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

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)

Daaaamn Kobe! Who stepped on your face? Andre IIIIgg-gwwaaa-DALA-Dala-dala?

Andre Iguodala just out-Kobed Kobe Bryant, hitting the game winning 3-pointer as time ran out in the 4th quarter.

The 76ers pulled out a close win tonight, 94-93 against the Lakers to maintain the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.

After coming out old soda flat early in the game, the Sixers stuck around with the lethargic Lakers.  The line-up of Iggy, Miller, Reggie Evans, Lou Williams and Donyell Marshall closed out the game, and Marshall’s 3 for 3 3’s were key.  Scoring was pretty spread out, and DiLeo did a nice job of rotating in players in situations and got the most out of everyone.

Iguodala really showed me something in the final minute of the game.  With under a minute left, Lou Williams declined the check back to Andre Miller with a fresh shot clock on offense and he and took it to the rim only to get blocked by Gasol.  As the Sixers ran back to defend, Andre was visibility upset with Lou, clapping in his face.  Kobe then hit a long 2 in right in front of AI with six seconds remaining.  AI D’ed up tough, but Kobe will hit that clutch shot regardless, whether he had 9 points in the game prior to that or 59.

But for the last shot of the game, Iggy was able to get open to get the inbound pass, dribble twice, and knock down the game winning three pointer right in Trevor Ariza’s eye.

After the game, Iguodala said “coach told me to get to the lane, and I said NO.  I want to win this game right now” in his immediate post-game interview.  And he was right, who wants to go into overtime in LA?  The man stepped up, and proved once again why he is the core of the franchise.

I’m enjoying this late-night basketball and there is more in store, as this was the first game in a five game west coast road trip.

Forget WRs, Defense Wins Championships

Although the Eagles haven’t been as flashy in Free Agency as many would have liked, they have added two potential starters at positions of need.  Stacy Andrews will contribute if healthy somewhere along the yet-to-be-determined new-look offensive line.  Sean Jones will be hitting on special teams and will have a chance to compete for a starting Safety spot.  Even with these solid moves, it sure seems like a lot of work remains to be done.

With over $40 million in open cap space and 12 total draft picks in April (including two 1st rounders and metric ton of 5th round picks), the Eagles have more flexibility to improve their roster than any team in the NFL.  Maybe that’s why we are all so anxious to be a part of the action.

This team still has a lot of room for improvement, and the glare from the window of opportunity closing is blinding.  I for one think the time to take the Eagles to the next level is now, and some of the stereotypical Eagles front office conservatism should be thrown to the wind.

Click here to read all the Eagles Free Agency News, including interest in Leonard Weaver, Jason Peters and Julius Peppers

We're praying for you too, Donte'

This week’s SOB of the Week proves just how versatile the honor can be.  First, Jeffery Lurie was honored in anger and disgust when he allowed Dawkins to walk.  Then in a more jestful move, Terrell Owens was named the SOB of the Week for getting cut from the Dallas Cowboys not more than 12 months after signing a lucrative contract extension.  This week’s SOB of the Week honoree gets the nod solely based on a f*cked up, life-altering mistake.

Early on Saturday morning, former Eagle and current Cleveland Brown Donte’ Stallworth hit a Miami Beach pedestrian with his Bentley, resulting in the death of a 59-year old man.  This is clearly no laughing matter, and we send our heart-felt condolences out to the family of the victims, as well as Stallworth and his family.  We wouldn’t wish this on anyone.

It looks like Donte’ is going to face real charges in this case, vehicular manslaughter at the least, and prosecutes are still awaiting blood-test results which may lead to a DUI charge.  From the looks of things right now, it’s Stallworth will be charged with DUI manslaughter, and a source close to the investigation claim that Stallworth admitted to drinking at least four Patrons and two Margaritas that fateful night.  The illustrious Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com informs me that under Florida Statutes, DUI manslaughter is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

What makes Stallworth’s actions so SOB-worthy is the fact that Donte’ received a $4.75 million fully guaranteed roster bonus on the Friday 3/14, and this tragedy occurred Saturday 3/15 at 7:00am.  If you just got $4.75 million deposited into your checking account, do you get drunk that night?  Hell yea.  Do you pay for a designated driver?  Hell yea (Oops).

One of the biggest problems I see with professional football players, and why they seem to get in so much trouble recently, is their perceived sense of immortality.   From driving drunk, to sneaking guns in the club, to fighting with cops, these horrifically rich NFL players need to get it through their heads that they don’t need to handle these things for themselves.  Just hire a driver, security guard and lawyer, then sit back and throw some one’s on the ladies.

Maybe newly elected NFL Player’s Union head DeMaurice Smith’s first order of business can be establishing the Official NFL Limousine and Security Service.  I nominate hard-hitting, fast-moving former RB Jim Brown to head this new branch of the NFLPA.

Mikell will help continue Brian Dawkins legacy of aggressive and physical play to the Eagles Safety position in 2009

Dawkins leaving town has us all spinning.

But one way or another, life and Eagles football will go on.  Jim Johnson will still call his style of aggressive defense, or at least I pray he is able to.  The prospective 2009 Eagles secondary may be built more like the past than we think, and may have the potential to be an improved unit in the upcoming season.

Asante takes Lito’s place as the gambling, INT making #1 corner (which is an upgrade), and Sheldon is better than he has ever been as a #2.  They may be the best 1, 2 corner combo in the NFL.

Hanson has cemented his spot as the Eagles nickel corner this off-season, even if only due to the contract he was given.  Hanson has shown flashes of playing every bit as well as the #3 corners of the past few years like Roderick Hood, Dexter Wynn and William James.  Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor haven’t been with the Birds since 2003, but it seems like a whole lot longer.

At Free Safety, Dawkins has always been the enforcer, emotional leader, and last line of defense for the Eagles secondary.  He has been coupled with quite a few Strong Safeties to mixed results.  Michael Lewis was a physical SS who got exposed for his lack of coverage skills after his Pro Bowl season in 2004, then walked away in Free Agency and didn’t amount to much in San Fran.  The Considine experiment was a miserable failure, and then Mikell stepped up.

Click here to read why we think Mikell is ready to step up in the void left by B Dawk

This week’s SOB of the Week, Terrell Owens, proves yet again why he is the SOB of the millennium for good reason.

Although Jerry Jones like to think he’s in control, the consortium of Jason Garrett, Tony Romo and Jason Witten booted TO from Dallas.  The move cost the Cowboys close to $10 in dead money in ‘09, and makes Jerry Jones look like an ass for resigning TO to a big money extension last off-season.

I do think that TO has matured from his insecure, uncontrollable crying stage, but the uprising against him proves that he is still the same destructive, distracting team cancer that he always has been.

This doofy SOB looks like he's ready to fade into obscurity, but forgot that Randy Moss is going to make him look like an amateur twice this season

After imploding two good NFC teams and the Cowboys, Terrible Owens has set his sights on ruining an AFC locker room.  Frankly, the move doesn’t surprise me.  Owens got over $6 million guaranteed for next year with Buffalo; the closest thing to NFL Canada out there.

Good luck Trent Edwards.

What makes this all the more entertaining is TO’s upcoming VH1 reality show he signed up for earlier in 2009.  I’m still curious as to if this has already been filmed, but the 1/26/09 press release sure does foreshadow unrest:

Viewers will discover that behind all the braggadocio, emotional histrionics, and sculpted physique that is the outspoken media magnet known to the world as “T.O.” — there is also a quiet, sensitive, mild-mannered guy from Alexander City, Alabama…that’s Terrell.

What in the world is a “emotional histrionics”?  TO is one of the chosen few NFL players who could support a VH1 reality.  Next season we may see Mr. PacMan’s Neighborhood, Travis Henry and his Illegitimate Octupulets, Face Dancing with Albert Haynesworth, or The Osi Unemura Way of Love.

Congratulations goes out the Terrell Owens for being the SOB of the Week, but we have the feeling that this won’t be the last time we honor the SOB.

I had the whole case for signing McFadden outlined, and the post was scheduled for 7:30 tonight.  Of course, the good-for-nothing Cardinals had to ruin everything and sign McFadden to a 2-year, $10 contract at like 6:00 PM.

Not only does this impact the Eagles depth at corner, but also could undermine the sinister plot to trade for a #1 WR.  Trading Sheldon for Boldin doesn’t work if the Cardinals are now content with the CB depth.

Although frustratingly tardy, click here to check out the now outdated case to go after another quality CB like Bryant McFadden