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Showing posts from April, 2006
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Another Dull Summer?

After watching the Phillies score one unearned run against a guy with an ERA of well over five, I’m at a loss as to what to say about this team. In fact, as only the Flyers stand between Philadelphia and the abyss of another endlessly dull summer, I am wondering if we should just start the countdown to Eagles training camp right now. The 30,000 or so people who really care about the Flyers were at the game tonight. Sure, I hope they win, but I have a hard time getting excited about a game where it’s impossible to tell whether or not a guy scored after 10 replays. The goals that are clear seem like accidents more often than not. Besides all of that . . . wasn’t this team practically handed the Cup last summer? I hate to talk about “heart” in sports because it’s a completely overused term. I want to kick in my radio every time I hear the Flyers commercial with the no-doubt-aging South Philly chick screaming, “It’s all about heart, baby!” No, it’s not. It’s about talent, and the Phillies

NBA Playoff Predictions

It’s playoff time in the NBA, and even Sixers fans should be able to enjoy it. Here are my first round predictions: Detroit Miami New Jersey Clevelend San Antonio Dallas Phoenix Denver No real suprises, but, hey, it’s the NBA. Put Detroit, Miami, New Jersey, San Antonio, and Dallas in a series parlay . . . . not that I condone such things. You’ll have to put up more then you’ll win, but it should be easy winnings. Detroit beats San Antonio in the finals. Boxing bonus pick. In another rare chance to actually see a heavyweight championship bout, HBO subscribers at least won’t have to pay more to see Chris Byrd fight Wladimir Klitschko. Most are picking Klitschko, but the odds make Byrd the only worthwhile shot. I’ll take Byrd.

Time for Iverson to Go

Disappointed that the game meant nothing now that the Sixers were out of the playoff hunt, I went to last night’s game at the Wachovia Center because the tickets had been bought. As the day progressed, I was hearing more and more suggestions that it might be Allen Iverson’s last home game as a 76er, and the game became more than a night out. I had been at Doctor J’s last home game, and I thought it would be kind of cool to see (potentially) Iverson’s last Philly home game, too. Unfortunately, Iverson apparently had other plans. Iverson — and Chris Webber, if anyone cares — never showed his face to the Wachovia crowd last night. News reports later revealed that it had been determined at shoot-around that he would not play due to “injury.” Yet, he had played the game before, and while Iverson always has an assortment of injuries at this point in the year, he hadn’t sustained anything new. I had intended to write this week that despite the way Iverson can at times come off as a confused k

Bonds on Bonds Makes ESPN a Joke

In case there was any doubt as to whether or not ESPN is a serious news outlet for sports, the network continues to air and promote Bonds on Bonds. A reality series meant to chronicle Barry Bonds’ chase for the home run record, it celebrates a guy most consider to have had a fake career by using steroids to enhance his abilities. I haven’t seen more than a few moments of the series, and have no desire to see any more. I’ve seen more than enough of Bonds embarrassing himself with post-game comments in which he can’t figure out the fans’ ire toward him. The excuse from networks in these situations is generally that ratings are their bottom line. But ESPN often positions itself as some sort of authority on sports. To hand over regular air time to a guy like Bonds is a joke. It was just reported this week that Bonds might be the subject of federal prosecutors pursuing a perjury case stemming from his denials of steroid use during a federal grand jury appearance in 2003. Just in the last 2

Mickelson Shows What Golf is All About

Phil Mickelson won the Masters yesterday, and proved as golfers often do why they play a game — not a sport — reserved for the pampas elite. A quick highlight on NBC 10’s Sports Final showed Mickelson and his caddie screaming at a fan for taking a picture as he swung. “C’mon! This is the Masters!” I heard one of them yell. The problem is that fans who get why this makes him a jackass don’t care about golf, and those who will scoff at me are the pampas idiots who play golf and think they’re playing a sport. They’re the same guys who think Casey Martin — a guy with a disability who couldn’t walk long distances but could play golf very well — tried to ruin their game because he wanted to use a cart. They’re the same guys who really play golf because it’s elitist. They play in the clubs most can’t afford, and, whenever possible, others that don’t look like them are still kept out even if they can afford it. So, celebrate Mickelson if you must. He no doubt deserves the admiration of golfers

Remembering Charles Barkley

Charles Barkley was elected to the basketball Hall of Fame last week. It may have been the only clear-cut thing to happen in the career of the former Sixer. Barkley was a walking and certainly talking contradiction. He was too short to rebound the way he did, too big to run the break the way he did, and took too much punishment to last as long as he did. Then, of course, there were the post-game interviews. Barkley could contradict himself in the same sentence. A long answer from the power forward could leave you scratching your head for weeks. He was often funny, infuriating, enlightening, and able to offer insights . . . all in the same interview. He would rip Philly one week, only to proclaim himself a Sixer for life the next week despite having finished his career elsewhere. He could throw an obnoxious fan through a window, and still be swarmed by fans for all his warmth. He could try to spit on a fan throwing racist remarks at him, and reportedly shower gifts on the family o

Terrell Owens: The Never-Ending Story

Last Thursday, after seeing a prominent story in each local newspaper regarding (or at least discussing) Terrell Owens, curiosity began to get the best of me. I truly started to wonder just how long a story like this could last, and why. A search of “Terrell Owens” at philly.com revealed 28 stories in the previous 7 days on the ex-Eagle. Obviously, there's just not that much “news” on Owens. On some level, I understand why the T.O. story just won’t die — it grabs attention. But, on another level, I wonder why it keeps coming up. At times reporters will actually say, “This just won't die,” and then do some piece on a minor angle of the story. I often wondered why they don’t just stop covering a particular story. So, I took a shot. I e-mailed as many local reporters as I could get an e-mail address for from The Daily News, Inquirer, Comcast SportsNet, WIP 610 AM, and WPEN 950 AM. I even guessed at a few. I was genuinely curious what it’s like from their perspective to deal with