Baseball is and will always be my favorite sport and as a fan I can honestly say that in all of sports there is nothing as exciting as a close pennant race. September is the time when all of this happens. The unexpected happens in September, contenders come out of nowhere. Need I remind you of the Rockies magical run to win 19 of their last 21 to make the playoffs or the Phillies heroic sweep of the Brewers which put them right back into the wild card and later division race? No, I don't, because all loyal baseball fans were watching, anticipating and sitting in their seats praying for the baseball gods to look on their favorite team with favor. In September baseball almost anything can happen and almost anything does.
Baseball isn't the only sport that will be alive and kicking in September however. As many of you probably know it is time for the return of football and it's little brother, college football. With the extended off season marked by the longest lockout the NFL has ever seen, everyone is ready to get back to some football. So get the grills going, the jerseys ironed and the picture in picture working, because regular season football is back and back with a vengeance.
So with pennant races in baseball and kickoffs in football going on at the same time, I am going to help you find a way to watch it all and to not miss all of the great plays and games both the Phillies and Eagles have to offer. This is my September preview and guide on how to watch all of your Philadelphia team's most exciting moments.
1. September 5-7, Phillies vs. Braves
At this point of the baseball season, all of the remaining games are important but I have pinpointed three series that Phillies fans definitely should keep their eyes on. This series is one of them. The Phillies are firmly 7.5 games in first place with a little less than 30 games left on the schedule. Although it looks as if the Phillies will win the division, anything can happen. This series is important because it will not only help the Phillies gain distance from the Braves if they win, but it will also help build confidence for the Phillies for the postseason. As it looks now the Braves being 7.5 games up in the wildcard, look to make the playoffs. They are a possible match up for the Phillies in the NLCS. This team and this series is not to be taken lightly.
2. September 8-11, Phillies vs. Brewers
Right after the Braves series the Phillies move on to another pivotal series and this time it is against Milwaukee. In the NL West playoff positioning is all but decided. The Brewers also like the Phillies lead their closest competition, the Cardinals by 7.5 games. Again, anything can happen but it looks that the Brewers will be making the playoffs. The race now is on for the best record and home field advantage throughout the postseason. Currently the Phillies are 8.5 games ahead of the Brewers for the NL best record for the second consecutive year. 8.5 games may seem like a lot but if in a 4 game series the Brewers sweep that number would go to 4.5 and with time left in the season, the Brewers could make it up. Like I said with the Braves series, this team is not to be taken lightly. They have good pitching and two MVP candidates. Winning this series would almost guarantee the Phils best record and would increase confidence of beating another team they might see in the postseason.
3. September 11- Eagles regular season opener, Eagles @ Rams
The Eagles get back into action next Sunday, September 11. It is an exciting day for all football fans who I'm sure will wear their jerseys proudly and get their wings ready to go. I for one am extremely excited to see the new team on the field in a game that matters. Vick's preseason struggles don't matter if he shows up on Sunday as the stud we paid him to be. With Asomugha, Babin, DRC and all of our new acquisitions, the Eagles hoped to have fixed spots with holes that ended up costing them last year. It is obviously our team got better on paper, now it is time to be better on the field. Tune in on Sunday at 1pm on Fox to critique the team, be amazed by the offense, be wowed by the defense or to just watch everything done in the off season come together. Be there to watch the Eagles as they begin their run at the 2012 Lombardi Trophy and the title of Superbowl Champions.
4. September 25- Eagles home opener, Eagles vs. Giants
This is possibly the most important game of the season for the Eagles. After two games on the road, they come home to the Linc for their home opener. Now this will probably be the biggest home opener in the history of the franchise because this will be Eagles fans' chance to see the team which is considered Superbowl favorites on the field up-close and personal. All athletes that play in Philadelphia know that the Philly crowds will either make you or break you and that they are not afraid to let you know how they feel. So I think it is imperative for the Eagles to get a win in this game and to show the fans that the excitement over this 2011 Eagles team isn't just hype and that it is for real and that the Eagles will be going to the Superbowl. Also, it is the first division game on the schedule for the Eagles and it is their first chance to show the NFC East, that they are the team to beat.
5. September 26-28- Phillies @ Braves, last series of the 2011 season
Hopefully at this point the Phillies will have locked up the division. Hopefully they will have locked up the division about a week or so before this point but nevertheless this will be an important series. If the division is close then this series could determine who wins the NL East. If it isn't close then it could decide playoff positioning. If the Phillies finish with the best record and the Braves the worst, they wouldn't play each other in the NLDS because teams in the same division cannot play each other in the first round. So even if this series means nothing record wise, it is always good to end on a positive note and the Phillies hope to do just that. This series might even be the decider of if the Phillies win 100 games and I'm sure the Braves would love to be the spoiler and keep the Phils from reaching the century mark.
So in my opinion these are the top 5 must watch series/games. Personally I will be watching all of the Phillies remaining series and all of the Eagles games but these are the major ones to keep your eye on. In the case of September 11, both the Phillies and Eagles play at the same time so here is my advice. Find a web stream of one of the games, put two tvs in one room, watch one on tv, listen to the other on the radio or finally become an expert at channel surfing. That is one reason why commercials are good, that they can be used to flip between multiple games.
Happy September and happy watching! Go Eagles and Phillies!
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