The Official Flyers Post

I understand it's baseball season, but bear with me. Hockey season is, after all, never more than three months away.

Growing up in Philadelphia, I was always into sports, both in terms of playing and following. Until I was about 8 years old (1992), none of the Philly teams were any good. The Eagles had a tremendous defense led by Reggie White and Jerome Brown and an always interesting offense with Randle Cunningham at the helm, but the Redskins, Giants, and Cowboys were always better. And then Jerome died and Reggie said it wasn't about the money and left for more money, and Rich Kotite came to town, and well, I'd really rather not get into it.

In 1993 the Phillies made a magical run and lost in tragic fashion, and the Sixers thought trading Charles Barkley for a white guy was a good idea. (It wasn't.) And then, out of nowhere, the Flyers, a team that had lost at least 37 games in each of its last 5 seasons, started making some noise in 1994. They had this new guy, Eric Lindros. And they had this old guy, Bobby Clarke. And then all of a sudden, a team that had been a doormat for 5 years was, in a season that didn't start until January 21st, the Atlantic Division champs. And they went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, sweeping the defending champion Rangers on their way there. And I was hooked.

In the 95-96 season, they took a slight step backward, losing to the Florida Panthers in the semifinals. But still, it was clear that this team was going to be a force to be reckoned with. And in 1996-97, they were. They won 45 games for the second consecutive season, and cruised to a 12-3 record in the playoffs, earning a date with the Detroit Red Wings. And then the wheels came off.

The Red Wings didn't just beat the Flyers - they destroyed them. even at age 12, this was painfully obvious to me. They were faster, they were fancier, and shit, they were just better. In retrospect, that series marked the dawn of a new era in hockey. The game was no longer about big guys like Eric Lindros and John LeClair. Sure, you could win a lot of games with guys like that, but you can't win the most important games. You need to kill penalties, you need to score on power plays, and you need to not get hurt.

And yet, the Flyers kept on keepin' on. They kept making the playoffs and we as Philadelphians kept drinking the orange Kool Aid. And then in 2000, it looked like they might finally do it. After dropping the first two games at home to the Penguins in the conference semis, they won game 3 in overtime. And then they won game 4 in the fifth overtime. And well, you don't recover from a loss like that. At home. They won the next two against an already defeated Penguins team and had a date with the Devils, a team that I hate more than every other team in the world not from Dallas. And the Flyers went up 3 games to 1. And they were doing all of this without their melon-skulled captain, Eric Lindros.

And then they lost game 5 at home. And game 6 on the road. And then Lindros made his heroic early return from his 247th concussion for game 7. And Then Scott Stevens knocked him the fuck out. And they lost. And by then, I was done. I was no longer some 12 year old who actually thought his team still had a future. At age 16, I knew that this current group of players - and that current type of big, bruising player - wasn't going to cut it. And I also knew that if you wanted to win a Stanley Cup, you need a top of the line goalie. You know who didn't know that? Bobby Clarke. He brought in guys like Keith Primeau and Jeremy Roenick, guys who were undeniably good players, and at the same, undeniably not good enough to build a cup winning team around. If a 16 year old that had never played hockey understood what needed to be done, one would think a Hall of Famer would have been able to figure it out. One would be wrong.

In 2004 The Flyers started to suck me back in when they forced the Lightning to a game 7 in the Eastern conference finals. But even then, I knew they weren't going to win. They were the Flyers, and this was a game 7. And sure enough, they lost to a team that scored on half of their power plays in the series, which is usually a good way to go about winning hockey games. And then the lockout happened and hockey was officially dead to me.

And then, this season, something strange happened. Last season (06-07) the Flyers had the worst record in the NHL, which made them super easy to not care about. And then, in the offseason, they made some changes. Bobby Clarke was no longer in charge of personnel decisions, and the free agents they signed, headlined by Danny Briere, were the type of hockey player that this team has needed for countless seasons. And the team came roaring out of the gate. And yes, they had a few hiccups, at one point losing 10 games in a row. But they held on, made the playoffs, beat two division winners, including the top seed in the conference, Montreal, and eventually lost to a team that was healthier, and, well, better.

And what's different this time around is that this team really does have nowhere to go but up. This team, with young, talented players like Briere and Mike Richards, is going to keep getting better. Do I think they'll win a Stanley Cup? Hell no, they're the Flyers. They've broken my heart far too many times for me to just take them back. But watching some of their games this past season, I actually found myself caring about the result of their games, which is something I hadn't done since 2000. Am I ready to trust the Flyers again? No. (You burn in hell, Bobby Clarke.) But is hockey still dead to me? You know, I don't think it is. And honestly, that's kinda nice. After all, hockey does kick ass.

At Least The Phillies Won This Time

Which is nice. Although Brad Lidge's ERA is now above 0.00. But, to be fair, Werth did misplay a ball in center with two outs that allowed said run to score. And, to continue being fair, we can forgive him because he drove in 80% of the Phillies' 5 runs. Still, someone needs to explain to me why Victorino isn't back in center. He catches everything.

One more thing about this game - Chipper Jones went 3 for 4 to raise his average to .415. Which is impressive, even for him. I've never liked Chipper, but the man can rake. It's a little scary to think about how good his already impressive career numbers would be if he hadn't missed so many games over the last four years.

Anyway, onto the Flyers, who find themselves down 3 games to none after losing 4-1 Tuesday night. What did you think would happen to a team playing without its top two defensemen? And against a team like the Penguins? That's just too much to overcome. It happens. Hockey is a rough sport. They played hard.

Cheer up Flyers fans. This team is going to keep getting better.

Phils Lose, Flyers Lose, Everbody Loses

Well, except the Penguins and the Giants. They didn't lose. At least Jimmy Rollins is back. If nothing else, he should help Howard. The man is hitting .171 for fuck's sake. And slugging a just as miserable .357. I don't know what his problem is, but it has to improve if this team is going to get back to the playoffs.

And as for the Flyers, well, everything this season has been a free roll anyway. This team finished last in the NHL last year, and now they're in the Eastern Conference finals, which was something I used to take for granted. Of course it was also assumed that they would lose in heartbreaking fashion, because Bobby Clarke is a shithead. At least this team will (hopefully) keep getting better.

And, to be fair, this series isn't over. But they've got a long road ahead of them. Good luck fellas.

Annnnnd.... I'm Back

I know you missed me. Thanks for perservering. What? What do you mean you didn't even notice I was gone? Well to hell with you then.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You know I love you.

Anyway, a lot has happened since I left Philadelphia. The Pistons started playing like the Pistons, the Sixers started playing like the Sixers, the Phillies have managed to stay above .500 the entire time, and the Flyers... look, I'm not going there. I don't care if they're one win from the Conference Finals. We've seen this before. Many times. I certainly want them to win, but I'm not getting sucked in. Not now. I would be a fool to let myself succumb to that foul temptress' charms right now.

The Sixers are sucking me in though. Not because I think they'll beat the Pistons, but because this team has a legitimately bright future, and I love me some basketball. They're still a couple years and a couple players away, but the foundation (which includes Andre Miller) is there.

And the Phillies, well, they're doin' okay. They surprised me by not dropping 2 of 3 to the Pirates. That would have been a classic Phillies move. Also, one other reason I'm not terribly worried is that apparently Billy Wagner has called out Oliver Perez for some of the Mets' struggles of late (even though they're above .500). That man never learns. He's a hell of a pitcher when he's on, but Jesus, he sure is a dick. I don't miss him one bit, and I don't think anyone else in Philly does either.

Rest Assured I Was On The Internet Within Minutes, Registering My Disgust Throughout The World

Kudos to anyone who understands the reference in the title of this post. Anyway, the Sixers reached into their own asses tonight and pulled out a handful of crap, unlike Sunday when they pulled out a victory. Oh well. I don't think anyone expected them to win tonight.

And the Phillies blew a lead in the 8th, allowing a 2 run homer to Prince Fielder (pictured, left) for the second time that game. God forbid you guys string 4 wins together. But hey, I can't be greedy. That would make me a Boston fan, and then I wouldn't be able to see my own reflection. Can't have that. Anyway, Grampa Moyer takes the hill tomorrow, so hopefully the Phils will bounce back.

Oh, and the Flyers play tomorrow night, which is cool. I guess.

FUCK and YES

What an awesome night. The Phillies came back (in spectacular fashion) to beat the Rockies, exorcise some demons from last season, and go above .500 for the first time this season. (Woo hoo!) And the Flyers - the Flyers! - won a game 7! In overtime! On the road! The Flyers SO don't do that!

So yeah, Lupul put a rebound in about 5 minutes into the first overtime, and the Flyers will be heading off to face the Canadiens, a team about which I know nothing. So that's cool. They had an opportunity for a heartbreaking defeat after squandering a 3 games to 1 lead in the series, but somehow, they won. I guess it's progress.

And then there's the Phillies. Oh, the Phillies. Mr. Wonderful himself staked them to a 2-0 lead early in the game, but the teams kept trading leads, with the Rockies going up 6-4 in the 7th. The Phillies got one back in the 8th, and then, in the 9th inning, total awesomeness occurred. Taguchi led off the inning with a hit. Werth made an out. Then Mr. W hit a single, and ended up on second after the throw to 3rd to try to get Taguchi was too high for the cutoff man. So, we have runners on 2nd and 3rd for Ryan Howard, hitting a robust .190. Still, he was intentionally walked to set up a double play for Burrell. Thing is, Burrell didn't hear the word "play" and crused a double into left center, scoring all three runners.

But, it looked like Taveras would have a chance at it, so Utley had to hold up. When Taveras dove and missed, Taguchi walked home, and then Utley and Howard came barreling around 3rd, with Howard about 4 steps behind Utley. Ultey slid home ahead of the throw, (making it 7-6 Phillies), and about 1.5 seconds later, Ryan Howard slid in head first and just beat the tag. It was like that moment from Major League, except both guys were safe this time. It was totally awesome.

In fact, from a Philly fan's perspective, the night really couldn't have been better.

Man, never thought I'd type that.

Cole Hamels Is Very Sexy

22 innings pitched and two earned runs eh? That pretty good. He's 2-1 with a 0.82 era, which is, um, good. He's pitching like an ace, which the Phillies need him to do. Let's hope that Myers uses yesterday (8 inning, 3 earned runs) as a platform for better things. The Phillies need him - and all of their pitchers, really - to pitch quite well if they are going to return to the playoffs. Hamels is certainly doing his part.

The Phils are back to .500 - again - and while it's better than they've started in quite a while, it would be nice for them to clear that hurdle and stay above it for good early on. No one in the division is playing well (with the exception of the Marlins) and the Phillies need to take advantage of that. The Mets and Braves wont suck all year.

And, while I'm here, I might as well commend the Flyers for maintaining the status quo and crapping away a muilti-goal, third period lead Friday night. Well done fellas. Never a doubt.

I blame Bobby Clarke.

It's Time To Move On

Yes, the NFL season is officially over. True, it was really over last weekend, but the Pro Bowl did manage to give the illusion of football despite the lack of defense and touches for Brian Westbrook. (3 touches? Come the fuck on.) And yet, there is promise for what many consider to be the bleakest annual period of time for pro sports.

The Lakers traded for Pau Gasol without losing any important pieces. The Suns traded Shawn Marion to the Heat for Shaquille O'Neal. And Baseball, sweet, sweet baseball, is less than two months away. So fear not sports fan, we have plenty to look forward to. Hell, there's even some hockey worth watching.



Note: I don't think this is worth watching because the linesman got hurt. (He suffered a broken jaw and needed 60 stitches, but should be ok.) I just love how the players took it as an opportunity to incite a brawl.

Phils Get Lidge, Lose Bourn

I was going to title this post "Hey Charlotte, How Does Your Ass Feel?", but when I went over to ESPN to check the score of the Sixers game (94-63), this story had just been posted. The Phils gave up Geoff Geary and Michael Bourn (and some minor leaguer) for Brad Lidge, a man with the ability to be one of the premier closers in baseball. You hate to lose Bourn, a speedy outfielder with a ton of potential, but he probably isn't going to be an effective full time major leaguer for the Astros this year. And he may never be. For a very in depth evaluation, check out what Kieth Law has to say. (You will need ESPN Insider to read the entire article.)

More importantly, this allows the Phillies to move Brett Myers back to the rotation. Thank. Fucking. God. Look, Myers was pretty effective as a closer, I can't argue that. You know why? He's a good fucking pitcher! You want your best pitchers throwing 200+ innings if they have the arm to do it, and he has that arm. Now, with Hamels, the Phillies boast a very, very solid 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation. While the rest of the rotation wont scare anyone, it should be good enough to return the Phillies to the playoffs if the lineup does its thing.

And, speaking of the lineup, this trade makes me think the Phillies will keep Rowand. It's that, or go to war with Jason Werth as your right fielder. Werth had a great second half, but Rowand is a proven player, and we love him here in Philly. As long as the asking price isn't way too high, he should be brought back. He had a great year and was integral to the team's success.

Anyway, that's all I know for now. But this much is certain: The Bobcats are going to have trouble sitting down tonight. 31 points? To the Sixers? These Sixers? Yeesh.

Oh, and the Flyers beat the Penguins for the first time since April 2006 by a score of 3-1 to improve their record to 9-5. Yippee.

Nothing good happened to the Eagles. Hey, three outta four ain't bad.

Pretend You Care About Hockey For A Moment

Let me make it known immediately that this post, whilst appearing on a Philly-centric sports blog, is written by a lifelong New York sports supporter. Every team I root for – Mets, Giants, Knicks, Rangers – is directly at odds with the four major Philadelphia sports franchises. In spite of this, I am allowed space and time to write on this blog in some sort of meaningless ode to the crippled spirit of the American free speech ideal. It is believed, I assume, that my presence brings a type of balance to the equation, if by balance we mean “a different biased perspective.” In any case, it was inevitable that the interests of this blog would run counter to my own and we have our first example of that this evening in the form of the first of many Rangers-Flyers contests this year.

(There will be eight such matchups this season, in fact, given that the NHL does not want you to see anyone outside your division. The Rangers make two trips across the Mississippi river all season, including a two-game jaunt to Minnesota and Colorado in December and a three-game January roadtrip to Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton, and otherwise don’t travel further than Miami, Tampa and Atlanta for two road contests apiece. Worse off are the Western Conference teams and their fans, which may not see the likes of Crosby, Ovechkin, Heatley – not even Chris Fucking Simon – all season long. But you will be treated to eight games a year with the high-flying New Jersey Devils, led by a barely-pulsing Martin Brodeur. Marty! Wake up!)

The Flyers fast start was much needed. With the Phillies being swept in the first round of the playoffs, the Eagles’ rank-and-file spending an inordinate amount of time with Garrett Reid, and the Sixers beginning another year of pain by giving a starting job to Willie Green, the poor Flyers are left to fly the flag for all of Philadelphia. Last year, the lowly Flyers finished with 56 points, winning a mere 10 of 42 home contests and solidifying their position as the armpit of America’s most frustrating sporting city. But things have suddenly changed and the Flyers are sitting in first place in the Atlantic Division a full month into the season. Most have pointed to the import of Daniel Briere from Buffalo prior to the season as the key to the club’s success but while Briere’s impact is a given, it has been the strong play from the team’s young players – Mike Richards (22 years old), Jeff Carter (22) and Joff Lopul (24) – that has kept the team scoring goals. And a full season of Martin Biron (2.11 GAA in 10 starts) between the pipes will do wonders to make up for the presence of blue line fossils like Derian Hatcher and Jason Smith.

The Rangers came into the season with very high expectations, including many calls for the Cup’s return to the Garden. The team responded as only they can by taking just five points from their first eight games. Even after a recent surge – four wins in five games – they still possess the league’s most inept offense, scoring 1.67 goals per game. Only Edmonton comes close to that pathetic rate at 1.96 GPG. Injuries have played their part as Martin Straka, Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan have all missed significant time but that does not justify the play of many other Ranger forwards. It does not explain why Scott Gomez has a mere five points despite centering Jaromir Jagr. And that’s just one question. Others include: When did Brendan Shanahan become the slowest player in the league? Why is Petr Prucha suddenly useless? How many millions did Jagr lose in his last trip to Vegas?

In spite of their league-worst offense, the Rangers are still 6-6-1, good enough for 13 points, only three behind the Flyers. This can be attributed to several strong defense pairings and one of the league’s top goaltenders, Henrik Lundqvist. The Swede with the expensive haircut has started all 13 contests and possesses a 1.61 GAA. With three shutouts in his last seven games, Henrik is single-handedly keeping the club in contention but even he must be getting a bit tired of his teammates’ incompetence in front of him. At some point he is going to come back to earth.

What can we expect from this evening’s contest? It is the first game of the year between the two rivals but with seven more to come in the next few months I don’t expect either coach to approach this as a crucial early season test. The Rangers took six of eight games from the Flyers last year so one might expect that the Flyers will come out with special purpose but I think that the Rangers’ home-ice advantage (6-2-0 at MSG) will neutralize any special energy that the Flyers bring. I expect the usual defensive tactics and overall stifling of all excitement that the Rangers have employed all season. I will also guarantee several fights. Sean Avery returned to the Rangers’ lineup on Saturday and Ryan Hollweg and Colton Orr will also dress. The Flyers will counter with Ben Eager, Riley Cote and cheap shot artist Randy Jones, fresh off a short suspension for laying out Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins. Hopefully the Rangers will push forward and attempt to score goals rather than, you know, sit back and wait for the game to end. And hopefully the Flyers’ goon squad can avoid anything too dirty, like charging after hecklers in the stands or finishing their checks with shanks in their gloves.

You Call That A Victory?

I call that an ass whooping. 13-1? Damn. I know it was Josh Beckett, but still. One run? Weak. And Schilling wont be much easier tonight. Get it together, Rockies. The rest of us are counting on you.

Also, the Flyers lost the first game of an 8 game road trip, and face a tough match up tonight in the Lightening. Nittymaki is making his first start of the season in goal. Should be a good game.

Oh, and the Eagles still suck.

Sunday Thoughts

Oh, today was not a good day to be an Eagles fan. Not that we have many good days. But today was especially bad. The Bears went 97 yards in 90 seconds with no time outs to win the game. And my fantasy team was playing against Mushin Muhammad, who caught the game winning pass. And I was starting the Eagles defense. Instead of the Redskins'. Guhhhh. W. E. A. K.

But enough about my fantasy team, which Shaun Alexander is methodically killing. As for the Eagles, well, let's face it: the season is over. They're 2-4, and the Redskins, the team in 3rd place in the division, is 4-2. And it's not like the Eagles have been unlucky or anything. They just haven't played well. A ton of stupid penalties combined with a crappy red zone offense and a defense that doesn't make big plays is not a recipe for success. It's time to start looking at next year.

But enough about my crappy home team. Tom Brady, you go to hell. 6 TDs? Go. Fuck. Yourself. 27 on the year? Again, go fuck yourself. This applies to all you Boston Fans out there as well. I don't care how good he is. He still looks like a white Yao Ming. I'm serious. He does. Just look:
Don't tell me you don't see a resemblance. But, no matter how you slice it, the Patriots are good. Real good. And Dolphins are bad. Real, real bad.

You know who isn't bad? The 6-1 Flyers, who won again last night in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes, a hockey team whose sheer existence is a slap in the face to the sport. Not because they're a bad team (they're actually pretty good) but because hockey should not be played in either of the Carolinas. It shouldn't be played anywhere ice doesn't form naturally. In the last 15 years loyal fan bases such as Quebec, Winnipeg and Hartford (among others) have been stripped of NHL franchises because the league thought a bunch of displaced yuppies in warm locales would make good fans. Riiiight. Half of Tampa's population still has no idea the Lightening won a Stanley Cup. But whatever. I'm not supposed to care about hockey. It's the American Way.

Anyway, here's hoping Peyton Manning registers one fantasy point or less tomorrow night. Sigh... I hate you Shaun Alexander.

Did Anything Happen Today?

Someone probably played hockey somewhere, but who cares? It's fucking hockey. Although the coach of the Atlanta Thrashers did get fired after only 6 games. (Atlanta is 0-6-0). I feel like this has to be a record for anything other than football. 6 games? Into an 82 game season? Wow. I gotta say, I'm impressed.

I would also be impressed by the 4-1-0 Flyers, you know, if I cared about hockey. But that shit is dead to me. (You go to hell Bobby Clarke!) That being said, the team appears to be going in the right direction.

Manny doesn't care if the Red Sox lose the series. He's tired. He's had enough of this "baseball" and wants to go out drinking. Or something like that. Just "Manny being Manny" I guess. Of course Boston fans are going to be Boston fans and end up making a big deal of this. Insufferable pricks. God forbid you assholes don't win another championship. Fuckheads.

Anyway, tomorrow the Indians look to earn the right to lose painfully to the Rockies, but it won't be easy. Josh Beckett will be taking the hill, and he doesn't like losing playoff games. Good luck Indians. I'll be rootin' for ya'. We bitter folk gotta stick together.

Baseball Thoughts, Other Stuff

Did you ever in your life think you would see an NLCS featuring the Rockies and the Diamondbacks? Kill me. Do it now, make it swift. The Rockies won game one, by the way. I have nothing against that team, but good God almighty, Rockies - Diamondbacks? ROCKIES - DIAMONDBACKS?!?!?! This is worse than 2003 when we were like 7 outs away from a Cubs - Red Sox World Series and we ended up with Marlins - Yankees. Ugh. This, combined with the fact that Dane Cook is invading my TV during baseball games, is making me question my loyalty as fan of the game. And I love baseball. Please stop doing this to me God.

The Phillies gave Charlie Manuel an extension. For the record, I'm against this, but not too vehemently. I mean, he isn't great, and I'm pretty sure there's tapioca inside his head, but are they really going to find someone better? There are maybe, maybe, five good managers (Manuel is not one of them) in the game today. As bad as Uncle Cholly is at times, he's better than most alternatives. So whatever. If the players like him, fine. But he is an idiot.

The Flyers totally pounded the Canucks Wednesday. 8-2. Good god. When you score 8 goals in a hockey game, even someone as disillusioned and spiteful as I am (there will be an article in the relatively near future about my life as a Flyers fan) has to write something about it. This just in: Danny Briere is good.

That's it for now. I may or may not discontinue picking NFL games. I'm not good, and I am lazy. We'll see.