Phillies Silently Making Key Moves

  The Phillies made a major-league splash late in 2009 when they sold part of the farm and Cliff Lee for Roy Halladay.  This move proved to be the start of a rather productive off-season for the red-pinstriped gang.  Ruben Amaro Jr.’s prying Halladay out of Toronto was his biggest move yet all in hopes of another stroll down Broad St. amidst a sea of red.

  They upgraded at 3^rd base by adding one of the game’s smartest hitters.  Placido Polanco, who will replace Pedro Feliz, should prove to add even more potency to this line-up.   Polanco returns to Philly a bit older, yet still remains a productive force, always putting the ball in play and flashing some leather at the hot corner.  Not to mention that Polanco can occupy just about any position on the diamond.         

  The low-key addition of utility infielder Juan Castro ensures Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins some much deserved time off.  This could be monumental down the stretch, possibly supplying a healthy middle infield come playoff time.

  Amaro Jr. solved in-house issues by signing 3^rd starter Joe Blanton and also maintaining All-Star Centerfielder Shane Victorino and playoff phenomenon Carlos Ruiz.

  Blanton, the team’s best pitcher at times in ’09, needs to consistently pitch 6-7 innings out of the 3-spot to compliment Halladay and Cole Hamels.  Blanton must avoid the early “BIG” inning and be exceptionally effective.           

  Victorino and “Chooch” tend to go hand in hand because of Polanco. “Chooch” will be hitting behind Victorino, which ought to raise his offensive production significantly.  Ruiz should get up to the plate with runners on quite often with such a strong line-up in front of him.  

Walk Brian, Don't Run

Philadelphia Eagle workhorse Brian Westbrook at age 30 faces the decision of his football life. The question: Is now the right time to hang ‘em up? With two concussions in 2009, along with a laundry list of leg injuries to boot, Westbrook must look ahead to life after football.

Many had suspected that this would be a difficult season in the “30-club” for B-West, yet no one could have expected such career-threatening injuries. Due to the events of this season, a decision must be made, not from a football standpoint, but a life standpoint.

It’s time for “Route 36 West” to take a detour and end his professional football career. At this point, Westbrook has solidified himself as one of the franchise greats, so now is his time to walk.

The Eagles gambled on Pitt’s LeSean “Shady” McCoy for a reason, it was a smart football move in hindsight. “Shady” (reasoning behind nickname.) appears ready to be a suitable replacement, albeit with much to learn. He is, at this point with the direction of the team, a surefire staple in this West Coast offense.

Westbrook became seemingly non-existent without a clear niche in the offense that he had, in prior seasons, been a mainstay.

The UFC in 2010

  Despite a slow start to 2010 with “Sugar” Rashad Evans unanimously defeating Thiago Silva at UFC 108, the UFC is in for a big year. In the first half of the year, every title will be defended; this is a big start to the new decade for a company with great expectations going forward.

  At UFC 109: Relentless, there will be a number of key fights starting off in the Welterweight Division covering up to Middleweight.
  In Welterweight, Matt "The Terror" Serra will do battle with Frank Trigg. Serra looks to redeem himself for his past two losses to rivals Georges "Rush" St. Pierre (UFC 83; lost Welterweight Title) and Matt Hughes (UFC 98; Fight of the Night Honors) Trigg looks to avenge an ugly loss to Josh Koscheck back in September.
  Brazilian submission specialist Demian Maia, coming off a loss to Nate "The Great" Marquardt, is ready to take on fellow submission fighter Dan Miller. Miller’s latest fight was a loss via unanimous decision at the hands of Chael Sonnen. Sonnen and Marquardt will also fight on the 109 card.
  The main event from Las Vegas on February 9th will feature two UFC Hall-of-Famers. Randy "The Natural" Couture and Mark Coleman will go at it in the Light Heavyweight division. The legendary pair wrestled one another in a freestyle match at the 1989 Olympic Festival at Oklahoma State where Coleman won the match by one point. This fight will mark the oldest combined age of fighters to go head to head in the UFC.


  In Sydney, Australia, 11 days later, the UFC will present UFC 110: Nogueira vs. Velasquez. The main event bout between Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira and Cain Velasquez will play a huge factor in the Heavyweight title picture and essentially will determine the #2 contender behind the winner of the Carwin-Mir bout.
  In the co-main event, Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva makes his 185 lb. debut against the U.K.’s Michael “The Count” Bisping. Silva, in dropping down to middleweight, needs to rebound from losses to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rich “Ace” Franklin at 205. Bisping’s time in the UFC ought to be much smoother with Dan Henderson gone. He needs a big win here over one of the greatest of all-time. This should have been Yoshihiro Akiyama’s fight with Silva.

  On March 21, the UFC will head to Bloomfield, Colorado to make its Versus debut. Headlining the card will be a Light Heavyweight bout between newcomer Jon “Bones” Jones and Brandon “The Truth” Vera. “Bones” needs a quick rebound from his DQ loss to Matt Hamill in Rd. 1 at TUF 10 Finale. As for Vera, he needs to once again prove that “The Truth” hurts.

  Later in the same week, the UFC makes its return to New Jersey for a doubleheader, in title matches that is.

  UFC Welterweight Champion Georges “Rush” St. Pierre looks to silence the #1 contender, Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy. Hardy, who came out of the blue (in terms of the title picture), earned a shot at the Welterweight Title after beating Mike “Quick” Swick. This will be the young Brit’s first UFC fight in The United States. “Rush” should make quick work out of Hardy as he did with Thiago “The Pitbull” Alves at UFC 100. Right now there is no logical competition for “Rush” at 170, hence, now is the time to move up in weight.
  In the co-main event it will be another title match, this one for the Interim Heavyweight Title. Frank Mir takes on Shane “The Engineer” Carwin for the title. Both men want a shot at UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar, Mir has split two bouts with the champ already; while the undefeated Carwin is still waiting for his shot.

  The UFC makes its Abu Dhabi debut in April featuring another championship doubleheader.

  Anderson “The Spider” Silva will be defending his UFC Middleweight Title for the first time since UFC 97: Redemption against Thales Leites, this time against fellow Brazilian Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort. Silva ran through Forrest Griffin in Philadelphia at UFC 101: Declaration, proving that he is the best in the world right now.
  Frank Edgar has earned a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship in the spring. Even though Gray Maynard appeared to be the most likely choice, Edgar will challenge B.J. Penn next. The undefeated Maynard has a win over Edgar, but will have to wait his turn due to a lackluster performance against Nate Diaz at Fight Night 20. “The Prodigy” is the best in the world at 155 bar none; he has proved that time and time again.

  On May 8 the UFC returns to Montreal’s Bell Centre featuring a Light Heavyweight Championship rematch between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The undefeated “Dragon” will try to prove that UFC 104 was no fluke as he still heads a deep Light Heavyweight division. PRIDE’s famous “Shogun” looks for revenge and to be called champion. Their October 24th fight was too close to call; many believe that the judges were at fault in their decision.
  Kimbo Slice will be taking on Matt Mitrione. The Heavyweight division only will continue to grow due to TUF 10. Kimbo, the internet street fighting sensation/bodyguard from Miami looks to launch his UFC career at the age of 36. Mitrione needs to make a name for himself quickly and become a formidable young competitor in the very deep Heavyweight division.
  In probably the most anticipated non-title fight of the 1st half of the year, welterweights Paul Daley and Josh Koscheck will do battle in Montreal. The ever-emerging Daley looks to continue to climb the welterweight ranks and a victory against Kos would be his best yet. Instead of facing off against Paulo Thiago again, Kos draws the young British striker. Kos remains one of the top welterweights in the world, yet has already had his chance at gold. Daley would be an intriguing next opponent for GSP, expect his name to be thrown around in discussion IF he defeats Kos.

  Finally, at UFC 114, the quite anticipated bout between TUF 10 coaches will go down in Las Vegas. Now that the “A-Team” gig is behind him, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson returns to the Octagon to face “Sugar” Rashad Evans. These former champions meet for the first time and can now bring closure to their rivalry with the winner possibly getting a shot at the Light Heavyweight Title.
  For the 3rd time their careers will cross paths, this time in Canada. After coaching in TUF 11 which debuts on SPIKE on March 31st, Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell will face his biggest rival “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz. This will be their first fight in which a title won’t be involved. Liddell and Ortiz helped shape this sport into what it has become and their rivalry is one of the best ever.

Action Jackson

The Eagles’ DeSean Jackson has rode his big-play prowess to superstardom in the pros. Jackson is the most explosive player in the NFL and can change a game in a flash. To this day it remains puzzling as to how there were 48 players picked ahead of Jackson in the 2008 NFL Draft. Jackson compiled 11 TDs this season, 8 of which went for 50+ yards.
The dynamic Cal product has been a godsend for an Eagle team that was looking for a deep threat and also, in turn, got a #1 receiver. Jackson’s swagger reminds Philly fans of a former wide-out from Tennessee-Chattanooga. Jackson doesn’t just get it done offensively; he is also a special teams weapon for the midnight green.
For the Eagles to succeed in these playoffs, Jackson will need to get the ball. Despite Dallas’ Michael Jenkins’ tight coverage, Jackson needs to produce some plays. Jackson has 5 catches for 76 yards in 2 games against Dallas this season; this must change on Saturday evening.
DeSean Jackson has faced criticism for size, but Philly’s little stick of dynamite hasn’t been stopped. Expect Jackson to be a leader of the future for a team that is filled with good, young stars.

NFL WildCard Weekend!

"Like Father, Like Son?"

New York Jets @ Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals have been the NFL’s Cinderella story this season. Riding a tidal wave of emotion since the deaths of wide-out Chris Henry and Vicki Zimmer, the wife of Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer, the Bengals have played inspired football all season long. Carson Palmer stepped up and became the leader that Coach Marvin Lewis needed him to be and the Bengals relied heavily on workhorse Cedric Benson’s emergence. Chad Ochocinco, whether he was tweeting, bribing, or donning a snuggie, he entertained fans and did so in the name of sportsmanship.
With a rookie QB-coach tandem such as Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan, it’s no surprise that the Jets are the lone Big Apple playoff representative. While last Sunday’s debacle may not have much meaning towards this weekend’s game, the Jets’ confidence has to be even higher heading into Cincy. The Jets have Thomas Jones, probably the most underrated tailback in the game, he now boasts five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Their power-running game plus a nasty defense are key ingredients to playoff success. Oh, and did I mention that Darrelle Revis is the top shutdown corner in the game.

Jets win 20-13 in frigid Cincinnati.



One MORE BIG Mistake!?!

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys


The Dallas Cowboys roll into these playoffs with the momentum that they need to end a long, complex playoff drought. On Saturday evening they will be facing the Philadelphia Eagles for the third time this season, a team that they have defeated twice already. They ended the New Orleans Saints undefeated season in the month of December, and even played the San Diego Chargers tough. This game will come down to the intangibles and coaching schemes—and to some level, history. “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” Remember: The Cowboys have not won a playoff game since 1996 and Wade Phillips is 0-4 in the playoffs throughout his career.
The big knock against the Philadelphia Eagles has been strength of victories, but this is not the crooked BCS system that the NCAA uses, is it? The NFL doesn’t let computers determine the match-ups, the games are played and decided on the field and that is why these teams will face off for a 3rd time. Dallas’ ability to contain Philly’s home-run threat DeSean Jackson was monumental in the regular season, but 5 days was a long time ago and it’s a whole new season, the post-season. Jackson is the Eagles big-play threat and that’s something that this team has lived and died by this season. Yet, this season Donovan McNabb has numerous weapons in his arsenal. If Defensive Coordinator Sean McDermott learned anything from Jim Johnson it should have been this: A Philadelphia Eagle defense thrives off of the blitz and might as well be on the sidelines without it. MEMO: Keep the heat on Tony Romo! If history tends to repeat itself in more ways than one, the winner will come out of the NFC. Each time they have met in the playoffs, the winner went to the Super Bowl.

Eagles survive a thriller in Dallas 23-21.
















The Patriot Act

Baltimore Ravens @ New England Patriots

The Baltimore Ravens, under John Harbaugh once again sneak into the playoffs looking to make some noise. The Baltimore defense has lost its touch and has been playing more on respect and reputation than anything this season. Don’t expect that to intimidate “Terrific Tom” this weekend. Their defense just wasn’t the same this season without former coordinator Rex Ryan. Even with an offense that put up big numbers, “defense wins championships,” and quite frankly, neither team in this game has much of it. Ray Rice and Joe Flacco, both 2nd-year studs have emerged quietly for the Ravens this season. Their first meeting in Foxboro was close and this game will present much of the same on Sunday afternoon.
Even without his top target Wes Welker, the NFL’s newly-crowned Comeback Player of the Year, Tom Brady is ready for the playoffs. Brady brings a career 14-3 record into the playoffs, making him possibly the greatest playoff QB in NFL history. New England’s defense has definitely taken a hit since the days of Richard Seymour, Asante Samuel and Tedy Bruschi, yet they still remain poised. The offense is on the prowl and ready to attack an old Raven D. I’m not sure if Julian Edelman, a former college QB, will make Pats fans forget Welker, but he will certainly give them slot speed. Boy that Bill Belichick sure is something on that April weekend, isn’t he?!

Pats win on respect and the best playoff QB of all-time, 31-27.















We Meet Again!

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals

This is the most difficult game to pick this weekend and it should be a good one. The Packers have one of the best QBs in the sport in Aaron “A. Rodge” Rodgers. To go along with that, they have a vicious 3-4 defense that boasts talent all around. Charles Woodson has become a force all on his own in the secondary and most likely will win NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Their LB corps is the best in the NFL right now as well. They get enough push and pressure up front which will be needed to throw Kurt Warner out of his comfort zone early. Mix this with a top flight QB like A. Rodge and this team sexy pick to do damage in a strong NFC.
The Arizona Cardinals were the NFL’s Cinderella of 2008, and nearly pulled off a miraculous upset (Santonio is still CLEARLY! in!) in Super Bowl XLIII thanks to Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald became a household name last January and looks to make another run at the Vince Lombardi Trophy. With little offensive help outside of Fitz and Anquan Boldin, Warner will need to rev up some of that old postseason magic of his. Expect a tight game with constant lead changes; also it should come down to a final possession.

Pack attack Cards to solidify a trip to Minni for a Part III! 30-27 Packers.

Off-Season Ideas...

Sign Chone Figgins at Any Cost. (High Payment, High Reward for Pedro Feliz’s Replacement)

Figgins could bump Jimmy Rollins out of the lead-off spot. The speedster is a solid hitter who consistently gets on base, hence, all the necessary ingredients to lead-off such a potent line-up. Rollins then would become a 6 or 7 hole hitter, with his “pop” this is a role in which he could thrive. Imagine the difficulty of having to fill out this line-up card:
1. Figgins
2. Victorino
3. Utley
4. Howard
5. Werth
6. Ibanez
7. Rollins
8. Ruiz

Shore Up the ‘Pen (Keep Park and Sign a Situational Left-Hander.)

Chan Ho Park was one of the top relievers in all of baseball once he found his niche. As a reliever, Park posted a 2-2 record with a 2.52 ERA in 50 innings of work. Remember to credit J.A. Happ’s emergence for Park’s return to the bullpen. He drop-kicked a man in a baseball game before, how can’t you keep this guy!?
Adding a situational left-handed arm is a MUST this off-season. With Will Ohman, Josh Grabow, and Joe Beimel on the market, expect the Phillies to land one of them. This move could be huge for a team not knowing Scott Eyre’s situation or how J.C. Romero will be when he returns.

Back-up Catcher. (“Torre”)

Yorvit Torrealba would work in ideally as a back-up to Carlos Ruiz. He’s an average defender with a big bat that could help out an already strong line-up. He’d be highly welcomed in another hitter’s park.

Restore the bench. (Jerry Hairston Jr., utility infielder)

Add a flexible utility infielder to replace Eric Bruntlett and Miguel Cairo. Let Greg Dobbs work back into becoming the game’s top pinch-hitter. And make the biggest move in your attempt to mend the bench by bringing in Jerry Hairston Jr. from the Yankees.

DO NOT Trade Cole Hamels

Keep Cole Hamels no matter what! Nothing/no one can replace Hamels, he’s still the “Real Deal.” With NLCS and World Series MVPs to show for at the cool age of 25, Hamels is still the key to this nucleus. Remember the remarkable run he had in ’08, well he really is that good. Hamels and Cliff Lee will be the best 1-2 punch in baseball next season.

Don’t Sell the Farm for Roy Halladay.

Hold on to the “untouchables,” Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek and Michael Taylor, they are worth more than “Doc.” I would expect a team who received Cliff Lee & “The Ben Francisco Treat” for a box of baseballs to maintain its top talent.

Michael Taylor

Bring the 6’8 Taylor up to “the show” now. He’s proven to be one of the top 3 prospects in the organization, let him showcase his prowess. Expect Taylor to occupy the corner outfield for years to come, especially with Ibanez aging in left field. Taylor’s 5-tool status reminds me of another Phillie prospect, Marlon Byrd.

Bring in a #5 Starter for Competition.

Go into Spring Training with a competition for Jamie Moyer’s coveted 5th starter slot. Competition tends to bring out the best in everybody.

25 Things...

1. Where did all the Offense go?
The Phillies' offense went seemingly unnoticed in key situations against a prepared Yankee pitching staff.

2. Other than Cliff Lee...
The Phillies were unable to present the Yanks with a clear threat outside of Clifton Phifer Lee. Even with Pedro Martinez's stellar game 2 performance, no other starter won a game besides Lee.

3. Charlie out-managed?!?
It's pretty fair to say that Charlie Manuel was indeed out-managed by the inferior Joe Girardi.
Manuel's managerial gaffes were a major difference in this series.

4. Matsui
World Series MVP Hideki Matsui was an absolute nightmare for Phillie pitchers, most notably Pedro Martinez. Despite his being the steady DH only in the games at the New Yankee Stadium, Matsui went on to win the Series' Most Valuable Player.

5. Mariano Rivera
Rivera was Rivera. He's the greatest playoff closer of all-time and in this World Series the Panamanian certainly showed why. In clinching a 6-out save in game 2 and a 5-out finish to the non-save situation of game 6, Rivera continued his post-season mastery.

6. Clunk A-Rod?
Was Cole Hamels' clunking of Alex Rodriguez what woke him up for the rest of the Series? Until that pivotal at-bat in the 2nd inning of game 3, A-Rod had went 0 for 8 with 6 punch-outs. He would hit .416 with 6 RBI after that particular at-bat. Coincidence? We'll never know.

7. “Chase Utley, you ARE the man!”
Despite Matsui's explosion in game 6 and the Yanks' victory in this Series, Chase Utley was the best player in every single game. Utley's monster Series will be most remembered by his 3 HRs off of the mammoth Carsten Charles Sabathia.

8. Ryan Howard’s K record.
Unfortunately, Ryan Howard was able to set another record, this time in the World Series. Howard's 13 K's are now the most ever in a World Series. Yet, the numbers that define Howard most will be the astonishing numbers he posted in the NLDS and NLCS.

9. HK
Of course, this year above all else was for the Phillies beloved broadcaster Harold Norbert Kalas. The Phillies played in his honor and took with them his blue blazer and white shoes everywhere they went. One thing's for sure, Harry is proud of this particular team for its great accomplishments.

10. Damon’s Double Swipe
Johnny Damon's AB and then in the 9th inning of game 4 was the defining moment of this Series for me and many who watched. After Pedro Feliz's solo blast off of Joba Chamberlain in the 8th it appeared as if the Phillies could even the series at 2, but Damon made the heads up play, sprinting past Feliz on his way to 3rd. It's increidble to think that the Phightins put a shift on the same Mark Teixeira that at that point in the Series had had as many hits as Andy Pettitte.

11. Lights On Lidge?
In that same game 4, Brad Lidge was on the mound and gave up 3 runs in that nightmarish 9th that led to the Yanks 3-1 lead and ultimately, their parade down the Canyon of Heroes on Friday afternoon.

12. Myers-Hamels confrontation
While the confrontation between these two wasn't exactly what it had originally appeared to be, there was still no place for it in such a monumental series. Did this possibly lead to the Phightins' rather quick decision to not maintain Myers? Well many could probably tell you that Myers was likely on his way out anyway.

13. Why Worry When you Could’ve Been Happ!
My one question was why didn't Cliff Lee pitch game 4 , but that's another story. I don't mind Joe Blanton, but J.A. Happ at least should have seen some more action given that he had played such an instrumental role throughout this entire season. At least, if nothing else give me Happ in game 4 before Blanton, lefties were giving Yankee hitters the business in this Series, mostly Lee.
14. CHOOOOOOOOOOCH!
We all love Chooooooooooooooch, but if only he could carry his post-season prowess over into the regular season. His defensive work behind the plate is solid and Ru will continue to become a mainstay as the Phils' backstop. Chooch's career postseason average is now a staggering .303.

15. Too Many Miscues
The Phillies knew that if they had made too many mistakes it would eventually catch up and the Yanks would capitalize and that's exactly what happened in this series. The Phillies were the only team in this entire post-season that had a shot at defeating the Yanks, and minus a few miscues most likely would have done so.

16. In “The Boss” We Trust
Mr. Steinbrenner, a.k.a. "The Boss" was again able to pivk up the tab on an unprecedented 27th World Championship. And quite honestly, can you blame him? He's not doing anything wrong by MLB rules, be mad at the MLB for letting this occur, if for nothing else than during a time period when millions of Americans are living/surviving on a paycheck-to-paycheck basis.

17. Does it all come down to Money?
On A.J. Burnett, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira alone, the Yankees have invested about $425 million over the next handful of seasons. Just lovely isn't it? This team's free-agent tooling never ceases to amaze the casual baseball fan. It's what's wrong with the game, but quite frankly if I'm them I'd do the same exact thing.

18. Tough to Go Back2Back.
The Phillies showed heart, effort and perseverance in their quest for a Repeat, yet it's tough enough just getting there. This team showed why it will continue to be atop the Majors for years to come. This is the closest and certainly one of the best teams in all of sports.

19. C.C. ya’ next season.
Despite the Series just ending, I certainly believe that we will see these same Yankees again in the 2010 Fall Classic, which hopefully this time will end sometime in the month of September. Both of these teams are the best in their respective league's and represented them for a reason.

20. A-Fraud!
If you have failed to notice it by now, well then you probably will never see it. Alex Rodriguez is perhaps the fakest human being in the entire world and absolutely complained about everything under the sun in this Series. With a better maintaining of A-Rod, this Series could've turned out a lot different as S. Broad St. would've looked like a Sea of Red once again. As J-Roll quoted after the conclusion of the Series, "It'll still feel good to win it every other year.

21. The Mitchell Report.
Looking up and down the Yankee roster I couldn't help but think that I was reviewing the Mitchell Report. It's a sin and it represents another thing that's wrong with the game, but as Joe Buck & Tim McCarver made it out, "The Yanks are everything that's good about the game of baseball."

22. HollyWood, Where Art Thou?
Cole Hamels was nowhere to be found this post-season. Hamels' only shining moment of fall baseball came on October 8th with the birth of his son Caleb, unfortunately, he also lost to the Colorado Rockies on that same day.

23. I Miss Cole Hamels circa 2008.
The Cole Hamels of 2008 was the coolest thing ever, remember, "Really, how cool a name is Cole Hamels?" But that was so 2008, and this edition of Mr. Hamels was surfaced around poor location and pitch selection, making for his sub .500 record.

24. Who’s Your Daddy?
Pedro Martinez is not to blame for the Series loss against the Yankees. Martinez went from a mid-season pick-up in which the Phillies didn't know what to expect to a guy pitching the biggest games on the biggest stages. Pedro is Pedro and he's one of the biggest gamers and best pitchers of his era.

25. Thanks!
This pretty much speaks for itself.

A "Brox"-Tale Part II

Nuff Said!

The Eagles' "Shady" Situation at Running Back!

Photo by Travis Lindquist

It looks as if LeSean "Shady" McCoy will become a major role player in the Philadelphia backfield for years to come. In not re-signing Brian Westbrook, the Eagles sent a precise message that they believe in McCoy as the feature back. After Sunday's performance in Westbrook's absence, LeSean is indeed "the real McCoy."

The Eagles' 2nd pick is making the biggest impact of them all thus far. The tough, little running back from Pitt is better than advertised and has now inadvertently made for confusion in the Eagle backfield. Or is it confusion?!

The Eagles, when star runner Westbrook returns will most likely go to a 2-headed monster attack, helping out the offense even more. This duo in the backfield will become a force to be reckoned with and become a nightmare for teams to defend along with a complex WildCat scheme.

With the exception of holding the ball a tad bit away from his body at times, the rookie runner is exactly what the Eagles hoped for and then some. He’s the replacement they’ve been searching for, and now with Westbrook hitting his ‘30s it all makes perfect sense.

LeSean McCoy will be a household name in Philadelphia for years to come. In a variety of ways McCoy, along with DeSean Jackson, Kevin Kolb, Jeremy Maclin, Stewart Bradley, and Trent Cole among others represent the “new” face of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Hands of $Money!$

Floyd "Money" Mayweather is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He's proved that time and time again in his illustrious career, and did so once again with a dominant performance against Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez.

"Pretty Boy," "Money," or whichever you'd like to call him is still in the prime of his career even after a 16-month layoff, at the crisp age of 32. He proved that by taking on one of the top fighters in the sport, and showing no ring rust in the least. Don't forget the fact that even though he only landed an abysmal 12% of his punches against Mayweather, Marquez is one of the very best.

Floyd Mayweather has proved just about everything to us in the past, present and looks to continue to do so in the near future. The only proof left consists of the new pound-for-pound challenger to Floyd's throne: Manny Pacquiao.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is certainly in the works, so long as Pacquiao wins his upcoming fight on November 14th against Miguel Cotto. With Mayweather's dominance of Marquez this past Saturday night, this SuperFight is shaping up to be the bout of the century, and a fresh way to start off the next decade.

The winner will ultimately be P4P King, no exceptions. Money will be flying in from all directions for this fight, and with that being Floyd's calling in life, he's up for the task.

Week 2 NFL Predictions!

Carolina Panthers 14 @ Atlanta Falcons 27
Atlanta’s offensive arsenal will be too much for an out-of-whack Panther squad. Matt Ryan will pick apart a poor defense for a significant divisional W early in the season.

Minnesota Vikings 34 @ Detroit Lions 10
Brett Favre’s surrounding tools combined with a nasty defense will run the Lions’ losing streak to 19!

Cincinnati Bengals 7 @ Green Bay Packers 23
With a hungry GB defense buying into new coordinator Dom Capers’ 3-4 scheme, this will be a tumultuous day for Carson Palmer. (See: Jay Cutler.)

Arizona Cardinals 27 @ Jacksonville Jaguars 23
‘Zona should be able to secure a road win and shake off that disastrous opener a week ago, but the Super Bowl and Madden curses could hinder them.

Oakland Raiders 24 @ Kansas City Chiefs 21
The Raiders are out to prove that last week’s performance against the top team out West wasn’t a joke. They’ll spoil Matt Cassel’s debut with a come-from-behind victory orchestrated by JaMarcus Russell.

New England Patriots 30 @ New York Jets 28
New England needs to restructure its stance as THE team in the AFC East, with a healthy Tom Brady, that’s very likely, but with a suspect defense, only time will tell.

New Orleans Saints 21 @ Philadelphia Eagles 27
Drew Brees will scare just about any defense, and with Donovan McNabb out the Eagles chances are 50-50, but Kevin Kolb, given time and space will make the plays needed to pull out an electric contest in Philadelphia.

Houston Texans 14 @ Tennessee Titans 27
The Titans’ Kerry Collins will be ready to avenge the opening night loss, leading his troops to a convincing defeat over a division foe.

St. Louis Rams 16 @ Washington Redskins 21
In a match-up of cellar dwellers, Jason Campbell gets the nod here and gets Washington’s stingy defense its first victory of the season. (Boy, that loss to the Giants was painful last weekend for Jim Zorn’s bunch.)

Seattle Seahawks 14 @ San Francisco 49ers 10
In a defensive minded chess match, this week’s shocking game of the week will see rookie Aaron Curry’s defense outduel Patrick Willis’s.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10 @ Buffalo Bills 27
T.O. will see the ball much more against a bad Bucs team, expect this coming out party to be the start of the honeymoon between T.O.-Bill fans-Trent Edwards.

Pittsburgh Steelers 17 @ Chicago Bears 14
Despite each team losing defensive leaders, the Steelers have lasting power that will crumble Cutler’s shot at breaking the ice in The Windy City.

Cleveland Browns 13 @ Denver Broncos 27
Expect a nice home debut for Kyle Orton, he may not make people forget Cutler, but with Jay’s latest performance in GB, no one in Denver is remembering him right now either. Denver, an enigma with new head coach Josh McDaniels will not stay in the hunt much longer with a rather difficult schedule.

Baltimore Ravens 17 @ San Diego Chargers 13
Baltimore’s Joe Flacco will guide this team over a Charger-less L.T. on the West Coast; a tough test that the Audubon native Flacco will be up for.

New York Giants 35 @ Dallas Cowboys 24
Eli Manning and co. will spoil Dallas’ opener under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football. Jerry Jones’ billion dollar stadium will stand on a miniscule platform, as taking the “grand stage” will be Wade Phillips’ job status.

Indianapolis Colts 20 @ Miami Dolphins 10
An unexciting Monday Night encounter will be the scene with Peyton Manning torching the Fins’ secondary. Indy must show what it’s made of just in case the AFC South starts getting a bit crowded up at the top.

Cool Cole

Photo by David J. Phillips, AP


Cole Hamels is once again the definition of the world "cool" in the city of Philadelphia. He’s the “best thing since sliced bread,” Seriously, how cool a name is Cole Hamels? From his wife Heidi, to his World Series MVP trophy, Cole Hamels is the envy of all man.

It’s now September, Cole’s time to shine. With much of his ’09 campaign being average with mere flashes of brilliance, Hamels now seems ready for takeoff. His last five starts have reminded us of the type of pitcher that he truly is.
Hamels’ recent resurgence solidifies the top of the rotation heading into the playoffs giving Philadelphia a powerful 1-2 punch of lefties in Hamels and Cliff Lee.

Hamels’ last five outings have seen him go 3-1 with a 1.45 ERA; this is at exactly the most opportune time for a team mounting a 7.5 game lead in its year-long stranglehold on the NL East.

Hamels’ remaining three starts will tell, if all goes well, we could see Hamels and Lee roll into the postseason ready to take down any and all hitters from whichever opponent awaits. But as we’ve seen before, October proves to be a fresh slate in which everyone starts out equally, and one emerges from the pack as champion.

If Hamels’ last five starts are any indication, the postseason could very well, once again become,
“The Cole Hamels Show”, the only necessary platform for the Phightins to launch their second consecutive World Series march on Broad St. That’s right, the only way the Phillies repeat, is if Hamels brings his stuff as he did last fall, if that does happen, it's“Lights Out!” once again, as this Phillies team is better than last year’s.



On a brief side note, a quick congratulations to Juan Martin del Potro, the only man to defeat both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the same tournament, leading to a U.S. Open victory for the Spaniard.

Shawn Andrews: "Big Depressed Kid"

Back on Draft Day in 2004, the Philadelphia Eagles took quite a gamble in moving up to 12 spots to a middle-of-the-road #16 to draft a mammoth offensive lineman out of Arkansas. Whenever a team spends its top pick on a lineman as the Eagles have done on numerous occasions, the way is made for skepticism, it's one of those quintessential hit or miss deals. While most teams address direct needs with their top pick, often going after highly-touted players at skill positions, Andy Reid has stockpiled his talent in the trenches, in hopes of building top walls on both sides of the football through the NFL Draft.
There was just something special and appealing about this particular player who big-manned his way through the best conference in college football, the SEC. The "Big Kid's" name was the 16th overall to be called on that Saturday afternoon in The Garden. In trading away a disgruntled John Welbourn on day 2 of the Draft, the Eagles made it very clear what their intentions were for this Arkansas native, starting right guard, a position in which Shawn Andrews would eventually relish and become a top interior lineman in the sport.
Reid's Eagles were then and still remain to be a team built to win upfront, thus this move had little, if any, shock value. Along with Pro-Bowlers Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan, Andrews was expected to come in and form one of the very best O-lines in the league, which would guide the Eagles to the top.
Despite different reports on Andrews' mindset/disposition towards playing in the NFL, most notably his laziness, the Eagles rolled the dice high.
Season one was a major individual disappoint for the rookie Andrews, whom saw his season end in an instant against the hated New York Giants in game one. Yet, the production to come was exactly what was expected all along.

A stellar '05 season in the midst of a disastrous one for the team landed Andrews as a Pro-Bowl alternate. Then adding in back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in '06 & '07 as an encore, playing as the cornerstone on a formidable line which helped land Brian Westbrook to his All-Pro caliber level. Andrews proved to be paying off and worthy of the move that the Eagles made back on the 24th of April 2004.

Depression proved to be a major setback for Andrews in the summer of '08, thus setting his Eagles career down an entirely different path. An eventual herniated disk in week 2 on MNF against the hated Dallas Cowboys was the final straw for Shawn in the '08 campaign.

In his holding out of the '09 camp, Andrews deemed unreliable, irresponsible, and was comprehensively viewed as having one foot out the door.

In the wake of losing both veteran tackles Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas , Andrews' big brother Stacy was targeted to fill a void, eventually Jason Peters also to once again reignite a top line in the NFL. The only option for the Eagles was to move Shawn back to his college position at tackle.

A joyous Shawn jumped at the opportunity to play with his big brother and looked to put past issues to rest once and for all and re-solidify himself as a top blocker, all of this despite not playing a snap of pre-season.

The opener, in which the Eagles annihilated the Carolina Panthers 38-10, saw a new look protecting QB Donovan McNabb. Peters-Nick Cole-Jamaal Jackson-STACY! Andrews-Winston Justice, where's Shawn you ask? Trying to find himself once more in his up-down enigmatic stint here in Philadelphia.

A tenure which now appears to be all but over. Should Reid have seen this one coming? The free-spirited Andrews in an example of how NOT to handle certain situations, just like T.O., Brian Dawkins, Andy's own children, The Stewart Bradley injury, and Mike Vick, the Eagles, with Andrews,h ave once again wrote a chapter in "How NOT to Handle Issues 101."

There were different roads optioned in all these situations, but maybe in this latest one, we can give management the benefit of the doubt. Who wants to deal with a headache, depression or back pain anyways?

Shawn "Big Kid" Andrews is clearly a monkey off of the Eagles' backs, while they will miss his talent greatly on the line, he's all sizzle no substance.

Even with five years remaining on his contract, the Eagles appear prepared to continue with Stacy as the only Andrews in the trenches. Reid bought into Shawn's talent , all baggage inclusive back in '04 and the honeymoon is coming to a halt as Reid has suddenly given up on his most productive #1 pick in this decade (except for maybe Lito Sheppard, give or take his issues also) in a flash. Once again proving Reid's vulnerability when it comes to player/media issues off of the football field.

Shawn Andrews is far too large of an ego than even his body can hold at this point. Andrews reminded us of his ego in his giving up on this football team once again, not neglecting to collect his $$ might I add. Pain or NO pain, Andrews' contractual agreement to the Philadelphia Eagles' organization has been deeply severed, but is this the final time?? Only time will tell, but for right now, there's far too much offensive weaponry on this offense to worry.

So now, new YouTube/Twitter star Shawn Andrews will have to live with his selfish actions and realize that he's not mature enough and is still as his nickname implies, "The Big Kid."