Nice to Meet you Jrue, Welcome to Phildelphia.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

With the 17th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, the new old logo Philadelphia 76ers select Jrue Holiday from UCLA.

Coming into the night, Ty Lawson was the player I was hoping the Sixers would select.  How can you not draft Lawson; he was the leader on both sides of the court for the NCAA Champion Tarheels, and he is the basketball version of Brian Westbrook.  To see him get drafted with the very next pick after the Sixers by Minnesota, only to get traded to the Nuggets (who are going to be sick next year) hurt at first.  Shit it still feels like we missed an opportunity, but the more I see about Jrue the Damaja the more I like him.

Jrue is a 6′4, 200 pound, 19 year old point guard who was the 2007-08 Gatorade National Boys (HS) Basketball Player of the Year and self proclaimed “Floor General” at UCLA last year.  He fits exactly what the 76ers needed, especially with Andre Miller leaving in Free Agency (probably/hopefully).  We need to move on to a new era.

Forget Holiday’s 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game during his one year at UCLA.  The kid plays defense, hustles, passes the ball, has handle, court vision and can clearly score beyond what his college numbers indicate.  They don’t give High School POY honors to kids who can’t score.  Check out the McDonald’s All-American game highlights, we might have a problem here.

Best Kept Secret backdrop an added bonus to Holiday’s domination.

The Sixers clearly have a long ways to go, and although Thaddius and I both thought that Ty Lawson would have made a great Quarterback for the 76ers, there is a lot to like about the kid Jrue Holiday.

Check out more Jrue with a J Holiday media, including his college coaches assessment (and comparisons to Russell Westbrook), more highlights, plus some pause-able back tattoos

Here is a YouTube guide to the newest offensive weapon in the Eagles offense - dynamic wide receive Jeremy Maclin.  I never thought we’d have a chance to get a guy like Maclin without having to give up a lot, but thanks to Al Davis obsession with 40 yard dash times, the Raiders took Darius Hayord-Bey and Maclin was available to us for a cheap cost.

Even McNabb can’t complain a lack of weapons with a guy like this.

Read the rest of this entry »

What is it about the NFL draft that captivates football fans throughout the country? Starting with the completion of the Super Bowl, through the combine, pro days, free agency and accompanied by an endless supply of mock drafts across the Internet and ESPN specials, the excitement culminates with the draft itself, a weekend extravaganza lasting 2 full days.  During that time, your favorite team selects a group of 7 or so college players whom most professional football fans have never actually seen or heard of.

One probable reason for the enthusiasm is that in no other professional sport can your team immediately enhance its roster by obtaining up to 15% new team members in one sitting. Compare this to baseball, basketball or hockey, where a team is fortunate if it acquires a single player who can contribute in the upcoming season. We dream that our front office will “hit the lottery” like when the Steelers drafted 4 future Hall of Famers in the 1974 draft (1st – Lynn Swann, 2nd- Jack Lambert, 4th – John Stallworth and 5th – Mike Webster). Trivia quiz – who was their 3rd round pick? As Eagle fanatics, we pray that our management comes up big! And, its not that the chances are nil, but that they are just improbable.

Click here to read Prof. Blick’s full Eagles draft day analysis

Its playoff time around the NHL and the battle of Pennsylvania starts tonight. Tonight the Flyers take on Cindy Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The teams are very evenly matched both offensively and defensively. This series has all the ingredients needed to make some intense hockey. Look for special teams to play a huge part in who comes out on top of this series. The Flyers have to limit the number of penalties they take and on the flip side; the power play must step up. If the Flyers can do this they should come out on top.

As usual with the Flyers the only uncertainty is which Marty Biron will show up for the playoffs. Last year Biron played extremely well and led the Flyers to the Eastern Conference finals where they lost to the Penguins. All that being said, Biron has played well of late and will look to do so again tonight. If the Flyers stick to their game plan and play a physical game, they should be able to wear down the Penguins.

The goal for the Flyers is simple; take one of the first 2 games in Pittsburgh. If they can do that, home ice is no longer an issue and they will come back to Philly with the edge in the series. Tune into the game tonight at 7. I’ll post an update tomorrow. GET FLYERED UP!

Denver's jerseys are close, but the Eagles 75th Anniversary uniforms are the closest thing the NFL has to Wolverine's costume

The future of Brian Dawkins has already been written…

In Marvel comic books.

Before we go into the future of Dawkins, here’s what the Eagles front office had to say about the departure of the best Eagle I ever had the honor of witnessing play in my lifetime.

Jeffrey Lurie:

Brian Dawkins has been one of the pillars of this franchise for 13 years. He helped lead us to five NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl. Brian embodies everything you look for in a professional athlete and human being. I have been fortunate to witness his impeccable character, his passion for the game of football and his commitment to being the best player he could be. I look forward to continuing a close relationship with him once his playing days are over. His legacy as an Eagle will last forever and will ultimately land him in Canton as a Hall of Famer.

Andy Reid:

Brian is one of the best players in franchise history and one of the most popular players to ever play in the city of Philadelphia. The Eagles organization, as well as the entire fan base, will miss him not only as a player but as a tremendous person. This is the toughest part of my job, no question. He gave this city 13 years of emotional, energetic football. We wish Brian and his family nothing but the best as he continues his career in Denver.

Hopefully Dawkins won't go down as painfully as Weapon X

But back to the future of Dawkins.

Weapon X still can use his fists (claws) with the best of them, but his fumble-causing tackle/punches won’t work if he can’t get within reach of opponents.  If B Dawk can’t stay on the field on passing downs it’s going to be hard for him to be the leader that Denver expected when they signed him, plus his heart doesn’t seem to be fully committed to Denver.

Dawkins unfamiliarity with the new system in Denver will expose his weaknesses, just like Magnito exposed Wolverine.  It’s going to be hard to watch when it happens too, just like it was hard to watch Magneto use his magnetic powers to rip Wolverine’s metal skeleton out of his body back in the day.

Although Dawk will survive, his sense of indestructibility will be severely damaged.  Weapon X will never be the same, and neither will the Eagles.

Still a ways to go, but if it started today...

Yes.

But as a Sixers fan, it’s hard not to with the way the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs seem to be shaping up.  Dwyane Wade and the young Heat are only two games ahead of the Sixers for the fifth spot in the East.  The benefits of having the fifth spot over their current sixth seeding are clear, it’s a matter of playing the Atlanta Hawks (6 games ahead of the Sixers) or Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs.

Going up against Orlando (aka Dwight Howard) would mean an immediate exit from the playoffs.  The Sixers have a much better chance hanging with the Hawks in the first round.  Even though Atlanta is a more talented and complete team than the 76ers, their inconsistent play leaves them open for an opportunistic team like ours.

With a lucky 13 games left in the season, the Sixers have a legitimate shot to steal the fifth seed in the East and have a chance to make it to the second round of the playoffs.  Not bad for a team whose $82 million dollar free agent signing played only 29 games and averaged 13.8 points/game.

The Sixers are back home tonight against the Timberwolves, and need to win the easy ones as they play Cleveland twice and Boston once in these final games.

Maybe instead of getting injured, one of Wade’s infamous “marijuana sex parties” will get busted up by the police.  His immediate suspension would give the Sixers the opportunity to gain on Miami’s two game lead for the 5 seed.

In these uncertain times, the Phillies have been a ray of light through the clouds.

After the unforgettable World Series Championship run, personnel changes and injury concerns have cast some uncertainty on the prospect of a return to the World Series.  However, a few recent developments have me thinking that the Phillies are going to have every opportunity to succeed next season:

• Chase Utley hits a pre-season homerun- When Utley had hip surgery in late November, I really wasn’t expecting that he would be back to full strength at the start of the ‘09 season.  Yesterday’s home run and three RBIs in a 7-6 win over the Blue Jays showed that Utley can at least move around a little bit.  Chase is an incredibly consistent player, and it now appears clear that he will be able to work himself into a groove throughout the season (*cough*MVP).
• Cole Hamels pickes 3 innings of shut-out baseball - In the minors.  But who cares, no pain/swelling/tightness in the elbow can’t be a bad thing.  Hamels threw 48 pitches, although his fastball was only reaching 82-86 mph per Ruben Amaro Jr.  The health of his elbow is directly linked to the Phillies success in ‘09, so this story will not go away any time soon.  Pitching coach Rich Dubee said it best:  “[Wednesday] will be the tell-tale story, how he responds after pitching today. but today was definitely a positive.”
• J.A. Happ steps up his bid for the 5th starter spot- Happ was the consensus SOB nation pick for the Phillies 5th starter spot, grabbing 41% of the vote.  J.A. had a strong outing in a 8-3 routing of the Yankees on Sunday, giving up only two runs in five innings.  The contest for the job is still very much up in the air, and yesterday Chan Ho Park threw four innings of mediocre baseball in his first game back since tweaking his hammy.  I’m rooting for Happ to win the spot, but Park as well as recently minored Kyle Kendrick may end up playing a role in ‘09.

Yesterday was a good day for the Phillies two best players, both of which returning from worrisome injury.  As it now stands they look poised to start the season off strong, something the Phillies don’t often do.

Baseball’s preseason means absolutely nothing, and has no bearing on how a team performs over the neverending baseball season.  Health is the only thing that matters, and they seem to be improving in that regard.  The Phillies found lightning in a bottle last year, and for everything to fall into place like it did then again this year may be asking too much.  However, the Phils still have to be looked at as one of the more talented teams in the NL, and the recent improvements in health have the sun shining on their outlook in ‘09.

(World Phucking Champions)

I think they call that the Huck-a-Buck

Oh my dear sweet God, finally we have a fullback.  The Eagles have addressed their most obvious need of the off-season, inking former Seahawk Leonard Weaver to a one year deal.  Assuming that the 2010 season is uncapped, Weaver will be looking to improve in every facet of the game and prove he should be a big money guy.

Leonard Weaver’s role in the offense of ‘09 is unclear.  Last season, the Eagles fullback position was a joke, and epitomized the arrogance of the Eagles front office (again thinking they were smarter than everyone else and a DT could play FB).  Having such a glaring weakness at fullback must have had some type of impact on the way Andy Reid uses the position, and the Eagles frequently ran out of the singleback.

Signing Weaver definitely changes things in the Eagles backfield, and hopefully he isn’t the final backfield addition.  Assuming the Eagles draft a running back, touches may be limited, but then again with the current wide receiver core I hope we’ll be seeing a new-age three-headed monster early and often.

Click here to see why Leonard Weaver improves the Eagles offense.

Knuble and the Flyers exercised some of their Devils against New Jersey on Monday

It was yet another great night to be a Flyers fan. They came out and put together 60 quality minutes of hockey. They took on a Devils team that leads the conference and managed to pull out the all important win. The game was intense right from the start. Bodies were flying everywhere and the goaltending was spectacular. The Devils opened up the scoring at 9:42 of the first period when Brendan Shanahan scored his fifth of the year on a pass from Dainius Zubrus. The goal was not impressive and bounced off of Shanahan’s skate. The Flyers answered with the period winding down. At 15:57 of the first, Daniel Briere scored on the power play. The pass came from Kimmo Timonen who had 2 helpers on the night. The period ended with the teams knotted at 1.

In the second period it was the Flyers who struck first. Mike Knuble scored on yet another power play. They assist went to Daniel Briere, who had himself a fantastic game. The Flyers carried much of the play but were unable to stop Jamie Langenbrunner from tying the game with a power play goal of his own. He scored at 9:58 of the second period. The score stayed the same for the remainder of the period and both teams went to the locker room to get ready for what was a fantastic third period.

In the third it was all Flyers. Jeff Carted scored his 40th goal of the season just 55 seconds into the third period. The goal was another power play goal and again it was Timonen with the assist. Gagne got himself a goal at 3:01 of the third on a brilliant feed from Claude Giroux. This was all it would take to bury the Devils. The Flyers were able to keep the Devils of the scoreboard in the third and walked away with a 4-2 win. This is the teams 3rd straight win and they look to continue their fine play on Thursday when they face off against the Florida Panthers.

Sunday afternoon showcased a rival that continues to grow every year. The game had everything you would expect. The hitting was huge; there was plenty of scoring and some fantastic goaltending. The first period was a for the most part equally contested with Martin Biron playing some of his best hockey. He stopped everything that came his way in the period and looked sharp. Simon Gagne opened up the scoring with a power play goal at 5:19 of the opening stanza. He did so with assists from Mike Knuble and Claude Giroux. That was the only scoring in the period and the Flyers took the early 1-0 lead into the locker room.

The second period was more of the same. Both teams looked sharp and goaltender Martin Biron stopped every shot he faced. The Flyers were able to put an early goal on the board at 2:54 of the second period when Scott Hartnell deflected a Jeff Carter pass off his skate and into the net. The period ended with the Flyers leading 2-0.

In the third the Flyers continued to play sound defense and they were again able to score a goal. Pittsburg made the game interesting when Kris Letang scored a power play goal that cut the Flyers lead in half at 10:02 of the third period. That would be all the scoring the Penguins would have. At 19:32 of the third Darroll Powe put the puck in the empty net and sealed the deal for the Flyers. The win put the Flyers 2 points ahead of Pittsburg, who entered the game tied for fourth with the Flyers.

Tune in tonight when the Flyers take on there biggest rivals, the New Jersey Devils. The Devils are on fire lately and look to make the Flyers road to the playoffs difficult.

Post Game Quotes:

“Obviously, (the power play) was big tonight,” said Philadelphia coach John Stevens. “It goes us an early lead, which I thought was important. The penalty kill (also) did an outstanding job.”

“(Daniel Briere) made a good play going wide, fed (Carter), and I don’t know if he tried to shoot it or if he knew I was backdoor and had my stick and my skates kind of angled toward the net and was able to find my skate and go in,” Hartnell said. “I definitely didn’t kick it, so it was a big relief when (the referee) pointed to center ice.”

“The referee didn’t see it,” Gonchar said. “But he cross-checked me, so I punched him.”

“I thought we did a pretty good job carrying the play for most of the game,” Crosby said. “Unfortunately we couldnt execute, but that happens sometimes against a good team. Well just move on.”

“That’s pretty good, you know, to face the top two scorers in the league and keep them to the outside, keep them from shooting the puck,” Hartnell said.

“It’s the regular season; the playoffs are a different beast,” Biron said. “We were tight in the standings, so this was a big game.”