No Offense, No Problem?

For the second game in a row to start off a young season, the Phillies came up with only one run. This time, it was in 11 innings instead of only 9, and it left a lot of questions out there on the table.

"So... you're telling me its NOT GOOD to hit the ball right to the SS with a guy on first?"

This game, like the season opener in Pittsburgh on Thursday, showed how dominant and talented these Phillies’ pitchers truly are. The other side of the coin is that, it also showed how inept our offense could truly be.  Despite being able to put up 7 hits, they were mostly scattered and gave the pitching staff little to no room for error. Even Kendrick pitched effectively enough out of the bullpen to hold the game close for the Fightins, but no cavalry was coming in to save this team in Pittsburgh. Even though 7 is not an low number of hits and 8 was not a bad number on Thursday, can anyone tell us how many extra base hits have come from that 15?

Answer: 1 double by John Mayberry.

That is roughly 6.7% of our hits for you math enthusiasts out there.

If that isn’t scary enough, the clutch hitting also is proving to be a bit of a problem in the early going. There was a failure to drive in runs on Thursday (See Galvis double play above), and even tonight some opportunities were squandered.  Just look at the first inning in which we had two guys on, one out, and only managed to come away with one run. When you have Clifton on the mound, and a chance to crush the throat of the opponent early, you have to take the opportunity. Also, in the ninth inning when our leadoff runner, Hunter Pence, reached base, we were unable to use our “newly acquired” sense of small ball to get the runner into scoring position. Nix may not be the best bunter in the league, but MLB players have to be able to bunt when called upon. If Nix is that awful at bunting, Charlie should have brought in Cole “The Lumber” Hamels to get the sac bunt down and give us a chance to win in the 9^th.

A couple final statistical tidbits to throw out there at you:

Phillies are currently 2-15 with RISP so far this season (.133)

Freddy Galvis is 0-8 in the first two games of the season.

Galvis grounded into 2 double plays in his first two career plate appearances. He is the first player to do that since 1990, and the only Phillies player ever.

Pence is 1-8 to start off the season (.125)

What does all this mean?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

The first two games are meaningless in the grand scheme of things to come. The Phillies are starting out slow like many perennial major league teams seem to do (See: Yankees and Red Sox). The pitching looks spectacular as we all thought it would, and the offense is looking a little rusty like we all assumed that it may. Lets not turn the slow start into an Armageddon however. Pence started 2-8 in his first two games last year and we all remember how he finished last year (.317 22 HRs). Also, Galvis is just a kid who has to learn how to hit in the majors, and that isn't just going to happen overnight. It is going to take time for him to round into a solid MLB hitter. 

All those who may be panicking, relax, take a step back, and realize it is the second game of a long MLB season. 

When all else fails, remember: It could be worse, we could be obnoxious fans from DC or New York. 

Have a good night, sleep well, see you back out on the diamond tomorrow. Go Phils.

To the Playoffs... AND BEYOND!

That time of the year in the NHL is approaching fast. The time of year is approaching when even the most casual hockey fan gets excited for a month of intensity. And to get ready for this month of intensity and excitement, the Flyers decided to start practicing the one thing that wins series and wins the Stanley Cup: Defense.

"Follow me to the playoffs... AND BEYOND!"

As all of the complaints about Ilya Bryzgalov have come and gone, and all the critics have scrutinized one easy goal after another, there has always been one caveat to all of the complaints. That one caveat is the fact that the defense in front of either goaltender this year has not really been that amazing. We have a lot of talent at the position, but hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. And through most of this season, even though we have a lot of talent, it looked like we were getting outworked defensively. Whether we weren’t winning battles along the boards, blocking enough shots, or clearing away the garbage in front of the net, it just appeared as if our defense was slacking. As a result of this, it didn’t matter who was in net, there were going to be a lot of goals given up and a lot more offense needed to win games. We have the offense needed to win, but in the playoffs, teams are too good and goalies are too sharp to just try and win on offense alone.

Fast forward to February 28 versus the San Jose Sharks and you will see the beginning of the transformation that Peter Laviolette is trying to instill in this team. Since then, the defense as a whole has only given up three or more goals twice: a 4-1 loss to the Devils (Bobrovsky) and a 6-3 win versus the NY Islanders. Since that time, not only has the goaltending play gotten better, but the defensive intensity has gotten better too. It is easy to sit here and say that Bryzgalov is playing like the best goalie in the NHL right now (Even though he is), but the better answer may be that the defense as a whole is playing better. Laviolette has told these guys that it is time to get in playoff mode and practice the one thing that is proven to bring team championships: defense.

Now this isn’t letting Bryz off the hook just yet, because to be perfectly honest, he has let in a lot of easy goals throughout the year, but as the defense got better and his play started to improve, his confidence has gotten much better. The goalie position is as much mental as it is physical like any kicker in the NFL and if one is off, the other will be affected too. So for someone who is a philosophizer of sorts, the mental game is more important than his physical attributes. But a little bit better defense went a long way in fixing his game overall.

Another aspect going our way as of late has been health. Although we have had to battle through health problems much of the season (Pronger, Giroux, Timmonen…etc), we have battled through it and now are getting healthy at the right time. Angrej Meszaros is back from his injury, getting back in the groove and our new additions: Nicklas Grossman and Pavel Kubina, have added some much needed defensive depth that was lost with the Pronger concussion. Our forwards, especially Jagr, have had a couple of nagging injuries throughout the year, but all of them seem to be getting better at the right time as well, really hitting the peak of their performance.

Put all of these together with the youth and excitement some of our rookies are bringing to the games this year, and it is easy to see why we have a lot of steam going into the postseason race. Matt Read is easily one of the best rookies in the NHL this year who is 4^th among NHL rookies with 43 points (Second in Eastern conference to only Adam Henrique) and 2^nd among NHL rookies in goals scored with 21 (First in Eastern Conference).  Put him along with the speedy newcomer Wellwood, and our young Center Sean Couturier (25 pts, 12 G, 13 A) and we have some young ambitious legs on the ice all the time.

If all the rookies have a sophomore slump next year, we might be in trouble

 Let’s hope that with all of these things put together that this year is as exciting as and more prosperous than it was versus the Blackhawks just a couple of years ago. Maybe, just maybe, we can even end the drought that has been plaguing the city of Brotherly Love since 1975 and bring in Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Quick Hit: Demeco Ryans! (Cap)

The Eagles did what everyone said they needed to do - the Eagles landed the veteran linebacker that they needed to stabilize a defense that (frankly) needed help.

They have traded the Houston Texans  a 4th-round pick in this year's draft and swapped 3rd-round picks for Pro Bowl Lineback Demeco Ryans.

God Bless America... and Demeco Ryans

For many reasons, the twins are jacked about this move, and we'll tell you why.

The man has all the tangibles, stats, and accolades that you'd want in your starting linebacker.

      - Six-year veteran from the University of Alabama (Second round pick)

      - 2006 Defensive Rookie of the Year

      - Two-time Pro-Bowl linebacker

      - All-time leading tackler in Houston Texans' history (636 tackles, 479 solo)

      - Durability (missed a total 10 games in his six-year career from one achilles' injury in 2010)

      - 6'1" 247 pounds!

Now, take all of that and throw it out the window. Let's talk about what really matters - his intangibles.

We can sit here all night and rattle off stats to make a man sound impressive on the football field, but what this defense really needed (and what it got) was a leader. This man is widely known in the locker room as 'Cap' to show the respect that he deserves as a leader on and off the field for the Houston Texans. He was a defensive captain and was very influential for the Texans. He helped lead a team to its first Division Championship in 2011, and a defense to a second overall ranking (4th in scoring defense).

You can say what you want about last year's defense, but it was not short on talent. What it was really short on was leadership and a guy to pull them all together.

This defense has been looking for a guy to take the reigns like the incomparable Brian Dawkins ever since his departure. Now, we're not suggesting he's the second-coming of B-Dawk, but for all of our sakes, let's hope that he is (or at least a guy that will do the trick).

Andy and the boys made a great move today. Well done.

Last Laugh for Personal Friend-of-the-Blog Andy Reid? Let's hope so... 

Demeco, welcome. Get ready for a Super Bowl run. 

P.S. For those of you twitter people - Here's the newest person you should be following... @DRyans59

TebowMania?

The rumors have spread; all the idiots have given their own opinion, and now its time for these idiots to give an opinion as well.

Just thought of a positive: Looks AMAZING with his shirt off.

As some of you may have heard this guy… Peyton Namming… or something like that, signed with the Denver Broncos today. While normally that would be the most important news in the world of sports, it has already been forgotten, put aside, and made way for Tim Tebow. Since that time, rumors have been flying and teams have been named as Tebow’s next destination.

The one name that keeps coming up as a “makes perfect sense, but will never happen” scenario is the Philadelphia Eagles. Andy Reid and Marty Mornhinweg are obsessed with quarterbacks, and they have proven themselves to be somewhat of gurus when it comes to developing quarterbacks. Obviously, just with this first point being made, the debate starts. The real question is: Yay or Nay?

Why we should trade for Tim Tebow.

The reasons we should trade for Tebow actually make a ton of sense. The first thing is that getting him is not going to cost very much. Elway cannot keep him in house, because if Peyton struggles even one week, the high altitude is going to cloud some fans into believing that in some universe Tim Tebow should start over Peyton Manning. With this in mind, most people are not really sure about him anyway and that may mean a 4^th round pick could get him. The second reason we would want him is that he would definitely be an upgrade at backup quarterback. Right now our second and third options are Trent Green (Old and washed up) and Mike Kafka (Great looking, but not necessarily a winner). Tebow can be a winner as a backup and won’t turn the ball over which is pivotal at that positon. This is one of the most important positions on the football field when your Starting Arm is injury prone and has a hard time finishing seasons. Finally, the last one is a bit far fetched but still a possibility. If Tebow can learn for an entire year under Big Red, he could potentially take the reins in a year or two from Vick. He would have to improve in a big way, but people had just as many doubts as Michael Vick coming out of prison and look where he is now. If he sits behind Vick for a year or two, learns all he can from the quarterback gurus, and works hard (like we all know he will), he could go from freak sideshow to solid NFL quarterback.

Now to the Negatives

All right, there are a ton of positives to having Tebow on the Eagles, but there are always two sides to every coin. The other side of this is very simple: Tebow Mania is painful to deal with. All that the Philadelphia area had to hear was Tim Tebow would be a good fit and Philly blew up. Tebow mania has sparked on television, local sports talk radio, and even blogs like this one. Can you imagine if he actually came here? One interception by Vick and the brainless, idiotic fans that don’t know the sports of football would force Howie Roseman into the same stranglehold that John Elway was forced into. That was John Elway too, who is a superstar, role model in Denver, which is far from what Howie Roseman is here. Another problem that exists here is exactly opposite of what was stated in our “pros” section. This is still putting a lot of faith in the quarterback that Tebow COULD become. What if we give up this fourth round pick, bring him in, and he does nothing besides sit on the bench for two years? It would be the waste of a pick and a waste of time for the Eagles. There are still so many questions about his accuracy and QB IQ that it would really be a lot of work, even for our two gurus.

Final Verdict: Even though he may have divine intervention (and that may very well be the only thing that ever brings Philadelphia a Super Bowl), he is just too much of a headache to deal with. Tebowmania sweeps a team and becomes an infectious disease. It would infect a locker room that already has leadership and ego issues. He may turn out to be a great quarterback one day, but for now, let Tebow go somewhere with an awful fan base that needs jersey sales. Philadelphia will be better off without him.

Would you do it?

A Note from Ruben...

Dear Philadelphia,

It is I, your once beloved, and often talked about, General Manager Ruben Amaro Junior. I have been with all of you for a while now, from highly touted prospect to major league stud to assistant GM and protégé of the Legend Pat Gillick. And here we are now. Where are we now you may ask? That’s a good question.

Up until about 2 weeks ago, I thought I was the toast of the city. I am the man who brought you almost everything that you people could have ever wanted.

You wanted the surgeon from Canada, and I brought you the man they call “Doc”.

You wanted the fun loving Cleveland kid with an attitude of gold, and I gave you Clifton Phifer.

“Oh no! We need more offense!” Boom, I give you the kid who loves post game eats, Hunter Pence.

The gap between Jimmy and I was not only between his teeth, but also between money and years of a contract. Yet, I closed the gap not only between his teeth (Liquid concrete did the trick), but also got the deal done.

Fast forward about 6 months, and we have our current state. You all look at me like some high school boy who wouldn’t know the difference between a 5 year, $40 million deal, and one of those damn Algebra problems about which train is going to get to some fictional stop before the other one does.

Well, I have some news for you. Not only do I know how to make the big deal, but I know how to answer that idiotic Algebra problem too. The answer: I don’t give a shit which train gets their first, because they are both going to Philadelphia and they both have some high price talent that I bring in while staying under the luxury tax.

You can all be mad at me as much as you want, but quite frankly, I don’t care. All I have done is what you ask and now, I can’t foresee lingering injuries to our major stars, and I am a pariah? I know I should be Ms. Cleo, but because I refuse to wear that awful psychic wrap on my head, I can’t see into the future. I mean with this hair would you wear anything on your head?

I put together an amazing bench behind our cast of talent that included some major power and some good matchup type hitters. Also, I brought in some good competition, which Charlie and I always believe drives performance. Injuries are one of those things that no one can predict, and even if I could, I have no more minor league pieces to trade. If you want to know why, see above. Also, because Big Bill Giles is riding me to make sure I don’t go over the luxury tax, I couldn’t sign anybody worthwhile in free agency anyway.

All I have to say to all of you Philadelphia is take a pill or start watching the Sixers, the bar is set much lower there. I have done all I can to help improve this club and it is just Spring Training, we haven’t even given this team a chance yet. We still have 3 starting pitchers who are capable of compiling 60+ wins, and then add in the solid 15 wins Joe Blanton is going to get us, and we are already right there (I know what you are thinking and yes, I am kidding about the Blanton total, I actually expect 20 wins from him also). The offense may not be the dynamo it has been in the past, but if Jimmy and Shane stay healthy, there is no reason we can’t produce enough runs to get the wins we need. And don’t forget, I am the magic man at the trade deadline so it is completely possible I can add one more piece at the end depending on what we need.

Before you start throwing beer on my car and calling for my head, remember I still have done more than any other GM has done for this team in years (unless you count Ed Wade as a member of the Astros). Be a fan, don’t be a critic, and trust in the lineup that we have. In time, all wounds will heal and if we can stay competitive until everyone comes back, we will be fine for the playoffs. We have a target on our back for a reason, we are still number ones in everyone’s’ minds.

If you don’t like what I am saying, go to CBP South and stay there.

Love always,

Ruben Amaro Jr.

Sixers Train on Track...Not at Destination

After watching the Sixers lose to the Knicks last night 85-79 at that hole in the wall known as Madison Square Garden, we learned a couple things about this young up and coming team. We learned that Spencer Hawes may be a bigger part of this team than previously thought, we learned that this team, as good as they have been, is still going to have to get used to playing in the spotlight, and we learned a good hard lesson that this is a league of Superstars and unless you have one, you may be out of luck.

You look up to a higher power, but we in Philadelphia look up to only one man... #00

The first one may have been the most obvious here, but the offense looked pretty disappointing without Spencer on the floor. The constant movement, pick and rolls and fluency of the offense just seemed to become null and void. I know you wouldn’t normally associate movement and fluency with the 7 ft Spencer Hawes, but he actually makes a big difference. His skill set allows him to set numerous screens, roll to the basket, or pop out for the open jump shot. He also makes a big difference on the boards. A couple more rebounds here and there, a couple more second chance point opportunities and possibly 6 or 8 more points that could have been possible. It also threw off our substitution rotation that had been working so well. Without Spencer, Battie had more minutes than he was used to, Vucevic was relied on too heavily, and we were forced to go to a lot of smaller lineups because we were tired. Hawes could have made a big difference.

The new 76ers may not be ready for the spotlight quite yet, but talk about a team that took advantage. (We really just needed Matt Geiger in a picture on the blog)

The second truth that we learned was that this was the biggest game of our early season, and we weren’t ready to show up. We looked nervous early and often which lead to a big first half deficit that we had to work too hard to pull ourselves out of. Even small things like our free throws were off last night. Usually, we hit FTs at a 72.4% clip, but last night we only hit 66.7%. We know that could be a lot of things including just a bad night or the wrong guys getting fouled, but it still bears repeating. We also did not have a field goal for almost the last half of the first quarter and Nikola Vucevic, a kid who has looked great in the early season, scored 0 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Vucevic has played so well for him to not score one bucket shows a lack of the offense and a lack of confidence in the big lights. These little things, to us, were a sign of nervousness in a young team who is still getting used to receiving some attention.

Now, before we start our rant on this last topic, we need to admit some things. Carmelo Anthony had a very good game. He took over in the second half, and after his jawing with Iguodala, was motivated and hit some big time shots with defense in his face. The other point we would like to admit is that we are not saying the Sixers cannot win without a superstar. We believe the team atmosphere can work and will work over time with this young team that is molding together. The only thing that will become evident is that it helps to have a superstar on your team.

They get the calls.

We have been civil and admitted some truths, and now it is time for the rant.

One of the major reasons that this team did not win last night was that the NBA is a league of Superstars, and Superstars get all the calls. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire will be playing the role of our “superstars” in this rant. The superstars constantly got the 50/50 calls and that gave the Knicks the advantage they needed. Even on the technical foul, where Carmelo Anthony was acting like a baby because he did not get his normal foul call under the basket, he got bailed out by the official calling a DOUBLE TECHNICAL. WHAT DID ANDRE IGUODALA DO TO DESERVE A TECHNICAL? The last time we checked, you had every right to take a ball from the out of bounds position to check it in. However, the referees felt inclined to call a double technical because poor little Carmelo Anthony at his home in MSG couldn’t dare have acted alone. HE WAS PROVOKED. We also missed the new rule where you are allowed to be falling out of bounds and still call a timeout. Doug Collins and our new favorite color analyst, Malik Rose, were livid about this and for good reason.  The refs bailed out the Knicks (yet again) late in the game when they needed another possession. Oh and has anyone ever heard of a clear path foul? Oh, you have? WELL IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED LAST NIGHT. As Malik said, “They must have a different camera angle than we have.” The call was so obvious and the refls blew it. I mean, we probably would have missed one of the foul shots anyway, but you never know. Amare… well we actually like Amare Stoudemire and his wonderful frames, but on numerous occasions it was blatantly obvious that when he goes to the rack and gets bumped is much different than when Brand goes to the rim and gets pumped, or Vucevic, or Battie, it’s just different.  It is a league of superstars and of course they are going to get the extra calls, but when it happens to your team, it puts salt in the wounds. That is why we say that without a true superstar on the floor, the court will always be tilted in favor of the superstar.

Our new favorite thing. Thaddeus is the Janitor or as Malik's Niece pointed out... "Custodian"

Now a couple of good things to leave on.

1.     If it wasn’t for the surprise of the evening, Josh Harrellson, and his completely out of the ordinary 13 points, the Knicks wouldn’t have won. He has blown up on three occasions this season, but most of the games, his point total has ranged between 0-3 points.

2.     Lou Williams had an off night. Now this isn’t a good thing, but when was the last time our beloved LOUUUUU only dropped two points? Expect better from him in future match ups.

3.     No matter how much we scored, we still held the Knicks to 85 points. That is amazing. For a team of SUPERSTARS who average 95 points per game, consider that a big win for the team, regardless of it being a win or loss.

No matter what, in our eyes, relevancy in Sixers’ basketball is back, and it is exciting.

WHAT THE HELL?!?

Incase you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance, you haven't... the Sixers have managed to win a game or two. 

                                         Well Harry we disagree, people are starting to listen.

Let us rephrase... the Sixers are now 7-2 on the season (assuming we hang on in this nail biter versus the Kings tonight) and in first place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. 

To be clear: this could be the first time since the early 2000s that we could actually be a relevant team in the NBA and some people in "the media" are even beginning to notice the Sixers. We may still be a couple steps behind the Heat and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference (Debatable) but we are looking like we could be right up there with some of the best talents in the Association. John Hollinger has even marked the Sixers as #1 in his latest power rankings... Yeah, we said right #1. If you read SI.com, Doug Collins' boys  are #4 in the entire league. Let's average the two different rankings... we become 2.5 in the NBA... WOW. In the past 5 or 6 years, actually, ever since we lost the 'Iverson Era' if we were in the top 15 teams in the NBA, we were ecstatic. The PTI guys even mentioned us on "The Big Finish". They were gracious enough to give the Sixers 15 seconds so that Wilbon could tell Cornheiser and Realli that he called at the beginning of the year this team would win the Atlantic Division. The team has done so many things right up to this point in the season and in the recent past that it is paying dividends in a big way on the court.

                                 The first thing that this team did right was hire Doug Collins. 

They should make him wear these shorts after every loss. Talk about motivation.

This is obvious, but this guy brings so much passion and excitement to the team. He has the young guys buying into his system. That system includes constant defense (As poor Marreese Speights learned) and a team first offensive approach in which our leading scorer is a sixth man and our team MVP is a bench player. A team in which every player has the availability to drop double digits on any given night. This is the team that Ed Snider envisioned a couple years ago when he started cleaning house and bringing in the best coach in the game: Doug Collins. Thanks to his leadership, the 76ers are right where they are supposed to be.

Another characteristic that has helped this team is the development of its young talent. With all of the high draft picks we had over numerous years, you had to assume that at some point, some of it was going to come around. The only thing the GMs didn't anticipate was it all coming together at the exact same time. Jrue Holiday is starting to become one hell of a young PG in the league. He knows how to dish it, and the more shots he takes, the more confidence he is gaining as they start to fall. He has been taking good care of the ball which is something he is learning well from his ole ball coach. Lou Williams could always score, but he found his niche with this team as the sixth man. He comes in the game, drops a ton of points, and leads his team each night. There are numerous examples such as Evan Turner who early last year was thought to be a waste of a 2nd overall pick, but since Collins started molding him to the NBA game, he looks like a guy that may have been worth that pick after all. Finally, the most important development with this team has been in the man of Spencer Hawes. It is almost as though the Sixers signed a new player in the offseason and he is starting at Center this year. Spencer has been a whole new player this year. He is a monster on the boards, he looks like Vlad Divac with his wonderful assists and he has a post game all of a sudden leading to offense. Spencer at one point in the season was third in the league in rebounds per game, but since his playing time has been slimmed down due to injury, he has dropped to sixth in the NBA. Pretty pathetic, right? Lets run him out of town for only being sixth in the NBA in rebounds per game. Oh, and when Hawes isn't healthy, just insert one of the best rookies in the game, Vucevic. This kid is only a rookie from USC, but man he is smart and looks like a real player early. With a little more practice under this great coaching staff, I am scared to see what he may become. The biggest piece in all this hasn't even been mentioned: Thaddeus Young. His athleticism, hustle, defense, and energy are irreplaceable on the team. Without him coming off the bench, who knows where this team might be. He is a bench player, but he is more important than any starter on the floor. If this team is going to go anywhere, it is up the leadership and talent of Thaddeus Young. That being said, all of these young players are performing above expectations and driving this team to victory.

Yeah, he doesn't look like much, but so far he's getting the job done.

The final change that has really affected the team is the ownership. This ownership group led by Josh Harris has taken over and made our Philadelphia 76ers exciting again. They have done everything to get the fans on board and in the seats to watch this team. The only real mistake that they have made so far is getting rid of Hip Hop, and we may never forgive them for that, but what they have done has been wonderful so far. The team has a sense of pride and the city will hopefully soon follow suit. The ownership group spent a lot of money to improve the conditions for the fans, the city, and its players and the excitement is fueling this young team. 

Jump on the bandwagon early, because it is going to fill up quickly and you don't want to be the one thats left out. This team is built to win and mark our words: We will win the Atlantic Division. 

Tomorrow night is a true test so tune in to the Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks and see where our boys stand on the young season.

We're gonna wipe that smile right off your face you no hack, couldn't cut it in Denver, clown. Even TEBOW can cut it in a small market town like Denver. Well, you guys do have one thing in common, neither of you play defense.