Hope the Eagles don't take much solace or confidence from that Redskins game, which was one of the most dreadful games I've seen an opponent play. Redskins were just pathetic. Eagles scored on an end around gimmick that the Redskins completely blew, including a safety who couldn't seem to shake a Maclin block that started at the 20. Props to Maclin for sticking with the play, but the safety completely pussied out. Then they got the pick 6 from Witherspoon. Again, good play by him, but more pathetic by Skins. Then they get a long FG after a fumble recovery, but don't get a first down.
Up 14-0, Witherspoon sax Campbell and Mikell recovers at the Skins' 36. Eagles go 3 and out and cash in the gift FG. 17-0.
On the ensuing kickoff, they give up a long return, Cole jumps offsides on a 3rd and 3 midway thru the drive, and redskins manage to punch it in. 17-7 Eagles.
Eagles go 3 and out, then Randle El muffs punt and Eagles recover at Skins 25. They go 3 and out, losing a yard over 3 downs, and get a gift FG. 20-7.
Eagles hold skins to 3 and out on ensuing posession. Cole redeems his penalty by getting a third down sack. Eagles lose 7 yards on first two plays, then Jackson gets his TD catch, which is a ridiculously blown coverage. 27-7.
Skins get the ball at their 32 with 1:10 remaining. They overcome a holding penalty and march 40 yards to get a half-ending FG. 27-10.
First 4 possessions of the second half, Eagles earn 8 yards, 40 yards (15 by penalty), 0 yards and 28 yards. Rocca punts 46, 23, 25, and 49 yards, respectively, which ain't exactly what I would call consistent.
Fifth possession, Redskins drive down the field, beating Hanson, Jones and Mikell on consecutive plays for 53 total yards, inside the 10. Then the Redskins again implode and fumble pathetically.
Eagles takeover deep in its own territory, and after 2 holding calls in the series vs Herremans, Rocca delivers a 36 yard punt that doesn't clear midfield. Redskins take about 2 minutes to cash in after the 2 munute warning for final score of 27-17.
So while the Redskins were never in the game, Eagles really didn't do much on offense other than some broken plays. Maybe that still counts, at least when your opponent is the pathetic Redskins.
My impressions:
1) I think the wildcat, so far, has been bullshit. The last thing Andy needs is yet more menu options. I've said it before and I will say it again. Andy's greatest distinction is his distinct possibility of being the first NFL's on-field fatality if he doesn't drop about 150 pounds soon,
2) As bad as Skins played, Eagles offense did little except for broken plays. As explosive as Jackson and Macklin are, and as solid as Celek seems, the loss of Curtis is a big deal (esp with Baskett gone) and Eagles sorely need a more veteran presence. They should have gone after Bolquin. He would have made a much bigger impact than Hobbs, Trotter, Sean Jones or Jed Weaver.
3) Having said that, Witherspoon looked real good in his first action. How happy must he be, coming from the awful Rams? Good pickup. Can't blame Reid for injuries, but after losing Dawkins, Bradley and Gaither, it doesn't give me much confidence that Mikell now makes the defensive calls, even tho I think Mikell could be a good one.
4) Cole (DE) is unbelievably strong, tho he made a costly offsides. Was impressed to see Howard, Parker, Bunkley, and Patterson, as well as Cole, chasing downfield.
5) Not a fan of Macho Harris so far.
6) Where the hell were Jason Avant and Reggie Brown last night?
As to the Flyers, tonight. Why was Asham put back on the 4th line after scoring a bunch of goals. Briere still can't receive a pass cleanly on the breakout -- might as well just ice it and see if he can touch it up first. But he's useless in center ice.
Tho Carle currently somehow leads Flyers in scoring, he looked shaky tonight even if he is playing with more confidence. Flyers are going to wear out Pronger and Timonen the way things are going and can see them looking for another option.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Early World Series Thoughts
1) If you recall your early betting line on the phils (pre NLDS), I think the phils were 4.25 to 1 to get past both the Dodgers and whoever they faced in the Series. Hard to believe that only fell to 2.5 to 1 post-NLCS.
2) During regular season, Phils won series 2-1, beating Burnette, losing to "Petite" and beating Sabathia. Starters were Myers, Hamels and Happ. Lidge blew save against Petite and got loss, then blew save vs Sabathia, but Phils came back and won.
3) Madson and Durbin handled Yanks well. Lidge obviously didn't. Condrey also did yeoman work to pick up the win in the extra inning rubber match after Lidge's blown save.
4) All three phils starters gave them quality starts, incl Hamels, who would have won the game if Lidge saves. Now in the series, it seems likely that only Hamels sees a start, and he's the current weakest link. Could they possibly trot out Myers or even Happ to start again at this point?
4a) The Yanks hitters that most scare me vs Phils are Texeira and Cabrera. A-rod and Jeter appear so dialed in that I can only hope they fade.
5) Ruiz, Ibanez, and Victorino all made important offensive contributions in the reg season vs skanks. Ben Francisco ate them alive while at Cleveland, while Cliff Lee shut them down in the home opener of their new stadium.
6) While Skanks starting pitching has been impeccable in playoffs, I don't know if I'd be feeling that comfortable heading into the series. Phils owned Burnette this year, while it seems they never have that much success vs Petite even tho they should have beat him this year. But they also seem to be able to get to Sabathia, both this year with the Yankees (even tho it was relatively early in the season and he's been pitching much better), and last year in the playoffs vs Milwaukee. And if the Yanks starters falter, I think the Phils can do some damage against the Yanks bullpen, except Rivera of course, but hopefully the Skanks wear him out at home trying to hold serve in the first couple of games.
7) I think if Lee wins game one, Hamels gets game 2 -- just like against the Dodgers (you don't think Cholly's superstitious?). If Lee loses, I could see Pedro instead in game 2 and Hamels in game 3, back in Philly where he seems to do better.
8) Phils got a big 3 run HR by Mayberry to help them win one of the games during the regular season. Mayberry's def not on the series roster.
9) With DH, Ibanez will hit but Francisco will field. So how do you set up the lineup? I don't think Cholly messes with Rollins-Victorino at the top, and Utley-Howawrd-Werth-Ibanez, seem to be locked. So, if that's the case, you gotta bat Francisco 7th, 8th or 9th, which means ending the order with 3 righties, and possibly demoting Ruiz to 9th despite his hot hitting ways.
My radical idea. Leave Rollins-Victorino alone. Bat Francisco third. Howard 4th. Werth 5th. Utley 6th. Ibanez 7th. Feliz 8th. Ruiz 9th.
Rationale: While Rollins and Victorino rarely seem to get going at the same time, it's hard to shut both of them down, and they are a pain in the ass once they get on base. Francisco has both speed and pop, so he's a good candidate to bat in front of Howard to lessen the benefits of bringing in a lefty to face Utley, Howard and Ibanez in succession. Francisco doesn't hit for average or produce runs like Utley, but I think Utley's hurt -- when everyone else is hitting and he's not, something's up. So push Francisco up. Then Werth splits Howard and Ibanez, and you drop Utley to 7th, where his many recent k's don't hurt so much, but his team leading OBP might help set up Feliz and Ruiz. Plus you take a little pressure off him in case he really is hurt.
2) During regular season, Phils won series 2-1, beating Burnette, losing to "Petite" and beating Sabathia. Starters were Myers, Hamels and Happ. Lidge blew save against Petite and got loss, then blew save vs Sabathia, but Phils came back and won.
3) Madson and Durbin handled Yanks well. Lidge obviously didn't. Condrey also did yeoman work to pick up the win in the extra inning rubber match after Lidge's blown save.
4) All three phils starters gave them quality starts, incl Hamels, who would have won the game if Lidge saves. Now in the series, it seems likely that only Hamels sees a start, and he's the current weakest link. Could they possibly trot out Myers or even Happ to start again at this point?
4a) The Yanks hitters that most scare me vs Phils are Texeira and Cabrera. A-rod and Jeter appear so dialed in that I can only hope they fade.
5) Ruiz, Ibanez, and Victorino all made important offensive contributions in the reg season vs skanks. Ben Francisco ate them alive while at Cleveland, while Cliff Lee shut them down in the home opener of their new stadium.
6) While Skanks starting pitching has been impeccable in playoffs, I don't know if I'd be feeling that comfortable heading into the series. Phils owned Burnette this year, while it seems they never have that much success vs Petite even tho they should have beat him this year. But they also seem to be able to get to Sabathia, both this year with the Yankees (even tho it was relatively early in the season and he's been pitching much better), and last year in the playoffs vs Milwaukee. And if the Yanks starters falter, I think the Phils can do some damage against the Yanks bullpen, except Rivera of course, but hopefully the Skanks wear him out at home trying to hold serve in the first couple of games.
7) I think if Lee wins game one, Hamels gets game 2 -- just like against the Dodgers (you don't think Cholly's superstitious?). If Lee loses, I could see Pedro instead in game 2 and Hamels in game 3, back in Philly where he seems to do better.
8) Phils got a big 3 run HR by Mayberry to help them win one of the games during the regular season. Mayberry's def not on the series roster.
9) With DH, Ibanez will hit but Francisco will field. So how do you set up the lineup? I don't think Cholly messes with Rollins-Victorino at the top, and Utley-Howawrd-Werth-Ibanez, seem to be locked. So, if that's the case, you gotta bat Francisco 7th, 8th or 9th, which means ending the order with 3 righties, and possibly demoting Ruiz to 9th despite his hot hitting ways.
My radical idea. Leave Rollins-Victorino alone. Bat Francisco third. Howard 4th. Werth 5th. Utley 6th. Ibanez 7th. Feliz 8th. Ruiz 9th.
Rationale: While Rollins and Victorino rarely seem to get going at the same time, it's hard to shut both of them down, and they are a pain in the ass once they get on base. Francisco has both speed and pop, so he's a good candidate to bat in front of Howard to lessen the benefits of bringing in a lefty to face Utley, Howard and Ibanez in succession. Francisco doesn't hit for average or produce runs like Utley, but I think Utley's hurt -- when everyone else is hitting and he's not, something's up. So push Francisco up. Then Werth splits Howard and Ibanez, and you drop Utley to 7th, where his many recent k's don't hurt so much, but his team leading OBP might help set up Feliz and Ruiz. Plus you take a little pressure off him in case he really is hurt.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
gagne clears throat; richards cleans clocks, channels stevens
Gagne finally chipped in a goal, but the big news is Richard's hit on Booth. Afterwards, Richards stated that he wasn't trying to hurt/injure Booth but merely separate him from the puck.
Why not state the truth? You are trying to intimidate. You are trying to wear down your opponents. Knocking them out or silly is well within the lines of what's acceptable and what isn't. What isn't is what is considered a severe injury: paralysis, broken bones. However it is time to include concussions into that grade.
Why not state the truth? You are trying to intimidate. You are trying to wear down your opponents. Knocking them out or silly is well within the lines of what's acceptable and what isn't. What isn't is what is considered a severe injury: paralysis, broken bones. However it is time to include concussions into that grade.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Gags is gagging
7 games into the season and here who has more goals than Gagne to date:
Powe, Carle, Timonen, Asham, Pronger and LaPierre. That's 3 defensemen and 3 career fourth liners.
Gagne is now the most overpaid Flyer, knocking Briere off his lofty perch. Briere's at least scoring, but he's still an awful checker, plays soft, and takes insanity-inducing penalties in the offensive zone.
The last game I watched, I honestly don't remember even hearing Gagne's name.
Powe, Carle, Timonen, Asham, Pronger and LaPierre. That's 3 defensemen and 3 career fourth liners.
Gagne is now the most overpaid Flyer, knocking Briere off his lofty perch. Briere's at least scoring, but he's still an awful checker, plays soft, and takes insanity-inducing penalties in the offensive zone.
The last game I watched, I honestly don't remember even hearing Gagne's name.
Perspectives
How to fix baseball.
1) Limit pickoff throws to first. Three in any AB gets that batter a free ball in his count.
2) Limit meetings at the mound, by both coaches and players, per inning. 1 visit by coaches (except for changes), 3 by catcher.
3) Give teams 6 timeouts per game. Timeouts can be used as a normal timeout, just to stop the game, for a meeting on the mound (if free ones are exhausted), or to challenge an ump call.
4) Fair/foul balls, plays at the bases, catches/non-catches all reviewable, instantly from the booth, which calls down to the home plate ump and delivers the review. I would also favor using timeouts to challenge balls/strikes decided instantly by whatever the Pitchtrax shows.
5) Extend foul poles another 100 feet higher.
6) Toss Selig into Milwaukee River.
I HAVE SPOKEN.
1) Limit pickoff throws to first. Three in any AB gets that batter a free ball in his count.
2) Limit meetings at the mound, by both coaches and players, per inning. 1 visit by coaches (except for changes), 3 by catcher.
3) Give teams 6 timeouts per game. Timeouts can be used as a normal timeout, just to stop the game, for a meeting on the mound (if free ones are exhausted), or to challenge an ump call.
4) Fair/foul balls, plays at the bases, catches/non-catches all reviewable, instantly from the booth, which calls down to the home plate ump and delivers the review. I would also favor using timeouts to challenge balls/strikes decided instantly by whatever the Pitchtrax shows.
5) Extend foul poles another 100 feet higher.
6) Toss Selig into Milwaukee River.
I HAVE SPOKEN.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Phillies back into playoffs, Flyers start with a shutout.
It was a loss by the Braves and now a loss by the Cardinals who actually look more worn out than the phils, that has set the plate for the playoffs. The Cardinals are 14-15 since Sept. 1. In comparison, the Phillies are 16-15.
Phillies will open at home, against the Cards.
Flyers opened up last night in an uptempo opener vs. Carolina. Pronger looks like he will be a big help and the defense seems a lot less squirrely in their own end. I think Ward outplayed Emery, yet Emery was very sound in his positioning and one thing I won't miss about Biron was the way he handled the puck. Emery is much better at that.
The team seemed a little flat and had some trouble capitalizing on their chances. They also continued their penalty fest and almost lost the shutout because of it. Carcillo showed a little flash of potential, but tended to revert to his old pattern of taking penalties.
The 4th line is a concern, and I would've preferred to see a cagey vet who knows how to step it up in the post season. Good goalies and a sound defense get you to the cup, but a good fourth line is what wins it.
Phillies will open at home, against the Cards.
Flyers opened up last night in an uptempo opener vs. Carolina. Pronger looks like he will be a big help and the defense seems a lot less squirrely in their own end. I think Ward outplayed Emery, yet Emery was very sound in his positioning and one thing I won't miss about Biron was the way he handled the puck. Emery is much better at that.
The team seemed a little flat and had some trouble capitalizing on their chances. They also continued their penalty fest and almost lost the shutout because of it. Carcillo showed a little flash of potential, but tended to revert to his old pattern of taking penalties.
The 4th line is a concern, and I would've preferred to see a cagey vet who knows how to step it up in the post season. Good goalies and a sound defense get you to the cup, but a good fourth line is what wins it.
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