Bitterness from an Eagles Fan

I was literally sick to my stomach last night.

Not so much that the Giants did what winners do in a big game, make enough plays to put you in a position to win, or that San Francisco, who’s defense was the best unit on the field last night, was undercut by TWO big mistakes by a backup kick returner.

I was sick to my stomach watching this as a fan of what was another hopeful season for the NFC Champ rival Philadelphia Eagles. They made all the “Big” moves this year in free agency, yet finished shy of the playoffs after some awful losses to that 49ers team, Buffalo, Arizona, and Seattle. While I don’t necessarily think Andy Reid should be fired for this disaster of a season, I do think changes need to be made.

Strip Reid of his executive duties!
There is a fundamental difference in organizations when you look at the Giants and Eagles. The Giants make executive decisions with a goal of WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS, while the Eagles make executive decisions based on flashiness, the media, and ultimately making money off the fans. Andy Reid needs to focus on coaching his players on the field, not handling DeSean Jackson’s contract extension, designating an Offensive line coach for a Defensive Coordinator position, or being the final say when drafting a team.

Exhibit A
2009 – The Eagles traded additional draft picks to move up and take WR Jeremy Maclin. Maclin has been solid, but inconsistent in his first couple of seasons. The Giants drafted Hakeem Nicks 10 pick later.

Exhibit B
2010 – The Eagles traded additional draft picks to move up and draft DE/OLB Brandon Graham. The jury is still out on Graham as he has been hurt most of the two seasons he’s been in the league. Do you know who hasn’t been hurt the last two seasons, but instead has become one of the top defensive ends in the league? Jason Pierre-Paul, who was drafted two picks AFTER Graham.

Exhibit C
2011 - The Eagles gave a big contract extension to Mike Vick (An issue I won’t get into for the sake of keeping this short), then get Assomough, Rogers Cromartie, Vince Young, and a few other players to make a run at the Superbowl. Instead of using the last of their salary cap to extend DeSean Jackson, a game changer at WR, they use that money for an injured ex-Giant, Steve Smith to play 4th string WR and not even see the field for most of the season. GREEDY MEDIA PLAY! The result? It pisses off Jackson so much that he doesn’t give his full effort on the field and becomes enough of a distraction in the locker room to infect the whole team.

Well done Eagles!

I hate the Giants, and realize that it’s more out of jealousy than anything else. I completely respect the way that the organization is run, the coaches coach, and the players play. It’s no wonder that the Giants, Patriots, Steelers, and Packers play in so many Superbowls.

The Eagles will never be that franchise and that’s what makes me sick to my stomach.

The King of NY - Nothing Better

In 2002, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the doormat of the NBA. The team consisted of a couple of passed their prime former All-Star reserves (Tyrone Hill, Bimbo Coles), a head case (Ricky Davis), and a plethora of bad lottery picks over the previous three seasons led by the most recent bust, Dajuan Wagner. The one bright spot other than Zydrunas Illgauskas was their second pick of the year's draft, Carlos Boozer. The organization managed to screw up the Boozer situation as well and he bolted for Utah. Fortunately for the Cleveland fans, the Cavs couldn't screw up the draft in 2003.

LeBron James was blessed with the god-given talent and physical attributes to dominate the NBA for as long as he wanted. Many compare James to having the game of Jordan in a body like Karl Malone. An absolute freak of nature. So James came to the draft NBA ready straight from High School out of Akron Ohio, and as luck would have it, the dreadful Cleveland Cavaliers had the #1 pick.

The draft contained some terrific players and prospects including Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and the European project, Darko Milicic, but none could compare with King James. Not even the Cavs could mess with this sure thing.

Fast forward to 2010 and James has wrapped up MVP #2 and his sixth consecutive playoff appearance. He's brought the Cavaliers to an NBA Finals but lost a tough series to the Boston Celtics this year, despite being a heavy favorite to bring them there again. So here come the questions...

Remind me again, what did the Cavaliers do to deserve this?

Did I mention the King can become a free agent after this season?

Did I forget to mention that the New York Knicks have spent the past two seasons clearing their roster so that they could offer James a max contract?

And one more...

So what does King James owe the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Answer: Not a thing.

James has single handedly taken this team from a perennial NBA loser to a championship contender. He's given this franchise global exposure in an ever-growing international market. He's helped bring in good players who will play for less money just to ride his coattails to a championship. It's time for LeBron to make a choice for himself. It's time for LeBron to be selfish. It's time for LeBron to take his career to the next level.

New York City. Madison Square Garden. Legendary status.

Now you might say that New York is as bad an organization as Cleveland. The Knicks had some great years and has been a successful franchise overall. The Scott Layden/Isaiah Thomas regimes have taken them to this new low, but the organization is back on the way up, the perfect time for LeBron to make his entrance.

The benefits of playing in NYC are obvious, but the one benefit that LeBron might think he knows, he has no idea of. Winning a championship here will take him to an elite level of fame and respect that few sports heroes know. LeBron should give Derek Jeter a call and ask him if DJ would ever have the desire to leave NY for another town. Jeter owns NY from April through November and I bet he wouldn't trade that for anything in the world. LeBron could own NY from November through June for a long time and will get the resources (Teammates, coaches, etc.) that he needs to do just that. This benefit is the card that trumps every other city in the world.

When you look at all the options for the best player in basketball, there is only one choice to make. I'll see you at the garden soon LeBron.

The NFL All Pro Team of My Lifetime

I was listening to talk radio today and heard the usual debate as to who were the top 5 QBs of all time. Now I never saw Johnny Unitas play and I'm sure he was great, but I can't debate about someone I've never seen. The first NFL season I can remember was 1985 so I'm going to give you my All-Pro team over the past 24 years with the team that's most memorable. Let the debate begin:

OFFENSE

QB - Peyton Manning - Colts

BU - John Elway - Broncos

RB - Barry Sanders - Lions

BU - Walter Payton - Bears

BU - Bo Jackson - Raiders

FB - Mike Alstott - Bucs

BU - Lorenzo Neal - Chargers

WR - Jerry Rice - 49ers

WR - Terrell Owens - Cowboys

BU - Chris Carter - Vikings

TE - Tony Gonzalez - Chiefs

BU - Shannon Sharpe - Broncos

OG - Larry Allen - Cowboys

BU - Bruce Matthews - Oilers

OT - Anthony Munoz - Bengals

BU - Gary Zimmerman - Broncos

C - Dermontti Dawson - Steelers

BU - Mike Webster - Steelers

DEFENSE

DT - Warren Sapp - Bucs

BU - John Randle - Vikings

DE - Reggie White - Eagles

DE - Bruce Smith - Bills

BU - Michael Strahan - Giants

LB - Lawrence Taylor - Giants

LB - Ray Lewis - Ravens

BU - Junior Seau - Chargers

DB - Rod Woodson - Steelers

DB - Deion Sanders - Falcons

BU - Darrell Green - Redskins

S - Ronnie Lott - 49ers

S - Brian Dawkins - Eagles

BU - Ed Reed - Ravens

NFL Preview

In the distance I can hear the sound of linemen helmets banging head-on, the sound of a linebacker's shoulder pads crunching into a running back's motoring legs. NFL Football is upon us and I can barely contain myself. Football is easily my favorite sport, the anticipation of keeping up with all the league's matchups every Sunday is part of the reason it's so popular here in the US. It also makes for great fantasy football (Next blog to come).

I'm not a betting man, but if I were to throw down some dough, here are my projected standings, playoffs and Superbowl winner:

AFC East

New England - X
New York Jets
Miami
Buffalo


AFC North

Pittsburgh - X
Baltimore - X
Cleveland
Cincinnati


AFC South

Colts - X
Titans - X
Texans
Jaguars


AFC West

San Diego - X

Kansas City

Denver

Oakland

Playoffs

NE - Bye
Pitt - Bye
SD Def Tenn
Indy Def Bal

SD Def Pitt
Indy Def NE

Indy - AFC Champs

NFC East

Philadelphia - X
NY Giants - X
Washington
Dallas

NFC North

Chicago - X
Minnesota - X
Green Bay
Detroit

NFC South

Carolina - X
New Orleans
Atlanta
Tampa Bay

NFC West

Arizona - X
Seattle
San Francisco
St. Louis

Playoffs

Philly - Bye
Carolina - Bye
Giants Def Chicago
Minny Def Arizona

Philly Def NY
Minny Def Carolina

Minnesota - NFC Champs

Indianapolis Colts - Superbowl Champions - Peyton Manning gets his 2nd MVP

No Dungy? No Marvin? No problem. Manning takes full control over this team and cements himself as one of the greatest QBs of all time. Anthony Gonzalez has learned from Harrison and will take over his WR role in stupendous fashion. The two-headed monster of Joseph-Addai and Donald Brown will provide a solid running game, and Dallas Clark will be the X-Factor in the passing game. The defense just needs to hold teams to 17 points or fewer and I think they may even be improved. As long as Dwight Freeney is healthy and leading by example, this defense will be tough. Indy is always in the running for the Championship and I just have a feeling that it works out for Manning again.

Being an Eagles fan, I am very excited for the prospects of seeing McNabb and Company back in the big game, however, I'm also a realistic Eagles fan and if we look at the trend over the years, the party ends in the NFC Championship game.

Say what you want about Michael Vick, but from a pure football standpoint, he brings something to the Eagles that will put serious fear into their opponents. It was almost as if teams were waiting for Vick to be out of football before they introduced the wildcat offense. This offense was made for him, and now that Vick's out of jail and almost reinstated, the Eagles will benefit from taking the chance on him.

The Thursday night matchup between the Titans and Steelers can't come soon enough. The season is almost upon us and I'll be sky high with my Eagles until the inevitable NFC Championship game. But hey, we can all dream right?

R.I.P. - Jim Johnson

Hoop Thoughts...By Jack Handey

Hoop thoughts from the 2009 NBA draft.
Tremendous dissapointment to see Stephen Curry drafted by the Golden State Warriors, one spot before the Knicks could grab him. When Minnesota took Flynn, I thought the knicks had a 50/50 chance between Curry and Jordan Hill, who they ended up getting. I admit I haven't seen Hill play a lot over his college career, but like the MSG theatre audiencce, I was not impressed. I would've much rather seen them take Brandon Jennings (Milwakee at 10) or Gerald Henderson (Charlotte at 12).
I did like the trade of sending Q Richardson to Memphis for Darko Milicic. Darko was the# 2 pick of the 2003 draft behind Lebron and in front of Carmelo, Wade and Bosh. He was drafted as a talented athlete with great basketball tools, but also drafted as a project. He's had a few years in the league now, maybe the Knicks got him at the right time. I thought it was worth the gamble. Toney Douglas from Florida state has potential to be a taller Nate Robinson with better defense, a good pick in the event that they lose Robinson in free agency.
The Nets made a good choice in Terrence Williams but again I would've much rather taken Henderson. Meanwhile, the trade that sent Vince Carter to the Magic made no sense to me and felt his value was greater than Courtney Lee and Rafer Alston. Tony Battie can get cut asap.
Other reactions: Loved the Pacers draft. Hansbrough, may not duplicate the honors he received in college, but he'll be a really solid player that rebounds, hustles and plays the game the right way. A.J. Price, in addition to Hansbrough is another nice experienced college player that could become a starter in this league. I'd be happy with a nucleus of Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, Hansbrough and Price, add one more superstar through free agency and the Pacers should be an instant contender in the East. I also liked the Spurs draft. They got better talent with second round picks than some teams did with first rounders.
Unfortunately, there's still nothing to get too excited about with the Knicks and Nets. The Nets are clearly rebuilding and this will be a tough year for them. As for the Knicks, we need to hope that Donnie Walsh can make a few more moves to set a nice supporting roster for the addition of one of those top free agents that come into the fold after this season. Good luck Donnie, but so far, not impressed.

Hello Blogosphere!

Welcome to my first blog, or better yet, my attempt to keep up with the ever-growing online universe. Hey, we need to adapt, or we'll get left in the dust by our children!

I'm a huge sports fan, but have become increasingly interested in the strategies of assembling a successful team. This is probably due to my love of fantasy sports, but drafts, trades, and salaray cap management seem to get my attention more than the games themselves.

The teams you'll see me write the most about are the Yankees, Knicks, Nets, and.......Eagles? Yes, although born and raised in New York, the Eagles are probably my favorite team. Before you rip me or call me names, let me set the stage for you. The year was 1988 and an 11 year old boy is entering his formative years of choosing a team to root for in the NFL. The Giants had just won a Superbowl two years prior and still had a great squad led by Lawrence Taylor, possibly the greatest defensive player ever, but the Philadelphia Eagles had a young dynamic QB from UNLV named Randall Cunningham. Cunningham, along with one of the great defenses assembled under Buddy Ryan made my choice an easy one. Am I happy with my choice? Well the Giants have been to three Super Bowls, winning two of them, and the Eagles have been to one Super Bowl loss and several heartbreaking NFC Champonships. Can I have a mulligan?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to talking real sports, fantasy sports, food, family, tv, movies and all of life's other pleasures. I hope you enjoy.