What I Learned... Halloween Edition!

 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Hope all of you have your costumes ready and are enjoying the holiday which allows all of us to step out of our comfort zone and be someone who we always wanted to be. In addition to it being the weekend before Halloween, it was also an amazing sports week all over the country. Stanford won in a 3OT shootout against USC, the Baltimore Ravens came back from sure defeat to take a close one, the St. Louis Cardinals, America's miracle team, won the World Series, the MLS Playoffs began and the Flyers keep on scoring goals. The only bad thing to happen is the NBA cutting another two weeks of the season.

All that being said these events are only some of the great ones that marked an overall great week in sports. Now grant it, it probably wasn't that great if you live in Texas watching both the Rangers and Cowboys fall and the rest of the games all depend on where you live but all in all, what a week!

So for this week in honor of the great sports we had and those awaiting us the rest of the season, that and Halloween, I decided to do a super special what I learned segment for this week. So, without further ado I present: What I Learned, the Most Popular Costume Choices.


Lesean McCoy: If there was any doubt in my mind that the Eagles would make the playoffs, it is all gone now. After the Sunday night beat down of the Cowboys, I am 100% sure the Birds will be flying well into 2012. Leading the way of the Eagles surging attack is RB Lesean McCoy. In plain terms, McCoy has been a godsend to the Eagles. Although the team is immensely talented at the QB and WR positions, it is McCoy who is the biggest difference maker on this team.Without him, the Eagles wouldn't be able to climb out of their early season hole like they are starting to do now, going from last to second place in the NFC East. In addition to being absolutely vital to the team, McCoy is the only player in the NFL to score a TD in each of his team's games played. Even in fantasy football, the young star is ranked either second or third in most leagues. Move over Brian Westbrook, because McCoy has, if he hadn't already, worked his way into the hearts of Eagles fan everywhere as the next great RB. Seriously, who doesn't want to be McCoy this Halloween?




Andrew Luck: "And with the first round pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts/ Miami Dolphins/ Insert Team Here select Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford University." Remember this because come draft time, it is exactly what you are going to hear Commish Roger Goodell say. It is with utmost certainty I can say and agree with analysts and sports writers everywhere, that Luck will be selected first overall. It is almost a foregone conclusion that NFL analysts aren't saying when so and so team gets the first pick, they are just  saying, so and so team is in the running to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Typically getting the first overall pick isn't exactly winning, but with Luck, it is a coveted prize for both the 0-8 Colts and 0-7 Dolphins as well as the 1-6 St. Louis Rams and 1-6 Arizona Cardinals. With Luck, he is NFL ready by many scouts estimations. He has so much raw talent and instinct that just can't be taught. He is doing it all this year leading his Stanford team to a perfect 8-0 on the season including beating USC and QB Matt Barkley in what was touted as the best QB duel that was going to take place this season. So much for being a police officer or superhero, your kids are going to want to be Andrew Luck this Halloween.


Jaromir Jagr: If the words, 'old' and 'washed up' come to mind when you think of Jaromir Jagr, then clearly you haven't been watching Flyers games lately. In the past five games the 39 year old, former first round draft pick, has been lighting up the ice and helping the Flyers to key victories. He has scored all five of his season's goals in these games and added two of his six season assists. Averaging about sixteen minutes of ice time, Jagr has shown that the longer he is out there, the more productive he can be. Considered a long shot when signed because of his age and recent absence from the NHL, Jagr has been a blessing in disguise so far this season for the Flyers. 


David Freese: Did you believe the Cardinals were the team of destiny? I didn't, especially after they unceremoniously ended the run of the Phillies (still too soon to talk about). But even the non-believers must have changed their tune a little bit when the Cardinals won the 2011 World Series, led by the offensive production and somewhat unexpected production of David Freese. Freese proved that heroes come in the unlikeliest of places as he, not Albert Pujols and not Lance Berkman, helped lead the Cardinals to the title. Freese's production was more than just getting hits, it was getting them at just the right time. The World Series MVP was clutch under pressure and his game winning home run in game six gave the Cardinals another chance which they did not pass up. With the glove and with the bat, Freese was electric for the miracle Cardinals who only barely made the playoffs. Coming back from the deficit they faced and then to beating the World Series favorites, the Phillies and then the team of Fielder and Braun in Milwaukee, the Cardinals completed it all in one thrilling series  and thrilling game six for the ages. Cardinals fan or not, anyone who watched this series has to admit, it was one of baseball's finest.


David Stern: Finally if the hero theme is not for you and you prefer to go as a villain this Halloween, try out your luck with this costume as it is sure to be scary especially for all the NBA fans out there. That's right, Stern and his team of owners and league presidents after three straight days of negotiations in which players and media alike were optimistic a deal could get done, the negotiations broke down. With disputes over money and revenue sharing at the forefront of the disagreements, Stern announced that another two weeks of games would be cancelled and that as a result, "a full NBA season cannot be played under any circumstances." Now I know all of this isn't Stern's fault, but as the Commish he is taking the heat. In the early going he seemed convinced there wouldn't be a season and had even planned for that reality as he and the owners had money stored away for this possibility. So thanks to David Stern and the disagreements of players and owners, the Dallas Mavericks might have to wait until 2013 to defend their NBA title and the NBA superstars might have to find work elsewhere. The sign on the lockouted door reads, "Basketball players need not apply," and that doesn't look to change anytime soon.


So with Halloween being tonight, it seems certain that all of these costumes will be sold out considering their popularity. That being said, I hope all of you have great costumes or your kids have great costumes.

Stay safe, get some candy and have a great Halloween!

A Philly Reflection on Moneyball

I just saw Moneyball last night and I thought it was a great baseball movie. The premise which I'm sure many of you know is that small market teams like the Oakland Athletics have much smaller budgets than teams such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. As a result, these teams cannot afford to spend money on top of the line free agents and it makes it harder for them to compete and reach the playoffs. The A's 39 million dollar payroll was nothing compared to the Yankees payroll of 119 million. When discussing his view of the Athletics, A's GM Billy Beane's character portrayed by Brad Pitt is quoted saying, "There are rich teams and there are poor teams, then there's fifty feet of crap and then there's us."

So with this reality the Athletics find themselves without the payroll to re-sign three of Oakland's major players who helped them to win 102 games and make the playoffs in 2001. Although they won 102 games, the Athletics lost in the ALDS in five games against the Yankees. For a Phillies fan seeing this movie this resemblance was strikingly all too familiar. Because of not having the money, Beane saw 1B Jason Giambi sign with the New York Yankees in one of their ordinary multi-million dollar deals and OF Johnny Damon go to the Red Sox for 7.7 million after Beane had believed they had a deal to keep him for 7.5 million. Reliever Jason Isringhausen also signs with the St. Louis Cardinals after the season.

With his top three guys gone, Beane is forced to find ways to replace the productivity the A's are losing. After some searching and finding Peter Brand, a character loosely based on Paul DePodesta and some of Beane's other advisors he looks to sabermetrics, the Bill James ostracized idea that evaluating players is more than just traditional scouting and that it can and should be done more by looking at the numbers. Beane and Brand determined that the most important number to look at was OBP and that by looking solely at this number, they could get players cheaply that other teams overlooked or undervalued. Included in this crop were reliever Chad Bradford who was passed up on because of his submarine style of throwing, Catcher turned First baseman Scott Hatteberg who after suffering an elbow injury making it impossible for him to throw from behind the plate was dismissed by the Red Sox, David Justice who was a former Yankee who according to Beane the team wanted so badly to get rid of him that they paid the A's half of his seven million dollar salary to take him and Jeremy Giambi, brother of A's former star Jason and someone with several off the field issues.

In my opinion the movie was very good and I would recommend it. It really does tell the story of the underdog and overcoming obstacles. The 2002 A's team may not have won the World Series but they did prove that sabermetrics can work. It wasn't smooth sailing all the way but they recorded a record breaking 20 consecutive wins en route to the division title and another playoff appearance. After the season, the Boston Red Sox hired Bill James, inventor of the sabermetric approached and tried to lure Beane from Oakland. Other teams also mirrored Beane's approach including hiring sabermetric analysts. Simply put, the moneyball style of evaluating players changed the game of baseball.

From Philly to Oakland, the Athletic Connection 

Now seeing that this is a Philly sports blog I feel obligated to point out the Philadelphia connections in this movie. One obvious connection is the Athletics themselves. Formally from Philadelphia, the Athletics moved to Oakland following some pretty good success in Philly. While in Philly, they set the AL record of 20 consecutive wins which the Oakland A's tied in 2002.                                                                          

Phone Call to Ed Wade

Also connected to Philly is a phone call that Beane makes to then Phils GM, Ed Wade. Beane offers him a trade in which the Phillies acquired Jeremy Giambi. It is funny because in the phone call, I don't remember the exact quote, but Wade says something along the lines of, "are you taking advantage of me?" It made me laugh because of how the Phillies have seemingly taken advantage of Wade now with the Astros. Guess he never knew a good trade from a bad one and guess he still doesn't.

Raul Ibanez is Black?        
Finally and possibly most humorously, there is a scene when the Athletics are playing the Kansas City Royals to go for their 20th win. In this game the Athletics led by 11-0 but the Royals came charging back. In one scene former Phillies Mike Sweeney and Raul Ibanez are both portrayed as getting hits which help the Royals tie the game. Sweeney's portrayal was pretty spot on but when Ibanez came to the plate, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. The Cuban American superstar was portrayed, plainly put, as a black guy. He looked more like Jimmy Rollins than Raul Ibanez.

Seven Players and Seven Goals

James Van Riemsdiek and Claude Giroux are two names that most Flyers fans can recognize. Both the young stars of a young team, JVR and Giroux are stepping into the roles held by former Flyers Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. Once the up and coming stars, these two players are now Philly's finest and the team and city will look to strong play all season behind these now veteran stars.

Philly has played five games this year without recording a regulation loss. They are 4-0-1 with nine points only one behind conference leading Pittsburgh who have played three more games and have two more losses than the Flyers.

I don't think many people expected the Flyers to be so good right out of the gate. Everyone questioned the decisions to get rid of Richards and Carter and to bring in these unknowns but so far it has worked out. The money invested in goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov, is paying off and the players who have come to Philly through free agency such as former Penguins Max Talbot and Jaromir Jagr and those from the Carter and Richards trades have really come together as a great team so far. Best of all, the Flyers are finally scoring on the powerplay!

I bring up information about this bunch of misfits as it would seem because yesterday night they recorded seven goals, each by a different player. In my mind all of these players are going to mean something to this team in the future and their seven goals last night are almost a statement to those in the NHL that just shook their head when Carter and Richards were trading.

Who's laughing now? Probably Ed Snider for being the genius behind the moves.

Claude Giroux (4) and JVR (2) each contributed a goal which isn't surprising as these two are the ones the team is now looking to for scoring. Giroux's four goals are currently leading the team and put him at the leader board for the NHL. Wayne Simmonds, acquired in the Richards trade tallied his second of the season along with rookie Matt Read, who after only one season in the AHL is already proving his worth in the NHL. Max Talbot got his first goal in a Flyers uniform on Wednesday and so did Harrison Zolniercek, who was playing in his first NHL game. 18 year old rookie Sean Courtier recorded his first NHL goal off of the 4th assist of Read and 3rd of Matt Carle.

So you might not know these names now but come the summer months, most Flyer fans will be able to identify who these guys are. They are paying off right now and they look to pay off in the long haul, all the way to Lord Stanley's Cup.

Getting Back on Track Possession by Possession

The Eagles won today.

The Eagles won today.

Wow, sorry I had to repeat it but when I first typed it I didn't believe it was true. Felt like waking up from a dream, a dream that finally had a happy ending.

So yes the Eagles won today and Philly fans can go back to celebrating. I mean come on, all in all it has been a pretty okay week for Philly. Union made the playoffs, Flyers haven't lost a game in regulation and the Eagles got back into the win column where they belong, most likely saving Andy Reid's job in the process.

Like all other Eagles fans I am very happy that we are 2-4 not 1-5 although honestly I can't find a single reason on paper why we shouldn't be 6-0 or at least 5-1, I'm not complaining. A win is a win and for the Eagles who were in desperation mode, this might be just what they needed to get the confidence back and hopefully enough to ride for the rest of the season.

That being said, I am happy but not overall pleased. Winning was definitely good but it was only a step in getting to where the Eagles want to be. Sure there were good things to take from this game but there were also glaring imperfections which the Eagles need to improve starting with poor second half play and continued lack of scoring touchdowns in the red zone.

The Eagles defense was actually one aspect that I felt pretty good about. They limited the Redskins trio of backs to less than 50 yards and forced Rex Grossman to throw 4 interceptions.

Vick and the offense played pretty well too and with that I have noticed a few things about this Eagles offense. So far Jeremy Maclin and not Desean Jackson is emerging as the Eagles go to guy. This could be because Jackson is often double covered but regardless Maclin is getting his opportunities. For the Eagles this is a great sign because as long as Maclin is catching and not fumbling balls, he is proving that defenses can't leave him alone. This will free up Jackson and make it very tough for opponents to stop the combo of Maclin and Jackson from scoring.

Involving the TE is something that the Eagles really need to do and this week a commitment to doing just that was evident. Coach Reid has said that Vick's development as a passer and not a runner needs to include throwing more to the TE. With Brent Celek back being a viable option, the Eagles will have a short game to look to if and when their big guns in Maclin and Jackson are covered.

Lesean McCoy.

Really not enough can be said for this guy who is truly having a break out season. Having scored a TD in each of the Eagles six games, McCoy has been explosive and electric. In the Eagles two wins he has played a huge role and in the losses he was the guy who got them close enough to win. McCoy has no fumbles on the season and always fights for yards. He is tough to bring down and is just what the Eagles will need going forward. For someone who once said he was humbled by being compared to Brian Westbrook, I think that time is over. McCoy has stepped into his predecessor's big shoes and is filling them quite well.

Michael Vick will not be kept down. This guy has been hit and hit and hit some more but he refuses to let that get to him. He missed one play this game and saw his replacement Vince Young throw a pick. Next time the Eagles had the ball, Vick was back under center. He has to know his importance to the team and he has to know that without him, the Eagles aren't going to the playoffs. Not to be kept down or concerned about injuries, Vick continues to run when he sees fit getting the Eagles necessary yards and big plays.

So, a happy fan yes but not quite satisfied yet. This team still isn't playing to its full potential but when it does,   NFL teams beware.

Oh and shout out to Kurt Coleman, the guy not named Nnamdi, Asante or Dominque, but who still managed to pick off Grossman not once, not twice, but THREE times. If you don't know his name you certainly do now. Someone came out to play in week 6.

Philadelphia is Playoff Bound!

No I'm not talking about the Flyers who are undefeated but far from the playoffs of summer. I'm certainly not referring to the Eagles who would need a miracle to make the playoffs at this point. Sadly not talking about the Phillies either who suffered a much too early playoff exit. I'm talking about yours, mine and our own Philadelphia Union!

In Philadelphia we consider ourselves to be a major sports town possessing a team in each of the four major sports. Last year we also added a professional soccer team which has been gaining steam in the ways of American love and appreciation.

In Philadelphia that love and appreciation has shown for our Union who in only their second year of existence sits in first place in the Eastern Conference and is on their way to their first playoff berth. PPL Park will be electric with fans of the Union who have already sold out their season tickets for 2012.

So consider the Union just one more Philly team to love and support. This fan will certainly be following the playoff run and hoping for the MLS Championship to come to Philly. We love our football, we love our baseball, we love our hockey and we love our basketball. For those who don't already, we will soon fall in love with our soccer!

DOOP it up Philadelphia. Let's Go Union!!!!

The Eagles ARE a Dream Team

If you play football for or are a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins or New York Giants then the  Philadelphia Eagles are a dream team. In fact they are the McDreamy as far as dream teams go. You must love how dreamy the Eagles have been this season Dallas, Washington and NY. I mean they have been such a dream to you that you go to sleep every night smiling at the fact that they are in the cellar and you are not.

Hopefully I got my point across. Sarcasm works well for things such as these.

So yes the Eagles are in fact a dream team for the rest of the NFC East but here in Philadelphia they are more a nightmare team.

The pieces are all there. In fact there is no reason on paper why this team shouldn't be winning games. They have some of the best players and pro bowl names. What is missing?

continuity?

good coaching?

the right personnel to play the defense Castillo is intent on having us play?

two kickers who aren't rookies?

players who can actually make tackles?

guys that can actually hold on to the football?

Yes, yes, yes, yes and hell yes.

These are just some of the glaring things that stand out when looking at why the Eagles are 1-4. 4th Quarter collapses  comebacks just short, missed field goals, horrible turnovers at the worst times, coaching miscues. Yupp. I think at this point the better question is why aren't the Eagles 0-5.

Eagles football has literally become painful for me to watch. I can't stand seeing huge leads blown or worse comebacks that end in disappointment. This team needs help and it needs it soon. Is a coaching overhaul necessary? No, I wouldn't go that drastic. They do need to do something however to put up another W. Not winning the Superbowl is one thing that would sting in a season where the Eagles were favored, but not even making the playoffs? Well that might be just as heartbreaking as the Phillies losing in the NLDS.

My uncle told me over the weekend that the only worse than a bad football team is an expensive bad football team. Unfortunately for the Eagles we are the latter of the two.

Congrats to the Texas Rangers on Being ALCS Bound

If they played in the National League, I'd hate them but since they don't there is just something over the past few years (before they suddenly became good) that has drawn me to this quite unusual love affair with the Texas Rangers.

First off you are probably thinking, "how can someone from Philadelphia who claims to love their teams more than life itself be a fan of any Texas team?"

My answer to you: I don't know. It just happened.

Now I'm not going to argue that this might seem unusual. I mean who would think that a die hard Eagles fan would like anything even close to a Texas team. Truth is though that it isn't as if I like the Cowboys. I'm the kind of sports fan that believes in rivalries as much as the next guy but I also beleive in the ability to be a fan of multiple teams. Don't get me wrong, I'll never be caught dead cheering for the Cowboys, Mets, Giants, Yankees, Bruins, Rangers or Celtics but the Rangers they are a differnet story.

As far as I can pinpoint I started liking the Rangers and the Twins when I decided I had to pick an AL team to root for. I figured they along with the Cubs, (yes I do like the Cubbies but mostly because I feel sorry for them. 104 years is a long time people), that these teams would be my back ups to root for if the Phillies didn't make the World Series.

I think I began to like the Rangers because of Josh Hamilton. Hearing his story and about all that he overcame to make it back to baseball was incredibly heartwarming. I read all I could about him and watched the special when it came on tv. He instantly became one of my favorite players not to wear red pinstripes.

I honestly can't think of another reason why I starting liking the Rangers but I have watched them when I can. I love their style of play and I love the determination and grit of the team. They play a lot like the Phillies which is probably why I like them so much.

So here is my shout out to the Texas Rangers, the second most deserving team in MLB to make the LCS. Here is hoping a World Series match up with the Phillies is in their future. I can't think of a better team to be runner up twice in a row.

Examining the Keys of NLDS Game One: Who Came up Big and Who Faltered In the End

I recently published an article on B/R about the keys for both the Phillies and Cardinals. I examined what both teams would need to do in order to win the NLDS. For those who haven't seen the article, here is the link: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/872669-2011-mlb-playoffs-previewing-the-keys-for-the-phillies-vs-cardinals-nlds

For those who have seen it, here is the follow up.

Key 1: Battle of the Bats: Ryan Howard vs. Albert Pujols
For this key I surmised that which ever big slugger was able to carry the team on his back would be the team who would win the series. So far that is pretty spot on. Pujols only recorded one hit in the game and that was after Roy Halladay had already the left the game. He was 1-3 on the day with 1 BB. Howard's line went a little differently. Howard was also 1-3 with a walk but he added a HR, a run scored, four RBI and most importantly no strikeouts. When the Phillies were down 3-1, Howard came to the late representing the go ahead run and he smacked one deep into the seats and gave the Phillies the lead. Howard stepped up but Pujols stayed in the shadows and this shows in the Phillies leading the series 1-0.

Key 2: Hunter Pence and the Houston Astros Equation
One half of the Astros equation was in play tonight and that was Pence. The former Astro did not disappoint in his postseason debut. Pence went 2-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI. His knowledge of Cardinals pitching may or may not have helped him to this mark but what is certain that Pence's production from the three hole certainly helped the Phillies, even though Pence's RBIs were runs 10 and 11.

Key 3: Will the Injured Matt Holliday Play?
Answer: No. Result: Cardinals lost.

Key 4: The Phillies Pitching Rotation: Match ups, match ups, match ups
Today pitted Halladay against Kyle Lohse. At first it looked like the Cardinals were actually going to take this match up. They scored a three run home run off of Halladay early and Lohse didn't allow an earned run until the 6th. That was the break out inning however for the Phillies offense. They managed to tag Lohse with six runs. Halladay on the other hand settled down after his first inning. He turned on a new gear and retired 21 in a row before leaving the game after eight when the Phillies had an 11-3 lead. Clearly the Phillies took advantage of this match up. 1-0 Phillies with Cliff Lee vs. Chris Carpenter tomorrow. Match up will be key once again.

Key 5: It Comes Down to Game One
I said that the key to this series was winning game one. The Phillies won game one. Let's see if they win the series.

Key 6: Cardinals: Building on Momentum and Regular Season Success Against Phillies
This is what the Cardinals had to do and in game one they didn't do it. Not only did they lose any momentum they had from their amazing September, they practically gave it all to the Phillies. Last time Lohse and Halladay matched up the Cardinals won, this time it went quite the opposite.The Cardinals may have won the season series against the Phils but in two of the three games the Phils won they scored double digit runs. They did this again tonight and almost effectively deflated any confidence and momentum the Cardinals had.

Key 7: The Perfect Bullpen Equation Does Not Exist for the Phillies
This is true and it was on display tonight. Michael Stutes is still not the same pitcher he was before the All Star Break and this showed in his pitching line tonight: 3 ER, 3 H and 1 BB in 1/3 of an inning. Luckily for the Phillies they were up 11-3 before he threw a pitch and his outing didn't really matter. The lack of bullpen consistency though is still something to watch for and in close games this could cost the Phillies dearly.

Key 8: Jimmy Rollins: Final Audition for the Phillies to Re-sign Him
Jimmy Rollins has a big off season ahead of him and as a result I predicted that he would have a good postseason and that from the top of the line up this would be key to the Phillies success. 2-4 with three runs scored is certainly what the Phillies wanted from the top of the line up and he delivered tonight. Rollins got on base to start the 6th inning and made it possible for Howard to hit a three run bomb.

Key 9: Home Field Advantage and the Fan Factor
The Phillies won this one easily. At first after the Cardinals took the early lead the fans were out of it. But when the Phillies began to mount their rally, the fans and their waving white towels were right back in it. I like to believe that the fans were a big part of why the Phillies won game one. Also, the Cardinals misplayed some balls. The Phillies didn't. Home field advantage mattered and for the Phillies it helped them to a 1-0 lead.

Key 10: Best Rotation vs. Best Offense: Does Pitching Really Win Championships?
Tonight the Phillies pitching did outmaneuver the Cardinals offense. After an early 3-0 lead given by a Lance Berkman HR, the Cardinals only got one more hit when Halladay was pitching. He kept the Cardinals hitters at bay and retired 21 in a row after giving up his third hit to the team, a number they would stay at until Halladay left the game after the 8th. I said that for the Phillies to win they would probably not have to score more than three runs. Doc only gave up three. So tonight, best rotation was that much better than the best offense.

Looking at the keys, I'm realizing that the Phillies did everything they needed to do to win and the Cardinals didn't do any of the things they needed. It is no wonder why the Phillies have a 1-0 NLDS lead.