NFL Week 8/MLS Conference Semifinals Live Blog

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!  DOOP!

Leg 1: Los Angeles Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls 3:00 (ESPN2 - Adrian Healey and John Harkes)

Leg 1: Houston Dynamo vs. Philadelphia Union 5:00 (ESPN2 - Rob Stone and Taylor Twellman)

Leg 1: Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids 7:00 (FSC) (TSN2)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

2011 MLS Cup Western Conference Semifinal Leg 1 Live Blog

Leg 1: Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake 10:00 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and  Brian Dunseth) (TSN2)

2011 World Series Game 7 Live Blog

One of the most exciting World Series in recent memory will conclude tonight.  One team will call themselves champions.  The other will walk away bitterly disappointed.

Game 7: Rangers vs. Cardinals 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 MLS Cup Conference Semifinals Schedule

After muting Marcelo Balboa for 90 minutes, I can confidently said I managed to save a few brain cells watching Colorado Rapids defeat Columbus Crew in the 2nd of two MLS Cup Playoff Wild Card games.  Now to the Conference Finals.  Now to recap how we got here, the lowest seeded remaining wild card team (New York Red Bulls) moves to the Western Conference bracket to face the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield winning Los Angeles Galaxy.  And the highest seeded remaining wild card team (Colorado Rapids) moves to the Eastern Conference bracket to face the Eastern Conference winning Sporting Kansas City.  Yes, MLS thinks this is a good way to conduct a playoff.

Now moving forward in the Conference Semifinals, where each fixture will contain two legs, with each team hosting a leg.  Aggregate scoring will be used, and the team with the highest aggregate score will advance to the Conference Finals.  If after two legs, the aggregate is tied, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, and if it is still tied after 30 minutes of extra time, penalty kicks will determine a winner.  It is important to note that unlike other, better known soccer competitions, there is no away goal rule here.  On one hand, this makes keeping track of the score much easier.  On the other hand, can't MLS just for once do something like other people!  Even when MLS makes things easy it's not easy.  Now that you are all thoroughly confused, here is the schedule for the Conference Semifinals! (wild card seeds have been designated a #4 seed for the sake of ease) (home team listed last) (all times ET) 

Eastern Conference Semifinals

#1 Sporting Kansas City vs. #4 Colorado Rapids

Leg 1:  October 30:  Sporting Kansas City vs. Colorado Rapids  7:00 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and Kyle Martino) (TSN2)
Leg 2:  November 2:  Colorado Rapids vs. Sporting Kansas City  8:00 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and Kyle Martino)

#2 Houston Dynamo vs. #3 Philadelphia Union

Leg 1:  October 30:  Houston Dynamo vs. Philadelphia Union  5:00 (ESPN2 - Rob Stone and Taylor Twellman)
Leg 2:  November 3:  Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamo  8:30 (ESPN2 - Adrian Healey and Taylor Twellman) (TSN2)

Western Conference Semifinals

#1 Los Angeles Galaxy vs. #4 New York Red Bulls

Leg 1:  October 30:  Los Angeles Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls  3:00 (ESPN2 - Adrian Healey and John Harkes)
Leg 2:  November 3:  New York Red Bulls vs. Los Angeles Galaxy  11:00 (ESPN2 - Ian Darke and John Harkes, SR: Rob Stone) (TSN2)

#2 Seattle Sounders vs. #3 Real Salt Lake

Leg 1:  October 29:  Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake  10:00 (FSC - JP Dellacamera and Kyle Martino) (TSN2)
Leg 2:  November 2:  Real Salt Lake vs. Seattle Sounders  10:00 (ESPN2 - Adrian Healey and John Harkes) (TSN2)

2011 World Series Game 6/October 27 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Live Blog

Game 6: Rangers vs. Cardinals 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

#3 Columbus Crew vs. #2 Colorado Rapids 10:00 (mlssoccer.com) (TSN2)

I Think Jan Mucha Would Like To Have This One Back

I think we all remember Rob Green's blunder in the 2010 World Cup against the United States. right?  Well, over a year later, and Everton's Jan Mucha decided he wants to make Rob Green feel a bit better about himself.  I mean, after all, at least Clint Dempsey was shooting the ball on net, as weak a shot as it was.  In yesterday's Carling Cup fixture between Everton and Chelsea, Salomon Kalou was just trying to send the ball into the box.  And, well, this happened.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!  Hilarious stuff from the Slovakian keeper.

Chelsea ultimately went on to win a very bizarre Carling Cup match 2-1 in extra time.  The draw for the quarter-finals will take place this Saturday.

October 26 MLS Cup Wild Card Live Blog

I am exhausted, have a class from 5 to 8, Game 6 of the World Series has been postponed, and this game is on a channel I do not get on TV so my only hope to watch is an online stream.  I don't feel like live blogging a pirated feed with minimal company (not sure how many of you want to watch a 1st round MLS cup game tonight).  Enjoy the game and leave comments!

Feeling better now, gonna give the live blog a whirl, even with the pirated feed.

 #4 New York Red Bulls vs. #1 FC Dallas 9:00 (FSC) (TSN2)

NFL Week 8 Schedule

Philadelphia Union's 1st ever MLS Cup game plus Cowboys-Eagles in primetime?  Don't mind if I do.  This Sunday promises to be a stressful one.  Hopefully it turns out fun, but it will certainly be stressful. Here's the Week 8 schedule.  (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Maps of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

Fox games

Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers  1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnson, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Baltimore Ravens  1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
New Orleans Saints vs. St. Louis Rams  1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)

Washington Redskins vs. Buffalo Bills (game to be played in Toronto, Canada)  4:05 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Detroit Lions vs. Denver Broncos  4:05 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)

CBS early games

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Giants  1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans  1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans  1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)

America's Game Of The Week and CBS late games

New England Patriots vs. Pittsburgh Steelers  4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers  4:15 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Seattle Seahawks  4:15 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

Sunday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles  8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs  8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Suzy Kolber)

Jaromir Jagr's 1st Goal As A Flyer

This is almost surreal.  Amazingly, surreal.



As I am watching early regular season games, I don't scream frequently.  As soon as the puck went in, I screamed.  And then the salute afterwards.  Beautiful.

2011 World Series Game 5 Live Blog

Oh, yeah, and Monday Night Football as well.  If seeing close-ups of Jon Gruden's crotch is your type of thing.

Game 5: Cardinals vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 MLS Cup Wild Card Schedule

This is the first year I am going to try this, but I will be live blogging the entire MLS Cup this year, although given I do not get FSC and will probably be relying on some pirated online streams, I can't guarantee how much success I will have.  Announcers will be added to the schedule once I receive confirmation official confirmation from somewhere (looking ahead, I can confirm that working Leg 1 of the Philadelphia Union-Houston Dynamo Conference semifinal series will be Rob Stone and Taylor Twellman).  The format for this unfamiliar is needlessly complex.  The below wild card teams are ranked 1-4 in the order they finished (1 being best, 4 the worst). The wild card round is one game single elimination.  The highest seeded winner will move to the Eastern Conference and face Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference Semifinal (yes, Western Conference teams such as Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas can play in the Eastern Conference playoffs, same with Eastern Conference teams New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew playing in the Western Conference playoffs; don't ask why).  The lowest seeded wild card winner will move to the Western Conference Semifinals and face Los Angeles Galaxy.  I think at this point, it is for the best to just leave you with the wild card schedule.  I will explain how the Conference Semifinals work once we get there.  This is MLS we are talking about.  Nothing can be simple.  (all times ET)

October 26
#4 New York Red Bulls vs. #1 FC Dallas  9:00 (FSC) (TSN2)

October 27
#3 Columbus Crew vs. #2 Colorado Rapids  10:00 (TSN2)

NFL Week 7/2011 World Series Game 4 Live Blog

This slate of NFL games is not a very good one.

Game 4: Cardinals vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 World Series Game 3 Live Blog

Game 3: Cardinals vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

This Video Is Worth It Just To Hear Craig James Refer To A Guy Getting Naked As "Losing Gear"

If a streaker wearing the worst referee disguise ever successfully blowing a play dead before running onto the field and dropping trou while indirectly starting a benches clearing brawl between UCLA and Arizona is the only thing this college football season is remembered for, then this season will still be considered a whopping success.



For more on the UCLA-Arizona Fake Referee Streaker, please read Jon Bois's report complete with a stunning pictorial diagram at SB Nation.

2011 World Series Game 2 Live Blog

I'm going to be starting this early for the big early season Capitals-Flyers game.  Also tonight, one of the most important games in the 2011 MLS Season on ESPN2 as the Philadelphia Union take on the New York Red Bulls.

Game 2: Rangers vs. Cardinals 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Counting Is A Difficult Task For Tim McCarver

I have nothing to add to this.



(Video from SportsGrid)

2011 World Series Game 1 Live Blog

Game 1:  Rangers vs. Cardinals 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

NFL Week 7 Schedule

The bad news is it is the Eagles' bye week.  The good news is my two CBS affiliates are each showing a different football game.  One extra game for me this week.  Yay! (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon game.

CBS games

San Diego Chargers vs. New York Jets  1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans  1:00 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)
Denver Broncos vs. Miami Dolphins  1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals  4:05 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders  4:05 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)

Fox early games

Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (game to be played in London, England)  1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony Siragusa)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Detroit Lions  1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
Washington Redskins vs. Carolina Panthers  1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns  1:00 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)

America's Game Of The Week and Fox late games

Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings  4:15 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys  4:15 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)

Sunday Night Football

Indianapolis Colts vs. New Orleans Saints  8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

Baltimore Ravens vs. Jacksonville Jaguars  8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Suzy Kolber)

2011 World Series Schedule

Hopefully this World Series is better than the low ratings it will receive would indicate.  Go Rangers.  I guess.  I don't know.  I don't particularly care for either of these teams. (all times ET)

World Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Texas Rangers

Game 1:  October 19:  Rangers vs. Cardinals  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 2:  October 20:  Rangers vs. Cardinals  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 3:  October 22:  Cardinals vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 4:  October 23:  Cardinals vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 5:  October 24:  Cardinals vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 6:  October 26:  Rangers vs. Cardinals  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 7:  October 27:  Rangers vs. Cardinals  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

A Detailed Analysis Why Andy Reid Should Not Be Fired

Essay after the jump.

NFL Week 6/2011 NLCS Game 6 Live Blog

Game 6: Cardinals vs. Brewers 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 ALCS Game 6 Live Blog

Game 6:  Tigers vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

2011 NLCS Game 5 Live Blog

Series tied at 2.  If Milwaukee can win tonight.....oh boy.

Game 5: Brewers vs. Cardinals 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

NFL Week 6 Schedule

Somehow I forgot about this on Tuesday.  Sorry!  This week, the Eagles face as close to a must win as one could face on Week 6 of a season.  They are on the road against the division leading Redskins.  A win is almost a necessity. (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

CBS games

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Giants  1:00 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers  1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals  1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)

Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens  4:05 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders  4:05 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)

Fox early games

San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions  1:00 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnston, SA: Tony
Siragusa)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins  1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
St. Louis Rams vs. Green Bay Packers  1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons  1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)

America's Game Of The Week and Fox late games

Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots  4:15 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers  4:15 (Fox - Ron Pitts and Jim Mora, Jr.)

Sunday Night Football

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears  8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets  8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Suzy Kolber)

2011 ALCS Game 5/NLCS Game 4 Live Blog

Game 5: Rangers vs. Tigers 4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 4: Brewers vs. Cardinals 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 ALCS Game 4/NLCS Game 3 Live Blog

Game 4: Rangers vs. Tigers 4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 3: Brewers vs. Cardinals 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 ALCS Game 3 Live Blog

Game 3: Rangers vs. Tigers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Journey

It has been a few days since the Phillies have been eliminated from the 2011 MLB Playoffs, and I am not going to lie, I am still disappointed.  Disappointed to think the best team in the league will not have a chance at a parade.  Disappointed to think the Philadelphia Phillies will not play baseball again until 2012.  Disappointed that one of the greatest teams in franchise history has been reduced to a laughing stock because of a bunch of idiots.

But we can't let personal feelings dictate what the Phillies have accomplished in 2011.  The franchise was established in 1883, but 2011 was the first time they won 102 games in a single season.  That is a record that stands alone.  And while some will think that only increases the amount of failure and makes it even more of a laughable "choke job" than the past couple years, it not only is not a "choke job," but what happens in a five-game series is not revealing about a team in any way shape or form.  The difference between a 102-win team (Phillies) and a 90-win team (Cardinals) is not significant enough to ensure that the better team will win said series.

In a recent article, Joe Posnanski in a round about way illustrates this point.  It is staggering to think how rare the best team wins a pennant in baseball's modern format.  I have explained this before, but the variance of outcomes in baseball is too luck dependent in a five game series (or seven game series) for everything to even out.  If you want to do that, then you are looking at upwards of 650 plate appearances, something players in a playoff series won't even come close to attaining.

If you want to label a team a "choker," label the Boston Red Sox, a team that once claimed they had a 99.7% chance of making the playoffs and wound up not making it.  Do not label the Phillies "chokers," simply because they are nowhere near in the same ballpark as the Red Sox.  Entering the playoffs, the Phillies had at best a roughly 24% chance to win the World Series, if I am being generous.  That is a 76% of not winning the World Series.  How can one call not winning a World Series a failure when there was a 76% chance it was going to happen.  Entering the series with the St. Louis Cardinals, the Phillies had only a 59% chance of winning the series, according to coolstandings.com.  How is something a "failure" when an outcome that is 41% likely to happen, happens?  Consider this thought experiment from FuquaManuel of  TheGoodPhight.com.  What would you be saying now if the deep fly balls by Ibanez and Utley carried just a few more feet?

If you want to be mad, do not be mad at Ryan Howard.  Or Raul Ibanez.  Or Chase Utley.  Or Cliff Lee.  Or Roy Halladay.  Or Roy Oswalt.  Or any single member of the Phillies.  If you want to get angry, get angry at baseball.

For baseball is a journey.  A long, beautiful summer long journey.    A 162-game journey where fathers bond with sons.  Friends bond with friends.  Family bonds with family.  It is not where you end up, but how you get there, the memories you make, and the memories that you carry on.  For me, I will never forget July 26, 2011.  It was the first game the Phillies played against the San Francisco Giants since the 2010 NLCS.  Barry Zito was on the mound.  Chase Utley was at the plate.  Deep fly ball, center field, off the top of the wall.

I am in attendance, standing, cheering.  Then Chase Utley approaches third.  Just a few feet in front of me, Juan Samuel motions to Utley, go!  Go!  Go home!

But in the end, 162-games boils down to a five game series.  Then a seven game series.  Then another seven game series.  And for those that only get joy at the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, then I truly feel sorry for you, because baseball is a rainbow that is meant to be enjoyed from start to finish.

Everyone wants to win the World Series, but only one team out of 30 does.  And for the other 29, not all are failures. The team that comes out on top is not always the best team.  In fact, under the current system, that is seemingly a rare occurrence, certainly more so in comparison to other sports.  An intelligent argument can be made that the worst Philadelphia Phillies team in the last four years is the team that won the World Series.  There are so many factors that come to play in a five or seven game series that you simply cannot expect to win, no matter how good the team is.  This Phillies season really helped me grow a greater appreciation for just how good the 2001 Seattle Mariners were.  They won 116 games (14 more than the 2011 Phillies) and lost in the ALCS to the New York Yankees.  The false narrative at the time was the upstart Mariners could not over come the "Yankee aura."  But the truth is, in the baseball post-season, shit happens.  No matter how good a team you are, there are too many variables for the better team to always win.  It is unfortunate, but it is also what makes playoffs baseball so exciting.  Any team can win in the playoffs.  The best teams in each league this year, the Phillies and the Yankees respecitvely, have both been eliminated.  This year in particular, any team can win.  The 2004 St. Louis Cardinals went 105-57 and lost in the World Series.  The 2006 St. Louis Cardinals went 83-78 and won the World Series.  Doesn't that say it all?

Next year, the Phillies will be back.  They may not win 102 games again, but barring a team-wide plague of injuries, they will likely be back in the playoffs.  Even if their win total is somewhere in the 90s, in all likelihood that will still be enough to get them into the playoffs and something hovering around a 1-in-8 (or 10 if Selig does in fact expand the playoffs) shot at winning the World Series. But most importantly, next year there will be another journey.  A journey with some old faces, some new faces, and 162-days of highs, lows, and moments that we will share forever.

And maybe, when all is said and done, as October 2012 gets ready to morph into November 2012, the Phillies can once again have their names pulled from the lottery, just like in 2008.  And all the journeys the Phillies took you on over the years will once again all be worth it.

2011 LCS Game 2 Live Blog

Game 2: Tigers vs. Rangers 4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

Game 2: Cardinals vs. Brewers 8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

The Eagles Have A Problem

His name is Defensive Coordinator Juan Castillo.  If they get rid of this problem, they will likely win games.  If they don't get rid of him, they will still probably win games and contend for the NFC East which is absolutely putrid this year.

If you can find a better, viable, realistic replacement for Juan Castillo, by all means, give him to me and an intelligent argument can be made to fire Juan Castillo in the middle of the season (something I hate doing).

Fire Andy Reid?  They absolutely should NOT fire Reid.  Not only has he done too much good for the club, but he is in charge of an offense so talented that they can turn the ball over five times (fault at a focus here) and still only lose by seven while having a chance to win at the end of the game.  He has done wonders with Vick and has built teams through the draft.  You don't be a consistent contender for a decade without that kind of stability.  Now even great coaches run their courses with teams (see Jeff Fisher), but has that time come for Andy Reid yet?  Talk to me after a couple years of not making the playoffs.  Reid, despite some of his rather obvious flaws, is a good football coach and the best man to lead the Eagles at this very moment.

The Eagles have lost by 4, 13, 1, and 7. I can't help but think that even if the Eagles don't make changes, they will win games this year.  The offense is explosive enough (my gosh they were a thing of beauty in the 2nd half against a good Buffalo team) and the defense is talented enough.  And given the overall weakness of the division, yes, I still believe the Eagles have a realistic chance at winning the NFC East.  If they can find a better defensive coordinator, then those chances might just increase significantly.

NFL Week 5/NLCS Game 1/ALCS Game 2 Live Blog

Game 1: Cardinals vs. Brewers 4:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 2: Tigers vs. Rangers 7:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 ALCS Game 1 Live Blog

Game 1:  Tigers vs. Rangers 7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!

2011 League Championship Series Schedule

This hurts a lot.

National League Championship Series

Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game 1:  October 9:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  4:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 2:  October 10:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 3:  October 12:  Brewers vs. Cardinals  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 4:  October 13:  Brewers vs. Cardinals  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 5:  October 14:  Brewers vs. Cardinals  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 6:  October 16:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  4:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)
Game 7:  October 17:  Cardinals vs. Brewers  8:00 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

American League Championship Series

Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers

Game 1:  October 8:  Tigers vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 2:  October 9:  Tigers vs. Rangers  7:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Terry Francona, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 3:  October 11:  Rangers vs. Tigers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 4:  October 12:  Rangers vs. Tigers  4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 5:  October 13:  Rangers vs. Tigers  4:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 6:  October 15:  Tigers vs. Rangers  7:30 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)
Game 7:  October 16:  Tigers vs. Rangers  8:00 (Fox - Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, SR: Ken Rosenthal)

2011 NLDS Game 5 Live Blog

The last time the Phillies played a win-or-go-home game in the playoffs was in 1981.  With Steve Carlton on the mound, the Phillies lost 3-0 to the Montreal Expos.  30 years later, right-hander Roy Halladay is on the mound as the Phillies take on the Cardinals.  This may be the most coherent paragraph I right all day.

Game 5: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers 5:07 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

Game 5: Cardinals vs. Phillies 8:37 (TBS - Dick Stockton, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 ALDS Game 5 Live Blog

Game 5.  2011 ALDS.  Tigers vs. Yankees.  Doug Fister vs. Ivan Nova.  Just how everyone pictured it would go in April.

Game 5: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:07 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Thursday Afternoon Philadelphia Sports Links: People Invent Narratives To Avoid Reality

In the almost three years (my gosh where has the time gone) I have written this blog, multiple times I tried starting a links post, only for it to fade away into obscurity.  I think the average attempt of these has lasted three posts, if I am being generous.  This semester on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have a two hour break in the late morning-early afternoon between classes usually with nothing to do.  And because every morning/afternoon when I first log in I read a ton of articles from varying sites usually stemming my Twitter feed, I figured I would share some with you at semi-regular interviews.  So enjoy this latest reincarnation of Justin attempts to do links posts!

Phillies

Cliff Lee And BABIP [Crashburn Alley]

Cliff Lee left the seventh inning of Game Two down 5-4 with runners on first and second, no outs. It was quite a disappointing start for the Phillies’ second ace as the lefty allowed 12 hits and forked over a four-run lead. It was the third consecutive mediocre post-season start for the lefty, which screamed “Narrative!” for writers across the nation.

Deep Freese: Third Baseman Helps Cards Tie Series As Phils' Bats Go Cold [Philly.com Sports]

They sat at five tables eating tacos, and the general sentiment was that this is not the meal to eat immediately before a flight home, where the fate of the season rests in one game. Mexican - not champagne and beer showers - was the postgame meal Wednesday in the visitors clubhouse at Busch Stadium. There was no celebration, no smiles, no looking ahead.

Phillies Encounter The Randomness Of Postseason Baseball [Baseball Insider]

You have to still like the Phillies’ chances to beat the Cardinals in their first-round series. They will hand the ball to Roy Halladay who, no offense to Chris Carpenter, gives them a significant starting pitching advantage. They will have a home ballpark filled with their raucous, towel-waving fans, nary a squirrel in sight.

Eagles

Michael Vick, The Eagles, And The Dream Team That Never Was [SB Nation Pro Football]

Michael Vick declared the Eagles' Dream Team 'dead' on Wednesday, and all around the NFL, Philadelphia's critics are getting the last laugh. But the 'Dream Team' has been a lie all along.

Flyers

The Absurdity Of Losing Blair Betts For Nothing [Broad Street Hockey]

Casual fans of the Philadelphia Flyers will scoff at the fact that we're making a big deal about losing a fourth-line role player. But it's not only the fact that the team lost Blair Betts to the Montreal Canadiens via waivers today, getting absolutely nothing in return, that pisses us off.  It's what such a move says about the philosophy of this organization that's so frustrating.

2011-12 Season Preview - Eastern Conference [Down Goes Brown]

With the NHL's season opener just days away, it's time for an in-depth season preview of all 30 teams. Today we'll look at the Eastern Conference.

Union

Report About Roger Torres Buying Out Cali Contract Plausible, But Highly Unlikely Based On MLS Rules [The Brotherly Game]

The UnionDues is reporting that a source close to the situation told the site that Philadelphia Union midfielder Roger Torres has bought out the remainder of his contract with Colombian club America de Cali. Speculation on the move is that that either the Union are set to sign the 20-year-old to a contract, or a European club may swoop in and take the talented Colombian off to another continent.

College Football 

Must List:  Week 6 [Keith's Sports Journal]

I gotta be honest folks. This might be the weakest college football weekend in a very long time. There's only two games I'm remotely interested in and the night games are especially weak. So my suggestion this week would be to watch games up till the LSU vs Florida game is over and then go out and watch a movie. Here are some games you might want to just check out if you're inside this weekend.

2011 NLDS Game 4 Live Blog

I will be bitterly disappointed if Joe Blanton does not make a pinch-hit appearance today.  I probably will not be around for the start tonight.  As for what time I will be around, honestly, I am not sure.  Expect it to be around 6:00 and 8:00.

Game 4: Phillies vs. Cardinals 6:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 4: Brewers vs. Diamondbacks 9:37 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

A Tale Of Two Calls

It is a home run that is already drawing comparisons to Matt Stairs' moonshot that won Game 4 of the 2008 NLCS.  And not just the magnitude of the homerun.  But in the call of the national TV play-by-play announcer. This is Joe Buck calling the "devastating turn of events" in 2008.  And now here is Dick Stockton calling Francisco's shot today.  See if you notice any similarities.

P.S.  If you want to hear a real announcer's call of that home run, fast forward to the 28 second mark of that video and hear Scott Franzke.

NFL Week 5 Schedule

It has been a less than ideal start for the Eagles defense and now they are facing the Buffalo Bills, a.k.a. the toughest offense they have seen thus far this season.  Seriously.  The Bills.  Yeah. (all times ET; games I get are in bold)

Map of who gets what Sunday afternoon games

Fox games

Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Giants  1:00 (Fox - Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman, SR: Pam Oliver)
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Buffalo Bills  1:00 (Fox - Sam Rosen and Brian Billick, SR: Laura Okmin)
New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers  1:00 (Fox - Dick Stockton and John Lynch)
Arizona Cardinals vs. Minnesota Vikings  1:00 (Fox - Chris Myers and Tim Ryan)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. San Francisco 49ers  4:05 (Fox - Kenny Albert and Daryl Johnson, SA: Tony Siragusa)

CBS early games

Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers  1:00 (CBS - Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf)
Oakland Raiders vs. Houston Texans  1:00 (CBS - Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts)
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts  1:00 (CBS - Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots)
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars  1:00 (CBS - Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker)

America's Game Of The Week and CBS late games

New York Jets vs. New England Patriots  4:15 (CBS - Jim Nantz and Phil Simms)
San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos  4:15 (CBS - Marv Albert and Rich Gannon)

Sunday Night Football

Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons  8:20 (NBC - Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, SR: Michele Tafoya)

Monday Night Football

Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions  8:30 (ESPN - Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden, SR: Suzy Kolber)

2011 NLDS Game 3/ALDS Game 4 Live Blog

Playoff baseball all day and all night.  This will be a fun night.  It will be an even funner night if the Phillies win.

Game 4: Rangers vs. Rays 2:00 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 3: Phillies vs. Cardinals 5:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 4: Yankees vs. Tigers 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 3: Brewers vs. Diamondbacks 9:37 (TNT - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

2011 ALDS Game 3 Live Blog

It's taken awhile, but we are finally going to see the full Sabathia-Verlander showdown.  Wait, there are showers in the forecast in Detroit tonight?  Son of a.....

Game 3: Rangers vs. Rays 5:07 (TBS - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 3: Yankees vs. Tigers 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Written In The Stars

I won't control or restrain things I do not understand.

Independent events:  "In probability theory, to say that two events are independent intuitively means that the occurrence of one event makes it neither more nor less probable that the other occurs."

It is a concept that seems so simple to understand, yet when faced with real world situations, is the hardest to truly grasp.  Organizations in this world have made perhaps trillions of dollars capitalizing on this inherent difficulty of humanity.  Tell a person that Action A leads to Action B, even if there is absolutely no parallel between the two, and you could find yourself very rich one day.   A little charisma goes along way in this world.

Often times we as humans think we are above these groups.  And maybe we truly are not a part of these money making scandals.  But upon further examination, I have to confess I have been just as guilty.  Just because I do not actively participate in any congregation does not mean I am truly above the people who regularly worship these organizations that have existed for thousands of years.  For this was just a different manifestation of the same false belief.  The same belief that by doing one thing, we can influence something events tens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of miles away.  

It was my lucky royal blue plain t-shirt.  It was the shirt that I thought could conquer all.  And in 2008, it did.  I wore it countless times during the 2008 Playoffs, and each time I did the Phillies won.  And look at what happened in 2008.  Magic.  Fast forward to 2010.  It was the shirt I wore when the Flyers qualified for the playoffs against the New York Rangers via the shootout on the last day of the season.  And look what happened in 2010.  A magical run that saw the Flyers fall just short of the Stanley Cup.  Magic.  Unexpected blissful magic.  This worn down royal blue shirt had the ability to transcend all rational belief and catapult teams I loved to victory.  That alone, was responsible.  Surely.

The warm summer air turned back into a brisk, fall air.  Summer of 2010 turned into Fall 2010.  And everything changed.  Knowing the Phillies needed it to rally in the 2010 NLCS, I wore it during Game 2 of the Series.  And oh, happy day, the Phillies won.  They were back in the series.  They can do this.  The shirt still has magic!

Fast forward to Game 6, once again sensing need, I wore it.  I do not need to remind people what happened.  Fast forward to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I wear it frequently during the Philadelphia Flyers series against the Buffalo Sabres, I find myself wearing it to start the game and taking it off as the Flyers consistently drop goals to start the game.  It was as if the luck was reversed.  Karma?  Luck ran out?  Or simply the product of believing that a meager coincidence actually meant something.  In the Flyers' series against the Boston Bruins, I wear it twice.  Both losses.  The magic had disappeared.  

How feckless I was.  Obsessing over a shirt.  A fucking shirt!  As if a shirt I wore actually had any impact on what happened miles away from me.  As if everyone else's lucky charms were all for naught.  As if only I had power over whether my team won or not.  As if my shirt triumphed prayers to God from fans of other teams.  As if God cared about a game.  As if there is a God.

People have superstitions.  They like to believe they have power over that which they can only hope to control from afar. They like to believe that by doing Independent Event A, they can influence Independent Event B.  Picking a shirt to wear for the day has no influence over whether or not a sports team succeeds miles away.  Standing or sitting in a certain position has no influence over whether or not a sports team succeeds.  But we like to think it does.  For when it works, we feel good, like we did something to help our team win.  That we can control that which we previously thought we could not.  Praying to a Higher Power has no influence over whether or not a sports team succeeds.  Why should a Higher Power, manufactured by yourself, your favorite blog, or someone thousands of years ago care?  Why should the Higher Power, if one such exists, ignore the pleas from Side B who want the exact opposite to happen and only listen to you?  What makes you so special?

The irrational need to control things that with which we cannot control dates back thousands of years.  It is an irrational belief that by doing Completely Unrelated Event A, we control Completely Unrelated Event B.  Think about it.  It is the irrational need to assign a reason to that coincidences which we otherwise cannot explain.  Calling two things mere coincidences is too simple.  It's too easy for the laymen to understand.  There must be a reason.  Just like you can't convince the laymen that the Cardinals were largely lucky in their 5-4 defeat of the Phillies.  There must be a scapegoat.  There must be blame.  There must be something my team did wrong, because we all know there has never been any situation where someone did everything right and yet still ended up getting the short end of the proverbial stick, right?  Right?!?

For some, this entire post was nothing more than a painful re-stating of the obvious.  For others, it may be blasphemy.  But maybe it is neither, for maybe I am wrong.  What if there is answer to the questions we seek, just in places we never thought of looking?  Perhaps the answers to which we week are right in front of us, written in the stars.

Now I realize I'm stronger than I was.

Terrible Day

Four of my teams played today.  All four got out to early leads, three of which I would consider significant.  Only one won.  One drew.  The other two lost.

Chelsea started out 4-0, won 5-1.

Eagles started out 23-3, lost 24-23.

Philadelphia Union started 1-0, drew 1-1.

Phillies started out 4-0, lost 5-4.

The Cardinals had a .542 BABIP to the Phillies' .261, a figure slightly below league average.  Cliff Lee had an FIP of 1.10.  The Cardinals scored 5 runs off of him.  Yep.  That pretty much explains it all.

I'm gonna go cry alone because as insignificant as these numbers would be in a 162-game season, when it is a 5-game series, getting BABIP luck left and right is frequently how teams win in the Small Sample Size Adventure, known as the MLB Playoffs.  Just ask the 2010 San Francisco Giants.

NFL Week 4/ALDS Game 2/NLDS Game 2 Live Blog

Football and playoff baseball, woohoo! Wait, what?  Ron Pitts and Dick Stockton are each announcing a Philly game, respectively?  NOOOOO!!!!!!!

Game 2:  Tigers vs. Yankees 3:07 (TNT - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

Game 2: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers 5:07 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

Game 2: Cardinals vs. Phillies 8:37 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

2011 NLDS Game 1/ALDS Game 1/ALDS Game 2 Live Blog

Who is ready for 9 hours of Tinie Tempeh's Written In The Stars and advertisements for re-runs of , er, I mean, the second day of the MLB Playoffs!  

Game 1: Diamondbacks vs. Brewers 2:07 (TBS - Victor Rojas and Joe Simpson, SR: Sam Ryan)

Game 1: Cardinals vs. Phillies 5:07 (TBS - Dick Stockton and Bob Brenly, SR: Craig Sager)

Game 2: Rays vs. Rangers 7:07 (TNT - Don Orsillo and Buck Martinez, SR: Jamie Maggio)

Game 1: Tigers vs. Yankees 8:37 (TBS - Brian Anderson, Ron Darling, and John Smoltz, SR: Tom Verducci)

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LIVE BLOG!