Happy Memorial Day

To all those special men and women who have served our country, you are greatly appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqYNdLfV_s0

The Happy Apologist is a Bandwagon Fan

You heard it here first. I will be the first to admit to jumping on the Flyers bandwagon. I used to really follow hockey, but haven't given it much time over the past 7 or 8 years. Basically, I wait around for the playoffs to start before I even watch a full game.

I think I watched about most of the first series against the Devils, but not every game. I mean come on. This is a team that was coasting to a 4th or 5th seed with 3 weeks left and then . . . BAM! Couldn't win a period let alone a full game. You want to talk about backing into the playoffs? It took them a shootout in their final game in order to make the 7th seed. So I wasn't going to start rooting heavily until they got into the second round.

Which they did. And then promptly lost 3 straight games to the Bruins. Talk about killing your buzz. But I stuck with them and watched the 4th game. Nice. Then I watched them claw back to 3-2. And then the talk started about no one (well, hardly anyone) ever coming back from being down 0-3. So what did they do? Won the third game at home sending things back to Boston.

At this point I'm extremely wary. This is Philadelphia after all. So of course they go down 0-3 in the first. But I'm really not thinking the game's done yet. I think, heck - all they gotta do is get one back before the first intermission. And they do! Then tie it up in the second. And then the win.

THIS TEAM CAME BACK FROM BEING DOWN 0-3 TWICE!!!

You have to admit that is exceptionally cool. So they cruise into the current series with the Habs, go up 2-0, and now lead 3-1. I don't know if they'll be able to finish things off and win the cup, but this (bandwagon) fan can't wait to watch and find out.

Go Flyers!

Oswalt Wants Out of Houston

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5209198

predictably, the head's response was both adversarial and pompous -- oh how i don't miss his gigantic misshapen head on the tv responding to phils issues:

"Roy's contract has a no-trade clause, not a trade-me clause," Wade said. "There is no rule that allows a player in his contract status to demand a trade. So demand, request, hold your breath until you turn blue, it's all the same. It's acknowledged and noted."

no trade clause, not a trade-me clause. that's cleverish there head. ranks up there with your all-timer "schilling is a horse every fifth day... and a horse's ass every other day".

the unfortunate part is that he can turn a phrase (the stuff he doesn't get paid for and the stuff that is inappropriate for his position) better than he can actually build a team.

the good news for the phils is that it looks like there will be more than one ace available at the deadline -- at least cliff lee and now oswalt -- which should drive down the asking price.

the phils gave up low potential but highly rated prospects to get lee and got lower rated prospects with considerably more potential in return when the traded him. i could see them getting either lee or oswalt back at the deadline for less than they received for trading lee... especially to houston where head wade is collecting failed ex-phillies (bourn, myers, michaels, pete happy) in the middle of his project to build the worst team in baseball.

what do you think head? oswalt for anthony gose straight up?

It's OK to Cheat

Count me among those that think this is the only rational conclusion to draw from the Brian Cushing revote for Defensive Rookie of the Year award. This is very similar to the Shawn Merriman situation a couple years back. Giving an award to someone who cheats tells everyone else that it's OK. There is no other conclusion. It's not a "process" issue. It's not a "masking agent" issue. And it's certainly not a "he never got caught again" issue. It's a "fine to cheat as long as you play very, very good afterward" issue.

I truly hope the NFL gets this fixed before my 4 year old son is old enough to start "learning" from these guys. And the better fix than not giving these guys awards (duh) is to 1) increase the length of suspensions to at least 8 games and more appropriately a year, and 2) fine them above and beyond the lost game checks. Think these guys are going to take steroids if they know their 1st offense will result in a year at home and an extra seven figures going to the NFL? I don't.

Seriously, this is an EASY fix. Can you imagine if football became like baseball? Yikes.

2006 Eagles Draft Class

2006 - Philadelphia Eagles
Rd Sel # Player Position School
1 14 Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
2 39 Winston Justice T USC
3 71 Chris Gocong LB Cal Poly-S.L.O.
4 99 Max Jean-Gilles G Georgia
4 109 Jason Avant WR Michigan
5 147 Jeremy Bloom WR Colorado
5 168 Omar Gaither LB Tennessee
6 204 LaJuan Ramsey DT USC

I think you'd have to call this one extremely decent and rivals the mythical 2002 draft class. Definitely from number of total hits if not superstars.