Excited about football

I'll be the first to admit it: I didn't think I'd be psyched about football this year, but as soon as this week rolled around I found myself desperate to see the boys back on the field again. Why? Consider the following:

1 -- This team is nothing but young talent. The squad has 16 key players under 30, and a handful more who just hit that magic number.

2 -- The Philly defense still has some major holes, but the offense already looks to be coming along just fine. That doesn't necessarily mean more wins, but it does make for some exciting shootouts.

3 -- The fan base has already been rabid, and there's no reason to think that they're going to calm down anytime soon.

4 -- The playoffs are a real possibility. When you look at the other teams in their division, none of them have a clear edge. Sure, it'll take some luck, but it's not an impossible climb up to a playoff slot.

I know a lot of folks are pessimistic looking ahead, but don't count me among them. Football is back for good this week, and it should be a time for excitement throughout Philadelphia.

It all starts on Saturday, when the MLS All-Star break wraps up and the Philadelphia Union retake the field to start the second half of the football season. Who would have thought their inaugural season could be this exciting?

Join or Die, baby. Join or Die.

Wait, you thought I was talking about these jerks? Hell no. Nothing about this NFL season looks like fun.

Thanks again, Eagles

Every day, on my way to work, I pass by this bus stop just a block from my office. Last Friday they changed the ad on the side of it:


So now I'll get to see that every day until September.

Thanks again, Eagles. This is gonna be a great football season. Excuse me for a moment while I wretch in the corner.

Fun with video

If you missed it, this was inspired by this much better post.

He's going the distance...

Just another FYI chart -- click on the image to make it bigger.

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 ...

My annual pilgrimage

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

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.)

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.

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.

Happy Birthday, G

He keeps getting older, but his birthday cards remain timeless.

Fun facts about the Flyers

Learn about your favorite team before they head off to the Stanley Cup Finals!

C Jeff Carter -- At 6-3 and 200 pounds, he is roughly the same size as Cole Hamels.

G Michael Leighton -- He has started in goal for 10 different teams in the last 10 years, including the Windsor Spitfires and Albany River Rats. Up until this year, he had a winning record with four of them.

D Oskars Bartulis -- He is a member of the Flyers roster.

LW Ville Leino -- His first name is Finnish, meaning "a strong willed, helmed man." He does, in fact, wear a helmet.

C Mike Richards -- He has a gold medal from when Sidney Crosby beat the US Hockey team in the Olympics, and yet we still love him.

LW Simon Gagne -- He is not dead.

LW Daniel Carcillo -- He collected over 200 penalty minutes this season, meaning he sat in the box for more than three whole games.

D Chris Pronger -- He is, in fact, a Canadian.

Tough choices

Since we’re faced with another bonanza of Philly sports tonight, here’s a handy guide to what you should be watching. Simply answer the easy questions below and total up your scoresheet to see which Philadelphia success story deserves air time on your nearest TV:

** Is it the NHL playoffs? (If yes, +1 Flyers)
** Is it the MLB playoffs? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Is Simon Gagne playing? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Is Simon Gagne hurt but playing? (Yes, +2 Flyers)
** Is Simon Gagne dead? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Is Roy Halladay pitching for the Phils? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Is Kyle Kendrick in goal for the Flyers? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Have the Phillies scored double-digits yet? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Have the Flyers chased the other goalie? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Are the Flyers down 3-0 in a game seven? (Yes, +2 Flyers)
** Are the Phillies lighting up Johan Santana? (Yes, +2 Phillies)
** Are the Flyers playing Pittsburgh? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Are the Phillies playing Pittsburgh? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Is Ryan Howard up to bat? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Are Chase Utley or Jimmy Rollins up to bat? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Is Ross Gload up to bat? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Are the Flyers on a power play? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Are the Phillies using binoculars? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Are you in attendance at the Phillies game? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Are you Charlie Manuel? (Yes, +1 Phillies)
** Are you Ed Snider? (Yes, +1 Flyers)
** Are you Andy Reid? (Yes, +1 passing plays)


Honestly, the real solution here is to get a dual-tuner DVR already…

Least essential Phils jerseys

Here's a quick look at actual Phillies jerseys up for sale on Ebay right now:

Ryan Madson 2008 World Series jersey (game used)
$7,999.99, plus $5 shipping
Sure, it's historic. But $8,000 could also get you season tickets for the next 30-plus years. Plus, this jersey tends to come apart at the seams in the ninth inning.

Kyle Drabek signed jersey
$119.99
Nothing shows off how much you love your team like wearing the shirt of the guy traded for somebody much better.

Francisco Rosario 2007 jersey (game used)
$195
I have no memory who this guy is. He was on the 07 playoff team? Are you sure?

President Obama XXL #44 jersey
$49.99
No. Just stop it. This could fit three or four Democratic presidents in it, and it's the worst kind of novelty jersey.

Phillies pet jersey
$4.99
Nevermind. That's the worst kind of novelty jersey.

Adam Eaton 2008 jersey (game-used)
$399
Somehow the Phils won a World Series this year despite shelling out $8 million for Eaton's four wins on the season. Maybe he wore this during one of them!

Eric Bruntlett 2007 St. Patrick’s day jersey (game used)
$149.99
The Phils don't play real games in March, and anything worn during a spring training game cannot be considered "game used."

Mitch Williams jersey
$39.99
No one should wear a choker jersey. Ever.

Jim Thome jersey
$48.62 plus $13.61 shipping
Why the weird price? The seller is up in Canada, and they still haven't received word that Thome left the team four years ago.

Greg Lewis jersey
$49.99
This actually shows up when you search "Phillies jerseys" on Ebay, proving once again that Greg Lewis ruins everything.

2010 MLB salary comparison chart

For you consideration...

$31.5 M -- Yankees P AJ Burnett and P Mariano Rivera
$34.7 M -- Phillies 1B Ryan Howard and P Roy Halladay
$34.9 M -- Pittsburgh Pirates (whole roster)
$37.7 M -- Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano and P Carlos Zambrano
$38.2 M -- San Diego Padres (whole roster)
$39.5 M -- Mets P Johan Santana and OF Carlos Beltran
$46.8 M -- Yankees P CC Sabathia and SS Derek Jeter
$48.5 M -- Arizona Diamondbacks (whole roster)
$50.8 M -- Oakland Athletics (whole roster)
$53.6 M -- Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez and 1B Mark Teixeira
$55.1 M -- Texas Rangers (whole roster)

Grading the Eagles 2010 draft

It’s time again to break down the Eagles draft the only sensible way – looking at the anagrams of their names to see what we can learn about their character:

DE Brandon Graham
Anagram: Bang hard or amend
Verdict: Great slogan for a pass rusher. Either hit people hard, or change your ways. I expect great things.

FS Nate Allen
Anagram: Flannel seat
Verdict: I assume this means he’s soft and plaid. Neither are what you want in a shut-down safety.

DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
Anagram: Dead enemies hotline
Verdict: Awesome. Just awesome. The defensive line looks better already.

CB Trevard Lindley
Anagram: Dirty, clever, bland
Verdict: As long as he’s a smart, hard worker, I can accept that he’s boring as hell.

LB Keenan Clayton
Anagram: Bony ankle lancet
Verdict: Plays like a knife cutting down to your bone. Jeez, the defensive guys are really getting it this year.

QB Mike Kafka
Anagram: Mi a hack, fake QB
Verdict: Not only is he a fake QB, but his spelling skills look terrible. Not what you want from a field general.

TE Clay Harbor
Anagram: A lacy brother
Anagram: A racy brothel
Anagram: Breathy Carol
Verdict: Honestly, I’m having trouble finding a non-dirty anagram for this guy. Sounds like a clubhouse problem to me.

DE Ricky Sapp
Anagram: Spidery pack
Verdict: OK anagram, but no way it beats the DEs ahead of him in this draft.

WR Riley Cooper
Anagram: Yowl -- Epic error.
Verdict: If you can spell out “epic error” with the letters in your name, you’re in trouble.

RB Charles Scott
Anagram: Crotch blasters
Verdict: Not sure if that means he’s so fast he’ll fake you out of your pants or his. Either way, sounds exciting.

LB Jamar Chaney
Anagram: Mean archly jab
Verdict: I’m not sure what that is, but it sounds angry. So, that’s good news … yes?

DT Jeff Owens
Anagram: Few fond jets
Verdict: Well, yes, there are few players on the Jets that I like. I hardly see how that’s relevant here.

SS Kurt Coleman
Anagram: Tumors slacken
Verdict: Well, at least he has those growths under control.

Draftsgiving 2010

I know the Thursday start of this year's NFL draft has left a lot of folks wondering what exactly the change means for the annual Drafsgiving celebration. Fear not; Not even ESPN can take all of the fun out of sports and holidays (although they're trying hard.) Here's a list of do's and don't's for this year's celebration:

DO -- start drinking on Thursday. Sure, the real celebration still starts Saturday at 11:55 am, but it doesn't hurt to watch the first round of the draft with a beer in hand.

DON'T -- assume that you can skip watching the 4th through 7th rounds on Saturday. Just because the big name guys are gone, that doesn't mean you can celebrate without watching the monotony. It's not called "Whatever-else-is-on-TV-giving" after all.

DO -- write difficult NFL trivia questions for your partygoers. Here's a good one: Name Philadelphia Eagle who isn't DeSean Jackson. McNabb? Westbrook? Sheldon Brown? Wrong.

DON'T -- Trade your franchise QB for a second-round lineman. That's just straight up dumb.

DO -- Start your official festivities at 11:55 am. Saturday's draft coverage starts at 10 am, but 9:55 am is a little too early to start drinking on any holiday (except Christmas, of course).

DON'T -- buy presents. Have you learned nothing about the spirit of Draftsgiving? If anything, you should probably steal something. How about a franchise QB for a second rounder?

DO -- root for your team to pick Roddick Muckelroy in the 6th round. First, the Texas LB is terribly underrated. Second, it'll confuse everyone at the party.

DON'T -- mention Tim Tebow. Just don't. We've all heard enough already.

One other note: Since every Draftsgiving celebration at Fort Awesome in Maryland so far has featured Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia, we thought it was only right ot move the celebration up to Philly since Donovan is now down here in Mayland. So, if you'll be in the Philly area this weekend, check in with me for more details.

Fun with baseball trends

As of Tuesday night …

*** 1B Ryan Howard is on pace to drive in 254 runs this year (11 RBI in 7 games) which would shatter the MLB record of 180 RBI in a season.

*** 3B Placido Polanco is on pace to score 231 runs this year (10 runs in 7 games) which would shatter the MLB record of 192 runs in a season.

*** As a team the Phils are on pace to score 1,157 runs this year (50 runs in 7 games). Astoundingly, that would not be a record – The 1894 Boston Beaneaters (real name, not made up) scored 1,220 runs in just 122 games, an amazing 10-runs-per-game average.

*** P J.A. Happ is on pace to win 32 games and not allow a run this season (1 win and 0 earned runs in one start) which would shatter the previous lowest ERA in MLB history, 0.86 (among starters).

*** P Roy Halladay is on pace to win 32 games and strike out 280 batters (2 wins and 17 Ks in two starts) but to lose the Cy Young award to J.A. Happ.

*** The Phillies are on pace to compile a 138-24 record this season, which would shatter the MLB record of 116 wins in a single season.

*** Backup C Brian Schneider is on pace to go hitless for the entire season (0 hits in 6 at bats). He kinda stinks.

Blogging my son's first Phillies game

Junior Awesome and I are up in Philly this week visiting Grandpa Awesome, and it just so happens that we've got a lazy Monday afternoon and the defending NL Champion Phillies on TV in their 2010 opening game. Who could ask for anything more?

1st inning -- Only two pitches into the game and Junior Awesome sees his first Jimmy Rollins hit. The excitement is too much; JA spits up a little. He does the same thing when Halladay gives up a run in the bottom of the first, but you can totally tell he's angrier the second time.

2nd inning -- The Phillies broadcast crew says 48 presidents have thrown out the first pitch on opening day. Obama is the 44th president. I can't figure out who those other 4 guys are, or what team George Washington threw out the first pitch for. JA gives me a skeptical look. That, or his diaper is dirty.

3rd inning -- The Washington Natinals are still leading 1-0. Grandpa Awesome wants Halladay traded. I'm wondering if the Phillies can trade for David Akers, so I don't have to pay any attention to football season. JA responds to our pessimism by falling asleep.

4th inning -- Ryan Howard provides the first dinger of Junior's life, scoring Chase and putting the Phillies ahead. We all cheer; JA does a little jig, but that might still be related to the dirty diaper we haven't addressed. Halladay adds an RBI later in the inning, part of an 11-man parade to the plate. I try to explain "batting around" to the kid, but he'd rather chew on his hand.

5th inning -- Halladay already has seven strikeouts; Now we're ordering the little one's Cy Young T-shirt and wondering if the Phillies could win the World Series and Super Bowl this year. They have a better shot than the Eagles.

6th inning -- Honestly, we all fell asleep here. Doesn't look like we missed too much, though.

7th inning -- Junior's nap gets interrupted when Grandpa Awesome and I cheer Placido Palanco's first grand slam of the season. With 6 RBI, he's now on pace for 972 RBI this season. We conservatively estimate the Phillies will score 1,600 runs this season, en route to a 152-10 record. Why not undefeated? That'd be ridiculous.

8th inning -- Quiz time for the little guy. How many of the Phils regular position players have not played in an All-Star game? (just Ruiz). Who was the last Phils' 20-game winner? (Carlton). Why would the Eagles trade away their best QB ever for an unproven fourth-year joke? (money). He goes three-for-three on the questions. Grandpa only gets two right.

9th inning -- Even an 11-1 score can't keep JA from freaking out in the ninth. Originally I thought it was because Danys Baez name is too ridiculous, but the womenfolk return and think he's probably just hungry. I offer Cracker Jack, and they take him away from me. That's OK -- this was a pretty good lesson in what a new fan should expect from his team.

2010 T-shirt suggestions

Baseball season is less than a week away, so it's time for another round of Phillies T-shirts to get you ready for the upcoming season. Feel free to take these to your nearest silk-screening shop to show your Phillies pride.

Phillies phact to ponder

Total weight of the Phillies expected opening day roster: 5,895 pounds

Total weight of the roster, in baseballs: 18,864 baseballs

Total baseballs hit out of the park by the Phils roster last year: 224 HRs

18,864 balls + 224 HRs = 19088

Zip code of Radnor, PA, home of the Phillies Baseball Academy: 19088

Coincidence? I think not.