Stop Winning!

this is horrible. why do the sixers keep winning? the team has dropped to third worst record in the league and the hated celtics have passed us. nothing will be worse than having to watch bill russell II playing for the celtics. gosh, i can't even root for this team to lose and get what i want.

STOP WINNING DAMMIT!

any chance we can get doug moe or gene shue to coach this team?

STOP WINNING! STOP! STOP! STOP!

Tuesday Links

- mark eckel seems to think that mcnabb may be the one who's going to go and identifies tampa and minnesota as possible destinations

- rich hoffman suspects that the stability of the eagles was one of the factors that pushed parcells to retirement

- the end of this article about steve spagnuolo being named the giants d coordinator mentions that jeff garcia will be a guest on the tonight show

- now that the phils have chase utley locked up, i hope the phils can agree to terms with ryan howard as well. randy miller thinks that howard and his dad want alfonso soriano money, which could make signing him a tricky situation considering his service time.

- andre miller is fitting in nicely on the sixers, which is exactly why he has trade value. get rid of him so the team can continue on its merry losing streak and get greg oden. there has to be some contender out there in need of a lead guard.

- so far so good on the AI/carmelo pairing. sigh. not having to carry the scoring load all by himself, allen shot a respectable 9 for 16 in their first game together.

Phuture Phillies

if you are at all interested in the phillies minor league prospects, phuturephillies.com is the blog for you. i had been getting most of my prospect info from baseball america, but phuturephillies is all phils all the time.

New Punter

according to "scrapple and iggs" the eagles have signed austrailian rules footballer saverio rocca to a contract, possibly signaling an end to horribly inconsistent punter dirk johnson's eagles tenure.

daniel rubin, who writes blinq, confirmed the signing with derek boyko (eagles PR guy) and reports that rocca is 6'4" and 240 lbs (holy moly).

some video highlights:



while i must admit that i am glad to see johnson go, the best part about this signing is that i finally have a legitimate reason to use the best national chant ever.

aussie! aussie! aussie!
oi! oi! oi!
aussie! aussie! aussie!
oi! oi! oi!

i wonder if there is any chance we can hire their goal umpires? they're the most entertaining refs in sports.

Kissmesuzy on Bill Simmons

oofa. i'll admit i think "the sports guy" is waaay overrated, but these guys flat out hate him.

Big Red Interview

big red was on howard eskin's show last night. i missed it live, but wip has the entire interview on their website (on the right side towards the top).

highlights:

- 3rd and 1 swing pass to tapeh - mornhinweg and red agreed on the call and it hadn't been stopped all year.

- "i enjoyed having donte here. he did a nice job." - the key word there is enjoyed. may not mean anything, but not a good sign.

- re: juqua thomas - "i'm not real big on losing defensive linemen."

- re: sean considine - normally weighs 200+ lbs, because of surgery played at 190 this year. should be better next year, but projects to FS due to ball skills.

Phils Top 10 Prospects

scouting reports for the phils top 10 prospects from baseballamerica.com:

Though the system has churned out Howard, Utley and Hamels in recent years, it has lacked depth. As a result, general manager Pat Gillick had assistant GM Mike Arbuckle got more involved in the draft. The club's scouting director from 1993-2001, Arbuckle oversaw drafts that included Scott Rolen, Adam Eaton, Rollins, Randy Wolf, Burrell, Ryan Madson, Myers, Utley and Howard.

In 2006 the Phillies kicked off their draft with a pair of intriguing picks who rank second and third on this prospect list. They gambled the 18th choice on mercurial righthander Kyle Drabek, who had one of the best arms but also one of the most questionable makeups available. In the supplemental first round they grabbed sweet-swinging shortstop Adrian Cardenas, Baseball America's High School Player of the Year.

Philadelphia's minor league affiliates combined for a .526 winning percentage, eighth-best in baseball, highlighted by low Class A Lakewood. The BlueClaws went 84-55 during the regular season and won the South Atlantic League playoffs behind a rotation led by the organization's top prospect, righthander Carlos Carrasco, and lefties Josh Outman and Matt Maloney.

For a team planning to contend, the Phillies surprisingly added three players in the major league Rule 5 draft at the Winter Meetings. Live-armed righthanders Jim Ed Warden and Alfredo Simon could claim spots in the bullpen, though defensive-minded catcher Ryan Budde seems a stretch to make the club.

1. Carlos Carrasco, rhp Born: March 3, 1987 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-3 • Wt: 190

Background: Signed for $300,000 out of Venezuela in 2003, Carrasco had a successful debut the following year in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. The Phillies take full blame for rushing him in 2005, pushing him to low Class A Lakewood at age 18 in a move that backfired when he posted a 7.04 ERA. He turned in a corner in instructional league after the season, setting the stage for a return to Lakewood in 2006, when he blossomed into a legitimate frontline starter prospect. He ranked third in the system in wins and ERA and represented the organization in the Futures Game. He was a major part of Lakewood's South Atlantic League title run, though the Phillies were disappointed with the way Carrasco handled himself when he struggled. Since making strides in grasping English this season, Carrasco has taken to instruction more easily.

Strengths: Carrasco has two plus pitches in his arsenal, starting with a consistent 90-92 mph fastball. His fastball has outstanding late life and finish, and he commands it to all four quadrants of the strike zone. He can dial it up to 93-94 when he needs to, and he could add more velocity as he matures physically. He complements his heater with one of the best changeups in the system. His changeup features excellent late fade and depth, and he'll throw it in any count. The biggest improvement Carrasco made in 2006 was with his curveball. He commanded his 71-77 mph curve better than he ever had, showing good tilt and late bite. He repeats his delivery and fields his position well. Though he didn't have an at-bat with the BlueClaws, Philadelphia raves about the pride Carrasco takes in the offensive side of the game. He's a good bunter and shows aptitude in understanding game situations from a hitter's perspective.

Weaknesses: Carrasco has a simple, compact delivery, but he can rush it at times, leading to erratic command. He arguably commands his changeup better than any of his pitches, but slows down his arm action slightly when he throws it, tipping off hitters. While his curveball is his third-best pitch, he falls in love with it at times. He needs to improve its consistency and also throw it for strikes more often, because better hitters will be less likely to chase it off the plate. Carrasco needs to have a better overall rhythm on the mound. He'll speed up when things are going his way, and slow down to a snail's pace when he's scuffling.

The Future: The Phillies already tried to jump Carrasco once, and they won't make the same mistake again. Though he's shown much more maturity, there's really no reason to rush him. While other arms from Lakewood's championship staff might leap past him, Carrasco will start 2007 in high Class A Clearwater and won't see Double-A Reading before midseason, putting him on pace to arrive in Philadelphia at some point in 2009.


2. Kyle Drabek, rhp Born: Dec. 8, 1987 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 180

Background: Many clubs thought Drabek had the best pure stuff in the 2006 draft, but huge makeup concerns scared teams away from the son of former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek. Kyle fell to the 18th pick, and the Phillies signed him for $1.55 million. He led The Woodlands (Texas) High to the national title during the spring, going 10-0, 1.18 on the mound and batting .479 with six homers as a shortstop.

Strengths: Drabek has better stuff than his father, starting with a 78-82 mph spike curveball with devastating late action. Scouts describe it as unhittable, and hitters also have to be wary of Drabek's mid-90s fastball that tops out at 97 mph. He made strides with his changeup's location during instructional league after he tinkered with his grip. Drabek generates lightning-fast arm speed through a compact, easily repeatable delivery. He's one of the best athletes in the system.

Weaknesses: Philadelphia wouldn't have had a chance to draft Drabek if not for a public-intoxication charge against him (later dropped) and a single-car accident in which he struck a tree. Clubs also were turned off by his temper, and he repeatedly lost his cool when things didn't go his way in pro ball. Also, Drabek doesn't get quite the extension from the windup as he does from the stretch. He tends to lean back on his heel too much, which costs him overall balance and command. His mid-80s slider and his changeup show promise, but they lag behind his curve and his fastball.

The Future: Despite issues in Drabek's past, the Phillies couldn't pass him up a potential No. 1 starter in the draft. They believe he'll tone down his emotions as he grows up, and if he shows better maturity in spring training, he could open 2007 in low Class A.


3. Adrian Cardenas, ss/2b Born: Oct. 10, 1987 • B-T: L-R • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 185

Background: Cardenas entered last spring as the second-best player on his team--behind eventual Nationals first-rounder Chris Marrero--and as a projected fifth-round pick. By the end of the spring, he had led Miami's Monsignor Pace to a state title, set a school record with a .647 average and a Dade County mark with 18 homers and won Baseball America's High School Player of the Year award. After signing for $925,000 as the 37th overall pick, he made the Gulf Coast League all-star team.

Strengths: Cardenas has good strength and a short, compact swing from the left side. He has a knack for squaring up balls, making consistent hard contact and driving the ball to all fields. He profiles to hit 15-20 homers annually in the majors. He's presently a solid-average defender at shortstop, though most scouts believe he'll have to change positions down the road. His intellect is on par with his athleticism, as he graduated in the top 10 percent in his class.

Weaknesses: The Phillies recognize that Cardenas best fits at second base, where he played exclusively during instructional league. He lacks first-step quickness and the range to play short, and his speed and arm strength are fringy.

The Future: Cardenas probably will play second base alongside 2006 third-round pick Jason Donald in low Class A in 2007. More advanced than most high school players, he could develop along the lines of Chase Utley.


4. Edgar Garcia, rhp Born: Sept. 20, 1987 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-2 • Wt: 190

Background: The Phillies followed Garcia as a 15-year-old in the Dominican in 2004 and signed him for $500,000 just before he planned to attend the Perfect Game/Baseball America World Wood Bat Championship. Garcia spent the bulk of his first full season in the United States in extended spring training, where he refined his delivery and worked on his secondary pitches. After rushing Carlos Carrasco, Philadelphia sent Garcia to short-season Batavia at age 18, and he had a successful summer.

Strengths: Garcia has excellent life on a 91-92 mph fastball that tops out at 95. He should find more velocity as he grows into an already sturdy frame. He throws two variations of a curveball, a harder 81-83 mph version that more resembles a slider and a softer pitch with true 12-to-6 break. After working on the arm speed and command of his changeup, Garcia used it more in 2006 and showed flashes of making it a plus pitch. The Phillies love his makeup and ability to make adjustments during a game.

Weaknesses: While Garcia's secondary pitches are improved, they still lack consistency. He tends to get around on his breaking pitches, resulting in erratic command. While his delivery is simple and repeatable, the arm speed on his changeup has to be practically flawless because he doesn't create a lot of deception.

The Future: The Phillies compare Garcia to Carrasco for both his repertoire and his advanced feel for pitching. They'll continue to bring Garcia along slowly and can't wait to see what he does in his first taste of full-season ball at Lakewood.


5. Scott Mathieson, rhp Born: Feb. 27, 1984 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 195

Background: Mathieson has pitched all over the map in the last two years. He worked at the Futures Game, the World Cup and the Arizona Fall League in 2005, then pitched in the World Baseball Classic and jumped from Double-A to the majors in 2006. He was shut down in September with elbow problems that required Tommy John surgery.

Strengths: Mathieson lives off his low-90s fastball, which can climb as high as 97 mph. After working with a curveball for most of his first five seasons, he switched to a slider late in 2005 and worked on it exclusively in the AFL that fall. It quickly has become a plus pitch with good tilt and devastating late break. He maintains his arm speed on his changeup, which has good life down in the zone.

Weaknesses: Though the track record for Tommy John survivors is strong, Mathieson will miss most or all of the 2007 season. Just as quickly as his slider came on during the first half of 2006, he completely lost the feel for it when he was promoted to Philadelphia in mid-July. He started to regain command of the pitch after being reassigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Future: If all goes well, Mathieson will return to the mound during the summer at the Phillies' new short-season Williamsport affiliate. He has the work ethic to bounce back strongly and quickly. While he has the stuff to start, it gives him the potential to close games as well.


6. Josh Outman, lhp Born: Sept. 14, 1984 • B-T: L-L • Ht: 6-1 • Wt: 190

Background: While at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, Outman used a delivery developed by his father Fritz that scouts described as one of the strangest they'd ever seen. He extended his arm straight up, bent it down to nearly touch his opposite shoulder and then took a walking step rather than using a leg kick. After transferring to Central Missouri State, he reworked his mechanics while also starring as an outfielder/DH. Outman contributed to a South Atlantic League championship by winning 13 of his last 15 regular-season decisions in 2006.

Strengths: After making changes to his delivery, Outman has seen his fastball jump from 86-88 mph to 90-94. Lakewood pitching coach Steve Schrenk had him ditch his curveball in favor of a sharp slider that quickly became a plus pitch with excellent tilt and late life. His changeup grades as average.

Weaknesses: Outman has a good feel for his changeup, but wasn't consistent locating it in 2006. His arm speed slows down at times, which he can remedy by using the pitch more often. He puts away hitters easily when he gets ahead in the count but needs to do a better job of throwing strikes.

The Future: Ticketed for high Class A, Outman could reach Double-A by the summer. He's on course to be a solid middle-of-the-rotation starter in the majors.


7. Michael Bourn, of Born: Dec. 27, 1982 • B-T: L-R • Ht: 5-11 • Wt: 180

Background: Though the Phillies have seen many of their prospects struggle after skipping a level, Bourn succeeded after skipping high Class A in 2005. He repeated Double-A in 2006, played half the year in Triple-A and finished it in Philadelphia. He has led the system in steals in each of his three full seasons.

Strengths: Bourn is the organization’s best leadoff hitter and offers a package of line drives, plate discipline and speed. He bunts well and has game-changing quickness on the bases. Bourn is a plus defender in center field with outstanding range and a strong arm.

Weaknesses: He'll never hit for much power, though Bourn has worked on taking pitches to the opposite field. As a leadoff hitter he still needs to cut down on his strikeouts, be more patient and prove he can work deep counts consistently.

The Future: If the Phillies trade Aaron Rowand, Bourn would be the best in-house candidate to replace him. Otherwise, he'll open 2007 at the club's new Triple-A Ottawa affiliate. He could become Philadelphia's version of Juan Pierre, with better plate discipline and a stronger arm.


8. J.A. Happ, lhp Born: Oct. 19, 1982 • B-T: L-L • Ht: 6-5 • Wt: 205

Background: The first Northwestern player ever to make the all-Big Ten Conference three times, Happ has had no trouble adjusting to pro ball. He has posted a 2.49 ERA and reached Triple-A in just 2½ seasons.

Strengths: The Phillies worked with Happ to get him more upright in his delivery, which created more deception and velocity (up to 93 mph in the Arizona Fall League) on his fastball. He has always demonstrated an ability to locate the pitch wherever he wants. Even with the boost to his fastball, Happ's changeup remains his best pitch, featuring excellent depth and fade. After missing time with quadriceps and oblique injuries in 2005, Happ proved durable and tossed a career-high 175 innings (including the AFL) in 2006. He's one of the better athletes in the system.

Weaknesses: Happ’s slider is too soft at times, turning into a loopy slurve. He made strides with its consistency in 2006, but it will improve more as he uses it more. Though he locates his fastball exceptionally well, he can rely on to it too much.

The Future: Happ is the next starter in line for a promotion to Philadelphia and projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter. The offseason acquisitions of Adam Eaton and Freddy Garcia will buy him a full year of development time at Triple-A.


9. Matt Maloney, lhp Born: Jan. 16, 1984 • B-T: L-L • Ht: 6-4 • Wt: 220

Background: Maloney was worn out from pitching Mississippi to the NCAA super regionals when he turned pro in 2005, so the Phillies didn't see him at his best until 2006. His best was very good, as he was named South Atlantic League pitcher of the year after leading the circuit in wins, innings and strikeouts while finishing second in ERA.

Strengths: Maloney attacks hitters by throwing four pitches for strikes. His stuff is average across the board but his advanced feel makes it play up, and he creates good deception with his easily repeatable delivery. His 86-88 mph sinker is his best pitch because of its late movement. His changeup isn't far behind and he'll throw it in any count. He also has an 11-to-5 curveball and a slider.

Weaknesses: Maloney's lack of velocity leaves him with little margin for error, and his secondary pitches need work to translate at the upper levels. His curveball has good downward spiral but can flatten out at times, and his slider needs to be tighter and harder if it’s going to remain in his arsenal. He tends to pitch up in the zone and sometimes tries to nibble at the corners too much.

The Future: On the high end, Maloney could be a No. 4 starter. Without better breaking stuff, he could be a middle reliever. Considering his savvy and that he'll be 23 in 2007, he could skip a level and head straight to Double-A.


10. Greg Golson, of Born: Sept. 17, 1985 • B-T: R-R • Ht: 6-0 • Wt: 190

Background: The Phillies have been patient with Golson since signing him for $1.475 million as the 21st overall pick in 2004, and it may finally be starting to pay off. Though he repeated low Class A at the start of 2006 and hit just .220, he surged following a promotion to high Class A in late July.

Strengths: The best athlete in the 2004 draft, Golson possesses the best speed, center-field skills and outfield arm in the system. He consistently gets from the right side of the plate to first base in 4.0 seconds. He has above-average raw power to go along with those wheels.

Weaknesses: Area scouts who saw Golson as an amateur thought he'd have to make a lot of adjustments at the plate in pro ball, and he has struggled to do so. His pitch recognition and plate discipline are still very raw, and he's too pull-conscious. He has the speed to become an electrifying basestealer, but that hasn't happened. He was disappointed at returning to Lakewood, and his play reflected that.

The Future: Golson will need to keep his ego in check because he's set to return to Clearwater in 2007. His upside is the highest among the system's position players, but he needs to start performing on a consistent basis in what will be his fourth pro season.

for reference, here is last year's top 10:

1. Cole Hamels, lhp	in majors
2. Greg Golson, of	dropped to 10
3. Michael Bourn, of	dropped to 7
4. Scott Mathieson, rhp	dropped to 5 (out for year)
5. Welinson Baez, ss/3b	still number 5
6. Mike Costanzo, 3b	dropped out of top 10
7. Brad Harman, ss/2b	still number 7
8. Tim Moss, 2b	dropped out of top 10
9. Jason Jaramillo, c	dropped out of top 10
10. Edgar Garcia, rhp	up to number 4

Fightin' Phils at Last?

it's still early, but i'm getting a good feeling about the phillies.

- phil sheridan says that gillick has turned over the roster and made this a hard-nosed team (except for one notable exception).

Subtract poker-faced, major-league-cool players.

Add high-motor, high-energy, hustling players.

- paul hagen says this team has a shot at reclaiming the city that was once theirs

The coast is clear. The Eagles are done until training camp. The 76ers and Flyers have little to play for beyond a shot at the first overall draft choice. The Phillies suddenly have a roster chock-full of exciting young players - Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels - that fans can root for. They have been on the edge of making it to the playoffs for the past couple of years and have added a proven starting pitcher, Freddy Garcia, who could help push them over the top.

And should it all come together and result in a world championship, well, that would most likely result in a seismic shift in the football-baseball balance in the area.

- buster olney says the team is built on old fashioned values

The Phillies are built upon old-fashioned scout values, which figures, because general manager Pat Gillick is still an old-fashioned scout, prone to traveling thousands of miles on late notice to see a low-level minor league player or an amateur prospect with his own eyes. He often makes these trips clandestinely, sometimes without telling even some of his colleagues, because he does not want his whereabouts revealed.

The modern-day trend is for teams to shift more resources into the structure of the bullpen. The Mets, for example, have three excellent left-handed relievers in Billy Wagner, Scott Schoeneweis and Pedro Feliciano, and solid right-handers Duaner Sanchez, Aaron Heilman and Guillermo Mota, with Ambiorix Burgos coming in as a high-ceiling candidate from Kansas City. And the Mets have made a calculated gamble that they can piece together enough starting pitching to consistently get a close game into the hands of that bullpen.

The Phillies, on the other hand, have stacked their rotation, the way teams have been trying to win for, oh, about a century. They have All-Star Brett Myers, star talent Cole Hamels, veterans Freddy Garcia and Jamie Moyer, and free-agent signee Adam Eaton. They've got Jon Lieber for depth, as well, although it is still possible that Lieber will be traded for offensive help.

The Phillies' assumption and hope is that something good will emerge from their bullpen, like the Mets' assumption and hope with their rotation. The Phillies hope Tom Gordon stays healthy and enough middle relief will develop to make this a workable unit.

The Phillies will probably get more outs from their starting pitchers than the Mets do -- anywhere from 16 to 21 per game. The Mets, on the other hand, might get only 12-17 outs from their rotation, but will want to get the ball to their bullpen.

And while most teams are relying on on-base percentage, the Phillies have traded some of the crown princes of on-base percentage (Jim Thome and Bobby Abreu), while making a concerted effort to create a lineup of players who score high in intangibles among scouts, like Shane Victorino, Aaron Rowand, Chase Utley and, of course, NL MVP Ryan Howard. High energy, high intensity, major effort guys in their daily preparation. Wes Helms, who will share time at third base this year, is never going to be confused with Miguel Cabrera in his production, but he is a well-respected professional and of the players with at least 150 plate appearances, he led all major league hitters in average after the All-Star break last season, hitting .385.

The Phillies don't have the same kind of overall lineup or roster depth that the Mets possess -- an injury to Utley or Howard would be a crusher for them -- but they will be an interesting team, after ranking second in the majors in runs scored after the All-Star break last year, and going 41-24 in their last 65 games.

Gillick sounded optimistic on the phone Tuesday night, liking the makeup of his team, raving about Hamels and what he could do. Once a week in spring training, Gillick said, Moyer -- who has won 216 games in his career because of his understanding of how to change speeds -- will meet with other pitchers on the Phillies' staff to talk about pitching. "If you have a guy like that around, you might as well take advantage of it," Gillick said.

- it's looking likely the phils will head to spring training with jon lieber still on the team

i haven't necessarily agreed with all of his moves, but pat gillick has assembled what looks to be a very likeable team and i am more interested in baseball this year than i have been in a long, long time. baseball used to be my second favorite sport. i hope to get the love back this year.

Sixers Win!

first head-to-head matchup between two leading oden contenders goes to sixers, who fought the good fight by getting plastered by memphis.

Kevin Durant vs. Greg Oden

kevin durant is going to be a great player in the NBA someday, one of the best. he is better than KG was at the same point in their careers (if only because he has the killer instinct and alpha dog mentality that garnett lacks), but for me it's still greg oden or bust.

why?

because durant is a face up big man. i don't want a face up big man because they don't win titles.

what this team needs is a back to the basket player who loves playing down low, is a rebounding machine, and is a defensive force. teams built around those types of players win titles. having a face up big man is impressive and enjoyable to watch, but it is a waste of size. there are plenty of guards who have a face up game better than any face up big man.

KG, nowitzki, ewing (yes he played good defense, but on offense he had little post game and played more face to basket), karl malone, david robinson pre-tim duncan, chris webber. titles - zero. all face to the basket guys.

olajuwon, duncan, shaq, kareem, moses, wallace, parish, the list goes on. all of these guys played (or play) a back to the basket game. wallace doesn't have any offensive game, but is under the basket on offensive possessions.

there are only two exceptions -- bill laimbeer (who had a spot up kind of game but the pistons had james edwards at backup who was a back to the basket kind of player, dennis rodman who was a rebounding machine, and mark aguirre who was unstoppable in the post) and the jordan bulls.

so if you are a team that already has a back to the basket center, then i think you can take durant and win... or if you believe durant is the next jordan, then you take him. if not, gotta get oden. face up players win NCAA championships, but post up players win NBA titles.

Eagles Offseason 2007

obviously, the healthy return of donovan mcnabb is a top priority, but unlike last offseason, it may not be the single highest priority. having a capable backup in tow enabled the eagles to have much more success than i expected after donovan went down. this tells me a few things:

- the team is still very talented up and down the roster
- big red and staff can gameplan and "coach 'em up" with the best of them (though in-game decision-making is questionable)

however, to be a true championship contender again, they do need to upgrade the roster at key positions. let's run down the roster position by position.

offense

QB - getting mcnabb healthy is important if we want to be a true championship contender again, but it's not critical for him to be ready by the start of the season. this team can win enough with garcia at the helm to stay in the race. they have another year left on feeley's contract, so if they are able to re-sign garcia (and all signs point to that happening sooner or later), going into next season with a mcnabb, garcia, feeley trio is terrific -- no roster moves needed here.

RB - brian certainly proved me (and any other westbrook doubters) wrong with the season he had. while he still can't move the pile in short yardage, his ability to stay productive for the entire season (even while fighting chronic knee problems) was really the key to the saving of the season. garcia played well in subbing for mcknee, but it's not like he was playing at all-pro level or anything. westbrook is the guy that carried the team with (shockingly) rushing yards. still, this position needs an upgrade both in terms of depth and style. behind westbrook the cupboard is bare. i like buckhalter and he's a great story, but if he's the primary backup to brian again next season, it is not a good thing. i'd like to see moats make some progress and get on the field sometime. is it the worst coast offense and its infernal terminology preventing him from getting on the field or is it that he just stinks? regardless, this position needs an overhaul. brining back westbrook is obvious. moats i assume is safe. mahe can go and if i'm the eagles i re-sign buck only for insurance. next season, i'd like to see westbrook, moats, draft pick, veteran tough runner (thomas jones caliber would be ideal, but i'll take anyone who can gain positive yards on third and short, heck leroy hoard caliber would look pretty good right now), and then possibly buckhalter.

FB - tapeh proved to be an upgrade over parry as thomas showed a bit of an athletic side, blocked more effectively, and caught the ball more naturally than parry did. i'm ok with going into next season with tapeh as the primary fullback. no roster moves needed unless a lorenzo neal happens to fall into big red's ample lap.

TE - an area of need. LJ is heading into his contract year, so expect him to play with some passion (finally). i'll be curious to see if bartrum can make it back from his injury. if not, will the eagles continue with dorenbos, who unlike bartrum is not listed on the depth chart anywhere other than LS? neither LJ nor schobel catch the ball consistently and both of them stink at blocking. can we get a true third TE on the team if bartrum retires? a real blocking TE? i expect bartrum to retire, so let's say the roster next season is going to be LJ, schobel, new guy.

WR - the big question here is whether the birds can re-sign donte stallworth (hello drew rosenhaus). i suspect they will. reggie brown looked terrific in his second year except for the small matter of CATCHING THE DAMN BALL. hank baskett looks like a future contributor. jason avant looks about as good as freddie mitchell ever did. greg lewis looks pretty good as a 5th WR. that's not too shabby. i'm pretty happy with the direction of the WR corps considering we were looking at going into this season with pinkston, brown, mcmullen, and greg lewis. assuming we get stallworth back to be the no. 1 wideout, all of these guys are signed to long term deals and there's no need for new blood here (barring injury or me-o like insanity). i like stallworth, brown, baskett, avant, and lewis.

OT - tra thomas looked better than he has in a couple of seasons. his pass protection was good and by the end of the year even his run blocking was improved. at a manageable cap number of 4.8 mil next season, i'd expect the eagles to bring him back unless they think justice is ready to start (i doubt it). runyan is still going strong. no need to mess with the guy who is still the leader of that group and still the nastiest guy on the team. justice is still the LT of the future and the birds seem to really like this pat mccoy. no need for any moves here. next season looks to be thomas, runyan, justice, and mccoy barring injury or retirement.

OG - a real strength of the team. andrews is a flat out stud and herremans seems to have adjusted nicely to playing inside. this tandem can grade some road (something that we haven't had in a long time on the birds). behind them are max jean-gillies and, the goat of this year's playoffs, scott young. andrews, herremans, and jean-gillies aren't going anywhere, but i bet the birds draft someone to compete with young.

C - jamaal jackson, professional lineman. wow, after complaining for years about honeybuns ineffective play and lack of physicality, i am finally happy with the center position. jackson is just awesome. you can out-quick him on the pass rush, but the guy is a monster in run blocking. watching him work with andrews is bea-u-ti-ful. the eagles really like fat nick cole the merry old soul so i expect them to do nothing at center. jackson and cole next season.

defense

DE - the injury to freak hurt this unit in many ways and certainly more than i expected. while we came into the season with this as possibly the deepest group on the team, kearse's injury pushed everyone up one spot on the depth chart and put them in a position they were not ready to play. howard was forced to play more than ideal and he ended up playing hurt most of the season. cole played really well, but was worn out by the end of the season. mcdougle cannot play. juqua thomas started off slow, but was their best pass rusher by the end of the year and is a free agent. ideally, kearse comes back and you re-sign thomas so your top 4 rotation is set: kearse, cole, howard, thomas... but that may be wishful thinking. personally, i'd cut mcdoodie now, but with 2 years left on his contract, he may be back. next season's roster will definitely have kearse, howard, and cole. i figure one of thomas and mcdookie are back, and they draft one DE. so let's call it kearse, howard, cole, thomas, new guy.

DT - another position of great promise coming into the season. unforuntately, these guys got pushed around like little girls all season. mike patterson regressed (i think they play him on the nose too often, he's more suited to playing 3 technique). darwin walker was highly inconsistent as usual, looking like an all-world player one week and jerome mcdougle the next. brodrick bunkley couldn't sniff the field and missed team flights. lajuan ramsey started off looking good then fell into a black hole. truck driver played ok but made no real impact. bunkley has to become a contributor if the birds are going to fix this unit. darwin walker has two more years left on his contract, but i'd rather see him come off the bench. bunkley becomes the nose and patterson shifts to his more natural 1-gap role. walker, ramsey, and rayburn are all signed for more than one more year, so expect only one of those guys to get replaced, if any. not great considering how poorly they played, but next season looks to be the same fivesome with an outside chance of getting a DT in the draft if one falls to them.

LB - trotter is just about done. mccoy was less than effective in his stint as starter. guess what? dhani still stinks. guess what else? he has at least three years left on his contract. egad. gaither looked pretty good in replacing mccoy, but was that him actually looking good or just in comparison to the awful mccoy? personally, i think gaither does not have the speed to play outside. i'd like to see him move back into the middle and ultimately replace trotter. gocong was lost to injury, but he's our SAM of the future, a huge SS LB who can jam TE and run with them. shawn barber is a free agent and probably won't be back considering his myriad health issues. this is a unit that needs help. considering how long it takes LB to catch onto JJ's system, do we dare to dream of help coming from the draft? here's what we know. trotter, gocong, gaither, jones, and mccoy will probably all be back, leaving room for 1 or 2 other guys. who are those guys? will they be the dedrick ropers and torrance daniels of the world or will they be potential playmakers? best case scenario is probably one of each. let's call it: trotter, gocong, gaither, jones, mccoy, roper, new MLB backup.

CB - comeback season for lito. down season for sheldon. hopefully they both put a good season together next year. concern here is that rod hood is probably gone as he'll get a starting job somewhere, pushing joselio hanson up to nickel smurf. william james may get a starting gig somewhere too so he may not re-sign. lots of turnover in this position. hopefully the eagles are able to draft a tall corner. outlook for next year is lito, sheldon, joselio, draft pick.

S - sean considine is not a SS. he's more suited to playing in coverage and i guess he'll take over for dawk if/when dawk retires. michael lewis is a free agent and is probably gone. quentin mikell is a free agent and i hope he comes back. use a draft pick to get a real SS and put considine where he belongs (backing up dawkins). next season, i hope for dawkins, new guy, considine, mikell

KR/PR - white flash! good-bye-ma-he. good-bye-ma-he. goood-byee-maaa-hee. you're going to leave us now.

K - akers and johnson.

draft
my hope is that the eagles use their first three picks on: LB, SS, CB, won't happen, but that's what i'd like to see happen. then spend money to bring in a real backup running back and blocking tight end. i'd like to see them get another monster at DT, but i think we're all going to have to hope for bunkley to develop. at DE, getting kearse healthy is critical. if he's not progressing, they'll have to replace him somehow. i guess with the draft, but DE has one of the worst hit rates of any position in the draft (case in point - mcturdle).

this team is not far from being a real contender. the pain of this season aside, reid and heckert have done a great job of talent evaluation. this team is littered with draft picks (both high and low) who are playing and contributing. shore up a few areas and get reid some clock management help and i think we're ready for next season.

to close, i'd like to quote dan (who joined us for the carolina game tailgate), who says this about andy reid:

i hate reids game management, but he does everything else so well i have to stick with him

i think that about sums up how i feel about big red perfectly

Open Phillies Thread

per request, an open thread for phillies talk

Open Sixers Thread

per request, an open thread for sixers talk

Open Flyers Thread

per request, an open thread for any flyers talk

Hardest Hit Ever?

maybe i'm having a brain fart, but i think this may be the hardest hit i've ever seen by an eagle and possibly period.

Superdawk

i've been waiting for this video to show up on youtube

Divisional Game Thoughts

i hate f*cking football

Divisional Playoff Discussion

post any in-game thoughts here

Bob Ford on McNabb

great article by bob ford today wondering why someone who is such a productive player cannot win over the fans in this city. it baffles me as well. some of it i blame on the idiot morning crew on wip, who don't care at all that their constant bleating actually has a negative impact on the psyche of the city (ridiculous i know, but definitely true). what causes the rest of it though? why focus on the 10% that is a problem and completely ignore the 90% that is spectacular?

i don't like the guy's personality. i understand that he has a tendency to throw some low balls from time to time. i noticed that he never shows his real personality in public. it bothers me that he can get down at times when things are not going well. yes, he is not perfect. you know what though? he is a legitimate top 5 QB in the NFL. you cannot overstate the importance of that statement. it is well-nigh impossible to win a SB without top flight QB play and having him on the field gives this team the best shot to win.

Why he can't win is another question. Part of the answer is that he hasn't won here, or, more specifically, hasn't won everything. Part of the answer has something to do with his personality, with his contract, with those balls he throws at a receiver's feet, with his facial expressions, with his mom, with his relationship with Andy Reid, with his race. And the vomiting hasn't helped, either.

None of that should combine to keep anyone from understanding how good he is, or giving him the respect his accomplishments deserve, however. He should be able to say, "I wish I could be in there, but I couldn't be happier for Jeff and the team," and be taken at his word.

Instead, the words would be picked apart like an ear of corn attacked by crows, and they would fall like kernels to the ground, seeds for nothing but greater misunderstanding.

McNabb hasn't been able to do everything here, so he isn't allowed to do anything. And seeing that, he chooses to do nothing right now except limp quietly and alone down the hall, keeping his thoughts in the only place they will be safe.

i know it's only a stupid AM station, but given the importance that this city places on its professional sports teams, i continue to believe that angelo cataldi is a public menace. by catering to the lowest common demoninator and making them the most vocal part of the fanbase, he has made himself a lot of money... but what did it cost all of us?

would mcnabb be so guarded with his personality (by most accounts he's pretty likeable in person) if he hadn't gotten boo-ed on draft day by cataldi? would mcnabb have been more relaxed at the superbowl if he hadn't had years of inane scrutiny on the airwaves?

bob ford is right. on the surface, it seems like the city should be having a love affair with this guy -- an all-pro QB. instead, we're left scratching our heads and wondering why we never made an emotional connection... and watching the sheep waiting in line at the forman mills being interviewed on camera as they wait in line for garcia's signature, regurgitating what they heard on the airwaves and taking shots at mcnabb.

Coughlin Staying

merry belated christmas, eagles fans. not only is coughlin staying, he got a 1 yr extension on this contract that had 1 yr left. ok, so that extra season was probably put in place only to eliminate the appearance that he is a lame-duck coach, but the fact remains that we have at least one more year to look forward to coughlin's sideline histrionics and at least one more year that the giants will play well below their talent level.

Greg Cosell on 950

at the risk of appearing to be bashing garcia (not my intent), i'll mention that i listened to some of greg cosell's appearance on jody mac's show on 950 the other night and was surprised at how unimpressed cosell is with garcia after looking at him on film. basically, he says the eagles are forced to run because of how limited garcia is as a QB, and not limited in the sense of arm strength but limited in how many plays he "leaves on the field".

according to cosell, garcia is missing wide open guys left and right and cosell doesn't understand why garcia isn't pulling the trigger.

Coughlin Staying?

great news for eagles fans -- coughlin may be staying. if i hadn't been onsite at a client all day, i was going to post a petition for the giants to keep coughlin as coach. looks like it may not even be necessary.

any chance we can convince ernie accorsi not to retire? accorsi was certainly right that eli is a once in a decade player... heath shuler --> ryan leaf --> eli manning.

Wild Card Game Thoughts

what a great game. a tense playoff matchup that was back and forth all game. hard hitting, big plays, and the eagles pull it out in the end. a good game to watch in person.

- garcia managed the game well. he seemed a little jittery at first, but he settled down, made some nice throws, took some big hits, and didn't make any killer mistakes.

- eagles d-tackles didn't have a particularly good game. hardly any push on the pass rush and got pushed off the line quite a bit.

- the lito loss is a pretty big one. nice work by andy and crew having a seasoned player like william james in reserve.

- great game by westbrook. that first run was simply sensational.

- koy detmer = difference maker.

- great game by the receivers. some really tough catches made by reggie brown and LJ.

- what was the deal with the punt that was downed at the 1? i thought i heard the ref say that it was because the ball was illegally touched, but that doesn't really make much sense. thinking about it now, is the receiving team allowed to touch the ball with impunity if a punt is first touched by the kicking team? i seem to recall seeing a rule like that enforced before.

- considine is the worst player on defense right now.

- that's eagles football, baby. mash. mash. mash. score. seems like there was a running team lurking in there all along. all we needed was our all-pro QB to blow his knee out to find it.

- really bad game by the refs. good thing the eagles won the game, otherwise i'd be pretty salty over 2 missed blows to garcia's head (that's 30 yards) and a missed pass interference on the deep ball to reggie brown.

- lack of pass rush is a concern. they'll need to be able to pressure brees without blitzing.

go birds!

Ghosts of Tommy Hutton

with tony romo's gaffe, i can now let go of any residual pain i had from the tommy hutton play.

Instincts and Sports

interesting blurb from bill walsh in bob brookover's article today about jeff garcia:

Somebody with every organization would always ding him because they'd get caught up in the measurables. What Jeff has is the instincts that are outstanding in all great athletes. He has natural instincts, and I was always looking for those. Some people in coaching don't realize they have to be there for a quarterback to be great. They look at size and strength, and instincts should be No. 1.

walsh touches on a pretty interesting topic, imo, and it's timely given ben's question about the hall of fame and derek jeter/steve jeltz. i do think it's a fair argument to say that, if he had not played for the yankees and had instead played for the royals his whole career, jeter wouldn't have even been an all-star let alone a potential hall of famer because his legacy and reputation was built primarily around winning.

however, another thing that i find interesting is this notion of instincts and intangibles. when it comes to evaluating a player's performance or making comparisons, it's easy to start with the measurables -- physical characteristics and on-field statistics. however, there isn't a perfect correlation between the measurables and winning. heck, sometimes the correlation isn't very strong at all.

a-rod is a better SS than jeter in virtually all aspects of the game. jeter is a good, but not great, hitter, jeter doesn't hit for much power, and jeter stinks in the field. a-rod may be the best hitter of his generation, a-rod is a great power hitter, and a-rod is a pretty good fielder. yet can you imagine a-rod making that flip play to posada to catch jeremy giambi at the plate? somehow i have a hard time seeing that. do plays like that override everything else? if you think jeter is a better player than a-rod, it seems you do.

so how do you determine who is a better player than another? i think it's a pretty broad topic and one that i certainly don't have an answer for -- i tend to lean toward the measurables side. however, walsh's quote did get me thinking more about the thing i like most about garcia -- he seems so comfortable as a QB, he's a natural at it.

donovan is better than garcia at just about every measurable aspect of the game, but somehow he just doesn't seem comfortable doing it. he lacks a natural ease, he seems so robotic while garcia seems so (to use walsh's word) instinctive. that doesn't mean that garcia is a better QB, but i think that's one part of why the fans have taken a liking to him.

Wednesday Links

- my brother sent this link to me a while ago but i forgot to post... pigskinplanet.com has pdf copies of actual nfl playbooks -- 1987 chicago bears defense (tobin), 1998 tampa bay buccaneers defense (kiffin), and 2003 new england patriots (weis).

- jack mccaffrey predicts sports headlines for 2007

Final Beatpaths

eagles finished a respectable 8th on the final beatpaths ranking considering the mid-season struggles, but more interestingly, they finish as the top team in the nfc while still ranking below non-playoff teams like cincinnati and pittsburgh.

beatpaths prediction is for the eagles to lose to the colts in the superbowl.

Final 2006 DPAR and DVOA Ranks

- TEAM - the philadelphia eagles finish the 2006 regular season 3rd in overall team efficiency, ranking at 3rd on offense, 11th on defense, and 22nd on special teams, while playing the 18th hardest schedule this season. the other teams in the division finished at 9th (nyg), 10th (dal), and 23rd (was).

- QB - donovan mcnabb ranked 7th in DPAR and 8th in DVOA and jeff garcia ranked 18th/10th despite both of them playing only part of the season.

- RB - brian westbrook finished 7th in DPAR/7th in DVOA for rushing and 3rd in DPAR/17th in DVOA for receiving (westbrook's disparity between DPAR and DVOA in the passing game is interesting). correll buckhalter finishes at 38th/25th for rushing (above edgerrin james, jamal lewis, and shaun alexander) and 10th/2nd for receiving (that 2nd in DVOA is not a misprint).

- WR - reggie brown ranked 22nd/18th and donte' stallworth ranked 39th/35th. hank baskett, jason avant, and greg lewis did not have enough catches to qualify in the rankings.

- TE - lj smith finished 13th/21st

- OL - the jackson 5 ranked 3rd in run blocking and 14th in pass protection. the birds finished 8th sweeping left, 19th off left tackle, 3rd up the middle, 14th off right tackle, and 4th sweeping right. despite his early season struggles, tra/william seems to have shored up his run blocking. i don't have any visual evidence of it other than i stopped noticing him getting stuffed at the line. nice job, william.

- DL - the d-line finished 21st against the run and 4th in pass rushing.

Neckbeard Returns

the greatest neckbeard in the history of sports (if not humanity) returns to the eagles just in time for the playoffs. as steve says so eloquently:

THE NECKBEARD IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!

maybe akers will stop missing so many d*mn kicks.

Game 16 Thoughts

despite some odd losses and a mid-season collapse after losing their QB, the philadelphia eagles rallied to a 10-6 finish and are NFC east champs for the 5th time in 6 years. they enter the playoffs as the 3rd seed, but arguably the team to beat in the NFC as all the other contenders are limping into the playoffs or full-on collapsing while the birds seem to be peaking at the right time.

- nice game by AJ. the eagles have three QBs who can all play. what a nice change. considering that AJ played better than garcia has at any point this season, i wonder if the morning idiot is going to blather about how AJ is also better than mcnabb.

- the eagles second team with the 3rd QB outplayed the falcons first team with both the 1st and 2nd QBs. it can only help to give them more confidence heading into the playoffs.

- sean considine needs to invest in some stickum. he went 1-4 on eminently pick-able balls yesterday. sometimes he looks like he belongs (tackling vick in the open field in the first half), sometimes he looks lost and awful (taking the wrong angle on a later vick scramble, dropping all those picks). i hope he gains some weight in the offseason.

- hope buckhalter's injury isn't serious. while i don't think the birds will miss him much on the field -- moats is more talented and it's not like buckhalter is a great blocker -- i'll always have a soft spot for him since he's been through so much with his knees.

- as much as we all have our complaints about big red (me included), the bottom line is that the guy wins. with a star QB or without a star QB, with his players or ray rhodes' players, the guy knows what he's doing.

- i think this season puts dawk into the HOF.

i hope everyone is ready for a good playoff run. i don't see another team in the NFC who the eagles can't beat convincingly. not to say the birds can't lose to any of them, because they can, but seriously, except for NO (who they'd play on the road) i'd probably make the birds the favorite against every other team in the NFC.

the only unfortunate thing is that the birds draw the giants in the first game. of all the teams in the playoffs, the giants continue to be the team that i think matches up with the eagles the best. the eagles should win, but it's a bit of a scary game.