Phillies Up Playoff Chances

The Phillies just beat the Mets in the first three games of a four game series. Now who would have thought that last week when it seemed they might crash and burn. Jimmy Rollins (left) hit a lead-off homer off Oliver Perez and Pat Burrell followed up two batters later and he served up his own shot. That made it 2-1 in the first inning and it looked to be another high-scoring game but that didn't happen. Burrell got the go-ahead RBI in the 5th when he hit a sacrifice fly. Myers got the save and Jamie Moyer got the win. The last play of the game was intresting because former Phillie Marlon Anderson slid into Tadahito Iguchi and pushed him down so he couldn' throw to first the double play. The second base umpire called it interference and it was important because the tieing run was on third. The final score was 3-2. It was defintely a satisfying victory for the Phils as they edged within 3 games of the NL East-leading Mets. The Padres, the front-runner in the wild card race, beat the D-backs again last night so the Phils are still 3 games behind them.

I can already hear the fans at Citizen's Bank Park chanting "sweep, sweep". If the Phils do beat the Mets again that would put them two games behind the Mets and prime position to make to the promised land once again.

Review: Bronx is Burning

The Bronx is Burning was an 8-week series on ESPN about the 1977 New York Yankees. It ended last night. It came on every tuesday at 10:oo and ended at 11:oo. Just to give you an overview of the show, it is about how the Yankees overcame clubhouse issues and Red Sox to win the pennant and ultimately the 1977 World Series. Reggie Jackson is brought in by George Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner. Yankee manager, Billy Martin doesn't like Jackson's superstar attitude. The show also explains the police struggling to capture the .45 caliber killer. Steinbrenner wants to control the managers decisions and tempermental Martin doesn't like that. The Yankees win the Series in game 6 as Jackson hits three homers. They win it at home in Yankee Stadium (above). If you want to know more, they will probably show it again on ESPN.

I will give it 5 stars. Even if you are not a Yankee fan (I'm not really one), you will enjoy this great baseball story.

Myers Mouths Off to Reporters

Last weekend Phillies closer Brett Myers gave up 2 home runs in the ninth inning to the wild-card-leading San Diego Padres. Myers blew that game and was frustrated with himself and took it out on Sam Carachidi, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. The trouble started when Carachidi questioned Myers about an earlier comment in the clubhouse, said by Myers, about the 2 homers being popups. Myers replied, "Yeah, didn't you? Do you think they crush them?" Carchidi then said, "The first one I thought was out. The second one I didn't." That is when Myers got fired up, "Yeah, because you're a (expletive) retard. You don't know (expletive) about (expletive) baseball. You're filling in for somebody." Carchidi answered,"How do you spell retard?" Myers then spat back, "You know how to spell it. It's in your (expletive) vocabulary. I'm sure you know." Carchidi then said,"You are classy, I'll tell you." Myers then said,"All right, go home. Out of here, (expletive) idiot." Carchidi then said,"You're the (expletive) idiot." That was when they were seperated. Myers then apologized about calling Carchidi an retard instead of a idiot. But Myers did say he would not apologize about what he said to Carchidi. In an interview with NBC 10 Carchidi said he felt sorry for Myers and that his anger management classes were not working.
Brett Myers needs to calm his temper down. He sounds like he was acting like a little kid in his verbal spout with Carchidi. He said that Carchidi is just some high school reporter who tried to stir things up. First of all, Carchidi has been covering high school sports for 30 years, so he isn't some amateur trying to shke things up. Second, Myers was the one who stirred things up by calling his homers he gave up popups. Myers is smart enough to predict that a reporter might bring that up. Myers is known to have a bad temper. Last year in Boston, Myers was accused of beating his wife. I also feel sorry for Myers because he has so much talent but a short fuse.

Sunday's Legend- Joe Montana

Joeseph Montana Jr. was born on June 11, 1956 in New Eagle Pennsylvania. Montana was even known for late-game comebacks when he played for Notre Dame in college. He helped Notre Dame to one national championship while he was there. The San Fransisco 49ers selected Montana in the third round of the 1979 NFL draft. Montana was the number two quarterback on the depth chart his rookie season and won the starting job in his second pro season. He led the league in completion percentage in his second season with 64.5 but the 49ers went 6-10. The next season the 49ers went 13-3 and Montana helped them to 2 4th quarter comebacks. Then came one of the most memorable plays in the history of the NFL, in the the 4th quarter of the 1982 NFC Championship game, Montana threw the ball to Dwight Clark in the the endzone and Clark leaped high an caught the ball for the game-winning score. The moment will forever be known in football lore as "The Catch". The 49ers then went on to win the Super Bowl, beating the Cincinnatti Bengals 26-21 and Montana won the MVP of the game. The 9ers did not make the playoffs the next strike-shortened year. The next year, though, they went 10-6 and won the NFC West. In the divisional game Montana fueled yet another late-game comeback, throwing the winning touchdown with just over a minute left. Despite Montana throwing 3 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship, the Washington Redskins beat the 49ers 24-21. In 1983, Montana lead the 49ers to a 15-1 record. That was the first time any team won 15 games in a season. The 9ers easily made it to the Super Bowl. The opponet was the Miami Dolphins and the quarterback was Dan Marino. Montana broke the record for most passing yards in a Super Bowl (331) and threw 3 touchdown passes. The 49ers beat the Dolphins 36-16 and Montana got the MVP again. The next year the 9ers made the playoffs again but made an early exit in the NFC Wild Card game. The next season Montana only played 8 games because he suffered a severe back injury. In 1987 Montana set the record for the most consecutive complete passes (22). Even though they finished with the top win-loss record in the NFL, they lost in the NFC semi-finals. The next year the 9ers finished with a 10-6 record and won the division. They easily made it to the Super Bowl, where they would play the Bengals. Montana had a great game as he broke his own record for the most passing yards in a Super Bowl game (357). They were losing by 3 with only a little over 3 minutes left when Montana and the 49er offense got the ball. Montana drove down the field quickly and threw the game-winning touchdown to Tony Taylor with only 34 seconds left. They beat the again in the Super Bowl. The 49ers went 14-2 the next year and Montana won the season MVP. The 9ers flew threw the playoffs without a single mistake. The 49ers won the game 55-10 over the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. That was the most lopsided victory in Super Bowl history. Montana threw 5 touchdowns, another Super Bowl record. He also is the only player to win the Super Bowl MVP award 3 times. In 1990, Montana led the 9ers to a 14-2 record but got injured in the NFC Championship game. It was such a severe elbow injury that he missed most of the next 2 seasons and by the time he came back Steve Young was the 9ers starter. He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993. He was injured for some of the 1993 season but led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship. They lost to the Denver Broncos, though, in the game. In 1994 he played in most of the games leading the Chiefs to playoffs but lost in the first game. He retired after that season.
Montana led his teams to 31 fourth quarter comebacks, which is remarkable. He has the most career touchdown passes (45) and passing yards (5,772) in the postseason. He has never thrown an interception or lost a Super Bowl game. He played in 8 Pro Bowls in his career.
Montana was so good at comebacks that he earned the nicknames: Joe Cool and Comeback Kid. Joe Montana is a legend and one of the best quarterbacks of all time. No doubt about it. He represents what is the difference between a great player and a legend. The difference is that he came up big in the clutch. For example, if a baseball player strikes out with the World Series on the line the fans are going to remember that instead of his 500 home runs. That is the difference between great and legendary. That is what Joe Montana represents.

Saying Goodbye to Trotter

Yesterday Eagle's starting middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter was cut from the team. It was a surprise to him and every other teammate and fan of the Eagles. It is believed he was cut from the team because his bad knees were slowing him down. It was a very emotinal goodbye from Trotter but no hard feelings between Trot and the Eagles front office. Trotter was definitly the leader of the team. He was looking forward to playing with new linebacker Takeo Spikes. Trot said he still believes he has a couple of good years left in him. Trotter said this about him always being an Eagle, "I truly believe that if you were to cut me, I'd bleed green. Even when I was away for two years, I was always an Eagle at heart, and I'll always remain an Eagle." Brian Dawkins was quoted as saying, "This one hit me like a ton of bricks." The 30-year- old linebacker was a fan favorite. He was only supposed to play first and third downs this year with Omar Gaither playing third down. Gaither will take his place at starting middle linebacker.
Jeremiah Trotter was drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 1998 draft (He was selected 72nd overall). Even though he didn't leave with hard feelings this time, he did leave with them when he left after the 2001 season. He then played two mediocre seaons with the Redskins and then asked Andy Reed to bring them back. When he came back he was the backup middle linebacker but quickly won back the spot in 2004. Trotter was a 4-time Pro Bowler.
Trotter probably won't play in the NFL again because no team wants to take a chance on a 30-year-old linebacker with bad knees. A team desperate on the defensive side might sign him or if a team wanted a leader in the locker room who could also mentor young linebackers. I am not so happy with this move but if he can't run well then maybe he shouldn't be on the team. I do think Gaither will do a good job. I will miss him doing the ax after a tackle though. From all the fans in Philly: GOODBYE TROTTER we'll miss you!

Tuesday's Analysis- Houston Texans

Last season's record- 6-10

Next game- preseason- Dallas Cowboys- Aug. 25 7:00 pm

Division- Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaquars, Indianapolis Colts

Analysis- The Texans got rid of David Carr and picked up Matt Schaub, that won't be an improvement unless the offensive line protects him more. If you are not familiar with Schaub, he was the backup to Micheal Vick in Atlanta. He has a good arm but only started 2 NFL regular season games in his career. They also got rid of Dominick Davis, but picked up reliable veteran back Ahman Green. Andre Johnson led the league in receptions and is one of the most reliable recevier in the league. Last year's Defensive Rookie of the Year, DeMeco Ryans, should continue that pace this season. The Texans drafted defensive tackle Amobi Okoye to improve their defense.

Prediction: The Texans should finish last again this year. They are in a very tough division with Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaquars, and Indianapolis Colts. Those teams are all contenders at a playoff time. The Texans should miss the playoffs and finish last this year.

Sorry for publishing this a day late.

To Make the Playoffs the Phillies Need to...

1. The Phils can't give up a 4-run lead in the 7th inning and allow a 7-run inning like they they did yesterday.
2. Adam Eaton needs to be more conssitent when he rejoins the rotation from the DL.
3. Wes Helms need to hit better, not great but better.
4. Chase Utely has to return from his injured hand and continue his MVP type pace, as he had before he got injured.
5. Ryan Howard needs to stop striking out as much and needs to deliver with runners in scoring postion.
6. The whole Phillies team needs to hit better with runners on.
7. The bullpen needs to be a little more consisitent. I remember the bullpen being good earlier this month and then yesterday they blew up, like they do on various occaisons. They CAN NOT blow up.
8. Shane Victorino needs to come back and play good.
9. They need to win big games against the Padres and Mets.
10. They also need a little bit of luck.


Prediction: I think the Phils will make the playoffs for the first time since going to the World Series in 1993. I think they will win the NL Wildcard.

Sunday's Legend- Ted Williams

Ted Williams was born August 30, 1918 in San Diego, California. Williams joined the Major League Boston Red Sox in 1939. He was one of the tallest guys on the team. In his rookie season he led the league in RBIs. He was 4th in MVP voting, not a bad way to start off. In 1941 he hit .406, most players today don't come close to that mark. In that season he also set a Major League record in on-base percentage at .551. Ted Williams is the only Major League player to steal a base in 4 decades (30's, 40's, 50's, and 60's) even though he wasn't a good base stealer. He hit .344 for his career and had 522 home runs. He was the MVP in 1946 and 1949. Why wasn't the MVP in 1941 when he hit .406? That was because Joe DiMaggio had his 56-game hitting streak and won it that year. He won the triple crown in 1942 and 1946. The triple crown is when a player leads the league in batting average, homers, and RBIs. He was an All-Star 17 times. He homered in the last at bat of his career. The stats go on and on. After his playing career he did manage the Wasington Senators from 1969 to 1971 and the Texas Rangers in 1972. He was selected as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1966, getting 93.38% of the vote.
Ted was also a war hero. He was a Marine pilot in World War 2 and in the Korean War. He had to crash land his plane one time after being hit in the wing. After his service, Williams remained in the reserves.
Williams had a bad relationship with the Boston media and fans. He spit at the fans one time after he was getting booed a lot. He could not understand why the fans would boo him if he made a error in left field then cheer for him the next inning after he hit a home run. The Boston media was known for critizing him and insulting his personal life on a daily basis. Williams would have verbal fights with these media members all the time. His relationship improved with the fans after he retired and kept getting better.
Ted Williams was known to curse a lot all of his life. He was known to have mood swings. When he retired he went fishing most of the time. He loved fly fishing.
Ted Williams is one of (if not the best) hitters the game of baseball has ever seen. Ted died July 5, 2002.

McNabb Great in Debut

Donovan McNabb played like an MVP in his first game since tearing a knee ligament. He completed 6 of 9 passes for 138 yards. McNabb wore a brace around his knee in the game. He completed his first four passes, the first being a 27-yrd strike to new wideout Kevin Curtis. He drove the team down the field and then rookie running back Tony Hunt ran a short distance to the endzone. It was his first pro touchdown. If this is any indication of how McNabb is going to play throughout the season the Eagles look pretty good and should be the team to beat in the East.

Vick Update

Micheal Vick did not agree to a plea agreement, or any kind of deal yesterday. It was thought that he had to agree by yesterday on some kind of deal. Their was some action in the case, however. Two of the Vick's buddies pleded guilty yesterday. Their names are Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace. Phillips and Peace will testify against Vick. What you hear next may be disturbing to some. Peace and Phillips can describe 9 executions in which Vick participated in. They say Vick watered down the dog, in one situation, and then electrocuted the dog to death. He also hanged 8 other dogs and he drowned the 3 that survived the hanging by sticking the dogs head in a 4-gallon bucket. Those are pretty serious allegations.
Vick will probably get more than a years time. Good ridance. Anybody who supports Vick after these allegations is crazy. I said this yesterday and I will say it again: Vick will never play in the NFL again. These allegations only reinforce that idea. A team would have to be terribly desperate to take a chance on Vick. I hope Vick doesn't play again because he is ruining the NFL image along with Pacman Jones. "I've only been arrested 2 times." Yeah, because that makes it sond a lot better Pacman. Most people try not to get arrested ever. FYI, Pacman getting arrested twice isn't considered a good thing. Anyway, back to Vick, him and Pacman, Chris Henry, Tank Johnson,etc., are making people think the NFL is made of thugs when most of the players are nice, charitable guys. The NFL is lucky that people like football so much and don't care how many times Pacman gets arrested.

Eaton Landing on Disabled List

Adam Eaton has landed himself on the 15-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation. This may be a blessing in disguise for the Phils as they start a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight. The Phils will need to get good pitching as they make their annual chase of the NL East leaders and the NL Wild Card leaders. Adam Eaton, one of the Phillies big offseason pitching acquisitions, is 9-8 this year with a league-worst ERA at 6.36. In his previous 3 start he has an 11.37 ERA. Eaton himself said that if he would have done better, he probably wouldn't be on the DL right now. J.D. Durbin will take his place in the rotation. He joins Kyle Kendrick as the other rookie on the rotation.
This may be a blessing in disguise for the Phils because Eaton has pitched horrible as of late and has been terribly inconsistent all season. This DL stint may get his mind straight and back on track. This will also get Durbin out of the bullpen. He does NOT belong in the bullpen and this may give him another shot a the rotation. He did throw a shoutout this season. So this may be a good thing after all for the Phils.

Vick Might Agree to Plea Bargain

Micheal Vick, of course, is being charged with being involved in a dogfighting ring. It took place on his property. Vick is reportingly being advised by his lawyers to take a plea bargain, in which he will spend 1 year in jail and will pay a fine.
Why in the world would Micheal Vick get involved in dogfighting, which is inhumane in every meaning of the world. He was a famous football player and the face of the Atlanta Falcons. He had multi-million-dollar endorsements. Why would he get into something that is illegal and is reserved mostly for street thugs. For those who say that they are targeting him because he is famous, are wrong because one of his dogfighting buddies said that Vick was involved and that he provided the betting finances. Heck, the fighting ring is on his property! It is said that Vick electrocuted and killed dogs that underachieved in fights. Think of all kids who saw Micheal Vick as a role model.
Micheal Vick will probably never play professional football again, here's why: A team that takes a chance on Vick will completely destroy their public relations. Their would be protesters outside that team's stadium with picket signs.
Vick is stupid to even get into to something like that, let alone running it. Vick will have to decide today whether or not he will accept the plea bargain. I think he will.

Baseball Update- American League East

A.L. East
W-L GB

1. Boston Redsox - 72-48 -
2. New York Yankees- 67-53 5
3. Toronto Bluejays- 61-58 10.5
4. Baltimore Orioles- 56-63 15.5
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays- 46-74 26


Recap: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays held off the BoSox and won 6-5 last night. Andy Sonnanstine pitched 6 scoreless innings for the Devil Rays but then gave up 3 runs in the 7th inning. Daisuke Matsuzaka gave up 6 runs in 6 innings and picked up the loss. The Devil Rays broke it open in the 4th when they scored 4 runs. Devil Rays shortstop Brendan Harris got his 2 triple of the year. The first 3 batters for the Red Sox, Dustin Predroia, Kevin Youkilis, and David Ortiz, all went hitless. Jason Varitek hit a homer for the Sox in the 7th inning. The Red Sox got three of their 5 runs un the 7th inning. They scored all of their runs in the 7th inning or later. Baltimore beat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium 6-3 last night. Erik Bedard pitched 7 innings and gave up 4 hits and no runs for the Orioles. Phil Hughes pitched 5 innings and gave up 3 runs for the Yanks. Aubrey Huff had 2 RBIs for the Orioles. Alex Rodriguez was 4 for 4 yesterday. Shelly Duncan hit a homer in the bottom of the ninth as the Yanks scored 3 runs to tie it up. So it went into extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Aubrey Huff hit a 2-run homer as the Orioles scored 3 runs off Mariano Rivera. The Blue Jays won a close won at home over the L.A. Angles, 2-1, last night. Shaun Marcum picked up his 10th win for the Jays, giving up 1 run and 4 hits in 7 innings. Dustin Moseley pitched 5 innings and gave up 2 runs for the Angles. Alex Rios had 3 hits for the Jays. There was not much action in this low-scoring affair.

Prediction: This is a very bold prediction, I think the Yankees will win the division. I think they can somehow pull together and their pitching will get better and the hitting will continue. This is obviously a 2 team race. I think the Red Sox will fall apart. Their pitching will still be good but the hitting will slow down dramaticly. It will be a fun race.

Remembering Phil Rizzuto

A New York Yankee legend died yesterday. Phil Ruzzuto was beloved as shortstop and a broadcaster for the Yanks. Phil Rizzuto overcame his small stature to become one of the best shortstops in Yankee history. He was a part of 7 World Series Championship teams with the Yankee dynasty in the 1940's and 50's. He was American League MVP in 1950. By most though, he was known for being the Yankee broadcaster for four decades. He was the oldest living Hall of Famer when he died. He is also a hero by serving in World War 2 for three seasons. The Scooter, as he was known by the Yankee faithful, was elected to the Hall of Fame finally in 1994. As a broadcaster his famous line was "Holy cow!". Phil Rizzuto died at 89, Tuesday.

Tuesday Analysis: Washington Redskins

Next Game: preseason game- Pittsburgh Steelers
Last year's record: 5-11
Division: NFC East- Redskins, Eagles, Coyboys, Giants

Analysis: Jason Campbell is the starting Quarterback, but was very inconsistent. His accuracy is not that good. Clinton Portis is coming off an injury, but is still a major threat offensively. Ladell Betts showed he was a solid back last year. Santana Moss is a one of the best receivers in the league. He is a big long-ball threat. Antwaan Randle El is speedy and sure-handed receiver. Cris Cooley led the team in receptions last year and one of the best tight ends in the league. The defense is improved from the drafting of LaRon Landry. The defense is not as good as in previous years. It should be a better year for the Redskins.

Prediction: I think they will finish last again this year because Jason Campbell is a mediocre QB and Clinton Portis might not be as good coming off an injury last season. Also because the defense is average.

Baseball Update- National League East

N.L East
W-L GB
1. New York Mets- 65-52 -
2. Philadelphia Phillies- 62-55 3
3. Atlanta Braves- 62-56 3.5
4. Florida Marlins 55-63 10.5
5. Washington Nationals- 54-64 11.5

Recap: The Mets flattened the Marlins last night. Oliver Perez got the win. Moises Alou showed he is still a major threat by slamming 2 homers. Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado also hit homers. Perez didn't pitch good but good enough for the win. The Marlins are basically out of the race anyway. The Phillies hosted the Braves. The Phillies survived a 2 run first by the Braves to win 5-3. Moyer won his 11th game. With the Phillies losing 2-1 in the bottom of the 5, Ryan Howard smacked his 33 homer of Buddy Carlyle into the left field seats. Rollins hit his 15th triple of the year last night. Brett Myers, the former ace, got his 9 save. Jeff Francouer looked like Roberto Clemente when he gunned 2 runners down at home plate. Buddy Carlyle got the loss.
The Nationals won a close one in Arizona, 7-6. Micah Owings pitched very well in just 6 1/3 innings, only giving up 1 run. Mike Bacsik, that name may sound familiar because he gave up 756 to Barry Bonds, gave up 5 runs in 4 innings. The Nats had a big inning in the 8th, when they scored 4 runs off the Arizona bullpen. The big blow in that inning came in the form of a Ryan Church homer. Chad Cordero got the save and Jesus Flores hit a homer in a 2-run ninth for the Nationals.

Prediction: Even though I hate to say it, the Mets will win the division again. With Pedro Martinez coming back to bolster their pitching staff and one of the best all-around lineups in the league, the Mets will repeat as N.L. East champs. Now even saying that, either the Phillies or the Braves could catch up and beat the Mets. The Marlins and Nationals are out of the race. It should be intresting anyway.

A Great Story for Cards

There has not been much to cheer about if your a St. Louis Cardinals fan. The World Series champs are having a horrible season. There have been many bad stories coming from the Cards to talk about lately. There has has been manager Tony La Russa, being charged with drunk driving, Scott Spiezio dealing with drug problems, and pitcher John Hancock died in a car crash while he was drunk. So it was good to hear an uplifting story come out of the Cards organization.
Rick Ankiel hit two home runs last night, had 3 RBIs, and scored 3 runs in the Cards 6-1 win over the Dodgers. He has 3 homers in 3 days. He also made a great over-the-shoulder catch in last night's game. No one could have imagined that 7 years ago when Ankiel was a rookie. Ankiel was a promising pitching prospect and had won 11 games that year. In the first game of the divisional series for the Cardinals, La Russa decided to started Ankiel against the Atlanta Braves. In the the third inning of that game, Ankiel threw 5 wild pitches. That is the most in one inning since 1890. He was taken out after 2 2/3 innings. Ankiel started again in the post-season but still could not find the zone.
Ankiel had Tommy John surgery in 2003. He still had control problems after even after the surgery. He thought about leaving the game for good. The Cardinals organization convinced him to continue playing. For a pitcher he was a decent hitter and had some pop in his bat, so he was convinced to come back and play outfield. He hit 32 homers in triple A and the Cardinals gave him a shot.
I think that is a very remarkable comeback. It sort of reminds you of Babe Ruth, even though he didn't have to have a major surgery to convert to an everyday player. Hopefully, for Cards fans, this heroic comeback can fuel the Cardinal's own comeback.
It is very rare in this day and age for a baseball player to switch from a pitcher to a hitter. It is hard to come by a great story in this era, the steroid era.

Eagles Training Camp Update

Training Camp ends today for the Philadelphia Eagles at Lehigh University. Their first preseason game is at 7:00, Monday, against the Baltimore Ravens. The camp has been relatively good for the Eagles but one is left to think if it is the calm before the storm. Their have been no serious injuries so far, but a lot of minor nuisances at the camp.
Many players have made themselves known at this years camp, including new wide reciever Kevin Curtis. He has made some great catches at camp. He played for the St. Louis Rams the last few years and was overshadowed by Torry Holt and Issac Bruce. He will most likely be the number 2 option behind Reggie Brown. While their is no real star number 1 option, Brown is looking to step it up in his third season.
Their have been many good stories this year at camp. Rookie running back Tony Hunt, out of Penn. State, is showing his stuff. Rookie defensive end Victor Abiamiri is looking good and may be able to make an impact this season. Jevon Kearse is looking terrific coming off an injury last season. Jeremiah Trotter says he was disapointed about the team's run defense and his overall play last season. He says he came into training camp thinner this season. New-comer Takeo Spikes is showing his big-hit ability.
Their is also that tiny little bug that flys around the coaches head and usually gets bigger as the season goes on. Injuries, every team has them. The only injury that makes you shudder is that of the recovering sports hernia that L.J Smith has. Now if you remember, that is the same injury that plagued Donovan McNabb in 2005. A sports hernia can be reagrivated. If your an Eagles fan you do not want that to happen to your solid tight end. Smith fell to the ground in practice to days ago. It was first said that he reagrivated his sports hernia. It was later said, by coach Andy Reid, that he strained his groin.
The offensive line has been showered with minor injuries. All-Star guard Shawn Andrews has a sprained right ankle and Andrew's backup, Scott Young was carted off the field because of a sprained right knee. Also offensive tackle Jon Runyan left the field with lower-back tightness.
One other injury note is that Brian Dawkins is starting to do drills
Now I will move on to the injury-prone quarterback Donovan McNabb. The Eagles season counts on Donovan McNabb, now that may seem like betting your life savings that a coin will land on heads. Donovan McNabb can lead this team to a Super Bowl, like he did in 2004, and have an MVP-caliber season. I think McNabb can be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That is if he can stay healthy. Now there is the question every Eagle fan should ask about this upcoming season because that is what will make or break their season. That is the difference between a 8-8 season and a Super Bowl win. It is easy to predict the Eagles will make the playoffs if McNabb stays healthy, but try predicting if McNabb will stay healthy or not. Because I know as an Eagles fan that my heart jumps every time he scrambles out of the pocket and a linebacker is closing in on him. So please ask your self, do you truly belive Mcnabb will stay healthy.
As for me I think he will finally stay healthy and the Eagles will win the NFC East, but we have been saying that for years, I know but it will finally happen. So please, leave your thoughts, prayers, or predictions for the Eagles.

Calling All Soccer Fans

I will give my predictions and explanations of who will finish in the top 5 in the English Premier League this season. Now, I am a Arsenal fan but I will still be fair in my predictions. Tell me what you think of them.

1. Manchester United- I hate to say it but Man U will repeat as champions. They just have so much skill and experience. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world and he is just so great on the ball. Wayne Rooney returns as one of the best strikers and goal scorers in England. He has tremendous speed. Ryan Giggs is one of the best midfielders in the Premiership. Man U captain Gary Neville is a great defender and a leader in the locker room. Edwin Vander Sar is a solid goalkeeper. And with Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the most successful managers ever, Man U will win it again.

2. Liverpool- Peter Crouch is a great goalscorer and has great speed. Dirk Kuyt is great a stuffing the ball in around the net. Steven Gerrard is a major playmaker and sets up so many goals. Gerrard's fellow playmaker is Xabi Alonso can change a game if he is playing good. Manager Rafael Benitez has lead Liverpool to a European Super Cup. Liverpool will finsh a far second to Man U.

3. Chelsea- Star Goalie Petr Cech had 13 cleansheets last year despite a major head injury. This year he should have 17-22 clean sheets if he stays healthy. Andry Shevchenko was very inconsistent last year but promises he will be better this season. He is one of the best goalscorers ever. Returner Golden Boot winner Didier Drogba is the best striker, period. Frank Lampard had another 20 goal year last season and don't be suprised to see him do it again. Captain John Terry is very consistent and should play good even with that injury last year. Jose Mourino is a soccer mastermind. Chelsea will be contending with Liverpool for second.

4. Arsenal- Even with Henry leaving for Barca, Arsenal will finish fourth. I think Theo Walcott will have his breakout season this season and will get more playing time now that Henry is gone. Robbie Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor will also have great seasons. Francesc Fabregas is a great playmaker and will develope into a major star this year. Thomas Rosicky is great on the wing. Jens Lehmann is a good but very a tempermental goalie. Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in the world. Arsenal's gameplan is so flowing. This Arsenal squad is very young, look for them to contend in a few years.

5. Tottenham Hotspur- Dimitar Berbatov is a good goalscorer. Robbie Keane is second on the team in scoring. He is a goalscoring machine. The Spurs should contend for fourth.

Bonds Passes Hallowed Record

Barry Bonds passed one of the biggest records in sports last night. No matter what you think of him he is still a hall of famer and a great player. I am happy he got it last night because I couldn't take all that coverage about the chase and it was inevitable that he was going to pass it. I am not happy he broke the record in the first place, though. Barry is suspected of taking steroids, although he never tested positive, he grew a lot bigger and hit most of his home runs when he was over 35. In his third at -bat last night he slammed one over the wall in right-center at ATT Park.
Barry was an all-time great before he blew up in size. A lot of people who think he took steroids, say he heard that Sosa and Maguire took steroids in their single-season homer run race and he thought he should try it. Then just years later, Bonds hit 73 homers in a season to pass the all-time record. He had 7 MVPs and 4 in a row. He won 8 gold gloves in leftfield. He always blew off the media, but even so, Giants fans love him.
Now to the steroid allegations, Bonds was tried before a grand jury for the Balco steroid case. His trainer is in jail for having steroids. The steroids he might have taken probly were undetectable. If he took them, he might have started before they outlawed steroids. Also it is suspected that a lot of pitchers took steroids and that might have made it a fair game in Bond's heyday
The record will always be tainted in the fan's mind. You saw MLB's reaction to Bonds breaking record, when Bud Selig looked as if he lost his best friend when Bonds hit his 755th home run. The steroid era is Major League Baseball's fault because they embraced Mark Maguire and Sammy Sosa when they were in that home run race and that's what made players think taking steroids was O.K.. The steroid era is is a major black spot on Major League Baseball and Barry Bonds is the king of it because even if he didn't take steroids, he broke the greatest record in Major League Baseball in that era.

Red Hot Yankees

David Beckham was in Toronto to see the Blue Jays play the Yankees last night. He saw a good game, as the Yankees pulled it out 5-4. The Yankees won their 4th game in a row. Andy Pettitte got the win, his 8th of the year. Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas homered for the Jays. Second baseman Robinson Cano had an important 2 run double for the Yankees. Melky Cabrera went 3 for 4 and Mariano Rivera got his 18th save. Cabrera has been on fire lately.
The Yankees are 11 games over .500 so far this season. They are 6 games behind the Boston Red Sox in the A.L East and 1/2 game behind in the A.L wild card race. They are 19-7 since the all-star game.
In May, the Yanks were 13.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox and were being critized of one of the worst pitching staffs in the A.L.. Joe Torre was rumored to be fired. Many people at that time thought they had no chance at making the playoffs.
The Yankees have had a hitting surge since the all-star game and have been consistenley winning again. Manager Joe Torre said this about the Yankees second half come back,"When we weren't winning games regularly, you're not consiously [doing this], but you sit there and hope something doesn't go wrong. Now, we have a lot of confidence and hopefully we can continue to build on it"

Burrell Picks it up

Pat Burrell practically had a for sale sign this offseason and at the halfway point of this season. Pat had the worst first half of the season of his entire career in 2007. One of the worst months of Burrell's career came in June. He hit .129 in 24 games. He had 8 hits, 2 homers, and 9 RBI's. At this point Burrell was getting booed every at bat at the Phillies own Citizens Bank Park and the Phillies organization did everything but give him away. I think if he wasn't making millions of dollars, Phillies management would have sent him down to triple AAA Ottawa. His starting job was being taken by Michael Bourn and Jayson Werth. Pat is batting .443 after the all-star game so far, with 31 hits, 6 home runs and 21 RBIs. He is first in batting for the Phils after the all-star game. He is second on the team in hits, home runs and RBIs after the all-star game. Burrell had one of the best months of his career in July, in 24 games he batted .435. He had 30 hits, 6 homers, and 22 RBIs. Now compare his June numbers with his July numbers. He batted .314 points better in July. He had 23 more hits, 4 more homers, and 12 more RBIs in July. Now think of that much change in only a month's worth of games. That must be one of the best hitting turnarounds in such a short time in the history of Major League Baseball. The Phillies need Burrell's hot bat to help them outrun the the New York Mets in the N.L. East because star second baseman Chase Utley and rightfielder Shane Victorino are injured. The Phillies are 5 games behind the Mets in the N.L. East and 2 games back in the N.L. wild card race. The Phillies are going to need Burrell and everything they got to get to the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

Glavine Wins #300

It took him a while to get there, but Tom Glavine finally got his 300 win yesterday in Wrigely field last night. Only 23 pitchers have ever reached that mark and now Glavine has a sure ticket to the hall of fame. Glavine becomes the fifth lefty and the first since the great Steve Carlton in 1983 to win 300. It was a great moment last night for Glavine and the cherry on top of a terrific hall of fame career. Remember this moment because their might not be another 300 game winner for a long time. The closest to 300 is Randy Johnson at 283 but he is out with a back injury and may never play again. I think there won't be another for 5-10 years. There are a lot of great young prospects out there like Justin Verlander and Cole Hamels, who could win 300 games. But please, remember this day.

Still Waiting on Beckham

David Beckham did not play last night in his expected MLS debut against Toronto FC. Beckham has not started for the LA Galaxy. Beckham still has an injured left ankle. Beckham did not dress for yesterdays game. I think Beckham will HELP soccer become a bigger sport in America. But he can't do it alone, other good players need to come and play in the MLS. Also kids in this generation need to dream to play in the MLS. Beckham will draw a major fan base his first season but next season he will be old news. Many people think Beckham is coming here because he is washed up but last season he came back from an injury to help Real Madrid win the Spanish league. What the MLS needs to do is to make U.S soccer fans MLS fans. A lot of American soccer fans, including me, are fans of European clubs. Beckham will help revoulotionize American soccer, but he will need help.

Selig Unfazed

The commissoner of baseball, Bud Selig, was there last night to see Barry Bonds hit his 755th to tie Hank Aaron's home run record. Everybody knows he was only there because the owners put pressure on him to see the record broken. Selig in a press conference said he is doing his best to see the record and gave "Herculean effort" to watch Bonds. He only cares what people, the fans, think of him. That whole press conference was about trying to please the people. When Bonds tied the record last night, Selig looked as if he wanted to be anywhere else but there. All he did was stand up. He didn't even crack a smile. Obviously, Major league baseball is not happy about Bonds chasing the record, nor am I.

Giant Joke

The San Fransico Giants are in last place in the NL West. They are trailing Arizona by 13 games. All their fans care about is the record. Some of Barry's fellow teammates are calling him the worst teammate in the league. Nobody is paying attention to the other players or the team's record. Barry finally hit number 755 yesterday. He is known to be a jerk to the media and is suspected of steroids. Nobody except San Francisco fans like Bonds or is happy he broke the record. And I can't blame them

Big Expectations

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to finish on top of the NFC east again this year. The defense will be better with the addition of Takeo Spikes. Donovan will be Donovan. The Eagles wide receiving corps wil be improved with the addition of Kevin Curtis. Linebacker and leader Jeremiah Trotter says he's lost some pounds and is preforming well in training camp. The defense is determined to stop the run. The Eagles run defense last year was one of the worst in the league. The coaching staff promises to hand the ball off to Brian Westbrook more this season. Westbrook will return as one of the best backs in the league. The future looks bright.

A-Rod Hits 500th

Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th homer earlier today. Now barring injuries, A-rod should eventually pass Barry Bonds. He is the youngest person, at 32, to reach 500 home runs. At the the end of his carrer, he should go down as one of the best who ever played and also the home run king. I think he will be the best who ever played. This is of course barring a serious injury. Now with a serious injury, he could just be one of those people who hit a lot of home runs in the steroid era. He was struggling to get his 500th. Before his 500th, he hadn't hit a homer since July 25.

Barajas on 15-day disabled list

This may be a good thing for the Phillies. Rod Barajas is hitting an atrocious .214. Chris Coste should be the starting catcher. He is batting .345. Barajas is getting 3million this year and is not earning it. Carlos Ruiz is a little better than Barajas, batting .254. Barajas is more of an underachviever than the whole Phillies club. They better drop him next year. He has just 4 homeruns and a dismal nine RBI's. I would have more RBI's if I played for the Phillies. I don't know why Coste wasn't the starter to begin with. He batted .328 in 65 games in 2006. Barajas has a strained right groin. Good riddance.