Mets are in third place!

Wait, there's something familiar about this...


Oh, that's right. Looks like everything is going according to plan.

My annual pilgrimage

Saturday was a chance to hang out at Citizen's Bank Park and see my annual Phillies' loss with Dad. And I remembered to bring my camera and its fancy zoom.

The full set is over here.

Leveraging new media

There's a new "decision making site" (no, not Bing -- every third answer there is a Microsoft web page) called Hunch that I stumbled across yesterday. So, to see how well it works, I thought I'd test it out in my quest to unshackle myself from the stinking Eagles and find a new (possibly Dawkins-laden?) team to root for.

Here's how it went.

Well, I'm looking for a new team based on a random web site's suggestion. I'm guessing it won't be a long-term commitment.

I'm very concerned about the environment.


The Phillies' starting pitchers and late-inning hitters have convinced me that defense is boring.

I said I was looking for a new team to root for, not looking for a way to become a Yankees fan.

I've got the Flyers, Sixers, Phillies and Soul (and soon to be the Philadelphia Union!) -- I think they're all human mascots. Better go with animals, just to be sure.

No way I'm watching most of my football on CBS. NFC it is.

Drumroll please ... and the results are ...

What? The Cardinals! I want a team that's going to be good in the short-term next year, not last year. What are my other options?

Eh, that's really more of a basketball area, isn't it? What's my guarantee that this team doesn't go all three-point field goals all the time on me? Next.

That's it, forget it. I'm done.

My unbiased All-Star ballot

I think this is both fair and impartial.

In fact, I think it's so impartial that I've submitted it 60 times online so far.

Pursuit of history

The Washington Natinals are 13-36 through their first 49 games this year, putting them on pace for one of the worst seasons in major league baseball history. Here’s a quick look at some of the teams they’re chasing.

Team: 1899 Cleveland Spiders
Final record: 20-134 (.130)
Games out of first: 84
Through 49: 9-40
DC connection: Despite terrible play against nearly every opponent all year long, the Spiders did go an almost-respectable 4-10 against the Washington Senators.

Team: 1916 Philadelphia Athletics
Final record: 36-117 (.235)
Games out of first: 54.5
Through 49: 15-34
DC connection: The A’s highest scoring game of the year was a 10-9 win over the Washington Senators on Sept. 30, the final weekend of the season.

Team: 1962 New York Mets
Final record: 40-120-1 (.250)
Games out of first: 29
Through 49: 13-36
DC connection: Following the worst team year in modern baseball history, Mets backup 3B Don Zimmer (yep, that Don Zimmer) left the team and played for the Senators in 1963.

Team: 1904 Washington Senators
Final record: 38-113 (.252)
Games out of first: 55.5
Through 49: 9-37
DC connection: They were the Washington Senators. They played in Washington, D.C.

Team: 2003 Detroit Tigers
Final record: 43-119 (.265)
Games out of first: 47
Through 49: 13-36
DC connection: 1B Dimitri Young, an all-star for the Natinals in 2007, was the full time DH for the Tigers in 2003.

Team: 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates
Final record: 42-112-1 (.273)
Games out of first: 54.5
Through 49: 12-37
DC connection: P Don Carlsen (DC to his friends) finished with an 0-1 record and a 10.80 ERA on the year, in five appearances.

Team: 1942 Phillies
Final record: 42-109 (.278)
Games out of first: 62.5
Through 49: 16-33
DC connection: The Phillies at least had a better win percentage than the 2-9 Philadelphia Eagles that year, who lost twice to the Washington Racial Slurs that year.

Team: 1932 Red Sox
Final record: 43-111 (.279)
Games out of first: 64
Through 49: 9-40
DC connection: None. I just like making fun of the Red Sox.

Happy birthday, G

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was...

Actual Phils items for sale on Ebay

A case of 75 Reading Phillies souvenir programs
Cost: $49
Description: I'm all about sports memorabilia, and a minor league program with Ryan Howard on the front is an awesome keepsake. Two or three is even better. 75 is not.



Official Phillies billards table cover
Cost: $499
Description: For about $480 less, you can buy a red tablecloth and slap a Phils logo on there. I'm just saying.

16 tix to the June 13 game against Boston
Cost: $5,000
Description: To be fair, these sound like great seats. But it's still nearly $315 a person just for the chance to hang out with Boston fans for three hours. The beer costs alone to make that tolerable will run you another $90 easy.



A game-worn Ken Dowell jersey
Cost: $75
Description: Dowell appeared in 15 games for the Phillies in 1987, collecting five hits and one RBI. He had no other major league experience. Unless you're his mom, you shouldn't be bidding on this.


A set of Phillies children's bedroom furniture
Cost: $475
Description: Includes a toy chest, a rocking chair, director's chair, a step up, a table lamp, and a clothes tree. Too bad your kid will have to sleep on the non-Phillies rug because you can’t afford a bed.

A $1,250 Phillies watch
Cost: $1,250
Description: This watch, with Phillies logo displayed prominently on the front, costs 100 times more than what you should be paying for a gimmick watch.



A case of reusable Phils shopping bags from 1972
Cost: $90
Description: Again, one bag is an awesome souvenir. A case of them either makes you a packrat or someone who buys way too many groceries.



An Adam Eaton autographed baseball
Cost: $25
Description: Also available on Ebay -- P Adam Eaton, recently cut by the Orioles, available for just $20. Cash only, no refunds.

24, Day 7.1

We're through another day of Jack Bauer, and you know what that means: Time for tomorrow's front page.

Make sure to click on the picture to open up the whole front page. After it opens a new window, hold your mouse over the pic for a second and click on the little box on the bottom right.

Chapters from my upcoming book "Chicken soup for the Philadelphia Sports Fan's Soul"

Chapter 2
Unleashing your inner Flying Hawaiian

Chapter 4
Eagles greats divisible by 20
(Dawkins, #20; Brookshier, #40; Bednarik, #60)

Chapter 6
Acceptable times to use the Rocky theme outside of Philly
and other comical myths

Chapter 7
Cowboys anagrams: A scam? Wrong, ya S-O-B!

Chapter 9
Literary parallels:
Shakespeare's Richard III and the 2001 76ers

Chapter 12
Flyers fans: Fartsmells or Brindamorons?

Chapter 15
How to mispronounce athletes names
(including Brian Westerbrook!)

Chapter 16
Why I hate NFC championship games

Chapter 18
The Phillies still love you

Order your copy today!

Fun with Phils stats

What have we learned so far?




We've learned the Phils have outscored their opponents in every inning this year. And you can miss the start of Phils' games, but not the last two innings.

What happened today in the draft

For those of you who had trouble following all the trades today, here's a simple breakdown of just one of the Eagles' moves:

-- The Eagles start the day with a 3rd round pick (#91) and a 5th rounder (#141), among other picks.

-- They traded the 3rd to the Giants for a new 2009 3rd and a new 2009 5th.

-- They traded the Giants' 3rd to the Seahawks for a 2010 3rd, another 2009 5th and a new 2009 7th.

-- They traded the Seahawks 5th and that #141 pick to the Patriots for CB Ellis Hobbs.

-- They traded the Giants' 5th to the Saints for a 2010 5th and a new 2009 7th.

-- They traded that 2009 7th to the Colts for a 2010 6th.

-- They used the Seahawks' 7th to draft OG Paul Fanaika.

Or, to make it even clearer for you:



Don't know why folks had trouble understanding that.

Later on I'll cover the drafting of LB Jason Phillips, who was selected by the Ravens with the pick they got from the Patriots who got it from the Eagles who got it from the Seahawks who got it from the Lions. I predict he'll be traded to the Packers by June, and to the Lakers a week later.

Draftsgiving Eve

Fort Awesome is ready.



Are you?

Proposed Draftsgiving TV schedule

All TV viewing is subject to change, depending on the whims of the crowd.

1200pm
      TV1 -- ESPN: Draft preview (in HD)
      TV2 -- PS2: NHL Hockey
      TV3 -- ESPN2: College FB All-Stars

100pm
      TV1 -- CNP: Phils vs. Marlins (repeat)
      TV2 -- PS2: NHL Hockey
      TV3 -- ESPN: Nuggets at Hornets (NBA)

200pm
      TV1 -- DVD: 2008 World Series, Game 5
      TV2 -- PS2: Mortal Kombat II
      TV3 -- CBS: Legends of Golf

300pm
      TV1 -- NBC: Flyers vs. Pens (in HD)
      TV2 -- NBC: Flyers vs. Pens
      TV3 -- CNP: Delaware at Drexel (Lacrosse)

400pm
      TV1 -- NBC: Flyers vs. Pens (in HD)
      TV2 -- ESPN: NFL Draft
      TV3 -- ESPN: NFL Draft

500pm
      TV1 -- NBC: Flyers vs. Pens (in HD)
      TV2 -- PS2: NHL Hockey
      TV3 -- ESPN: NFL Draft

600pm
      TV1 -- ESPN: NFL Draft (in HD)
      TV2 -- PS2: Home Run Derby
      TV3 -- TNT: Spurs at Mavs (NBA)

700pm
      TV1 -- PS2: NHL Hockey
      TV2 -- ESPN: NFL Draft
      TV3 -- CSPAN: Book Festival

800pm
      TV1 -- FX: Snakes on a Plane (in HD)
      TV2 -- NICK: Spongebob Squarepants
      TV3 -- ESPN: NFL Draft

900pm
      TV1 -- ESPN2: NFL Draft (in HD)
      TV2 -- PS2: NBA Basketball
      TV3 -- ESPN: Lakers vs. Jazz (NBA)

1000pm
      TV1 -- SPEED: Motorcycle racing
      TV2 -- PS2: Simpsons racing
      TV3 -- ESPN2: NFL Draft

1100pm
      TV1 -- ESPN2: Baseball Tonight (in HD)
      TV2 -- PS2: NHL Hockey
      TV3 -- ESPN: Sportscenter

1200am
      TV1 -- TCM: The Lion in Winter
      TV2 -- SPIKE: From Dusk til Dawn 2
      TV3 -- ABCF: Jurassic Park III

Please note: The 705pm Phillies game will be shown via webcast.

Grading the 2008 Eagles draft the right way

To understand where we're headed, we must examine our past. So let's take a look back one year...

2^nd round – Trevor Laws
Actual performance: Poor. 11 tackles on the year, though he did record a safety
Anagram performance: Fair. “Wort slaver” and “Straw lover” are fun, but don’t really say much.

2^nd round – DeSean Jackson
Actual performance: Great. Top WR on the squad, and a special teams threat.
Anagram performance: Great. “One jackass end” perfectly captures that pre-TD fumble.

3^rd Round – Bryan Smith
Actual performance: Poor. Did not appear in a game
Anagram performance: Fair. “Brains myth” and “Many births” cover two potential future scandals.

4^th Round – Mike McGlynn
Actual performance: Fair. Only appeared in three games, but could have a role in 09.
Anagram performance: Poor. “Men Gym Clink” gets you nowhere, but there aren’t other good options.

4^th Round -- Quintin Demps
Actual performance: Good. Solid return man, needs to improve at DB quickly.
Anagram performance: Good. “End mint quips” doesn’t make much sense, but it’s catchy.

4^th Round -- Jack Ikegwuonu
Actual performance: Incomplete. Spent the year injured, could be a solid DB.
Anagram performance: Poor: Neither “A Juice Gunk Wok” nor “I Nuke Wacko Jug” show true insight.

6^th Round – Mike Gibson
Actual performance: Poor. Did not appear in a single game.
Anagram performance: Great. “Mike is bong” is awesome, as is “Big smoke-in.”

6^th Round – Joe Mays
Actual performance: Poor. Six games, no tackles from this LB.
Anagram performance: Good. “Some joy” is boring, but “Jam ye so” is great for an LB.

6^th Round – Andy Studebaker
Actual performance: Poor. Cut from the team.
Anagram performance: High. “Astray Debunked” and “Add Turkey Beans” are both hilarious in their own way.

7^th Round – King Dunlap
Actual performance: Fair. He hasn’t done anything, but he’s still on the team.
Anagram performance: High. They guy’s name is already ridiculous. You have to reverse anagram it to “Dan Glunnik” just to make sense of it.

Pre-Draftsgiving quiz

Are you ready for this weekend? Find out by testing your NFL knowledge with the quiz below:
-------------------------------------------------

Draft prospect or Star Wars character?

Pannel Egboh

Draft prospect Star Wars character

Nom Anor
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Natasi Daala
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Kaluka Maiava
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Fenuki Tupou
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Irek Ismaren
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Captain Munnerlyn
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Bren Derlin
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Wopamo Osaisai
Draft prospect Star Wars character

Keyan Farlander
Draft prospect Star Wars character

-------------------------------------------------

Scoring Key
9-10 pts -- 3rd Round pick Brian Westbrook
7-8 pts -- 2nd Round pick DeSean Jackson
5-6 pts -- 3rd Round pick Stewart Bradley
3-4 pts -- 2nd Round pick Winston Justice
1-2 pts -- 1st Round pick Freddie Mitchell
0 pts -- 2nd Round pick Kevin Kolb

If you don't believe me, you can check for yourself here and here.

Getting ready for Draftsgiving 2009

We're just a few days from Draftsgiving, so it's time to start making your preparations. If that doesn't include a trip to Fort Awesome, here are a few changes from the past you need to be aware of:

** The draft starts at 4pm this year. This means the Eagles likely won't pick until after 7 pm. But drinking is still scheduled to commence at 11:45 am.

** Speaking of the Eagles, we're rooting for the Broncos this year. I think the reasons are pretty obvious. Appropriate attire will be your favorite Denver jersey. In lieu of that, pick the jersey of your favorite former Eagle.

** You still need at least three TVs to properly celebrate the holiday. Five is preferable. Seven is just ridiculous.

** There is only one obvious choice for the #1 pick this year. His name is Chase Utley. He already plays for your World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. His preferred sport is irrelevant.

** When in doubt, have another beer. Or another steak. Either will help you get in the holiday mood.

More instructions to come.

There is no joy in Mudville

Today I got to see my first Phillies' win of the season -- unfortunately, it was also the first Phillies' win of my life that I know Harry Kalas wasn't announcing.

I can't name a more beloved Philadelphia sports figure than Harry. Until I compose myself and think of something better to post, here's one of the highlights of my journalism career.


Click on the picture to read it. Make sure you check out the last few paragraphs.

T-shirt suggestions

It's just a few minutes before the opening game of the Phils' title defense -- if you haven't decided what T-shirt to wear yet, why not make your own? Here's some logos you're free to use:

Meet the new Phillies

We're just a few days away from the World Champions of Baseball resuming play. I know you remember all the regulars from last year (even little Carlos "game winning run" Ruiz) but here's a look at some of the new faces on the team to get you ready for 2009:

Raul Ibanez -- This long-time Seattle outfielder will try and fill Pat Burrell's slow-but-powerful shoes. He's driven in more than 100 runs the last three years, so he should be up to the task.

Chan Ho Park -- The Korean journeyman is the Phillies new fifth starter; He wanted the job so badly he skipped the World Baseball Classic to spend more time in camp.

Marcus Giles -- This former Brave is looking to revive his career
Cut from team, nevermind.

John Mayberry Jr. -- One of the Phils' top minor league prospects
Sent back down, nevermind

Ronnie Paulino -- The front office brought him in to push Coste
Traded from team, nevermind

Mike Koplove -- The Phils' AAA pitcher has a chance to make the
Sent back down, nevermind

Sean Jones -- This safety has the daunting task of
Plays for the Eagles, nevermind

Carlos Carrasco -- He' a long-shot to make the team, but
Sent back down, nevermind

Ummm, yeah. Just really Ibanez and Park, I guess. Although, all Ibanez has to do is hit twice in the World Series, and that should be enough for a second trophy.

Question of the day

Jimmy Rollins: Cool, or too cool?

Discuss.