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Excuse me, I'm going to go have a heart attack now. Jeez.
That was some of the most fast paced, back and forth hockey we've seen all year. Upshall's redirection with minutes to play proved to be the game winner.
We're awfully happy we get to watch more Flyers hockey.
Ridiculous.
The Flyers enter tonight's game in Montreal up 3-1. Win and they move on to the conference finals. Lose and the series comes back to Philly. Sound familiar? It should... The same scenario was presented to the Flyers in round 1 against the Caps, only they lost the next two games, forcing a game 7.
The Flyers say they've learned from that experience, and they'll have their foot on the gas from the first puck drop tonight. Mike Knuble may have put it best:
"We learned a great lesson against Washington. Now you have to apply it. If you don't apply it, you haven't learned anything."
Continue reading "Flyers-Habs Game 5: No Time Like the Present to Close Out the Series" »
We've seen lady fans of the Eagles as well as the Phillies show support for their teams by derobing and painting the jerseys of their favorite players on their chest. This Carey Price fan seems to take it to a whole new level.
This Habs fan baring it all to show her support for Canadialand goes by the Internet name Lee and lists her interests as "Dallas Green, Carey Price, porn, piercings, tattoos, Bettie Page, pin ups, drums, boys in bands especially drummers, makeup, sex, fetish..."
Dallas Green? I'm guessing it's this Dallas Green and not that Dallas Green. Another potentially NSFW photo below.
Michael Jack is in town, doing the media circuit to promote his new 548 Zinfandel. Comcast SportsNet caught up with him at a tasting, and Mike brought the love for Pat Burrell, he of the Arkansas Walkoff Burrells.
We raised a few glasses to Pat the Machine Bat ourselves last night.
Back for another week, my brother Mike brings us a local fishing report and a video of some crazy bluefish from last August.
I didn't do any fishing of interest this week other than harass some of the trout we stocked in my in-laws pond. There are some big trout in there but they aren't nearly as easy to catch as I had hoped. The reason I didn't get out much was because my wife and I bought a house which also happens to be in close proximity to three ponds and a larger lake. (Surprisingly, this had nothing to do with why we bought the house.)
That doesn't mean the fish aren't hitting with reports of blues going nuts in New Jersey.
Boothwyn's Kenneth Keith Kallenbach died last week, with some controversy still swirling about his final days. The former Howard Stern Wack Packer had an interesting career, but his final chapter is somewhat unfortunate, including charges of attempting to lure a minor and the last days of his life spent in prison. But we're not here to get into all of that, so here's a YouTube of Kenneth Keith doing a backyard Mike Schmidt retirement speech.
WOOOO!@O#!@#!@#!!@# YES! More thoughts shortly. UPDATED:
Things were looking bleak for the Phillies as they were down to their last out in the bottom of the 10th. After Chase Utley got on and Ryan Howard got ejected for arguing balls and strikes. The Machine came to the plate as our last hope.
The Giants reliever Brian Wilson was bringing the fastballs that Billy Wagner know's Burrell loves to blast deep into the South Philly Night. Burrell took him to a full count and then hit a no doubter into the seats and all was right in the world.
Here's to hoping Pat is living it up right now in Olde City. The Bat deserves to celebrate that one.
Buzz Bissinger, the brilliant and talented writer who appeared on Costas Now earlier this week, where he took the opportunity to attack Deadspin's Will Leitch (and essentially every blog of any kind), was a guest of Philadelphia 950 ESPN's Mike Missanelli Friday afternoon. Missanelli and Bissinger have both worked in the Philadelphia print media biz, but have moved on to other genres since that time.
In the interview, which can be found after the jump, Bissinger begins by expressing regret at the way he behaved toward Leitch. This was probably a wise (and somewhat respectable) choice considering the absurdity of all the accusations he had made toward Leitch and literally all blogs, which he called "profane," while cursing like a sailor on national television (this is not to say all sailors curse; I wouldn't want to paint with too wide a brush). However, he did not regret the message of his invective, which he elaborated on in the interview.
Continue reading "Buzz Bissinger Calms Down a Bit, But Sticks to His Guns" »
There aren't many guys who play in Philly for such a short period of time and get embraced the way Aaron Rowand did. Rowand will make his first return to CBP as a member of the San Francisco Giants tonight.
Rowand was an integral part of the Phillies playoff run last year both on the field and in the locker room. Even though he opted for more money on the West Coast, we're suspecting the Phillies faithful will welcome him back with a nice ovation.
Most fans agreed that Rowand wasn't worth the type of money and years that San Fran gave him. Whether he was worth it or not won't be decided for a few more years but he's certainly having a solid 2008 so far, batting .326 with 14 RBIs.
On the mound it's Pat Misch, who has only made one start thus far in '08, against Kyle Kendrick. Pat Burrell will take Misch deep.
Continue reading "Center Field Fence Welcomes Back Rowand" »
Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison may have been involved in a shooting at a bar/restaurant he owns in North Philly called "Playmakers." 610 WIP's Anthony Gargano says the man who may have been shot spent 10 years on a homicide charge. It's unclear if Harrison was the shooter but the gun allegedly involved was owned by Harrison. [FanHouse] UPDATE: ESPN has more detail.
With the Sixers season coming to an end last night, Andre Iguodala's future as a 76er will be at the center of Philly hoops fans' attention this summer.
The Sixers will negotiate with the restricted free agent, however the team expects him to receive an offer sheet worth significantly more than than what they are willing to pay their leading scorer. Last year, Iguodala turned down a contract extension thought to total around $55 million, and he likely commands even more money after having his best season so far.
The upstart Sixers are said to have a tight, friendly locker room environment, but sources suggest that Iggy may not be in step with the rest of the club. It is also believed GM Ed Stefanski does not feel the small forward is good enough to be the team's #1, a sentiment that has been echoed by other NBA talent evaluators.
There are still options on the table for the Sixers. They could work a sign and trade deal with a team, or they may decide to simply part ways. Under former GM Billy King's direction, the team managed to draft a series of players at essentially the same position. Rodney Carney was acquired in a draft day trade in '06, and Thaddeus Young was their top selection last season.
The one thing that appears certain, while they would love to keep their best player, the check the Sixers are willing to write for A.I. may not meet Iguodala's financial demands.
It looks like Lenny Dykstra's new magazine isn't off to such a hot start.
In January, the former New York Met teamed up with a Manhattan publisher, Doubledown Media, to start a custom magazine of financial advice for professional athletes, The Players Club. Now Dykstra and Doubledown are in a legal battle over control of the second, yet-to-be-published issue, with Doubledown accusing the baseball great of skipping out on his debts.
When all else fails, people will always need their cars washed. But hey, "Nails never fails!'
>>Lenny Dykstra Sued by Publishing Partner [Portfolio] [via Deadspin]
In the Daily News' Eagletarian blog, Paul Domowitch shares a really interesting, behind-the-scenes look at the Eagles' first round activity in the 2008 draft. Via some NFL insiders, Domowitch describes the Eagles' attempts to move up in the draft to select OT Brandon Albert out of Virginia.
The Eagles, who had the 19th pick, knew Albert wouldn't make it past the Kansas City Chiefs, who were at 17. So they hopped on the phone and called the Arizona Cardinals, who had the 16th pick, and tried to trade into their spot. But the Cardinals wanted Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and were worried that he'd be gone if they traded down to 19. So they said thanks but no thanks.
Here's where it gets interesting.
Continue reading "Eagles Tried to Trade Up, But Were Chop-Blocked by Cards and Chiefs" »
Ya gotta love to hate Billy Wagner.
After Mets starter Oliver Perez got banged up by the Pirates on Wednesday, yielding seven runs (five unearned) in 1.2 innings, Willie Randolph had to go to his bullpen early just a day after using six pitchers in extra innings the night before. Perez clearly didn't have his best stuff, but neither did anyone else on the team.
So how does Wagner react? By singling out Perez to the press:
"Perez honestly has got to step up and know that we've just used every guy in the bullpen the night before," Wagner said. "He can't come in and come out there and decide that he doesn't have it today, and so be it."
Helluva teammate, that Billy "Capt. Obvious" Wagner. It's not like he made a bold statement that everyone else somehow failed to comprehend for themselves; he just took a shot at his struggling teammate (their third or fourth starter, mind you) in the most public manner as possible. For his part, Perez said he had no problem with what Wagner said. We'll see how long that lasts if Wagner has already started chirping and we're only a month in.
After the opening day debacle, who would have thought we'd see the Phillies close out the month of April in first place, due in very large part to outstanding play from their bullpen? Well they did, and they've also started May on the on the right path, winning 3-2 on Thursday night. Their record is now up to 16-13, a half game ahead of the Mets and Marlins. In their last 11 games, the Phils have lost only 3 times.
Adam Eaton pitched 6 solid innings, yielding 2 ER and leaving the game in a 2-2 tie. Then relief corps, once considered a glaring weakness, came in and shut the door behind them, letting the Phillies' bats be the deciding factor. Ryan Madson, JC Romero, Tom Gordon, and Brad Lidge pitched the final 3 innings, and blew through the Padres' lineup. Gordon (3-2) earned the win after Ryan Howard took Joe Hatcher yard to put the Phillies up for good, and Lidge notched his seventh save of the young season. Howard also added a double and 2 RBI.
Continue reading "Howard, Bullpen Combine to Help Phils Continue Hot Streak" »
The Sixers' ride is over, with the Pistons playing like everyone expected them to and dispatching of the lesser team. Handily.
But I doubt too many Philly fans are disappointed in this team because for being eliminated in the first round. By making the playoffs, albeit with a losing record, and then winning two games, including one at home, the Sixers overachieved and turned some heads around the league. As the final seconds ticked down, the remaining fans stood up and cheered, mostly in recognition of what the young Sixers squad did well in the second half of this year, but also in anticipation of what will almost certainly be a better showing in 2008-2009 and thereafter.
With their backs to the wall and visions of golf courses and warm, sandy beaches dancing in their heads, the Sixers face the Pistons one last time at the Wachovia Center tonight.
The Sixers are hoping the Pistons team that showed up in the second half of their game on Tuesday missed their flight to Philly. That Pistons squad looked every bit the championship-caliber team many expected them to be coming into the series.
Sammy D lost some hair on Tuesday and apparently lost his ability to play defense as well. Rasheed Wallace shot 67% from the field while Sammy put up a pitiful 4 points and 6 boards.
If the Pistons shoot the lights out tonight, the Sixers have no shot. Can the Sixers successfully execute their pesky defense and running game tonight to send this series back to Detroit? Tip off at 7:00.
I'm sure there were fan groups in Philly long before Randy Wolf hit town as a Phillies pitcher but I think the Wolf Pack was really the first group that I recall seeing at games. The former Phillie will return to CBP to start the final game of the Padres three game set. Both teams have taken one game so far and a win tonight will get you the series.
Wolf was a solid pitcher for the Phils but opted to go pitch in his native sunny California to close out his career. His final games as a Phillie were mixed, but here's to hoping he gets rocked tonight. On the mound for the Phillies is one of the guys Pat Gillick brought in to replace Wolf, Adam Eaton. Eaton has pitched surprisingly well so far this year. Maybe he can finally notch a win.
The question remains, will there be a Wolf Pack sighting tonight at CBP?
"The way it has played out, I don't see those three guys being here at the same time," Dawkins said. "It's a tough situation to be in, and this is somebody I'm close to and I consider a close friend. I don't like it for him. Whatever happens, I hope it works out best for Lito. I hate that this is happening to him."
Pretty self explanatory really. When the vocal leader on your team isn't happy I'm sure it ripples throughout the rest of the locker room. Here's to hoping this situation clears itself up sooner rather than later.
>>Dawkins likes Lito, hates situation [Daily News]
There was a slim chance last off-season of Tadahito Iguchi returning to the Phils this season to play third base. It didn't work out that way and Iguchi ended up signing to play in San Diego.
Last night, as a member of the Padres, Iguchi reminded the South Philly faithful of how important he was for the Phillies in getting to the playoffs last year.
Iguchi went 4-5 with a RBI and a run scored in the Padres win. Jamie Moyer didn't pitch particularly well and the Phils bats, despite Chase Utley being superman, couldn't claw back.
They love to make it interesting... No, I don't mean the refs, who once again had some extremely questionable calls. I mean the Flyers, who blew another 2-0 lead last night, but managed to edge out the Canadiens by finishing strong.
Despite some line juggling with the return of Mike Knuble, RJ Umberger continued his hot streak, scoring a pair of goals, including an empty netter with 2 seconds left. The Umbergler now has 7 goals in the playoffs, just 6 short of his total for the season. Danny Briere scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist, and Scott Hartnell earned a marker by putting home a Vinny Prospal shot that bounced off the post.
Continue reading "Flyers Take Game 4, Head to Montreal up 3-1" »
Despite being badly outshot on Monday, the Flyers won a battle with Montreal on Philadelphia ice to go up 2-1 in the series. Rookie phenom goalie Carey Price was chased from the net, and Guy Carbonneau will reportedly use Jaroslav Halak in tonight's game.
The building was electric on Monday, and tonight will be no different. Hopefully the refs will call it even, and let the boys play. The physical game definitely favors Philadelphia, but the Flyers haven't had much trouble scoring either. Watch out for the Canadiens fans in their winter hats and Speedos. To erase that picture from your mind, follow us after the jump.
For the Fan Report from last weekend's Phillies-Pirates series, we've received a great write-up from reader Amy Ambler, who made the trek out to Pittsburgh's PNC Park. I saw a few games out there last year, and it's definitely worth a quick weekend trip. To submit a Fan Report from either a home or away game, just e-mail Enrico or Matt with your ballpark experiences as well as any pictures or video you may have taken.
When I made the trip out to Pittsburgh to see the Phillies take on the Pirates, I expected to encounter a few Phils fans—after all, it’s a feasible weekend jaunt and PNC Park is touted as one of the best parks in the majors. What I was unprepared for was to feel like I was at a home game.
As I walked into the stadium on Friday night, I joked to the two other Phils fans that accompanied me and my friend from college (a Bucs fan) that we might make it onto the telecast at home since they often show Phillies fans at visiting stadiums. However, as we crossed the bridge to the park, I realized that the chances were slim—there would be too many of us to choose from. Everywhere I went within the stadium, for every fan I saw in Pirates black and yellow, I saw another fan sporting Phillies red. It was incredible.
We're swamped today but Awful Announcing has the video of the now infamous segment from Costas Now last night when Buzz Bissinger becomes unhinged. [AA]
I knew this one. Who didn't? It's almost too obvious for a baseball fan.
Will Leitch of Deadspin was on HBO's Costas Now on Tuesday night to talk about the current state of the sports media landscape -- or so we thought. Instead it mostly turned into the Buzz Bissinger freaks out show.
I'm not one to say that print is dying because I'm a believer that there is something to be said for flipping through a newspaper, drinking a cup of coffee, and reading a well written article. But something I do believe is dying is the notion that blogs are a fad or that people who write on the Internet are instantly labeled as less credible. As if their opinion is less of an opinion. Also, I hate the word blog lately. Ugh.
Anyway, Will wrote a phenomenal response to the crazy episode. Go read it all, but the last line is the best.
The future is obvious to anyone even slightly interested in looking. We just stand aside, as he, as they, watch the light shrink, then fade, then vanish.
Always take the high road... until you can zing them like that!
See also: MDS' take at FanHouse and FireJoeMorgan's take.
>>Of Jimmy Olson, The Spittle, And The Dying Of The Light [Deadspin]
Sam Donnellon -- a journalist and not just some stupid fan! -- argues that Canada is out to get the Flyers and looks out for its own. I will not voice my opinion on the matter but will instead go watch this video for the 76th time.
Continue reading "It's Not Just the Fans Who Think Canada Hates the Flyers" »
Mike Knuble's hamstring injury has healed enough for him to be cleared to play in Wednesday's game against Montreal. Knuble had been playing well before the injury, and it looks as though John Stevens will put him back on his regular line with Jeff Carter and Scottie Upshall. While Knuble was out, RJ Umberger stepped up and went on a tear while playing with Carter and Upshall, notching 4 goals in the first 3 games of the Montreal series.
It will be interesting to see where Stevens puts Umberger, who was less than thrilled with a fourth line role early in the Washington series. However, too many healthy scoring threats as, as they say, a good problem to have.
Via FanHouse we get this photo of Sammy D's new mohawk (frohawk?) which he had freshly buzzed for tonight's game five in Detroit. The power of the 'hawk doesn't seem to be helping their game all that much as the Sixers are losing by a dozen. Another image as well as video of the hair artistry below.
Sunday night's loss was a tough one for the Sixers, not only did they miss a great opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead back to Detroit but they also did so in horrific fashion. After looking like a force to be reckoned with in the first half, the Sixers came out and played like a team ready to hit the links in the second.
Mo Cheeks noted the Pistons were able to flip the switch on Sunday and the Sixers didn't have anyone to turn to stop the bleeding. Mostly because Andre Iguodala has come up small for the majority of the series.
If the Sixers are going to win this series or even steal another game, A.I. is going to have to step his game up tremendously. No better time than now.
Tip off at 7:00.
Greg Maddux made his Major League debut when Cole Hamels was three years old. Tonight old Greg will be going for his 350th career win, a mark no young pitcher today will likely ever sniff. Cole brings an ERA about a point lower than Maddux this season and will attempt to spoil the Padres fun.
Shane Victorino is back from his stint on the DL but may not be back in center. There's been some chatter this week that Jayson Werth may have played himself into the starting center fielder role. Shane would then move back to his familiar territory in right. This remains to be seen but you can't argue with Werth's impressive play lately.
Continue reading "Old vs. Young as Phils Kick Off Pads Series" »
Clap your hands everybody
For Philadelphia 76ers
Stomp your feet, everybody
For Philadelphia 76ers
Here they come, Philadelphia
On the run, Stand up and cheer
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Sixers
I'm not going to pretend like we're huge fans of Arena Football. I don't dislike it per se but it's not something that sees much action on my television. That said, this video clip from last night's game of a Soul guy jawing it up with some chump from Texas gets us rather excited.
Happy to see Philly still hates Dallas even in the Arena League. And Philly wins, of course.
If you can forget about the last few years when he was part of the infamous Black Hole with David Bell, Mike Lieberthal actually had a pretty nice career in Philadelphia. He's returning to the city that made him a Major League ball player and will be a Phillie for one more day.
On June 1st, Lieberthal will retire as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.
"Philadelphia has always been a second home to me, so I'm really
looking forward to this," Lieberthal said in a statement released by
the Phillies. "I spent half my life there and still follow the team
closely on television."
I was a guest on the "On the DL" podcast with Dan Levy. He's had some pretty great guests on in the past including Will Leitch, Pat Forde of ESPN, Christmas Ape of KSK, Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post, and even the Balls.
We talk about the business of blogging, the Eagles draft, the Sixers playoff run, Philly sports in general, and whatnot. So check it out if you need something to listen to while you're at work.
In the first period of last night's game, as Montreal goalie Carey Price went behind the net to play a puck that was just on the border of the trapezoid, Flyer Steve Downie approached to try to gain possession. He passed by Price and was hit into the boards by a Canadiens defender, and was promptly met with some pushing and punching by multiple players, as was Derian Hatcher, who came to his aid. On the boxscore, you'll see matching minors for Downie and Hatch for roughing, as well as the Habs' Lapierre and Komisarek for the same infraction, but you'll also see that Downie was assessed a tripping call.
Did he deserve it, or did Price take a dive (or, the NHL ref special: both)? I was at the game and only saw a few replays, and what happened afterward was just a jumbled mess from our vantage. Commenters in the previous threads were divided, so here's a video of the incident, with a slightly editorialized soundtrack. The roughing that ensued (not shown in video) was Montreal's reaction to Downie supposedly tripping their goalie, which may not have even happened, and they got a powerplay to boot. Another video with more angles and the aftermath, after the jump (h/t yellowbird).
Continue reading "You Be the Judge: Did Downie Clip Price?" »
"The Eagles said in a complaint filed with the U.S. District
Court in Philadelphia that Owens owes the team $769,117.65" from when the Eagles told him to take a hike back in 2005. Nothing like a little T.O. schadenfreude to kick start your day. Not only are they suing him for what he owes them, the Eagles are also looking for T.O. to cover their legal fees! [Bloomberg]
Although they were outshot 34-14 on the game and down a man for 5 minutes of the third period, the Flyers hung on to win game three over the Canadiens by a score of 3-2. Martin Biron was again the star of the game, turning away every shot he faced, other than two goals during the 5-minute major assessed to Derian Hatcher.
This one was by far the highlight, as Biron stretches to make a brillia
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