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Friday, October 25, 2013

Break That Record!

The 76ers are gearing up for what could be their worst season in franchise history...oh wait, that would mean the worst season in NBA history.  After watching some of this preseason there is no doubt that the Sixers are in full tank mode.  There is just not enough talent and years of experience to win any games in this league, they keep cutting/dropping players left and right.  The Sixers just waived Vander Blue, Royce White (the flying got to him), Khalif Wyatt, and Mac Koshwal.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the right call, as  risky as it might be.  This team has to take the chance to be great again and this is by far the best opportunity to do so.  The Sixers have the chance to get the 1st and 6th (pending the Pelicans place) in the lottery, giving them a 33.1% chance at snagging Wiggins.  It will be fun knowing the Sixers will not be good and going for the big prize.  Not having expectations will make the season some what watchable and who cares if they get the worst record ever.


My predictions is that they don't quite beat out their old record of 9-73, but i think they are going to beat it by 1 game...10-72!  What do you all think??


ski

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

NBA Is Back!

With the NBA season returning in a week, there are plenty of story lines to go around.  Players are returning from injuries, big time players are moving to different cities, and big time franchises in the same city are battling it out for supremacy.

Derrick Rose is returning to the Bulls this season after tearing his ACL in the playoffs the season before last.  Rose is one of the most electrifying players in the NBA and it will be a welcomed return.  Not only is Rose returning after healing up for a season, he gets matched up with the two time defending champs the Miami Heat.  This will be a great match up to see how Rose responds to being out for a year and also to see two top tier teams from the east battle it out.

Over on the west coast there has been the "battle for LA" which isn't so much on the court as it is off.  Recently the Clippers have covered up some retired jerseys and championship banners in the rafters with banners of the Clippers starting 5 and the 6th/7th man.  Many Lakers fans have been up in arms about this move but it will probably only be during Clippers games and the regular banners will be up all other times.  Having said that, I have read the Staples center has way more of a Clippers feel to it when you walk in the stadium and you can smell the rebuild aroma of the Lakers organization coming.

Back over to the North East you have Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett who will take their final shots at another championship as a part of the Brooklyn Nets.  The two all-stars made their way over to Brooklyn, in the off-season, from Boston.  Nets have a new coach in ex-player Jason Kidd and are looked at as being one of the top teams in the east.  This should being a fun-filled east coast conference.

Finally, there are the teams that made some "roster changes" in the off-season that are hoping to be able to score big in the lottery.  A few teams that have no shot at making the playoffs seem to be unloading mediocre talent to free up some space for the big time players that are coming out of the draft next year and some free agents that will be on the market in a few years.  It should be a interesting season and an even more interesting off-season to come.


Who do you think will win the chip this year??


ski

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Black Mamba


Kobe Bryant, one of the most loved and hated individuals in the NBA. Mostly hated on now by the teenagers who can't remember him destroying everything in his path for the last 17 seasons. To them, they only notice LeBron James, because he is now the face of the league and is shoved in everyone's face by ESPN and others.

Kobe Bryant has accomplished everything you can in the NBA, 5 titles, 2x finals MVP, 2x NBA scoring champ, NBA MVP, 15x All-Star, 9x all defensive team, 2x Olympic Gold medalist and the list goes on and yet he still gets doubted. If anything, the doubting seems to fuel Kobe, who is entering his 18th NBA season and coming off an achilles tendon injury. He seems to improve every year and for someone who is 35, he does not show any signs of letting up. His heart and soul are still driving him to this game. He is 4th on the all time scoring list for the NBA and could very well pass Michael Jordan, who is arguably the best player of all time, for 3rd place this season. He is only 675 points away from doing this, so it does not seem that far off, coming off a season where he scored 2,133 points.

People have always said that he had help in winning his 5 titles and they try to take that away from his talents and what he accomplished in those seasons. But, the same goes for every NBA champion and other greats in history. Jordan had Pippen and Rodman, LeBron has Wade and Bosh, Larry Bird had Parrish and McHale, and Magic had Kareem, so that excuse is irrelevant.

This upcoming season could be Kobe's last or it may not be, but just know he will do everything that his talents allow him in pursuing his 6th title  Whenever he plays this season, he is going to leave it all on the court, as he does every single night. You can not take away from his toughness and his determination and will to win games. He may shoot the ball more than anyone else on his team and sometimes the league, but if you look at his current team, you would too. Call him selfish, a ball hog, old, injury prone, whatever you want, Kobe Bryant will still go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game, and for me and many others, one of the best we have ever witnessed.



CroJack

Monday, October 21, 2013

Down and Out...AGAIN!



Well it seems like we have all seen this story before, the 76ers prized acquisition of the summer will be out for the season with a knee injury. Did I mention it was their center again? The only difference, it was more expected this time than it was last season. As it is being reported the 76ers will be holding Nerlens Noel out of game action for the season to focus on his recovery from a torn ACL that he suffered during a game in college last February. Many people originally believed that Noel would return sometime during the mid point of his rookie season but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

Unlike last year the Sixers knew what they were getting when they traded for Noel during draft night. It was no surprise to anyone, unlike the Bynum injury, that the Sixers were getting damaged goods in the trade. Unlike Bynum, who had a history of knee problems in the past, this is the first major knee injury to Nerlens. Knowing these facts Philly made the calculated risk to invest in Noel's future and hope that he could return to his form prior to the injury.

Like many people I will be upset knowing that our big acquisition will be sitting on the bench all year (again) and will have to wait til the 2014/15 season to see what type of talent he will turn into. With every negative though you need to try to find the positive in the situation and oddly enough I believe there will be a few positives that can come from him missing the year. First and foremost it will give Noel time to put on the extra needed muscle he will need to compete with the big men of the NBA. Anyone who has taken a look at Nerlens knows that he would be moved around pretty easily in the post with his frame. At 6'11, 228 lbs Nerlens isn't the intimidating presence that you want in the center of the lane to defend someone like Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or Tyson Chandler. Sure he has the height but the body mass isn't there and that is going to be a very important factor in how he plays down low. Secondly, it will give the coaches time to work on his shot and his free throws. In his lone season at Kentucky he was only averaging 10.5 points a night and 52% from the charity stripe, both numbers which should be much higher for a kid with his ability. Everyone saw his defensive game in college, it was always his offensive ability that seemed to be lagging behind. Hopefully with the extra time and practice the coaches can teach him how to work in the post and become more of a scoring threat.

Finally, the team is not going to be good this year so why bring him into a losing culture. Let him watch the games up close and see how different the NBA is from college but don't let him be apart of the blow outs that will happen most nights. Let him grow with the future draft picks we will have and hope that management can build a better team around him next year. It will be good, in my opinion, to give him the year to build up his game and hope that help will be on its way next year, possibly in the form of Andrew Wiggins, with the two lottery picks they will most likely have. Sometimes it is hard to be a Philly fan, but you got to try to make the best of the worst situations.

What do you think? Am I crazy for thinking that the team is making a good call sitting out their big man for the season....again?



Goins



photo:getty images

LeBron James....The future of the 76ers?

Everyone keeps saying the 76ers are a team rebuilding, planning for the future and shouldn't expect to be a contender for the next few years. I say that's all a bunch of crap! If the Sixers lose the right amount of games this year and the ping pong balls bounce in Philly's favor, Andrew Wiggins could be, in my opinion, the beginning of a quick rebuild.

With all of the hype surrounding Andrew Wiggins, every team in the league would be more then happy to be slated to pick first overall and add the young talent to their team. Fortunately for the 76ers, they have a pretty good chance of challenging their own league record for fewest wins in a season with 9. Now as we all know the Sixers traded their All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday during this past draft for Nerlens Noel and a 1st round pick in next years draft (lottery protected 1-5) to further bolster their assets in case they don't get that number 1 pick. But what if all of this is just a set-up and Wiggins isn't the only target for next year? What if Wiggins is just a piece to an even larger plan that Hinkie set in motion the night he traded Jrue?

I think Sam Hinkie might have more to his plan of tanking for Wiggins. All summer Hinkie has been making minor, not including the Holiday trade, moves adding young players with a lot of unproven potential. Im not saying that any of these players are gonna break out and turn into the next great player, but hey they could turn out to be decent role players and worst case after this year they are all gone after their deals expire. In the best scenerio the sixers get double-digit wins but still end up with the top pick and, with the way the Pelicans look, another high lottery pick. All of the sudden the Sixers could have a core of young talented players to build around.

With only Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams and Thadeus Young under contract for next year ( hoping Jason Richardson doesn't exercise his player option) the team would have a lot of money to throw around in free agency, now this is when it gets interesting. If you add Wiggins and another high lottery pick into that group of players, you have a young core that if they grow and play well together could be good for years to come. With, at minimum (if Richardson decides to screw us out of $6.6 mill), $25 million to play with next summer and a lot of young talent, why not try to make a max offer to LeBron, Carmelo, D-Wade or even Kobe. The young talent to build around will be there, and a coach who is out to prove he is worthy of being a head coach in NBA will be there (because we all know 2013-2014 will not reflect well on him). All you need is to sell one of those players on the team, all of its potential and the chance that they have to lead this young group into greatness and hope one of them decides its worth a try. And just like that you could go from challenging for the worst single season record to challenging the powerhouses for an NBA title. It is a change this city sorely needs, because basketball has been in a state of shambles around this city for years now.

And just like that the 76ers would be good and basketball would be relevant again in the city of brotherly love. Unfortunately a lot of things have to happen in order for all this to fall into place starting with the players deciding to opt-out of their current deals. Also, for all any of us know, Hinkie could be ok with being bad for the next few years and building from the draft and not trying to bring in a superstar. I have hopes he might see the value, since he is all about his analytical analysis, in signing a big name next summer but that is still to be determined. Until then, here's to hoping the Sixers get a new record (albeit a bad one) and get the pick that they need.


Goins


photo: NBA.com

Dominic Brown everyone.

 Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown. (Photo via Domonic Brown´s Twitter)
This past Sunday evening marked another loss at home for the Philadelphia Eagles, which now totals to nine straight at home. But, it was also time for Dominic Brown, outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies, to support the Dallas Cowboys in his Michael Irving or Dez Bryant jersey.

Not only has this pissed off a lot of people on Twitter and on other social media outlets, but it shows that he could care less about what his "fans" think about him. Now, I know what you are thinking, who cares who he roots for? He has the right to cheer for anybody. You are right in saying that, but when you are born and raised in Florida, not Texas, and openly cheer and plaster on Twitter "Go Boys", in front the of the city you represent, there will be some backlash. Most of the reactions were very harsh and in some ways they are right, but some people went way overboard. Some reactions were, "Leave. Philly. Now." "You are a asshole." " I'm starting a #TradeBrown page you got to go!" All comments were from different users on Twitter. Side note, Mike Adams, the Phillies reliever is also in this picture, but he is actually from Texas.

Brown had an answer to all the negativity he has been getting, he tweeted, "Philly doesn't love me. I get boo's almost every night. No big deal use to it." That is mainly because you were a ghost after the all-star break and rarely played a good game, before and after the injury. It seems as though Brown has had it with Philly and the fans and maybe he does not care to be a part of this city anymore. This is not to say he deserves to go because he is a Cowboys fan, but it would be nice for someone who represents Philadelphia to be somewhat quiet of who they cheer for and not be ignorant of his situation in Philadelphia. What happened yesterday just puts a big target on his back for the fans of the Phillies.


CroJack

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Back to the future, Again


Today was supposed to be Nick Foles' day to show everyone he is the future of the franchise, the man to lead us for years to come. Instead, Nick played his worst game of his short career and left the game early with what was presumed to be a concussion. Before leaving the game Foles looked very shaky in the pocket holding on to the ball longer than normal and moving around the pocket more than last week. It really makes me wonder what he would have looked like if DeMarcus Ware had been playing today, but it's hard to think he really could have looked worse. Foles just wasn't making the throws we have seen him make before and was missing throws that he should have easily been completing (Jason Avant wide open in the end zone).

All of the hope that fans had built up for the future may have been cut down after watching the game. 11/29 for 80 yds and 0 TD is not the stat line that will give you confidence. All of the blame can't be completely put on Foles' shoulders. The offense just couldn't get anything going all game and the run game, averaging 178 yds, couldn't even manage to break 100 yds in the game. Going against the 30th ranked defense, everyone assumed that the game would be a shoot-out and Foles would be able to rack up the yards against the Cowboys porous defense. Anyone who watched the game knows that wasn't even close to the case today.

To make matters worse, our other young signal caller got a chance to prove his worth in the fourth quarter and couldn't get it done himself. Matt Barkley got the call after the injury, and even though he went 11/20 for 129 yds, he threw 3 interceptions and never really got the offense going. It's not the start he, or any of us fans, wanted to his career. Barkley made the easy passes but tried to force other passes leading to the turnovers. I know he was trying to get the offense going and spark a comeback but in order to do that you need the ball. He has to be more responsible with the ball and make smarter decisions. With the health of the other two QBs up in the air, we might have been watching a preview of what's in store next week against the win-less Giants.

It's time we ask, is Nick Foles the future? With time will Matt Barkley be the quarterback we are searching for? Or should the Eagles try to find their QB of the future in the draft again?


Goins

Saturday, October 19, 2013

One Last Hurrah

2014 seems to be gearing up to be the last hurrah for this Phillies team that has brought a lot of excitement to the great city of Philadelphia.  The core group that won this franchise a world series and a trip back in 2009 is still intact but is getting old and aren't at the top of their games like 2008.  Howard, Rollins, and Utley are still all under contract and will be back next year to give it another shot.  If these core three can stay healthy for a full year it can mean good things, but that doesn't seem to be the trend for the past 3 or so years.  Another welcome addition that has finally come into his own skin is Dominic Brown.  Brown had a superb breakout year in 2013 hitting 27 homers and was leading the league at one point.  The Phillies have some gaps in outfield and are still wondering who to put at third, but they could definitely make a run if some key players are put in those spots and perform.

One key acquisition that would take this team from good to great is Giancarlo Stanton.  The Marlins already blew up their team last year and moved most of their good players and Stanton has been looking for a way out.  If Phillies are able to dig deep and trade some prospects (if there are any left after making moves the last couple years) and grab Stanton that would fill the huge gap in outfield and give a much welcomed boost to the bats, with 23 HRs and a .365 OBP in 2013.  Stanton will most likely be looking for the big bucks come his contract year but he could be a franchise player and help a team out for many years to come.


What do you guys think?  Will the Phillies make the moves this off season to try and make a run or will they be stuck in mediocrity and have to blow up the team after 2014?


ski

Photo: Philly.com

Friday, October 18, 2013

What's next for the Flyers?


Friday morning, another depressing loss for the Philadelphia Flyers and the fans of this city after last nights 4-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers are now 1-7 to start this season and are now off until next Thursday, when they face another rival, the New York Rangers. What has to happen next for the Flyers? Does there need to be a trade? A major move in the management? Or,  bring up some young guns?

We all have seen that the goalie situation isn't really a situation at all anymore. Steve Mason has stepped up his play this season and has pretty good numbers thus far, besides the win:loss ratio. He has posted a 2.37 GAA and a .923 SV%. Every night that he has started in net, he has been the Flyers best player, but continues to get no help. The problems rest heavily on the offense. They have still yet to manage a 3 goal game, which places them as the only team in the NHL not to do so this season. Looking at this offense, they seem out of sync, absolutely no chemistry on any of the lines. The defense has had some holes yes, but they are much improved from last season. The defense can only do so much, when the offense musters only 1 goal. Good news from last night, they scored a powerplay goal! All joking aside, head coach Craig Berube, needs to practice heavily on the special teams.

Does there need to be a trade to shake things up? Perhaps that is the only option to get this team going. There is some speculation going around that the Flyers are interested in sharp shooter Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres, among other teams as well. Maybe it's time to part ways with Scott Hartnell, he has been injury prone as of late and has not produced much of anything. Also, we have depth on the defensive side, for once. Braydon Coburn and Andrej Meszaros are also two potential trade bait options, that maybe a team will have interest it. Erick Gustafsson has played very well, since being called up to take Mez's spot. They also have Oliver Lauridsen waiting in the wind to be called back up. He played well last season, when the Flyers had all those injury problems. What in the world happened to Claude Giroux? Who would have thought after 8 games, he has no goals and only 3 points. Maybe the pressure of the captaincy is getting to him? Maybe they should remove it, and see how he reacts to it? Tough questions to answer, but something needs to be done.

Is Paul Holmgren to blame? Maybe. He did put this group together and they have done nothing but under perform. This team, like I stated before, has no chemistry. They are missing passes and the shots seem to go 6 feet wide, left or right. Maybe it is time for Holmgren to realize that bringing in players in their 30's in not the best option, example Vinny Lecavalier, but he did perform before getting injured. As far as the young talent is concerned, they have not stepped up, and doesn't look like they are going to step up. I hate to say it, but knowing Holmgrens' past he may try and move Sean Couturier or Brayden Schenn, to get players in their late 20's and early 30's, he desperately wants to win now and it looks like Ed Snider is pushing him into some of these signings and trades that have been made lately. Or, maybe Paul has punched his last ticket? Their was talk when Ron Hextall came back into town, that he would be replacing Holmgren. Hexy did a great job in helping the Los Angeles Kings put together a Stanley Cup winning team, and they still continue to compete and win games.

All in all this team needs to make something happen in the week they have off. If they want to get this city's fans behind the team again, there needs to be a change, be it trade, management switch, or bringing up the young guys, it has to happen now. There is no excuse for not attempting to do anything in this time off to get this team better. The next two games are against divisional rivals in the Rangers and Islanders, which will be tough tasks if nothing is resolved. I still fully support this team, but it is getting very hard to be happy about upcoming games, based on their performance in this season and the last.



CroJack

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Crybaby Crosby and Penguin Fans

Tonight the Philadelphia Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins in a divisional match up that will surely not disappoint. The Penguins captain, Sidney Crosby, is probably the most hated sports figure in all of the NHL and in Philadelphia for good reasons. Only people who do not see this are the Penguins fans, who think he is God's gift to the world.

Everywhere Crosby goes he is booed more than any other man in hockey. People say it is because he is the best in the sport, which to me is not true, in my opinion his teammate Malkin is much better. The reason why he is hated more than any other player is simply because he runs his mouth, hides behind his teammates, and he is protected by the league. Yes, Crosby has won fights, but he only goes after those that never fight, example Kimo Timmonen, in recent memory. He is hugely protected by the officials. During any game that he is in, if he is checked cleanly, he will complain, bitch and moan all the way to the bench, and he will get the call. Referees in this sport for some reason think they are slick, but it is clear, especially when the Penguins play the Flyers. One thing that he always seems to get away with is flopping. He flops more than LeBron James, which is a tough task in itself.

Penguins fans are an absolute joke, and the ones that live around Philly, are front running fair weather fans. The Penguins, if people remember, went bankrupt twice and had barely any fans during those times, even the ones that lived in Pittsburgh.  In 2003-04, they had the lowest attendance average in the entire NHL. From 2002 to end on the 2006 season, the Penguins were terrible, finishing in last place multiple times, with the attendance down, and obviously missing the playoffs. The 2004-2005 NHL season, was a lockout, so that helped the Penguins stay out of the basement, and the following draft they received Crosby, which was their 2nd time receiving the first overall pick in 3 seasons. Then in 2007-2008, once they started winning again the fans came out of the woodwork. Claiming that they were always loyal, but seem to forget the dismal years that the team has had. Then came the 2008-2009, second straight appearance in the Stanley Cup finals and the first championship since the 1991-1992 season . During the 08-09 season fans were popping up in cities all over the country, and the amount around the Philadelphia area tripled.

This game tonight is huge for the Flyers, if they hope to get back to winning ways. It will not be an easy game, but one that is winnable. Let's not forget Fleury does not seem to show up against the Flyers in recent years and hopefully that will be an advantage for them. Penguins fans will be in the building, pretending they have always been fans, Crosby will flop and hide, and the referees will be bias towards the Penguins, but all in all the Flyers know the importance of this game and will go out and leave it all on the ice.


CroJack

Going With the Hot Hand



After the week 6 game vs. Tampa Bay there is now the question of whether or not Nick Foles is the go to guy.  Foles put up some impressive numbers against one of the top defenses in the NFL, throwing for three TDs, rushing for one, and completing 22/31 passing.  A lot of people are saying if Foles has another convincing game Sunday vs. Dallas then he should be and will be the starting quarter back.

The trend lately for teams has been to go with what works and sometimes giving the backup a shot turns out to be a huge success, cough Tom Brady, cough Colin Kaepernick.  Everyone knows Michael Vick is not the future of the Eagles, which seems to make it a lot easier for fans knowing that they get a sneak peak of what could possibly be the start of the future.  No one knows how Foles will pan out but it's worth a shot and if he happens to not be what the Eagles are looking for there is a pretty good draft coming up with several QBs that would fit right in; Manziel (Texas A&M), Bridgewater (Louisville), Hundley (UCLA).


Let's hope Sunshine Foles gets it done this week and knocks the Cowboys on their ass!!


GO EAGLES!!


ski

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Depressing Start


Another disappointing game for the Philadelphia Flyers, as they lost 3-2 on Tuesday to the Vancouver Canucks.

They started the game with great pace and poise and it looked as though from the beginning, that this game will be the breakout they have been waiting for. But, when the horn sounded and the boo birds started, the Flyers have fallen to 1-6-0. There was one big bright spot in the game, as Tye McGinn, the 23 year old 2nd year man, notched 2 goals to bring his total to 3 on the season. Sadly, the only player on the team with that many goals on the season. Fun fact, the Flyers are the only team in the NHL, to not have recorded 3 goals in a single game.

The Flyers played very well for the first 2 periods, going into the 3rd with the lead. The 3rd period has been one of the weak spots for the Flyers this season, and it was again a problem. The Canucks scored a goal at 7:31 into the 3rd period to tie the game at 2-2. The game winning goal came at 17:35 into the 3rd period and crushed the Flyers hopes of getting a point out of this game. Craig Berube, the newly appointed head coach of the Flyers, who are now 1-3 after the switch, had this to say after the game, "We're kind of sitting back and waiting for something bad to happen." Well Berube, something did.

The captain of the team, Claude Giroux, was seen hunched over after the game in utter disappointment, skating off the ice. During a post game interview he had an interesting comment, "We are getting better every game, that's how we all look at it. It's a fact," Giroux announced. "If anybody knows anything about hockey, they'll know we played a good game tonight. We played our best game, and it's a good thing coming right now." Well, anybody who knows anything about hockey will know that a game is 60 minutes and the Flyers only showed up for 40 minutes, which has become the norm with this team in recent years.

The Flyers need to shake this lose off because this Thursday marks a pivotal game for the Flyers as they host their bitter rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are off to a hot start at 5-1-0. If they hope to get this season back on track and get this team back in playoff contention talks, then this game on Thursday is a make or break for them. As Giroux stated, "We'll start winning games here soon, and when we will, we'll be back in the playoff race." Here's to hoping for good things to come.



CroJack

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Eagles Vs. Cowboys Rivalry


This is one of the most viewed and most talked about sports rivalries in all of professional sports. The Eagles vs. Cowboys game this Sunday at 1:00 will be anything but boring.

The Cowboys fans a.k.a Cowgirls, are down right, the worst in football. Not having any knowledge of the sport or players involved, and are still living in the past, all seem to say one thing, " The Eagles have not won a championship, since before the Super Bowl era." Tell us Eagles fans something we don't already know, dig deep and find something clever to say, but I know that will be tough for you. Most of the Cowboys fans in the greater Philadelphia area,  I'd say 85% are not even from Dallas, but are fans because when they were growing up, the Cowboys were winning. And all of them can only seem to reference the teams from the 90's, because now they are horrible. Please, please, please, stop living in the 90's.

For some reason Cowboys fans seem to think Tony Romo is a great quarterback. And the owner of the team, Jerry Jones, paid him Peyton Manning money, and for everyone else that is not a Cowboys fan knows, this was the biggest joke of the off season. Sure he has had some good games in the regular season, but that has not translated to anything great for the team. When the game is on the line, winning or losing, at the point when Romo has the ball in the 4th quarter, he always seems to choke and throw a great pass to the corner back or the line backer of the opposing team. Romo has one playoff win in his entire career, but Cowgirl fans are still sticking by him. If anything other than smart, the Cowboy fans are loyal to this choke artist, I give them props for that one.

This Sunday will be a great game between these two teams. This game is also for first place, so there will be some heated moments in this game, not only from the players, but from people in the stands. To my fellow Eagles fans, please do not stoop to the level of the Cowboy fans, and just enjoy the game. I am willing to bet Tony Romo will blow the game for the girls and we will be laughing as they exit the stadium.


GO BIRDS!!!!

Karlo Radolovic ( CroJack )


It's Relevant Again!


It's been a few years but an Eagles vs. Cowboys game is relevant again!  The past couple Eagle's seasons have been disappointing to say the least, but in a wretched division there is a battle for 1st place between the two 3-3 division leading teams.  With the two other teams in the division having 1 combined win, it is looking like Philly and Dallas will be battling it out for the rest of the season to nab first place.  Nick Foles is coming off of a great game down in Tampa and has also made the QB controversy in Philly relevant.  Some say if Foles takes this game against Dallas, he will be the starter.

This game will have high ratings, high intensity and a lot of mutual "hate".


EAGLES > COWGIRLS 35-28

Saturday, October 12, 2013

The Tank for Wiggins



The question that lies with all lottery pick teams next year, is Andrew Wiggins worth it?  Andrew is coming out of one of the heaviest drafts in the past decade and is no doubt going to be top 5, most likely one, but is he worth "tanking" the season for?

I wouldn't go as far as saying teams are throwing up the white flag and not playing a single game this year just to get a shot at the young phenom but I'd like to think that teams made some off season moves (cough, Sixers) to open up the rosters to get that superstar that has been needed for almost a decade, after the first time AI left the scene.  Let's face it, we all know if you want your team to have a shot at winning the championship you WILL need a superstar, maybe even two...shoot some teams even need three; and this draft is a great start.  Sixers have the possibility of getting two lottery picks if the Pelicans (lol) fall within the lottery and it could extremely boost this young Sixers lineup with even more young talent and you can look forward to them being relevant again in a couple years if everything goes their way.

There is no saying that Andrew Wiggins will be the next Michael, Kobe or LeBron but the media sure as hell seems to hype him up as if he will be the next big star.

GO SIXERS!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Flyers Criticism



Since the firing of Lavy, the Flyers have faced heavy criticism from the "fans" of this city and various media sources.

Starting with the sports media, that seems to swarm to every single word this teams says, like a flesh eating virus. They seem to think they know all the answers and have all the right questions. The one that bothers me the most is the, " this team hasn't won in 40 years, what do you plan to do about it?" As if that question holds any water, because to me that is the only thing they can say to this team, who has been to 6 Stanley Cups since '75 and numerous playoff runs, but they lose because of the "culture" not because they got out played, sorry I forgot. This city's media thrives on negativity towards the Flyers or any of the major sports teams here. Let's say the Flyers do win the cup, be it this year or the next, the media will neglect it. "Oh, one cup since 75' isn't that impressive, "what do you plan to do next year?" Even when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, the next year they were talking like the last championship was years ago. The media here loves to promote negative attention towards the teams in this city, day in and day out.


My favorite would be the "fans" of this team. They claim to love this team, yet criticize and critique in their own minds what should be done. I myself am guilty of this from time to time, but I have knowledge of the sport and understand the reasoning behind it, except Bryz, no words for that. "Paul Holmgren needs to go after getting rid of Jeff Carter and Mike Richards." This phrase pains me when I hear it. People who actually have knowledge about hockey will realize that it was a smart decision, because of the off ice antics and the lack of production from Carter, after he collected his money from the extension. "Holmgren handed the Kings the cup." All I can do it shake my head at this one, in most cases. Little do the "fans" know, the Kings were on their way to a great year. The roster was stacked, Justin Williams, Kopitar, Brown, Doughty, oh and that guy in net, who single handedly won the cup for the Kings, Jonathan Quick. Oh, and the Blue Jackets handed Carter to the Kings, FYI gang (had to use a Coatesy word). The flyers in return have some very exciting young talent, of whom can become stars. Simmonds, Schenn and Voracek alone have made immediate impacts.



Karlo Radolovic (CroJack)

Flyers 10/11/13


Tonight marks the second game for the Flyers new head coach, Craig Berube. The Chief, has already implemented a new system which is completely different from the dump and chase of Lavy. You can clearly that see in the game against the Panthers. The first game was not pretty, but a win is a win. He and the team have now had two full days of practice to implement his system. This won't be an overnight change by any means, but from that first game on Tuesday, this team looks very different. Tonight they have the Phoenix Coyotes, who are coming off a win from last night against the Red Wings ( Flyers next opponent on Saturday ). So, here's to hoping they are tired and worn out from that game and the travel, and let the Flyguys go out and get a much needed win, for the fans, this city and themselves.

LETS GO FLYERS!!!!


Karlo Radolovic (CroJack)