Your Exclusive Super Bowl XLIII Preview

What: Super Bowl XLIII
Who: The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
When: Kickoff is at 6:28
What Channel: NBC
Announcers: Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer, Alex Flanagan
Announcers Talkng Point of the Game: The Arizona Flippin' Cardinals are in the Super Bowl???
Weather Forecast: 62 Degrees, Partly Cloudy

Analysis: Well then, if you said at the beginning of the season that the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers would play each other in the Super Bowl you would have been labeled stockraving mad. Hell, if on New Years day you said that the Cardinals and the Steelers would be in the Super Bowl, you would have been called certifiably insane. But alas, that's what we got. It's the Cardinals and the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII!

Larry Fitzgerald has been on fire this post-season. He has set the record for most receiving yards in a post-season. He has made sensational play after sensational play just ripping through anything the opposing team's defense has thrown at them. So the question becomes, can the Pittsburgh defense contain Fitzgerald? If the answer is yes, the Steelers should have no problem winning this game, but containing Warner-to-Fitzgerald is so much easier said than done. Then again, if there's one defense in the NFL that is capable of such a feat, it's the #1 ranked defense in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The success of the Steelers' offense comes with the running game. Ben Roethlisberger is an efficient quarterback, if he is not passing it all the time. Which is why the Steelers cannot fall behind early in this one. The Cardinal defense has been picking balls off left and right this post-season, and if it becomes obvious passing situations, the Steelers will be in trouble.

Prediction: It should be a very entertaining game, to say the least. And one in which, quite frankly, I'm not quite sure what to expect. It's not like last year's Super Bowl where it had all the appeal the network would want to the causal fan. But to someone like me who is a diehard NFL fan, it presents an interesting matchup with a guaranteed historic outcome. Either Kurt Warner will be the first quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with 2 different teams or the Pittsburgh Steelers will be the first team in NFL history to win 6 Super Bowls. As much respect as I have for the Cardinals and the fact that I've picked against them 3 times and have been wrong all 3 times, I have to go with the latter of the historic events occuring. Pittsburgh 20, Arizona 16

NBC's Cast of Characters Tomorrow From Start To Finish

Believe it or not, we are only 1 day away from the showdown in Tampa.

And now let me introduce you to the cast that will be talking about all of this. Ladies and gentlemen, those that will be supplying us with over 9-hours of Super Bowl coverage on NBC.....

Bob Costas (Studio Host)
Al Michaels (Game Play-by-Play)
John Madden (Game Analyst)
Andrea Kremer (Sideline Repoter)
Alex Flanagan (Sideline Reporter)
Keith Olbermann (Studio co-host)
Dan Patrick (Studio co-host)
Cris Collinsworth (Studio co-host/studio analyst)
Tiki Barber (Studio Analyst)
Jerome Bettis (Studio Analyst)
Matt Millen (Guest Studio Analyst)
Mike Holmgren (Guest Studio Analyst)
Tony Dungy (Guest Studio Analyst)
Rodney Harrison (Guest Studio Analyst)
Peter King (Reporter)
Bob Neumeier (Reporter)
Tom Colicchio (Chef)
Jim Cantore (Weatherman)
Maria Bartiroma (Financial Update perosn)**
Matt Lauer (Today Show Host* - Conducting Live Interview with President Obama)
Al Roker (Today Show - Hosting Pregame coverage from the NBC Super Suite)
Meredith Viera (Today Show)
Ann Curry (Today Show)

And unless I develop different plans, I plan watching NBC's coverage from 9 AM to end of post-game coverage. Should be a fun day!

*He's the host of the Today Show but I can't find anything that says he will actually be hosting the Today show special.
**What a CNBC business news anchor with no sports experience is doing in a Super Bowl pre-game show is beyond me.

Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick discuss the Super Bowl Pre-Game Roster (MSNBC)
Super Bowl XLIII Viewing Guide (Awful Announcing)

Everything You Need To Know About The Super Bowl XLIII

Head over to Awful Announcing at once who did an absolutely yeoman's work of gathering all of the information needed for the Super Bowl XLIII pre-game shows.

My opinion is that NBC's coverage looks way better. And yes, long Super Bowl pre-game shows can get boring, but they only come once a year and in places they generally have some good stuff, so I am easily able to tolerate them. And as somewhat of a diehard football fan, I am somewhat intrigued by this matchup, so watching the pre-game shows, no matter how long, can serve as a fun time. Besides, Football Night in America is the only pre game show that I really watched religiously this year.

Either tonight or tomorrow, I'll have my exclusive preview up. And, as much as I hate to do it, I will spoil the ending for you guys. You have ESP, JFein? No, but in the last 6 playoff games this year, the team that I did not pick ended up winning. Just saying...

No, Silly, The Storm Of The Century Is Going To Be After The Super Bowl

Interesting little development coming out of Florida as we approach the end of the week. For a few days, the weather men have been watching a low developing over the Gulf that is going to produce a huge storm that's already drawing comparisions to the 1993 Storm of the Century.

The good news: The forecast is looking fine for the Super Bowl.

The bad news: The storm is going to come on Monday, and while it won't be snow in Florida, there's a chance for very heavy rain, strong wind gusts exceeding 40 mph, and damaging thunderstorms. In other words, while as of now the game will see clear weather, it's going to be one hell of a dogfight getting out of Tampa (and anywhere in Florida for that matter).

It will be interesting to see how this whole thing unfolds over the past couple days, and if there's a change in the forecast that will affect the Super Bowl. Right now we're looking at partly cloudy skies with slightly cool temperatures in the 50s. But if this storm decides to form a little earlier than expected, we could be in for a wild night in Tampa.

Super Bowl XLIII Forecast (AccuWeather)
Bring on the Blizzard of '09, Baby! (AccuWeather)

Some Sad News Regarding Jim Johnson

Sad news coming out of Philadelphia. It appears that the Eagles' beloved defensive coordinator, Jim Johnson, has been diagnosed with cancer in his spine. Via the Associated Press.

Johnson was diagnosed Monday with a malignant tumor on his spine and has begun radiation treatments at Bryn Mawr Hospital, team spokesman Derek Boyko said.

The tumor developed from a melanoma in the same area where Johnson's skin cancer was diagnosed in 2001, Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder told The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News. Johnson also has cancer in other areas of his body, Burkholder said, but he declined to elaborate. The team did not offer a prognosis.

``Who knows where it tracked to from there, but his symptoms came from the spine,'' Burkholder told The Inquirer. ``Now there are some other areas in his body (that have cancer), but I'm not going to get into where else some other stuff is. They will all be treated together. ``

No surgery is scheduled and Johnson, who has been defensive coordinator for 10 years under coach Andy Reid, intends to continue coaching, Burkholder told the newspapers.

This is definitley sad news. Not only is he a great defensive coordinator but he also seems like he's a great person as well. And while I hope that Johnson follows through with his plans and returns as defensive coordinator, the man's health is more important. Hopefully he'll be able to beat it like he did in 2001 and everything will be all right. We're all behind you, Jim Johnson.

Jim Johnson Diagnosed With Cancer (Comcast.net via the Associated Press)

The Wildcats Say Goodbye To The Spectrum With A Win

The game may not have been an all-time classic, but for us in Philadelphia, last night's game will be remembered for quite some time. Last night, the Villanova Wildcats closed out college basketball at the Wachovia Spectrum by beating Pittsburgh 67-57 , finally giving the Wildcats a signature win that they so desparately needed.

However, last night was the last time a college basketball game will ever be played at the Spectrum. The Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL, who use the Spectrum as their home ice, will finish up their season there the Philadelphia Kixx will ifnish up their season there as well, the Sixers have one more game at the Spectrum in March and that's it. The stadium is set to be demolished later on in the year.

Aside from being the home of the Villanova Wildcats, the Wachovia Spectrum is known for being the home of one of the greatest plays in college basketball history. It was Duke and Kentucky in overtime in the East Regional Final (Elite 8) of the 1992 NCAA basketball tournament. Kentucky was leading 103-102. Yeah, I think you know where this is going....I'll just cue the YouTube video and Christian Laettner.



Good times at the Spectrum.......good times. I'll have much more on the Spectrum as we get closer to the demolition.

Update: It turns out that Bob Ford of the Philly Inquirer and I have some pretty similar thoughts. For it turns out that his article in the mornings paper "Wildcats give Spectrum a fitting farewell". Either I sub-consciously saw it as I was looking at headlines this morning or it was a pure coincidence, but either way, no copyright infringement was intended by me taking the same title. I doubt anyone noticed, but just to be safe, I have retitled my post.

Guess Who's Once Again An Eagle....

As if there wasn't enough things going on today, now there's this news from the Eagles. According to Les Brown of the Philadelphia Daily News, the Eagles have brought back a certain Quarterback. No, Koy Detmer is not coming back to once again be the holder. Or is brother Ty. No, it's not Randall Cunningham. It's not Mike McMahon. It's not Jeff Garcia. No, you're wrong if you think it's Bobby Hoying. If you had Doug Pederson, congragulatons! You're a winner!

A source close to the situation confirmed last night that Doug Pederson, everyone's favorite former Eagles quarterback, is returning to the team in a coaching role. It would seem to make sense that Pederson would coach the quarterbacks, replacing Pat Shurmur, who was just hired to run St. Louis' offense by ex-Eagles assistant Steve Spagnuolo. But indications are that someone else will coach the QBs and that Pederson might just replace "offensive assistant'' Mark Whipple, who left the Birds yesterday after 1 year on the staff to become the offensive coordinator for the Miami Hurricanes.

Definitley an interesting move. Hopefully he'll be a better coach than he was quarterback (am I the only one that remembers that Reid brought him in until McNabb was ready to start?).

And while his quarterback career was rather forgettable, I can actually get excited over this hire. He was seen by many during his playing does as a player-coach, so we'll see how he does, but I think he'll do just fine as a coach, whether it be QB coach, offensive assistant, or whatever ends up happening. And perhaps, that this is an indication that the Eagles are going to have some major shake-ups this off-season, I'm happy! That is, as long as they are the right moves (*cough*cough*Trade for Anquan Boldin and draft Beanie Wells*cough*cough*)

Doug Pederson Returning to the Eagles as coach (Philadelphia Daily News
Na Brown is Next! (Russakoff Rules)

The People at PETA Are Officially Insane

Let me preface this post by saying that I am completely against unnecessary cruelty to animals. With that being said though, the people at The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) are completely and utterly nuts. This has nothing to do with the cause, but merely the people behind the cause.

As I'm sure many of you know by now, the people at PETA are all upset because their Super Bowl ad got rejected by NBC. Here's the ad and I'll have rejection reasons and commentary.



PETA posted on their website a copy of NBC's rejection email, citing it as NSFW.

The PETA spot submitted to Advertising Standards depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards. Listed below are the edits that need to be made. Before finalizing the spot, we would like to view a Quicktime file as well as a DVD with high resolution.
:12- :13- licking pumpkin
:13- :14- touching her breast with her hand while eating broccoli
:19- pumpkin from behind between legs
:21- rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin
:22- screwing herself with broccoli (fuzzy)
:23- asparagus on her lap appearing as if it is ready to be inserted into vagina
:26- licking eggplant
:26- rubbing asparagus on breast

And well it just seems like ridiculousness, there is a serious aspect to this. I understand the want to stand out, but come on, this is ridiculous. From the PETA Files, a blog directly linked from PETA's website, read what they have to say about this letter. You can read the whole response by clicking on the link at the end of the post, but here's the quote that I want to focus on: "it's not the Jonas Brothers eating apple pie, but it sure does drive home the fact that vegetarians make better lovers."

No, it does not drive home the fact that vegetarians make better lovers! Do you have anything to prove this? Any quotes? Sources? Any hint of a quote from a source? As far as I see it, the only thing this proves is that PETA is a group that will do anything to draw attention themselves. Even if it means faking outrage over having your ad ban that features a bunch of cheap models prostitutes rubbing vegetables against their "pelvic region" while another sticks some vegetable down her underwear while touching her breasts. That does not tell me that vegetarians make better lovers, all it tells me is that PETA is willing to have women degrade themselves on national television just to promote their cause, whatever it may be! It does not direct me to the acutal cause.

And what are you trying to accomplish, PETA? Don't you think you would be better off creating a family friendly ad that promotes vegetarianism that will be seen by over 80 million people than an ad that will obviously be banned by NBC and subsequently will be seen by only thousands of people on the internet. And then there's the hypocrisy part of it. On the PETA blog, they call NBC's letter NSFW (Not Safe For Work) while posting the explicit video without such a warning. Gee, I wonder what's not safer for work. A few words critiquing the video, or, I don't know, THE ACTUAL VIDEO ITSELF!

Now you know why I wrote what I wrote under the "Fire Andy Reid Now!" banner at the top of my blog. Idiocy truly does have no limits.

Read PETA's Hypocrisy For Yourself (The PETA Files)

The Gloves Have Officially Come Off Between the Cardinals and the Steelers

If there's one thing that offends a Pittsburgh Steeler fan, it's the other team desecrating the Terrible Towel. So naturally, if you're the Cardinals, you'd stay away from it? I mean, if you're the Cardinals and you're the underdog, you don't want to get the other team and their fan base angry at you, do you? Well, apparently the mayor of Phoenix and the Cardinal mascot know nothing of this. I, now present to you, the turning point of Super Bowl XLIII


Gotta love that little "look at the Tennessee Titans" at the end. Can't you tell this is a video from Pittsburgh's local NBC affiliate?

And while it all seemed to be in good fun and no disrespect was intended, don't be surprised if the Steelers somehow try to use this as motivation.

Chargers Are Again In Talks With L.A.

I swear I read about these talks every year and every time a deal can't be reached with the City of Angels and the San Diego SUPER-Chargers. But alas, for your reading pleasure, here we go again. From the LA Times.

"As is always the case with the on-again, off-again saga of the NFL's flirtation with the nation's second-largest market, nothing is written in stone. In fact, it's more like murky skywriting, completely at the mercy of the fickle winds of change.

But more smoke signals came Monday when the Chargers signed a deal with Los Angeles-based Wasserman Media Group to market the franchise in L.A. and Orange County, a development that surely will be viewed by some as greasing the skids for a move north. There hasn't been a team in the L.A. area since the Raiders and Rams left after the 1994 season.

"The bottom line is Los Angeles and Orange County are two of the most lucrative markets in the world," said Mark Fabiani, the team's point man on stadium issues. "There's no NFL team in those markets, and there's no reason the Chargers can't pursue those areas in these difficult economic times."

Possible motivations aside, this much is clear: The Chargers, who have been working on a San Diego stadium solution for seven years and so far have been unsuccessful, are better positioned to move than any other NFL team.

Beginning on Super Bowl Sunday -- of all days -- the Chargers will have a three-month window in which to relocate. And, under the team's current lease terms with the city of San Diego, that window will reopen every year from this point forward. The city cannot sue the Chargers or the NFL to block a move, provided it is paid a $56-million lease-termination fee that will decrease over time."

This is interesting to say the least. And while whispers have always been going on about the Chargers re-locating, this seems to be the loudest it's been in quite some time. The big part, in my mind, is that if the Chargers get the deal with L.A., San Diego can't save them. And while I'm sure there are still some nuances known only to a few privileged men, this is about as wide-open a door that an NFL franchise can have to relocate if they so choose to.

And it's also interesting to note that at the NFL Owners meeting in March there will be talks about the location of Super Bowl L (for those not well versed in Roman numerals, that's Super Bowl 50), and it seems right now that Los Angeles, the city where the first Super Bowl was ever played, is the front-runner to host the golden anniversary Super Bowl. A Super Bowl has never been hosted by a non-NFL city, so perhaps this might be a bit of leverage for the Chargers to move, especially if L.A. gets the Super Bowl in March.

A new lease on life for the NFL in L.A.? (Los Angeles Times)
Hollywood to Get a Shocker? (Russakoff Rules)

Keith Olbermann and Cris Collinsworth Really Couldn't Be In A Better City For Their 50th Birthday

For those that don't know, today is the 50th birthday of both Keith Olbermann and Cris Collinsworth, both cast members of NBC's Football Night in America. And while the birthday fact will probably come to nothing more than a joke or 2 on tonight's Countdown and/or Sunday's Super Bowl pregame show, it's kind of interesting and funny, that they are spending this day in Tampa, Florida, of all places. Why Tampa? Just like New Orleans is the "Big Easy" and Philly is the "City of Brotherly Love", Tampa is known as "The Lap Dance Capital of America." From the Philly Inquirer

"Tampa, affectionately called "The Lap Dance Capital of America," is strip-joint heaven.

The city boasts such exotic clubs as Lip Stixx and Centerfolds, the Bliss Cabaret and Diamond Dolls, the Wild Gentlemen's Club and (my favorite) Bare Assets.

The bars have spent eight years preparing for the onslaught of thirsty tourists, having last hosted the Supe in 2001. At least one joint is putting up a tent in the parking lot to handle the overflow. Others will stay open 24 hours a day.

Exotic dancers have left their usual gigs as far away as Vegas to jet into Tampa for the free-spending weekend.

A dancer named Claudia told the AP she has worked four Super Bowls and makes as much as $2,000 a day."

Hilarious! Let's just say if I were Keith's girlfriend and/or Cris' wife, I'd be very nervous right about now. Those boys are gonna be partyin' tonight!

Tampa is Strip-Joint Heaven (Philadelphia Inquirer)
It Was On This Date 50 Years Ago... (The O Files)

What They're Gonna Be Talking About at Super Bowl XLIII (UPDATED)

Believe it or not, we are only 1 day away from the showdown in Tampa. And I guess now would be as good a time as any to set the stage for a lot of the storylines that are gonna be shoved down our throats for the next 6 days.

1. Kurt Warner has earned his way into the Hall of Fame this season; and to think that he nearly retired after Boldin got KTFO in the middle of the season.
2. The Arizona Cardinals' playoff run has been an improbable story.
3. Ken Whisenhunt is a former assistant on the Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, he even won a Super Bowl ring during his tenure there.
4. The Pittsburgh Steelers are going for their NFL record 6th Super Bowl ring.
5. The Steelers defense vs. The Cardinals offense.
6. Larry Fitzgerald is having one of the greatest post-seasons in NFL history.
7. The Arizona Cardinals have gone 66 years without a championship (going back to the days of the St. Louis and Chicago Cardinals), the 2nd longest streak in American major pro sports (100 years - Chicago Cubs).
8. Mike Tomlin can be the 2nd black coach in 3 years to win a Super Bowl (You know FNIA is going to run some sort of piece on this).
9. Superman wears Troy Polamalu underwear.
10. Jerome Bettis is from Detroit (Oh wait, never mind....)

And now let me introduce you to the cast that will be talking about all of this. Ladies and gentlemen, those that will be supplying us with over 9-hours of Super Bowl coverage on NBC.....

Bob Costas (Studio Host)
Al Michaels (Game Play-by-Play)
John Madden (Game Analyst)
Andrea Kremer (Sideline Repoter)
Alex Flanagan (Sideline Reporter)
Keith Olbermann (Studio co-host)
Dan Patrick (Studio co-host)
Cris Collinsworth (Studio co-host/studio analyst)
Tiki Barber (Studio Analyst)
Jerome Bettis (Studio Analyst)
Matt Millen (Guest Studio Analyst)
Mike Holmgren (Guest Studio Analyst)
Tony Dungy (Guest Studio Analyst)
Rodney Harrison (Guest Studio Analyst)
Peter King (Reporter)
Bob Neumeier (Reporter)
Tom Colicchio (Chef)
Jim Cantore (Weatherman)
Matt Lauer (Today Show Host* - Conducting Live Interview with President Obama)
Al Roker (Today Show - Hosting Pregame coverage from the NBC Super Suite)
Meredith Viera (Today Show)
Al Roker (Today Show)
Alge Rogatis (Who Knows**)
Maria Bartiroma (Who Knows***)

And unless I develop different plans, I plan watching NBC's coverage from 9 AM to end of post-game coverage. Should be a fun day!

*He's the host of the Today Show but I can't find anything that says he will actually be hosting the Today show special.
**Was mentioned by Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick on the 1/30 edition of Countdown with Keith Olbermann, yet I have no idea who he/she is and I have typed in various potential spellings of his/her name (it was only mentionned orally) and I can't find anything. If you have any information on someone whose name is pronounced like "Alge Rogatis", don't hesitate to let me know.
***What a CNBC business news anchor with no sports experience is doing in a Super Bowl pre-game show is beyond me.

Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick discuss the Super Bowl Pre-Game Roster (MSNBC)
Super Bowl XLIII Viewing Guide (Awful Announcing)

Mike Freeman Is Delusional

Just who is Mike Freeman you ask? Yeah, I did not know who he was either until I read this article in this morning's Inquirer.

So I visited the CBSSportsline website and in this week alone he has managed three articles on how bad the Eagles, Cardinals, and this year's Super Bowl will be. I won't necessarily go with block quotes here, but rather I'll rip him apart paragraph by paragraph.

"Who's playing defensive back for the Eagles, anyway? Pam Oliver? Philadelphia got beat by a flea flicker, the oldest trick in the book, first run by a Roman centurion, and mastered by 8-year-olds in backyards across America."

A defense is not aware of when a flea-flicker is going to be run, so unless they have some sort of supernatural powers, you can be caught off-guard by it. Do you expect that the defense will just dilly dally around as Edge (or whomever Warner originally tossed it to) bounces it to the outside on what appears to be a pitch. And also, Fitzgetrald was not wide open. The Eagles had the coverage in place except the defensive back slipped and fell right as Fitzgerald was making the catch, thus securing the easy touchdown. Nice collective memory, Mike! But wait, there's more.

"This one? This was the worst loss of them all because the Cardinals aren't very good, and the Eagles played the entire first half in a coma."

The fact that Larry Fitzgerald is having one of the greatest post-seasons anyone has ever had in NFL history and that they are led by a soon-to-be Hall of Fame quarterback, does not strike you as "oh, this is a really good team?" The Cardinals are a good team and they have proven it by advancing to the Super Bowl without any controversial calls. Even as an Eagles fan that just saw his team lose an NFC title game, I would never say that a team that has advanced to a Super Bowl was not very good. How idiotic can you get? Oh wait, there's more...


"Oh, many of us in the mainstream media (including me) will do our best to manufacture interest in this Super Bowl, but the media tried the same exact tactic with the World Series and that didn't work. Few watched. Here's what we're going to hear repeatedly for the next two weeks: Cinderella ... blah, blah ... Cinderella ... blah ... Cinderella ... blapity, blapity."

Okay, obviously Mr. Freeman does not remember the World Series, for if he did, he would know that a certain Game 3 did not start until a little after 10:00 at night and it did not end until 2 AM! That's not the fault of the teams, that's the fault of the commissioner for starting a game (that would prove to be a very long game) so effing late that of course people are not going to watch, they are tired! Had that game been rescheduled and started at 8 PM (with the first pitch being thrown, not the start of the pregame), then that game may have ended up getting higher ratings than the exciting Game 5 Version 2.0 did. Why, because having re-watched that game, it was a classic. In every sense of the word. And as far as Cinderella goes, the Cinderella story is how they got there, not in the actual game itself. This is not a game of lucky underdog vs. overwhelming favorite. It's a battle of the Cardinals' great offense vs. the Steelers great defense. And that is something that is always very interesting to watch. You think I'm done, I've saved the best 2 for last."

"The NFL itself helped to kill the Cinderella concept. Paul Tagliabue, the former commissioner of the league who should be in the Hall of Fame, was the champion of salary cap-generated parity. Well, here you go, Paul. The ultimate act of parity: The Cardinals are in the Super Bowl."

So you think that every Super Bowl should feature big-market teams such as New England and New York? Are you crazy? There's no doubt it was a great game last year, but this is what's great about the NFL. You get teams like the Arizona Cardinals who hobble into the playoffs, and yet, they finally discover their potential and get hot at the right time and make it into the Super Bowl. This is something that you rarely see in just about any other sport. And guess what? It's a thing of beauty.

And lastly...

"Maybe next year we'll get a real Super Bowl."

Do us a favor and shut the fuck up.

Mike Freeman Demonstrates His Idiocy Part 1 (CBS Sports)
Mike Freeman Demonstrates His Idiocy Part 2 (CBS Sports)

Eagles Thinking Of Some Big Moves This Off-Season?

From the outset of things, it certainly does appear that that's the case. Especially after reading this article from Eagles Gab via The Philaelphia Inquirer describing two rumored off-season moves for the Philadelphia Eagles. One of which, for me, at least, is more of a good-riddance. While the other is a big of a surprise to me.

"If Joselio Hanson doesn’t get a lot of attention on the market, the Eagles could try to bring him back as their third cornerback, because it seems likely that they are going to cut ties with Lito Sheppard and save $3 million in salary-cap space.

The Eagles will also have a decision to make on wide receiver Reggie Brown, who did not dress for Sunday’s NFC championship game. He would be more difficult to cut because he will enter the first year of a six-year contract extension he signed in 2006, and getting rid of him would cost the team nearly $3 million."

If you can recall from earlier in the season, Lito Sheppard is not exactly my favorite Eagle and the fact that he ended last year as a starting corner and is now fourth on the depth chart is not going to help him keep his job. Much to my delight, of course. Sheppard is often injured and when he does play he sometimes a bit too eager to jump routes to make plays that just are not there.

Meanwhile, Reggie Brown does come as a bit of a surprise to me. And while he certainly has underproduced, I always thought that the Eagles were high on him and that if they were to cut a receiver, it would be Greg Lewis, who did very little this year. There's no doubt that Brown has potential and the fact that the Eagles would think about getting rid of him is somewhat odd. Unless, of course, the Eagles are planning to go after a big-money, big-name wide receiver in the off-season. The Eagles made headlines last off-season by trying to pry away Larry Fitzgerald away from the Cards and by offering Randy Moss more money than the Patriots did, which leads me to believe that although we have DeSean, the Eagles want more. In case you have not figured it out, even though he's not a free-agent, the Eagles may be more than a bit interested in Anquan Boldin....

Birds to Cut Ties w/ Sheppard and Brown? (Eagles Gab)

Donovan McNabb's Off-Season Home Looks A Little Different Right About Now

For those that don't know, Donovan McNabb makes his off-season home in the desert in Arizona, where he often spends his time working out with his receivers. Well apparently, a couple of crazed Cardinal fans got a hold of this information. From the Philly Inquirer

"Police arrested two Arizona Cardinals fans who they say burned messages in the front lawn of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb's home in Chandler, Ariz., a day before the NFC championship game.

Police tracked down the pair after they discovered a sticker containing the home address of one of the men on a cardboard sign left in McNabb's yard.

Rex Michael Perkins, 37, of Chandler, and Ryan Hanlon, 29, of Gilbert, were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage Sunday after police questioned Perkins about the sign that said: "Go Cards" on one side and "Beat Philly" on the other, Chandler police said.

Perkins and Hanlon also are accused of pouring diesel fuel in McNabb's yard to read: "Go Kurt," and "Go Cards," causing an estimated $2,000 in damage, Chandler police Sgt. Joe Favazzo said.

I like how they did it before the actually game.....yeah, this would have been so much more hilarious if the Eagles won. McNabb took the whole thing in stride and apparently the two morons did it as a prank. Prank or not, this is what is most sane people call vandalism. Enjoy your stay in the pokey, and oh yeah, stay classy!

2 Held After Damage to McNabb's Lawn (Philadelphia Inquirer)
The Mesa Tribune East Valley Tribune Has More On These Two Idiots (East Valley Tribune)

The Temple Owls Should Be BCS National Champions!!! This is an outrage!!!

What? You think I'm kidding? Then check this out.

"Temple (5-7)

Temple beat Army on 08/29/2008 by a score of 35-7 (on the road!)
Army beat Louisiana Tech on 10/25/2008 by a score of 14-7
Louisiana Tech beat Mississippi State on 08/30/2008 by a score of 22-14
Mississippi State beat Vanderbilt on 10/11/2008 by a score of 17-14
Vanderbilt beat Mississippi on 09/20/2008 by a score of 23-17 (on the road!)
Mississippi beat Florida on 09/27/2008 by a score of 31-30 (on the road!)
Florida is the 2008 Div 1-A champion

So ... Temple was the best Div 1-A school for the 2008 college football season"

No arguing that logic, that's for sure! This is an outrage! This is a scandal! Robbery the likes of this have never before been seen in the history of college football! How could the BCS deprive this team the national championship??? This is disgusting!

Do realize that that above paragraph was sarcastic. In a way, at least. Using this method, the Transitive Property, everybody in the FBS has a legitimate case to be national champions, unless you're Washington, Washington State, Southern Medhodist, North Texas, and Western Kentucky. Click on the link below, select your college, hit go, and let the rage go through your vains as now there is mathematical proof that your team does indeed deserve to be national champions!

The College Football Transitive Calculator (Racaire Software)

"We Have Chosen Hope Over Fear"

The Oath of Office



Part 1 of the Speech



Part 2 of the Speech



Just an absolutely phenomenal speech. I honestly watched the whole thing with tears in my eyes. Congrats, President Obama, I'm sure you will lead our wonderful nation in the right direction and pull us out of The Black Hole That Is The Bush Administration.

The Text of Obama's Speech (Yahoo!)

Today is a Historic Day

Today is one of those days that no matter who you are, where you are from, or what your political ideology is, you will never forget.

When Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America at noon, this country will never be the same again. I realize that while I am a product of the presidency of Bush XLI, I am currently majoring in history and while I did not experience the turbulent times of the civil rights period, to the greatest extent that one possibly can without living through the period, I understand what this day means to our country, and to the world.

I won't bore you by repeating all of the rhetoric surrounding today's historic events, but it is about time someone responsible is in the White House. As Al Michaels allegedly said (and when I say allegedly, I mean, Wikipedia says he said it), "The adults are back in charge". Of course, Al's quote was back in 2000 when Bush XLIII was elected. But aside from being a failure in all other ventures of his life (i.e. he was at-best in average student - he spent most of his days college days partying and doing drugs and alcohol, he failed in all of his prior business ventures before becoming president....and actually he failed in that as well), he single-handedly plundered more money from the U.S. Treasury than any president has in history, he also has authorized the use of waterboarding (which is torture, and that is something that either in the comments section or in another forum I am willing to debate with someone at any moment at any time, just a warning though, you will not win). I've read several lunatic-fringe right wing blogs (a. for the hilarity and b. because I do like to read up on the opposing viewpoint), and they like to blame Clinton for the 9/11 and the current mess our country is in. As someone who is a history major and someone who several relatives well-versed in history, I can tell you with all certainty that in 50 years or so, Bill Clinton will be judged as a great president, while as Bush XLIII will be known as one of, if not the worst president ever.

Which is what makes today's events all the more memorable. Not only is this a time of re-birth from the current hole Bush XLIII got us in, but it is also a re-birth of a nation that for centuries forced blacks into slavery. And now. January 20, 2008, that same black man is about to be president of the United States of America. And there are those that say, well, Obama is not a real black, he's half-white and half-black. And that is true. His mother was white. But throughout the course of history, if you even had a great-grandparent who was a man of color, you were considered black and were discriminated against and denied your rights.

So let's sit back, relax, and enjoy the inauguration of now-President-elect, soon to become President Barack Obama. I'll have the video up later in the day.

Eagles Conference Title Game Recap

"One minute you're on top
The next you're not, watch it drop
Making your heart stop
Just before you hit the floor
One minute you're on top
The next you're not, missed your shot
Making your heart stop
You think you've won
And then it's all gone"

That song by Linkin Park describes exactly what happened to the Eagles last night in the desert. It looked like they may have had it won. And then they hit the floor.

DeSean Jackson had just made the catch of a lifetime to put the Eagles on top, giving them 19 straight unanswered points and a 1-point lead after trailing by 18 in the middle of the 3rd quarter. It looked like the Eagles were gonna make an improbable comeback. Hell, one the ensuing drive the Eagles had forced a 4th and inches situation. But then Hightower made it to the outside, capping a drive that may eventually put Kurt Warner in the Hall of Fame.

It was an incredible game, one for the ages in Glendale. But in the end, the Eagles just did not have enough to respond one more time after Warner's drive. The Eagles had a chance to make it interesting, but the offense just missed some plays on that final drive. However, that was to be expected. The Eagles offense looked like they did the entire post-season. Slow-start, strong finish. The big story was the defense. After beating the physical ground teams such as Minnesota and New York, the Eagles lost to the team that likes to air it out in Warner and the Cardinals. Unbelieveable.

So after all of that, repeat after me: The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. No, that's no typo. The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. One of the all-time bad franchises is going to the Super Bowl and in a somewhat ironic twist, they're facing one of the all-time great franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Aspeaking of historic, let's take a moment here and reflect on the Cardinals' stadium, University of Phoenix Stadium. First of all, it's one of my favorite NFL stadiums. Unlike some stadiums/domes, it is very pleasing to look at and to watch games from. However, more importantly, it's like the big time site for dramatic post-season finishes, both in the NFL and the college ranks. This is a stadium that opened in 2006 and look at what games have already been played there.

The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl with the Boise State miracles
Super Bowl XLII and the Giants upset of the then unbeaten Patriots and the Tyree catch.
Texas' dramatic comeback win against Ohio State in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.
Last night's thrilling NFC Championship game that culminated in what some are already calling a Hall of Fame drive

And that's not even including Arizona's post season upset of Atlanta a few weeks ago, Florida's upset of Ohio State in the 07 BCS Natonal Title game, and West Virginia's upset in the '08 Fiesta Bowl of Oklahoma.

Throughout this whole post-season there has been a certain left for dead theme, especially in the NFC. At 1:00 on Week 17, no one thought the Eagles had a prayer to make the playoffs. They needed Oakland to upset Tampa Bay. There was no way that would happen, right? Then look at the Eagles playoff run. While many had them to beat the Vikings, there was no way they could handle the Giants and beat them twice in the Meadowlands, right? And then the Cardinals. People were talking about revising the playoffs system to keep mediocre teams division winners like the Cardinals out. There was no way they could beat Atlanta. Michael Turner would run all over them, right? Then came Carolina. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were going to dominate them, right? Then came the Eagles. That defense would be too much for them, right? The Cardinals had no chance, right? And now look. The Arizona Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl. And while if the Cardinals pull the upset, I don't think it will be considered the biggest upset in Super Bowl upset ever, but definitley the most improbable run ever. The Steelers of a few years ago, while a 6-seed, were considered a team with talent and while unprededented at the time, few were overly shocked that they made it as far as they did. Same story with 5-seeded New York last year. Again, they were a team with talent and they were never really counted out. Folks, this Arizona Cardinal team was flat out left for dead. Folks, this same Arizona Cardinal team is going to Tampa to play in the Super Bowl.

And lastly, a great big thanks to all those who joined me in the live blog of this remarkable title game. Twice you set a record for most comments on a post (The record was shattered in the 1st half thread, and you broke it again in the 2nd half). I hope everyone had as much fun as I did (despite the Eagles losins), your comments were hilarious, and even if I did not put yours in the thread, that does not mean I thought it was not funny. There was only enough time for me to copy and paste the best-of-the-best. Thanks again, and I hope that you come back soon and read more of what I have to say on various Eagles/other sports issues.

Which reminds me, seeing as the Eagles are done, I will be shifting my coverage to the football off-season in general, I'll get to you my what's sure to be God-awful mock draft, and I may even live blog a nationally televised hockey/basketball game involving the Sixers or the Flyers. While I may not post as regularly as some other bloggers, I'll get to you some of the more interesting stuff and maybe even provide you guys some links that you should check out. I also think I'll be live blogging the Phillies opener, assuming it's not being done at AA, and I will be your one-stop shop for all of the Eagles off-season moves (including my in depth coverage of the Eagles' draft). And depending on how things turn out, I may actually live blog the Super Bowl and/or Pro Bowl (Andy Reid coaching a Pro Bowl is worthy of a live blog). So just because Eagles season is over, the fun around here is just beginning. Thanks for joinng me for all of the Eagles live blogs and MNF live blogs throughout the season and I'll see you around.

"Hit the Floor" by Linkin Park lyrics (AZ Lyrics)

NFC Championship Game Eagles @ Cardinals Live Blog 2nd Half

Congrats guys on setting a Fire Andy Reid Now! comments record. Not that it's really saying much considering this blog's only been around for a few months, but nonetheless, congrats.

Second half kickoff in a few, and if the Eagles can't come back, let's hope this half is at least entertaining. Second half after the break.

Rackers kick is taken by Buckhalter who takes it to the 39. McNabb's pass is tipped at the line and incomplete. McNabb under pressure, somehow gets away and finds Klecko who gets out of the back field, down the sidelines, and he has a first down! But it will come back on the holding call and it's 2nd and 20 after all that. McNabb finds Avant who makes a nice catch for 14 yards and this is a huge 3rd down! McNabb finds Jackson and he has the first down! Westbrook gets the carry and he gets a couple. McNabb overthrows a wideopen Kevin Curtis! That would have been the play they needed!

Another 3rd down for the Eagles. McNabb is SACKED! FUMBLE! RECOVERED BY THE CARDINALS!

And executives at NBC are jumping off cliffs as we speak. James turns a loss of 2 into a gain of 4. And I'm surprised Andy Reid did not challenge that fumble.

"That's why McNabb thought he would have his backside protected." - Troy Aikman

False start on the Cards will move them back 5. Edge stumbles for a couple. Warner on 3rd down misses a wide open receiver! He missed a chance to put this one on ice permanently. Graham's punt is fair caught by Jackson at the 10.

Eagles would still have a chance if they would pull their heads out of their a$$es. The Cards will definitely let their foot off the throttle, that's just who they are. I've been subjected to a lot of their games this year. (Andy)

Best analysis of the day. Westrbook gets 7 on the carry up the middle. McNabb misses DeSean Jackson and it's 3rd down. Celek catches it on the underneath route and that's a gain of 7 and an Eagles first down. McNabb's pass is tipped and incomplete. Westbrook gets 8 on the carry.

"Good job of at least getting it into a pretty manageable 3rd down." - Troy Aikman

3rd down and 2 is more than just pretty manageable. Play action fake (Fire Andy Reid Now!) but McNabb's pass is caught by Celek for the first. Not quite sure what Reid/Mornhinweg was thinking but it worked, I guess. McNabb is SACKED FOR A LOSS OF 9! Baskett drops an easy repection and it's 3rd and 19 now for Philly.

McNabb just launches one over the middle on 3rd and long and IT'S SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY CURTIS! INSIDE THE 20! Jackson gets 4 on the catch. And wow, that catch by Curtis may have just saved the season for the time being. McNabb takes it off himself on the QB draw and he's at the 5! Eagles need more of that McNabb. As much as he wants to be a pocket passer, he is at his best when he is a threat to run the ball. Westbrook gets stuffed at the line.

2nd and goal, McNabb looks to the endzone and throws to CELEK WHO COMES DOWN WITH THE CATCH! TOUCHDOWN EAGLES! The extra point is good and it's 24-13 Arizona.

A running into the kicker penalty will in all likelhood the Cardinals will start this drive at their own 20 after a touchback (assuming the Eagles don't go with the surprise onside kick, that is).

It's amazing how many times you make a big play like that, it turns into something really positive." - Troy Aikman. (Via Secor314)

McNabb uses his legs on the run!" I prefer when he uses his elbows. (Via Rev)

Oh yeah, I forgot about the kickoff out of bounds. That's been one of the themes of the day thus far. Cards ball at the 40.

Wait, the 35? Did I miss something? Or is that a result of the penalty?

Akers funked that kick out of bounds. (Via Mal)

Joe Buck has a new word attached to his name. Warner misses his first two passes. 3rd down and KURT WARNER IS SACKED! LOSS OF 4 AND THAT'S A 3-AND-OUT!

Jackson takes the ball to the 38. Is it just me or does the Fox score graphic at the bottom of the screen that is shown before commercial look really awkward with the set up of the colors? That blue, green, red, and gray and gold do not look good together.

McNabb finds Curtis on the underneath route for a gain of 15. And this one is starting to have a different feel to it (*knocks on wood*). McNabb overthrows Curtis on the deep route. Westbrook gets the carry and picks up 4. Eagles need to convert here. McNabb finds DeSean Jackson for the first down! 10 yard completion and the Eagles are in field goal range, which is all they may need at this point. Westbrook gets 3. That little spot of sun at around the 40 yard line looks really weird, if for no other reason because the roof is closed.

Andy Reid blows his first timeout of the half. The only thing worse than Reid blowing that time out (Fire Andy Reid Now!) is that we get an extended shot of Joe "The Funk" Buck and Troy Aikman. McNabb throws it to Celek and HE MAKES THE CATCH AND RUNS INTO THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN PHILADELPHIA! The extra point is NO GOOD! A bad hold from Rocca who was unable to get the laces turned around and it's 24-19 Arizona.

I guess it's just like the Eagles went for 2 and missed, as that's probably what I would have done.

As an aside, you should have seen me jump 5 feet out of my seat as Celek made the catch and score the touchdown.

Kickoff is kneeled down in the endzone by Arrington for a touchback. James picks up 3 on the carry. Warner's pass is TIPPED RIGHT BACK INTO HIS OWN HANDS! WARNER MAKES THE CATCH AND PICKS UP 3 ON THE ENSUING RUN! Scramble for the ball ensues, but the refs rule he was down.

That's the end of the 3rd quarter and I think we all need to catch our breaths, 24-19 Cards in what's shaping up to be a thriller.

"A good play was made in the hole."--Joe Buck
Not the first time he's said that, I'm sure (Via Rev)

James makes the catch out of the backfield and picks up 16 for the first down! James gets 5 on the carry. Hightower is tripped up in the backfield by Dawkins and it's another critical 3rd down. The pass for Fitzgerald is incomplete! Fair catch by Jackson on the punt at the 14.

Buckhalter makes the catch and picks up 12! McNabb's pass to Avant picks up 9. It's getting harder and harder for me to just sit still and watch this. I feel like jumping. Handoff to Westbrook and he has a first down. McNabb's looking deep......DESEAN JACKSON MAKES THE CATCH OF A LIFETIME!!!!!!!! TOUCHDOWN EAGLES!!!!! Eagles are going for 2. No good, but there's a penalty down. Holding on the Eagles. 25-24 Eagles lead the Cards.

I am officially pumped for my laryngitis diagnosis later in the week.

Did Larry Fitzgerald get traded at halftime? Did David Copperfield show up and make the wrong the man disappear? (Via Secor314)

Kickoff is taken to the 28 by Breaston. James loses a yard on the carry. Warner finds Fitzgerald for a first down at the 41. Pople makes the completion at midfield. James gets stuffed at the line and it's 3rd and short. Hightower with the carry and oh my this is going to be close.

"The line is unofficial." - Joe Buck

Drink! HIGHTOWER'S SHORT! 4th and inches! Biasness aside, if I were a coach, I'd go for it. And the Cards are! HIGHTOWER BOUNCES IT TO THE OUTSIDE, ESCAPES A TACKLE, AND HAS A FIRST DOWN!

Does this stadium have some wild post-season games or what? Edge picks up a couple. Fitzgerald makes the catch and he has a first down at the 23! Edge gets a couple. Fitzgerald makes the catch and he gets 7 yards and is just short of the marker! 3rd and short coming up. Hightower with a first down inside the 10! Edge is stood up at the line for no gain. Hightower goes nowhere and the Eagles will call a timeout. 3rd and goal coming up.

Buck: "The new series that has lying down to a science."Like Joe Buck being #31 on the top sportscasters list? (Via RJBO)

Asante Samuel showing the world his anatomical impression of the Liberty Bell on that last tackle of Fitzgerald. (Via Secor314)

You guys crack me up. 3rd and goal coming up for the Cards. Warner from the gun, pumps, screen to Hightower, HIGHTOWER BREAKS FREE AND SCORES! TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! Cards are going to try for 2 and make it a 7-point game. WARNER CONVERTS TO PATRICK! 32-25 Cardinals!

What a game.

Buck: "The Little Engine That Could, the Arizona Cardinals, keeps on chuggin." (Via RJBO)

Buck must love children's books. Demps takes a knee in the endzone for the touchback. And here we go. Chance for the Eagles to make something happen again. McNabb's pass is off the hands of Westbrook and incomplete. 2:46 to go. 2nd and 10. McNabb finds Jackson along the sidelines for a gain of 9. 3rd and 1, we've seen this before. McNabb finds Celek for the first down! Westbrook makes the catch and has a ton of room to run and he picks up 19! 2:09 to go. Ball at the AZ 47. McNabb's pass is incomplete for Baskett.

It's worth noting that the Eagles have not had a big 4th quarter comeback win this year. Just saying. McNabb's pass is too high for DeSean Jackson! 3rd and 10. 2:01 to go. McNabb's pass is incomplete for Baskett! 2-minute warning. 4th and 10 coming up after the break.

Are we headed for OT? Will McNabb drive for a TD in the last 3 minutes? If he does someone has to explain the playoff OT rules to Donovan, I'd love to hear that conversation. "Wait a minute, but you guys told me before that there was only one OT!" (Andy)

That would truly the season coming full circle. MCNABB UNDER PRESSUER, THROWS, HAS CURTIS BUT HE DROPPED IT! INCOMPLETE! CURTIS WANTS A FLAG BUT HE WON'T GET IT AND THE CARDS ARE A FIRST DOWN AWAY FROM A TRIP TO TAMPA!

Hightower gets 7. Eagles call a timeout. That's their last. Hightower is just short of the marker.

"Hightower...keeps chugging." - Joe Buck

Short of the marker. 3rd and NFC Title Game (sorry for that channeling of Matt Vagersian). Cards will let the clock wind down and then call a timeout. 59 seconds to go. Hightower slips and he's short of the marker! And the Eagles will have a shot at a Boise State miracle.

The punt goes out of bounds at the 7. 9 seconds to go. And for once, I won't fault Andy Reid for trying something funky here. Anything has a chance in this stadium.

The Eagles go with the laterals! Jackson downs the sideline! LATERALS IT INTO THE HANDS OF DARNELL DOCKETT AND THAT'S IT! THE ARIZONA CARDINALS ARE GOING TO THE SUPER BOWL! 32-25 is the final score in yet another memorable NFC title game and another crazy football postseason game in University of Phoenix Stadium.

My sincerest congrats to the Arizona Cardinals who have certainly worked for it. They weren't picked coming in, but time and time again they proved themselves in this post-season and Warner came through when they needed it the most.

32-25 Cardinals over the Eagles. The AFC title game is being live-blogged by SSR. I'll be there and I hope everyone else joins him. Thanks for all the hilarious comments today/tonight.

NFC Championship Game Eagles @ Cardinals Live Blog 1st Half

All right, it's almost time for kickoff in Glendale. Here are the picks from the people at Fox.

Frank: Cardinals
Jimmy: Eagles
Michael: Eagles
Howie: Eagles
Terry: Cardinals

And all 5 of them went with Pittsburgh in the AFC title game. And yes, Curt just confirmed that TB is flying out to Glendale. And we also get the official unveiling of Lebron's "big announcement". Yay, State Farm commercial! (Not that we didn't know that already).

Joe and Troy are coming up after the break.

"One of these teams is 4 quarters away from the Super Bowl and a trip to Tampa, Florida." - Joe Buck stating the obvious.

Not a bad rendition from Jordin Sparks. A bit over the top toward the end, but alas, we've seen worse.

When Joe Buck calls games in Arizona, the road team wins.The Giants were officially the road team in the Super Bowl.The Vikings beat Arizona.I conclude that the Eagles will win. (Via SSR)

Don't forget Philly's record with Buck the past few months. He's done the last 5 Eagles games where the Eagles have a 4-1 record and he called the Phils winning the World Series.

Akers kick is downed in the endzone by Arrington and we are underway! Edge picks up a couple on first down. Warner completes to Boldin for 7. Warner on third down finds Fitzgerald over the middle for a first down and a big gain past the 45! Boldin catches a quick pass from Warner and picks up 9. Edge pushes the pile forward for a first down.

Inside Eagle territory at the 40, Warner hands off to James who bounces it to the outside and picks up 16! James again with another carry and another first down inside the 20! Hightower picks up 4.

"How can a football blow off a tee in a dome? Maybe the noise knocked it off." - Joe Buck before the kickoff. (Via James Craven and Mal)

Kurt Warner finds Fitzgerald over the middle! Fitzgerald breaks a tackle! BREAKS ANOTHER TACKLE AND HE'S IN! TOUCHDOWN ARIZONA! The extra point is good and the Cardinals lead 7-0.

Can I get a "FIRE ANDY REID NOW!" please? (Via James Craven)

FIRE ANDY REID NOW! The kickoff goes out of bounds and the Eagles will have the ball at their own 40. How do you have a kickoff out of bounds in a dome? McNabb on first down is under pressure but he'll take off down the field for a big gain of over 20! That's the McNabb the Eagles need! Penalty was for an offsides on the Cards. Westbrook gets 4 on the carry. And yes, SSR, I think that tight end may be a traitor....

McNabb finds Celek on the completion but Celek gets walloped at the line and Joe Buck is being kind by giving him a yard on that completion. McNabb on 3rd down with all day and he finds Westbrook for 6 and a first down! Good grief! Is this an NFC title game or practice?

Toss to Westbrook gets a couple. LJ Smith catches it in the backfield and breaks a tackle and makes a nice play to turn what looked like a sure loss into a gain of 5. 3rd down and 4 becomes 3rd and 9 on the false start.

"Cardinals are coming." - Joe Buck.

Eww. McNabb has his pass batted down and that will bring up 4th come and on will come Akers to try a 45-yard and make it 18-straight post season field goals. Akers kick is up...AND GOOD! He killed that thing. 7-3 Cardinals still lead.

Joe B on Akers kick: "absolutely funked". (Via Mal
Mal, that came from Mr. Slamma Lamma Ding Dong himself (JamesCraven)

I was wondering what that second word was. Especially when I first heard it, I thought he said it was "absolutely fuc...." The kickoff is taken by Arrington to the 24.

"Eagles and Cardinals banging into each other today." - Joe Buck who clearly has his mind in the gutter today.

Handoff to James goes for a yard. Warner's pass on 2nd down is incomplete. 3rd down, and Warner finds Fitzgerald for 8. The punt by Graham goes 34 yards before going out of bounds.

McNabb can't connect with a wide-open DeSean Jackson on first down. Westbrook is stopped at the line as it seemed like Joe Buck had problems identifying the line of scrimmage. McNabb on 3rd down throws it up and it's TIPPED AND INTERCEPTED BY FRANCISCO! FRANCISCO DOWN THE SIDELINES AND HE LOSES THE BALL! EAGLES RECOVER AND HAVE A NEW SET OF DOWNS! INCREDIBLE!

McNabb on 1st down GOES DEEP FOR LEWIS WHO DROPS IT! Ex-Eagle Roderick Hood makes the play. Thanks for nothing Rod! McNabb puts the buscuit in the Baskett on 2nd down for the 1st and Kendra's happy. Westbrook busts one up the middle for a gain of 14 and into Cardinal territory! Buckhalter takes it and reverses field for a nice gain of 9. Buckhalter takes the carry and has the 1st down at the 35.

Well, that was a fun little quarter of football, wasn't it? 7-3 Arizona after 1.

"And he just tried squeeeezin' one in there." (Via David) Was that Aikman?

Troy, after the INT/Fumble: "good things happen around the football". Not really sure what that means and I don't think he does either (Via Mal)

Westbrook gets nothing. As Joe tells us the Eagles have done an incredible feat of running 4 straight running plays. McNabb's pass is incomplete. 3rd and 10 from the 35, McNabb has alld day dumps it off to Celek, tries to leap over the defender!...and gets taken down for a gain of 5.

Here comes Akers from 47-yards...NO GOOD! Akers streak is over and it's still 7-3 Arizona.

Warner on first down fires one deep down the field that is CAUGHT BY FITZGERALD WHO WALKS IN FOR THE EASY TOUCHDOWN! The penalty is roughing the passer and the PAT is good and it's 14-3 Arizona.

I'm not sure who...but somebody got absolutely funked on that play. (Via Mal)

There was definitley some funking going on on that play. And kudos to SSR for calling that play. We'd love to have you as our head coach in waiting in Philly.

Buckhalter gets 3 on the carry.

"Sold out this game in 6-minutes." - Joe Buck

That's a far cry from struggling to sell the place out for the wild card game against Atlanta. False start sends the Eagles back 5, but McNabb finds Curtis for 11. 3rd down and McNabb is SACKED! But holding on Arizona gives the Eagles a first down. McNabb finds Curtis over the middle! Curtis bounces it to the outside and he gets 47, all the way to the Cardinal 19!

Buckhalter picks up 7 on the carry up the middle. McNabb's pass for Lewis loses a couple and I have a feeling he won't be back next year. McNabb's 3rd down pass is incomplete and once again we'll see Akers.

Akers kick is up.....IT'S GOOD! No problem on that one and it's 14-6 Arizona.

Eagles may be losing, but I must say, this has been an entertaining game up to this point.

"You can bang them"-Aikman talking about what you can and can't do with the players involved in that defensive holding play. (Via Yet Another Idiot With A Music Blog)

Nice to see the NFL does not discriminate based on sexuality. Arrington takes the kick to the 27. James gets a big gain to the 47! Gain of 5 by Hightower.

"And here's Digger!" - Joe Buck

Arrington catches the pass and gets 17! From the 29, Hightower gets 3 on the carry. Pope makes the catch and he gets 15! Damn, Warner is lighting it up today. From the 14, James gets nothing.

And now a random fact that I just thought of. The Eagles have played 2-road NFC title games. Kurt Warner was the opposing QB in both of those games. Breston makes the completion for the first down by half of a football. 1st and goal from the 4, Arrington gets a yard. If there was ever time for a goal line stand, this is it. 2nd and goal, Warner's pass is incomplete but there's a flag down and that's pass interference and 1st and goal from the 1.

Warner on 1st and goal fires the FADE FOR FITZGERALD AND IT'S CAUGHT IN THE ENDZONE! TOUCHDOWN CARDINALS! The PAT is up and good and it's 21-6 Cardinals.

What on earth did Buck say after the touchdown? It sounded like "Double-Double!"

Snap it McNabb, snap it! That ball was not out of bounds! FUCK! THEY'RE CHALLENGING! (End moment of homerism)

Oh. My. God. Kickoff out of bounds is a dead ball and that's Eagle ball at the 40. What a break for Philadelphia, and as an Eagle fan, I'll admit, that's not what happened.

Oh, they rule it touched Abiamiri. Anyway, that probably should be Cardinal ball ao I'm sure the Eagles will take it regardless. Celek picks up 8 on the completion. McNabb again to Celek and that's a first down. McNabb drops back and throws it to no one and gets called for intentional grounding.

Buck: "Play over, even if the call may not be correct." Ed Hochuli agrees. (Via RJBO)

Great way to officiate. Celek gets 8 on the completion and it's 3rd and 14. McNabb tries to launch one down the field for Avant who can't come up with it. Frankly, I'm just glad that it was not picked off. There were red jersies everywhere. Good punt from Rocca and the Cardinals are pinned inside their own 20. Boldin gets 5 on the completion and there's a penalty on Demps for unnecessary roughness.

Fringe. Sounds like a bad story about the New York Giants offense. (JamesCraven)

Hilarious! Warner fires and it's TIPPED BY MIKELL AND SOMEHOW CAUGHT BY BOLDIN! That ball did hit the ground though. The booth is reviewing it and this one should come back.

The call is reversed and there's not much of a reaction from the Cardinal crowd, which tells you exactly how obvious that one was on replay. Kudos to Boldin though for actually nearly catching it. It's 2nd and 10 form the 36. Arrington loses 6 on the carry and the Eagles call time out.

"Warner and Arrington banged into each other." - Joe Buck

Thank goodness he said "into". 3rd and 15, Warner finds Urban for 18 yards and a first down! Wow. Fitzgerald all alone makes the catch for 14. Warner throws it out of bounds.

"There's some history between these 2. If you go back to 1947...." - Joe Buck

Yeah, I don't think anyone playing this game was alive then. Warner is SACKED! 3rd and 17 and we've seen this before. Warner dumps it to Boldin who gets it to the 40. And on will come Rackers to attempt a field goal and maybe a dagger if this becomes a 3-score game.

From 49-yards out, Rackers kick is up.......IT'S GOOD! That may be a dagger. 24-6 Cardinals at the half.

I'll see you guys in the 2nd half thread.

NFC Championship Game Live Blog Pregame

It looks more likely than not that SSR and I are splitting the live blogs with me in the afternoon cap and SSR in the night cap. That being said, use this as your pregame open thread. Post your thoughts and predictions on the game here and we'll get the live blog kicked off when Joe and Troy come on the air.

JFein's pick: Eagles 31, Cardinals 27

P.S. Yes, this is (mainly) an Eagles blog but I will be running things in an unbiased as possible manner.

Site Announcement Regarding Tomorrow's Live Blogs

I'm not sure what's going on tomorrow in terms of AA tomorrow, seeing as S2N is not going to be there, but if AA does not show up SSR and myself have set up a back-up plan. If AA does not show up, I will be live blogging the Eagles-Cardinals game here and SSR will be doing the Ravens-Steelers game at his site.

I'm going to try to get in contact with AA so that we have some certainty for tomorrow.

Update: I just sent AA an email asking about the live blog. I had tried to email him earlier but I had a typo in the address and my computer did not kick it back to me until 6-hours later (If I could, I'd kill Comcast). I'll post a second update once I know for sure what's going on, whether SSR and I are splitting the live blogs, or if AA is doing them, or if something else is going on.

AFC Championship Game Preview

What: A re-match of Walt Coleman's latest gaffe
Who: The Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
When: 6:30 EST
What Channel: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
Announcers' Talking Point of the Game: After losing two heart breakers to the Steelers, can the Ravens finally beat the Steelers?
Weather Forecast: 60% chance of snow showers, 25 degrees
Regular Season Meetings: Week 4: Steelers 23, Ravens 20; Week 15: Steelers 13, Ravens 9

Analysis: I don't know much about Ed Reed's religion, but one thing is for sure. God worships Ed Reed. Reed is a complete beast and he is everywhere and anywhere on the football field every and any play. There's a reason the Raven defense is once again one of the best in the league and a whle heck of a lot of it has to do with the play of Reed and Ray Lewis.

Wait a minute, great defense? Well how about the Steelers? They're the #1 defense in the NFL! This game is a battle of the top 2 defenses in the NFL (the Eagles are #3) and it should be one heck of a dandy, especially if the regular season games are signs of things to come.

Well, we know that both defense are going to do their thing, so let's look at the offensive side of the ball. The Steelers are led by veteran quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, who while not having the best year of his career, has come through in the most clutch moments for the Steelers this season, with one of the most notable being Week 15 at Baltimore. The Steelers running back, Willie Parker, is the engine that makes this offense go. If the Steelers can't establish the running game, they can find themselves in trouble. However, if they can, they will definitley be in the game and most likely leading.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Raven offense is led by rookie quarterback Joe Flacco. Although nowhere near dazzling, Flacco has in no way hurt his team, something which the Ravens struggled with under Kyle Boller and Steve McNair. The rookie has done a real solid job and while his short and intermediate passes may need some work, the man knows how to throw a beautiful deep ball. The Ravens also have a running game that is the key to the offense, led by Le'Ron McClain and Willis McGahee. And much like the Steelers, this Ravens offense will go as the running game goes.

With two evenly matched teams, I see 2 x-factors in this game. The weather (remember, there is a chance of snow) and special teams. The team that makes the most big plays on special teams likely will come away victorious in this one.

Prediction: I subscribe to a theory that it is very difficult for a team in the NFL to go up to a team that it is evenly matched up with and beat them 3-times in a season. And that is exactly what the Steelers are up against, having beat the Ravens twice in the regular season in the final minute. However, Heinz Field in the snow is a tough place for any road team to win, regardless of time of year and stakes of the game. You know the Pittsburgh faithful are going to show up in full force and they will be determined to force Flacco and co. into false starts and making mistakes (as if the Pittsburgh defense is not enough). But in the end, I see the Ravens finally getting the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the game that means the most. Ravens 13, Steelers 10.

NFC Championship Game Preview

What: A conference championship game that no one saw coming.
Who: The Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
When: 3:00 EST
What Channel: Fox
Announcers: Joe Buck and Troy Aikman with Pam Oliver and the ubiquitous Chirs Myers working on the sidelines
Announcers' Talking Point of the Game: How will the Eagles secondary fare against these dynamic Cardinal receivers?
Weather Forecast: Sunny, 77 degrees
Regular Season Meeting: Eagles 48, Cardinals 20

Analysis: Well then! No one saw this coming a month ago. But alas, it's the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship game and the executives at Fox are jumping off cliffs as we speak. And while it is certainly a most unappealing matchup (no offense to Cardinals fans, but very few people outside of the Phoenix/Glendale/Arizona market care about this team), this actually has the potential to be a very good game.

The Philadephia Eagles are about as red hot as anyone, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Ever since the loss to the New York Giants in Week 11, this defense has played lights out. And yes, I know the Baltimore game was a blowout, but not many of those points were the sole fault of the defense. However this game will pose a different test to the Eagles' defense. The past two games it has been about the Eagles' run defense. This game will focus more on the Eagles' secondary and can they stop when of the best receivers in the NFL, Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals run game has come alive in the past few weeks thanks in large part to the re-emergence of Edgerrin James, however, the Eagles faced a lot worse the past few weeks with the Purple Jesus of Minnesota and Earth, Wind, and Fire in New York. It is worth noting that none of those teams were really threatening through the air. But what about Eli Manning, JFein? Well, it was quickly established in that game last week that Eli would not be able to throw in the wind at his own stadium. And minus a big play-making receiver on the New York side, there was just no way that Eli would beat the Eagles and Jim Johnson noticed that and spent all of his defensive resources, if you will, to stop the run.

Enough with the digression, though. Point being is that Arizona is a different animal. And it will definitley be to their advantage that this game is in the desert. Could you imagine if they played in Philly today? For those that don't know, it is currently the coldest here that it has been in years with temperatures in the single digits now, and a high that won't come close to 20. Oy, another digression. Anyway, the Kurt Warner is thanking his lucky stars that the game is Sunday in the desert (here it's going to be slightly warmer than it is now, but a chance of snow exists). And so maybe the Eagles. The Eagles play in a cold-weather city, but they are not necessarily a grind it out cold-weather team. Even though Andy Reid has been relying on the run a whole lot more than he ususally does (I'm just as shocked as you are, this maybe the best I've ever seen him with McNabb at QB). So this Eagle offense should not have any problems moving the ball. The temperature is going to be fairly comfortable, roof open or closed, the Cardinal defense is nowhere near the threat of Minnesota's and New York's defense, and oh yeah, the Eagles lit them up for 48 on Thanksgiving day to end their mid-season cold streak.

Prediction: I have picked the Cardinals to be blown out in each of the last two weeks. Look at how that's turned out for me. However, I may be stupid, but I'm doing it again. Except I don't think that this is going to be a blowout. The Eagles defense is awesome, yes, but the Cardinals have momentum and they have a fan base now that has NEVER been this excited about Cardinal football. Regardless of who wins, the winner of this game will cement themselves as one of the most unlikely Super Bowl contenders of all time, and that unlikely contender will be the Philadelphia Eagles, the same team that was left for dead at 1:00 PM on Week 17 of the NFL season, will be going to the Super Bowl, beating the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 31-27.

Fantasy World Series Game 3: 1980 Phillies vs. 2008 Phillies

Well, let's hope this game actually has a little bit of drama in it. Drama makes everything funner. Once again, credit to WhatIfSports. The winner of this game will cement their role as the best Phillies team ever. The 1980 Phillies won Game 1, 4-1. The 2008 Phillies won Game 2, 5-2. Let's get into Game 3.

From Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pitching Match-up: Bob Walk (ERA 4.57) vs. Jamie Moyer (ERA 3.71)

Top of the First Inning

Garry Maddox starts the game out by grounding to short. Up next is Pete Rose and he will send one a mile high into left center that is easily handled. Mike Schmidt is up next. SCHMIDT SMOKES IT! DEEP TO CENTER.....IS IT ENOUGH?......IT'S GONE! Mike Schmidt hits one that barely clears the wall at center and it's 1-0 1980 Phillies. Ryan Howard catches Bake McBride's liner to end the inning. 1-0 '80 Phils thanks to Mike Schmidt's solo shot.

Bottom of the First Inning

Jimmy Rollins starts things out for the '08 Phillies by grounding out to first. Jayson Werth is up next and he hits a single to left center! Utley and Howard both draw walks and it's bases loaded for Pat Burrell who also walks! That bases-loaded walk ties it at 1! Victorino is up next and he hits one that bounces off the mound into center field! Utley and Howard both score and the '08 Phils lead 3-1 on Victorino's single! Pedro Feliz is up next and he pops out to short. Ruiz hits a fly ball to right center and that will end the inning. 3-1 '08 Phillies.

Top of the Second Inning

Luzinski pops out to Feliz. Manny Trillo gets out on a grounder to short. Boone is up next and he pops one up that lands in the hole! Single for Boone. Bowa does not do him any favors by lining out to J-Roll and ending the inning. 3-1 '08 Philllies.

Bottom of the Second Inning

On comes Jamie Moyer and he hits a line drive!....that's caught easily by Manny Trillo. J-Roll draws a walk. On comes Jayson Werth but look out! Rollins steals 2nd! WERTH!...DEEP!.....GONE! That 2-run shot puts the 2008 Phillies up 5-1! Utley is up next and he LAUNCHES ONE DEEP! AT THE WALL THE CATCH IS MADE BY McBRIDE! Howard steps up to the plate and he singles to center. Burrell lines out to McBride. Victorino is up next and he ends the inning by striking out. 5-1 '08 Phillies.

Top of the Third Inning

Walk is first up and he flies out to deep left. Garry Maddox and he too lets one soar that is caught by Burrell. On comes Pete Rose and he pops one up but it falls through for the single. Schmidt lines out to J-Roll to end the inning.

Bottom of the Third Inning

Pedro Feliz starts the inning by uncorking a popper to McBride. Ruiz comes in and he draws a walk. Moyer again makes contact but he hits into a 5-4 fielder's choice. J-Roll is next and he takes a walk. Up next is Jayson Werth who last time at the plate hit a homerun. This time he waves at a ball outside of the zone. 5-1 '08 Phillies

Top of the Fourth Inning

Bake McBride starts the inning with a walk. Luzinski comes up to bat and meanwhile McBride is trying to steal second! OUT! Luzinski waves at strike 3 out of the strike zone. Trillo ends the inning by grounding out to Howard. Still 5-1.

Bottom of the Fourth

Utley starts the inning by sending a flyball into the hole! Ryan Howard pops one up to McBride. Pat Burrell comes up and he sends one deep to right that's caught by Maddox. Victorino flies out to Luzinski and that'll end the inning. 5-1 '08 Phillies.

Top of the Fifth Inning

Boone starts the inning off with a line drive to center! And the '80 Phillies start with a double. Bowa comes up next and he singles to center! 1st and 3rd with nobody out as Lonnie Smith will pinch-hit for the pitcher, Walk. Smith hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice, which allows Boone to score! 5-2. On comes Garry Maddox. Smith is running! He's got second! Here comes the next pitch, and Smith is going again! He's got third! Maddox flies one down the left-field line! Smith scores easily on Maddox's double and it's 5-3! Rose hits an infield single to short which leaves runners on 1st and 3rd for Schmidt. Schmidt hits into a 3-6 fielder's choice! Maddox SCORES FROM 3RD! And it's 5-4! And it's pitching change time. Durbin is replacing Moyer. McBride with a line drive single! 1st and 2nd for Luzinski who strikes out to end the inning. And this one is interesting, 5-4 '08 Phillies

Bottom of the Fifth Inning

On will come Dickie Noles to pitch for the '80 Phillies. Feliz will lead off the inning by grounding out to short. Ruiz grounds out to Trillol Durbin with a swing and a miss ends the inning. 5-4 '08 Phillies.

Top of the Sixth Inning

Trillo leads off by grounding out to Howard. Boone pops out to Werth. Larry Bowa grounds out to Howard and it's an easy 1-2-3 inning for Durbin. 5-4 '08 Phillies.

Bottom of the Sixth Inning

Jimmy Rollins leads off the inning by popping out to first base man, Pete Rose. Werth comes up next and he connects with a line drive single to left! Utley strikes out. On comes Ryan Howard and he walks. Men on 1st and 2nd for Burrell. Burrell bloops one to left-center! The outfield is late getting to the ball! Werth scores from second easily! AND HOWARD'S TRYING FOR HOME AS WELL! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! Howard scores and it's 7-4 '08 Phillies on the bloop double by Burrell. Ron Reed is coming on to pitch to Victorino. Flyball to center falls in the hole! Burrell will round 3rd and score! 8-4 '08 Phillies, and it's once again a 4-run game! 2-0ut with Victorino on 2nd and a wild pitch to Feliz sends Victorino to 3rd! Feliz, however strikes out and that'll end the inning. 8-4 '08 Phillies and this one is getting ugly again.

Top of the Seventh Inning

Ron Reed leads off the inning by grounding to short. Maddox is up next and he uncorks one to left for a single. Rose flies out to left cinter. Schmidt bloops one to right-center that sends Maddox all the way to 3rd! 1st and 3rd with 2 out for McBride. McBride lines one to left! Maddox scores and it's 8-5! J.C. Romero comes in to pitch to Greg Luzinski. Luzinski bloops one to left-center! Schmidt scores easily from 2nd! McBride is going to try to score from 1st! THE THROW TO THE PLATE IS NOT IN TIME! '80 PHILLIES ARE WITHIN 1 RUN AGAIN! Trillo flies out to left-center to end the inning. A 2-out rally from the 1980 Philles have them once again within 1. 8-7 in favor of the 2008 Phillies but the old-timers are not going easily into the Philly night.

Bottom of the Seventh Inning

Ruiz starts things off by fling out to left-center. Up next is J.C. Romero. ROMERO LAUNCHES ONE OFF THE WALL! MADDOX OVERPLAYED IT! ROMERO HAS A TRIPLE! INCREDIBLE! J-Roll draws the walk. Jayson Werth is next to bat and Werth flies one deep down the left field line. It's caught by McBride but Romero scores easily and it's 9-7 for the 2008 Phillies! Oh my, here we go again. Here comes Chase Utley. And here we go again, indeed! J-Roll steals second! Okay, maybe not again as Utley grounds out. The 2008 Phillies have tacked on another, leading 9-7.

Top of the Eighth Inning

Bob Boone leads off the top of the eighth inning with a flyout to Pat Burrell. Bowa grounds out to first. George Vukovich comes into pinch hit for the pitcher, Reed and he flies out to right center field. 9-7 2008 Phillies.

Bottom of the Eighth Inning

Kevin Saucier comes into pitch for the 1980 Phillies. Howard grounds out to first. Pat Burrell takes ball 4 and walks. Up next is the Flyin' Hawaiian. OUCH! Victorino is hit by a pitch and it's 1st and 2nd with two out for Pedro Feliz. Feliz grounds it to 2nd.....DOUBLE PLAY! 4-6-3 and that ends the inning. Heading into the ninth inning, the 2008 Phillies have a 2-run lead and are 3-outs away from being considered the best team in Phillies history.

Top of the Ninth Inning

Here we go. Can the 1980 Phillies come back, or will the 2008 Phillies win the series? You can cut the tension with a knife, folks. The 1980 Phillies have the top of their line-up at the plate and here is Garry Maddox with Brad Lidge now on the mound for the '08 Phillies. Maddox is hit in the leg! The tying run is now at the plate with nobody out! Pete Rose takes the plate and he gets hit by a pitch! 1st and 2nd with nobody out for the 1980 Phillies! Mike Schmidt comes up and he strikes out! Here comes Bake McBride to the plate! GROUNDBALL TO 3RD! McBride is out but the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Two out. On comes Luzinski. GROUNDBALL DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE! MADDOX SCORES! The 1980 Phillies are now within 1! 9-8. Runners at 1st and 3rd. 2 0ut. Tying run 90 feet way. Trillo at the plate. TRILLO SMOKES A LINER TO RIGHT! MADDOX SCORES FROM 3RD AND THIS GAME IS TIED! UNBELIEVEABLE! 9-9 in the top of the ninth! After not blowing a save all year, Lidge has blown one here. On will come Clay Condrey to pitch with Bob Boone at the plate. Boone walks! Bases loaded, top of the ninth, 2 out, 9-9 game, and on comes Larry Bowa. LARRY BOWA SINGLES TO RIGHT! LUZINSKI SCORES! TRILLO SCORES! THE 1980 PHILLIES HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD! Absolutely incredible. 1st and 2nd with 2 out for Keith Moreland pinch hitting for Kevin Saucier. Moreland sends to through the hole at left-center! BOONE IS GOING TO TRY TO SCORE FROM 2ND! HE'S SAFE! 3-RUN LEAD FOR THE 1980 PHILLIES! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! What a turnaround! From trailing by 2 to now leading by 3, the 1980 Phillies have completely taken control here in the 9th, 12-9. Tom Gordon now comes on to pitch for the 2008 Phillies. Maddox is back up to the plate, he got things started by taking a pitch in the leg. This time he grounds out to first and that finally ends the inning. Another remarkable 2-out rally have put the 1980 Phillies ahead, 12-9. Unbelieveable.

Bottom of the Ninth Inning

Who says we can't have another rally? The 2008 Phillies look as dejected as they have ever looked, but you never know. Tug McGraw comes into pitch. Ruiz is first to bat. Ruiz grounds one to left and reaches on the single! Greg Dobbs is coming into the game to pinch-hit for Tom Gordon. The Phillies need something from Dobbs. And Dobbs delivers! THAT ONE IS HIT TO LEFT CENTER FIELD AND THAT BALL IS OUTTA HERE! A 2-RUN HOMER AND THE 2008 PHILLIES ARE SUDDENLY WITHIN 1! And on top of all that, there's no one out with the top of the line up at the plate. Jimmy Rollins comes in and he grounds out to first. 1 away. Werth is up and he sends one through the hole to left field for the single! The trying run is at first. The winning run is at the plate. Chase Utley walks! Howard gets intentionally walked and the bases are loaded in the bottom of the ninth! On comes Pat Burrell. High popper to right-center! Maddox catches the popper! WERTH TAKES OFF! MADDOX HAS A CHANCE WITH THE THROW! THE THROW TO BOONE IS TOO HIGH! WERTH SCORES! WE'RE TIED! AGAIN! 12-12! How's this for an exciting finish? Good lord. Anyway, here comes Victorino to the plate. A chance to win the game for the Phillies with runners at 2nd and 3rd 2-out. Lerrin Lagrow comes into pitch, replacing Tug McGraw. And here's the Flyin' Hawaiian. VICTORINO SINGLES TO RIGHT CENTER! NO CHANCE AT THE PLATE! UTLEY SCORES! 2008 PHILLIES WIN! 13-12! WHAT A COMEBACK! WHAT A GAME!

Final line
1980 Philadelphia Phillies: 12 runs, 16 hits, 0 errors
2008 Philadelphia Phillies: 13 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors

Well then, can you imagine if that were a real game? It'd be the game of the year in baseball. And I swear that's how WhatIfSports simulated it. Yeah, that was incredible.

That was fun. I hope you were entertained by reading my narrations of the play-by-play of these simulated games. I'll probably have some more simulations in the football offseason, when things are kind of slow.

Adolf Hitler Has Been Taken From His Home

Yeah, I know this is a sports blog (and more specifically, an Eagles blog), but some things just strike me as so bizarre, that I just have to post them and comment. Well, this is one of them. If you remember, around a month ago when the story broke that the Campbell family had ordered a birthday cake from the local ShopRite with Happy birthday and the kid's name on it and the store refused them. Why the denial? Because something about writing "Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler Campbell" seemed quite pecuilar. The Campbell family ended up getting said cake from Wal-Mart (which is a story in itself, quite frankly). But JFein, this was over a month ago? Why are you bringing this up again?

Well because the kids have been taken away from their parents. From MSNBC.com

"HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, N.J. - Three New Jersey siblings whose names have Nazi connotations have been placed in the custody of the state, police said Wednesday.

Holland Township Police Sgt. John Harris said workers from the state Division of Youth and Family Services removed 3-year-old Adolf Hitler Campbell and his younger sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, from their home Tuesday.

Harris said family services did not tell police the reason the children were removed. Agency spokeswoman Kate Bernyk said it does not comment on specific cases."

There is a family court hearing scheduled for tomorrow, but wow. This really is a lose-lose situation for all involved. From what little we know about the father other than is unusual taste for naming kids, he seems like a normal dad, and the same can be said with the mom. The names are unusual and those kids are gonna have a tough life in school, yes, but I don't see how putting them in state custody is going to help matters. They seem like a happy and healthy family.

Another article that I have cited below states that the state would not take the kids away because of a name so it will be interesting to see exactly why they were taken away. Everything else seemed normal when we met them a month ago, so I'm curious as to why they would take the kids away, if not for the names. And again, we could have a random child abuse case that just so happens to be from the same parents who names their kids "Adolf Hitler", "JoyceLynn Aryan Nation", and "Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie". If more becomes available tomorrow, I will definitley pass the information along to you.

Nazi named children taken from parents (MSNBC.com)
NJ kids with Nazi-inspired names removed from home (Comcast.net)

Giants Fans Are A Tadbit Upset That The Eagles Beat Them.

Great find by Awful Announcing and The 700 Level. Apparently a few Giants fans are a bit miffed that their team lost angry to the point of insanity that the Eagles whooped their asses (again) in the Meadowlands. I've heard some stories of drunk fans after some games but this one takes the cake. I'll let the videos do the talking. All I'll say is that idiocy knows no limits.




Way to break your leg and make yourself look like a complete idiot in the process. And if you thought that was insane, check this out.



Good times.......gooooood times in New York East Rutherford. You stay classy, Giants fans!

Giants Fans Took The Playoff Loss Well (Awful Announcing)
More Drunk Giants Fans, Now With More Drunk Destruction (The 700 Level)

Update: Game 2 of the Fantasy World Series is below. I started the thread before this one, which I guess explains it, even though I just published it...