New blogs

In celebration of the Pedro Feliz signing, a new Phillies blog has been launched here. The Mets picked up a decent pitcher today, but Feliz will impact the Phillies' lineup on a daily basis.

Red Sox bloggings will be made here. Papelbon's offseason slaughtered ducks count (SD) will be disclosed there, when it becomes available.

The Philly teams are on a roll...

Some good things are going down in Philly these days. The Flyers signed goalie Martin Biron to a 2 year contract today. (Mrs. Biron must have taken a liking to the area.) I was a bit disconcerted when the Flyers traded a 2nd rounder (the 1st pick of the 2nd round) for 19 almost meaningless games worth of Biron in a season long lost. But now that he is signed, I feel much better about that trade. He will, hopefully, continue to bring consistent play to the goal crease. If not, he will at least save the Flyers on equipment costs, as he has been wearing the same skates for the last 11 years. (Apparently, they are still quite comfy.)

The Eagles made a huge move also, acquiring LB Takeo Spikes and 3rd string QB Kelly Holcomb from Buffalo for DT Darwin Walker and a late, conditional draft pick. Besides having an insanely cool name, Spikes is a versatile, impact player who fills a huge hole on the Eagles D. I have been a Spikes fan since having him on one of my fantasy football teams. (I am so hardcore that I play fantasy football IDP style!) Spikes is a little pricey, but they gave up almost nothing for him, as Darwin Walker was projected to be the 5th or 6th man in the 4 man tackle rotation. Excellent move by the Eagles.

The 2nd place Philadelphia Kixx secured a spot in the postseason. Their play has been much improved since I added a Kixx hat to my headwear rotation. I like to think I have a role, albeit small, in their success. There are only 22 KIXX HATS left, so buy now and PLAY IT REAL!

But, with the Phillies season starting in less than a week (!!!), it's time for the rest of the Philly teams to take a back seat. I'm a little concerned about the Phillies' rotation (Garcia, Eaton, and Lieber are having issues), the bullpen (Gordon seems fragile, the rest seem mediocre), and the fact that Howard, Burrell, and Rowand are all hitting around .200. (Yes, I know spring stats don't count/small sample size and whatnot, I am still concerned.) But they have until next Monday to get it together. I still think they are the team to beat in the NL East, though I may not necessarily be objective. I CANNOT WAIT for the season to start.

The teams are alright...

Both the Phillies and the Red Sox lost today. But it doesn't matter. I am feeling mighty optimistic about both squads. A rematch of the 1915 World Series seems very possible. Or at least a Phillies playoff appearance for the 1st time since 1993. It might just be the Aquafina talking, but I really like the Phillies' and Sox' chances this season.

The Phillies lost to the Reds 9-8 today, but the final score was a result of Phillies' minor leaguers blowing the big lead the Phillies' major leaguers put up. Jon Lieber pitched shutout ball, and may have bumped up his trade value a little. The Phillies have 6 good starters for 5 rotation spots- they could (should) trade Lieber for a young OF with some pop in his bat. (Hmm. That last sentence really seems familiar somehow...) With Brett Myers, Freddy Garcia, and wunderkind Cole Hamels fronting the rotation, and Chase Utley and Ryan Howard powering the offense, Philly should be a force in the NL. The Mets have a strong offense, but a very shaky rotation. The Braves have a strong bullpen, but issues elsewhere. The Phils could very well win the NL East.

The Sox lost today to the Dodgers, 2-1, in a game in which they only had 5 hits. But Josh Beckett (3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) pitched extremely well. He is a key component of what should be a very strong rotation. Jon Lester also pitched a hitless inning in a "B" game in the morning.
Kei Igawa, a P the Yankees are counting on for their rotation, got roughed up (1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB) by Detroit today. While the Yankees likely have a superior offense, the Sox could win the division on the strength of their superior rotation. Which features Papelbon. Ace starter. Ace closer. Duck hunter. And Jedi.

The Bruins are also looking good as of late. Two wins over the weekend have put them 4 points behind 8th place Carolina, with 3 fewer games played than the 'Canes. Tim Thomas has been remarkable in goal (18 consecutive games!), and the B's even won against Brodeur IN N.J. without Thomas in goal. They used Joey MacDonald, last seen being bombed by the Flyers for 6 goals and released by the Red Wings, in goal, and he responded with a 26 save, 1st star performance. In his red and white Red Wings mask. It looks like the 8th seed in the Conference will face a tough Buffalo team in the 1st round, but it would be great just for the Bruins to make the playoffs. And I think they will.

Even the Flyers, with the fewest points in the league, 9 less than the horrendous L.A. Kings, seem to be moving in the right direction. They have made some good trades in recent weeks, picking up a gaggle of draft picks, and some good young players like Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent, Braydon Coburn, and Lasse Kukkonen. They should have the max number of ping pong balls in the draft lottery, so they should pick up another good prospect with their 1st round pick. (Though no Crosby or Ovechkin or Malkin seems to be available in this draft.) The acquisition of G Martin Biron from the Sabres was an expensive one- the cost being the (likely) 1st selection in the 2nd round of the draft- but, if they can convince him to sign a contract before he becomes a free agent, it could be worth the price. I still think Antero Niittymaki can be a #1 goalie and an NHL star, but it won't hurt to have a #1 goalie in place until Antero gains more experience and consistency at the NHL level. The Flyers have some salary cap room going into the offseason, and with possible free agents like Daniel Briere and Kimmo Timonen available, the Flyers won't be propping up the NHL standings next season.

A commercial interruption

The Phillies have unveiled their 2007 advertising campaign- "Goosebumps- What will they do for you?" I hope they didn't do much from a financial standpoint for the peeps who came up with the slogan and the commercials, because they are a bit lackluster. In a season in which the Phils are looking to play .600 ball, their slogan is .400 winning percentage quality. And the goosebumps you feel when watching the commercials, are likely more reminiscent of what you felt when you heard the Phils had picked up Abe Nunez, than what you felt when the Phillies won in 1980. There is voting available to pick your favorite of the 6 commercial series. In the absence of a "They all suck option", I abstained. View and vote here.

The kind of vibe that I think the Phillies were going for really comes out well in a series of NHL commercials that have recently begun airing in the U.S. My favorite of this new batch is here. (My favorite part is when the guy puts the money back in his pocket.) Maybe, before next season, the Phillies can get the group responsible for this creation to make some commercial magic for them.

Thanks to the wonder that is YouTube, I can also link to my favorite hockey commercials ever. I don't really remember seeing these in the U.S., they were probably played more in Canada? Check some out here. Also here. Also cool are the Spartacat vids for the Ottawa Senators. FAITES DU BRUITES!

Stop! Hannu time!

So Hannu Toivonen gets another chance to participate in exciting NHL action tonight against the New York Islanders. The last opportunity didn't work out so well (5-0 loss in Nashville, in which he allowed 2 goals which were softer than Glen Murray), but he has a much better chance against the Islanders.
My predictions: Hannu allows one fluky goal in a 3-1 win, Timothy Thomas enjoys a relaxing night as a spectator, Hannu plays 35% of the remaining Bruins regular season games and performs better than Wade Flaherty would, the Bruins do NOT waste draft picks trading for a Proven Veteran Backup Goalie, Thomas leads the B's into the 2nd round of the playoffs, and Boston.com continues to run that Extremely Disconcerting picture of Toivonen every time he plays. (Note: That pic is much too disconcerting to display here.)

Onnea matkaan, Hannu!

Eagles 23, Tikis 20

Well, bringing back Koy Detmer to hold the snaps from The Magician worked out pretty well. (Hmm. Why do I think of Gob from Arrested Development whenever the Magical Exploits of the Eagles Long Snapping Specialist are referenced on just about every FGA/PAT?)
He Who Kicks With Stupendous Accuracy did his thing, and the Eagles will be off to New Orleans next weekend.

The game was a little more nerve-wracking than I would have preferred. What with the game being in Philly, and the Giants being Dead Men Walking and all. But the Eagles got the result, and that's (mostly) all that matters. Have to give most of the credit for this victory to Mr. Westbrook and myself. Westbrook for his brilliant and clock-killing running, myself for the fact that the Eagles are now 6-0 on weekends where I wear my McNabb jersey on game day, and my Akers jersey on the preceding day.

They will need a more thorough effort to beat the Saints in NO, however. I am very concerned by the fact that Lito seems likely to be a sideline observer with Jevon and Donovan. I am hopeful Jeff will perform like he had in previous weeks. And Westbrook needs to reprise this week's performance.

Additionally, while the Eagles managed the last 4 minutes of the game (leaving the Giants with zero seconds in which to make a comeback) extremely well, I still think they would be well-served by adding me to the staff as Time Management Coordinator. I could handle time outs, when to spike the ball, when to allow the other team to score, play-calling at the end of each half, taking a knee, when to allow time to drip off the clock, etc. Sometimes the Eagles seem puzzled by these things. Like at the end of the 1st half when they let 30 seconds drip away before they finally took a time out. Those wasted 30 seconds could have been worth another FG. Andy, let me know if you need me on the sidelines in NO.

In other NFL playoff games, I was excited to watch the Pats win. Not that the Jets were much of a challenge. The Pats have a very tough matchup against the Chargers in SD next weekend, but I think they have a good shot at the upset. I'll be rootin' for them. (And not just because the Eagles have a better chance to beat them in the Super Bowl.)

Glad to see Romo and the Cowboys choke and eliminate themselves. Fuckers.
While I must admit it was pretty exciting to watch LJ shred the Colts for 32 yards (on 13 carries) rushing, and that play with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter when the Chiefs actually got one of those "First Down" things for the 1st time, that game kind of sucked. Mostly because I was hoping the Colts would choke and eliminate themselves like the Cowboys. But Peyton and boys will do their choking thing next weekend. Just a matter of time.

Flyers had 2 more L's over the weekend. Their strategy of letting the other team shoot on them all game, and then attempting an occasional counter-attack didn't exactly work. More of a soccer strategy, anyways.
Additionally, they are reportedly considering trading Joni Pitkanen. (Apparently, they think having ZERO (0) good D, is an idea worth considering.)
I choose not to think of the Flyers right now. At least they helped the B's get closer to a playoff spot.

The Phillies still need a RF. Also about 7 worthwhile relievers. The Red Sox seem to have no closer (not sold on Pineiro as a closer, they'd be better off with Timlin closing), but about 15 serviceable relievers. The Phillies have a serviceable (but a bit old) closer in Gordon, but not much with him in the bullpen. The Phillies and Sox, obviously, need to merge bullpens, but I haven't figured out all of the logistics of this move. Yet. But it will include (at least) 2 private planes. And extra socks. Lots of socks.

I think I am the only MA resident with a Philadelphia Kixx hat. I win.

I did not watch You're the One That I Want because the wound is still too new. (Not to mention that, years ago, an insufficient financial aid package squelched my dream of doing my undergrad work at Grease Academy. Also quite traumatic.)
But I watched a little of The Apprentice, which appears to be reaching quite a bit. Losers living in tents. Winning project manager in the boardroom helping fire opponents. Trump's daughter (Ivanka?) overseeing things. Yikes.
But Angela Ruggiero is on it. So you have to root for the Ice Hockey Gold Medalist.
I like watching the tasks, but the boardroom shenanigans irritate me. Not a fan of back-stabbing, evil, etc. Plus it is in LA, so my fave character (the receptionist who directed peeps into the boardroom) isn't in it. A bit disappointing. I miss her.
Think I'll stick to watching the sports.

Line Changes for Dummies

"Shithell."
That's was Timothy James Thomas, Jr., was probably thinking as Blue Jacket forward David Vyborny raced into the Bruins zone alone in OT.
What were his four talented teammates up to, you ask? Good question. Perhaps they were chatting about Julio Lugo's pink tie? Giving Columbus a practice run for the seemingly inevitable shootout? Discussing the impending return of The Apprentice? (IN L.A.! The winners stay in a mansion, the losers STAY IN TENTS!!!) The answer to this question was unclear at press time.
After being peppered with 20 shots in the 3rd period alone (19 saves), perhaps Mr. Thomas thought it WAS the shootout.
Vyborny surgically deposited the game winner, and Thomas was not the only one ready to smash a goal stick into the nearest inanimate object. A disappointing ending to a game the B's should have won.

The World Junior (hockey) Championships started earlier in the day with Germany upsetting the U.S. 2-1, and Belarus upsetting Finland (and (Bruins G prospect) The Great Tuuka Rask).
However, as a U.S. citizen, I do not really care about the WJC. I find watching people playing cards much more to my liking.

If there is no one available to watch play cards, an acceptable alternative would be to show 12 yr. olds spell words that you will likely never see or hear again, until the next time you watch new 12 yr. olds spell these same words. (A fairly hebetudinous exercise, if you ask me.)
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the (self-proclaimed) "Worldwide Leader in Sports" for catering to my sporting preferences. Thank you, ESPN.

What was the Bruins game doing being televised on the Network Formerly Known as OLN anyways? I expect to watch all Bruins games on NESN HD. None of this Versus jive. The main reason people even have jobs is so that they can watch the Bruins and Sox on NESN HD. The Versus crew is very knowledgeable and does an excellent job, but it's just not right, somehow. (And any Sox telecast that doesn't include the words "Buenos noches, amigos!" isn't right either.)

But Versus should feel free to televise any and all Flyers games and/or NHL games of their own choosing, provided they do not coincide with the aforementioned Flyers and/or Bruins games. (I suppose Versus could televise live WJC action also, but I'll be watching the cards instead. That's how we roll in the Land of the Free.)

Also, the Bruins should strongly consider utilizing a goalie not named Timothy James, Jr. on occasion. T.J. is playing brilliantly right now, but he needs to be fresh enough to play brilliantly in the playoffs. (He is currently projecting to play almost as many games as J.D. Drew is projecting to miss with undisclosed injuries.) My suggestion to the Bruins would be to find a young Finnish goalie (because Finland makes the bestest hockey goalies) with a very Finnish name (such as Hannu Pekka, for example) and let him play once a week to give T.J. a break.

Failing that, I would like to volunteer my services as the backup B's goalie. As Mr. Belichick has, once again, chosen an inferior punter to play for the Patriots, I am available for backup Bruins goalie responsibilities. I can open the door to the bench, as needed. Chat with the Ice Girls. Sing karaoke with Zdeno. Needle opponents. Challenge Milan and Stanislav in Sudoku. Whatever is needed. I'll make B's fans forget Kay Whitmore. Give me a call, Chiarelli. You'll be glad you did.