Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Trying to be relentlessly positive

Chase Utley could be out for several weeks with a thumb injury. The last time the Phillies lost their all-star 2B to an extended injury was 2007 ... when the Phillies staged a late-season rally to win their division.

The Phillies were 3.5 games out starting Tuesday. The last time they were that far out after June 1 was in June 2009 ... when the Phillies staged a late-season rally to win their division.

Jimmy Rollins has already missed 57 games this year. The last season he missed more than 30 games was 2008 ... when the Phillies staged a late-season rally to win their division.

The Phillies have already been shut out seven times this season. The last time they were shut out that many times in one year was 2009 ... when the Phillies staged a late-season rally to win their division.

Just saying ...

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

My annual pilgrimage

Yes, I was at this game. On a positive note, I got some fun pictures.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Your Philadelphia sports life

Click on the timeline to make it bigger.
Look, I know the Flyers loss was a little painful, but let's look at the positives: The chart above shows that we're in possibly the best pro sports stretch of our lives (well, at least since I've understood baseball.)

Tuesday, June 08, 2010

I don't want to be picky, but ...

The Flyers have had an amazing season; They're facing a do-or-die game six in the Stanley Cup Finals; They became the first #7 seed ever to host the conference championships; they became only the fourth professional sports franchise to come back from a 3-0 series deficit; and they did all this after qualifying for the playoffs after a shootout win on the very last day of the regular season.

So, ESPN ... ... do you think you could finally update the Flyers team page on your site to include a picture of Briere in a Flyers uniform? He hasn't worn the Buffalo black and gold since 2007.

Thanks. And let's go Flyers.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Perfection in Philly sports, 1964-present

June 21, 1964 -- Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning pitches a perfect game in New York against the Mets. The win, in which Bunning recorded 10 Ks, puts him at 7-2 for the season thus far.

Nov. 21, 1967 -- Flyers G Bernie Parent records his first career perfect game, a 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Candieans. Parent would record 50 total shutouts in his Flyers career.

Oct. 14, 1979 -- The Flyers defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in the first of 35-straight games without a loss, a record of perfection which still stands today.

May 1983 -- The Sixers sweep the Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs and the Lakers in the finals, but lose one game to the Bucks in their second round series and finish the postseason an imperfect 12-1.

Dec. 22, 1991 -- After completing a 24-22 win over the Washington Redskins, the Eagles defense (anchored by Reggie White and Jerome Brown) finishes the seas ranked #1 against the run, #1 against the pass, and #1 overall.

March 2, 2004 -- The St. Joe's Hawks defeat St. Bonaventure 82-50 to finish the regular season 27-0, the last Division I basketball program to post a perfect regular season.

Dec. 19, 2004 -- The Eagles finish the NFC East regular season with a 12-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys, completing a perfect 6-0 division schedule. They follow it up in 2005 with a 0-6 record.

Sept. 23, 2007 -- Eagles QB Donovan McNabb records a perfect QB rating, 158.3, in a 56-21 victory over the Lions. McNabb threw for 381 yards and four TDs.

May 29, 2010 -- Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay pitches a perfect game in Florida against the Marlins. The win, in which Halladay recorded 11 Ks, puts him at 7-3 for the season thus far.