are better than everyone else even if the empirical evidence says otherwise. McNabb reiterated his stance in his blog for Yardbarker on Wednesday.
“I made a comment after the game [Sunday] that’s worth repeating — I’m embarrassed,” McNabb writes. “I’m embarrassed with the way we played the past two weeks. I believe that we lost to teams we should have beaten. Not because I think they are not good — they are. But I still believe we are better; we just didn’t show it.
“I’m embarrassed with the way I played. I didn’t do enough to win the game for my team. . . . I’ve made mistakes and I’ve owned up to them. I’m sure that some of my teammates and coaches might feel that they also could have done better. But a play here and a play there is costing us precious division and conference games that can bite us down the stretch. We didn’t start playing well last year until it was too late. It’s not too late to turn it around now. But to do so, we have to be embarrassed enough as a team to do something about it.”
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Sixers waive three
Emmett (6-4, 216) was originally selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by
Rice (6-1, 224) is best known for his career at
Underwood (6-10, 240) played for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds of the NBA Development League last season. Since finishing his career at Southern University of New Orleans in 2003, he has also played in the
Monday, October 06, 2008
Westbrook has broken ribs
Andy Reid announced Monday that Brian Westbrook fractured two ribs in Sunday’s 23-17 loss to the Washington Redskins. Reid did not indicate how long Westbrook will be on the shelf.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
Kimbo - Shamrock fight in jeopardy
The main event of tonight's EliteXC MMA show on CBS between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock is in jeopardy thanks to a cut suffered by Shamrock.
Shamrock wants to fight but the commission doctor may not approve the fight and has been going back-and-forth over the past hour.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Flyers injury updates
Philadelphia Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren met with the media following today’s skate at the Virtua Center Flyers Skate Zone. Holmgren gave the latest injury report.
According to Holmgren, Flyers second-year winger Steve Downie suffered a mild strain of his MCL during Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals, but is hopeful for the start of the regular season on October 11.
Defenseman Ryan Parent, who has been nursing a shoulder issue, was back on the ice for practice today.
Rocca is NFC Special Teams Player of the Month
In his second season, this is Rocca’s first career Player of the Month Award. He is the first Eagles punter to win the award and joins kicker DAVID AKERS as the only players in franchise history to be honored on special teams. The last punter to win Special Teams Player of the Month was Buffalo’s BRIAN MOORMAN (November 2006).
Flyers reassign six to Phantoms
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Westbrook still limited
Westbrook sat out Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears because of the injury.
"The injury is another week older; another week of rehab for me, by the time Sunday comes around," said Westbrook. "I'm definitely more optimistic than I was last week."
Phils win Game 1
Hamels (1-0) used great location and a dominating change-up to keep an
undisciplined Brewers lineup off-balance throughout. He allowed just two hits
and one walk while striking out nine batters. The left-hander retired the
first 14 batters he faced before Corey Hart lined a clean single to right with
two outs in the fifth inning.
"Obviously his power changeup is as good as there is in baseball from any
left-hander," Brewers manager Dave Sveum said. "And he had a pretty decent
breaking ball, even though he didn't throw it a lot, but it's probably the
best breaking ball we've seen in a while from what we've seen in our scouting
reports and stuff. But, I mean, that changeup is as good as I've seen before
and obviously he had everything working today."
Phillies closer Brad Lidge struggled mightily in the ninth, however, and
surrendered a run before allowing the tying runs to reach second and third
with two outs. The flame-thrower then fanned Hart to end the contest.
Chase Utley had a two-run double for the Phillies, who managed just four hits
but won their first postseason game since 1993.
Philadelphia was swept in the Division Series last year by the eventual NL
champion Colorado Rockies and are making consecutive playoff appearances for
the first time since 1980 and '81.
The Brewers were playing postseason baseball for the first time since winning
the American League pennant in 1982.
Milwaukee pitcher Yovani Gallardo (0-1) became the first pitcher in major
league history to start Game 1 of the postseason for his team after appearing
in less then 10 games during the regular season.
The 22-year-old right-hander was making just his second appearance since
ACL surgery in May and was let down by his defense. Gallardo, who was on a
strict pitch count, lasted just four innings and allowed three unearned runs
on three hits while walking five and striking out three.
"Besides the walks, I think he had decent stuff," Sveum said. "He felt pretty
strong. That young man battled and did a fine job for us and kept us in the
ball game."
Game 2 of the best-of-five series is set for Thursday in Philadelphia with the
Phillies' Brett Myers toeing the rubber against Milwaukee ace CC Sabathia.
The Phillies jumped on top with three runs in the third thanks to some
shoddy Milwaukee defense. Carlos Ruiz led off the frame with a single up the
middle and Hamels followed by laying down a bunt to try and advance the
catcher. Bill Hall bobbled the ball but still made a solid throw in plenty of
time to get Hamels. Rickie Weeks, couldn't handle the throw, however, and
Philadelphia had runners on at first and second for the top of its order.
Gallardo flirted with getting out of the trouble by getting Jimmy Rollins on a
pop up to left and fanning Jayson Werth. But, Utley followed with a hard hit
ball to center that Mike Cameron flubbed, enabling both runners to score.
Normally a superb fielder, Cameron took a bad path to the ball in windy
conditions and had to lunge to make the catch. The ball went in-and-out of his
glove and Utley was credited with a two-run double.
"If it isn't caught, nobody can not catch it except Mike Cameron," Sveum said.
"So I never question anything he does in center field. He's as good a center
fielder as I've ever been around in my 27 years in the game."
The play seemed to rattle Gallardo and, after intentionally walking the
dangerous Ryan Howard, the young starter walked Pat Burrell and Shane
Victorino to force in another run and make it a 3-0 game.
The Brewers best scoring chance off Hamels was in the sixth when Craig
Counsell slapped a one-out single up the middle and Cameron followed by
drawing a walk. Hamels settled down from there, punching out Hall and then
getting Ryan Braun to pop out to end the inning.
Hamels hit the 100-pitch mark after the eighth inning and the Phillies went to
Lidge in the ninth, opening the door for the Brewers. The closer managed to
fan Cameron looking but pinch-hitter Ray Durham singled to right and came
around to score when Braun sliced a double down the right field line and Utley
dropped the relay throw. Prince Fielder followed by striking out, but J.J.
Hardy walked and both runners then advanced into scoring position when Lidge
uncorked a wild pitch.
Hart stepped to the plate with an opportunity to deadlock things with a single
but struck out swinging to end the game.
Flyers sign Sbisa
"We consider Luca a good, young prospect for us," said GM Paul Holmgren in making the announcement. "We are happy to have it done. He has continued to play well for us through training camp. The fact that he is still here (in training camp) shows that we think very highly of him, and at the end of the day, we will do what we feel is right for the organization and what we feel is right for the development of this young player.”
“It is a great feeling," added Sbisa. "I have been working for this moment since I started playing hockey. I came here and told myself to do my best, have fun and see what happens. I just want to gain as much experience as I can and see what happens.”
Sbisa, 18, is scoreless with eight penalty minutes in four preseason games with the Flyers this season. Last season for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, he recorded six goals and 27 assists for 33 points and 63 penalty minutes in 62 games. Sbisa won the Carl Trentini Memorial Award as the Hurricanes Rookie of the Year, and led all WHL defensemen in playoff scoring with 15 points (3G,12A) in 19 games as Lethbridge advanced to the 2008 WHL Finals. Sbisa was selected to participate in the 2008 CHL Top Prospects Game and was a member of Team Switzerland at the 2008 World Junior Championship Tournament.
The Ozleri, Italy native was drafted by the Flyers in the first round (19th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Phils set NLDS roster
Reliever Rudy Seanez and catcher Lou Marson are not on the roster but will travel with the team. Pitcher Kyle Kendrick, infielders Mike Cervenak and Andy Tracy and outfielder Greg Golson have reported to Clearwater, FL, and will participate in the Florida Instructional League program to stay sharp. Pitchers Adam Eaton and Les Walrond and infielder Tadahito Iguchi have returned to their respective homes.
Under Major League Baseball rules, rosters can be changed for each postseason series. Pitcher-for-pitcher and player-for-player roster replacements for an injured player during a series are allowed if approved by the Commissioner’s Office. An injured player who is replaced during a series must miss the remainder of that series and the entire next series.
The roster by position:
Pitchers (11)
Blanton, Joe rhp
Condrey, Clay rhp
Durbin, Chad rhp
Eyre, Scott lhp
Hamels, Cole lhp
Happ, J.A. lhp
Lidge, Brad rhp
Madson, Ryan rhp
Moyer, Jamie lhp
Myers, Brett rhp
Romero, J.C. lhp
Catchers (2)
Coste, Chris
Ruiz, Carlos
Infielders (6)
Bruntlett, Eric
Dobbs, Greg
Feliz, Pedro
Howard, Ryan
Rollins, Jimmy
Utley, Chase
Outfielders (6)
Burrell, Pat
Jenkins, Geoff
Stairs, Matt
Taguchi, So
Victorino, Shane
Werth, Jayson
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